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SovXietday -> Walt's GT (3/6/2008 8:27:46 AM)
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After all of the snow and crappy weather we've been getting here in PA lately we are finally blessed with a few good days of warm sunshine and dry roads. I decided it was time to take out the hatch for some much needed tuning and washing. I grabbed my laptop, some microfiber towels, a bucket, and a shammy and headed out the door.
I fired up the little turbo 1.6L and watched the wideband illuminate. Car still fires and idles like a top after 4 months of barely driving it, awesome. I let her warm up a bit while I plugged my laptop into the ECU and began viewing all parameters and tables. I got myself situated with the software again and decided to head out.
I fixed some lean spots in partial throttle and then started playing with some WOT pulls. She was pulling a little too lean for my liking, 12.5-13.0 at 12psi. I brought the AFRs down to 11.5 over a couple of pulls. Once I got it running the way I wanted I decided I'd go out and see what I could stir up.
A little background on this car. It's a 96 Civic CX hatchback weighing in around 2300lbs with me in it, piston/rod/cammed engine, regeared and LSDed trans, 57trim turbo, full 3" turboback exhaust, full suspenion, traction bars, and BFG TAs up front for as much traction that I can muster on the street. Car is low as balls, obnoxiously loud, has bright red wheels, stickers all over the back window (most derogatory and/or jokes), and an all around character.
Anyway, I quick stopped by work to get my new schedule and as I was leaving I spotted a newer 06 GT. Stock, it was not. Tastefully modded... it was also not. The car had the ever common large white sticker stripes down the middle of the car, finished off with some horrible form of ugly ass wheel. They didn't look cheap, but they didn't look good either. My favorite part however was the fact that he had Pepboys foglights mounted under his rear bumper as extra reverse lights. Why, I don't know, it was good for a laugh though. Who's GT was it? It was Walts GT, as proudly proclaimed by his license plate. Ok Walt, lets see if you know how to mod an engine bay.
I followed him out through a few lights and got his attention. How you ask? Well I didn't have to try hard, like I said, my car is impossible to not notice. As luck would have it, we got stuck at a light side by side with no cars in our way. I tossed him a rev to see if he would bite, I saw the driver look over, laugh, and then toss me a low grumble to admit he'd race me. Sad, I know. From the little rev he tossed me at most I'd say I/E? Oh, and yes I do know that I'm writing a story about a Civic and a dig, weird isn't it?
In the playful mood that I was in I decided to test out my newly aquired antilag feature. I stomped the go pedal to the floor with the clutch in and the revs shot up to the 2step limiter at 5500. 8psi came with a few gunshot-like pops that came from the fireballs shooting out of my exhaust. Love that, but 8psi from a dig on street tires was bad news so I let off and held at roughly 4K.
Green. I let out the clutch and gave the car a bit more gas to get it moving. The GT roared off the line and began to pull away. I put the pedal on the floor and immediately met the 8500rpm rev limiter. I held it for a few seconds to get the car up to speed and shifted into 2nd. The car bogged slightly as I watched the GT put about a car and a half on me. Always playing catch up. The tach crossed 5500rpms as the turbo spooled to full boost again and the tires let loose once again. I feathered the throttle a little bit trying to get some traction back. Somehow the BFGs semi-grabbed the asphalt again and the car rocketed to 60 at 75% throttle. I grabbed third and put the pedal on the floor. A loud hiss screamed from under the honda's hood as the car immediately began marching on the GT. 6000, 7000, 8200. I watched as the GT slipped behind me. I'd say that the pony car was falling slowly back but I'd be lying as the Honda raped, pillaged, and plundered on what was left of Walts dignity. I rammed the shifter back into 4th repeating the process and buried the GT in car after car of distance. I looked down at the speedo and was met with the needle screaming towards numbers that weren't there. Whoops! I shifted into 5th and let off the throttle with a brake hold to show that I was no longer racing... if you could call it that.
Walt roared passed me what felt like hours later clearly disturbed about what had just happened. I gave him a nod and a wave as he passed, but he didn't seem to care. Poor guy, should have bought a Vette.:D
Meh.
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