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    1. Home
    2. way2blu
    • Profile
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    way2blu

    @way2blu

    9097
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    2627
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    Joined Last Online
    Website youtube.com/channel/UCt4DSj7C97KaGKOAvuKFXgA Location Southern California (when not busy roadtripping)

    way2blu Unfollow Follow
    Photography

    Best posts made by way2blu

    • Lessons from 40,000 gnarly miles in a Camaro 2.0 Turbo 1LE

      B576E559-CA2E-4A0B-881C-D211B4CD690B.jpeg

      As of today, I’ve reached another mileage milestone (mileage-stone?) with the Camaro. Not a lot has changed between 30,000 miles and 40,000 where it is today, aside from a set of tires. Here are a couple of lessons from the past couple of years:

      D4D868A8-1BA5-47E2-9E31-E06D58B08C6E.gif E3F4952A-7C68-4995-B583-CED110337E1C.gif
      Lesson 1 - My original use case (autocross) turned out to be pretty ill-suited to this car. Not because it was slow or unreliable (it was neither) but because the tire options made it cost-prohibitive to participate frequently. A set of Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R tires for the factory 20” wheels rang in at around $1400. A Miata or BRZ could put on a fresh set of tires for half that. Furthermore, the RE-71R has now been discontinued, and there aren’t any other 20” competition tires that really make sense. Even worse, the only tire sizes on smaller 18” or 19” wheels that meet the load requirements and correct tire height for the Camaro cost even more than the RE-71Rs did. The Falken Azenis RT660 in a 295/40R18 costs $354 per tire and is the cheapest size I could find that meets the Camaro’s load rating. So, despite being the “autocross special” of Camaros, this car hasn’t seen nearly as much autocross as I’d intended. Put simply, it’s as quick around an autocross course as cars that are much more expensive, but you’ll still be spending just as much on tires as your friend in her Porsche Cayman GT4.

      The fact that the Camaro just has really big wheels made autocross much tougher than expected, but also enabled the most fun thing ever:

      437B527D-9592-4DD0-A2E8-DD1A7D941EE2.jpeg

      Lesson 2 - The wheel wells are big enough to fit all-terrain tires at stock ride height. This happened kind of by accident, actually. I’d ordered the gold 18” wheels pictured on the car, and saw that the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail tire was available in a 28” size (235/55R18) that was very close to the stock 27.2” high tires. I thought what the hell, might as well, and suddenly the car became about five times cooler. Running A/T tires has opened up totally unexpected use cases for this car, including rallycross and even offroad trails, and it’s been surprisingly competent at both. It also rides a lot better on the taller tires with more sidewall.

      Despite being a total bait-and-switch with the autocross/track performance I got it for, this car has proven itself even more awesome at the most unexpected things. On the road, it’s comfortable, quiet, and great on gas. Off the road, it’s an unstoppable riot that hauls ass.

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      I love this car.

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      Recently, I did a little “Camaro vs Jeep” comparison trail run. Life’s been busy lately and I’ve yet to type that story up, but I hope to soon. Lots more big automotive plans in the year ahead.

      Special thanks to @Long_Voyager94 @i86hotdogs @AestheticsInMotion and a lot more Oppos for showing me that a car’s use case isn’t limited to what it was built for, and for inspiring me to try doing things differently.

      posted in Best of Oppo camaro rally camaro
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Know how all those 4Runners & overland pickups say “4WD” on the mud flaps?

      I thought, “who said I can’t do that too?” and designed some custom vinyl decals to get cut at a local sign shop. The results are in place.

      Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair:

      0EFC3E88-3A67-4F7A-9B64-3AD1F84F7DDF.jpeg

      posted in Oppositelock rally camaro camaro camping
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Been waiting YEARS to do this

      388E3D5A-066A-4C8C-AC37-63E27B05790B.jpeg

      I made those “2WD” stickers for my mud flaps and finally parked next to something 4WD. 🥳 I am so unreasonably happy finally to have done this.

      posted in Oppositelock real life shitposting
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Good news, Oppo :D

      Do you all remember this car?

      59FDE971-98EB-4F92-A023-106D31E1B9BB.gif

      If not (it’s definitely been a while and there are many new Oppos since then) then here’s a brief summary:

      Blu is my 1991 Toyota MR2. I got the car in 2017 in stock, though rough, condition. A couple years and some replacements/upgrades later, and Blu was even more blue and much more reliable.

      0828966F-88B5-42F6-BF50-B5AE8860F613.jpeg

      In February of 2021, Blu’s engine suffered a head gasket failure. In the following months, lots of indecision ensued as to what could be done to get the car back on the road.

      In those months, I researched and talked with my mechanic about a wide variety of options:

      • rebuild the top end of the factory 5S-FE engine
      • swap in an MR2 Turbo engine
      • swap in a 2GR V6 engine (of Camry & Rav4 flavor)
      • convert the car to an electric vehicle

      Eventually, we decided to go with the first of all those options, but with a bonus upgrade. More on that later.

      5B1A4723-5FB9-473B-AD93-F3CF7CEF0E99.jpeg

      It took a few months to source all the parts for the head gasket job, but I’m quite excited to say the car will be on the road again this weekend.

      Ask me anything about MR2 ownership, I guess? I haven’t posted about Blu in such a long time, that’s gonna change quite dramatically now 🙂

      posted in Oppositelock way2blu
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Sent It. AMA?

      0BB3B664-DEC6-4E8F-B5D4-163FFF67DAE3.jpeg

      3 hours’ drive there, 30 minutes navigating a rocky access road, a 27 minute rally session, back down the access road, 3 hours’ drive back, and somehow both the Camaro and I have emerged intact.

      Also, did all that on a single tank of gas.

      ALSO, I took home a class win 🙂

      39A9C3D5-668B-4ED3-848E-93A73B80DACD.jpeg

      …by being the only RWD Prepared car in the roster. But hey, I also had the most fun out of anyone there, and that’s a win in itself.

      I’m still gathering all my footage, thoughts, and energy to write a full review of the experience. Yesterday was so awesome.

      posted in Oppositelock rally camaro
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • I got a Toyota MR2 Spider

      Hey Oppo!! As you all might know, I have a Toyota MR2, “way2blu” that I really like driving.

      45A8E7F7-517D-40A1-96FA-85DF802015B0.jpeg

      And now, in some shocking and unexpected project car news, I now also have an MR2 Spider!!

      …

      I was not prepared for how small it is compared to my 2nd-gen SW20 MR2. I’m a tall driver too!

      Took a lot of work, but I’m glad I can finally post about it on Oppo!!

      …

      Presenting (drumroll please!!)…

      a Toyota

      MR2

      SPIDER

      A55ACD4B-17DE-49E6-A28A-152BE9BBB75E.jpeg

      He was so tiny I had to use a macro lens for that shot. Like 3-5mm in total size (so cute!!)

      Safely relocated to the garden 🙂 Happy Halloween!! 🎃

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • 4WD? Nah, 2WD is where it’s at :)

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      2x as dirty for half the driven wheels 🙂

      F52A65E5-908B-4588-A46D-D9C6CCC0AA21.gif

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • I experienced a real-life Mario Kart aggression today

      Parallel parking on an uphill street with a wide car should be pretty difficult, but backup cameros do exist for a reason. After turning the front wheels, setting the parking brake, and powering down the engine, I opened the door to step out and go check out some cool cars along the Pacific coast.

      My foot hit the ground, and whoooooops— suddenly I’d slid downhill and was holding onto the car’s B-pillar for grip. At first, I thought it was just time for new shoes (my soles need to GRIP like proper all-terrain tires!) but then I looked down and saw it:

      791AB6CB-5192-444B-B94A-A8E1A38FAAC9.jpeg

      ENHANCE!!

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      An actual banana peel. Not sure who threw it there, but it could have been worse:

      BBC53B93-E014-473A-81C8-19B8088FE882.jpeg

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Blu has new wheels!

      IMG_0272.JPG

      If these look familiar, it's because they are:
      rally air.jpg

      The Black Rhino Boxer wheels I put on my Camero (and unintentionally opened the door to rallycross and offroading) happen to come in an MR2-friendly size too.

      IMG_0270.JPG

      18x8.5 on the Camaro and 15x7 on the MR2. The small ones only weigh about 16 pounds each, so it's not a "Jeep wheels on a small car" weight penalty either. The lil' car still scoots!

      I'm so, so, SO stoked on these. Just running a square 205/50R15 summer tire setup for autocross (Kumho Ecsta PS31) and the fitment is just chef's kiss.

      Time for some fun.

      posted in Oppositelock so so so stoked
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Updating the Oppo Username - Life Update, Car Updates, Etc.?

      Hi Oppo. This is kind of a bittersweet milestone, in that the WAY2BLU Toyota MR2 is still in a parts-awaiting limbo and may remain there for a while.
      04D0F80A-CC4B-4924-AA39-71E547C990C1.jpeg
      That was the old username. The new username Gibbs Emphasis to a lot of adventures (and also maybe to a certain sense of humor 😉)

      So, like, where to begin? When you’re a recent college graduate who found out really fast that a corporate job in project management doesn’t fit your creative personality, career exploration kind of becomes the most important option. What better way to explore than to actually explore?

      Zooming headfirst into making car content across a variety of social media has already been a wild ride. Lots of fun plans are emerging, and the stoke is real.

      The timing was pretty fun to have the actual paper copy of the college degree show up in the mail yesterday during edits for an upcoming rallycross video. Like, “here’s your B.S. in Business Administration, Global Supply Chain Management Emphasis, but you’re making car videos on YouTube?” It really speaks to how skills are often way more transferrable than you expect.

      That new username is unified across a few other social handles (Instagram, Twitter, and searchable on YouTube too) and Oppo definitely sees that same level of importance as a social media platform as the more popular ones.

      Oppo has been a massively supportive and inspiring community, and it continues to grow and be excellent like none other. You can always trust Oppo to have the best answers to just about any question on cars, adventures, and life. Thank you, Oppo. Like, you all are awesome and cultivate the best parts of the car world.

      2DA7BE59-B168-4549-86ED-463B142F757A.gif

      Embarking on a car journalism, content, and motorsport journey with an open throttle and open mind is the most exciting thing ever. When you got your start here on Oppo, anything’s possible.

      posted in Oppositelock oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu

    Latest posts made by way2blu

    • DOTMFS

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      ‘91 or ‘92 MR2 Turbo, appears stock and has period-correct aftermarket wheels. “Survivor” looking original paint and weatherstripping around the windshield. GOOD CAR.

      Great time for a photo op, but guess what car I WASN’T driving 😢

      498D6E99-0612-4DD0-BA9E-D45E87D40F04.jpeg

      posted in Oppositelock toyota mr2
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • RE: Thoughts?

      @Fish-McSticks that’s gonna burn a lot of GAZ and cost a Lada money.

      Another Soviet car should get a Tesla motor swapped in to make an Elon Moskvitch.

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • RE: Is there an Oppocalypse I missed?

      @CB jumping to conclusions makes for good shitposting though 😅

      also @jminer the new upvote button graphic is great!!

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Is there an Oppocalypse I missed?

      32FD848C-299B-4F96-BB8A-F846DCEF4B2D.jpeg

      Signed in to see these at the top 😱

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • How was your weekend, Oppo?

      pie file names for palomar vlog.jpg

      Recently visited San Diego's number 1 food + car destination (allegedly) for the first time. The 360 footage has been a learning curve to edit but I'll post up some GIFs here once it's ready.

      How was your weekend?

      posted in Oppositelock foodlopnik
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • RE: Fenske: GT350 or GR Corolla

      @davesaddiction I clicked on GR Corolla thinking “that fits my needs as a rally enthusiast better” and immediately thought “wait why not just rally the Mustang anyway?” and oof.

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • How would you clean/polish/protect this?

      I’m going to install a new shifter cup (the socket of the ball/socket joint for MR2 shifters breaks easily and makes shifting sloppy, so I’m upgrading) and want to clean, polish, and protect the metal parts of the shift box while it’s apart.

      007E476C-050E-4639-B374-620888F30501.jpeg
      The @CobraJoe shift knob is the one good-looking part of this assembly

      There’s some mild surface corrosion that’ll need to be removed from the base plate and shifter, as well as just general cleaning to do.

      I’d like to polish the steel parts, and I’ve got grade #00 steel wool for that already. Is there anything I could do to rust-proof them while maintaining the polished look? I’m new at working with metal, so any tips beyond what I already know (safety goggles and gloves) will help me a lot too.

      posted in Oppositelock look at this shift toyota mr2
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • RE: Convergent Evolution

      @WBizarre ahh yup that explains it. So weird I thought the Accord Coupé was a Camero.

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • RE: Convergent Evolution

      @way2blu WHOOPS, looks like the top one is actually an Accord Coupe because this is the new Accord sedan:
      2E840488-20A1-4944-9B45-EC52E5B31A27.png

      My bad 😅

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu
    • Convergent Evolution

      The all new Honda Pilot:
      5F13984B-13C5-4495-9C8F-E6FA45B37F9C.jpeg
      1BE6D51A-1C46-4109-A243-BF7FD5AD1240.jpeg
      Has a lot of the same styling elements as the 2024 Camaro above it. Oof.

      posted in Oppositelock
      way2blu
      way2blu