Re: DSP Info, Shawn Meze

["Chris Chemidlin" <spredhaus@hotmail.com>]

>
>>Shawn-
>>Have they givin you flack about your euro bumpers? I was gonna put a 
set 
>>of rabbit eurobumpers on the Jetta, but I know its not legal. What I 
>>would gain in lightness, I lose in inexperience, anyway!
>
>
>Chris - I would not put a set on intentionally, because if you DO get 
fast
>and beat people when it matters, you WILL catch hell about it.  I went 
to
>great lengths to put my battery in the back(probably a little more
>beneficial than a front e-bumper), and I'd not like getting beaten by a 
car
>with eurobumpers.  
>
>If that's what you have when you start, fine!  I would not suggest 
putting
>them on _knowing_ they're illegal, knowing that people see them as a 
fairly
>significant benefit.  It is not just the weight of the bumper that 
matters,
>it is where the weight reduction lies - taking 20# off the front end, 
WAY
>up front, is _really_ beneficial to front end grip.
>
>Someone beat me at a Tour or Pro or Nationals with eurobumpers?  Not 
for
>long.  Local event, eh, who cares.  Shawn showed up with his at a local
>event recently, I don't think anyone said a thing about them.  At some
>point, they do matter, and the "I have no experience/it makes up for 
the
>e-bumpers" or "my stereobox makes up for my cam" or "I take my backseat 
out
>because I have a rollbar, and it offsets the weight," well those 
arguments
>don't last long:).  IMHO, if people try - anyone tries to become an
>autocrosser, they can be good.  When people say to me "I don't have 
XYZ,
>therefore my (illegal part) should be OK," I think to myself "I don't 
have
>aftermarket fuel injection or a limited slip, therefore I should be 
able to
>take out my interior."  Never said it, but what's the difference?  The
>people my hypothetical guy are trying to beat have some mechanical
>advantage that he does not - wide wheels, camber plates, whatever.
>Locally, I hear this a bit, whether it is people who can't seem to beat 
the
>fastest DSP guys. a certain guy in CSP who thinks he should be allowed
>turbo boost adjustments(I wish I could rewrite the Solo2 rulebook, 
sorry:),
>or some of the not-so-speedy CP guys.  When they're justifying to me 
their
>illegal parts, I always get a chuckle thinking about what would happen 
if I
>were to say to them "geez, I don't have (all the things I need to do to 
my
>car), I can't beat Hoelscher.  It should'nt matter if I put a 2 liter 
in my
>car!"  Heh. 
>
>So, I would not recommend the eurobumpers.  I also would not recommend 
the
>"because I've not taken advantage of all the rules, I should be able to
>cheat here" argument - it does not fly:).  Nothing personal, it is 
early,
>no coffee, but I had to reply to this!  If you _are_ illegal somewhere, 
and
>someone asks you about it, don't lie, don't make up excuses, just say,
>"yeah, I gotta change that......."  Most will be ok with this, unless
>you're beating them!  Good luck!
>
>
>I.Mannix
>


I understand COMPLETELY! I did make up a lame excuse, and I don't 
condone breaking the rules. I simply wanted to put the eruobumpers on 
the Jetta, cause the stock ones are SO ugly. I do have a set of GTI 
bumpers that have no plastic trim on them, that *might* be legal- per 
that backdate rule. If it meant switching the bumpers the night before 
the event, so be it. The car will be in daily driver mode most of the 
time, and I don't get to autox 3 times a month like the other guys round 
here because of the showbug's shows.  
To summarize...I'm a lazy bastard, and I wanted to see what I could 'get 
away with!

PS- I picked up a book at a local Booktrader shop called- the secerets 
of solo autocross (or something similar). It's a GIANT help! Great book! 



                       CHRIS CHEMIDLIN

          NEW MUSIC!         http://www.spredhaus.com

          58 Type1 Ragtop, 84 Jetta GLi, 87 Foxwagen


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