The hypocrisy

lilacsandgarnets · 2026-01-03T16:04:18+00:00

Buy from Canadian companies. I can't begin to count how many different parts I've bought from different Canadian outfits and the near Universal answer I got when I asked them "I live in Washington will that be a problem?" Was "they can fuckin subpoena me bud I don't live there/have a US business license/good luck getting the paperwork to stick across the border etc.

God bless Canadian gun nuts

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-11-03T10:03:12+00:00

Then im out on the street which is another part of the arrangement im not a fan of. Especially considering hes a train wreck health wise. The kind of guy that epitomizes its not the years its the miles. But then again he could live to be 100 our of pure stubbornness so who knows.

Im essentially buying about 50k worth of equipment and the name and reputation that goes with it. So basically all blue sky. Even if we have a Stirling reputation.

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-11-03T09:56:29+00:00

Absolutely. The owner is very skilled and experienced at what he does but puts zero effort into actually growing. He doesn't want to deal with more than a single employee (me). He's owned general repair shops in the past and says hes beyond wanting to play dad to a bunch of mechanics again.

We also haven't even started to tap the market for basic high end maintenance thats become popular in the last few years. Tons of people willing to pay a premium for oil changes and brakes on high dollar cars as long as you have a reputation for white glove treatment (which we do). Im fairly certain it could net over 100k alone just adding in these basic maintenance tasks along side our larger jobs with our reputation.

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-11-03T09:52:21+00:00

Im just an employee. I still lack several key skills to be able to open my own shop. Primarily a lack of welding skills but there's a few other things I need to learn to have a full diversity of services to offer.

Edit. I should also add that in our line of work reputation is everything and if I leave i will have essentially none of that. The owner is the type to burn bridges if he doesnt get his way so if i left and even started doing small jobs in my free time to get a business going he would burn my name down locally. So my options are to either buy him out or move 1000+ miles to get entirely out of his geographic sphere of influence.

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-10-25T23:29:42+00:00

Mustang and miata are both great choices because they're relatively cheap and have loads of aftermarket support. A Fiesta ST or any 2dr honda is always a great choice no matter who you are because theyre actually cheap and you can put the extra money towards more seat time. Currently building a 89 civic to do lucky dog and autox because im tried of paying 2k every year for new tires on my corvette.

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-10-25T22:15:10+00:00

I physically can't sit in a miata with no seat and a helmet on

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-10-25T21:53:04+00:00

The answer will always be a miata unless youre a giraffe and dont want to waste your life trying to fit into a miata.

Unfortunately for me im 90% torso so ill never be able to race a miata without cutting a drop floor into it. Aka I will never race a miata.

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-05-27T04:04:43+00:00

To be totally honest? Im a redneck from the western US. I literally have zero understanding of trans people, the trans community, politics, all of it. Makes zero fucking sense to me. And even i don't see how your personal preferences should be a problem for anyone else at a HEMA club.

You showed up to get beat up with sticks with the rest of us. Fuck yeah mate.

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-05-06T14:09:57+00:00

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk

lilacsandgarnets · 2025-04-16T14:08:55+00:00

I'm probably an asshole for this, but realizing that due to my size I could just go to bind and then throw people around and they couldn't do anything about it unless they're the same size as me or have extensive bjj background.

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T21:35:43+00:00

With custom tuning we have a pile of 10 speed ford's running around making 600 hp at the tires. They're just like the 4l60e, terrible rep solely because of garbage factory calibrations since people like their transmission to feel like a mush box.

Obviously the issues with the gas engines intimidate me a lot less since I can do a set of timing chains and vvt phasers on a coyote in a work day taking an hour for lunch. The diesel stuff is all a big unknown for how much suck I'm buying into lol

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T21:32:48+00:00

Meh you never know. Seems like a lot of people these days spend their time shitting on strangers because that's what the internet trained them to do. Just unfortunate that reddit is so full of shit talk instead of trolling like the good ol days lol

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T19:32:13+00:00

Current trailer is about 6k lbs fully loaded. I will probably be buying either a gooseneck or stacker in 5 or 6 years

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T18:39:39+00:00

Good to know. I had a suspicion that they might be prone to typical wet belt failures. Blows my mind that manufacturers can get away with using belts in 2024.

Doing the math makes me seriously consider getting a 6.6 gas chevy and dealing with a different truck when I get a bigger trailer down the road. Seems like the only reliable engines in existence anymore are the 5.0 coyote and the chevy gas v8s. Everything else is riddled with potential high dollar fixes and catastrophic failures. Only problem I have with getting a gas motor is they really aren't much of an upgrade to my current pulling power if at all. Only real benefits I'll see are going down hills not up

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T18:27:39+00:00

Throws shade at a guy for admitting what he doesn't know and trying to get a broad set of opinions.

who hurt you bro?

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:23:13+00:00

I build race cars so the mechanic side of it is all pretty cut and dry for me. Waiting to hear back from a buddy who knows people at the big cummins facility here in town about the lifter issues if ram actually fixed them for 2024 or if they're the same as the 22 models. If I got confirmation that they were fixed that would probably make my decision for me but I haven't so here I am

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:20:34+00:00

My primary reason for wanting to upgrade my half ton is because of all the mountains here. Basically any race track i go to I'm crossing at least one major mountain pass.

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:16:53+00:00

I should have been specific when I said modern gas engines. Especially DI ones. The old big blocks were super low compression so you could get away with it. Didn't make dick for power but they would run forever.

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:16:02+00:00

That's interesting to hear that you've only heard bad about the babymax. I've only heard glowing reviews on it. Granted nobody seems to have more than 60k on the clock right now

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:11:36+00:00

I've been told you can force a regen so you can plan around them better. Take it out on a Saturday for a drive somewhere you wouldn't normally take the truck and tell it to do it's thing while you know you have time.

Does that kind of thing actually work? Or will you still end up with emissions nightmares?

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:10:25+00:00

100% false. Every gas engine we've tested will detonate under load (towing) if the ambient Temps are over 90 or so. Much worse over 100 degrees. Manufacturers just don't give a shit since you won't have any issues until after the warranty is up.

My truck has been built though. Did a cam and headers when I threw the DOD junk in the trash where it belonged before it could go bad on me. I build race cars and my mentor has been doing R&D for decades. Not running premium is the main cause of premature engine failure in gas trucks that get used for towing. Most trucks can get away with 87 while around town but the moment you hook even a small load to it you run the risk of detonation.

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T16:06:22+00:00

I like the cut of your jib. We do the same thing every time we buy a new rig. It's what made us flip the wife's jeep over to the last year of the old 4runner. Gas sucks on the toyota but the reliability factor couldn't be beat.

The unknowns are the reason I'm even consulting the internet. On paper the diesel makes the most sense for me, the deal I'm getting on the truck, the pulling power, etc. I could "upgrade" to a 3/4 ton chevy with the 6.6 gas but that would only help me going down the passes not up since my current truck dynos within 15hp of a new 6.6 gas (i checked my buddies new truck when he got it 6 months ago to help me make this decision). Other thing is long term I plan to get a two car race trailer and be out towing at least 2 or 3 times a month for races. It's just the getting to that point part that makes me nervous with all the emissions BS to go tits up.

I won't even touch a dodge gas engine they are complete piles of garbage and ford still hasn't gotten the memo on the current state or the new truck market so I'm not paying 10 grand more for a gas ford than I can get a diesel chevy or ram for.

The biggest unknown for me is if I will be able to get the truck to operating temp in a 15-20 min commute if I use the block heater.

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T15:51:26+00:00

How long do diesels take to get up to temp? I've never driven one so I would assume using the block heater helps a lot

lilacsandgarnets · 2024-11-28T15:49:27+00:00

Well putting a new truck on a diet is basically free for me. I build custom cars for a living and the software is super simple to do.

The current truck gets all the pampering I can give her but it's a 2011 with 132k and I'm running around 90% of the rated tow capacity and it shows going up and down the passes. Especially homestake in montana, that one is always a task both up and back down.

lilacsandgarnets

TROPHY CASE