Gearbox Magazine 1.10

1.10

RALLy RoLLA thE hAWK & thE MOOSE

NAMES

TALE of Two dRifTERS

MAYBE NOt AS BAd AS WE thOuGht

PLuS

REMAn ALTERnAToRS

thE cREW chIEf’S EXpERIENcE cAR 22, uNdERcOvER 3 - BuStEd BuIldING BROthERhOOd, pENMANShIft & MORE!

BEn MARCuS: fASTEST GC iMPREzA in ThE GALAXy

STARTER GBXM 1.10 | YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT Perhaps my favorite song of all time is the Rolling Stones’ classic, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want (You Get What You Need).” As has become something of a trend these past few months, we went right up to - and through - our deadline.

A good third of the stories in this issue weren’t ready for Build Day as planned, and then, best laid plans of mice, real life showed up on the doorstep. Instead of being able to devote a good 16 hours to building this issue over the weekend, I barely got eight. Monday was a late night, as was Tuesday, and now here it is Wednesday night, I’ve just got home from the emergency room, where we paid over US$200 out of pocket to have a small, plastic “g” (literally, the letter g) removed from my 1-year old daughter’s left thumb, and I’m doing final assembly of the issue at 10PM on a work night.

Delays and drama aside, building this issue has been an incredible experience. Not only did over 150 of you “like” GEARBOX MAGAZINE IS: our page on Facebook (http://bit.ly/gbxmpage) in a single night, we had people liking the Build Day preview pictures from all over the world. That’s what I call gearheads united!

PARTNERS And it was really awesome to be building the issue this month, chatting in realtime with my partners in this endeavor - Deanna in Seattle, Alex in London, and Dennis in Belgium. The dedication these guys have to delivering a quality magaizne to you, our sincerely appreciated subscribers, is incredible. I don’t know where the Chelsea Drug Store is (mainly because I don’t know where Chelsea is), but I don’t have to go there to get my prescription filled. Doing this just feels right.

+ [US] BRIAN DRIGGS + [NL] DENNIS DEJONG + [US] DEANNA ISAACS + [GB] ALEX WALLER

CONTRIBUTORS In the 4+ years I’ve been doing this, I’ve had experiences I never would have imagined, starting out, and it’s all because doing this has exposed me to new people, places, and ideas. I don’t want to live in a world where un- + [US] ADAM CAMPBELL checked corporate greed drives poverty, war and suffering, where partisan, divide-and-conquer politics drive us + [HK] PAUL TURNER apart, where regular Joes like us are just “doing their jobs” when they spy on us, or where “protecting my rights” + YOU? JOIN US. more often than not means “limiting yours.”

But I get what I need when I can have a deep conversation about success and failure or share in the all-consuming excitement of truly feeling part of a global community of gearheads with complete strangers made possible by the shared understanding that each of us is a gearhead and “gets it.”

You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.

Until next month...

Keep going fast with class & press on regardless,

bd

we don’t do advertising|we prefer partners Our goal is to help automotive enthusiasts build high performance machines & lives. If you’re a first class business which believes, like we do, that success comes from helping others achieve success for themselves, and are willing to work with us to empower our mutual customers, we’d like to tell you about how our Official Partners program can help your brand prove value, build trust, and grow. Nobody likes advertising & commercials. Let’s make a difference. Contact us today.

Gearbox Magazine. Of gearheads. By gearheads. For gearheads. united.

ConTEnTS | what’s inside ThE EffinG CovER | rALLY rOLLA

Much like Pepe Le Pew, Hawk Miller and Mustafa “Moose” Samli bounded across the Arizona desert in cheerful pursuit of their prey - unsuspecting competitors hellbent on staying in the lead. “Where are you go-eeng, my leetle open class competition? I am comeeng for you!”

There are two kinds of rallyists: those who have rolled and those who will.

12 PRojECT dREAdnAuGhT | BEN MArCUS

This 715awhp GC Impreza ran a 9.1 second ET its first pass off the trailer. A testament to quality products and workmanship, sure, but the road to triumph is often littered with “I’ve never seen that happen before” mechanical failures. In this case, Ben Marcus saw his first FOUR engine give out on him before he finally found his place at STM Tuned.

18 A TALE of Two dRifTERS | DEANNA ISAACS

Since the popularity of drifting has increased, so too have the ways of participating in this emerging form of car culture. Whether it’s in the driver’s seat, in the stands, or behind the scenes; these three intrepid car enthusiasts can’t wait to get some time with their favorite form of motoring.

26 ELECTRiC woRRy | ALEX WALLEr

When it comes to EV technology, it’s all been done before. The question, then, is who will bring it all together in such a way as to make us all go crazy for EVs? Will it be an OEM, a university, a professional EV conversion shop, or some gearhead in a shed with an old Miata, some batteries, and a couple hub motors?

28 REMAnS hAvE ThEiR MERiTS | BrIAN DrIGGS

Enough of us have had bad experiences with remanufactured alternators that they’re generally considered something to avoid, but when rebuilding costs more money - and means a couple days’ downtime waiting for parts - it’s really not a bad deal. Also, this is what it’s like to lose your alternator on the way home from work. | AUTOMOTIVE EVENTS & ENTErTAINMENT CALENDAr 10 TATAnkA TALkS TECh | ArrON STrUMp ON BEING CrEW CHIEf WHEN THE CAr rOLLS 34 CARS, TEChnoLoGy & fuTuRE | DENNIS THINKS ABOUT MODErN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES 36 CAR 22, ovER | pAUL IS BACK! AND THIS TIME, HE’S DOING 170 ON HONG KONG HIGHWAYS 38 GoinG fAST wiTh CLASS | HE MISSED THE SEASON, BUT HE’S IN GOOD SpIrITS 40 BuiLdinG BRoThERhood | SOME SIMpLE IDEAS TO GET YOUr GEArHEAD CLUB STArTED PLuS | pENMANSHIfT, pOETrY & MOrE!

ABouT GBXM|UNITED Stories of real people doing things with vehicles they actually own matter more than thinly veiled, marketing propaganga spun as helping sheep select their next consumer-grade appliance.

We believe our shared passion for all things automotive unites us on a global scale, and that the things we have in common as gearheads empower us to get the most from our differences.

wE onLy MATTER BECAuSE you MATTER. hiGh PERfoRMAnCE MAChinES & LivES!

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ThE hAwk & ThE MooSE

RALLy RoLLA QUESTIONS: BRIAN DRIGGS | ANSWERS: HAWK MILLER IMAGES: BONNIE MILLER, LEAR MILLER

Much like Pepe Le Pew, Hawk Miller and Mustafa “Moose” Samli bounded across the Arizona desert in cheerful pursuit of their prey - unsuspecting competitors hellbent on staying in the lead. “Where are you go-eeng, my leetle open class competition? I am comeeng for you!” There are two kinds of rallyists: those who have rolled and those who will.

I don’t remember Pepe Le Pew rolling, but if he did, I suspect he’d get right back up and after his prize. Kinda like the two guys in the skunk-themed GC Impreza on the cover of our issue this month.

If you’ve ever volunteered as service crew for a regional rally team, you know it’s always a waiting game. We rush to get ready in the morning. Team meeting, breakfast, final car prep, see the team off, then transit to the service park location, set up camp, and hope the weather holds for a couple hours before the car comes in for service.

Sometimes there are multiple service locations in a day; each a mad dash to pack it all up, lather, rinse, repeat. 30 minute blocks of intense effort testing our gearhead mettle broken up by hours upon

hours of sitting around waiting for something - anything - to happen.

You’re sitting in a folding chair on a tarp, thumbing through updates on your smartphone (assuming you have signal), thinking about how much time you have before the first car comes in - and how much time after that before your car gets there - when something finally happens. Someone in the service crew next to yours shouts out “FUCK!” and throws something.

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They’re out of the rally, but why? What happen? How did they get set up the bomb? This is where having signal comes into play. I’m sitting there, flipping through Facebook, when I see it. It’s a picture of my old friend Mustafa “Moose” Samli and his new driver, Hawk Miller, standing on top of a completely binned Subaru out on the stages. Bingo.

showed a little bit of interest in drifting for a bit. It was a fun weekend thing but nothing more. I decided it would be worth it to learn a few driving techniques from some professionals, so I started researching where the best driving schools are, what type of driving they instruct, etc..

Within an hour, Hawk and Moose and team are cracking beers in the service trailer while Dylan and I prepare for the arrival of our Dodge Neon and I’m admittedly a little jealous. Their after-rally party has begun while we’ve still work to do. DNFs might suck, but they’re strangely liberating.

Long story short, I wind up at Dirtfish Rally School with Forest Duplessis. After spending a good amount of time up at Dirtfish, I worked there temporarily in trade for driving time, and even assisted in teaching a few classes. At that point I found my true interest in rally racing. Rally racing has a large following of genuinely good people, and extreme competition. I can only imagine that must be the reason I’m addicted.

[bd] Introductions: Who are you, where are you, what do you do for a living? [hm] My name is Hawk Miller, I live in Flagstaff, Arizona. I recently opened a fabrication shop called IMOFabrications and also work at 316 Motorworks, either repairing Subarus, preparing rally cars, or selling parts. [bd] Tell us a little bit about rally. How long have you been involved with this sport? Why rally? [hm] I’ve been involved with motorsports for about three years now.

Rally racing really caught my eye because its entirely different from other motorsports, the conditions are constantly altering. Every stage is an entirely new course every time you drive though. Its the ultimate test of the most adaptive team. [bd] When you say you’ve been involved with motorsport for about 3 years, is that to say you’ve been involved in rally that long? Paint us a picture of your motorsport interests and pursuits in recent years. How and why do you think they’ve changed the way they have? [hm] I started off in motorsports doing autoX and rallyX events, even

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[bd] How did you end up in Prescott with the infamous Mustafa “Moose” Samli sitting navigator? [hm] Moose and I met by chance at a Subaru dealership while stopping in to check out the inventory. We started talking about rally, one thing led to another, he agreed to help out with the car a bit, and even codrive! We missed a few events due to car issues, but we saddled up and got the car ready for the Gorman Ridge Rally.

On the first control of the first stage - “BANG!” We lost the gearbox. Having worked so hard to get there, we couldn’t stop at that. We continued on and finished the race with only a few gears left! Then shortly after headed to the annual Prescott Rally.

Starting at Prescott, I felt a little uneasy. I knew the course pretty well as it is my home course, but I also knew I had some very talented competition. The first day we moved up to 3rd overall. We were selected for “Wild Card,” so the pressure was on - We had a chance at the Championship!

We pressed on harder and harder! I felt very confident with the car - not a moment felt out of control - just complete peak performance. Mustafa

claimed our strategy was that of “Maximum Attack!” On the second day we grew faster, increasing our times consistently. The course was slippery, but we kept pressing. I knew at this point that either something amazing - or something tragic - had to happen. [bd] How did you end up posing for a picture on the roof of a binned Subaru in the middle of a hot rally stage? [hm] Now I’m not entirely sure how the whole fiasco played out, it all happens pretty fast. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, maybe it’s because even though you’re upside down, you’re still thinking about the next corner.

I’ll tell you Moose was thinking about the next corner still - he kept reading pace notes as we went rolling down the stage.

We came into the corner (R4 I recall) at the same pace and same line as our previous run on that stage, but something was different this time.

We hit the driver-side rear into a berm on the left, it pulled the front in, and by the time I steered into the roll, it was too late - we rotated onto the roof, and kept rotating a total of 6 times.

Thankfully, two nearby photographers were able to run to the crash scene to make sure we were OK! After assessing the situation and laughing off the death we had just cheated, we decided we better snap a few good pictures. It’s amazing how fast a car can turn into scrap metal rolling that many times at roughly 80mph (130kph).

Maybe it was a lack of traction due to the surface difference, maybe it was driver error, maybe it was a part failure. We’ve found pictures of the car a few corners back where it seems the right front tire was flat, but we cannot rule out a fault elsewhere.

What happened, still happened, and I have no regrets. The notes were spot on, the services were flawless, and the competition was intense.

It is unfortunate that the race ended in the fashion it did, but as most involved in rally will tell you, “There are those that have rolled, and those

that will!” So at least we have that out of the way.

Our team Tuner (Travis Cooke) will tell you rolling a car that extensively was one of the best press stunts possible. He says, “Years from now, not many will remember the winners of the championship, but the team with the car that rolled six times - and still drove into the after party - will be talked about for a very long time.”

However I wouldn’t advise trying it yourself to find out. [bd] Admittedly, I was standing in the parking lot when the crowd broke into cheers as you drove into the middle of the party. You’re right. It’s not something I’ll forget. Did you really drive the car all the way back? From the looks of it, it wasn’t exactly the sort of thing local law enforcement wouldn’t, you know, notice. When was the decision made to drive it? How did it “drive?” [hm] After the last stage at Perkinsville had been finished, we headed back out there to pick up the pieces of what was once our noble car.

After sitting out in the dark assessing what our next move would be, we decided, why not try and start it? It fired right up, all the while not leaking a single drop of fluid.

So we replaced the lower control arm that had been bent in half, and straightened out the tie rod end. It drove perfectly straight! (Although the tires were a bit off the wheels.) After we drove it into the trailer, we decided, if the Dukes of Mendocino can roll once and keep driving, we can roll six times and keep driving too!

Although the car drove straight, we didn’t need to cause any more damage, so we unloaded it just a few blocks down the road [from the hotel] and drove it in to show how sturdy our little Subaru really was! [bd] Let’s stay with this subject a little longer.

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On the one hand, you make a sizeable investment in vehicle and safety gear, only to completely write it off. That’s got to be gutwrenching. All that time and money is gone forever. There isn’t much solace in the couple hundred bucks scrap value the recycler offers you.

On the other hand, you friggin’ drove it back to the fort to a hero’s welcome. National Champions don’t get that kind of welcome.

Now that you’ve had a little time to work through things in your mind - the ups and the downs - where do you stand? How do you feel about this development? [hm] Rally racing will always have its ups and downs; you can have a flawless rally with little to no issues, or you can have a big accident and

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possibly be very injured. However, from my standpoint, “just finishing” is no accomplishment. With the amount of money and time we competitors are investing into cars, entree fees, and travel expenses, it’s just not worth it unless you aim for the top.

As far as my situation goes, yes, we had a total loss of the car and about two years of work, seeing it the way it is now is absolutely heartbreaking. Although many of the parts are reusable and in perfect condition, it will still be a very pricey rebuild, but we will only continue to get better and faster.

At the 2013 Prescott Rally, we proved to ourselves we were able to keep up with the larger teams with five times our budget. Our service crew was flawless, my co-driver Mustafa Samli was absolutely exceptional,

and the course was fantastic. This is just a minor speed bump in the long line of great things to come. I have zero regrets, and the entire team is very excited to keep moving on to a higher level.

We started the event in good spirits, and ended in good spirits despite the unfortunate crash. Our team always keeps a positive attitude and I think that’s why we attract the good company of other teams and rally enthusiasts. [bd] “The good company of other teams and rally enthusiasts.”

Nail on the head right there. The vast majority of motorsport enthusiasts will never actually compete. (And fewer still will compete in longevity.) Why do you think said “good company” is so important to motorsport, and why do you think it maybe isn’t enough to keep everyone who races once racing long term? [hm] Good company with other competition is very important. You never know what could possibly go wrong, and it’s good to know someone has your back if it does. For example, at the 2013 Gorman Ridge Rally, we had a serious gearbox failure and had to flush the remaining bits of 1st gear out so we could find the intact gears.

We drained the transmission, but we didn’t have enough gear oil to fill it back up. Our good friends - and strong competitors - were able to find us gear oil and assist us in getting back on the road. No one wants to see a fellow competitor have to back down due to parts failure, and I would do the same for them any time.

Anyone can compete in Motorsports. Many will tell you it is just too expensive - and it is - but you can always drive a cheaper car or compete in a more cost effective event. I think the real factor that keeps people from staying in motorsport is motivation.

Sure, everyone wants to race cars or be part of a team, but how much time can you devote towards it? For me and my team, it’s an ongoing process. We work constantly for sponsors, constantly improving the car, and trying to improve ourselves. It’s all we do and all we think about.

It’s no longer a weekend event - it’s how you live your life. Being heavily involved in motorsport is a full time job, and it’s hard to devote yourself completely to one thing.

If you want something enough, you’ll dedicate everything to achieving it. That is what we do. [bd] How do you think we can better empower enthusiasts to par-

ticipate? How can we get them more involved? What do they need to go from cheering on the side of the road or in the service park to maybe racing or building or organizing their own event? What can we do for them when they come out to make a difference in their lives? [hm] I think one of the largest issues with motorsport is the lack of event information. Even as an enthusiast, it can be very difficult to find out when and where these events are happening, let alone how to get involved. The best thing we can do as a team is show off what we do, how we do it, and get enthusiasts excited about being part of motorsport.

If we keep supporting our volunteers and supplying them with the needed information on how they can move up to start competing then we can enlarge the amount of competitors. At the Prescott Rally, I was surprised to see the amount of volunteers and spectators who planned on competing in the near future. [bd] You said you guys will be back. What’s that look like? I guess, what I’m trying to ask in a clever, journalistic way, here, is tell me what you see in your mind when you think about your triumphant return to rally, and then backtrack it a bit, giving us an idea what you consider to be the major steps between here and there which make you a little uncomfortable. [hm] The previous car has a few minor issues; the cage was too small for my very tall co-driver and I, so there wasn’t a lot of headroom, the fuel system took up a majority of the trunk and had a few wiring gremlins!

With the new car, we can address these issues the first time and perfect the vehicle to perform without fail.

This will be a large step up, competing in a newer vehicle as well as a larger series, hopefully a newer vehicle will make our team more appealing to potential sponsors as well. We have a very small gap of time to rebuild the car, so it will be a quick and beneficial transition into a newer vehicle. [bd] What’s the one thing that’s going to make it all possible? [hm] As always, money is a large portion of the project with a full rebuild like this, but the portion that matters the most is an enthusiastic and hard working team. Our team knows this job is extremely important to keep progressing our team further into the series. Luckily for me, I couldn’t have a better team - from my very experienced co driver, to my exceptional service chief - I think we are pretty unstoppable.

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[bd] Finally, where can our readers connect with you? [hm] There are many ways to get ahold of our team. We have two Facebook pages as follows: Facebook.com/IMOFabrications Facebook.com/316MotorWorks As well as a website: 316MW.com ...

Every motorsport volunteer has a short list of indelible memories forever burned into their minds. I’ll never forget the pride I felt the night we

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drug a smashed up Neon back across state lines for emergency repairs in the hotel parking lot in order to drive across the ceremonial starting line so we could race again in the morning, or the adrenaline rush seeing a friend bolt from the path of an Evo sliding wide on the outside of a corner before jumping the berm and mowing the tulies en route to the flying finish. (I told him the outside was no place for a rookie spectator.)

And I’ll never forget the crisp, evening air in Prescott, Arizona, broken by the triumphant cheers of rally fans, enthusiasts, and competitors alike, as Hawk Miller drove his mangled rally car into the hotel parking lot under its own power. And, like that night behind the hotel, I suspect the wait for his return to the starting ATC will be worth the wait.

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THE CREW CHIEF’S STORY

QUESTIONS: BRIAN DRIGGS | WORDS: ARRON “TATANKA” STRUMP | IMAGES: BONNIE MILLER, LEAR MILLER

Though we share stories of people who actually own and do things with their vehicles, none of us does this alone - Especially when it comes to clubman level rally. It takes two people to drive the car, and a skilled service crew, preferably led by a cool-headed bloke impervious to stress. This person is the crew chief, and we got a chance to talk to Arron “Tatanka” Strump, Crew Chief for 316 Motor Works. ...

To volunteer as rally team service crew is to truly love the sport. We’re beholden to the rally schedule just as the competitors and stage workers are, but whereas they get to either race or see race cars at their best, service crew tends to spend the bulk of their time sitting around out in the elements waiting for hours on end for their car to come in for service.

When the cars do come in, it’s GO TIME. There’s only so much time to resolve any and all mechanical issues with the car, not to mention having a hot meal ready for the drivers when they arrive. (PRO TIP: Order the condiments and toppings on the side. Put them in the cooler, and stash the hot stuff under the hood. Mc D.L.T., baby!) The irony, of course, being that you signed up to put your skills to the test, but you hope you don’t have to. Nobody wants to replace a head gasket or a clutch or every suspension component on the car in 20 minutes, but in rally, it’s entirely possible.

That’s why the Crew Chief is so important. He or she must stand firm in the eye of the hurricane, always cool under fire, demonstrating grace under pressure, seeing to it that everything comes back together safe and sound in time to send the car back out on its minute.

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[bd] So, Tatanka, tell me what you guys were doing and how you found out Hawk and Moose had rolled. Why do you think you let loose such a resounding F-bomb. I mean, that shit was impressive.

I think they heard it on the stages.

[Tatanka] “Hurry-up and wait,” that’s what rally is to me. We Sent Hawk and Mustafa off in very confident form after the 35 minute service. The car was flawless, not a single bad report, and a fast stage time to prove it. We had spent the last month going over the entire car with a watchful eye, so I could have the confidence that everything on my end was perfect.

I believe it’s bad luck to go and check stage times - it makes my stress level go off the hook. So naturally I had my right hand man and lead tech Dalton go check for me. He came back and reported the guys had not completed Stage 11 and the only report was that they had the “OK” sign is out and it was something mechanical.

The quick rumors spread of a gearbox failure, so I had the service area ready for a quick gearbox change. After 20 Minutes of no communication and rising tension, the top three teams came into service. Kris Psara, driver of an 2010 Open Class STi, ran up to me and informed me that the car had been rolled and that both guys were out and safe.

Heart break is what happened next. I told Hawk at our shop before the race that we would carry this car through the Rally America National Series, and next year I promised him a new drive. Man, was I wrong. I knew that I only have until January to build a new car and have it ready to compete at the top level. So a loud F-bomb was a suitable response to such a task.

[bd] What happened next? You guys didn’t break camp and roll out. How did you figure out your game plan?

[Tatanka] Well, Hawk’s wasn’t the only 316 Motor Works car in the race that weekend, so we still had James Riley/Brock Palmer in an Open Class 2002 WRX to crew for and carry to the finish and to 3rd in the NASA Rally Championship. We stuck around and, lucky for me, I have a crew that could step up and make sure those guys were good and the car was safe to rally.

Also, because Hawk and Moose had rolled on Perkinsville, that meant that we couldn’t retrieve the car until after the race was over. Heavy Sweep brought the Bird and the Moose to service. We all sat in the trailer and talked about the drama that had unfolded, the build up to the roll, and tried to figure out what went wrong.

Being obsessive-compulsive, I have to know the answer to the problem.

I always call it the “why.” So that was the subject at hand; was it the front diff? Did the limited slip fail? Did the tire go flat? Every corner was perfect, why this one?

This wouldn’t be answered until I got the car back home and ran it on stands, found the differential was in perfect working order, but later found a picture taken the corner before the wreck showing the right front tire had gone flat and de-beaded, likely causing the car to follow into an excitement-filled ballet of metal. [bd] What did you expect to find when you got out there? Was it as bad as you thought?

[Tatanka] I was expecting a typical 80 MPH wreck; nothing left of the suspension, engine torn off its mounts, timing belt broken in half, radiator cracked, oil everywhere.

I was fortunately let down. The car had structural A-B-C [pillar] damage, the hood was in the windshield, the trunk was no more - but the fuel cell was untouched, the engine was perfect, the radiator was again perfect. I got out the jack, lifted the right side, replaced the lower control arm, tapped the tie rod end twice, and put a new wheel/tire on that corner and we were good to go.

Moose climbed into the drivers seat, gave it turn, and she started right up - and drove right onto the trailer. I knew we had done well at that moment. [bd] When did the adrenaline surge finally subside to the point where you realized the car was totaled, the race was over, but everything was really okay? (I know it kinda feels like being in the car accident with the team when this sort of thing happens. When did you finally feel yourself calmed back down and actually proud of the situation?)

better.

There is no reason why we can’t be the best, and it all came into play at that moment. [bd] How did you feel watching that mangled heap drive into the hotel parking lot under its own power? What did this experience teach you about life, the universe, everything?

[Tatanka] Like a proud father, getting to to see his child standing up on its own. I got to earn the respect of a very tight knit community, knowing what I had a part in was “Pressing on Regardless.” That truly made me appreciate all the hard work and stress. Ironic because it was a twisted pile of steel and aluminum, but it was more than that. It represented a start to new standard of excellence. [bd] Last question, for all the hard work and stress, why do you think gearheads should step up and join a rally service crew?

What’s in it for them?

[Tatanka] I always tell people before they come and work with me at a race that I’m sorry for the newest addiction in their lives. It’s nothing you will ever be able to put into words that fully explain it, but it will define you. You’ll want your day-to-day life to be like it, and you aren’t satisfied the months between. I can’t say that you’re going to get wealthy off rally, in fact you’re going to spend more money as a crew member just getting to the race then you will make, but the satisfaction of being apart of something so big is worth every penny.

I can’t express how how passionate I am for this sport. I live for it everyday. I work 16-hour days so we can continue racing, and not do it on a sub-par level, but at the highest of our ability. Maybe one day we will be the standard that new race teams - and race shops - look to for the how to, and the “why.” We will be the company that won’t be questioned, but praised, and only because we started as nothing and made it into something. ...

There you have it. A look behind the service rig so to speak. Everyone who steps up to the microphone at the rally awards ceremony thanks the volunteers, but you still seldom hear about the sport from the perspective of the often nameless individuals behind the scenes who make it all possible. Some are paid, others comped, but all are consummate professionals dedicated to being part of something larger than themselves. Ours is a wage paid in pride (and maybe sammiches).

Do YOU have what it takes to be on a rally service crew? If you’re reading this, I bet you do.Try it. You’ll like it. But just remember what Tatanka said, “Sorry about the newest addiction in your life.”

[Tatanka] On the drive back from picking up the car, Hawk, our tuner Travis, and I sat in the truck and laughed about everything. The subject wasn’t how we didn’t finish, but how well we did to that point. The subject was how scared the 1st and 2nd place guys were when they had a kid making up time on their $250,000 machines.

I can’t help but get a little emotional about it; that we had come from nothing; just made up our minds we were going to do it, and we ran at the top - and will continue to run at the top - and become better and

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PRojECT: When I think of STM (Street Tuned Motorsports), I tend to think of DSMs and Evos. Likewise, when I think of the DSM/EVO Shootout, I think of DSMs and Evos. Which is why it’s rather remarkable that I would discover what may very well be the fastest 4-cylinder, 6-speed manual Subaru in the Galaxy running STM colors at the DSM Shootout this year. I had to learn more.

QUESTIONS: BRIAN DRIGGS | ANSWERS: BEN MARCUS IMAGES: SHAWNA SUSICE

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dREAdnAuGhT

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In a discussion on Facebook after the Shootout issue, I came across a link to a Subaru which ran at the events. Considering this was the DSM/ EVO/GTR Shootout, I was curious about why a Subaru ran and was mentioned. I reached out to the owner, Ben Marcus, for the back story and we got to talking.

Turns out Ben was once a DSM owner, found his way to working for one of the most respected names in the DSM/EVO community - STM TUNED - and has had a bit of an adventure with his GC Impreza. Six years ago, he was a DSM owner. Today he handles Subaru online sales through forums like NASIOC and RS25.com. ... [bd] Tell us a little bit about yourself, Ben. What do you do for a living? Where do you live? How did you come to be in Subaru sales for such a respected name in the DSM/EVO community? [bm] Yep. I work outside sales for Street Tuned Motorsports (STM Tuned). We are primarily a DSM/EVO/GTR shop, but have branched out to Subarus. My RSTi was their first full Subaru build ever. I have been a good friend and customer of the owner, Emery Kapral, since before the shop was established.

I initially owned a 1996 Eclipse GST in 2006. Unfortunately, it was my first and last DSM. I had some less than stellar experiences with a local shop and decided to look elsewhere for support on my Eclipse. I looked around the net and forums and stumbled upon a small local forum run

by Emery and Shawna Susice (STM’s founders).

After many private messages back and forth, I decided to give Emery

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and Shawna a try for purchasing parts and support. At the time, they were still working out of their home office. I still remember the first item I bought from them - a license plate bracket for my 2G. All of $20.

Spoke to them for an hour or so before I left their home. I couldn’t believe the level of technical knowledge that they had regarding DSMs. I knew that if I needed any help with anything, they were the ones to go to before anyone else.

Later that month I was having a few problems with my eclipse and decide to give emery a call. I came by their place and dropped the car off with Emery. An hour later, I get a phone call advising the previous shop had done some work that needed to be redone. No problem I thought.

For the next five hours, I received calls on and off from Emery walking me through everything he was doing. I couldn’t believe his level of professionalism when it came to customer service. When it was all said and done, he had about 5 or 6 hours into the car, but only charged me for a fraction of it.

The car was 150% better than it had ever been. At that point, I knew I would be a lifer. No BS, no gimmicks, says it like it is - uncensored. Never had to worry that he might charge me too much or make me buy something I really didn’t need just to make a quick buck. Very honest and down to earth people. For them, customer always came first. Very rare in any shop these days.

Ever since my first experience with STM, being part of the team was an honor. Customer service is paramount for the STM crew. Can’t say that about many shops. Most of them are out there to maximize profits. I

have seen Emery many times give customers advice on what works and doesn’t work, to the point where the customers actually spend less money with STM. STM makes less money, but the customers really appreciate the honesty.

That is what STM is all about - customer first, everything else is secondary. It says a lot that I come down from Montreal [Canada] a few times a month just to hang out with the guys and talk shop. It is a very long drive to Rochester [New York] including the border wait. [bd] From the pictures I’ve seen, your Impreza is as clean as it is fast. What’s the story there? [bm] Alright, down to the details of my build. Ready for this one? It’s a long and exciting/depressing story.

I bought my 2000 2.5RS right after my Eclipse went belly up in 2007. I had the motor built by a previous shop before STM and, let’s just say, it wasn’t done correctly. Catastrophic failure due to mismeasurements when it was assembled.

Anyways, the 2.5RS had some mild work done to it when I bought it.

Biggest things were an STI bottom end and a Vishnu turbo kit. Not a bad little ride. Got it down the track a few times on low boost, but it wasn’t really anything too fast. When I began to build the rest of the car is when I began to have problems.

Went through four motors in a year and a half. At this point, I was doing everything - including motor building - myself. That might have been my problem. I had motors that snapped ARP head studs, destroyed piston skirts, cracked sleeves, etc.. All freak accidents. I just chalked it up to I

should leave the motor building to the professionals. That’s where STM came into the picture.

My build thread on RS25.com (http://bit.ly/gbxm110rs25) outlines all the trouble I had with all the motors I built myself on my kitchen table. You learn your lesson pretty quickly when you keep popping motors every 1000 miles. Leave the building to the professionals. I didn’t catch onto that fast enough.

For the fifth motor, I had STM do nearly everything in the build. Started from scratch and built it up with all the parts I collected over the five year period. Parts are expensive, especially the good ones. You want to do it right the first time. It took me multiple motors to figure that out that lesson as well.

Also, I had a lot of help from a few sponsors that went beyond the call of duty to help in the build: Ping at AEM Power with his expertise in the AEM EMS, Justin From Detective Coatings for powder coating nearly every part on the car as well as ceramic coating the exhaust parts, Mike from Torque Solutions for supplying all the driveline parts I could ever need, and of course STM. Without them this build would not have happened. DSM/EVO shop building their first Subaru and nearly taking the quickest 1/4 mile time record right off the trailer on its maiden pass.

Our first time out on the track (9/8/13) and the car yielded some very good results. First pass ever, the car went 9.1 @ 158mph (254kph). The world record is set at 8.99 @ 160mph (257kph).

With a little more tweaking I hope to see an 8.60 out of the car and se-

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cure the record of the quickest 4-cylinder 6-speed Subaru in the world.

fell apart and all the bits of metal went into the motor. Killed my DSM.

[bd] First, four motors in a year and a half? Like you said, those are expensive lessons to learn. Beyond, “hire professionals,” what lessons did you learn from this experience? Why did you snap ARPs? What led to the cracked pistons? And what parts did you manage to salvage which went into the new build?

If it’s important enough to you, you will take the time to save money and do it right. It took me nearly six years to get mine done correctly.

[bm] I was always a firm believer in “if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” In this case, it was a little different. All four motors I built lasted very well without any boost. When I started to increase the boost above 20psi (1.5bar), that is where I began to have problems.

When I snapped the head stud, I was told by ARP that every so often there is one head stud that is made with a minute defect which causes it to fail. It was just a fluke that I had bought that set with the defective stud.

The piston problem I had was in terms of the piston skirts. On one of my pistons in particular, the skirts deteriorated very quickly. I lost compression in that one cylinder and when I did a leakdown test, it was unable to hold any air.

I asked quite a few shops about this and most of the answers I received were, “I have never seen that happen before.” What was more interesting is that the cylinder bore was still smooth. With only a honing, the block was reusable. I spoke to a friend of mine and sold him the block.

To this day, the block is still being run and only needed a honing on that one cylinder. Runs very well.

As I progressed over the years, build after build, in terms of motor parts, I did not reuse anything. I built each motor from scratch on my kitchen table and was happy with the results until all these accidents happened.

The only parts I reused from build 1-4 was my turbo kit, suspension and interior. This (fifth) build, I got rid of everything and went with all new parts. So far so good.

Took the Subaru 4-cylinder 6 speed manual world record a few weeks ago. 8.96 @ 163mph (262kph). [bd] Man. You weren’t kidding about the exciting/depressing bit! A lot of people think doing what you do for a living at STM is a dream come true. In a way, they’re right. I mean, what gearhead wouldn’t want to spend the day talking automotive performance with other gearheads, right? But it’s still WORK. For every intelligent bloke what calls in, takes your professional advice, and spends decent money acting on it, there are three poor, unfortunate souls asking about your cheapest turbo (or, in my past experience - shudder body kit). What’s it like working in the business? [bm] When it comes to modifying your vehicle, most people we deal with do not have the money to pour into their builds. A lot of our customers come in asking for an air intake. A few weeks later its a catback exhaust, then a header, then a turbo, then injectors, and so on. It really comes down to if you have the time it takes to do it the right way with the parts that are right for your car.

A lot of people try to get it all done in one shot and turn to Ebay for parts. It may be very inexpensive, but the results show when the tubo explodes because it was not balanced from the factory. Do not ask my how I know that. I tried the Ebay route once. After 6psi (0.4bar), the turbo

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[bd] Please tell us a little bit about the hardest parts of your job.

When does it feel like work versus when it feels like a dream? Can you speak to your sense of responsibility - to the customer, to the company? [bm] The hardest part of the job is working with customer vehicles that have had subpar work done by other shops. It is so difficult to tell the customer that they were “taken for a ride” by the other garage into buying certain things to make the car go fast.

In retrospect, what they had bought was just an expensive piece of equipment that they really didn’t need in the first place. A lot of the time, people come into the shop with large lists of parts they want.

Most of the time, when they leave, that list is down to a third of what it originally was. It takes experience to know what parts work and which don’t. Our sales guys take the time to go through each item on their lists and explain what it is, what it does, and how it relates to their vehicle.

The feeling you get when the customer leaves the shop and says how great the car feels now since the parts/work was put into it is the best feeling. Also, after the customer gets off the dyno and sees how much more power the car makes than before, the look on their face is inspiring. [bd] Finally, what do you feel it means to be a gearhead? How has your time on both sides of the counter - customer & sales - impacted that definition? [bm] To me, a gearhead is someone who, no matter the make or brand may be, loves cars regardless. Simply disliking a vehicle because it is a rival of what I drive is not correct. A true gearhead can appreciate them all. Let it be a Subaru or a Mitsubishi or an Audi. ...

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Confucius. He said, “It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.” For many, that first blown engine is reason enough to call it quits. Ben’s just shared how he popped four engines before finally getting things right. And he found a partner he believes in enough to help them grow their business. Isn’t that really what it’s all about?

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A TALE of Two dRifTERS

Photo courtesy of Terrell Broomer.

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Since the popularity of drifting has increased, so too have the ways of participating in this emerging form of car culture. Whether it’s in the driver’s seat, in the stands, or behind the scenes; these three intrepid car enthusiasts can’t wait to get some time with their favorite form of motoring.

BY DEANNA ISAACS | IMAGES: TERRELL BROOM AND RICKY HENDERSON Just as with any other auto-sport, there are those who do what they love as a hobbyist and those that have the drive to race with the big boys; those that have weekends and those that want to top podium. They are both absolutely valid, but have separate personal and professional demands. A group of friends living near Seattle,

WA, is creating their own place in car culture and making sure to have fun. Enter Terrell Broomer, Ricky Henderson, and Kris Tenorio; one has entered as a hobbyist, another as a pro-series, and the third wanting to make all the magic happening behind the scenes come to fruition. Each gathering around a shared love of cars.

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HUGGING CORNERS FOR HOBBY For Terrell Broomer, hobbyist drifter and software developer drifting is something that came around during high school and blossomed into a love for a lifetime. During that time frame, he encountered people who had cars and an animated television series from Japan called “Initial D”.

He admits that his introduction to the sport is somewhat stereotypical, but that never bothered him. He loves the sport and, to Broomer, it’s all about having fun and hanging out.

“I had an understanding of how to do the work and maintenance, and how to drive,” Broomer said. It wasn’t until he and Ricky Henderson started hanging out in high school that Broomer really grasped the concepts of car culture and jumped on the bandwagon.

It wasn’t until Broomer showed up to Evergreen Raceways in Monroe, WA, for one of the Henderson’s drifting sessions that he met Kris Tenorio, Ricky’s girlfriend and a gearhead to the core. Since then, the three have become a close knit group of friends. “[Terrell] has such a huge interest in this sport, mainly… something to do, meet friends…, pick up girls,” Tenorio said with a laugh. “He’s a supporter in what Ricky and I do, he’s one of those good best-friends in the drifting community.”

Together, Broomer and Henderson have built up both of their cars (a ‘90 Nissan 240SX and a ‘92 Nissan 240SX), and a series of past cars, to hit

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the curvy track at the Evergreen Speedway for Formula D. They’ve also competed in other automotive sports, such as autocross and more.

Tenorio also gets her hands greasy, but she’s got other things on her mind, too (more about that later).

While he was building up his car with the help of Henderson, he was also building up his skills, and not just in drifting. Autocross has been a gateway to the track, for Broomer, and the low cost of entry has enabled him to participate frequently.

“That’s the thing I really like about [autocross], its a cheap way to start driving and get some experience,” Broomer said. “After entry fees and gas, it’s about a $100 a day.”

Though his time on the autocross course and the drifting track is balanced out by lots of time spend in the garage. Together, Broomer and Henderson have built up Terrell’s list of cars that led up to his current Nissan 240X. Mods on the car include a JDM bodykit, new seats and an upgraded steering wheel, brakes, drivetrain, and more. Even the paint was completed by the two; Midnight Purple, a popular opalescent color that combines multiple layers of different colored paints.

“The beautiful part is that he drives it – it’s meant to be driven,” Henderson said. “Build something nice and drive it the way it’s meant to be driven.

However, just like with any car project, it’s never really completed.

(Top left set) Nikko Circuit, Takamatsu Town, Tochigi Prefecture (Top right set) Ebisu Circuit, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture (Bottom right set) Tsukuba Circuit, Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Prefecture (Bottom middle set) Tokyo City, Chiba Prefecture, (Bottom left set) Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture Broomer’s exploits have taken him all across Japan (clockwise). He’s met many new friends, some of which were even willing to let him go for a spin (lucky!), while others who have welcomed him into their home. More adventures are planned during his return to Japan this January. (Note: Cities are in approximate locations on map. Map is not accurate.)

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Broomer, with the ever faithful help of Henderson, will keep taking away at one upgrade and project after another – as good garage buddies do.

that his drifting really took off. He’s been modifying it to get the Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) street drifter look and to that end has an SR20 frontline. He then went through a series of 240SXs; buying, flipping, selling – having fun in them in between.

His current driver is a 1992 Nissan 240SX powered by a 2004 Nissan VQ35DE engine with 2006 350Z transmission, and everything else under the sun – very little is left stock. A lilt of pride comes out when Henderson talks about his modifications.

Though its been in the garage for quite a while, as projects have come along. He’s gotten it up and running, but not out and about for some practice. For a while, a garaged car was fine because he wasn’t competing in drifting, he was judging it.

“Being a judge opens your eyes,” Henderson said. “I recommend it to anyone who gets the invite to do it. …It’s a little eye opening

Not only have Terrell’s desires led him onto the drifting track at Evergreen Fairgrounds, but he has also flown to Japan to try his hand in the land where drifting was born. He has participated in Gymkhana and looks forward.

When he went to Japan on a recent trip not only did he take a fun drive around a Gymkhana course, but he also sought out more about the sports that he has decided to participate in. For Broomer, speaking to Japanese car enthusiasts is easy since many of the topics use the same verbiage.

For Tenorio, going to the races is more than just getting a chance to meander around the pit or continuing to be a part of a culture (cars, not necessarily in drifting) while watching her man from the stands, she is also Henderson’s ‘Partner in crime – in drifting’. Together, Henderson and Tenorio go to local Karting tracks, she’s started promoting

“My Japanese isn’t completely fluent,” Broomer said. “But the car culture is still the same [and] super friendly.”

Broomer has plans to return to Japan around January to visit his car friends, participate in more drifting and Gymkhana events; however, he doesn’t limit himself to learning only from those in the industry – it’s also about listening to the car.

Even though he has competed, and will continue to, Broomer doesn’t plan to go pro due to the time commitments. Instead, he dabbles in the world of pro-am through his connection to Ricky Henderson.

PRACTICING FOR THE PROS

her driver, and even helping him around the courses as a co-driver.

Unlike with Broomer, Ricky Henderson has been in the car scene for a long time. Around the age of 5 he started in quarter-midgets, minisprint, full-sprint – to say he was at home of a racetrack is an understatement.

“As a girlfriend, it is hard at times, but fun; I get to hang out and have an adventure,” Tenorio said. “The most amazing thing to me is Ricky’s growth.”

“This was born in my blood, [but] it’s [also] a lifestyle,” Henderson said.

“It adapts you …gives you discipline, and gives you something to do.”

The ’72 Monte Carlo he got when he was 12 excited him until, as a teen, he ventured into motorcycles. He had to convince his parents to sell the Monte for a dirtbike. Then came a Nissan pickup truck, a Honda, an Acura Integra GSR, a CRX, and a partridge in a pear tree.

It was when he bought his ’93 240SX hatch, with a dual cam KA motor

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As many athletes do, at some point in their lives they hit a lull. A wall they can’t get past and their skills don’t improve or worsen. Ricky hit that point in around 2009 and so, like many, he took a break from his chosen sport.

“I hit a mental roadblock with my driving and felt like I couldn’t progress,” Henderson said. “Then PGP opened for drifting. I had the most fun driving that track, driving it in a drift car – it was so technical and so fun. I finally got out of my comfort zone and … [had] to try to adapt to something new.”

He’s going to need to get back in the game, though, because this year he’s planning for the pro-series of Formula Drift. At least, however, he’s not going through it alone. He’s got a friend to help bounce build ideas off of, he’s got a gal that will be there through thick and thin, and he’s got the track-record to make it happen.

“I have seen his lows and been there for the high times – I’m ready for whatever comes my way,” Tenorio said.

And that’s what car community is all about – not going it alone. Whether it’s helping out the guy next to you with a spare part or putting off your wedding for car parts. It’s about finding your own unique place in the culture; whether it’s traveling to drive, driving to win, or doing everything one can to help around the garage, track, and marketing table.

When you have a great group of friends that has your back, you feel encouraged to travel abroad, to go for the gold, or to take on unknown responsibilities. While it has been a long road for these two drifters, with many miles in between, it is where their passions drive them that counts and how sideways they get there.

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ELECTRIC WORRY WORDS: ALEX WALLER | IMAGES: WIKIMEDIA (CREATIVE COMMONS)

You know I said last month about not liking new cars? But there’s still a trick that I think has been missed: direct drive, hub or Perhaps I lied... or did I? A non-EV driver looks at some in-wheel drive. appliances.

To these eyes, the mad lines of the new BMW i3 make it look a little bloated and sick with cutting-edge technology. Make no mistake, it’s electric all right. Underneath the glassy shine, the i3 is a conventional RWD EV, which will probablymostly be sold with a small petrol engine to generate electricity only, so it isn’t a true EV. For me, BMW’s most interesting innovation is the carbon-fibre-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) construction method. As the name suggests, it is light and strong, already used in F1. The i3 is the first volume car to be produced like this.

Each side frame is made from nine, front to back, vertical sections of carbon. Then they get moulded with resin and baked together to form each side of the monocoque. Glued together like plywood, but lighter and much stronger. No nuts bolts are involved in the basic frame. You could imagine it as fibre-glass made by computer design.

When we eventually get our hands on a 3D printer, it could be feasible to make our own car sections then send them away to a large oven.

However, it’s still a new territory to make a car like this, in a way. You can’t calculate the fatigue endurance limit in CFRP reliably, since it has directional rather than uniform strength. To compensate for this, CFRP can only be designed with additional strength. So, chassis aside, the i3 is not as massive a leap forward as it looks like it should be. Range is 80100 on battery alone or 150-186 miles with the 647cc 2-cylinder generator petrol engine.

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In 2003, a team led by Professor Hiroshi Shimizu had the brief to build the ultimate road-going performance EV. The KAZ (http://bit.ly/gbxmkaz) was built at Keio University in Minato, Japan, to showcase the kind of gains over an internal combustion-powered car an EV could offer. It was an eight-seater limousine capable of 193mph (311kph), a technical tour de force that went on to set speed records, thanks to a futuristic, low-drag bodyshape.

L-Ion [Lithium-Ion] batteries, a highly efficient inverter, and a permanent magnet motor nestled inside the hub of each wheel provided grunt. This car was all about trading losses for enhancements, right down to the number of wheels. Compared to a gearbox, direct drive enables things like yaw control to become a simple computer program, so that you can split the torque between both sides. The batteries, inverter and control systems all fit within the floor which is just 6 inches (15cm) thick.

The KAZ’s odd wheel configuration led to an innovative, paralellogram hydraulic suspension system, which offers advantages you wouldn’t find in a four-wheeled I-C car. There is no squat under acceleration or dive under braking, because there is so much traction from the eightwheel drive and the centre of gravity is so low. No less than the four front wheels turn with their motors to steer. Packaging the motors within the wheels means conventional axles are eliminated, even the rearmost wheels steer counter-phase at low speed. Certain direct drive EVs can crab and drive in any direction.

The KAZ was taken to the Detroit show in 2003, but sadly only two orders were placed: no where near enough to justify production. Its ideas were was reprised for the 2005 Eliica (Electric Lithium-Ion Car), which is capable of 230mph. Whilst demand still isn’t sufficient for production, the wheel hub motor concept is remains in a new project called SIMdrive.

Still, you don’t need University funding to put some of this technology in action. The EVGT from issue 1.09 makes me happy that us DIY lot can build a brilliant electric car ourselves. It’s definitely on my bucket list.

I think I would take an MX-5 shell, four reasonable traction motors, all the Lithium batteries I could get my hands on, and a not inconsiderable amount of fabrication. Using throttle, speed, g-force or GPS inputs you could program AYC into a digital differential for an unorthodox and/or cheating AWD drift car. Unsprung weight is still a problem for cars with motors in the wheels, but for a DIY build like this setting each motor inboard with a very short drive shaft, U-J, wishbones and coilovers ought to do the trick.

How hard can it be?

Opposite: BMW i3 chassis Top, above: BMW i3 front and rear views from Frankfurt 2013 Below left: Keio University’s KAZ Below right: Keio University’s Eliica

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REMANS HAVE THEIR MERITS.

WORDS & IMAGES: BRIAN DRIGGS

As always, it’s a mad dash to get everything ready in time for Build Day. Last month, things were compounded by my volunteering at a rally and a weekend trip to Vegas, and Vanessa shooting a couple weddings. This month, we see how there’s no rest for the weary, as my daily driver Pajero is down a full week with a dead alternator.

Ordinarily, I document repairs to my vehicles on my personal website, dr1665.com, but in the interest of transparency, I thought I’d share a little bit about what I’ve got going on - automotively, speaking - on top of my full-time day job - on the cusp of Build Day - (so you know I don’t exactly have it “easy”), and why I’ve come to think remanufactured alternators aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

IT ALL STARTED ON MONDAY It all started on Monday, last week. I fired up the cold-blooded Rocinante for the morning commute to the day job and noticed the battery light stayed on. “Seriously?” I asked myself. A quick glance at the voltmeter to the right of the all-but-useless inclinometer on the dash, and my self replied, “Less than 12 volts. Seriously.”

We’d had a cold snap, with temperatures dipping into the low 50s at night (10°C), and Rocinante runs one of those old fashioned, un-sealed batteries you have to check because they dry out over time - especially here in the desert. Maybe the battery was just tired. “Let’s see how this plays out,” I told myself, “Hopefully this can wait until the weekend.”

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“Good plan,” my self replied. And we eased into the rat race.

I kept an eye on the voltmeter, left the radio off, and really didn’t go anywhere after dark that week, trying to conserve the battery just in case.

The more I thought about it, the battery merely stabilizes the voltage output by the alternator, meaning I was playing chicken with my charging system. As every gearhead knows, you can jump a dead battery, but when your alternator dies, you’re DOA - and I’ve only got ONE tow left on my AAA plan for the year!

By Wednesday, the battery light had faded to where it was pretty much off - which I considered a good sign - despite the voltmeter showing no improvement. Things were going to plan. Things weren’t good, but they weren’t untenable, either. Until lunch on Friday.

WHENEVER THERE IS ANY DOUBT Having picked up a couple slices and a Coke at the big car wash around the corner from work, I took the long way back to the office so I could pull into a parking lot and sneak a cigarette. (I quit last year, I’ll quit again.

Moving on…) As I reached for the key to kill the engine, my self warned me, “Dude. What if it doesn’t start again?”

Rocinante had been running perfectly fine all week. I wasn’t really worried, but as I heard the engine stumble to a halt, I had a bad feeling about things. Ten minutes later, I was debating push starting the damn

thing or calling the office for someone to come give me a jump. “I think I’ll eat my lunch here in the truck before I call the office for that jump,” I told myself. “Okay,” my self replied.

Patrick came and gave me a jump so I could get back to work after lunch, and then Lester gave me a jump to leave after work. That’s when things really started to get weird. My commute is just over 16 miles one way. About 4 miles in, the tachometer dropped to zero as I engaged the clutch to coast to a red light. Fortunately, Rocinante continued to run.

This would be the first of pretty much every possible red light along my route. The tach woke up before I grabbed second gear, and I told the 25-year old Mitsubishi truck “Ok, Rocinante. We can do this. We can make it back to the fort. Just get us back to the fort and I’ll get you fixed right up.” The voltmeter was now reading closer to 10 than 12VDC, so I stayed in fourth gear to keep the revs up and steady, trying to get whatever juice the old generator would give me.

Apparently, I had willfully ignored last call. The old generator was no longer serving juice. The tach started taking longer and longer to wake up after red lights. Maybe, as I wound second or third out to 3000rpm, it would swing wildly between 1000 and 5000, but by the halfway point of my commute, it was just effectively stone dead, just sort of twitching from time to time.

THERE IS NO DOUBT

I was now in full-on, Analytical Gearhead Mode (AGM). You’ve been there. Things aren’t looking good, mechanically, and your brain is racing through every stick of automotive knowledge you’ve got, analyzing the situation, considering system functions and theory. What is happening? How does this system work? Is there any way to extend my range? Will I reach my destination? What am I going to have to give up to deal with THIS crap?

“Good thing Rocinante’s carburetted and doesn’t need as much electricity to run,” I said, attempting to reassure myself, “I wonder if he’d keep running even after the battery was completely drained.” “Uh, spark plugs don’t energize themselves, dumbass,” came the reply from my self, now clearly irritated at the thought of using that last free tow because we were too lazy to troubleshoot earlier in the week.

Soon, the voltmeter had dipped below 10 volts, and no amount of peddaling at 4000rpm in 4th gear had any effect on it. There was no longer any doubt - the battery had become the primary source of power firing my spark plugs. Rocinante might continue to run after I turn him off, but he doesn’t continue to run, if you know what I mean.

LAST MILE The tach was long dead, there were no warning lights on the dash, even the little digital clock had gone out. I don’t remember when the turn signals stopped flashing, but thinking about it now, I probably didn’t

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have any brake lights for most of the trip. Yeah. I was “that guy” in the spray painted 4WD covered in stickers weaving through traffic just to get caught by every red light like a dumbass.

By the time I turned off the last major street into my development, me, myself, and I were all cheering for the Fun Cooker, “Yeah! Rocinante!

You’re gonna make it! The buster brought ME back!” Two corners from my driveway, the ignition finally started breaking up on me, but we pulled into our parking spot in front of the garage triumphant, if not exhausted. I turned the key and let Rocinante flatline.

WHAT ABOUT REMANUFACTURED ALTERNATORS? Yeah, but the journey IS the destination, right? And this is the sort of story which might help someone who’s never experienced alternator failure. That said, thinking I had a spare Galant alternator stashed somewhere in the garage, I took my time last weekend (it was also my 6th wedding anniversary, so we had plans). Yanked the alternator out and had it tested at AutoZone (free!). Obviously, it failed, only putting out 10.4V. They offered to sell me a remanufactured alternator for US$105, plus $45 core. Remembering all the times people I trust have told me you can probably rebuild your alternator for less money and keep those OEM tolerances, I asked about replacement brushes.

Good news! They’re only $5 a set! Bad news. They’re special order and won’t be in until Tuesday. I order two sets just in case and make plans to borrow the Juke. The new plan? Pick up the brushes after work Tuesday, drop them in, re-test the alternator, and drive Rocinante to work Wednesday morning.

REBUILD PROBLEM #1 I’ve had the filthy old alternator apart on the hood of the Galant in the garage since Saturday night. The brushes were clearly used up, so I was fairly confident this was my quick fix and hooray gearhead. I notice the new brushes don’t have little holes in them (so you can keep them retracted with a pin to get the bearing and slip ring past them), but don’t think much of it.

Yeah, no. There is no way to reassemble the alternator when you can’t hold the spring loaded brushes back, and without the holes, there’s no way to do that. I tried tape, a zip tie, and all manner of swear words to

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no avail. So I dug through the toolbox for that one tiny drill bit I knew I had lying around somewhere, put the Ryobi battery on the charger, de-soldered the brushes and grabbed a pick to *gently* mark a pilot point for the drill bit.

Who knew alternator brushes - which look like they’re made of copper are really made of dried Play-doh? I give the pick handle a gentle tap of the smallest hammer I’ve got and *CRACK* the end of the brush shoots across the garage. Good thing I bought two sets!

I use the second brush from this set to test using a fine hacksaw blade to cut a slot into the end so I can get a paperclip through the guide holes to keep the brushes retracted, reassemble the alternator, test it, and get the truck running before midnight. At this point, I’ve spent an hour scratching my head with this poseur and am ready to wrap things up.

REBUILD PROBLEM #2 Confident in my abilities, I carefully slot the second set of brushes, successfully reassemble the alternator, and roll into AutoZone 20 minutes before they close at 10PM, and ask to have the alternator tested. Five minutes later, the results are in. I’ve picked up almost a volt and a half, but 10.8V is still below the 13.5V service limit.

Denied. The AutoZoner and I determine I should probably replace the voltage regulator and diode, too. Of course, they’re not in stock either, but here’s the best part. The regulator is $60. The diode is $70. Did the math jump out and scream at you, too?

REMAN’D ALTERNATORS HAVE THEIR MERITS Two hours after I popped the hood and it was confirmed my alternator was kaput, I could have walked out with a spotlessly clean reman will all new bits inside and a “limited lifetime warranty.” I could have had Rocinante back on the road before sunset and it would have set me back US$105 and maybe 4 hours of my life.

Instead, I lost two days waiting for brushes that weren’t made right and didn’t solve the problem. Then, if I wanted to continue down the path of rebuild, I would have had to drop another US$130 on the regulator and diode - assuming the bearing or stator or molecular structure of the cast aluminum case wasn’t somehow the culprit. How bout that math?

That’s right. In this situation, rebuilding is 30% more expensive and

takes 200% more time counting parts in transit. Yeah, there’s a chance your reman alternator might be DOA, and - warranty or not - you might have to replace it in two years instead of four like you would with and OEM, but the way I look at it, you’d still come out ahead, not having to wait for parts to arrive.

RESOLUTION In the end, my good friend Keith (who bought the Galant I use as a workbench, just hasn’t taken delivery yet) hooked me up with a couple Galant spares. I’ve got a dirty, questionable unit and a spotlessly clean *professionally* rebuilt unit - both Mitsubishi OEM - to play with now.

They’re physically a little larger than the Pajero unit, can generate almost twice the power (90A vs. 50A), and run a different kind of belt, but really the only potential challenge I see as I write this - I’ve not attempted to install yet - is replacing the pulley.

In the end, removing the pulleys was the easy part. My cordless impact gun made quick work of them. Things got crazy, though, when I discovered I would need to figure out a custom spacer solution for the Pajero pulley on the Galant alternator. In the end, less than a minute after ordering a reman unit, I found a magical mystery spacer on the floor of the Juke. From there, I was only a 7/16 socket and random 10mm nut (used as spacers on the lower mounting and upper, tensioner bracket, respectively) away from having my truck back up to daily driver duty with an upgraded alternator.

Is a remanufactured alternator from the local parts house a terrible idea? I don’t think so. Even if it’s dead out of the box and needs replaced annually, it still beats bumming rides for a week trying to rebuild what you’ve got. Clearly a case for planning ahead, but when was the last time you bought something you didn’t need simply because, one day, you knew you might?

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THE INDEPENDENT MOTOR RACING EVENT RESOURCE.

HERE’S YOUR LOOK AHEAD AT AUTOMOTIVE & MOTORSPORT EVENTS COMING UP IN THE WEEKS BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ISSUE OF GEARBOX MAGAZINE. WE SOURCE OUR EVENTS CALENDAR EXCLUSIVELY VIA PADDOCKSCENE.COM. IT’S FREE TO JOIN, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND. Doesn’t matter how slow your own vehicle might be - being a gearhead is really all about doing automotive stuff together with other gearheads, anyway!

It looks like we’ve got SIX international auto shows coming up in the next month, but the only ones we see are the ones in the States right now. We at GBXM|united would love to see our international brothers and sisters adding events to PaddockScene too. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could plan an epic holiday abroad around at least ONE automotive event some day? We’ve done it twice, now, and it’s epic.

When you’re finished reading Gearbox Magazine, head on over to PaddockScene.com and find something to do!

BE A GEARHEAD. PLAY WITH CARS.

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PERSPECTIVE:

CARS, TECHNOLOGY, & THE FUTURE

BY DENNIS DEJONG

As most of you who read this magazine might know, I’m a car mechanic and I work for an Opel dealership. I get to see a lot of new technology from the front row, drive a lot of new cars every day, and there’s a decent amount of them I’m only able to afford when they are 5+ years old.

I take a an ample amount of courses year round to remain up to date on that previously mentioned technology, and see how everything that was stand alone before, gets more and more connected.

You used to have a phone which was so big at one point it couldn’t even fit in your pocket, had a stereo in your car with a cassette deck (hell, if you had a cd player you were quite the exception), you had a separate walkman or discman, and some papers and pen in your pocket to take notes. The key had to be taken out to open the front door, and both of them (front left and front right) could be opened with a key. These days, the technology brings us more connections and convenience (laziness?) than we could have ever imagined.

I walk to the car, and the doors open without even taking out the keys from my pocket. My smartphone connects to the car stereo and starts playing my favorite music as well as setting up the handsfree phone connection. When something important comes to mind, I don’t have to search for paper and a pen to write it down, but I press a button and speak it, while my car “writes it down.”

I only have to press a button to start and stop the engine as well, and the car turns on the lights itself, starts wiping the windows itself, and even turns the engine off and on again when traffic lights take too long. It even records the last traffic signs on the screen - in case I wasn’t paying attention and don´t know the current allowed speed, I only have to take a look at my screen. Even the old fashioned dashboard with analog meters have been swapped for a digital version. Back in the 80’s and early 90’s, people just couldn’t get used to digital dashboards and it never made it through, but now they’re back and it appears here to stay.

Back to the point of it all. My daily driver has a lot of those options as well [see the clean Opel Omega Irmshcer, above ~bd], but, when there’s time, I still take out my old, 1989 Mistubishi onto the road. Yes, I have to take the keys out of my pocket to open the doors. Yes, I have to put them in the ignition and turn them to start the car. My smartphone isn’t

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best friends with the car, so it doesn’t make any connection with the original stereo system.

If I want to make a call, I’ve got to pull off to the side to do it safely. It doesn’t take notes when I talk and there’s no record button. The wipers don’t do anything unless I tell them to, same goes for starting and stopping the engine. My car can’t even tell if its night or day, so the lights stay off forever unless I turn them on.

I can only imagine what people are going to think of this in about 20 years. There are already people now who do not understand why one would drive in such a car. But me? I love it. My car doesn’t need to think for me, do things I forget, or help me with whatever else is on my mind.

It doesn’t need to help me if it thinks I put the gas pedal too far to the floor and reduce the throttle for me.

No, I decide what I do when I want to do it. And, for perspective, that’s a relief.

PENMANSHIFT:

Research, fact-checking, & critical thinking

BY BRIAN DRIGGS We’re back with another installment of our Penmanshift program. This module was designed to prepare participants to: + explain how backfire effect can work against you when researching + apply Socratic Questioning to your research and fact-checking activities + research, fact-check, and critically consider your sources Quality journalism depends on quality research. These days, most of us do most of our research online. There are literally millions of possible sources out there, making it possible to find information on any subject, but we’ve got to keep our critical thinking game sharp, we’ve got to check our facts.

Example: You are talking politics with a friend and he links you to an article on a website. The article seems to make sense, but how much faith can you put in it once you discover the author went on TV, told the world he was Jesus Christ, and warned of a secret society of lizard people who only look human? (This seriously happened to me.)

Everyone’s got their own unique perspectives, but the difference between writing and journalism is taking the time to question the information, question the source, and question the value.

Assuming we’re already maintaining independence from those we cover, putting the needs of our audience above those of any corporate interests, and making the significant interesting and relevant (see Module 1, Principles of Journalism Excellence in a previous issue), successful journalism requires understanding the audience, balancing what the readers want to know with a healthy does of what they need to know.

Required Reading: You Are Not So Smart: Backfire Effect (http://bit.ly/gbxmbackfire) Every story starts with a premise - the idea upon which the bulk of the story is built. At Gearbox Magazine, we believe our stories should come from a place of why and how, but we stand out from the competition by making those questions more powerful through use of Socratic Questioning.

Socratic Questioning: 1. Getting sources to clarify their thinking e.g., ‘Why do you say that?’, ‘Could you explain further?’

2. Challenging others about assumptions e.g., ‘Is this always the case?’, ‘Why do you think that this assumption holds here?’

3. Evidence as a basis for argument e.g., ‘Why do you say that?’, ‘Is there reason to doubt this evidence?’

4. Alternative viewpoints and perspectives e.g., ‘What is the counter argument for?’, ‘Can/did anyone see this another way?’

5. Implications and consequences e.g., ‘But if what happened, what else would result?’, ‘How does...affect...?’

6. Question the question e.g., ‘Why do you think that I asked that question?’, ‘Why was that question important?’, ‘Which of your questions turned out to be the most useful?’

Discussion The focus of this module is to make our program participants aware of just how easy it is to discount relevant evidence with the potential to change our point of view, and how important it is to consider the sources we use for our research. We closed this module with a lengthy discussion.

How do you think backfire effect affects the audience?

How can we enlighten, educate, empower, and entertain our readers with this knowledge?

Think about a story you’re working on right now and the premise behind it: Why do you say that?

Is this always the case?

Why do you say that?

What is the counter argument (against) this idea?

Which of these questions was most useful (and why)?

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car 22 undercover PART 3

BY PAUL TURNER

[Editor’s note: PAUL IS BACK! After a month-long holiday in the US, Paul’s got the next installment of Car 22 going undercover with Hong Kong street racers. I hope you’ve been following along, because this story is getting really good! ~bd] I was never going to make it. I pulled hard on the brakes and the nose of the GSXR-1100 dipped as Gary accelerated between the two cars. I veered right, passed a BMW, and pulled back into the fast lane accelerating hard, the rear tyre squatting as I shot forward trying to catch him up. 155, 160, 165, I could barely force myself to look at the speedo, my eyes focused in front watching the bikes weave in and out of the traffic, trying to follow as best I could, trying hard not to cause any danger to others on the road. Toby’s sober words played over and over in my mind, like a mantra. “… if you wipe out and kill someone, it’s on you!”

Two months in, and all I had to show for my efforts was a pile of paper.

Statement after statement of things I remembered two hours after the event with no corroborating witnesses and a ton of holes any half decent lawyer would have a field day with. I was demoralized, but Toby seemed unconcerned.

“It’s still an undercover operation.” he said, “Sure, it isn’t narcotics or triad related, but it’s the same principle. Keep your head down and work it. Stop concentrating on the rides, those are just your ‘in’. That’s why I don’t want you doing something stupid. It’s everything else that’s important! Keep earning their trust and sooner or later they’ll let something slip that we can use. Trust me!”

Toby had been doing his homework, taking every seemingly insignificant detail that I relayed to him after every ride. Every name, every licence plate, every location; analyzing it, correlating it, cross referencing it and now obviously he’d found something.

170. I pushed it as far towards the central divider as I dared, the fairing dangerously close to the concrete, watching the turn unfold, adrenaline coursing through my body, sweat pouring down my back. Shifting my weight forward, I leaned into the bend, pushing forward on the left hand bar, as I had been trained. Counter intuitive as it was to steer towards the concrete; the pressure forced the bar down making the bike lean to the left. I shifted my weight in the saddle, found the sweet spot and rode it out, pulling across to the apex and catapulting onto the straight.

I cut across three lanes as we shot under the bridge, passing a Mercedes. I checked my mirrors before pulling back out and that’s when I

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saw Toby’s men.

For weeks they had been invisible, hidden in bushes and parking lots ,or above us on buildings and flyovers. “Like ninjas,” Toby had said. But right then, as we headed north up the Tolo Highway, the officers of the Anti-Road Racing Team were nothing like ninjas. More like a squadron of bloody Spitfires coming out of the sun, spitting fire and venom as they tore down the off ramps and the outside lane. Within 30 seconds, we were inundated. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

Caught on a long straight with no exits, everywhere was a myriad of blue and red flashing strobes. Slowly, steadily, and meticulously each and every one of us was boxed in and pushed onto the hard shoulder.

I was arrested, my bike impounded and then together with everyone else, I was taken to Tai Po Police Station and thrown in a cell.

Like I said, there is a very distinctive sound that a cell door makes as it closes. Firstly, it is loud, very loud; you simply cannot close a cell door quietly. Secondly it is cold, mechanical, as if it occurs automatically without any human intervention. And thirdly, it is conclusive and final.

It signifies the end of the occupants’ freedom, whether for a few brief minutes or an entire lifetime. And nowhere is that sound as harsh, as deafening or as terrifying as from ‘inside’ the cell. As I watched the Duty Officer walk away, I was left to reflect upon the events of the last two months and how I came to be on the wrong side of that cell door with my new found ‘friends.’

Not knowing the score and having no contact with Toby other than a short tirade of abuse that he directed at me as he passed, I did as I was told, complained like everyone else, picked up my papers and joined the rest of them for the train ride home.

“Thanks for telling me about impounding my bike!” I exclaimed to Toby over the phone an hour or two later back in the flat.

“I’m sorry mate!” he retorted, trying to compose himself and failing badly as he erupted into laughter, “What was I supposed to do, tell them that you get to keep your bike because you’re a cop?”

Whilst I didn’t find it quite so funny, Toby did have a point. He went on to explain that for weeks he had been trying to “guess” our routes based upon what little information I had been able to give him, and the intelligence he was getting from other sources. That morning he’d got lucky.

We’d ridden through not one, but two of the locations he’d had under surveillance. Not only that, but given the topography and our direction

Not Paul’s bike, but exactly like it, from what he tells us. | image: unknown, sportbikerider.us of travel he’d been almost 80 percent sure where we were going. So with a third surveillance team and a laser gun laying in ambush, and all that corroborating evidence, it was just too much of an opportunity to pass up. Toby pulled us straight after that third section. He’d never had a chance to let me know and even if he had, it was still better to keep me in the dark.

“You might have told me you were going to impound my bike!” I retorted.

“So what now?” I asked, trying to drag my mind away from the problem of how I was going to get to work at 6:45AMthe next day without my bike.

“Not much we can do mate,” said Toby resolutely, “If we’re busted, we’re busted, we’ll just have to pull you out and go with what we’ve got. But if there’s any possibility whatsoever, I need you to keep me in this as long as you can.”

“Keep your head down and do what you’ve been doing.” Toby replied, “Half of them can’t ride now so they’ll probably be meeting up to drink and talk. We’re going to get you a wire and see if we can’t get them on tape admitting to everything we already have on video!”

“Sounds easy.” I said.

“Yeah well,’’ replied Toby, “Don’t drop your guard too soon, rumour has it some over zealous twat at the motor vehicle examiners office told everyone you might be a cop, because of your registered address.”

“Touche!” said Toby; painfully aware we’d both messed up.

“So what do we do now?” I asked.

“Okay,” I said, “But I’m going to need you to make a couple of calls.”

“Sure, whatever you need,” said Toby, “Please tell me you’ve got an idea!”

Not yet,” I replied, “But I’ll think of something.”

“Then who do you want me to call?” asked Toby surprised.

“Oh for crying out loud!” I started to swear and cut myself short.

“My boss!” I replied, “I’m going to be late tomorrow and you are going to explain why.”

“You might have run that one by me mate!” Toby said.

Toby started laughing again.

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GOING FAST WITH CLASS

QUESTIONS: BRIAN DRIGGS | ANSWERS: CHRISS ESSMAN | IMAGES: MARK ANTIC Since May 2012, I’ve been keeping in touch with Chris Essman and his pursuit of completing the standing-mile/land-speed record (http://bit.ly/gbxmessman). Sometimes, he drops me an email to share the latest update from his standing-mile/land-speed build.

Other times, I follow up with him; what news? To be sure, he’s had one heck of an adventure, but he’s run into more than a couple snags which caused him to miss the season.

I’ve been playing with the tune a bit the last few nights and have tentative plans to put her back on the dyno and really lean on her at this boost level. After that? Over the winter there are several things to address: Cosmetic fit/finish and aero bits need attention, my surge tank setup could be improved, installing a different set of cam gears, figure out where to mount a larger oil cooler, increase coolant system capacity.. things like that. Plenty to keep me busy!

As Confucius once said, “It doesn’t matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.” We all face setbacks from time to time, moments when life hits you with a wrecking ball or the little things quickly add up into the snowball effect, but its devotion to what we do and the persistence to see it done that gets gearheads through projects.

[bd] In the year or so we’ve been keeping in touch on this project, you’ve had some ups and downs. Plans have come together, fallen apart, and just about been rebuilt from scratch. Clearly, we missed the 2013 season, which was disappointing, but how do you feel about things overall? Winter is coming, but spring is right behind it.

[bd] Where did you expect to be by now with this car? How close did you get? [ce] My main goal for the year was to have made it out for the Chicago Half-Mile back at the start of June. Was hoping make some low boost full or even partial pulls and start to get to know myself as a driver and the car, start to get a handle on what I have to improve and work some bugs out. When that time had come and gone, the focus was visiting some quartermile tracks. Now, here we are in November and the car has only been up and boosting for about a week. Better late than never! [bd] The tracks are all closed for the year. What happens now? [ce] As the weather has been cooperative this last week, she has seen some street duty/light cruising. The car is registered and fully insured, still has the original interior and factory suspension, so it’s actually quite comfortable!

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[ce] Realistically, these things take time and there’s no getting around that. It’s the myriad little bits and pieces of getting it together take the longest and really can’t be planned for. Truly simple stuff at that - plug type/gap, finding the right shift cables and base to allow for running an AWD gearbox in a FWD chassis, etc..

I have some reservations about how the last few weeks went down, but that’s a private matter and hold no hard feelings. Everybody that touched the car over the past year has been immensely helpful, the work is quality and much appreciated. Those who haven’t have been very supportive and excited as it developed, which helped morale and motivation. All in all, taking the experience thus far as a whole, I’m genuinely thrilled with the final product as she sits! My only true disappointment is that my father wasn’t able to see what this experiment transformed into.

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BUILDING BROTHERHOoD WORDS: BRIAN DRIGGS | IMAGES: JOHN LENAHAN

[Preface: If you’re not familiar with “MOD,” it’s short for Mitsubishi Owner Day, which began in 2005, after engineers at Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) caught word of local owners getting together for monthly cruises around southern California. 10, 20 owners quickly became 40, 50+ and it wasn’t long before MMNA decided to host an annual event at their Cypress, California, headquarters.

stability and power into our gearhead family and we want to help you start a gearhead club in your area. Previously, we gave three reasons why we need gearhead clubs. Now, we’re going into how to start your own gearhead club.

In the eight years since, MOD has grown so large, there isn’t enough parking on the ground in California, and there are now MOD events at the Normal, Illinois plant and Campbell’s Field in Camden, New Jersey. I think there might even be one in Texas next year.

Again, I have to point out that this series was inspired - and borrows extensively from - a long post on Art of Manliness (AoM). The original piece is a solid, thoughtful piece of work I highly recommend, but as women are gearheads, too, I’ve adapted the article for our unique audience. There’s a link to the original at the end of this piece, and I’d recommend checking it - and the rest of AoM - out.

The reason I’m telling you this is because an event like MOD brings a lot of smaller groups of gearheads together across platforms across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

If you’ve ever wished there were more gearheads where you live, I’m here to tell you there probably are more gearheads around than you know. This article is meant to give you a sense of structure for hopefully organizing your own gearhead club. And, since Mitsubishi Owner Day sort of embodies the possibility of many small groups forming a large one, I thought it was fitting to use pictures from “SoCal MOD” to go with this piece.

Special thanks to John Lenahan for providing us with so many pictures from this event... back in June. I’ve wanted to run this piece for months!

Now, on with the show!]

Our gearhead family is there for us when we need them. No doubt about it. We believe gearhead clubs are a great way to build a little more

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THE POWER OF METAPHOR

One of my favorite sayings goes like this, “A picture is worth 1,000 words, but a metaphor is worth 1,000 pictures.” A metaphor is the practice of explaining one thing in terms of another. If I tell you we’re here to help you optimize your life and accelerate your own personal development by introducing you to people and ideas outside your regular life patterns, that sound like corporate bullshit, but what if I put in automotive terms? You know how the engine makes the power, but the transmission routes that power to the wheels, right? Need to get off the line quickly? Accelerate strongly out of a corner? Cruise efficiently at autobahn-like speeds?

You are the engine.

We want to be the gearbox.

See what I mean? The power of metaphor.

I read the original article on AoM and immediately saw it as being useful

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for gearheads. I just felt it needed adapted to gearheads; it needed put into automotive terms.

STEP 1: INTENT & PURPOSE The first and most critical step is to define your intention and purpose.

Start with WHY. Why are we starting this group? At the most basic level, we want to start a club to DO something. Maybe it’s to build a LeMons car or volunteer at all the rallies in the region. Maybe it’s something bigger, like helping each other build high performance machines & lives.

First thing we need to do is think about why we want to get together with other gearheads and what we want the group to do. This is huge.

We don’t even have to be doing huge, epic stuff every time we get together. A great reason might be to find people to show us new ideas and help us practice skills we didn’t even know about.

STEP 2: FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE Once we know why we’re starting our gearhead club, we can get an idea how big it will ultimately be. From my own past experience - I colaunched az2gnt.net and grew it to over 60 members across Arizona - 6-10 people is probably ideal. Less than that, you’re right on the edge of momentum; more, it becomes difficult to get everyone in the same place at the same time.

Next we start thinking about how we’ll find people to join. Start with your personal network - forums, Facebook, co-workers, neighbors - anyone who can physically show up. Whatever our club’s focus, we want to find people with varied interests beyond it; gearheads interested in personal growth and pushing past personal limitations. Variety is the spice of life and will keep our group interesting.

You might even consider posting up on Craigslist, City-Data, or Meetup.

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com. I know this is something I’m personally considering for a new club I’d like to start early 2014. (I’ve got some loose ends to tie up before I’ll have the bandwidth for such a project.)

It’s also important we find gearheads with whom we wouldn’t mind spending entire weekends. Feel free to interview people for the group.

Be open and honest about what you’re trying to build. If someone disagrees, they probably won’t want to join anyway!

STEP 3: CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT “Whattaya wanna do tonight, Brain?” “The same thing we do everynight, Pinky...”

See also those vultures in the tree in that one old Disney movie. “I dunno. Whatta YOU wanna do?” “Now don’t start that again!” Creating the right space and intention is the name of the game, here. Yeah, it’s easy

My local DSM group has a similar idea. Second Thursday of every month, at the In-n-Out Burger in Chandler on Ray Road. I haven’t been in over a year, but I bet I could go this month and run into an old friend in that parking lot around 8PM. If not an old friend, a likely new friend.

That’s how it works. Start simple. Pick a single date/time and location everyone can agree to every month. Then stick to it. Of course, you’ll want to Our men’s group meets on the last Saturday of every month. Each month we take nominations for what we’re going to do next, and then we vote on what we’ll do.

We use this as an excuse to do adventurous things and conquer personal challenges. Some of them are things that have been on one of our bucket lists for a long time. Some are things one of us has always wanted to learn or try. Sometimes it’s just something random and fun.

to set up a simple get-together with the gang, but how many times do you want to stand around trying to figure out what to do in that time?

On the one hand, we want to keep things simple. Consider scheduling a standing meeting place and time. One of the longest consecutivelyrunning free car shows in the United States - Pavilions, here in Scottsdale, Arizona - has been running more than 20 years. If it’s not raining (and this is Phoenix), there’s a car show at Pavilions every Saturday night.

Every Saturday night. At Pavilions shopping center. For 20+ years.

If you’re ever in the Phoenix area on a Saturday afternoon and it’s not raining (sometimes even IF it’s raining), you are guaranteed to find anywhere from a dozen to 600 gearheads showing off their wheels at Pavilions. It was there before Cars and Coffee. It will be there after Cars and Coffee. Why? Because it’s simple. Place. Time. Everything else is flexible.

If you want to be more formal, you can organize a weekly group with a set agenda. A quick start guide on creating a formal men’s group can be found here.

STEP 4: THE RULES First rule of Gearhead Club is you talk about gearhead club. Next, decide what the rules will be, if any. For our group we have two rules: It’s not about business. If we didn’t have this rule it would be easy for us to default to conversations and activities centered around work. Since we already do that enough, this rule helps us stay focused on what matters to us: connection beyond work.

If you miss more than two meetups in a row you’ll stop getting invited.

We want members that are committed and in this for the long haul. If you’re not committed, well, it wasn’t meant to be, and we’re not going

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to try to convince you otherwise.

STEP 5: SHOW UP! More than anything, you just need to show up.

Here are some ways you can step up: Take an active interest in what your fellow clubmates aspire to do. Yeah, help each other set goals and turn wrenches, but go beyond the machines, too. Just as we are more than our resumes, we are more than our vehicles. Everyone’s an expert at something, right?

Borrow a page from the agile project management playbook and have everyone briefly update the group on what they’ve accomplished since your last meeting, what they want to accomplish before the next one, and what obstacles they see in their path.

Share the spotlight! Take turns planning where you’ll go and what you’ll do when you get there. Give quieter members of the group a chance to take a leadership role to build up their strengths.

Lead by example. If you want to associate with people who do things right the first time, slow down and make sure you do it right the first time yourself.

Make it an event none of you ever want to miss. Have fun. Do stuff that matters. Even if that’s just getting out of the house for a few hours to take a break.

The most important thing is to show up and give generously to your gearhead brothers and sisters. The world needs more brotherhood. Will you create it?

Inspired by: Art of Manliness - http://bit.ly/aombrother

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WHY IS IT 90°F IN NOVEMBER?

I got a bit frustrated that, two days after I wanted this issue to go out, it still wasn’t done, then saw I was still (!) 2 pages short. Seriously. It was 92°F (33°C) here today. I WAS A BIT BENT. it would be so nice to have seasons, maybe to spend more time playing with cars , and maybe go on another epic automotive adventure. where is the time?

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BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN PHOENIX! Then I remembered, “Hey! You’ve probably just finished 600+ pages of car magazine for the year full of original content while most sites are just paraphrasing press releases.

the grass is always greener on the other side. never, ever, ever, ever give up. that empty page is just another opportunity to do something different.

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Isaac’s Inner Thoughts Inner Inconsistencies

Like many people, I’m a walking contradiction – I’ll even be the first to admit it. Unlike many, though, I’m also able to admit to my inner inconsistencies. I’m ok with one type of street-borne, illegal idiocy, but not too keen on another – which made me think why do I have an inner inconsistency like this?

CANNONBALL RUN I find the recent shattering of the Cannonball Run speed record set by two Lamborghini salesman a fantastic show of indomitable spirit harkening back to the days were records were made to be broken, and usually behind the backs of (or in front of pursuing) law enforcement.

For those not in the know about 1970’s races, or those bereft of experience with the 1980’s Burt Reynolds’s classic comedy, is an unsanctioned - and illegal - race from Manhattan to Los Angeles. In the movie, those who attempted the run were part of a ‘fraternity of lunatics’, which I find apt for this accomplishment.

October 2006, Alex Roy and David Maher completed the Cannonball record in a BMW M5 in a record breaking 31 hours and 4 minutes. A new bar had ben set.

The group that accomplished the newest record holders consists of

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BY DEANNA ISAACS | IMAGE FROM CNN, COURTESY ED BOLIAN

Ed Bolian (instigator and main driver), Dave Black (co-driver), and Dan Huang (cop spotter/tech operator). They crammed their chosen vehicle, a Mercedes CL55, with extra fuel (44 gallons, 167 liters more) - and more than $9,000 spent in vehicle preparation.

They completed the feat in 28 hours and 50 minutes, giving GPS logs as verification. The average speed was 98 miles an hour, with top speeds reaching 158.

This kind of planned bravado can rekindle the American, nay the international, spirit to road trip. No, not everyone is going to set out to break records, they won’t be working towards the fastest times or the longest miles – they’ll be inspired to set out on an adventure, and that’s pretty important.

BLATANT BRAVADO Things I’m not ok with seem to include two motorcycles heading up a heavily trafficked hill, during peak driving times, while ones was pulling a long wheelie. (Luckily I was heading the other direction and wouldn’t have been in the aftermath had they biffed).

I have no problems with having a little fun during your ride – I’m a particular fan of non-racing redlight takeoffs (the sound of my engine rolling through revs is music to me), the joyful and repeated ride down a

curvy road is pretty great, too, but I don’t go speeding at high traffic, I don’t do tricks when others are around. Timing.

I have no problems with wheelies. I think it’s great that motorcyclists (are willing to risk life and limb to) prove their skills in balance and coordination. The best place to try any kind of fun is always the race track, but at the very least these to motorcycle mavens could have waited until late night to pull their stunts, like any other miscreant trying illegal street stuffs.

Is it just timing that makes me approve of one and not the other, or is there more to it? Mostly its timing. The Cannonballers were prepared to the rims and the motorcyclist obviously prepared (he could do an uphill wheelie pretty well). They were both expressing ‘personal freedom’, which is the wording Bolian used in a CNN interview. One form of law breaking is not better than the other. So, why?

I think it’s because one is meant to inspire a desire to hit the open roads, whereas the other just comes off as a ‘hey, watch this’ moment of bravado.

DRIGGS’ DROPPING IN TO COMMENT: A lifelong fan of the Cannonball Run movies, I think the coast-to-coast effort is marvelous. At the same time, I can’t shake the apparent indifference to other people on the road associated with such a feat. Granted, there aren’t so many drivers on the road any more so much as operators, likely more skilled at making coffee than operating a motor vehicle, but that only adds to the risk.

Much as I loathe the oblivious commuter twittering away in the left lane, I don’t think he deserves the added risk of being shunted into certain, fiery death because a couple Lamborghini salesmen wanted to party with Herr Polizei. It’s the same reason why, as a rally fan and volunteer, I hate seeing Dustball Rally participants call what they do - driving like asshats who can afford the tickets - “rally.”

The counter-point, then, is still related to timing. The guys averaging 98mph for 28 hours straight in a Molotov Benz had the potential to do far more harm than the goon on the street bike who may very well have simply been fed up with all the zombie cagers impeding his way.

So why, then, do I still feel less disappoint about the Cannonballers?

IMAGINED ODE TO MY MAZDA-RATTI With her underneath me, I feel like a czar, Her symphony sings to my soul Heaven is a two-seater sports car.

She’s much nicer than any ricer could spar, Nardi-wood and leather unsoiled, With her underneath me, I feel like a czar.

The lights turn green – RPM’ shoot for red bars.

Her tires moaned then started to roll.

Heaven is a two-seater sports car.

Suddenly in my rearview, ruby and azure stars, I would get rid of the man on patrol.

With her underneath me I feel like a czar.

English for the engine inspired This week is a kind of poem called a ‘villanelle’, the first and last lines of the first stanza (paragraphs) set the tone and repetition for the entire poem. Those two lines are then repeated, in order of appearance, in the refrain (last line) of each following stanza and in the last stanza. A villanelle is constrained to 19 lines and comes from rusting, ballad-like poems from rural areas, but, now, they have become an outlet for obsessions.

Copper questions, “What were you doing, going so fast and so far?

You know, releasing pent up fun – it comes with a toll.”

Heaven is a two-seater sports car.

When the judge presided, from the bench and the bar, “Young lady, with as fast as you sped, what had you stole?”

I replied with a shrug, “Nothing stolen. With her underneath me I feel like a czar. Heaven is a two-seater sports car.”

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Here’s some of our favorite stories from October.

BRIAN ROEHRS

BILL ROGERS

2009: Revisit our interview with Brian: http://bit.ly/gbxmroehrs

2010: BIll talks motorsport photography with us: http://bit.ly/gbxmbillro

ingmar micheel

GEBURTSTAGTREFFEN

2010: Revisit our interview with Ingmar: http://bit.ly/gbxmingmar

2010: Our first GBXM World Tour (Germany): http://bit.ly/gbxmtref

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Here’s some of our favorite stories from October.

EV GEARHEADS

DOMINO: SERIOUS TOYS

2011: EV Owners are Gearheads Too: http://bit.ly/gbxmev

2011: Domino specializes in scale models: http://bit.ly/gbxmdomino

LARS VAN DER LUGT

20th ANNUal crown picnic

2011: Revisit our interview with Lars: http://bit.ly/gbxmlars

2011: Dennis got pictures from a meet in Japan: http://bit.ly/gbxmcrowns

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Here’s some of our favorite stories from October.

John clayton

PERLITA TOO

2012: We designed our covers with this story in mind: http://bit.ly/gbxmalltrac

2012: James Ferris talks about achieving perfection: http://bit.ly/gbxmperfect

SERVICE CREW

TRUE EVO

2012: What it’s like volunteering at a rally: http://bit.ly/gbxmrallyv

2012: Evolution of an Evo community: http://bit.ly/gbxmtru

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LESSONS LEARNED high performance machines & lives

Here’s a quick overview of what we’ve learned in this issue: 1. What you think, you become. just because you roll your race car six times doesn’t mean you’re finished. In fact, later that same night, you might very well drive the totaled heap into the parking lot to a hero’s welcome.

2. The difference between success and failure can be as simple as never, ever, ever giving up. even if you have to start over from scratch, the lessons you learned will make this attempt even better.

3. we might not live in the same place or speak the same language, but we’re all into cars. never underestimate the potential for what you love being the key to epic friendships around the world.

4. batteries, electric motors, carbon fiber monocoque - it’s all been done before. building the ideal EV is within our reach. your dream ev is within your reach. you just need to build it!

5. that remanufactured alternator might fail within the first year, but swapping it out takes a couple hours, while rebuilding could very well cost more and require extended downtime waiting for parts.

6. modern automotive technology makes our lives so much easier, but sometimes, it’s the simple purity of driving an “analog” machine that speaks to us.

7. if you’re undercover and doing triple-digit speeds down the highway, your boss won’t tip you to the trap ahead, and you’ll have to find a ride to work when you get out of jail because your bike will likely be impounded.

8. it’s important to set goals, but it’s equally important to not give up when you don’t achieve them on schedule. you will get there. See #2, above.

9. if you know what you want to get out of a gearhead club, you can start one the delivers exactly what you want, maybe even more.

10. if your 1-year old gets one of those magnetic letters stuck on her thumb, you’re going to pay someone hundreds of dollars to do what you know you could have done yourself at home (but probably would have screwed up had you actually tried). also, it will delay your finishing of the issue that night. thE BIG TAKEAWAY THIS MONTH: When you believe in showing other gearheads how much they matter to you, they will show you how much you matter to them. your passion for the automobile is your superpower. use it for good.

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GEARHEADS UNITED RITSUGYO BOEKI

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