Phyrox

Well, I am not going to give a laundry list of my favorites, but I need to ask... WHERE ARE AEROSMITH AND THIN LIZZY ON YOUR LISTS?! I don't think I saw either listed yet...and for that I am ashamed to be a MWer.

Now this is going by memory..so some of it could be way off...Chevy got into the the then still new TA race series with thier 302cid Z-28...and what races on sunday sells on monday, And Pontiac was getting a bit jealious that thier own pony car wasn't selling (not to mention American Motors and the boys at Dodge were prepareing thier own entries)...problem was that they didn't have a competative engine to meet the max 305cid Trans Am raceing rule...thus the late start Poncho engineers came up with the 303cid, but it wasn't looking to promiseing. IIRC, Delorean (may he rest in peace) was still in charge at Pontiac then...they opted the Trans Am name, but didn't have a car yet...what we know as the 1970 model year firebirds were originaly suppost to appear in 1969...engineering was hard at work on them (Delorean had been trying to make a Pontiac firebird named sports car sense the 1950s...and Pontiac wasn't too happy about inheriting the Chevy developed Camero pony car design...so there was pressure from Pontiac to have much more say in how the 2ed generation developed)...However (IIRC) the plan for a 1969 Firebird T/A began to fall appart when there was a big workers strike...so the 2ed gen got pushed back (actualy didn't hit showrooms til february 1970...makeing them 70.5 models) and in the meantime the engine wizards were still trying to make the lil 303cid both competitive and reliable enough to be sell enough cars to be homologated into the T/A race series...but the engine wasn't up to snuff...and the rule makers of the T/A race series decided to drop the engine homologation requirement (still had to be a production car...just didn't have to have a engine under the 305cid cap)...so what we know as the 1969 Pontiac T/A was the result of that (it too was a mid model year car)...it was just sorta thrown together last minute like so Pontiac could race in the following season... The 303cid motor never really woked right, and Pontiac...under the graces of the T/A race committee...mostly ended up useing the Chevy 302cid engines in thier race cars. finally a response. thanks. I had no idea that the trans am race series effected the development of the car itself. I had heard about the engine incompatability, but that was it. Thanks for the info. THAT is what this thread should be about.

Okay, the DMC may be slow and unreliable, but let's not forget that DeLorean created the original Pontiac GTO (not the rebadged Holden Monaro). ...and the 2nd gen T/A. his work at Pontiac is his real legacy

Well, I am obviously as uninformed as everyone else here, but here is my thought. Out of curiousity I read the RT.com thread, and Steve said that he wasn't at liberty to say why they were shutting down so abruptly. I don't see how server problems fit the bill here, so it is either a real shut-down, or a rather lame joke. I don't see another option.

Sorry to see your 240 in that shape, of all the smaller RWD Japanese models, the S14 is by far my favorite. Hope to see it up and running again soon. I too just don't "get" drifting. I know what it's about and and what the point is, I just don't get the attraction. Like the car though.

Pic 4 can't see much for the shaker...which is functional, but doesn't actuall close anymore. With the new intake and carb it just needs more air, so the inards of the shaker were removed to keep it open all the time (it used to only open under full throttle).

Pic 3

Pic 2

I'm glad you all like the car. In all honesty, it looks cleaner in the photos than it does in real life. It has a dings and scratches that just don't show up in the photos. I am on vacation now, so I can't access a few of my pictures, but I can show you these: It is mostly stock. Only the intake, carb, air filter, and exhaust (orig. headers) are upgraded. Pic 1

Like this?

OK, so back to business. This is a question for those who really know their automotive history. So, I found this picture on a site devoted to 2nd Gen. firebird/Trans Ams...seems to be a scan out of a book. The caption boils down to: the 2nd gen was the first T/A ever designed, and that the '69 version was designed to be transitional. Could this also imply that the 2nd gen. was designed before the one-year-only '69 model? This would explain why the '69 is so unattractive, being designed to bridge the earlier 1st gens. and the 2nd gens, rather than for its own aesthetics. Interesting. I will take this opportunity to once again state my opinion that the '70-'73 T/As are the best looking of the American muscle cars. Not as visually burly as a Chevelle, nor as scary as a BOSS, but graceful and mean at the same time.

Just found my new wallpaper. Nothin' beats the Invid I tell ya.

I've heard about the bogeyman, but I don't believe it.

Amazing. seriously. how did you give it such a sense of scale? It really looks as big as it's supposed to...not like a model.

As they are book ends for the Alpha MPCs...I don't think MOSPEADAs would work. I love the Gamo/Pincer...but that thing costs nearly what 2 MPCs do. A bit much. I understand it's all about demand and cost of manufacture, so I don't begrudge them for selling it at that price, but I unfortunately won't be getting one.

I guess I am a casual gamer, but have played a good number of games across a good number of systems. As for controller preferences...they seem to be very personal. As for me, I have never had a problem with my PS1/2 controller. Never any pain, inconvinience, or awkwardness. I hated the first xbox controller, and took a long time to adapt to the N64 things, but beyond those, I don't think I have ever really had a problem with any of them. And since the Gran Turismo series is one of the ones I am really into, I can say that the pressure sensitivity was a huge boon on the PS2 versions. The difference between trying to take a hairpin with throttle flutter vs. a nice smooth 50% is the difference between frustrating loss and glorious victory.

If I remember correctly, it was the Hot Rod competition. I got my color on the first try too...

I've been using the '70 Charger since I started (imported $ from GT3)...and it has served me well so far. I never upgrade my cars too much, so I have had to use the Camaro LM Race Car for some victories... For my Charger I bought all the weight reduction possible, a good suspension, breaks, transmission/drivetrain goodies, stage 3 exhaust, and the non-tune up engine upgrades. It isn't so much more powerful than stock that it is difficult to control, and it handles well enough for me to keep up with the tuners. It works for me anyhow. I won my old car ('70 SS454 Chevelle, white w/black), but I haven't even raced it yet...like I don't want to take it out of the box. Maybe I will do that series again to win one that I can really toss about. The License tests seem easier to pass than before, but I have never had the patience or drive to go for all silvers or gold. Too bad for me, looks like some cool cars can be won with gold licenses.

you forgot to extend your Lancer's legs in battloid...looks like a midget that way...

I am thoroughly enjoying my GT4. I really appreciate the return of the older cars to the series. There are still some tracks from GT2 I would love to have back (Rome Night, Tahiti Road, Red Rock Valley, Grindelwald). It is an awesome game, my only complaint is the lack of appearence customization. I don't want to be able to buy this or that wing, or body kit...but the setup in GT2 was great. When I am driving a 500hp civic, it shouldn't look like a stock civic with new wheels, it should look like a race car. That is probably the single feature I miss most from the earlier games. So far I haven't been able to play too much, but as soon as my acedemic plate is clean for a few days, I will station myself in the living room and make a weekend out of it.

I hadn't heard that, Mine is #01836 with a RED sensor eye

Yup, that's good news. Now I just need to find out where and how much...my desk is dying for a 1/700 Surcouf, just dying for it.

nice...too bad about the aforementioned changes. maybe if a nice surcouf desk model was already available I wouldn't be so down on this bastardized version...but as it is it don't seem right. Besides an expensive Pit-Road resin and an OOP Heller injection kit, this seems to be the only full hull representation of the ship. oh well.

Ah, my monitor size isn't big enough...

In my totally amateur, non-plane-buff, bassed on Oh My Goddess and Strikers 1945 opinion, the top right one is a Shinden. I like the Hellcat, Corsair, and Tempest girls, personally. I'd actually bet money it is supposed to be an Ohka: http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/mxy7.htm look at the dual vertical stabs, the bulbous nose, the color, the cherry blossom...the only thing that doesn't work well is the wings.