SweetDaddyDelicious

Glazes always produce amazing results. I never found one that was very durable, but that isn't their intended purpose. More of a car show day thing.

I had my bagged bug for 6 years and never had problems (other that the terrible ride, jacking up a strut on a huge pothole in Chicago one time, the occasional slow leak, and needing to remember to disarm the system when parked for several days/weeks/months) but no valve problems. I don't remember what valves I had by Parker, but they were were definitely overkill and worked great, and I used the air ride quite a bit. I agree though, that air ride is not the best on a daily driver. Funny the car I daily drive now is lower stock than most lowered cars and more comprimise than most modified cars and I love every minute of it.

I love tail of the dragon. Try to make it up there a couple times a year. Just got back recently. Went from ATL to Birmingham with an annual meet of over 200 Lotus cars I had been on the planning committee of for over a year. It was a massive amount to organize. We had over 800 hotel room nights booked and had to arrange over $40K in catering to get our group rates on the rooms, fly in our speakers (some from England) and pay their fees, organize vendors, etc (which I also was one) arrange events and drives including 3 track events (autocross and skidpad, running on Talledega speedway, and a day at Barber Motorsports park and museum), banquets, etc. It was a massive amount of fun, worth every bit of the work. After the track day we left from there for a 5 hour drive to the dragon in a high speed caravan of awesome cars, ran that at night and the next day, and then returned 3 hours home to Atlanta. Well me and another guy did, other people that were with us returned to KY, IL, PN, etc and even one guy all the way back to San Diego in a car he just bought that was just hand built and driven up from Tampa to meet us in Birmingham. He had a 4000 mile trip home in a ridiculously awesome brand new Rossion Q1, and went out out the way to go up to Chicago from TN and then go across route 66 on the way back. We ran the dragon with an awesome group of cars. Mostly Lotus, but also a twin turbo Porsche from Chicago, the Rossion, and a couple others. Most of us were on R compound tires and several of the cars heavily modified. It was great as all the sport bikes would pull over and let us by, and am glad none of them put themselves off the mountain trying to catch up. Pictures of most of us are here: http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/993TTracy/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon%206-2-09/?start=40 As a side note, I did the graphics on the krypton Exige, my Orange Elise, and the black Exige with blue wheels matched to the stripes.

most kits come with cheap valves, definately scrap what you have and put on some Parkers. I used to have a set on a VW and never had any issues with them. They were for some kind of industrial application. They are fully rebuildible too, and easy to do should you ever need to. Moisture seperator will barely cost anything. Just put it in a spot where it's not hard to drain. You could probably get by for now with just lubing your valves if you have not tried that already. You can use air tool oil on them and should lube them every once in a while anyway. It really helps to set up your valves/fittings in easily accessable locations. I've seen more bad air bag installs than I've seen good ones.

Even well used, it's still pretty nice for a farm truck. One of my best friend's Dad bought a 2 year old lease turn in one time ridiculously cheap. The former lease holder was a steel company or something and was used in the yard. It was comically beat up. Forklift holes through the wheel wells in the bed. A peeled back door from backing into something with the door open. All 4 tires different. The bed all wompy from a wrecking ball rolling around in it. Half the foam torn out of the seat. And barley and unscratched or undented spot on the whole thing. It was amazing. It was mechanically good and low miles though and he got it cheeeeeeeep. It was so damaged the former owner had to pay the full amount anyway and they just wanted it off their lot. Anything they sold it for was profit anyway. Still has it actually. It's probably better than 12 years old now. Never fixed a thing on it, even though initially he said he was gonna get a new bed and door, paint it, etc.

The shirt is a little pricey. But once you wear it and need to wash it, it's $49.95 each time. lol. I love the F-cars. The looks the sound. A F430 Scuderia can make you straight drool. But I actually like to drive my cars. On the street and the track. I'm not trying to keep any miles off the Lotus and have nearly 50K on it already. That's why I got it. Even if I had the money I could not bare to shell out $10-12K plus for a routine service, and driving around getting 6 mpg. Yes even if I had the money. It would be the same story. I could afford to get the Lotus dealers $300 oil changes, but it's just so stupid to that I couldn't live with myself if I was that dumb so I do it myself, as well as anything else it's needed thus far- a few sets of brakes etc. And I'll do the clutch myself when it comes time for that as well. And lets face it, as uber cool as dripping with sex Italian cars are, there is something particulary unsexy if you actually had the balls to take it to the track only for a guy in his Lotus or Vette to remind you could of done the same time for $200K less. And that's just good a value that you can afford to drive and track and feel good about. (hell for that matter I've seen prepped Miatas with instructor level drivers embarass a schmo Viper owner or two that got too wrapped up in bench racing but not the practical application of it)

Eh who knows. Seems like they always have plenty of them on the showroom floor whenever I'm in there. And I guess the guy I know there has a sale job for some kind of reason. I'm not too worried about it. New, used, etc- they are all out of my price range. Heck the parts and service are out of my price range. Love the looks, but even if I had the money I wouldn't own one.

Nope. You can walk right in and buy one. They have plenty on the showroom floor. If you need a number to a salesman that can sell you one right now I'll be more than happy to give it to you.

Pretty neat photo.

My ex GF (and now landlord, lol) is in pet pharm. sales. I was talking to her on Monday and she was pretty disappointed that she had only sold $20K so far that day. On Friday she closed over $100K in sales. In a day. Is that crazy or what? She makes a couple bucks, the company treats her awesome. Sounds about the same as anyone I've ever known that has worked for a normal pharm. company as far as company cars, expense accounts, "training" vacations in exotic locations like hey good job- we're gonna take every one to Spain or the Mediterrian or wherever. Actually they probably get stuff approved easier and have less competition. It wouldn't surprise me if they are even MORE profitable. Her company makes the 2 best selling pet drugs in the country (and probably the world since they are actually a French company- and what country is gonna buy more pet crap than the US anyway?)

It's gotta be hard to keep up with all the Vette meets. We would of loved to see you at our once a year annual nationwide Lotus meet this year (LOG29). Ended up having a couple hundred of them there, which is a pretty good representation considering there are probably only a few thousand in the country. (most years production has only been in the hundreds and it was not uncommon before the Elise/Exige for dealers to sell single digits annually) (I was surprised to get no response to the e-mail inviting ya) You should name the next product "Vette Wax" lol.

Lol. I guess they expect the Lotus customers just to be glad they aren't the Lambo customers that get the $1,500 oil change. I've seen up to $400 for an "oil service" which includes things like vacuuming under the floor mats so the aluminum floor doesn't corrode, and filling the washer fluid (which they then charge and additional $4 per "unit"- a unit being a couple ounces, its like the size of the small bottle of 2 cycle oil mix that you add to a gallon of gas) But like I said, I do my own stuff and a local Dr. hosts tech days and lets us use his hoist to show other people how to do their own stuff too. But they will fire up the Lamborghini espresso machine and make you a cup of Italian coffee. lol.

My dealer has rented race tracks for us and even brought out a few Lambo's to let people drive on the track. If you stop in they make you an Espresso or give you dealer branded water and some fresh baked cookies. (they will charge you $300 for an oil change though ) (//I do my own)

Dropping it a foot or so and blacking out the lights will complete the look. Lexani makes tires?

:lol:I make sure no one is around when I get out the car products on the chrome faucets and the black appliances.