Learn me: Apartment Living + Racing Cars

Raze (Forum Supporter) said:

Costco has awesome convertible hand trucks that turn into carts.  But honestly I'd just run 200TW street tires and not worrying about being FTD and chase the experience.

That is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! I suppose I could get a low-pro aluminum jack and it can just live in the trunk of my car, and only worry about transporting wheels, if I found the right storage.

I've never been competitive at ax, I only do it for fun. That's why I'm not pitching a bigger fit since I can look into arrive and drive karting leagues. I just run the RT660 because they were new, cheap, and sticky. 

As for the Conti ECS recommendation, I'll check it out. I had a previous thread about tire choice and the Hankook RS-4 was a "fan favorite" for longevity, which matters a lot more if I'm going to be dailying them as well. 

Or... Hear me out...

PNW has a great selection of Rally/Rallycross.

Slap some all seasons on and rallycross my Subaru (where it should be)? 

Would I destroy the car in short time? 

Others have beat me to it but, yeah, hand truck or just autocross on your daily tires.

When I got out of school, I lived in a studio apartment in Atlanta--basically an old house that was broken up into little studios. I was on the top floor, so two flight of stairs to my car. Fortunately, we each got a little storage unit in the basement--like a big closet. That's where I kept my jack and race tires. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Yeah, I think I'll pick up that Costco hand truck with the relocation bonus. It'll be useful for moving furniture as well, it seems. I'll spin that as an investment.

Lady friend said we can use the wheels as home decor. Think we're good here. 

(also the autocross scene being small was a lie, it's the SCCA Solo scene that's small. Many indie autox clubs out there.) 

Back in school, we visited a friend of a friend who autocrossed--this was back before I even autocrossed, so we're talking about autocrossing while fighting off dinosaurs. IIRC, this guy went to school in Atlanta while we were an hour away in Athens. I don't recall the specifics or why we were at his place. I believe he ran an early RX-7.

Anyway, the "tables" at either end of his sofa? His R-comps--two stacks of two with each stack covered with a sheet. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

A piece of plywood is a good addition. 

I did this with my miata for a few years. 

hunter47 said:

PNW has a great selection of Rally/Rallycross.

Huh. I knew the DirtFish school was out here. But since I didn't see anything on the NWR SCCA site about rallycross, I figured that there wasn't much for organized events around the area and never bothered searching much outside of that. I guess it's kind of like autox in that regard. You've got to look at WWSCC and such... And be willing to drive a ways, since apparently nobody has been able to figure out an autox site anywehere inside of the metropolitan area. 

I see there is Northwest Rally Association. Any others?

Now you've got me thinking...

In reply to Driven5 :

Well, when I say "great selection", I really meant an organizing body that holds rallycross on a regular basis, lol. 

Northwest Rally is the one I'm looking at. Looks like they rotate between the Dirtfish facility and a few other venues.

In reply to Apexcarver :

You know, he might topped each tire stack with a lid from a 55-gallon drum.

bmw88rider said:

The other option is a lot of apartment complexes do have garages. when I was apartment living, 4 members of my club all lived in the same complex because they did have garages.

 

The other option is befriending a fellow car guy and pay him a little to store the stuff in his garage. 

 

Third option is the said storage unit. I did that in denver and paid $60 a month for a 5x10. I had a cart that made it easy to get in and out. There was an elevator so no big deal getting it up and down.

Or trade storage space for working on his race car.   I've got  two people who are helping me with my Jaguar in exchange for wheel to wheel track time. 

In reply to frenchyd :

I actually might do this. Find someone looking to codrive at the rallycross to split the difference (or I can just be a rally co-driver, I think that could be cool too!). 

https://www.harborfreight.com/16-in-x-28-in-folding-platform-truck-68896.html

Moving is hard. I'm getting one of these and convincing SWMBO that it's for moving (which it will be) but the tires will sit on it afterwards.

Hope they make it in one piece!

and the tire dolly is perfect! 

Sorry about reviving this thread, but I'm definitely in the apartment living + want to have a track car state of mind right now. It's a bit of a challenge because I'd have to pay for extra parking (moving my car around every few hours would be brutal), and I don't have the space for too many tools. I can store some in my apartment in the office or on the deck, so that's nice. Tires? Probably not. Also, living in an apartment definitely informs my decision about what car to get. I'm still leaning towards a Miata, but the Fit keeps looking better because I can carry almost everything I need.  

Does anyone else have any advice to share about apartment living?

I downsized from a 2-car garage to an apartment. Car + open trailer is stored off site. Consolidated all tools, jacks, ramps, and fluids into bins that could be easily transported to the tow rig. The tools I keep around are the ones I need to do a track side repair (brakes, suspension, wheel swaps). I have 2 sets of wheels in the apartment, but will swap wheels the day before the event so I only end up using the set I need. It's one flight of stairs for me, so I make sure I have a free evening to prep for an event.

Duckzero said:

Sorry about reviving this thread, but I'm definitely in the apartment living + want to have a track car state of mind right now. It's a bit of a challenge because I'd have to pay for extra parking (moving my car around every few hours would be brutal), and I don't have the space for too many tools. I can store some in my apartment in the office or on the deck, so that's nice. Tires? Probably not. Also, living in an apartment definitely informs my decision about what car to get. I'm still leaning towards a Miata, but the Fit keeps looking better because I can carry almost everything I need.  

Does anyone else have any advice to share about apartment living?

Rolling box: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-28-in-Mobile-Job-Box-249646/314983861

Top box: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-22-in-7-Compartment-Pro-Gear-Small-Parts-Organizer-Black-2-Pack-221735X2/321032271

Tool list (from what I can remember, I'm out of state for work at the moment)
Rolling box: 

• 2 ton jack
• 3/8 ratchet + socket set
• jackstand
• torque wrench
• M12 air compressor (not pictured)
• ratchet strap
• brake bleeding bottle

Top box: 

• Track pads
• assorted impact sockets
• 19mm impact socket
• impact gun
• flare wrenches
• gloves
• digital tread depth caliper
• brake pad depth tool
• caliper hangers
• brake piston spreader
• Syl-glide 
• CRC brake disc quiet

This has been enough for me to get by track days quite well. The footprint is quite small and can tuck away in a corner. I personally wouldn't store a jack vertically but you absolutely could stack it vertically to save square footage in the X/Y plane. 

Tires sit stacked next to it, covered with: https://www.kurgo.com/automotive-accessories/seasonal-tire-tote-4-pack

and: https://www.amazon.com/Heininger-5392-Large-GarageMate-TireHide/dp/B00XXO86Y2/ref=sr_1_8?c=ts&keywords=Tire+Covers&qid=1661912031&s=automotive&sr=1-8&ts_id=15706681

Crazy idea:

Buy a small enclosed trailer and a hell of a lock system/GPS. Put everything in the small trailer. I'm picturing something like the Hot Rod Drag Week guys tow. Boom, instant storage unit. This depends on the apartment giving you two parking spaces though.

I did this in the DC metro area about four years ago, was tired of living far away from all of the fun (i.e. far from the city) so made some life changes and pulled the cord. It's been fantastic so far. I had to make a few concessions and changes in approach but it's worked out, and I W2W race while living in Washington DC proper.

Sold my open trailer and bought a 20' enclosed. I had to use a storage lot for the open so it was not a big deal to pay a little more for a longer parking space and put the enclosed there instead.

I emptied everything relevant from my one-car garage into the enclosed trailer. I have a whole rolling tool chest in there, a second set of tires on the wall, and a decent amount of spare parts in the v-nose. The car lives in the trailer full-time. I have insurance on the whole setup and it's in a gated, secured lot. 

I accepted the fact that if I wanted to DIY anything on the BMW, I would be taking it to a friend's place. I also don't get a ton of pleasure of wrenching - I would rather drive - so I mostly use a race shop for all off-season maintenance and repairs. Small stuff like brake pad swaps can be done at the track pretty quickly. It hurt paying for labor but the work is always done right the first time and the car is more reliable as a result... aka more track time, less scrambling to fix stuff. 

My daily is a Cayenne that is a city-friendly size but can still tow the trailer. Easy to parallel park (though I have an off-street spot at my place) and whip around vs a half-ton truck or Suburban or whatnot.

Autocross, by comparison, seems pretty simple unless you have a need or desire to wrench on the car yourself. 

Duckzero said:

Sorry about reviving this thread, but I'm definitely in the apartment living + want to have a track car state of mind right now. It's a bit of a challenge because I'd have to pay for extra parking (moving my car around every few hours would be brutal), and I don't have the space for too many tools. I can store some in my apartment in the office or on the deck, so that's nice. Tires? Probably not. Also, living in an apartment definitely informs my decision about what car to get. I'm still leaning towards a Miata, but the Fit keeps looking better because I can carry almost everything I need.  

Does anyone else have any advice to share about apartment living?

I'm very space-limited these days and you do want a car that can self-haul equipment to the track and does it all on one set of tires. A Miata's limited cargo capacity might get in the way of the first goal, but if you never take a passenger to the track and jam stuff in the passenger seat instead you just might be able to pull it off. A Fit should have plenty of space, probably more than enough. My Toyobaru already has more than enough space for the stuff I would haul to an event including one full-size spare. Driving it to the Challenge this year with actual luggage on top of that may push it to its limits.

Also be prepared to store stuff in weird places compared to where you might've put them if you had a garage. I store spare tires and winter wheels under a table in a laundry/utility room. They may also fit under a bed and won't smell if you bag them properly...

This is a ton of good info. I'm in the process of shrinking my video game collection down so I can make some room for the stuff in my apartment. It's taking some time of course. I also noticed a few of my neighbors keep a few things in their parking spaces, so I might try that. I'll have to lock it down somehow as there's a lot of theft in my neighborhood. I'll update the thread later when I get a little closer to the goal!

My extra set lives on one of these:

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-9528/Brute-Trash-Cans-and-Accessories/Rubbermaid-Brute-Construction-Dolly

One 200tw set lives on the car and another 200tw set on the spares.

The big stuff lives in the car: jack, stands, helmet, hat, air pump. I use a small duffle bag for pricier stuff like racecapture and GoPro, also water bottles, also the little stuff like endlinks and clips. The bag comes home with me. Sometimes I lug a tire sprayer around. At the event, I make a huge pile and cover it with my floor mats. Anything I don't use regularly goes in the closet. Car is a Miata, never have room for passengers. Works well for me but I don't daily drive it.

GameboyRMH said:

Also be prepared to store stuff in weird places compared to where you might've put them if you had a garage. I store spare tires and winter wheels under a table in a laundry/utility room. They may also fit under a bed and won't smell if you bag them properly...

Worth mentioning, if you're apartment-hunting as I was recently - consider closet space and layout carefully, more than others might! I have a good-sized coat closet that will fit a set of tires, maybe two if I am careful. There's a power outlet in my laundry/utility closet so I could charge tools and keep a battery tender in there. Those sorts of things let you keep plenty of track/autocross stuff stored at home without becoming surprise decor.

Speaking of using enclosed trailers...

If someone tried my trailer, they would be disappointed, it's got a load of old furniture destined for the landfill right now and is usually empty or has a spare mower stored in there. This is funny because I still have probably the best trailer security in my neighborhood.

I wanted to make it harder to steal, as there have been a few trailer thefts in my area recently. I got these for the doors. 

https://www.paclock.com/products/ucs_81a/

And some of their other stuff for the trailer. All on one key, which is nice.  Got clued into them by the "lock picking lawyer" on YouTube.  Not perfect, but the practical middle ground. Would take a skilled picker and is more difficult to cut off.

I think my next belt and suspenders is to get a boot for the trailer wheel. 

I've been living in various apartments and enjoying grassroot motorsports for nigh on a decade now. A few thoughts...

- One underrated perk of living in an apartment downtown is that you may be able to walk, bike or take transit for regular trips, and thus you may not need a car that is commute-friendly. You are freed from the drudgery of commuting and get to choose a car based on the fun stuff you want to do!

-  Limited space does kind of discourage having a car that is too much of a project. For a long time I had only an E30 or only a Miata, and while they were both fantastic, the need for upkeep on a 30-year-old BMW or the desire to modify the Miata and supplement it with a larger more practical car were too great. Versatility + reliability are the name of the game. I have ended up with a BRZ, though it pretty much let me down immediately on the reliability front...

- If you don't have a huge commute, high-performance tires are fine for regular use. RS4s especially so. Had a set of Continental ECS on the E30 that were great for cross-country drives, extremely fun for autocross (if not super competitive) and pretty okay for trackdays. 

- Apartments with separate storage areas are a godsend. These should be more common in larger buildings. I have a lock-up area downstairs that can accommodate several sets of tires. Conversely, smaller buildings with independent landlords may be more flexible in terms of creative storage arrangements.

- Local venues may offer storage of varying quality/cost. A trackside garage is a bit rich for my blood but they didn't seem to mind a few ice-racers mouldering in a nearby field...

- Wrenching becomes a social occasion by necessity when you can't do it at home! You'll make great friends with people who have tools & garages.

- Consider limited space an opportunity to practice tidiness in your gear inventory. I've got everything neatly packed into trackday/autoX box that lives in my trunk but can easily be brought inside and stuck in a closet if need be.  Currently it's a big Rubbermaid bin though the kit in hunter47's earlier post would be a nice upgrade.

- Duckzero mentioned a Fit. I have also put some thought into these considering the popularity of the Sundae Cup at Gridlife events. Depending on your location they may be a good choice! A Miata obviously is fantastic, but also depends on having a relatable group you can run with. I found that Miata-oriented groups tend to do wheel-to-wheel whereas HPDE events tend to have varieties of cars that are on the whole dramatically faster than a stock-ish Miata. If these are not issues for you, Miata may indeed be the answer.

It's been a little over a year and I wanted to update everyone on how things went!

I picked up a 1994 Miata and got a killer deal on it. Super happy about it. Because I bought it in WA, I would fly up to WA to work on it now and then (I'm thankful my friend let me keep it in her garage until I was ready to drive it down to CA) and spent a lot of time getting it ready for the long trip. The timing belt, water pump, belts, hoses, a roll bar, and more. Nothing too wild! 

Back in CA, I got a second parking spot in my secured garage a few months ago, a bunch of tools, and more in preparation for it being parked there. Unfortunately, there's no extra storage, nor can I store stuff in my spot. So, I cleared out enough space in my office to store a bunch of car/racing stuff. 

Sadly, three days after I made the trek from WA to CA, someone tried to steal it from the garage at night. Thankfully, I got the worst thieves. Unfortunately, they broke off a bunch of plastic and completely messed up the ignition system, the locks, the soft top, and more as they were pretty frustrated they couldn't take it. I got it towed to a Mazda-focused repair shop and she's back on the road! 

What is the point of the story? Collector(ish) car storage, at almost the same price as my parking spot in my apartment, has been the solution for apartment living + storing a sporty car. It's a lot less accessible, but way more safe. 

I'm looking forward to all the drives, autocross, and more that are in my future. I'll keep you all updated on how I manage two cars like this later on!