A little oppo for Oppo and a bit of a self-introduction

"WRXforScience" (WRXforScience)
10/11/2016 at 17:12 • Filed to: autocross

I’ve been a longtime lurker and occasional commenter here (since 2010), but I haven’t seen the need to start making my own posts until now. I’m an avid !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and run a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! a few times a year.

My philosophy is to go out and do whatever it is you enjoy with your car as often as possible. I don’t judge people for their automotive proclivities (except anyone who willingly drives a PT Cruiser, your car is bad and you should feel bad). I love sharing my passion (that sounds pretty dirty) with like minded compatriots, and I will go out of my way to help support, encourage, and spread automotive culture.

Every vehicle I’ve bought has had a manual transmission (I inherited 2 hand-me-down automatics during college, but at the time I was selling blood for gas money so I couldn’t be picky). My vehicular history: 1987 SAAB 9000s, 1996 Lexus ES 300, 1997 BMW 740iL, 2009 Subaru WRX, 2010 Subaru WRX, and currently a 2014 Subaru BRZ. Which means I was on a roll going from an I4 to a V6 to a V8 to an H4T but then I backslid into an H4 (my horsepower was cut in half, torque fell to just 1/3 what it had been but my fun increased by at least 180%).

I am proud to finally join the ranks of the Oppo authors.

DISCUSSION (19)

Decay buys too many beaters > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:21

First off, welcome!

Secondly BRZ? Pfft, what a terrible, slow, useless thing. My FR-S would totally wipe the floor with it ;)

Kinja'd!!!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:25

Love MSR Cresson... I have to get back there sometime to do the big track. Glad you’ve joined the ranks as an author - looking forward to good stuff from you.

WRXforScience > Decay buys too many beaters
10/11/2016 at 17:27

Well, I’ve been beating the guy in the FRS all year at the autocrosses so your argument is invalid.

By the same logic, my BRZ is faster than: a ford focus RS, a dodge viper, an ariel atom, a McLaren 12c, a ferrari f430, a porche gt3 and gt4, and a nissan gtr just to name a few.

WRXforScience > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
10/11/2016 at 17:30

I’ve never done the 3.1, but I’ve done the 1.3 and the 1.7 (both CCW and CW) a few times each. I’m a big fan but it’s the only track I’ve raced on other than the TMS Roadcourse (I’m headed down the Texas World Speedway for a Club Trial with the SCCA during the 3rd anual last event ever race, which is confirmed again for next year fyi).

TysMagic > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:31

wooottt perhaps one day I shall long for authorship. I look forward to watching many a BRZ/FRS/86 debate

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:36

Bruh, my Civic has a cherry bomb and CAI from ebay. Check yourself b4 u rek urself!

citizennick > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:38

I think he was making a joke since they’re the same car?

WRXforScience > TysMagic
10/11/2016 at 17:42

They are all 86's, each is made on the same assembly line in Gunma, Japan (a Subaru plant). We all go to the same meets and share a forum.

The new hot debate topic is if the new ‘17 is a significant upgrade over the ‘13-’16 models.

TysMagic > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:44

well duh because it’s the newest one

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:44

We did the 1.7 CW the weekend I was there with The Driver’s Edge. Hallett is my home track, just an hour from Tulsa - you should make it up sometime to check it out.

3rd Annual Last Event Ever - hahaha!

Decay buys too many beaters > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 17:45

Well mine is also blue, and as you can see in the picture, blue is clearly faster than red.

Kinja'd!!!

If your standard GT-R drivers are like ours, I’ll bet they were absolutely thrilled when that happened! The one time I’ve been out on a road course with one, he had to point me by and came around after the session to ask what I’d done to my car “just tires and brake pads.” He couldn’t seem to fathom how a 200hp economy sports car touted by everyone as being underpowered, was turning better lap times.

deprecated account > TysMagic
10/11/2016 at 18:15

Party-vi made a post yesterday if you wanna apply.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > WRXforScience
10/11/2016 at 22:52

Welcome and safe motoring! Looking forward to your track insights.

TysMagic > deprecated account
10/12/2016 at 09:13

thanks! I’ll throw my name in the hat.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > WRXforScience
10/18/2016 at 09:21

Welcome!

I see you made the right choice on color, wrong choice on car. ;)

I’m guessing by your lack of wheel gap that you’re running in STX? Although I suppose that could be weight transfer in the turn, but looks significantly lower than stock.

WRXforScience > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
10/18/2016 at 09:38

It’s STX prepped (Ohlins coilovers with a slight drop of about an inch).

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > WRXforScience
10/18/2016 at 10:09

Nice. That’s pretty much the ideal drop IMO, especially if you don’t feel like buying axles all the time. haha That’s where I had my car set when I had my SACHS coilovers on (switching back to CS next year).

Do you have the “original” MI20 Ohlins or the updated MP20 with the softer rates?

WRXforScience > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
10/18/2016 at 10:19

I got one of the last batches of the “originals”. I think the updated ones are too soft (even mine are a little on the soft side for the various venues I run at). I’ve thought about swapping out some stiffer springs, but about half our races are on the lot in the picture which has plenty of gravel, bumps, and elevation changes where the softer springs are probably faster. I’ve got a 20mm front sway bar and a WRX rear sway to make up for the lower spring rates.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > WRXforScience
10/18/2016 at 10:33

Is the car your daily driver too?

I found it interesting when both Ohlins and KW lowered their rates to be closer to the SACHS RS1 and Bilstein B16 offerings, more of a performance road oriented coilover with the ability to do light performance driver (i.e. some autox and the occasional track day). If I were to have kept the SACHS I was planning to upgrade with stiffer springs. Even with their lower rates though, they still performed pretty well on track and at autox thanks to solid valving, but a bit soft for what I was doing.