It's all finished

"LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com" (limitedtimeonly)
08/12/2018 at 14:47 • Filed to: oppomeet 2018, oppo meet

Not only is the Oppomeet at the Tail of the Dragon over, but as I finished the trip, so ended my bumper to bumper warranty, after 36,000 miles on the GTI. Both were good while they lasted.

Our crew had a nice mix, and we enjoyed getting to know each other a bit over meals. Donny has a lot of interesting stories to tell, the kind of lengthy experiences that could be captured in a written post but are better being told i n person. And Josh 86 has had interesting vehicle experiences, but is pretty quiet about them. Glad he was in the right place at the right time to join us instead of spending the day in a boat.

We ran the Tail of the Dragon and also the Cherohala Skyway, which I liked a lot.

We saw lots of motorcycles, some riders better than others, some with more farkle than others.

Thanks to Ike for getting us together.

DISCUSSION (18)

Captain of the Enterprise > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
08/12/2018 at 15:09

My new favorite car is that gen GTI. I really want one when I graduate. I’m not sure if I want the DSG or the manual though. I’ve only driven stick a couple of times and liked it but I get stuck in bad traffic most days so the auto is appealing especially if I’m going to be spending $15,000+ on one. I want to want to use it everyday.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Captain of the Enterprise
08/12/2018 at 15:39

Yes, I can get stuck in traffic daily, so I like the DSG, but sometimes it shifts without permission in manual mode when I’m autocrossing. On the Dragon I was using the paddles a lot to keep the revs up, and it was great. I would get the DSG again, but I’d like another car to play with that has a manual.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Captain of the Enterprise
08/12/2018 at 16:41

Vw manuals are so easy though. I wouldn't want to daily something with a super heavy or tricky clutch through traffic. But with something light like that, it's trivial to deal with, even in the heaviest traffic.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
08/12/2018 at 16:47

See anybody end up with contributions to the tree of shame? Seems like every time I've been there someone does something stupid and ends poorly. I think one of my favorite parts is seeing the wild stuff that people bring there and how much fun it can be to hang out at the overlook.

TrickJos > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
08/12/2018 at 17:08

How has the GTI treated you so far? I’m l ooking at buying a used MkVII in the next few months.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
08/12/2018 at 17:26

Saw one bike in a ditch, and I came very close myself once, but nothing significant that we were aware of. Saw a couple of interesting items last night at the overlook, but otherwise didn’t spend time spectating.

My swiveling lights definitely came in handy returning last night, but annoyed Jordan since they were constantly on him, so he let me get in front of him. I remember you wanted corner lights fo r night runs.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > TrickJos
08/12/2018 at 17:29

Other than some rattles and squeaks, it has been great. If you look back in my post history you will find my 2 year review in the end of May this year.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
08/12/2018 at 17:43

Ahh neat, corner lights could definitely be awesome in a place like that. High beams seem to do the trick generally since they just throw light everywhere but that doesn’t work when following someone any ways.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
08/12/2018 at 19:12

Whenever I go from 911 to the beetle I think I'm gonna stomp a hole in the floor when I first push the clutch in.

AM3R, lost another burner > Captain of the Enterprise
08/13/2018 at 02:55

I would go for the manual. I drive into DC daily and the stick in my 335i isn’t bad at all. It’s muscle memory and the clutch isn’t super heavy so it doesn’t make my commute any worse.

On the other hand, my neighbor let me drive his DSG gti and it shifted super quick and smoothly. Can't really go wrong either way.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
08/13/2018 at 10:39

Thankfully the STi and Miata clutch weights are pretty similar so I never really notice a difference. The shifter and grab points on the other hand are a bit different so it always leads to jerky shifts in the Subaru right after driving the Miata. It's funny to me considering how bad the motor mounts are in the Miata and yet it still shifts way smoother with less effort.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
08/13/2018 at 10:49

The clutch weights don’t really add up to much difference after a second or two but the rev hang sure does. The 911s revs are falling the instant you push the clutch pedal ; the beetle feels like a good second(or more) until it drops.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
08/13/2018 at 11:13

Ahhhh that sounds awful haha. I have never experienced rev hang. I would have to imagine it almost feels like the throttle is stuck or some bullshit.

Captain of the Enterprise > AM3R, lost another burner
08/13/2018 at 19:02

I get that, I’m still hesitant because I hurt my left knee in high school when I dislocated my kneecap and partially tore my mcl, busted up my cartilage and fractured my tibia. Then I had to get it scoped a couple years later. I also have depression and I often have low energy and it could take more to drive stick. Although maybe the muscle memory would help with that.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
08/13/2018 at 19:35

Of course its finished. The warranty is a Limited Time Only;)

AM3R, lost another burner > Captain of the Enterprise
08/13/2018 at 21:02

I was worried years of lacrosse and other stuff would make me not like driving stick everyday but I’ve noticed that as long as my seat is adjusted appropriately, it doesn’t bother me at all.

I understand the low energy due to depression. There have certainly been times where I had long, crappy days at school or work where I wish I could've just teleported home instead of worrying about a commute. Auto or manual, sometimes you just can't wait to be home drinking some beer with a friend or something.

Captain of the Enterprise > AM3R, lost another burner
08/14/2018 at 05:21

Thanks, that’s good to know. I’m still a ways off from actually buying another car (unless I get bad news from the transmission shop tomorrow). I’m not ruling out manual, I learned on a high school friends YJ wrangler and liked it and I definitely want something with a manual eventually.

AM3R, lost another burner > Captain of the Enterprise
08/14/2018 at 22:21

Good luck with the decision! I will say, driving some local backroads banging through the gears with the windows down has been absolutely therapeutic for me lately whenever I have a bad day.