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Old 02-10-2012, 11:08 PM   #2
CamaroFS34
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 6850
Join Date: May 2001
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: SoBWI, MD
Vehicle:
1996 Camaro Z28 1LE,
'06 IAG WRX & '19 XV

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Okay, okay, I'll try this again from the autocross side.



My name's Karen, and while I do tend to like driving my torque-monster Camaros (yes, I own two of them), I compete in National level SCCA autocross with my E Street Prepared 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX.

I bought the car almost 4 years ago after having driving Justin Rest's 2006 in DSL during the 2007 season and winning a National Championship. After looking at Mazdaspeed 3s, and considering doing something with my beloved '96 Z28 1LE, I found this car languishing at an Essex area dealership, unloved due to its massive stereo system and flamboyant paint job.



The stereo system was pretty much immediately removed, but the paint job remains, contributing to the nickname "phoenix." Justin and I prepped it for DS, and after interviewing Gabe Dunn via two Capitals playoff games, I was competing Nationally in my own car again. We did the DC ProSolo, the Atlanta DoubleCross and the Wendover ProSolo that year, and Gabe made his first (and so far only) trip to Nationals with my car. He didn't fair so well, but James Feinberg won the DS ProSolo Championship with my car (and boy, the stories that came of that), and I won the L1 ProSolo Championship. I finished second in the Ladies Challenge (oddly enough, thanks to the rain; otherwise, I may have won after my finishes at Atlanta and DC), and second in DSL at the National Championships.

I faced a dilemma then. Subaru was no longer offering even the ProSolo contingency. It was no longer "worth it" to run the car in stock class, and as much of a pushy pig it was in stock trim, when the opportunity came up to convert it to ESP, I jumped.



I dropped the car and a copy of the Street Prepared rules off at IAG and told them what I wanted. The car was... meh in early 2009, and I quickly realized I wasn't going to be able to skimp on diffs, so I had front and rears installed just before the 2009 Nationals. I managed to win ESPL there despite issues with the front diff's fitment, and I returned in 2010 to finish just a tick out of the trophies in ESP open class.

In 2011, I found out a mere three weeks before Nationals that I could make it. This was just after returning from one of the most incredible roadtrips I've ever had -- to the Packwood ProSolo and Mt. St. Helens. My Summer of Awesome finished with me earning my first ever open class National Champions trophy in ESP open. It was merely 7th, but it meant the world to me. For the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to the upcoming autocross season, and I have a new codriver -- Heyward Wagner -- to push me.



What's been done to the car? If you're asking that, I guess you haven't seen my ongoing build thread in the Motorsports area. But, seriously, this is it, with the things being installed in the next week (literally) in red.

Engine :
COBB V2 AccessPORT / Pro Tuned by Jorge Carrillo
Invidia G200 Catback Exhaust with Kartboy PINK exhaust hangers
COBB cold air intake
STi TMIC
APS Catted Down Pipe
Cusco Turbo Heat Shield
COBB Uppipe
Kartboy oil filler cap
Killer B oil pickup
IAG TGV delete
Perrin equal length headers


Driveline :
ACT Heavy-Duty Clutch & Streetlite Flywheel
MFactory Helical Front Differential
'02/'03 front axles and axle stubs
Cusco Type RS 1.5 Way Rear Differential
MODE Racing double adjustable short shifter
TurnInConcepts shift lever bushings
Kartboy shifter bushings (front and rear)
Kartboy Delrin shift knob
Kartboy rear differential outrigger bushings (hard black)
Kartboy transmission cross member bushings
Whiteline steering rack bushings
TurnInConcepts rear differential mount bushings
TurnInConcepts lateral link bushings
Group N motor mounts and transmission mount
Kartboy pitchstop


Suspension :
Stock front sway bar with solid Kartboy endlinks
Whiteline 22mm rear sway bar with Kartboy endlinks
ZZYZX coilovers (w/ Koni 8611 inserts)
Swift 120 front springs (~650#) and Hypercoil rears (600#) w/ tenders
Custom Front Camber Plates and Cusco rears
TurnInConcepts rearward front control arm bushings
Whiteline forward front control arm bushings
TurnInConcepts forward and rear trailing arm bushings

Wheels & Tires :
18x9.5" Rota Torques/Grids
285/30ZR18 Hoosier A6 DOT Radials
ARP wheel studs

Brakes :
Ferodo Brake Pads (front and rear)
stainless steel brake lines

Interior :
Sparco Evo2 Plus driver seat
Sparco Evo passenger seat
Stri DSD 52mm smoke/white boost, oil pressure and EGT gauges

Exterior :
'05 WRX taillights
IAG Fender Rolling & Pulling
STi Rear Fender Flares
Custom Paint
Prosport Carbon Fiber Hood Dampers

There are a few other things on the table, but those in red are definitely being done, followed up, of course, by a re-tune to account for the headers and such.

And then I go to the first WDCR-SCCA event of the year for a shakedown session before the Maryland ProSolo in mid-April! Yikes!



I pride myself on taking care of my cars. My '96 Z28 1LE (the infamous "Green Terror") has nearly 419K miles on it, and I am nearly at 110K on the WRX right now. Having a codriver like Heyward this season will push me with the upkeep of the car as well as with my own driving.

2012 is going to be fun.

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Last edited by CamaroFS34; 02-10-2012 at 11:26 PM.
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