Finally took the car for a "real" drive on Sunday. I've driven it around town for a couple of miles but that's obviously not enough to judge it. I took it out in LA's finest foothills for a good test run through 20+ mi of tight twisties. Some first impressions:

* Car seems very easy to drive for having that much power. You don't really notice it until you punch it! I still have to get used to the clutch a little more though, especially first gear take-offs; just a different feel from my BMW.
* Pretty tall gearing; I noticed I hit about 75mph in 2nd!
* Everything seems in the perfect position (pedals, steering wheel, etc.). Did notice the steering wheel is not height adjustable; no big deal but clearance for your legs is limited when you get in.
* Suspension: feels pretty firm for still being stock. I was surprised it handled really well as-is! I didn't push it too hard since I'm still getting used to the car (and was also looking out for potential issues) but I don't think I was anywhere close to the limit; the sticky Pirelli P zero tires probably added to that feeling;
* Very comfortable; the seats seem to give support in all the right places. I'm sure I can drive this car for a couple of hours without complaints.

Small issues:
* Heard a metallic kind of noise on startup once. Not sure what it is yet. Related thread: https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...d-startup.html
* The ABS on the left front wheel seemed to be kicking in unexpectedly at one point. It didn't repeat again, so I'm not sure if it was just a fluke or I hit some sand?!

Both CV boots and the front diff have a tiny leak, so I'll probably have that fixed first before taking it out again. So far, I fully detailed the exterior and had the headlights restored (also has new front brakes and rotors). Car is bone stock. Anyway, on to the pics! Mid day lighting is far from ideal but you'll get the idea

 

I have to admit, I chuckled a little when you said it has tall gearing. I'm not even chipped (just have a LTW fly and exhaust) and I think first gear is almost unuseable it's so short.

You're right though - compared to my old M3, this is tall gearing. I think it's just short for supercar levels of power.

Great pics man!

 

Looks sweet. Im glad you had time to.get to know her. Dont feel too bad when I picked up mine I had to do a few routine maint things as well.

 

I agree, it most definitely doesn't feel like tall gearing; you only notice it when you look at how fast you're going . I had to pass a slow poke with only a short stretch of road; put it in 2nd gear and put my foot down and passed him in no time; almost reminds me of my bike! Poor guy probably didn't know what was happening LOL

 

Thanks! Still a stocker for now but it kind of gives it a classic look. I'll bring everything up to new condition first and take it from there. Maybe a first mod around Christmas but we'll see

 

nice !

 

You want a short first gear...buy a MK 1 Audi TT! That thing was a pain with a lot of power because first gear was gone so fast. But anyway, car looks great! Congrats on a nice car! How did you do the headlight restore?

 

Nice write up.. Congrats on the car.

Man, Cali looks dry.

 

Thanks!

I was planning on doing the headlight restoration myself but then checked the new price of headlights and decided to outsource it to someone. I used Innovative Detailing; I'll post some before and after pics when I have time. He spent about 2 hours on each light to get the old coating off and then applied an new one. It looks great!

 

Thanks! Yea, Socal is basically desert with most humidity being close to the coast line; it typically doesn't rain from May through Sep-Oct. Doesn't help that we had a dry winter on top of it; there will be some major fire risk this summer and fall.

Great climate if you like to ride a motorcycle though; I commute that way year round. It's fast and economical on top of it.

 

Looks great man! :-)

 

The gearing was very tall and took some getting used to compared with the Subaru STi I had before. I feel a bit conspicuous driving slower in town because in reality I shouldn't be shifting out of 1st until after 25 mph, so things stay pretty loud in the tight 15 mph traffic.

 

Great shots!

 

Thanks guys! Unless it turns into money pit for some reason, I'll keep this one around for many years to come

 

How did you have the headlights restored? Cost? My headlights are in pretty bad shape but I don't know if it's something that a local detailer can buff out or not.