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VAG Guys Tail of the Dragon Rally 2014

74K views 648 replies 24 participants last post by  TheColoradoRed 
#1 · (Edited)
Real time view of Dragon entrance (if timestamp is old, refresh your browser)



Link to countdown timer



Confirmed Friday, October 3rd through Sunday, October 5th 2014 in Robbinsville, NC







Dinner Friday and Saturday, breakfast Saturday and Sunday. Accommodations Friday and Saturday night in Robbinsville, NC at rented house with garage game room.

Play at the Tail Saturday and Sunday mornings, other area circuits for balance of Saturday. Drive in from Asheville rendez-vous over highest point on Blue Ridge Parkway (6,000 ft) Friday afternoon.

Figure $200 for pillow, grub and 10 hi-res photos from the professional Tail photographers (we can pool our orders to get super discount.) Pitch in for beer and snacks. Bring cash for lunches and drinks on the road. Whatever you will need for fuel, YMMV.

Anyone interested?


2014 Slayers:
  1. Keith (keithwbloom) — Deposit Received
  2. James (R36Dreams) — Deposit Received
  3. Jay (JaytheSnork) — Deposit Received
  4. Aaron (TheColoradoRed) — Deposit Received
  5. Steve (in Chicago) — Deposit Received
  6. Matt (99blackmagic) — Deposit Received
  7. Emil (gpassat03) — Deposit Received
  8. John (DerhsLacidar) — Deposit Received
  9. Dan (VAGGuy) — Deposit Received
  10. ?


Our numbers have swelled to more than 8, so I have moved our reservation to The Ridge, the larger property with the detached 30x50 garage game room, that easily sleeps 10+ (this is the property James and I stayed in Saturday night.) Though it is not as nice, it is still clean, dry and comfortable. There is easily parking at The Ridge for a dozen cars. It is fenced and gated. Think compound.

A link to The Ridge.

318/11
 
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#303 ·
Annnnnnnddd.... The seller sent me the tracking number for my Eibach Pro Springs this morning :thumbup:

New things on list of things to do:
- Change out springs
- Trim stock bump stops down by at least 1.3-1.5"
- Change out other upper control arms with some FCP Euro replacements
- Get an alignment after the drop
- 240k mile oil change! Wooooowweeee
- Find the loose whatever that is causing a clunk noise when the wheel is turned lock to lock. Subtle, but a new noise is never fun :banghead: It's not even recurring or consistent, just happens every once in a while after the 17s went on.

I'm excited! I need to start doing a little bit of reading about everything, but have had my head deep in the joys of a final year of a Mechanical Engineering degree (like senior design project and such.) Hard to think it's the last year, but definitely am trying to live it up a bit.

Barring any assignments being due that Friday morning, I should be able to meet up with y'all on your way through Roanoke since I'm only 30-45 minutes away in Blacksburg/Christiansburg area. OR if you're passing through the area, then I'll just meet up along that route.
 
#305 ·
Awesome article. I doubt my little WRX will be all that impressive. Probably won't have melting tires from drifting around corners in my giant 275/315 tires, certainly not making 10 minute times. But I am looking forward to seeing what my car can do in it's stock form. And if we keep this an annual trip, I can see how my performance and handling mods help my experience around this beast.
 
#308 ·
I have 2 motorola FRS rechargable radios if anybody needs a spare.
 
#310 ·
I will PM everyone with house location information. I plotted it out on Google Maps so I have a physical address.

For everyone else, here is an adventure map to peruse of just the "neighborhood". Robbinsville, NC is lower right corner, compound is star 10 miles WNW of Robbinsville, Tail is star 25 miles NNW of Robbinsville. :thumbup:



And a link to a larger resolution version. :wrench:
 
#314 ·
Those are monumentally difficult to get without room for a breaker bar. Over-under on skinned knuckles is 3. No limit on profanities uttered. Good luck!
 
#315 ·
the hex heads that are used for the carrier bolts were frozen solid, even with heat and PB Blaster (multiple applications of each). I had to cut the rotor so I could remove it without removing the carrier (hurray for pneumatic cutting wheels); then, I drilled out the bolts to get the carriers off (carriers are iron/steel, bolts are aluminum, so they drilled out easily). ran by the local hardware store to get replacement bolts (bought stainless grade 10s as replacements). we had company over for dinner, so I had to stop prematurely. car is sitting outside on jackstands, and will be finished tomorrow. I sent pix to Keith, so he can post 'em up if he wants.
 
#319 ·
I have 3 spare three spoke steering wheels I can bring if anyone wants to try them on for trip:

Mk4 R32, B5 S-line converted to MFSW, OE B7 S4 from Cabrio

:wrench:
 
#321 ·
I was trying to figure out why things weren't lining up correctly when I started installing the left rear caliper. FCP sent me two right rear calipers. yes, there were two different part numbers on the boxes - the wrong part was in what should have been the correct box. I called Advance Auto and Auto Zone (only places open locally on a Sunday), and neither have a caliper in their stores - they'd have to order it.
just friggin' great. F.M.L.
 
#322 · (Edited)
Horse trading nail biter weekend complete.

Through the week, I had been working the deal for the S5 Ti-rotor 19x8.5s with tires from a seller in NJ. I came to a deal and a promise to buy on Wednesday, when I also had a counter deal for the sale of my RH AD Cups in the hopper.

Then the buyer for the RH had to think about it. And the seller for the S5 wheels wouldn't send me Paypal info to send deposit money. Wouldn't return my texts. Had Paypal primed and ready.

Then a buyer popped up for PSS9s which he wanted to pick up this weekend. They were still on the Passat when I got him to meet my asking price by throwing the A6 strut tower bar in the deal. Thankfully, he couldn't pick them up until Sunday. So I had 48 hours to get them off of Betty.

So late Friday, S5 wheel guy finally answered my texts by calling me and saying he had a local guy offering full price but he would honor our deal. I sent him my deposit while he was still on the phone. Then I confirmed with Emil that he could grab them on the way back from CT. Deal on for S5s again.

Saturday, I spent the afternoon getting the PSS9s off the B5.5. I texted buyer to let him know they were boxed and ready. Then I got a number of cryptic texts about how I had advertised them for Audi A6 and he wanted to make sure they were for a Passat. I assured him again and he said he would indeed be picking them up Sunday night.

So then Sunday night rolls around, and Emil messages me he will be in NJ for inspection and pickup early. Cool, except PSS9 monies were still to be loaded in Paypal account. Horse trading out of sync. Eeek!

PSS9 buyer then pushes his pickup time back an hour. Emil says the wheels look great, and the tires are nearly new. Balance Paypaled to seller. Emil loads wheels and tires into his wagon.

I eat dinner nervously replaying conversation in my head from Polidori yesterday about how so many Vortex buyers have stood him up and left him still holding the bag. Dinner was spicy chili. Not settling well.

Then phone rings. It's PSS9 buyer. He's outside. Yee hah!

Cash in hand for half, Paypal on the spot for balance. Done.

Sold Bilstein PSS9s, A6 strut bar, and pair of H&R DRA 20mm spacers for $1,000.

Bought 4 - OE Audi by Ronal 19x8.5 Ti-Rotors with 2 - Continental SportContact3 255/35ZR19s with nearly full tread depth remaining. Wheels themselves in excellent condition, no rash, no bends. Two other tires on third and fourth wheels were mismatched 245s. $1,350. I ended up giving the seller another hundred for honoring the deal and because the wheels were in unexpectedly excellent condition and the two CS3s were nearly new.

Net +/- for the weekend: -$350.

But two of the big ticket items for the S4 are now paid for and on my bench or on their way. Supercharger bought and on deck. Wheels and tires, check.

Still have RHs, Cup IIs and an assortment of other a Passat bits to part out. RNS Navi G. Steering wheels. LED fog grilles. Votex roof rack. Polished and clear coated B5.5 projector headlights. And a new production run of SnunkBars is building.

Last to collect a war chest for?

PSS9s.

Horse trading isn't done yet.

:wrench:
 
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#325 ·
99blackmagic said:
Hi Keith, I was looking to see and didn't find it yet. How much will be expected of us, to settle up and when do you want it? I'll take a rough guesstimate, I just want to know what to bank on to cover your expenses.

Also, I was thinking about getting some bottled water to take down for the group (sam's club has the 32x 16oz bottle for about $4). Does anyone want to step up and attempt to take food for the group? Waffles & eggs? How will that work? Do we assume we'll eat out entirely? I wouldn't mind bringing a pallet of eggs my stellar waffle iron and a bag of mix & syrup if we thought that would save money for the troops.

Feeding aside, I was more thinking about the balance we'll owe you.

Matt
James, Matt et al —

I am not planning on collecting any more from anyone, we have covered our lodging nut with deposits ($483 cost, $500 collected).

We can cook at the house, it has a good kitchen with lots of room and service ware. A gas grill is also provided. I figure we will collect at lunch on Friday for dinner and a few of us can get dinner fixings at the Robbinsville supermarket (Food Lion I think) for Friday night and Saturday morning. Repeat process for Saturday night and Sunday morning at lunch Saturday.

Matt, thank you for your suggestion and offer of bringing water and foodstuffs, however I am somewhat against porting food because it is locally available at a very good grocery. We do need to port in beer because Robbinsville is in a dry county. We can consume there, but we just cannot purchase.

If you want to be a waffle chef either morning, you are welcome to, but I am thinking at least Saturday we may be getting up with the sun to hit the tail as early as possible before traffic builds. I would be fine with coffee and bagels/muffins/cold cereals Saturday and then have a hot lunch or brunch at 11ish when Tail traffic becomes "unfun" to negotiate.

I may still have some swag made for us (I am a professional graphic designer after all) so I would ask that everyone PM their t-shirt size and quantity by this Friday. Assume tees will be <$15 each, so order accordingly. Design to be unveiled at Roanoke lunch. Will also need from everyone the year, make and model of their Tail whip, and also first and last name if not already supplied on contact list.

:wrench:
 
#326 · (Edited)
BTW, 17 days, 21 hours and 58 minutes.

And I am totally digging that this thread has over 25,000 views and it is less than a year old. We deserve a cut of AutoGuide's ad revenue as partial sponsorship for our antics. ;)
 
#331 ·
So you'll be installing and sorting tonight? Rope that guy in for an extra set of hands. ;)

I like FCP. Their website how-tos are very informative and easy to understand. I bought most of my timing belt service parts from them. Wish they had better brake rotor and pad selections, I would have preferred to give them business over ECS (yeah, I still have an axe to grind with the Wadsworth clan).
 
#332 ·
Timing of this trip has more than once (though not for several months) been called into question because it falls one week after H2Oi. Not being an H2Oi devotee, I offered that this is a driving weekend, not a showcasing see and be seen scene. It has been suggested why not earlier or later. I countered that later is crazy because of color tourists, seeking Smoky Mountain fall foliage panoramas. Earlier is too hot for cool nights.

This morning I was reminded why this time is so magical for drivers. It was cool. Not cold. It was crisp. Not damp. And it was bright and sunny.

Dry pavement. Cool air. Packed compression strokes. You can feel it when your engine gobbles up those dense buckets of atmosphere, chews them up and spits them out with gusto as added torques and HPs scooting your backside down more road in less ticks of the clock than during the waning gasps of an Indian summer or the early embraces of a chilling winter.

Early October at elevation in western NC/eastern TN and northern GA is going to be glorious. Your whips are going to have a field day. Your smiles will be immeasurable. You will immediately crave your next fix.

You have been justly warned. Dragon slaying is addictive.
 
#334 ·
Bit of bad news y'all... Unfortunately, I neglected to document the date of a really good friend's wedding that happens to be occurring on the 5th of October. I never really start making a calender/schedule until school starts (hence my misstep.)This trip sounds incredible, and a great opportunity to put some names to faces. In fact, it would be the first "meet/gathering" I'd have done. But, I can't miss this one-time event for my friend. If by some stroke of madness I feel like making the 5 hour trip down to Robinsville Friday, do a few quick runs in the morning, and bum rush back to the evening time wedding, I'll post back and let y'all know.

Keith you can keep the deposit and put it towards the trip. I'll have to take a trip down there sometime and check it out at some point before I graduate from school. If this becomes a yearly trip, I'll most certainly make it down next year.

Gentlemen, you are responsible for posting an egregious amount of pictures that I can show my friend so that he can regret not rescheduling his wedding for this trip. :thumbup:
 
#335 ·
Gentlemen, you are responsible for posting an egregious amount of pictures that I can show my friend so that he can regret not rescheduling his wedding for this trip. :thumbup:
Bummer Tanner. Join us for lunch Friday. We won't kidnap you. ;)
 
#336 ·
I finally got around to swapping out my spark plugs today because it was just a fine day for a little shade tree wrenching. :wrench:


I pulled the NGK R BKR6EQUAs the PO had put in there an undetermined number of miles ago, and swapped in Bosch Platinum +4 4417 FGR7DQPs.


Here are closeups of the plugs I pulled. What story do you think they tell, if any at all, especially the one from #6?


Typical of most:




#6:




:icon_eek:
 
#341 · (Edited)
It is probably wishful thinking, but it feels like there is a change in the pull after swapping the plugs. I am most interested in the possible effect on fuel efficiency. I have been getting a mediocre 16.5 combined mpg, which I thought was because I am still slightly lead-footed and drive around topless 90% of the time.

Stay tuned.

:driving:
 
#339 ·
the first two pix didn't look too bad, but the others...

ok, brakes are bled. I had no idea how much air there was in the brake lines, but I figured the fronts were ok - boy, was I ever wrong. I couldn't believe how much air came out of the fronts. oh, and the VCDS brake bleeding procedures aren't required for my car, and the brake bleed procedure is opposite our B5s - start at closest and finish at farthest.
 
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