miahz

Been using Gmail for almost 5 years. Only 20 spam emails have ever landed in my inbox. Amazing. (And i’m still only using 16%.)

2006 Volkswagen Thunder Bunny SEMA Concept

Seems like all i’ve been doing for the last month is researching and shopping for the brake upgrade for my 2001 Volkswagen GTI. It all started as my brake pads and rotors were wearing down and due for replacement. Though it’s almost eight years old, i don’t think the brakes have ever been replaced (i’ve had it for four years, and it only has 76k miles). I’ve been of the “might as well upgrade it when it wears out” mentality, and also had ideas for improving the appearance over the stock braking system. But it turns out that like with many other automotive upgrades there’s a ton of hype and misunderstanding concerning brake system upgrades. And besides usually costing the most, what looks good often doesn’t mean better performance. So it’s been quite a learning experience.

Stock Brake Sliding Caliper Painted Red

After some initial research i was going to simply upgrade to the 312mm rotors up front like on the special edition GTIs and Audi TTs, and get some more aggressive pads. But i’ve had an eye for starting to do some “show” on my car that up to this point still looks bone stock.

I think what really set this all in motion was running across some pictures of the Thunder Bunny sporting white calipers glowing behind gold rims. I’ve been scheming on white as an accent color for my green GTI, and thought something like that might work for me. But the factory brake calipers just don’t look good—partly because the sliding caliper and carrier mechanical design, and partly due to the rough cast iron finish. Even if i did put some kind of coating on those calipers, they would still be ugly sliding calipers with casting seams and an orange-peel finish. Not the kind of thing you want to show off in my opinion—might as well keep them as dull and unremarkable as possible. So that meant new calipers.

[To be continued…]

Haven’t gone up to see the cherry blossoms this year, but these are a few of my favorite photos from my trip last year.

Metro.

So many people.

The Sunglasses Trick.

Do You.

I wonder how much one could earn solely from participating in and winning contests on Twitter. I have a little experience in the field. Since December, i’ve taken home $340 worth of domain name credits and an 8GB iPod nano in NameCheap’s Trivia contests; and i picked up a free copy of a personal finance book from Glue Genie.

Now i’m looking at something even bigger. Though technically not just a Twitter contest, Ford’s Fiesta Movement embodies the same social media hype-generating efforts as the rest, but spans Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, blogs, and any and all other new media channels. Only here, the prize is 6 months in the driver’s seat of the yet-to-be-released Ford Fiesta with all expenses paid. For me the real reward is less tangible—i already have a car that i love, so i’m not desperate for those keys like some would-be “agents” seem to be. Don’t get me wrong, not having to pay for fuel and insurance for six months would be a huge blessing, but for me this could be the beginning of something bigger. That “Top Gear” dream job. Getting to drive and review cars, and be sent on missions and adventures. And making videos and shooting photos along the way. But can that even be a real job?

So then instead of begging, or polishing Ford’s emblem, as it were, my last-minute application video explains my angle for their Fiesta Movement. The original video went into more detail, but basically it would be an (admittedly Top Gear-esque) head-to-head comparison of my current 2001 Volkswagen GTI VR6 daily driver in Rave Green Pearl paint against the new 2011 Ford Fiesta which also happens to be a hatchback that comes in a similar green coating.

I’ll be the first to admit that i’m a harsh critic. But i’m also honest, and i’d like to think i’m fair. This obviously wouldn’t be an apples and apples comparison. A Golf and the Fiesta might be a better match up, as the GTI is tilted toward performance and the Fiesta’s goal is economy. But i think all the points in between would make a compelling contrast: the newest compact hatch from the classic American car maker vs a 10-year-old German import. With my being partial to Volkswagen Group’s products, is Ford’s new global car from Europe with a decade’s worth of improvements enough to impress me? We’ll learn this week if i get the chance to find out.