Tennessee Meet

[Vampyrate]

Okay guys and gals, I know that I'm in Wise, VA, but close enough. Would anyone be interested in having a meet say, Johnson City or Kingsport Mall? any other suggestions, since I live closer to Knoxville, thats about as far as I can go. I want to try to have it sometime in April.

[importdriver05]

well sure i would like to do that, im lenoir nc and thats too far from there. Yea let me know some details when it gets closer to that time.

[Vampyrate]

gotcha will do

[LittleGT]

I'm game for a meet. How about a road rally, trip. I have drove through the Johnson City/Kingsport area, LOTS of nice roads. A good place to keep your heart moving fast. Also, the great Smokes are near if you can find empty roads. Check out killboy.com, it shows God's country.

[Vampyrate]

im really not too familiar with that area, or SWeVA for that matter. I'm from up near the DC area and I normally know NOVA pretty well. So anyone that knows the SWeVA, NETN areas please step in if you know of any good spots that wouldn't be too far from Wise, VA.

[skeetre]

If you have a meet up there the last weekend in Jan, I could make it. I'm going to be up there in the mountains of NC near Bryson City. I used to hang out in Boone a bit, been to Johnson city a couple times. Or if any of you near by want to just meet up and go out to eat one day while I'm up there.

[LittleGT]

Vampyrate, I like the area roads that you live around. Last Jan/Feb, I was working at the Lear plant in Lebanon,VA. The road from Lebanon to Abringtion was fun at 70+. I rented a Santa Fe (great SUV), couple of those roads almost made me **** in my pants. The only thing I did not like was no fun. After 6, the towns closed up. And there were no women for fun times (all the women went to TN for fun). But I did have fun in Kingsport.

So I am game for Kingsport or Morristown, TN

[Vampyrate]

i cant do the last weekend in january im going home to see my fiance, but the first weekend in feb seems to be good. so lets set the date for february 4th in the kingsport mall parking lot. i will try to get there early and set up a spot there (havent decided where to park yet). PM for my cell phone number if youre in

[ricerrx7]

I might be game if we had a meet here...

www.tailofthedragon.com

[Vampyrate]

ricer, post up some directions to get there and im all for it

[ricerrx7]

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps/Dir_Knoxville.jpg

[Vampyrate]

well if everyone else is game im all for it, we could meet somewhere first and drive there. anyone live nearby thats willing to sacrifice their place for about an hour?

[Vampyrate]

ok, here are the final plans/info for it:
Date: Feb. 4
Meet at 1pm at kingsport mall for a "pre-meet" and thenhead on down to the road
so the time is 1pm-whenever we get bored.
there will be opportunites for pics at both locaions and bring your cameras.

PM me for my cellphone number and other info

[04GTboySC]

maybe im crazy or not but im gona be down at this meet

[ricerrx7]

Meet at 1pm at kingsport mall for a "pre-meet" and thenhead on down to the road


Do you mean meet at kingsport then drive to tail of the dragon? because that would be an awefully long drive...

[Vampyrate]

so far that seems like the best bet... anyother idea on meeting places? i dont really know TN that much and all i know about is kingsport

[04GTboySC]

all i ask is if we can have some awesome senic picture stops
;-)

[Vampyrate]

def. that is a givin!

[ricerrx7]

Check the link I posted, and click on accomodations (sp?) and see if any of those look good to you.

[Vampyrate]

all of those accomodations are too far away for me to go, think just having a meet at the mall will be good and maybe have tail of the dragon i the spring when it gets warmer. as far as senic places go, i can find one near the mall for you scott lol

[TheKoreanSaab]

Hey we should meet in Gatlinburg. I would be down it is a 3 hour drive for me. But who cares I plan on going to the hyundai meet too so I might as well go to this one.

[Vampyrate]

how far is gatlinburg from kingsport?
pretty much im looking for an easy to find place (or even someone's house) that is scenic for good pics

[TheKoreanSaab]

it is east of Knoxville. Oh if you want some scenic pics we should head out to the Biltmore estate.

[Vampyrate]

well, meet in knoxville and drive there then? how far is that?

[TheKoreanSaab]

Its in Asheville, NC its not that far from Knoxville.

[Vampyrate]

well, there is about 2 weeks until then. vote on where you would rather be:
kingsport (mall, crowded and not very scenic)
gatlinburg (scenic, and from what ive seen online, not that many people)

[04GTboySC]

ooo i'd luv to go to gatlinburg :) bunch of stuff to do there even a bunch of miniture golf courses dang wish my parnts could rent out the cabin

oo fun to come then we could take the blue ridge parkway from there hehe


i've gone there a couple times nice place

[Vampyrate]

okay thats 2 votes for gatlinburg anyone else? if not, then it will just be 3 people at gatlinburg lol

[04GTboySC]

well harry is gona be going with me, there is this one bridge on the blue ridge parkway that juts out into the air thats a scary portion of the road

[Vampyrate]

so i know to try to drift it? lol j/k i tried drifting in my car, while hard, not impossible

[04GTboySC]

ahh me and harry are gona drive thru cherokee to get there

[Vampyrate]

okay, since no one has said anything else the meet will be 1pm in Gatlinburg... for driving directions: anyone familiar with the area please post directions from Wise, VA and the main roads from TN.

[importdriver05]

well i guess i can help u out vamp, you need to get on 81 south toward knoxville, it will merge into 40 west, take 40 west to exit 407, when u get off exit take left stay straight and follow signs to gatlinburg cant miss it, real easy to find. hope that helps !

edit that.

me and scott can meet you at exit 407, after you get off and take that left go to the gas station on your left with a wendys at it ( it will be the first one on your left) and then we could cruise into gatlinburg.

[Vampyrate]

alright, meet you guys there... and for those that are from TN that are coming (if any now) just pm me and i will give you my cell so we can stay in contact

[04GTboySC]

ok cool :)

[ricerrx7]

So 1pm at the wendy's at exit 407 on I-40? I should be able to make it.

[Vampyrate]

yep... see you guys there, tis gonna be a blast.

[04GTboySC]

for sure...

[importdriver05]

i told a couple of guys at work about this meet and they are thinking of coming to this meet, one guy just bought his 06 elantra, and the other is a older guy who has a accent.

[Vampyrate]

they are more than welcome!

[04GTboySC]

mm maybe i will have my springtech springs on by this meet ;-)

[Vampyrate]

^^and hopefully my h&rs lol

[04GTboySC]

yea you should have the H&R's on by then

[vahyundai]

im prolly comin. i got new rims and prolly gonna finally lower my car hehe. just gotta figure which girl to take. lol. joe and his wifey (sarah) are prolly comin too. yo scott ill race ummmmm i mean cruise down there with u.

[04GTboySC]

aright cool, i guess you got my pvt saying that importspeed wont have room for your friends right?

[vahyundai]

yup its cool.

[importdriver05]

hey eric, yea man im sorry i dont have the room but im in the process of remodeling that spare bedroom i have , there is some hotels near my house tho , i will be happy to show u guys around.

[Vampyrate]

okay, scott (and i) will soon be lowering our cars (more for him and first for me) does anyone know of anyplace we could go that wouldnt be too expensive? or could even help us?

[Vampyrate]

dont forget that this meet is coming up people... i would love to get some cruising pics!

[ricerrx7]

Turns out I can't make it. My mom was supposed to close on her house and move in last friday, but the house wasn't done yet. So it got pushed to next weekend. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

[Vampyrate]

its cool, maybe you can think of something and try to work around that

[04GTboySC]

ahha thats a good one aaron,

harry was online last nite and said the place he is getting his install done will cost 150 bucks eh how much was b&t i forget now

[Vampyrate]

b & t was like 200 too

[04GTboySC]

ok so i guess ill wait till i get to harrys since its cheaper

[Vampyrate]

it will actually cost you less to buy the tools needed and do it yourself... i did a price check on all the tools needed and it will pay for itself in 1 job, and if you charge like 10bux to do it, you can have profit in no time

[04GTboySC]

think about it, i have no strength and i really wasnt any help this past weekend so ya :(

[importdriver05]

scott u need some weight training sounds like.....lol j/k. yea those bolts get tight over time, way i see its best to pay for someone to do it and not take a chance on getting hurt somehow. see ya guys this weekend, not long!!!

[04GTboySC]

so so mean

[vahyundai]

yo scott what time are you leavin fri? it is only me and joe goin. his wifey isn't coming and the girl i was gonna take can't get off work. i am getting my eibach springs installed at quality tire in woodbridge today for like $200. i would rather have somebody that knows how do it then i do it. plus im a lazy ***! hey aaron when r u plannin on buying my old rims?

[Vampyrate]

eric, right now im fighting with teh bank, someone broke into my account and wiped me out... im waiting on my school refund check to know for sure that i have the money and this **** wont happen.

[04GTboySC]

i was thinkin bout leaving around 8 or so because im going to get my springs installed down there for 150 at a local shop in north carolina

[Vampyrate]

well, if you still have the old springs with you, im pretty sure i can talk to the guys on campus here and they can do the install for me

[importdriver05]

scott though if u leave at 8 u should be here around 2 or 3 , its about 5.5 to 6 hour drive depending how fast u go. i would leave at 7 so u can get here with enough time for that guy to do your springs.

[Vampyrate]

okay, scott and harry, if you guys are going to be in wise anytime soon (ie before the meet) i know of a perfect spots to get pics with mountains in the back. they just built a 24hr super walmart, and the parking lot on one side just drops at a cliff and no one ever parks/drives there, it would be perfect for good mountain shots/sunsets if anyone is willing to drive back with me for that.

[importdriver05]

sounds good i might consider that , u clean u drivers seat after that scary ride u had

[Vampyrate]

hosed off and airrated lol

[04GTboySC]

maybe after i get my springs installed we can head back up to wise for pictures because he said he wants me there before 3

so me and eric and harry can cruise back up to wise for pictures or somthin and hand you the h&r springs

thats my 2cents

[Vampyrate]

if thats the case, if anyone has the tools (impact wrench and whatnot) and is willing to come out, maybe we can do the install there lol

seriously, im a poor college student and need any break i can to get these installed until i get my school refund (500) and taxes (no clue how much)

[04GTboySC]

yea that would pretty much suck


hey eric, im going to leave my house before 7 and if you are ok with leaving really early let me know, im gona go search for a starbucks or somthing over that way

my idea is that we head out i-66 or even rt 7 to i-81

[vahyundai]

thats cool scott. damn that sucks aaron with ur bank. ill still hold on to the rims for u. are you planin on headin 66W? if so I can meet you at an exit off 66. i live like 1 min from one. lol.

[04GTboySC]

yup for sure and head south on rt 81

[importdriver05]

its almost here and i cant wait, my springs will be installed tomorrow morning so ill be looking good for the meet.

edit:
Eric you and your friend can stay at my house, i fixed that extra room so you guys will have a place to crash. you will need to bring a sleeping bag so u can sleep on, i have blankets and pillows. Aaron thats kool you are coming down friday nite to hang out with us, ill make room for you aswell. Well guys cant wait to see you Friday, drive careful and be safe!

[04GTboySC]

uh oh less than 24 hrs and I will be in North Carolina to get my new springs installed

[Vampyrate]

i'll be there, no doubt, im packing the car tonight and moving it so right after class i can just hop in and go

[04GTboySC]

i talked with eric and he agreed to meet me at a specific location not out of my way to i-66 at 7:15

[Vampyrate]

lets just hope he's awake lol, i should be waking up for classes aroudn that time anyway lol

[importdriver05]

well guys i got everything ready, got plenty of blankets and pillows for you guys to crash at my house. cant wait to see all you guys, my driveway is gonna look like a small hyundai dealership....lol. everyone drive safe and be carefull see you guys tomm evening

[Vampyrate]

dont worry bro. i always drive safe *looks around nervously* hehe, anyway. all i can say is that i love to drive, and this will be a lot easier than driving from Leesburg to Atlanta in one day :)

[04GTboySC]

^ looks at aaron and laughs hahah agood luck dude

[importdriver05]

heres pics of our lil meet we had, we decided against going to tennesse and just hanging out at my house. so we went on a lil scenic drive this morning before scott and aaron had to leave.


http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0026.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0023.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0021.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0016.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0028.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0009.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0031.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0032.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/importdriver05/2006_0205carmeet0008.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
heres our cheesy pic in front of k-mart...lol

[Vampyrate]

yeah, just wait until i load my pics, it was a lot of fun! cept for those stupid springs and rounded endlink. but yeah, vice grips saved the day.

[04GTboySC]

dude, your pics turned out great i really wonder how many people are gona look at these pics lol

[ArunSenior04]

You guys didnt go to the meet you set up?

[04GTboySC]

no, 1 because no one else showed up also, look at the snow ^^^ we wouldnt of made it to gatlinburg

Here are the good pictures that were taken from my camera

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060012.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060016.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060018.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060021.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060024.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060037.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060045.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060046.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060027.jpg (http://photobucket.com)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/2006_0205weekendtrip0204060028.jpg (http://photobucket.com)

[importdriver05]

na we didnt, aaron & scott came to my house and we installed aarons h&rs he got from scott. we spent most of yesterday installing the springs do to the sway bar endlink.

[Vampyrate]

okay, here are my pics:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/Vampyrate/TopView1.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/Vampyrate/TheShowdown.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/Vampyrate/AssShots.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/Vampyrate/RearViewShot.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/Vampyrate/DirtyGirl.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/Vampyrate/Clean.jpg

[importdriver05]

thank god u washed that beast....lol. so did you use your new chamois that u bought!

[Vampyrate]

yeah, i did, my hands were frozen. but by the time that i got back to wise (it was snowing there too) my car is caked with salt again. i just might hit it with a wet chamois for the time being

okay, here it goes the story of installing the springs:
how a 2 hour job lasted 7.5

Well, me, scott, and harry went to a friend of harry's house to install the springs. Before that, we went to walmart to pick up the cheapest impact wrench and sockets we could get (about 50bux) and to an autoparts store for the spring compressors. Well, we were going to use the wrench and just return it, since we couldnt rent one, but it sucked so bad, that it had to be returned. The torque wrench became the savior in this job rather than the impact wrench. The driver's side was first. The first spring was swapped out with no problem, fast and easy, 10mins tops. So we decided to move onto the rear; it just seemed the most logical at the time.

Getting everything apart was a breeze until we got to the endlink attached to the strut. The nut between the endlink and the sway bar stripped to look like a donut in about a 1.5hr fight to the death. finally, it was alleviated when harry went out and got some vice grips. So instead of just installing the front and leaving a rake, we went ahead and did teh install. So sometime in the near future i have to track down sed and get the rear sway upgrade with endlinks (btw, i have metal endlinks already so haha all you platic guys).

By the time that the rear was completed, it was about 4pm (we started at 11am). this time, we thought that it was smooth sailing since the driver's side was done. We were wrong. It took us an additional 20mins just to line up both of the rear struts just right per strut to reinstall with the new springs. When that was done and overwith, we moved on to the final corner, the passenger front. That was a breeze, until we got to reinstall it. The front strut tower bar was keeping the threads from coming in. So while harry was holding up the strut, i was pushing in the strut brace with one hand and try to screw on the nuts with the other. It mustve been comical to view, but you have all seen the pics of the lowering.

So in conclusion: Car 0 vs. People 1
Take that technology

[importdriver05]

my knuckles are still sore and beat up looking, dang endlink..........lol!

[Vampyrate]

yeah, my knuckle skin is still flapping from that strut tower

[05xd]

yeah, my knuckle skin is still flapping from that strut tower
no pain,no gain hehe :bowdown:

[Vampyrate]

trust me, there were no gains, i cant even put my hand into my pocket to get my keys out without it starting to bleed. and the bandaids dont do **** for it

[importdriver05]

its all part of working in cars u know, too bad scott didnt get his hands dirty or bust any knuckles.......lol...j/k scott

[04GTboySC]

sorry guys :(