DOT.MATRIX (RIP)

The old DOT.MATRIX was commandeered for the FX32. This, the second DOT.MATRIX, was destroyed by a hit/run while parked on the street. It continued to serve until the registration expired.


I received this car in exchange for delivering a huge, mid-century Marlin V8 engine from Coalville Utah to Boise Idaho. The engine sounded like a brick in a dryer. Interior could only be improved by spilling more paint in it. It was eventually assembled it into a cheap, comfortable, fun, reliable daily driver SUV.

• About 250K on the car.
• It received a nice 110K blue top 4AGE engine transplant.
• Interior restoration.

All parts were salvaged. DOT.MATRIX 3.0 project is in progress.

Miscellaneous Debris

Much going on lately. Here’s a run-down:

Joe, Bow, and Randall ran the Snowspeeder at the debut race of The Ridge. They had a blast, worked through a few issues, and placed 15 of 45.

We’re prepping the MRolla for the September Thunderhill race. Other than checking compression and fluids, no maintenance, much less upgrades, have been done to the front engine. The water pump held on through the Denver race but was dribbling, so this weekend Paul and Will got to work on that. When they opened the covers they discovered that the timing belt was far gone. Very lucky this didn’t fail on track. I’ve never seen one so worn and still functioning.

We often find ourselves struggling to get the main pulley nut off our 4AGE engines. This time we fabricated a tool allowing us to hold the pulley and still torque the nut off with a breaker. It was handy this weekend and should be in the future.

While Paul and Will did the water pump and timing belt, I started rigging a new manual kick-down control for the rear automatic transmission. I used a bike brake lever and cable, and shortened the shift lever in the process. What you see is the manual shift lever for the front engine’s manual transmission, that also has a grip lever that will control the shift RPM of the rear automatic transmission. It will shift at about 5300 RPM when the lever is released, and at about 6500 RPM when the lever is activated. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but we are optimistic this will improve our climbing and low speed corner exits significantly. Our secret (but published on our Farcebook page) weapon!

In non-racing news, I’m getting a new garage. In the last two weeks my old shack has been demolished and removed, concrete pumped, building and roof erected, and electrical installed. Some roofing, hanging the doors, and parking concrete will complete the project. This will allow me to house the “nice” car, as well as a project car, and a bunch of bikes. The additional concrete will be used for additional parking and parts car storage.

Knowing an increase in capacity is forthcoming, I have already obtained enough vehicles to surpass the additional space. I picked up a rusty but straight Corolla FX which is wimpy, carbureted, with disposable brakes and suspension, but has some body and interior parts that will be useful. Then in exchange for deliver of a giant old V8, an AE82.net fellow gave me an FX16 GTS, which looks like a good candidate to receive all the best parts from the three hatches.

Ta-da!

Finally got the Volks mounted.

Progress On Street Cars

I bought some wheels I shouldn't have. 

Volk Racing wheels are highly sought Japanese wheels known for their strength, light weight, and quality manufacturing. New Volks are expensive to import and demand draws premium prices for them used. Several companies make replicas but they just don’t meet the standard set by authentic Volks.

The Volk TE37 is a nearly iconic wheel. The simple six spoke design is elegant and bold. It is a favorite wheel at the track.

The TE37 Cup edition was only produced for a few years. Its spoke surface has a unique, almost spherical, dish shape that is quite distinct. Once I saw photos of the Cups I felt they would be the best looking wheel for an AW11 MR2.

I started obsessing over these limited, rare, highly engineered, and great looking wheels. I regretted letting a few used sets get away from me, but then I found a competitively price set that had never been mounted. A couple weeks later UPS dropped a new set of Volk Racing TE37 Cups at my door. The dimensions are 15 by 7 inch, 43mm offset, 4x100 hole pattern, silver finish with a machined rim. On the scale they were a bit heavier than I expected, 12.4 pounds, but I’m still thrilled.

I haven’t bought tires yet, but was excited to see how they looked so I photoshopped them onto my street car.

Ray's Engineering Volk TE37 Cup Edition, 15x7".
The photochop job is amateur.

I’m a little embarrassed that I spent what I did for these, but have no remorse. I think people spend some silly money on wheels of questionable performance or aesthetic value, but these are undeniably great for all purposes. A bit excessive but I love them.  

In other news, the DOT.MATRIX is all blue now. Some graphics will complete this paint job soon. The rattle can finish is a little uneven in places, but what the hell. It's a beater. I spent a couple days driving it around with no driver's door or front fender. People seemed to love seeing that on the street and I got cat-calls and thumbs up everywhere I went. It was fun, but ultimately terrifying to be that exposed in traffic. 

The DOT.MATRIX

(Update 1-2013: This car has is now the primary donor for the FX32 twin engine hatchback. It has be replaced by this DOT.MATRIX)

Behold: The DOT.MATRIX

I've never named a car. I've given a few cars titles, like the race cars here, but to me cars are inanimate devices that I don't talk to or presume hear when I call them by name. It seems a little childish to me, to have that sort of sentiment for an emotionless device. That doesn't mean I don't love cars and recognize their distinct characters. They are not pets, but favorite toys.

A reference to distinguish cars is both fun and useful though. I can't just say "my car" or even "my MR2" and expect people to know which of my cars I'm talking about.

I also think it's time to expand the scope of this blog beyond the race cars, to the street cars we frequently refer to anyway.

So I now dub my FX16 the "DOT.MATRIX". It's a partial reference to the Toyota Matrix, the successor to the FX, but more of a reference to a more primitive technological era when boxy small Japanese import cars and whining, slow printers were an exciting novelty.

So this is the reference page for the DOT.MATRIX:

• 1987 Toyota Corolla FX16. 
• It has a few GTS cosmetic bits.
• It has over 230000 miles on the odometer, but no guarantee that the gauge is original.
• It has a fairly happy blue top 4AGE. I suspect a slightly tuned rebuild, but don't know the history.
• It cost me $160.

Plans for the DOT.MATRIX include:

• Small port 4AGE swap.
• Rustoleum rattle-can paint job.
• Wheels.
• Some type of headlight conversion.
• Low budget stereo.
• Bumper testicles?

DOT.MATRIX

Found a great deal on some Rota Slipstreams in 15x6.5". They're pristine. I feel a little guilty putting them on a junker like the FX or trashing them on the track. But what can I do. The price says these are for flogging.

Had some warm weather over the holidays and I got in a little work prepping the FX for paint.

My god, it looks better already!

More Blue 2

For Thanksgiving I had planned to truck down to Southern Utah and do some mt biking. The weather forecast was perfect, clear, mid-sixties, and I've been itching to ride, but the new blue MR2 was demanding to be driven. I ended up in Zion National Park for the blue 2's 100,000 mile birthday. Here are a few pics from the trip:

New Blue Two

You know it's a good weekend when it ends with this in your driveway.

Not many pics yet but I picked this MR2 up yesterday. 99600 miles. Rust free. Always garaged. Never wrecked or even lightly dented. Interior looks new. The experienced eye will notice the original decals are missing. The previous owner's spouse accidentally "waxed" it with buffing compound so it has a second coat of paint. Driving it from Pocatello Idaho to Salt Lake was a joy (except the few miles of ice over a pass near the state line). The ride is smooth, straight, and perfectly firm.

I bought it from the original owner who literally was trying to hide tears as I pulled away. He loved this car. Said it was "the only car I ever bought because I wanted it". His was the best example of what kind of relationship we can have with a car and I intend to honor that.

I’d been discussing purchase with the owner since I sold my 89 Supercharged to my brother over a year ago. He had it listed on MR2OC asking $4000, but he didn’t have a very effective ad or photos. I made him an offer then that he declined, but we stayed in touch. Last week he let me know he intended to trade it in new car purchase. He had previously tried to give it to his father who became unable to drive, and offered it to nieces and nephews who didn’t seem to understand the appeal of an MR2 in this era and region where an AWD turbo Subaru or Audi is so much more powerful and practical. Pocatello in November is not a good MR2 seller’s market. I offered all the cash I could put together on short notice, more than I should have been spending on a third street vehicle, but an outrageous low-ball at $1800. I expected him to decline again, but I think he sensed I’d appreciate and care for it so he accepted.

This is the nicest MR2 I’ve ever been in and my good fortune to own it is surreal. It’s the one I’ve been waiting for. I may cycle through some other track and project cars, but this is the MR2 I’ll own and drive until they make me quite driving.

F X 1 6 G T S !

Hideous isn't it? I love it.

Since selling my MR2 to my brother I've been in need of a new street car, and I've been obsessing over the Corolla FX16 even longer. My first car when I left the family hand-me-downs behind was an 87 FX16 GTS. It turns out these cars are much more difficult to find than MR2s.

Today I got a $500 runner. There are things a that $500 buys you in a car that $10000 doesn't: I don't care if my dog Lego get's hair in it. I can spray paint it. When I get water in the distributor by spraying the 5mm cake of oil and dust off the engine and kill it, I can reach through the hole where a speaker should be, press the clutch start button, and drive the car up my driveway using the starter motor.

Missing My Street Car

Somehow my brother James convinced his wife that he should get an MR2. And somehow I decided to sell him my '89 Supercharged. It deserved to be kept nice. I don't like worrying about keeping cars nice. It went to a good home and now I'm free to start a new project that I can scratch and dent. But I miss it. Is it normal to check the classifieds 5 times a day for an AW11?

In other news, MRolla has been in storage while Paul has been prepping the stick figure car for Sear Pointless this weekend. I helped a bit and have some great photos, but they like to unveil at the track.

I'll be racing with Joe, Bow, and the Snowspeeder. I only have a couple more days before the race so I better go bitch at Joe more about the cage situation.