Another Pro-am participant...
 

Hey, I know I don't post much around here, I mostly lurk and see what people are doing :P

But I have gone through 5 rx7's now, and have drifted all of them, what can I say, I am trying my shot at this pro-am stuff and figured I should post these up to help support everyone else who may be thinking about it too.

I bought this car 1 week before the event, and it was a stock TII with a streetport and a haltech, otherwise all stock.

I proceeded to swap everything, including...

Tein super drift coilovers
Polyurethane Bushings all around
Rear steer eliminator bushings
New wheel bearings all around
Mazdatrix Super angle kit *
Forrest Wang modified spindles *
Removal of front and rear sway bars
Resurfaced rotors
Hawk pads
SS brakes lines
ACT Pressure plate w/ 6 puck sprung clutch
Shock proof heavy Tranny fluid
SS clutch line
Jegs Snubber *
Sparco Evo Seat

However, my mazdatrix angle kit didn't come in within the time frame, so I didn't get to use it for this event :(

In addition, I found out the car I bought was a GXL at one point, and had a NA rear end... the only rear end I had as a spare was a S5 TII vicious diff, so I had to put that in there... I figured, I would rather run an open diff than blow a rear end trying to get a decent run in.

I pretty much lived in my garage for 1 week while I did all this work

I got out there after working on the car until 5 am replacing the brakes, E brake - which somehow broke ?, and a few other touches...

I only had 1 hour of sleep *:(

Never the less, I went out and tried my best *;)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/...a59c97ed_z.jpg

I did some test runs on the car before swapping tires, and it was confirmed, that the Viscous Diff was basically running like an open diff - save for the fact that it liked to lock up randomly on me every once in a while...it wasn't very fun

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/...5267922a_z.jpg

I did what I could and with fresh tires, I ran Hankook Rs-3's, it helped my runs be more consistent

After a while, even with the diff situation, I was able to lay down some nice runs. But when it came time to compete, things didn't work out so well.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/...f6fdd7ae_z.jpg

On my runs, I spun both times, it was upsetting - but a well learned result. The car has a long way to go and this was the first time I have ever driven her, the car already has a new diff being put in, and by the time the next event comes around, I will hopefully have my angle kit, my cage, and a bit more power

;)

looks like it was fun though.

needs more photos aaron.

I have to many

caught you slippin' homie!

too*

this isn't a college essay, and besides, I could go on for days with any number of your posts if I so wished

you're so uptight man, calm down!

Y'all gotta be easy.

Nice start, seems simple and effective. I'd place a fair wager that the N/A diff would hold. I don't plan on swapping mine when I boost.

N/A diff will be okay to an extent. I believe Jeremy Lowe is still running an NA/welded diff/axles. mine were okay on my streetported motor, but i never drifted.
Aaron is aggressive i think he'd kill it pretty fast. TII axles themselves are small compared to other diff/axles even. they break easy too.

Tbh, it was a last minute decision, I figured id rather be able to run the entire event than risk only being able to run half the day due to something breaking. Either way though, I have a diff now so we are onto the next problem

So i put my angle kit in - what a difference ( finally came in after 2 months of waiting...)

I went to the track 3 days in a row to have fun on them :)

The RS3's in the rear are still holding up, these things last a while !!

I found one sick pic from pro-am, with stock angle.... :(

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1423008_n.jpg

Nice and simple! I'll be running a welded NA diff this season... *fingers crossed*

Looks good so far!

thanks, we will see how I am able to do this next event. :D

he just broke one last weekend lmao (axle)

yea NA, and TII Axles are practically identical side by side. the only solution is to hit up Driveshaft Shop, and have a custom set made. probably $300-$600 but you wouldn't have to worry for a long time...

Round 2 of Pro-am's have come and gone, and well I went out to and had a lot of fun :)

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/x...02/drift18.jpg

I still do not have a roll cage, but thats ok, because I don't plan on being competive this year - I am a broke college kid after all.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/x...02/drift39.jpg

I crashed my car about an hour before qualifying and bent my inner and outer tie rod ( I also bent my rack - but didn't know at the time)

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/x.../drift39-1.jpg


I made a decision to travel back home and take the tie rod off of a parts car I have. Unfortunately, it is about 40 minutes to travel there, I did it in 20. I hardly had time, and drove like I had no time on the free way.


I made it back only then to find my rack is bent and the car would not turn right at all. We fixed it as we could with a sledge hammer and some other barbaric techniques, but it was still way off. My toe was way off as well and showed itself with a new steering feel (not a good one).


I missed my first chance to qualify, but I gave it a shot on the second attempt - I was just happy I didn't spin.


I guess it was enough to put me in top 16 - it was hardly a good run, I was just working with what I had.

http://www.vegasdrift.com/wp-content...7955796881.jpg

As it turns out, I was the only driver without a roll cage in the entire event out of 35 drivers - I knocked out a lot of friends. I didn't get to tandem, so the driver I was going up against had a free by, but it felt good to make it especially considering the circumstances :)

Thanks everyone for the help and support

Always cool to knock out friends haha

for sure :P

I think the best part was the damn speech they gave, they made a really big deal about me making top 16 with no cage - apparently they loved it.

pictures kinda sucked this event - it was a weird track set up - a 3rd gear sweeper entry [ I entered at ~ 65 mph ] into a slowwww 2nd gear (almost 1st gear) donut then bring it back out close to the walls.

Made it tough for media.

Was good to practice going from high speed to low speed and then back to speed again.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2727927/bla...e/DSC_9531.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2727927/bla...e/DSC_9704.jpg

My tall awkward ass in the top 16 parade.

lol the black silver and burple s13 a friend from here in utah. damn we need more of our own events.

Oh ? I thought he was from Colorado

cool guy, he was into S12's at one point, my friend is real into them too and was chatting to him about it.

Found some more pictures

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/...8f466573_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5067/...35f6c68a_z.jpg

That one was post crash

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5116/...a5800129_z.jpg

I was pretty happy :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evilD...&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEkT6...&feature=share

Need a lot of work

my runs look gross :(

Round 3 prep...

+ Roll cage, FD spec

+ New steering rack

+ New Tie rod end

+ New fender

+ Modified seating position

+ New Thermostat

+ New tires

After the series is ended, I will be busy with school - I must do as much as I can before hand :)

Are you getting a reman. rack? I'm debating it.

No, although I am most likely going to end up getting one from later down the road. I received a new rack from a friend - and as it turns out, it used to be my old rack from a previous TII :P