Friday, February 4, 2022

Accord Road Rage Crash on Palisades Parkway (Updates/Responses)


So yea, that just happened. Who blogs anymore these days?  :P I'm writing this post to give a bit more information since a ton of people are asking.  

(6/15/22): Was hoping to see what happened on the court side but the Accord driver failed to appear: 





(2/4/22 : 6PM): This freaking video has blown up and I cant read everything everywhere.  Just wanted to say that the Accord was weaving behind me, then tailgated me. Before I could even move out of the left lane, he weaved between me and a car I was passing, then the YT video starts somewhere around there.  I didnt post anything before because there was really nothing remarkable. Just passing cars, you know, in the left lane! 

Im the FURTHEST person you'll know that would be called a "left lane hog". Really, I hate that more than anyone. 

I was in the left lane because cars were coming up on that exit and I was passing.  I was nowhere near expecting a crash like that. Ive said it elsewhere that I never want any physical harm to come onto anyone and everyone I know will tell you that.  My voice was satirical and I was "in character" for the impending Waze speed trap. The "cheering" blurted out . It is what it is and I agree that now, afterwards, it appears in poor form.  

If you look up this dude's court history, it seems he already had a Fail To Appear for a Careless Driving from 11/2021.  It wasnt his first time and it just caught up to him here.  

Finally, the PIP made a statement and appears the guy only had minor injuries and for that, I am grateful.  

https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/englewood/news/video-driver-charged-in-wild-nj-road-rage-crash-caught-on-dashcam/825430/

(2/2/22 : ~10AM) - No, that is not my real voice. It is satire, like Uncle Roger, Stephen He, etc. Ive been doing this voice on/off before Uncle Roger :)

- The police said the driver was "OK". 

- There is a difference between a spur of the moment reaction "cheering" versus wanting actual physical harm. 

- Yes, I did stop afterwards. Yes, I gave police my information. 

- No, the White Raptor did not stop. I don't have any information on him/her.

- Yes, I know left lane is for passing. I was IN the left lane passing cars that were about to exit.  

- Camera distorts distances some and Im confident I had enough stopping time and had an "out" if needed. This stuff happens on the racetrack all the time.

- No, Im not "making" any money. YouTube requires 1000 subscribers before you can even start. I didnt make this video w/ the intent of it going mad viral. It has now, so it is what it is.  Now if you wanna help me out, you can subscribe to my YouTube.  Thanks!  

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDGeMlSTFn4UZeiv7n3iGw

Original Accord DashCam Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kkCeyRiUeA&feature=youtu.be


"Originally I was hoping to catch them doing something stupid approaching a speed trap/cop ahead displayed on Waze. This was unexpected. To be clear, I never wish any physical harm on anyone.

Palisades Parkway Police told me the guy was "ok". Don't have any further details. Patience ppl. "


My DashCam (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3mNT3Tp

Monday, January 7, 2019

Making my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Autonomous!

2018 Autonomous Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Musings

  • This page will be updating as I progress with this install and use. 
  • 1/7/19: Took 2 days USPS Priority from California to get my EON and Panda. Unboxing and starting this blog. Made a post in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/527435107437732/ ). Loaded OpenPilot into the EON, configured for Pacifica using Drew's github stuff....
  • 1/15/19: Getting errors related to the Panda not communicating correctly and giving me a "steering temporarily disabled" message. I THINK what needs to be done is to start the van, then plug the EON in. Also, it likes to hug either side of the lanes sometimes, so be careful in trusting it 100%! 


So in various forums and Facebook groups, I stumbled across a nifty open source "driving agent".

It's called Open Pilot and you can see how it generally works here: 


Thanks to a fellow owner, Sameer Fazli, and his encouragement, I decided to try this out on my minivan. It basically gives you Level 2 autonomy by linking the lane departure system and the active cruise control system in the Pacifica.  You'll need to order an EON and White Panda from: 

https://comma.ai/shop?ref=11 (this link helps Drew who is helping us develop for Pacifica)

It's a $600 venture so it is not cheap. I guess it's cheaper than a Tesla or Cadillac?

Then you need a modified Giraffe from Drew who is spearheading this.  The Giraffes on the Comma store will not work on your car. You can email Drew at drew@overt.org and he will mail you one, probably for free. Alternatively, he says that if youre good with electronics and soldering, you can make your own here. 

Im posting this blog just to help people get through the same issues I had.  

You'll have to do the following. If you don't, it plain wont work. If you're like me and anxious to just start plugging things in, you'll see that you've gotten a LaneAssist warning on your dash...  :D 

This webpage has a very detailed and pictured process on what to do from unboxing, to installing the proper OpenPilot software.  Keep in mind that the EON comes uncharged and likely is 0-1% battery. To continue you must charge it for a while until it is 35% or greater and have access to a WiFi connection: 


Took about 2 hours on an iPad charger to go from 0-35%...  but now it’s finally updating:




https://medium.com/@jfrux/comma-eon-initial-setup-with-openpilot-2b5ea58354a

Download Workbench: https://opc.ai/workbench

Then you need to follow this: 

https://github.com/adhintz/openpilot/wiki?fbclid=IwAR0r1_V8eeOpPlalVg2Kz-7IZl8gGkT8uQUmY4GDYagSA2Ks6OzoJsxxbu0

EON and your laptop needs to be on the same WiFi network. Cannot be a guest or 5G connection!




You'll need the following commands entered line by line (don't cut and paste):

It will then look something like this. Finish up and let it reboot... 



It will then finish up, reboot and take a while to "load openpilot". Once done, it will look like this:




Sunday, August 14, 2016

2008 E90 M3 For Sale

So I bought this E90 M3 with the intention of gutting it and turning it into a racecar. However, once I got it, I noticed quite a bit of repairs done to it and wiring cut, etc. Im going to try to sell this as-is and work on finding another donor.

Carfax showed a report of 43,492 miles before it was crashed and sent to auction as a one-owner car.

As of 8/14/16 the following parts are sold/missing:

- Steering wheel
- Driver door panel
- NAV unit
- HVAC unit
- Instrument Cluster
- Headliner
- Engine bay plastics
- Front radiator support
- Drivetrain (Engine, Trans, Diff)
- Front Brake Calipers

The car has a set of chrome reproduction wheels. Im unsure of brand but tires have lots of tread.

Asking $5000.








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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Black Friday TV for trailer WIN!

OK, so this is not a racing or car related post, though you could put this TV in your trailer for mega ballerness.

So Best Buy has this Panasonic TC-50A400U 50" LED TV on Black Friday 2014.  Not the best of TVs but certainly not the worst.  And for less than $200?  Who are we kidding trying to compare specs.  http://blackfriday.bestbuy.com/

Herein lies the dilemma.  Typically, you'd have to stand in line hours or days ahead of time in the ridiculous cold to snag one of these.  Im sure your time is more valuable than the cost savings of the TV.  So how do you get around this?  Simple!  Many credit cards have Price Protection guarantees.  You'll have to double check your particular card as some exclude "doorbusters" or "special offerings".  I know Capital One doesnt honor it.  Check your cardmember benefits PDF.

So here is what I did today.  I drove to Best Buy, bought the TV full price.  I kindly asked the associate if I could just purchase the Black Friday TV at full price.  They had 17 on hand for people to trample each other over on Black Friday.  I snagged one in a completely empty store at 1130AM on my lunch break.
Next, I called up my credit card benefits line and requested to open and submit a claim.  I double checked to make sure they would honor Black Friday ads and the rep listed off a bunch of exclusions to which she said Black Friday should be ok.  (They dont match things like how WalMart got hosed on those PS4s).  So Ive just submitted my claim form and supporting documents which include the original sales receipt and a scan of the advertisement.  

Now I wait a few weeks and a check should pop in the mail for $300!  


Obviously YMMV, IANAL, etc... but worse case scenario you just don't open the box and return it to Best Buy if you are denied your claim.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

February Snow Race GTS Recap



NASA Mid-Atlantic's February "Lap Dance" event is always a gamble with weather.  After the past couple years of fairly warm weather, we were bound to have a change.  This year was quite memorable in that the Friday test day was a warm and sunny 60 degree day.  However, that would change quite dramatically.  Mid-Atlantic GTS director Eric Wong was trying to play amateur weather forecaster of late and was already changing his tires and car setup in said sunny 60 degree weather to a wet configuration.  He did warn a good number of people to expect rain/snow all day Saturday.  Some listened, while some others did not bring down wet tires at all for this event.  Saturday proved quite challenging as snow fell and temperatures hovered around 34-35 degrees.  GTS2 competitor Jim Khoury dragged his brother John down to this event who had this to say of the snow: "if anyone told me my first ever rookie race would be in the snow, I'd would have laughed. Only thing that motivated me to run anyway was seeing you (Wong) and Max (Fischer GTS4) suit up in spite of the snow. Damn, now I have to race..  One more thing checked off my bucket list.." 





In GTS2, at least 3 competitors did not bring rain tires with them.  They scrambled around the paddock asking to borrow wheels and tires.  DJ Fitzpatrick ended up borrowing a fellow DE driver's street tires, Paul Newby borrowed some trailering wheels which were all mismatched and Jim Khoury took advantage of some tires that became available when Donnie Weymer had a mechanical issue.   Newby would later comment: "You'd think the exciting and novel thing this weekend would be the snow race but for me it was racing on 3 different tire sizes with three different brands of tires that was most unique".  Fitzpatrick took the green and did not look back.  Michael Dayton finished second, followed by John Carey.  Khoury unfortunately bowed out early trying to do a Tough Mudder run.

Sunday weather cleared up and setup nice conditions for challenging lap records (Sunny with temps in the mid to upper 30s).  in GTS3, Wong would take down a prior record held by Josh Smith who is still completing a new car build.  After battling through traffic, Wong backed off some to get some open laps and clicked off a 2:04.316, which will now be the new benchmark.  In GTS2, Dayton would suffer engine issues dropping him back from P2 to P4.  Again, Fitzpatrick remained unchallenged while a nice battle ensued in P2-P4.  Jeff Emanuelson took P2 early but Carey battled and was able to take the position in the longer 40 minute race session.



GTS Mid-Atlantic also has a new contingency sponsor for 2013.  MCS (Motion Control Suspension) is a market leader for high quality, race proven and race winning setups.  MCS will award winners of MidAtlantic GTS classes at the end of the year with very generous awards for P1-P3.  After this first event, the leaders for each class are as follows: GTS1: Joe Boschulte, GTS2: DJ Fitzpatrick, GTS3: Eric Wong, GTS4: Max Fischer, GTS5: Jim Taggart

Eric Wong's Sunday video (with Cobetto, Korzen, and Fischer): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3xRf6mNr9M


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

2013 NASA GTS Mid-Atlantic Preview

  The GTS Series in Mid-Atlantic has garnered some serious attention in the past few years as racers have made the series one of the most competitive in the nation.   It has developed some recognizeable names on the national level, such as Josh Smith (GTS3 National Champion), Eric Wong (GTS3 Nationals Runner Up), as well as regional stalwarts, Jason Crist (GTS2), Jim Khoury (GTS2), Joe Boschulte (GTS1), Peter Kamarchik (GTS1), Omar Lopez (GTS4) and Max Fischer (GTS4).  Newcomers, such as rookies DJ Fitzpatrick (GTS2) and Paul Newby (GTS2) look to keep things interesting and competitive.

As many of these names continue to dominate in this region and those abroad, taking home the bulk of trophies and prizes, the MidAtlantic region series could be as heated as ever.  Here is a look at some developments that could make this season quite the fight:

1. GTS2
Despite a math error for one race, rookie sensation DJ Fitzpatrick shocked the veterans last year with consistent driving and results propelling him to the MidAtlantic title.  After some early season headaches, Khoury came back charging towards the end of the season.  Crist suffered motor issues mid-season, but aims to impress this year with a detuned S54 transplanted in his GTS2 car.  Crist could very well post a significant challenge in 2013, but he will have to make sure the car performs with no issues from event to event.  He must also have a consistent performance, not just at his home track VIR, but Summit Point as those valuable points add up.

Michael Dayton renting a GTS2 car all 2012 has plans to continue this year in a rented E36 M3.  Dayton seemed poised to take multiple wins in 2012, but various incidents would elude a win for him.  Hoping to escape this jinx, he is determined to take the top spot at multiple races this year.

Donnie Weymer also had motor troubles mid-2012.  After a full engine teardown, it appears the problem was isolated to a loose oil pickup bolt!  Sparing the need to spend even more money on another replacement motor, Weymer can now focus on driving!

Fitzpatrick seems to be the man to chase this year.  Like Crist, should Khoury and Weymer maintain their cars and are consistent, they will pose a significant threat to Fitzpatrick.  With Dayton ridding himself of the monkey on his back, DJ will have to work hard to defend his GTS2 MidAtlantic Title.

Scenes like this were regular in 2012.  The close racing meant any mistakes would cost you a win.  Being consistent and making few mistakes will be the key to winning GTS2 in 2013.

2. E46 M3 v. E92 M3 in GTS3
Josh Smith rode 2012 all the way to the top of NASA ranks by securing and defending his 2011 National Champion title in GTS3.  High on his pedestal, Smith sold his proven, winning E46 M3 in order to challenge himself building and developing a new platform in the E92 M3.  Eric Wong saw momentum towards the end of 2012, finally dialing in the new to him E46 M3.  It will be interesting to see how Wong's E46 M3 does versus the new E92 M3 Smith is bringing to the party.

Details are key.  As seen here, Smith goes over pre-race checklists and settings to ensure his car is 100% ready.

3. Fischer v. Lopez
Both known names in NASA MidAtlantic, these two continue the BMW vs. Porsche fight.  Max Fischer (BMW) sold his E46 M3 last year and is also building an E92 M3 this year.  Omar Lopez (Porsche) continues to fine tune his 996 turning faster and faster laptimes.  It will be interesting to see these two battle it out this year.

Max Fischer's new E92 GTS4 M3

4. Boschulte v. Kamarchik
In what was a BMW v. Porsche battle in 2012, Joe Boschulte is ditching his Porsche this year for a BMW.  Boschulte spent all winter building a BMW 3-series for GTS1.  Looking to take back some of the records that Peter Kamarchik took in 2012, Boschulte hopes the new platform will provide some close racing with Kamarchik's BMW which is equipped with every imaginable goody you can think of.

Kamarchik's new graphics package


5. Rookies will be relevant again
There are many newcomers this year.  From the grapevine, I have heard about Martin Dettlebach, who bought Smith's championship car, Sanjeev Duggal in a Euro motor powered E36, John Huebner in an E46 M3, and a few more.  These rookies have the benefit of racing in one of the most competitive regions in the nation which will prepare them well for the future.

John Huebner's McDonalds GTS3 M3.  This is going to make us hungry while racing.
Look for most, if not all of these names at the first event to kickoff at VIR in February.  Event information can be found here:  http://www.nasaracing.net/?page_id=2297

Here's to a successful and fun 2013!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Rod Bearings on S54

Most know the rod bearings are a weak part of the BMW S54.  Recall "fix" or not, my opinion is the narrower bearings and higher rev range versus the S52s cause premature wear.  I've resolved to pretty much concluding that rod bearings on S54s are a routine maintenance item.

The following picture was taken from a 154k mile 2003 M3.  These look BAD.  Don't let the high miles fool you though.  Ive seen similar when I tore down my racecar's motor (90k).

Not trying to scare people, but if youre over 100k miles on a street car, it's probably a good idea to replace.


The one nice thing I noticed this time around, was BMW has replaced their older packaging method for rod bearings.  They used to be shrink wrapped on hard cardboard which was quite annoying.  Now they are individually bagged and boxed!

The job pretty much consists of getting an engine support (Harbor Freight has these cheap).  Then you have to drop the front subframe.  After the typical removal od the undertrays, etc, the process is fairly straightforward and requires unbolting of various tubes and lines to the exterior of the oil pan, then removal of the oil pan itself.  The power steering pump will have to be unbolted and moved out of the way as well.

You need 12pt 12mm sockets (rod caps), 18mm sockets and wrenches, 10mm sockets, 13mm sockets, hex sockets (removal of oil pump), e-torx sockets (bolts between transmission and oil pan) and of course a 32mm socket to rotate the engine.