ApeIron2012

iTrader: (1)

This wordy post actually has a point so please bear with me.

When I got out of university I took a job as a travelling sales rep. This was around ’06 or ’07. The company sends me all over the US and I drove rental cars everywhere. Back in those days I couldn’t care less about cars, I graduated with a geography degree, I was a tree hugger and I wasn’t supposed to like or even care about cars. However, one road trip made me change my perspective and made me pay attention to cars and the features car companies put into them versus what people want or need.

My company had me fly into Lewiston, Idaho for some errand and I was then to drive all the way to Eugene, Oregon for follow up tasks. When I was done with my errands in Lewiston, I took a rental car in Clarkston, Washington and because I had ludicrous mileage accumulated on my membership, the rental office bumped me up to the best premium sports car they got on the lot.

Sweet right? You bet. It has all the hallmark attribute of sport cars that I’ve been conditioned to like: aggressive styling, deep exhaust note, huge spoiler, huge stereo, leather and all that crap. Completely brand new, had only been driven for 70 miles. I distinctly remember the guy setting me up with the car telling me that it’s got all the latest in safety features, super high rating in crash tests and what have you. I wasn’t supposed to like cars but I had a grin from ear to ear behind the wheel. As I drove down the street, I felt as if everyone was checking me out and it made me feel good.

I had fun until the border between Washington and Oregon on route 129. The entire way there I was stuck behind this rusty Honda Civic or Geo Metro looking thing and I was thinking to myself, “Out of my way you slow poke.” Then it did. As the road start to get curvy and twisty, it took off and left me in the dust. I was way below the speed limit and was leading a train of cars. With every turn the car rolled and leaned uncomfortably. The tires squeaked and a good one third of the car goes into the opposite lane around every bend and there were many blind turns. The brakes stopped responding rather quickly. There were many scenic look out ledges but I was going too fast to be going into those without brakes since the other side of the guardrail is just cliff that goes straight down into nowhere. Behind me is a semi right on my tail. The front of the semi took up the entire rear-view mirror. It was so close I could see the dead bugs mashed up in its grills.

In retrospect, the semi is probably having as much of a hard time as me navigating those turns but at that precise moment, I felt as if it was out to get me. It feels like that scene out of the Indiana Jones movie where Indy is gunning it out of the temple with the giant boulder chasing after him. Slaloming down the mountain without brakes and with a semi inches from my rear bumper caused me to be religious real quick. I honestly thought that I was going to die. I prayed to just about every deity on Earth to look out for my sorry self that I don’t end up in a head on collision with incoming cars going around the bend.

I made it. I made it to flat land again. I pulled over to the side of the road and just zoned out. By the time I came to it was dark outside and my fists are still wrapped around the steering wheels. I had to manually check myself to make sure that I didn’t soil myself. I didn’t. I got out of the car and peed all over this “fine sport car.” When I get back to civilization, I looked up the car I drove: Bottom basement trim. Sure you’ve got the stereo and the leather but if you want better tire, better suspension, better brakes, get ready to pay extra. WHY!?!?!

Ever since then I’ve had a bone to pick with the auto industry and the way it does things. Sure, airbags are great and all but they are reactive safety devices. As a feature, it doesn’t do anything until you are in a wreck. Why can’t the auto industry make more proactive safety devices mandatory?

Technologies that proactively allow you to avoid accidents should really be made mandatory, or at least be as mandatory as the reactive safety devices. Why not give us devices to not get into a crash in the first place? Braided steel brake lines, upgraded calipers/pads/rotors, improved suspension and better stock tires? Why are these things luxuries while airbags are mandatory? It never made any sense to me. I appreciate airbags; don’t get me wrong, I don’t want them gone. However, there need to be parity.

Am I the crazy one for investing in an upgraded brake kit instead of more power?

Maybe I am a car noob and that I am not seeing the bigger picture?

Educate me.

As for me, I am currently on Eric’s BBK and I’ve already put the order down for Drew’s Bigger BK. Why?

BBKs work.

During last winter, I swapped back to the stock brake kit so I can use tiny winter wheels/tires. Lost quite a bit of unsprung weight but it was not worth it. When I swapped back to the stock set up, I couldn’t get used to it. I find myself having to brake harder and longer to get the same result as the BBK. I swapped back to Eric’s kit after like a week. Some people think I went with BBKs for cosmetics and to look good. Hardly. Eric’s BBK simply spoiled me. I have no idea why he quite production. However, because of it, I am back in the market for an alternative. I am just glad that Drew took up the cause. It's not like Mitsubishi is doing it or even making it an option for us.

I sincerely hope that I am not rubbing it in people’s faces as if I am flaunting excessive cash. I want to know what premium parts actually do for you. Are they worth it? When I trade in my Ralliart for my next car, should I pick BBK over premium stereo? My current car is an experiment. I learned more about cars with the Ralliart than I did my entire life. I personally wish every car come stock with the kind of drivability found in super cars. Leather, touch screen doohickies are luxury. Things like BBKs shouldn’t be.

I love my Evo X turbo swap. However, if I were to do it over again, I would definitely improve drivability over power first. That’s one lesson I’ve taken to heart.

Once I get the kit installed, I'll post some pictures and do more of a write up so stay tuned I guess.

dangina

thanks for sharing! its been on my wish list for some time now, still saving up

neogeo64

iTrader: (3)

Going from the stock setup to Stoptech ST-40 BBK (355mm rotors) I actually lost 3/4lbs each side in the total weight (calipers + rotors +pads) due to the rotors being 2-piece with aluminum hats.

If you can opt for lighter 2 piece rotors on the Drew kit there would be no negatives to upgrading.

Drew314

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the write up! Be sure to update after install.

This is absolutely true with the two piece rotors. For the price of the Stop-Tech kit, you can get my full 6 pot monoblock Brembo kit, Girodisc 2 piece rotors, and still have over $400 cash to spend on other goodies. And that would get you a kit that you could buy pads from any local parts store, with pad contact that is unparalleled. The stoptech ST-40 calipers use pads that have about the same pad contact area as the stock RA or Evo X. The 6 pot Brembos are about 50% larger than both. I recently had a customer who bought a kit do a track weekend, and he said that he barely used any pad after 130 race miles.