Not lonely, and not hachiroku driver.
Yet, definitely, I will remain a 86 owner for at least a few more days.
Yoshiko seems about as torn as me… and I’ve been flooded with emails and advice from various friends (mostly Japanese). Canadian 86 owners are more than fed up with me, I’m sure.
I figure it’s the smart choice… trading my buzzy seasonal toy, for something I can comfortably cruise in year round. I’ll give you the low down on my new car soon enough… but it’s really not so hard to figure out.
First on my mind, was something I could enjoy year round. That means… something I could enjoy at a very moderate level of tune. Not low, stockish motor, full interior, some creature comforts, and a seat that moves so that my beautiful babe can drive it, or my eager roommate, who’s car I almost destroyed and I owe a few favors. Plain and simple… it has to be a real sports car. A car that can eat a moderate tune 86 for breakfast… in STOCK form. FC? FD? R32? Z32? All rear round?
I didn’t think it would have to be AWD… but my recent experiences have made me realize something missing from my driver profile: STONES. AWD technique takes massive ones. And doesn’t the rally style suit the atmosphere of Calgary so much better? No wannabe S13 and EG drivers chasing you around on your Saturday night drive home. Thousands of miles of gravel and dirt, and degraded asphault roads around. 3 months of full ice roads, and 3 months of the sickest shit anyone ever put a car through.
My new ride is going to have big fat red mud flaps that drag on the ground. And it’s going to have a full interior, a juicy turbocharged motor, and 2 LSD’s. What’s more… the magazines say it’ll run faster around the circuits than a normal R32 GTR.
I’m going to drive it everyday… and pray I never smash it up, because finding the parts to fix it will be about as easy as drifting it… given the tiny little pebbles my various hashirya experiences have reduced me too.
I did make some compromises.