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15000
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12000
members - 03/04 |
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10000
members - 10/03 |
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9,000
members - 07/03 |
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7,000
members - 01/03 |
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5,000
members - 06/02 |
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3,000
members - 12/01 |
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B5
of the Month – July 2004
Rusty Ragan (Rusty)
Albuquerque,
NM USA
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Well, I wanted a Jetta. It was November 2001 and we needed a new car, and the Jetta was the obvious choice because of a great history with my '79 Scirocco. But it was really too small for our family, so we looked at used Passats. We fell in love with the '98 Elegant Green one with grey interior. I thought I wanted a V6 with a 5-speed, but I have grown to love this little 1.8T with a Tip. It was simply the right car for us at the right time. Affordable. Big enough for the family on our many road trips. Docile enough for the wife to drive to work. Sporting enough to satisfy me... until I found ClubB5!
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I still don't remember exactly how I found you (it was probably Google), but I lurked for a few months, just reading and learning, then ZAP! Boris posted his Colorado Outlaw Airbox Mod. I had never fabricated anything for cars, never done much to my 'rocco except bolt-on stuff, but THIS was something I could DO! - and did, immediately, that weekend. It changed my whole outlook on the car - OMG, I could TUNE it and do stuff to it myself w/o having to mess with the ECU. And, I was introduced to the spirit of CB5. Out of the blue - I was a newbie and he didn't know me from a hole in the wall - Chas sent gratis some larger caliper carriers so I could use the 11.3" rotors. Whoa - these are my kind of people! I am still blown away by that.
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The Next Big Thing that happened was my first "open track day" in July '02, at the local road course. The car was bone-stock except for an upper strut bar - I couldn't believe how well it did, and neither could the organizers! I've been hooked ever since. I love driving on the track, and nearly every mod is designed to make the car perform better there without affecting its function as the family road-trip car. It's not a race car, but on the track I am seldom
embarrassed. That first track event started me modding in earnest. And for some reason -
stubbornness, lunacy, wanting to do something different, wanting to learn - I decided to do as much to the engine as I could without chipping it. It hasn't been cheap, but I've learned a lot. It all started with a simple Dawes' MBC (thanks, Chris!), and mushroomed from there as each mod revealed a new set of limitations to be overcome (thanks Macabre, Electron Man, Scotty, TJ, Juan, Jess, and many others - I read every tech post and learn from all of them). Currently I'm at 15 pounds boost, somewhere between 170-180 WHP, but there's more to be had and I'll get it. Suspension (thanks, Kenny!) and brake work got tucked in-between engine mods. Gotta thank Herman - his writeups for everything sure saved me a lot of time! And thanks to local friends Gabe, Mike, Matt, and Dave for encouragement, and welding. Props to Rich (slimebucket) for the accompanying pics (from the ND show no less), and Jimmy for the "at speed" pic. And extra special, sweet thanks to my precious wife Diédra, who supports me 200% and is thrilled simply to see me happy. Wow. I am so blessed.
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Anyway - the Next Big Thing was the Watkins Glen trip in May '03. This was the first time I had met any of my internet friends in person. Andy, Justin, Ken - Wow! - what a fabulous trip, fabulous people, fabulous track. Me thinking "I really like driving all over the country and meeting my CB5 friends", and also noting that, with the number of track laps plus the round-trip mileage, the car had done the equivalent of One Lap of America without missing a beat! What a great car, smooth and comfortable on the highway, and a sleeper on the racecourse (in the rain, we collectively whooped much faster cars *grin*).
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There have been
other Big Things, and they have all been CB5 GTG's. My wife
enjoys them and they have become our favorite things to do.
Denver Sep '03. Albuquerque May '04. LA and Sunnyvale May '04.
And the future calendar will be much busier, money permitting.
So am I addicted to CB5? Maybe so, but it's good - I have made
friendships that will last and be fruitful for many years.
There's a spirit here that is very special, and I'm genuinely
honored (and giddy with "YEEAAAHOOOOO!"s) to be chosen
B5OTM. The car kicks butt because of the help and encouragement
of the members of this forum. I DIY, but I couldn't have done it
without you. Thanks, Everyone!
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