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  1. satyajitmenon

    Kia Sorento 2017-18 GDI engine question

    Hard to say. Technically, if there is a warranty claim for some reason, unless they can prove that something you did (such as the things I mentioned above, and other mods too) actually caused the issue that's being warrantied, they cannot deny a claim. But there are plenty of stories of...
  2. satyajitmenon

    Kia Sorento 2017-18 GDI engine question

    Did some searching and came across this. http://www.pecj.or.jp/japanese/overseas/conference/pdf/conference12-19.pdf
  3. satyajitmenon

    Kia Sorento 2017-18 GDI engine question

    Not sure about the Kia engine, but almost every DI engine still has this issue. The severity depends on a lot of factors. Having said that, there are options available to alleviate some of the carbon buildup. a) Walnut blasting - offered for many cars, typically not by the dealership though. I...
  4. satyajitmenon

    Quick question about an issue...

    Maybe take a video from inside the car while driving? Does it sound like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0evGYOpEXGw Can't really see from this angle, but is that a collapsed ball joint?
  5. satyajitmenon

    New 2018 Ferrari Portofino

    Nice looking car. Is it just me or is that the Mazda MX5 smile?
  6. satyajitmenon

    Track day in my 85 Camaro

    That looks like a really nice track. Specs of car? How, umm, boaty was it?
  7. satyajitmenon

    brz/gt86/etc

    Tell her she might have made the typical rookie mistake of not greasing her muffler bearings. Once that's done, all those performance mods on her car will really start to take effect.
  8. satyajitmenon

    Need a new Radio

    I've used Crutchfield in the past (a few years ago). Wasn't half bad for exploring options and reading reviews. Then amazon for an alternate source of reviews.
  9. satyajitmenon

    Off-brand wheel replacement?

    Have you tried tire rack? https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/results.jsp?autoMake=Acura&autoModel=TSX&autoYear=2008&autoModClar=&package=false
  10. satyajitmenon

    Pull the trigger on 2002 Saturn Vue AWD 95k miles for $2500?

    Stay away from the Vue. Admittedly anecdotal evidence, but I remember an old friend of mine having insane problems with that era of Vue. It was in the shop more often than not, and eventually when they gave her a "too good to believe" deal to get out of the Vue and into another Saturn (possibly...
  11. satyajitmenon

    Involved in an accident on Thursday evening

    Now for the important part - what rental did you get? Anything interesting?
  12. satyajitmenon

    Involved in an accident on Thursday evening

    Ugh... sucks that your shiny car got a boo boo. Although considering the way that corolla looks, I thought the rear of yours would look a lot worse. Also, bit surprised the airbags didn't deploy on the Corolla. I know every front-end collision doesn't warrant airbag deployment, but that one...
  13. satyajitmenon

    Best beater sports car?

    911 GT3 of course. :-D Serious answer - depends on budget. Still think my old Miata was the most cheap fun car I've ever owned. 3k car + 3k in suspension and wheels/tires and it cornered on rails. No power, but who cares when you're wringing the piss out of the engine and it just keeps running...
  14. satyajitmenon

    Bondurant Racing School

    Yup.
  15. satyajitmenon

    Bondurant Racing School

    I think it was $75 per day. Although that still came with an 8k deductible.
  16. satyajitmenon

    Bondurant Racing School

    Yeah. That's the first thing I thought of when I jumped out of the Van. Just remembered he also did a ABS maneuver with all of us in the Van. To show how stable it is while turning with ABS engaged in a "panic stop / accident avoidance swerve". A little poo came out.
  17. satyajitmenon

    Bondurant Racing School

    Umm, the Viper (at least the latest gen) is surprisingly docile and easy to drive if you're not being stupid. Even when you turn off all the aids, it's still ok as long as you're not doing something silly like flooring it at 3k rpm in 2nd or something. Was quite surprised at how well the...
  18. satyajitmenon

    Bondurant Racing School

    Yup agreed. I've been autocrossing with SCCA, did endurance karting (cripes my back twitches just thinking about it) and a few chumpcar races too. Never really got any formal instruction so I figured it's time for some. Having said that, the way they've designed the course at Bondurant, even a...
  19. satyajitmenon

    Bondurant Racing School

    A few weeks ago, I gave myself a bit of an early Christmas present. I spent a week in Arizona at the Bondurant Racing School in their 4-day GP Racing Program. Was a lot of fun, and also quite tiring what with all the time spent on the track.I've written about it, and posted pics and videos in...
  20. satyajitmenon

    Charger owners?

    Did the Bondurant Racing School recently. The instructors used Charger SRTs while wheeling us around the track or as lead cars when we were in the Vipers. Am surprised at how well Dodge has designed the new chargers. Very comfy, and not too soft through turns in sport mode. Definitely a car...
  21. satyajitmenon

    Official 2016 Formula 1 Thread!!

    As a fan, who do I want to see in Rosbergs old seat? (in decreasing order of preference) Alonso, Verstappen, Grosjean, Button (never say never). As a realist, who do I think will end up in Rosbergs old seat? Hulkenberg, Bottas, Sainz
  22. satyajitmenon

    Around the 'ring in 7:29.60 seconds

    Saw the video yesterday. What's impressive is that it's an auto, and he's not paddle shifting. As in, it's in full auto mode.
  23. satyajitmenon

    Lotus Elise - What kind of insurance price?

    ^^ What he said. I think there's a company (BOE?) out there that makes aftermarket shells in carbon fiber. But by and large, they're not repairable, and you have to import the whole front/rear half from Ol' Blighty. So even a bit of damage to the body often becomes so expense that insurance...
  24. satyajitmenon

    Driveway stains

    Power washer helps, as does kitty litter (although only soon after the spill to soak up quickly). I've seen impressive results from carb cleaner (or was it brake cleaner?) on old oil stains on a driveway. Not environmentally friendly if you wash it away and it gets into the water system, but...
  25. satyajitmenon

    ATOT ESPN Fantasy Football Auction PPR League 2016

    So we still doin 9pm on Sep 5th (Monday)?
  26. satyajitmenon

    ATOT ESPN Fantasy Football Auction PPR League 2016

    Yup. Sep 5th works for me.
  27. satyajitmenon

    ATOT ESPN Fantasy Football Auction PPR League 2016

    I haven't been paying attention this offseason at all. Learn me something ATOTFFL. Do the Jets still plan to go quarterback by committee? Is Joe Flacco an elite quarterback yet? Is Tim Tebow making a comeback? Will the Jacksonville Jaguars finally move to London this year?
  28. satyajitmenon

    Official 2016 Formula 1 Thread!!

    I understand the spirit of the rule, although the way it's written is too ambiguous. Maybe they should re-write it to specify that the pit cannot give the driver information on competitors (or even team mates) tire strategy & relative position. But everything else (including which engine mode...
  29. satyajitmenon

    Tesla driver killed in auto-pilot collision

    Had a hard time visualizing what happened, till I saw this.
  30. satyajitmenon

    Anyone here do AutoX?

    Yeah. If it's just to get some seat time, it becomes hard to justify standing around for 2 hours (or chasing cones) just for a handful of sub-60 second runs. Although hopefully you're getting more than just 3 runs. I know in my club, we consistently get a minimum of 5 (often 6) runs. Most...
  31. satyajitmenon

    Anyone here do AutoX?

    Gratuitous self promotion. Video from last week's autocross. Local hot-shoe on the left, me on the right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9dQyB-q9no
  32. satyajitmenon

    Anyone here do AutoX?

    My first Auto-X car was a '95 M-edition Miata. Had FM's Stage 2 suspension package and TR wheels with ZIIs. Was lots of fun in STR, but not very competitive (noob driver plus not the most competitive package in STR). Switched to an E46 330i with koni yellows running in FS. Again, not very...
  33. satyajitmenon

    Anyone here do AutoX?

    I think some of these guys do... ;) http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2466464 What car do you AutoX?
  34. satyajitmenon

    Anyone here into autocross?

    As long as you're having fun, and improving each time, that's all that matters. Once you go down the road of trying to be competitive in any of the classes (even the stock/street ones), your wallet will get much lighter very quick. For S&Gs, here's one of my runs from last year...
  35. satyajitmenon

    Anyone here into autocross?

    What car is that? Here's mine from a few weeks ago. Best heard with headphones. [emoji3] https://youtu.be/Do1fKvEdh7Q
  36. satyajitmenon

    Official 2016 Formula 1 Thread!!

    Hmm... http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-could-swap-verstappen-kvyat-as-early-as-spanish-gp-733475/
  37. satyajitmenon

    2010 Subaru STI Hatch

    That's what I'd do. Actually, that's exactly what I did 3 months ago. :biggrin: