My s/n is Gerken and I'm 17. I'm looking to join a local Milwaukee Team to help me out with my car. I want to someday take it to shows if/when I get it fixed and maybe try to do Auto-X some day. I have family that live 2 hours away that can teach me how to fix and mod my car, but I cannot realistically go up there all the time. I tried to get an internship at a local dealership, but they never called me back. I know some people in other teams that could help me with basic mods and installations, but I want to be a part of something. I want to get to know people and go to events and have a group that I can be with, people I know and people who are willing to teach me how to do what I want to do to my car.
Anyway, a bit about myself. I recently bought a '00 Chevy Cavalier w/ a 2.2L i4 2200 SFI OHV engine. I'm still paying it off and working on fixing the damage (got it very used for a good deal). I recently got a job at McDonald's (the only place I applied that actually called me back at all) to pay off the car, but then I plan on fixing it up and modding it. I have many ideas and plans for it, but I don't know any real people who I can learn from or who are into tuning and know what they are talking about. I discovered Team Rush, a very large and professional "Car Club" in Milwaukee and I hang out on the forums there as well as a little on the J-Body forums trying to learn what I can. I want to join a team for several reasons. I want to find a group of people that have the same interests and hang out on a regular basis. Also I want to find a group of people that are willing to teach someone who doesn't know much at all about cars, fixing them or tuning them, but is eager to learn. I attempted to do an internship with a Toyota dealership, but they never called me back, so I figure I should join a team and learn from modders. Team Rush has many demanding qualifications to be a member, also they are very large and many of the members don't know each other. I would like to find a group of people who know each other and be in a bit more of a personal environment.
My car is currently just your average cheap old person Cav, I have done very little to it because of my current money issues. As far as damage goes, the right quarter panel needs to be fixed, huge dent there. I already replaced the front bumper which was smashed, a corner light, and I picked up some cheap-o cheesey hub caps from wal-mart because the other ones where ugly and one of them was broken. I just had the A/C pump fixed because it was dying. Unfortunately, I realized after I had it in the shop that I could have just removed it and gotten a shorter serpentine belt which may have saved me on money and weight, but I was told this by someone on the forums and it was too late to do anything about it. That is another reason why I would like to join a Team, I want to be able to get advice and learn from other people's experience and knowledge. It would be nice to have someone to call if I have trouble or questions, not post something on a forum and then random people give shady advice for a week.
The car currently has a custom Alpine head unit and all the wiring needed for an amp and subs. This came with the car. The deck is old and there used to be a sound system in the car, this was removed when it was sold to me. I have personally installed some speakers from a '94 Olds 88 Royale because one of my rear speakers was blown and the other just plain sucked, the Olds speakers are actually really great quality. Aside from the speakers, I also installed 2 EuroEffects 9'' L.E.D. tubes under the dash. I have already ordered a Distribution Control panel that lights up as well and I plan on getting more L.E.D.s for under the front seats, I plan on doing these mods within the next month. I figure that since my car has a crap engine, I might as well work on where I spend all of my time first, the interior. Although it would be nice to hear that great ricer exhaust sound for cheap, I plan on saving up for some Pacesetter headers and a Borla catback system after I finish working on the interior and possibly getting to the exterior damage. Unfortunately thats at least $800 into the future.
If you are looking for members and your team sounds like what I'm looking for, please consider me for membership or send me your website. Thanks!
For what I plan to do to my car, please view my CarDomain.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2666728
http://www.cardomain.com/id/Gerkn
you really don't need to be in any car clubs or teams to mod a car... but having some buddies in the area to help you will be just as good. besides, this site alone will give you more information that you need than a group of people who modify different cars. stick around the forums and read as much as you can, look at what other people have done, get some ideas for how you want your car to turn out and go from there. here you'll find places to get the best deals on quality parts, how to install them, what you need and don't need, etc. the more you know about what you're doing, the easier it will be... and you'll be able to do most, if not all, of the work on your car yourself.
for example... looking at your cardomain page under "future performance" you have listed an AEM intake. get a less expensive intake, and it will work just as well. that alone will save you $50-$100.
you've got a lot of plans, most of which are pretty expensive. you don't want to rush things, cause that will only cause more headaches later on, and probably cause you to have to redo a lot of work. take your time and you'll be fine. once you get it fixed up and lookin good, then worry about joining a car club to go to shows.
www.wij-tuners.org
check that out
12.33 @ 111.67 mph [Oct 2009]
Dyno'd on 08/02/09 - Mustang Dyno:
327.6 WHP 333.6 WTQ [10.1 AFR]
HA, there fun to race.
( my Z24 looks stock, and i play my charger off at idle like i have a bad alt, or timing chain.)
Chris
'02 Z-24 Supercharged
13.7 @102.45 MPH Third Place, 2007 GMSC Bash SOLD AS OF 01MAR08
