With the Range Rover being kickass but not the best option for towing my enclosed, I started re-evaluating uh, everything. The initial goal of the Range Rover purchase was to have a more compact tow vehicle that could fit in DC parking garages and also pull what I needed. Unfortunately, downsizing at the expense of safety made my chest too tight. So, I may have to eschew DC for Arlington (not 100% confirmed though) but would rather do that than have white-knuckle towing every month.

So, the pendulum swung back to a pickup truck. As mentioned in the RR thread, I'm tired of working on my daily. I got a raise with my new job and figured I could use a small bit of that money to end up in something new.

Given this would be expensive, I decided I wanted every last option. My last F-150 was equipped well but was not... lavish - and in a daily driver, I'd prefer a good sound system, heated seats, sunroof, etc. I also figured that hey, it's 2018 and I should have some modern driver assistance tech.

I cross-shopped every "half ton" pickup on the market. Nissan and Ram don't offer the driver assistance - Ram is coming on 2019s, but they aren't out yet and won't likely have strong deals at first. Toyota offers the technology, but the Tundra interior isn't somewhere I'd enjoy spending tons of time, and their navigation/infotainment is outdated. No GMs, obviously. So that left me with another Ford.

My friend Hans is a sales manager at Battlefield Ford, so we started talking. I also got put in touch with the SM of Koons in Sterling. Ultimately Hans was willing to make a better deal. I took the trailer out to American Truck & Trailer on Saturday morning for new tires, and they said it'd take a few hours, so off to the dealership I went.

I was initially gunning for a Platinum, but it had been sold the night before. But... you can option up a Lariat to have all of the relevant features of a Platinum, so it works out to be about $3-4k cheaper, and the only real difference is the appearance, and "exclusive" leather/wood options. Whatever. Let's see the Lariats. 

The Lariat they had in the showroom was a 5.0L "502A" (the loaded model) with Technology package and 3.55 rear end (many have the 3.31). It also had the "sport" appearance package which eliminates the chrome everywhere. Cool, I like the looks, so that's a plus. We talked about the Rover trade-in and general numbers, I went and grabbed lunch (while fretting about the whole thing) and ultimately decided to go for it.

I ended up leasing, which I've never done. Looking at how it shakes out, it should be a good option for my use. I get to put three years of towing/DC potholes on the truck, and give it back long before I'd have to think about shocks, bushings, balljoints, cooling system, etc being replaced. I'll do oil changes and brakes/tires if needed. 

So, I have it for 36 months and 15k miles a year. It came on some Hankook DynaPro all-terrains so I can still tackle light trails, assuming they're wide enough. The revised 5.0 is now direct/port injected and makes 395 hp and 400 ft-lb of torque, a nice upgrade from my last 5.0 (365/385). It's mated to the new Ford/GM 10-speed automatic, which shifts a LOT but is smooth. It can skip gears both up and down and is generally unobtrusive.

The Tech package gave me blind spot monitoring (works with a trailer up to 30', too!), 360° cameras, cross-traffic rear monitoring, emergency braking, and (the kicker) adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go. It will work in traffic all the way down to 0 mph, and accelerate again. And it will work with a trailer hooked up - in Tow mode, it knows to leave more braking distance.

I've got power-extending, power-folding, heated tow mirrors. Power-extending running boards. Heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel. Panoramic sunroof. Remote start. Auto high beams, auto wipers. Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker audio with Sync3 and CarPlay. The tailgate can be opened from the keyfob and is damped, so it won't slam down. The "FX4" package is now available on any XLT+ trim of F150, so I have the skid plates and rear locker, along with the same "Auto 4WD" system that Ryan has. It's got the "Pro Trailer Backup Assist" which I'll set up this weekend.

I don't expect to do much to this truck, other than a bedliner and tonneau cover. It didn't come with the integrated trailer brake controller (somehow) so I am going back to the dealer on Saturday for them to install it. 

The timing worked such that I had to go pick up my trailer before that shop closed, so I brought it back to the dealership with me and my first drive of the red truck was with the trailer hooked up. It is already far more stable in curves than the Range Rover was. Should tow incredibly well.

Seeing this parked outside this morning gave me this "mhm, this is why I work hard" thought. I'm excited for the next three years with it.

SOLD

https://roanoke.craigslist.org/mcy/d/200...33328.html

I think it's a 2005. Something like that. Actually runs great, though sometimes gas drains out of the bottom of the carb. So I always shut off the fuel and let it run out when I'm done, which "solves" the problem. Keeps it from getting gummed up from sitting anyway. $1000 MM price, and I can deliver for a fee. 

I'd like to buy a basic canoe for us and two kids to tool around local lakes in. Maybe a 2nd one once my son is a little older and we can split up. Is there some compelling reason why this isn't an ok choice?

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/sun...w156cnxpsc



Will probably be pretty slow since it's not very long and has a flat bottom, but shorter is better for storage/moving. Should I even consider one of those indestructable aluminum ones that rental places use?
https://blacksburg.craigslist.org/boa/d/...08374.html

Is there some reason I should give some guy on craigslist 300-400 bucks when I can get one new for 500? Is there some reason I'll regret not spending twice as much on models that look pretty much the same? 
https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/spor.../cat101212
(I mean, it doesn't even have cupholders, WTF)

Tell me if you know anything, including paddles, other accessories I need. Excuse me while I go stare at my 4x6 trailer and figure out how to put one of these on there.

we need more MM'er on track!  this is something i'm planning to try out, but i think any students could appreciate this kind of event in particular.  i wish they had this when i was at JMU.



in case nobody heard about it, for the last year or so the SCCA has been doing a thing where you show up to a track for a Friday afternoon and evening of driving fun for $150 or less.  you get 3, 20 minute sessions (novice group gets an extra paced lap session) which is plenty for anyone new to a track experience.  show up at 3pm (we all know you can blow off a friday class), leave around 8pm.  no instructors in the car, they observe off-track and you get debriefed after each session - its not perfect especially for a total novice but if you approach it with caution, research technique, and keep your ego checked you'll probably do great.  these appear to be well run, organized, and its particularly great for you noobs who don't have $500 to blow on a full weekend of driving and lodging or a car that's equipped to handle the extended track time.  

anyway, a guy on the GrassrootsMotorsports board is offering an additional $25 off if you contact him:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/...858/page1/

OR

if you're feeling super cheap because your girlfriend keeps asking you to take her out to some fancy-ass place for dinner, and you're desperate to give her the D so you pretty much have to do it, then you can split driving with a trusting fellow MM bro for half price, or get a single session for $35 in trade for working.  
"Two drivers can participate in the same car in different run groups or they can split the time within the group. Each driver must be an entrant, however so splitting time in the same run group will cost you track time. Another good option is to both do the Run/Work entry which allows each of you one session (at only $35) while working for two hours to support the event."

they've also just added Dominion Raceway to the schedule this year which is 2 hours from JMU.  that means you can still get back to Harrisonburg on a friday night at exactly the time to walk into a party right when its getting good.

here's the schedule:
https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/events/page/1

here's the FAQ:
https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/pages/faq-2

basically all you need is an SA-2010 rated helmet and brakes/tires that can make it through an hour's thrashing. and don't treat it as a race, you're out there to have fun feeling around how your car acts approaching the limit.

i intend to get over to Atlanta Motorsports Park sometime this year, so if none of you dingalings come through for me on this i'll just have to report back with my findings and make you feel bad.

So, roughly a month ago I sold my first car. It was a Sonic Blue 2002 Ford Focus SVT with 116k miles on it. I loved that car, it was stupidly fun to drive and looked great (in my opinion); it was perfect. Except when it wasn't, which was all the time. Evidently a previous owner had fooled around in the engine bay and had neglected to do anything important to the car, resulting in everything failing. I did have it fixed and everything was fine, but only after a mountain of repair costs that left me not wanting to own it anymore. A few weeks passed following the repairs and the Focus departed from my life with a tear or two shed, and then the hunt for a new car was on.

Even before I bought the Focus, way, waay before I could even own a car or drive, I knew I wanted a Miata. I had never driven in one, let alone sit in one before, or interact with one in any way whatsoever, but I craved one. I could never find one, though, and months of scouring classifieds had left me defeated once, so I hadn't had much hope the second time around. Sure enough, I couldnt find anything, anything, in my price range. I began thinking about other cars that I could settle for when I started chatting with a guy at my school (I'm in high school) named Brandon (who recently posted up his new z31). Somehow we discovered that we both shared an interest in cars, and that we were both on the hunt for something new. Brandon's suggestion to buy Miatas together soon after reinvigorated me, and after he introduced me to the MM forum and showed me how he had found a nice miata by posting a thread on it, I decided to give it a go. Incedentally, Brandon's Miata fell through, but he referred me to the guy he was talking to, who happened to post a reply on my thread a few hours later. He said he had a crazy nice base model NA6 Miata he picked up from the original owner, and directed me to a thread about it. I was sold. A few days later, I drove to Sterling and met Taylor, who was more than enthusiastic to show me his NA6 and tell me everything about it. We came to a deal and a few days after that, I picked it up and drove it two hours home. I laughed the whole time.

A week has passed since I bought the Miata, and I couldn't be happier. It needs a some things to be in tip top shape; the paint isn't perfect and there's a dent in the front right fender, and its been stalling on me. But, I'm making progress. Brandon and I put on a new soft top today, and I've got a Hard Dog M2 rollbar waiting to be put on. I don't know what else I want to do as far as modifications to it, but it's going to be my daily, so probably little things here and there. We'll see. In the meantime though, I'm going to enjoy blasting around my town and its surrounding backroads.

Also, huge thanks to Brandon and Taylor, who have been helping me a ton with the Miata. Brandon, thanks for being a great car buddy and an all round good friend, and Taylor, thanks for all the support and hospitality. I really appreciate it.

Just curious to see how long it takes for this to happen, if ever. Offer valid through The end of the semester.

DOES NOT COUNT if someone tells you about this thread. So keep your mouth shut if you want them to get the money. Only the first person gets it.

$3 to the first current student that has paid dues to respond to this.

I'll send on Venmo.

If you guys cheat, you are literally the worst.

Sorry for the late thread but we've got most of our details nailed down now.


https://www.facebook.com/events/185006672088952??ti=ia

Come out APRIL 21st (this is a change!!) to the annual Madison Motorshow in C4 lot, gates open at 9 AM & the show starts @ 10

Awards are in the works but coming soon so look out for upcoming info on that

We'll have our traditional cruise after the show as well as dinner afterwards



- 8 AM setup
- 9 AM gates open
- 10 AM show "officially" starts
- 10 AM start cooking food
- 1 PM get people's choice voting started
- 2 PM announce winners & end show
- cleanup until whenever done (around 3)
- cruise
- Dinner @ O'Neill's

Hello all! 

You may be familiar with the refrigerator bowls held at Summit Point. This is a very similar style event held at Dominion Raceway, north of Richmond. 

http://events.dominionraceway.com/trackcross/

#1 - Sunday March 18, 2018 - click here to register
#2 - Sunday May 13, 2018 - click here to register
#3 - Sunday July 22, 2018 - click here to register
#4 - Sunday September 9, 2018 - click here to register

I'll be the first event, possibly the 3rd and 4th (my birthday weekend). These seem like really cool events to get a step up from Autocross, not have to work, get 4 times the drive time, and get a small taste of speed. These events are usually pretty fast compared to autocrosses and there's no cones to worry about (Just walls and such at 80 mph). 

Got an email this morning about some JMU awards banquet and as I was skimming it one of our own jumped out. 

https://www.alumni.jmu.edu/s/1591/gid3-A...&pgid=4703

Congratulations Pete!! Although it was sad to see they edited out what must have been hours of Merkur talk. =) 
I'm sure you've got more irons in the fire than any of us realize; we've really enjoyed the WYM game and can't wait to see what you guys develop next.

I just noticed when you're in the forum section there doesn't seem to be a link to take you back to the root of the site. 
The logo goes to http://forum.mmsports.org/index.php
And the Home link to http://forum.mmsports.org/portal.php

Came across this while looking for the spring car show thread and couldn't find it, so I thought it might be listed on the home page, still no info on the car show.....Jaccccccccccckson