Still decompressing after the rally.I blew off 2 weddings,adventurecon,and a great miata club drive this weekend to be antisocial and get my head together.And sleep.I slept alot over the last few days.Not that I've been lazy.I've been catching up on all the things I neglected while getting the car ready.
One of those things was totalling up what I spent on the BMW.I wish I hadn't done that.If I sell EVERYTHING including the parts car I'd need $3000 to make a tiny profit.Nevermind the approximately $1000 I spent on the rally.Ouch.Theres a sign in the window now and it'll be on ebay and craigslist as soon as I inventory all the parts and get pics.I really like it and want to finish it right but right now that means another grand and a summer of work at least for not much more return.Plus I'm lookiing for next years project and will need the room.Assuming I don't move again in the fall.In which case the less cars and parts I have to move the better.So if I can get close to the break even point the car(s) is gone.
Its been great connecting with all the other participants on myspace and facebook.I hope one day I'll have time to read all the blogs and gather all the pics.Right now there is too much else to do.Miatas at the Gap happens at the end on July and there are still some things that car needs to be where I want it.
Haven't talked to my navigator since he went home.Thats probably for the best.Still trying to come up with the right words to address what happened.NEVER AGAIN comes to mind,but theres more to it than that.
Thats all for now.I hope to have more pics up soon.For now look here .

Took a well deserved day off today and ran the dragon 3 times in the bimmer.Its slow.Real slow.Or maybe I'm just spoiled by my 06 miata.No overheating as long as I left it in 3rd gear.It was faster that way anyway as long as I carried enough entry speed.Much like a 1.6 miata only 1000lbs heavier....with 3 cylinders.On the plus side the low speeds meant I never ran out of brakes or tires.It seriously needs an LSD.Bad.That plus my exhaust and some more tuning might make it a respectable Gap Taxi.Or I could sell it and start over.
Still collecting my thoughts on the rally for a comprehensive huge-ass post.Watch this space.

10 hours straight and the Ultimate Dripping Machine is home.Dad made it too,mostly for lack of a good hiding place for the body.Tomorrow I'll run back through the gap without my "ballast" and hopefully get some clean runs and killer pics.More to come.The rally may be over,but the ranting has just begun!

Got into New Orleans yesterday at about 5:30 local time.The roads are worse than any in NYC.My new suspension is making loud noises-I hope we make it the 600+ miles back to TN.
Dad is here too.No homicides-yet.....
Spent last night after the awards with the Automobile Magazine crew.Great group of people.I really hope they do it again next year.Theres much more to post but it looks like we're leaving today instead of staying another night.I have work on wednesday and really want one day of relaxation on this vacation.I'll post the pics and a monster blog when I get home to fill in all the details I missed on the road.

Today is the tail of the dragon.Yesterday going up I-26 the temp gauge got pretty hot and I had to pull over.Today could be very fun or very long.The water pump I need is at home-on the other side of the mountains.D'oh!
Last night I once again suited up in the coveralls to work on another competitors vehicle.The team from michigan in the camo van had a valve cover gasket leaving a large trail from hotel to hotel.I didn't actually have to do much as team leader Katherine dove in and did it herself.COOLEST CHICK EVAR!Too bad shes married
The Elvis challenge was...interesting.Pics will be added as I upload them,which at this rate will be when I get back home.We're not dead last,but we're close.I'm considering tanking the last two days in the hopes of a last place award.Time will tell.Off to pack the car minus Elvis gear-I have room in the trunk again!

Day One-
Started with a bang with a timed challenge that was near impossible for us so we skipped it and went on to the equally impossible camera challenge.We got 5 out of 32 points-Dad is pissed.The point is to have fun so I'm rolling with it.
The cars have been craptacular!Mine is one of the nicer ones but not nearly the best.Automobile Magazine showed up with a white limo that ended up needing a kinked fuel line replaced.I was in the mood to do some work so I suited up and hacked/fabbed a new flexible line.It was quite an experience working by flashlight with lots of flashes from the photographer.Jean Jennings went on a beer run and brought me some Yuengling.Very cool.
BMW running greta,in fact we were the first in at 5pm.

Today is Elvis day.I've dyed my facial hair black and am just about to put on the jumpsuit.Pics to come.

Posting form the lovely guest bedroom of the 'rents condo as Dad swears at his jammed printer.A bad sign?
Day -1 was notable for both its length and uneventfulness.Left Christiansburg at 8am and except for a few minutes near the 3/4 mark the temp gauge behaved for the entire trip,including a few bonzai runs to terminal velocity on the NJ turnpike(and I still got passed!).I think/hope the engine will stay cool the rest of the way as this was the longest day of driving I had planned.We'll see how it does at Deal's Gap on day3.I stopped at my former employer in Maryland and left with 2 free Land Rover Annapolis T-shirts and a possible job offer.Gonna hafta think on that one.
Tomorrow I fix the heater fan,search for steering wheel and seat covers,and maybe fix the exhaust rattle that came back thanks to the great CT roads.And get beer,can't forget that one.Planning on heading out for NY at about 1pm-so probably more like 3

Made it to Christiansburg VA on night -2.
Only about 250 miles from home but packing until 2am last night left me bleary-eyed by the time it started getting dark.Car still running a bit hot but the fan seems to be turning on even later into the bad part of the gauge.The funny thing is it will only run for a few minutes and shut off so I'm begining to doubt the accuracy of that gauge.I have a nice aftermarket gauge but left it at home.I just didn't have the time to find metric to SAE thread adaptor fitings for the sensor.A friend has a sweet Wal-mart outside thermometer with a long temperature probe so I might pick one up and stick the sensor in the radiator fins tomorrow.Its too bad we can't all travel at night because the car LOVED the cool air and extra power in the hills.
As for the news from yesterday,I entered a Porsche club charity concours on Market Square.AND WON!
Granted its the "Diamond in the Rough"award-aka the biggest shitpile at the show-but its a trophy dammit!Considering only 4 cars out of 70+  went home with awards I'm thinking its a sign of good things to come.
Huge travel day tomorrow,but at least I get to recon part of the route.

Well its 4:30 on monday and I'm ready to make like a baby and head out.Car has been running good if still a bit warm.Another burping might fix that.Stopping tonight wherever I get tired but hoping for Harrisonburg VA.I'll post yesterdays good news later on tonight.

As of tomorrow at 5pm I will have 1 week left to finish the car and drive to CT.

Yhis weekend has been productive:got the new suspenders on,stickerized it-new pics-,and added a monster cooling fan.That plus a home-brew hollow thermostat has it to the hot-but-not-quite-overheating stage.Still need to finish the wheels plus tons of minor things.The A/C is pretty much a lost cause.Found a bubble in the brake hoses so new braided ones coming in tomorrow(I hope).

Excuse me while I go freak out.