There are a lot of neat places to explore by driving around Alberta. And although most people think to go touring in the summer, technically there are more surfaces that will hold vehicles during the winter. All that is required is a vehicle that you don’t mind going off the road with.
This was on a lake not West of Calgary. And a surface not smooth. And on suspension not high enough for my Canadian Tire “racing jack” to fit under the car. Causing me to high center myself before I had finished my morning coffee.
The ‘goofy luggage rack’ that is still waiting to be filled with wild game is the most outwardly noticeable indication that this car has transferred ownership. But in my mind, the most absolute indication that I own this car now instead of Q is the fact that I have turned down the performance by raising the ride height.
The Ohlins were sweet on the cone-courses last summer, but they were not OK for winter driving conditions, regardless of road. And since I go off pavement and off grade altogether, I need something all-purpose.
A used set of Version 7 JDM STi shock&spring combo fits the bill and easily fits the wallet. Days spent on lakes and logging roads has left me satisfied and impressed, respectively. On the ice [where limits are routinely pushed] tire pressure still makes the biggest difference. On the backroads [where limits are intentionally not approached] humps, lumps and severely cambered corners are all handled with authority.
Which reminds me: When people ask what suspension the car has, the simplest answer is “just STi struts” – but that is also misleading. Because the tune is what makes the difference. Control arms, camber bolts, sway bars, polyurethane bushings…. each component only amounts to marginal change on their own – but packaged together they produce a recipe as enjoyable as boxed brownies [very].
It still feels like the WRX is Q’s car, and I am just doing my thing with it. Not sure what will have to happen before it feels like it is my car. Maybe it never will.
I like the addition of QR Annexe. Full paragraphs with complete sentences are nice.
lol, thanks R
Hopefully no one will notice that I have fragments all over the place starting with And & But.
lol… thanks… i laughed out loud… maybe even snorted a bit… on a crowed airplane… when reading…
I didn’t! Just got caught up in the reading. Mid length posts are cool. Long ones even better.
Q used to write long
But now they’re all kind of short
Poetic indeed