Re: Audi-Dudi's San Diego adventure...

[audidudi@delphi.com (Jeffrey J. Goggin)]

>	Thanks very much for the ride.   I had a ball.    That course was 
>easily the largest course I have ever run, and the Ur-Q was very 
>interesting to drive at the limit.

"Interesting," eh?  That sounds awfully diplomatic, though, truth-be-told, I
don't think the Ur-Q is the best handling car ever made.  I also don't think
that I've got the new Konis dialed-in yet nor have I got the best possible
alignment on it, either.

While the course was only 70 seconds long (for some of us, at least!), it
was easily over a mile in length so I wasn't surprised to find out later
that we went through over 2 gallons of fuel in just nine runs ... it was
also one of the larger courses *I* have run, especially since most of it was
covered at over 4000 rpm in 2nd!

>I didn't have too much trouble with the handling, but I couldn't seem to
get used to the sensitive brake 
>pedal.   Every time I tapped/eased onto the brakes, I unsettled the car, 
>or worse yet, I locked up the brakes.

I agree the brakes aren't perfect -- I think the OEM lines are getting a bit
spongy -- but I haven't had any problem adapting to them.  From what I've
been told, that's the way they are on this car ... I trust this'll improve
when I install the SS/Teflon lines next weekend.

>The locked centre diff didn't seem to be noticeable at all.

You should have driven it on Sunday ... it was incredible.  There was a
large-radius sweeping left-hand turn
that was taken at 5000 rpm in 2nd gear (45mph or so).  The quick way around
was to treat it as a double-apex turn and when you lifted off the throttle
briefly at the first apex, the nose tucked-in beautifully ... just like it
does when the center diff is unlocked.  This allowed you to put your foot in
it the rest of the way, just lifting off slightly as needed to keep the car
from understeering at corner exit ... lots of fun!

>	The only other thing that surprised me was the overall grip from
>the tires.  I was expecting more.  The D40M2s on my 5KCSTQ stick like
>crazy on the street, and I expected an order of magnitude greater from the
>R1s.  The last autocross car I drove was on soft Hoosiers (Wayne Snyder's
>EM SPitfire,) and it stuck pretty well, but not even as well as my
>codriver's RX7 with R1s (225/50-15, same size!)

My new set of Hoosiers arrived on Monday so we ran my old BFGs for the event
... they're pretty close to worn out and probably cost us 1/2 second
compared to a fresh set.  We'll see how the Hoosiers work out at the next
event on June 14th...  

>WoW!   What a car.   Duane's 4KTQ is impeccable!   The car is super 
>c;lean, and the turbo installation is very well done.   Oh yeah, I _did_ 
>get to drive it!     Duane's objective has been to produce a civilized, 
>streetable "family sedan" with excellent performance.   I think he has 
>achieved a very good compromise in this regard.   The car rides well, 
>handles well, and is quiet and rattle-free.   Its also fast  :-)  Thanks 
>Duane.

Like I said, a really nice job ... that said, I think I'd get the aluminum
trim anodized black or maybe paint everything with some wrinkle-finish black
paint.  Still, a VERY neat car all-in-all ... if it is ever stolen, here's
hoping no one checks in my garage!  :^) 

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    / |      _| o    | \       _| o     Jeffrey Goggin
   /__| | | / | | __ |  | | | / | |     audidudi@delphi.com
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