2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let's Start Planning)

jackbombay

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 12, 2002
Location
Diesel knows best
TDI
A4 Jetta
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Fairfield in August can be/is usually 100*F or more (wrenching temp? no thanks), fairfield is central, but if we decide to have it there we should go in late september or early october.

There is Thunderhill raceway north of Sacramento about 30 min(?), anybody know much about it? would be cheaper than Sears Point (1 1/2 hours north of candlestick park /images/graemlins/tongue.gif) and SP if booked anyway. Saturday in fairfield/sac and sunday at the track????

-Jack
 

DaveC

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2003
Location
Napa, Calif.
TDI
2003 Golf GL, 5 spd, Mohave beige, 2015 Golf TDI red!
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Any town in California can have a "heat wave". Of course these are unpredictable as is the weather. Average August Fairfield temperatures are in the 80's. Fairfield is typically 10 degrees cooler than Sacramento though.

As I see it, the location of the GTG is going to be decided by: 1) a central location for the maximum number of people to attend, 2) good facilities for the GTG at a reasonable price, 3) and a core group of TDI owners living in that area who are willing to put the time in to organize the event.
Judging from the good turnout at Doyle's GTG a couple of weeks ago, Northern California seems to have quite a TDI following.

Thinking about the proposed GTG, I think it would be nice if we had some vendor booths selling VW stuff, and some lectures by vendors or Veteran members talking about different topics of interest to TDI owners.
These topics come to mind: Nozzles, Chips and tuner boxes, biodiesel, and fuel economy.

Perhaps we can hire some of those beautiful "Umbrella girls" to strut around our GTG and tease the guys and "ooh and ahh" over our cars. ha ha /images/graemlins/grin.gif
check out the web site www.umbrellagirls.com
That gorgous blonde in the large picture lives in Fairfield! She used to work at the local Honda Motorcycle dealer until she decided to seek fame and riches starting a umbrella girls modeling business. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Perhaps a good schedule would be Friday night at a local track for speed runs, Saturday for a barbecue, discussions, and wrenching, and Sunday for more wrenching and a fun drive.
Just my thoughts. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

First D

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
Location
Disneyland Hills, CA
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

If you want to do this it would probably be better to rent the Streets of Willow (small track). Less opportunity for a major accident.

I went for a one day event at the big track and several cars went off, two or three with at least moderate damage. This is a fast track with bad consequences for the stupid or inexperienced driver. I'd hate to see the same happen to a TDIer considering this is likely main transportation for them.
 

ducatipaso

Airhead Butcher
Joined
Nov 17, 2001
Location
norcal
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Thunderhill raceway would also be affordable /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

genau

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Location
Temecula, Ca
TDI
03 Golf TDI
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Based on what's been said so far I think SFBA sounds the best...plenty of things to do in the city and if that's only 40min from the areas that have been suggested than just send the family off for the day. On a personal note, I have some friends I can stay with up there, and I'd be willing to take up to a week off of work, so if we decide on SF than I'd be more than willing to help getting things together in the last couple of days (week) before the GTG. (and as much as I'd like to have it in my own backyard I think SoCal is too far to drive for PNWs).

August is a good time (weather up there is good then) but let's estabilsh a date early on so everybody has more than enough time to plan (no cop outs this time ).

Also if you guys want to get a track day we could all throw in $10 and assuming we have the numbers, rent the track for the day (sort of like getting in on a trackday with an organizer). Can somebody start a new thread with a poll so we can get a number on exactly how much interest there is?

Either way we go, fact is somebody local has to step up soon and start calling some shots or we're just going to talk this into the ground. I know it's easy to talk tough when I know I can't be that guy but I'm REALLY interested in this so hopefully it goes somewhere. I live in SoCal (South of LA but north of San Diego) and I'll check back on this thread every so often, but if somebody decides to step up and needs help please email me...I'm more than happy to take direction and I'd like to help.
 

soccerdude55PDX

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Location
PNW
TDI
Jetta '04 Galactic Blue
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

I like the PNW.. I am in the Portland Area.. and there are many TDI's up here. Anywhere PDX north to Seattle is good.
 

Thawley

Active member
Joined
Mar 4, 2003
Location
Disneyland
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

[ QUOTE ]
There is Thunderhill raceway north of Sacramento about 30 min(?), anybody know much about it? would be cheaper than Sears Point (1 1/2 hours north of candlestick park /images/graemlins/tongue.gif) and SP if booked anyway. Saturday in fairfield/sac and sunday at the track????

[/ QUOTE ]

Thunder Hill is a fantastic track. Faster than Streets of Willow in SoCal, but safer and easier on cars IMHO. It DOES get hot, though. I go to the All-Datsun track day there every July and the temps are usually in the high 90s or over 100 that time of year.

Sacramento is only 40-50 minutes south of the track and has a world class railroad museum. Probably a couple of big-bore diesels there... If the tide flows this direction, I can put you in touch with Dennis and Peggy Hale. They run a lot of track day/driving clinics at Thunder Hill for a number of different cars clubs. They do it right.

'Course if you DO have a TDI track day, I'll be forced to leave the TDI at home and bring the Civic Track-car. Just say'n.
 

Thawley

Active member
Joined
Mar 4, 2003
Location
Disneyland
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Might be a fair fight... I'm taking it to big Willow next month for the first time on coil-overs and RA-1s. What kind of laps times have you been turning at Willow?
 

First D

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2001
Location
Disneyland Hills, CA
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Last I was timed I think it was 1.48. That was on Yoko A032Rs. That was last year.

I think the car can do better because I was chasing my friend around the track last month, he he has an E23 735i with full Dinan (including rear adjustable subframe) but street tires (wide 245x40x17) and it took me about 5-6 laps to catch him, I think he had a 1/3 straightaway head start. I thought I should have caught him faster since I have a hp advantage but he seemed to be slightly faster around the curves. My suspension needs some tweaks. I also just got a Recaro SRD off of E-bay. That might help too, no more bracing myself on the door!

I think the dinky cars can go faster than me since they just fly around those curves.
 

peter pyce

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

You all ...... shall we do this summer a "My Other Car GTG"? So you all bring your beasts and I show you my four wheel floor jack, LOL /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Thawley

Active member
Joined
Mar 4, 2003
Location
Disneyland
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

[ QUOTE ]
You all ...... shall we do this summer a "My Other Car GTG"? So you all bring your beasts and I show you my four wheel floor jack, LOL /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

A pretty good idea, actually...
 

ducatipaso

Airhead Butcher
Joined
Nov 17, 2001
Location
norcal
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

well, if we're gonna have an "other car" GTG, can I bring by bikes? /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 

DaveC

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2003
Location
Napa, Calif.
TDI
2003 Golf GL, 5 spd, Mohave beige, 2015 Golf TDI red!
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

I have a suggestion as to how to "get the ball rolling" on this. We need an organizing committee. I propose that we have a meeting in the SF bay area within the next few weeks of people that would be interested in devoting the time and energy to making the West Coast GTG a reality. This committee should meet on a regular basis to get the GTG organized, and make it a reality.
We should have a committee position for each subject of interest. This committee person will put the effort into organizing something for that item. Different positions may be: Power enhancements, track locating for drag racing, location of the event, biodiesel, vendor exhibits, ect.
What do you think? Shall we do it?

Dave
 

KERMA

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 23, 2001
Location
here
TDI
99 beetle and 04 jetta
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

DaveC:

Sounds like a good plan. Tooo bad I am so distant...
 

NewTdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 15, 2004
Location
NorCal
TDI
2003 Bora, Reflex Silver
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

HOw about doing the little meeting this Fri, March 13th an In & Out in Daily City?
 

KERMA

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 23, 2001
Location
here
TDI
99 beetle and 04 jetta
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Update: Giuseppe will be arriving August 3 in SanFran, spending a few days there, off to LA that weekend and Las Vegas on the way to Utah for the EDGE weekend and DHRA sanctioned race in SLC on the 13th. Leaving from SanFran on the 26. Doesn' look too good for a weekend GTG in SFBA, but maybe SoCal at Capo? Leonard said he's game for some tech sessions, too.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
TDI
1999 1/2 TDI
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

Hello everyone I am from the interior of BC and was hoping to follow this thread in hopes that I might be able to attend. I have a 99 1/2 Jetta Tdi with 150,000 kms and recently purchased a Vag Com and have looked around on this site many times and it has been a wealth of information. It would be so nice to get the Berlin Buick out on the track...... and against other tdi's it's almost like big go-carts you don't want to scratch up. Never have done the 4 wheel route yet on a track but I'd really like to see this happen and I know I'm coming in real late so I'll be the last person to gripe about where it's held. Thanks again Ryan
 

Pcar993

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2004
Location
Southern CA
TDI
Golf 2000 White
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

How about LACR? http://www.lacr.net/ Maybe we can rent those portable dyno rollers that are mounted on those trucks for those that want to dyno also. There is plenty of room to wrench with our cars and a drag strip. maybe some will race for pink slips. this might get interesting.
 

Neno

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Location
Lat/Lon:40.642-111.821 Elevation: 5996 ft
TDI
2012 TDI Golf
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

I would be definetely in. Locations that sound pretty good are Reno and Las Vegas, since they are kind of cetral for folks from Oregon, Cali, Utah, Colorado, Washington..etc.. Maybe there could be a Vote held of some sort so that we can avoid this back and forth "I want this" and "I want this"; and actually determine a date... Just an idea..
/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

KERMA

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 23, 2001
Location
here
TDI
99 beetle and 04 jetta
2004 West Coast TDIFest! (Let\'s Start Planning)

I think there will be several GTG during August. Giuseppe will be making the rounds.

I know we will have something to co-incide with the "Weekend on the EDGE" sonsored by Edge Products here in Utah, weekend of the 13 august.

Maybe the prior weekend in LA, maybe the CAPO GTG can be that weekend? Actually those dates would absolutely work the best.

I'm sure Peter Pyce will arrange something in SFBA to coincide with Giuseppe arrival and departure from San Fran.
 
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