New Car Itch

No idea why, but I have had new car itch for the past couple days. It would make sense if I was dreaming of something sexy, but I'm looking at gas sipping commuter cars?!

I finally took a few minutes to work up a spreadsheet, to see if changing cars came close to paying for itself:



I own my 2002 Accord free and clear; while it gets a disappointing 23-25 MPG, it's an improvement over the WRX (which only got about 18 MPG and required 91+ octane).

It would be nice to drive in HOV during rush hour, but new hybrids aren't elgible.

A tax credit for buying a hybrid would be nice, but they've all been used up.

:/

I guess I'll save my $$$ and buy a Porsche or something.

Fuck you, Zipcar!

Why does Zipcar get all the best parking?

Hiz Holyness Done-Gets a New Ride

Kudos to Autoblog for spotting this:

[Source: Daimler]

New Mercedes-Benz for the Pope

Stuttgart/Rome – In future, Pope Benedict XVI will present himself to the 40,000 or so pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in a shining white, open-top Mercedes-Benz G-Class during his public audiences on Wednesdays. The new "Popemobile" was created over a two-year development period in close consultation with the Vatican, and has now been personally handed over to the Holy Father.

This open official car, which the Head of the Catholic Church requested for use during fine weather, was developed by Mercedes-Benz on the basis of the G 500. It is equipped with a folding windscreen and hand-rails, and like its predecessors it is painted in the Vatican mystic white finish. The interior is likewise white, and is accessed via steps lined in red at the rear. The Pope holds his audiences in a standing position, so that he is easily visible to all his flock.

POPE == PIMP

I already shared this through Google Reader, but I wanted a chance to use one of my favorite, little-used tags for this post.

Ads for the new 2008 Subaru WRX

I like the look of the new WRX, but it turns out the US version will have a modified Legacy engine, and not the new Impreza Engine. I'll wait and see what 2009 brings us...

The 2008 Subaru WRX

Pictures of the new WRX were leaked last night ahead of the embargo.

Maybe it will grow on me, but I can't say I love it.

Replacing my Pool Gear

In the process of turning the WRX in, I somehow lost my pool bag with all of my gear in it (goggles, paddles, pull buoy, fins, and sandals). I've looked everywhere, and the only thing I can guess is that I left them in the trunk of the WRX when I turned it in.

In any event, I needed to replace everything. I made a trip to Sport Fair in Arlington and was able to get goggles, paddles, and fins. I decided that I could get away with those for the next couple practices and ordered the buoy and sandles on the internet(s). I was asked when I checked out how I found their site:



I wonder if they'll think I'm serious...?

So long, Scooby!

I turned in the WRX tonight after 36 months; I think it's the longest relationship I've ever had. [According to my credit report, I've had a trade line with Citibank for the past 89 months.]

While Andrew certainly got me a phenomenal deal, my own actions made it a more expensive endeavor than it should have been. Let's take a look:

$14,000 Payments ($400 * 35 months) [includes: GAP, Warranty, all Maintenance]
$500 Deductible [Accident July 3rd, 2004]
$1200 Tires and Rims [April 2005]
$0 The delight of driving a Gold Dodge Stratus
$460 Autocross ($160 Tuition + $240 Helmet + $60 hotel)
$800 New Tires [August 2006]
$780 Bumper #3 [November 2006]

$17,740 Total

More than I should have spent, but more than fair to enjoy the best three years and 39,658 miles of a $27,000 Japanese sports car's life.

Racing Fuel

100 Octane racing fuel in Weedsport, NY. My WRX would fucking love a glass of this.

Subaru's Added Bullshit Coverage

In April of 2005, I had a road hazard incident which necessitated that I replace two rims and four tires ($1200). The road hazard clause of my extended warranty covers the original four tires, so in May 2005 I submitted a claim to Subaru Added Security by mail.

I realized after several months had passed that I hadn't heard anything -- no check, no denial of my claim. Around the end of July I called Subaru Roadside (who handles their Added Security claims) and was told that they had no record of my claim. I re-submitted my paperwork.

As an aside, I bought my house March 31, 2005. Subaru Corporate and Chase were updated by the time my car payment for April was debited, and my address was updated with the dealership when I brought it in for the tire issue. When the claim was submitted, my addresses should have been updated everywhere with Subaru. Also, beyond this point I should mention that I'm a little vague on exact dates (but not on actual events). I kept records at certain points, and when I figured everything was handled I tossed the corresponding post-it note.

Again, several months passed and I heard nothing. Sometime in late spring of 2006 (probably May, around the one year anniversary) I called Roadside and was told the check has been issued and mailed to my old address in September of 2005. I informed them that I had moved before I filed this claim, that my addresses were updated everywhere including on the claim itself, and I had never received the check. The woman I spoke with had to do some research and would call me back in 24 hours. Two days passed and no call, so I called back. The woman I spoke with this time was very nice, she saw the research from the prior call and ordered the stop-payment on the check. They would need to wait "about a week" for that to go through, then they would reissue the check which took "about 4-6 weeks". This actually didn't seem all that unreasonable (I'd be surprised if they did more than one check run a month), so I thanked her and told her I'd check in next week to be sure that the stop-payment went through and the check was processed. A week or so later, I called back and the woman I spoke with told me that the stop-payment had gone through, the check was being reissued, and I should receive it "in about a month".

I checked back again in late-September 2006 and was told the check has been processed and should be issued "in the next check run". Several weeks passed and still nothing.

Having waited another 8 weeks, I just called Added Security again to check the status. The man I spoke with told me he saw no stop payment or re-issue had taken place, and the only thing that he could do was start the whole process over. He had no record of any of the calls I had made since September (though every call the rep had seen the prior call in their system).. The only thing he could do for me was another stop-payment and reissue. I asked for a reference number and he told me to reference my VIN# again, which clearly has worked all along since they lost a year of correspondence I had with them.

I did email Subaru's corporate headquarters to ask if this was typical, and I was given a person contact to call if I did not receive my check within two to three weeks:

Dear [Redacted]:

Thank you for visiting the Subaru Web site and for taking the time to e-mail us with your concerns. I have contacted Cross Country Motors on your behalf in regards to your refund. I spoke to the manager of the department. He has advised me that two checks for a $150.00 each were sent out on 09/15/06 to your old address. The manager has placed a stop payment on those checks and is going to have new checks issued and sent to your current address. You should see the checks within two to three weeks. If you do not receive them please call me immediately and I will follow up with the manager. I have every confidence that the matter is now straightened out and that you will be receiving the checks. I do apologize for the delay.

Please reply to this message with this information or call us at 1-800-SUBARU-3 (1-800-782-2783) and refer to the Case #[redacted]. Thank you and best wishes!

So they didn't lose the correspondence, they just sent the checks to the wrong address again.

I guess we'll just wait and see what happens. In other news, the balloon on the WRX is up on January 10th; my long, Fuji Heavy Industries nightmare will soon be over.

This Thanksgiving, what I'm thankful for is this speeding ticket

I left for my parent's house in Myrtle Beach right after work, and made it all the way to Souf Carolina before Johnny Law caught up with me.

Most of my trip through SC is spent on US-501, and speed limits vary from 45MPH to 60MPH. Anytime the speed limit drops, it will go from 60MPH to 55MPH before dropping to 45MPH. That's exactly what happens as you enter the town of Aynor, where Officer Peavy pulled me over and wrote me a ticket. He claims that he clocked me at 67 in a 45 which is impossible.

I always engine break in the WRX, especially when slowing down but still moving. If you haven't driven a WRX, it has a lot of horsepower (227HP@6000rpm) and a lot of torque (217 ft lbs@4000rpm). If you're in too high a gear, the car barely moves; in too low a gear the car will physically buck back and forth.

My WRX is a five speed. If I am at 60MPH or below, I have to be in 4th gear, if I'm between 35 and 50 I'm in 3rd gear. I was probably going 67MPH in that 60MPH zone, and as soon as I saw the sign for 55MPH I downshifted to 4th, and when I saw the sign for 45MPH I downshifted to 3rd.

Officer Peavy, of course, sees no break lights and pulls me over. He told me he clocked me at 67MPH but no mention of how fast he was pacing me. If I had been going 67MPH and I was in 3rd gear, he would have watched my car buck back and forth from all the excess torque (since I'd be around 5500rpms).

Office Peavy was kind enough to only write me for 55 in a 45, though he noted the "actual" speed next to it in case I decided to come from out of town to contest the ticket. I actually thought about going down there to fight the ticket, and then I found some interesting facts about Aynor on Wikipedia:

As of the census of 2000, there were 587 people, 228 households, and 158 families residing in the town.

Something tells me that if I go to court in a town with 587 people, I'm going to end up in jail instead of getting my ticket reduced to parking on the pavement.

A Boner of a Benz

Mercedes has a new factory-armored S600. From Autoblog:

Like the other Guard models (E and G-Class rides are also available) the S-Guard is built on its own assembly line, which lets Mercedes armor up the car as part of the original production process. As a result, they're able to build in the protective features better than any aftermarket program and still tune the car so that it doesn't lose much (if anything) in terms of handling and comfort. The 517-horsepower V12 underhood is more than capable of providing adequate thrust.

If the vehicle comes under threat, it's B6/B7 armor level is enough to stop standard military-grade small-arms fire (such as 7.62mm and 5.56mm rounds), protect against grenade shrapnel and offer protection against other explosive devices. Run-flat tires, a self-sealing fuel-tank, and an integrated fire-extinguishing system round out the Guard package. Despite all the reinforcements, the S600 Guard is visually indistinguishable from the garden-variety V12 S-Class.

Now that is P-I-M-P. I'm gonna write me some rap lyrics right now and record me an album. Wait until I roll up on your white malls in that shit...

Photography Exhibit by Mason Student / DCAWD Member

George alerted me that a DCAWD member that is also a Mason student has an exhibit going on in Innovation Hall:

Hey everyone!!!!

I'm a photography student at GMU. During the spring semester I did a documentary piece on Subaru cars. I had a lot of fun meeting new people and taking pics of subie wrx's. Very Happy Laughing SO, my work is up at GMU Fairfax Campus on the 4th floor of Innovation Hall (building?) take a right as you exit the elevator, out in that long hall. It's going to be up until the 5th or 6th ish of October. Although on the 4th of October will be the showing of the work, 3-5pm. There will be some snacks and stuff. It would be awesome if you guys/girls could come. Laughing If you have anyquestions just PM me.

In addition I want to thank everyone who let me come around and take pics of them.

Photos of the photos don't show well, but I really liked her work (as well as her subject matter).

No, really, I wasn't backing up or anything

Thanks to Starbucks for making the wrong breakfast sandwich this morning, and a special thanks to a woman named Mary (with her Bush '04 sticker proudly on the back of one of her "many cars") for backing into me in the parking lot.

Another Tire Debacle

As mentioned previously, I got a flat tire on my way home from Richmond last week. I'm at the dealership now waiting for them to put four new tires on, align the car, and charge $800.00 to my credit card.

Apparently, Subuaru only allows a tollerance of 1/4" of tread difference between tires, lest the all-wheel drive get confused and blow up. There was already 1/4" difference between the front and the rear (which is odd to begin with), but apparently the new tire is a full inch bigger than the old ones.

You may recall, I just replaced two rims and all four tires in April of 2005. That's $2000.00 in shoes for a car that will be gone in January.

Autocross School ala DCAWD and the SCCA

The DC All-Wheel Drive Car Club organized their third annual autocross class, which was taught by Brian Garfield from the Washington DC Area chapter of SCCA. Normally they teach levels I, II, and III separately, but we were able to combine elements from all three levels into a single day.

Before we got started, all three instructors sat us down and went over safety information and some specifics on autocross racing. The very first think we did was to tech our cars (as they would do at a race) and make there were no loose items in the car, that the driver floor mat was out, that the battery was bolted down tight, and that the tires were firmly attached (no loose lug nuts or wheel bearings).



Once all the cars were tech'ed, the autocross n00bs (including me) were sent to the figure-eight drills while the more experienced autocrossers started on the course. After about an hour we all switched.

For the figure-eight drills, Brian rode along to teach us two very important things: shuffle steering and how to use the accelerator to slow down and turn. With three sets of green cones on one side and another set on the other, the idea was to setup your turn and accelerate into the arc using the pedal alternate between going straight and turning (no brakes allowed).



The course was setup primarily for slalom (beginning and end) with a couple sweepers inside to keep us awake. We were shown a GPS-plotted course map before Greg walked us through and showed us what to look out for. Three people had seat time while three worked the course picking up cones, and then we switched.



During lunch, the instructors reset the course and made it much longer. We split the class in half again (six and six), only this time half would run the course more like a real autocross event while the other six worked the course. Once everyone had a chance to run and work, we did it again.

I'm tired, I'm sunburned, but I had an amazing time. There will definitely be more autocross in my future.



[ed.] Alan was good enough to track all my times in the last course:

First heat:
57.522
52.216
51.820
50.297
47.694
47.798
46.867
47.002
46.711

Second heat:
48.515
46.371
46.568
46.465

And compliments of Julian: More Pictures

Pondering the new Honda Fit

I joined Andrew for Bill Maher on Saturday at D.A.R. Constitution Hall in DC, which turned out to be a much funnier show than I expected. Since I only have six months left on my car ballon, the conversation turned to possible replacements at the end of the evening.

I drive less these days, so I'm considering some more obvious choices like an Impreza Wagon (minus the WRX-part) and a VW Golf (Rabbit). I've also had some far less obvious choices stuck in my head like the Honda Fit or a Scion xA, with the likelyhood in mind that once I test drive either car, I'll probably still end up with another Impreza. Andrew brought up the Yaris, which I didn't even know existed, but his thinking was that he wouldn't be comfortable with a friend driving something as small as a Fit or a Yaris should it face-off against something much bigger.

Curious as to how big or small these cars are, I did some research on Edmunds:




The Washington Post had this to say:

Here is a car that is 20 inches shorter than the Honda Civic, previously the smallest car sold in America, but that has as much interior space as the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. The Fit's cabin is multi-configurable, meaning it can be changed around several ways to accommodate maximum hauling of stuff or people. It is family friendly.

As I often do with such vehicles, I enlisted the aid of Ria Manglapus, a neighbor, fellow Post employee and family friend, to give the Fit a real-world shakeout. Ria has two sons -- 11-year-old Q and Bori, 16 -- who keep her running from home to school and myriad places in between. Her taxi duties also include the hauling of equipment such as long bamboo kendo swords and musical instruments. She normally does all of the running around in her Honda Odyssey minivan.

But she managed to do with the Fit everything she could do with the substantially larger, more fuel-thirsty Odyssey. "I think I'll trade in my minivan," she said.

I was impressed, too. In the past, "small" often meant "cheap" and "boring" in automobiles. The Fit proves that is no longer the case. It is a zippy front-wheel-drive rascal with a 1.5-liter, 109-horsepower, in-line four-cylinder engine that uses regular unleaded gasoline. It maneuvers easily through city traffic and fits neatly in tight urban parking spaces. It is charmingly ugly, eliciting the affection one might have for a bulldog.

Ha! I get it. Bulldogs are ugly, but they're kind of cute in their uglyness.

In any event, Andrew and I agree we need to test drive a Fit and just what the thing is all about. I have until October to decide what I'll be tooling around town in when my WRX goes buh-bye.

Spending too much time with "the football"

On Friday, George sent me a link to this video:



and in the email said, "you have too much time on your hands if you are making videos like this and putting them online..."

George and I traded some emails on Sunday debating whether or not we should bike on this beautiful day:

From: theAlphaJohn
To: George
Date: Sun, 28 May 2006 16:04:51
Subject: my soul is in danger

parents left this am
i slept until 2pm
i'm in my underwear watching laguna beach on mtv, the *worst* show ever

...

bike today/tonight/tomorrow?

Needless to say, we traded emails until George called me about 5:30pm and we decided we were going to go over to Great Falls Park and bike. Only problem was that I only have on bike carrier on my roof rack and his car is ill at the moment (but will be fixed before we autocross in June).

Solution? Drive over to REI, buy another bike carrier, throw it on my rack (which was in the garage and not on my car), and go pick him up at the metro. Though Great Falls Park closed at dark (Sunset: 8:25pm).

In any event, we made it, got about an hour of biking in before deciding GFP is much better for hiking that for biking, then went over to Burke Lake Park (which we pulled in just in time for the gates to closed). We drove around the corner, parked in some neighborhood, then biked back into the park and harassed the silly campers.

Afterwards we came back here, grilled some animal, and watched some crap tv. We were lucky enough to see the funniest Law & Order ever (unfortunately, Andrew was not there to watch it with us). I'll spare you the recap.

Usually during these outings, George and I catch up on things we may or may not have shared with the other since last we hung out. George shared the WRX STi vs the Forrester STi video from Google today, and then decided to send me this email:

Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 01:13:54 +0000
From: George
To: theAlphaJohn
Subject: pony

While looking around the internet i found the little girl who took
your pony...

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/005633.html

And what is on that blog?

Her Mane Is Obviously Fake

Dad: What are you going to name your new horse, honey?
Little girl with My Little Pony: Skankbag!

Overheard by: Michelle

Hizzoner crashes his Benz

I'm still catching up on the news from last week and this past weekend, but apparently Marion Barry done-did smacked his ride up:

D.C. police cited D.C. Council member Marion Barry for a traffic violation after a minor accident early yesterday in Southeast Washington, police said.

Officers at the accident scene raised questions about Barry's sobriety, checking a box on a police report that said he appeared to be impaired. Barry (D-Ward 8) passed a breath test, however, after he was taken to the 1st District police station. He was permitted to drive home within an hour or two of the crash.

The 70-year-old former mayor was cited for failing to yield the right of way, an offense punishable by a $50 fine. He plans to contest the citation, his chief of staff said.

The crash took place at 12:10 a.m., when Barry pulled his 1990 Mercedes out of a parking space and into the path of an approaching sport-utility vehicle, police said.

Shit yeah he gonna fight that ticket. First of all, unlike our fake president, The Crunkinator still got some see-lebrity to throw around. Not to mention fiddy bucks done-buys one hell of a ho for Saturday night.

I fucking love this guy. Give DC two house voting house seats, one for Eleanor Norton-Holmes (the angriest woman alive) and one for Hizzoner. Praise him!

The only car worse than a Gold Dodge Stratus

I dropped the WRX off at the body shop this afternoon. I don't know why they're not making the payment on it since they have it more than I do.

I got to Enterprise to pick up my rental, and USAA had not booked one for me. They called over to Brown's and they put it on their account until Eric the manager straightens that out.

Enterprise put me into a Grey Chevy Montecarlo. I want to know what salty, red state, riverboat casino gambling grandmother was deprived of that turd by Enterprise. What a stupid car.

The Curse of the Gold Stratus Part IV

The WRX failed emissions for the second time. I left a message with USAA that they're going to need to put me back into a rental while they fix the leak, the defroster, and return the car when it has passed emissions.

This is bullshit.