[Es2] I test drove the coupe today, long and a bit off topic.

[David Kase]

Wow, this is great stuff!  I can't wait to get into the nitty gritty.  I 
am only assembling my engine now and have a ways to go before the install.

Being a motorhead is not easy.  I still have to remind my wife of eleven 
years that cars are a big part of my life and that will never change.  I 
miss part of her family vacation for the USGP every year, I spend time 
in the garage several nights per week, I ride my motorcycle some Sunday 
mornings, so on and so on...
Now I do take my kids on proper vacations as well and my family is more 
important by a long shot than any physical possession.  But, I also 
believe on living life.  I love cars, I now have at least some money 
that I can spend on them and I am going to do it.  It is more than a 
hobby, it is a passion for cars.  As Mr. Meguire says (with his cheesey 
grin) - I am certifiably car crazy.  Lame description but I get his meaning.

Godspeed everyone,
Dave


Jimmy Pribble wrote:

>Josh,
>
>Congratulations on the test drive!  Also, I think you are a most excellent
>person for trying to really understand your life.  I know far too many
>people that seem to shuffle through their days not really understanding that
>they only have one brief shot at fully participating in the rich experience
>of life (with all due respect to the religions that observe reincarnation
>doctrines).  I don't mind you sharing your "OT" observations, especially in
>context of their relationship to your car building/driving experience,
>because it helps me to understand you as a person and I believe in the human
>experience that we share on these crazy lists.  I have made real friends
>online.  The concern, support, advice, and generosity is all real.  I have
>been lucky enough to have actually met in person some of the people that I
>first met online.  I hope to meet many more in the future (eS2 contingent at
>the next S-Fest anyone?).  Anyway, thanks again for sharing a little bit of
>your life with us, Josh.  Carpe Diem.
>
>As it happens, while Josh was test driving his car last night, I was also
>having the first really successful test drive of my car.  My car first
>started many weeks ago, but I have only driven it a couple of times.  The
>car has been plagued with problems.  It wouldn't idle correctly, it would
>stall, it only pulled 10 inHg at idle, it felt low on power, it cut-out at
>6000 rpm, the vacuum brake booster wouldn't work, etc.  It was just not a
>happy car and I have been an unhappy and discouraged owner.  After some
>debate on another forum yesterday, we decided that the cam timing was off
>one tooth.  We made the adjustment and noticed that the idle issues were
>gone.  That was a good sign.  Then Eric went for a test drive.  Now Eric is
>an engineer for IBM.  He is very even-keeled and unexcitable.  I have never
>heard him raise his voice or say a harsh word.  He is also a perfectionist,
>which tends to dampen any kind of enthusiasm he might have about anything.
>Even when things are going well, he will find something not quite right on
>which to focus.  Well, after a few minutes, he pulled up in front of the
>house and called for the next person.  Ken and I looked at each other.  We
>had both heard it - we heard the excitement in Eric's voice!  The car must
>be running well.
>
>Eric's brother Ken was up next.  Ken is the opposite of Eric.  He is
>completely and totally emotionally driven.  He wears his extra-sized heart
>on his sleeve proudly.  He's the most moody bitch I have ever known, but he
>is passionate.  He laughs, cries, yells, curses and smiles wide at this car
>stuff that we do and he drives a car like he means it.  True to his
>character, it turns out that Eric had driven the car gently and had only got
>on the throttle once.  We hadn't even heard him.  Ken was a different story.
>I live out in the hill country outside of Austin, where it is pretty quiet
>at night.  We could hear Ken tooling around over a mile away from my house
>(my car is pretty loud).  He puttered around for a minute, getting used to
>the car I guess and then we heard him get on it.  The sound of that
>screaming engine booming through the hills gave me goose bumps.  Eric, Tom
>(another friend) and I just stood around grinning stupidly at one another,
>while we listened to Ken wail on the car.  That I5 turbo sound is truly
>intoxicating.
>
>I took my turn next.  My drive was brief, because I was a little concerned
>that Ken might have stirred one of the sleepy local sheriff deputies (whose
>HQ is just down my street).  Without belaboring the point, my car is a
>rocket.
>
>I only have one more week until the track event, so we have lots more work
>to do.  I will report further details of the car in context of its
>performance on the track.  I will also try to borrow a camera and maybe get
>some video.  Stay tuned.
>
>Here is the cam timing thread:
>http://forums.audiworld.com/i5/msgs/370.phtml
>
>Again, I agree with Josh that I couldn't have done this without the help of
>many, many people, including the folks on the various Audi lists and forums.
>Thanks!
>
>Jimmy       
>
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