Re: Stock rule's / was:HELLO AND THANKS

[Iain Mannix <mannix@privateI.com>]

>Iain Mannix wrote:
>
> but I finally
>> understood why people do get bent about steering wheels, timing belt
>> covers, etc.  Not advocation, just my interpretation.....
>
>Jim Buck responded....
>
>So I guess I'm history if we meet and you see my painted calipers.
>Space age thermoconductive paint, you know.  Comes in handy on those 30
>to 60 second runs.


Well, I guess I was not clear:).  Emoticons are silly, but really are
useful - I'm detecting a bit of bitter sarcasm(not saying _you_ are being
bitter and sarcastic, just what I am interpreting) in this response, so
I'll reply.  Had you included a smiley, I'd have figured you were kidding.

OK.  First, I'd not be irritated for the simple fact that I am in DSP.

Second, I'd not protest if I were in ES for three reasons -

1) Painting calipers is not performance enhancing & could probably fall
under C&C.  I've not seen a rule which disallows creative use of color.

2) Painting calipers, if anything, reduce performance due to heat
retention.  Small, but undeniable.  Chances are I'd not even acknowledge
the painted calipers, but if we're being honest, I'd probably have a good
internal chuckle about it, unless you painted them some hideous or
meaningful color, which I'd think funny.  For example, I have green strut
tubes.  Not any old green, but John Deere Tractor green - the guy who used
to do my alignments is a JD collector, I was looking for paint to do my
struts, keep them shiny, y'know, and I was thinking initially black, but
there it was, the paintcan with a tractor on the label, oh yes, John Deere
Racing Green.  Rad.  That's my take on painting stuff - uncensored truth, I
think painted calipers and the like with the intention of looking good are
silly - but that's my cynical, crotchety opinion, and I keep it to myself
most of the time.  If I paint something, it is black(undercarriage stuff),
unless I come up with something meaningful and humorous - JDR Green.  Just
me - there's a guy in Colorado with purple calipers on a beige Jetta - an
otherwise nice car has purple(violet?) calipers - hurl.  Do I tell him?
No, he's a nice guy with far more valuable things in common with me for me
to come down on him because I think his calipers are dumb looking.  He has
good taste in cars, I assume he is colorblind.

3) Protesting for something trivial is not my speed.  Also, my point
originally was to highlight _why_ some people get picky about seemingly
small things.  I'm not saying they are right - on the contrary, I find it
annoying when people do get whiny about stupid stuff like my air
intake(unless it is one certain local who is really fun to put into fits
with my newest almost illegal modification - I make them nearly illegal
just to ruffle his feathers, it is fun;), but my experience at Nationals
helped me understand why people do, and it helps me understand why some
people at the local level do get persnickety about silly stuff - in
reality, I am actually pretty lenient about illegal but irrelavent things.
I am often the one asked "what class" when a newcomer shows up, and I
typically ignore the cam/stupid Prepared stuff, let them run DSP(whatever)
as long as they know why it could become a problem.  For a while, we had an
85 GTI with a 92 2.0 16v car running in DSP - he was slowish, and that was
pushing it for me(he should have been in CSP, forgetting for a moment the
Schrick cams, triangulated rear stressbar, oversized brakes and Prepared
illegal wheels - by the book, it was a Mod car), but to give you an idea of
who _I_ am.  I understand _why_ some people are so bent on the rules, but
as far as _me_, I feel I am pretty forgiving.

No offense taken.  I was trying to express why some people do get so hung
up on stupid things like steering wheels - I would not have a problem with
it.  Some might, some might not.  Hope this helps you understand better
what I was trying to say, hopefully we will meet up someday!  I won't make
too much fun of your calipers, I promise;).


I.Mannix


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