Recent Posts

1

General Kappa Discussion / Re: V8 Solstice - Jay Leno and the Kappa design manager

« Last post by Steelmesh on August 27, 2026, 12:04:30 PM »

Saw that, Jay was wondering if Mallett was still out there and said he would check.  Sounds like he might be interested in an addition to his stable.

Yeah, Jay asked a few times about it, he was digging it!

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General Kappa Discussion / Re: V8 Solstice - Jay Leno and the Kappa design manager

« Last post by Sly Bob on August 26, 2026, 08:17:48 PM »

Wasn't Mallett the one that went bankrupt overnight and a few people's cars got seized by the people who owned the building he wasn't paying rent on?

I believe it was. Great video Steelmesh, I hadn't seen that.

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General Kappa Discussion / Re: V8 Solstice - Jay Leno and the Kappa design manager

« Last post by Sol Asylum on August 26, 2026, 01:12:33 PM »

Wasn't Mallett the one that went bankrupt overnight and a few people's cars got seized by the people who owned the building he wasn't paying rent on?

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General Kappa Discussion / Re: V8 Solstice - Jay Leno and the Kappa design manager

« Last post by Critterman on August 26, 2026, 12:10:28 PM »

Saw that, Jay was wondering if Mallett was still out there and said he would check.  Sounds like he might be interested in an addition to his stable.

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General Kappa Discussion / V8 Solstice - Jay Leno and the Kappa design manager

« Last post by Steelmesh on August 26, 2026, 11:40:37 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4ApeGfxDg

Before he designed the Tesla Model S, Cybertruck, Model X, and Model Y, Franz von Holzhausen penned the iconic shape of the Pontiac Solstice! But what happens when the factory 4-cylinder is swapped for a 400-horsepower Corvette V8?

In this week's episode, Jay Leno welcomes Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen to show off his personal 2006 Pontiac Solstice Mallett V8. Originally built during a top-secret General Motors design contest pushed by legend Bob Lutz to reinvigorate the Pontiac brand, the Solstice was GM's answer to an affordable, pure American sports car.

After losing his original Solstice in a California wildfire, Franz replaced it with this ultra-clean Mallett V8 conversion. Featuring a 400HP LS2 engine out of a Corvette, upgraded suspension, heavy-duty brakes, and 19/20-inch staggered wheels, this 2,800-pound roadster is basically a Corvette in a lightweight Miata-sized package!

Watch Jay and Franz hit the road to talk about GM secret design rooms, parts-bin engineering, door handle struggles, and the raw roar of a V8-swapped roadster!

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2.4L Ecotec Engines / Re: Twincharged Solstice = Turbocharger + Supercharger

« Last post by Steelmesh on August 24, 2026, 11:58:07 AM »

Thanks guys!  I'm slacking on the pictures, sometimes that helps 

The ID 1050 injectors are installed, was not as easy to calibrate as I thought with the start up, warm up and general fueling being lean or rich. Could be showing deficiencies in the old deka 80 lbs, or possibly it's the lack of injector settings in the ecumaster 2.175 software to properly characterize injectors.  Now at WOT we're down to about 73% duty cycle, where the 80lbs were 93%.

I'm ready to hit an autocross with it and continue dialing in the calibration.  There is an upcoming autocross "Back to the Bank" at the Michigan International Speedway with the Detroit Region.  I haven't been there ever for an autocross so have been planning to go, however last Friday night I looked up to register, and found out 9 people on the waiting list ahead of me.  Hoping they let us in!

7

Racing / Re: Let's Talk F1

« Last post by Critterman on August 23, 2026, 01:26:42 PM »

Netherlands report.  Sprint race was a snooze fest, a case of follow the leader for 25 laps.


2026 F1 Dutch Grand Prix ? Sprint Race Results
George Russell won the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix sprint at Zandvoort, converting pole into a third sprint victory of the season.

Race Summary
The 24-lap sprint at Zandvoort was run in dry conditions despite a rain threat. Russell, starting from pole, led into Turn 1 ahead of Lando Norris and quickly pulled away before settling into a comfortable lead Norris stayed close in second until Lap 18, when Charles Leclerc, on a soft tyre strategy, overtook him to take the runner-up spot

Final Classification
George Russell (GBR) ? Mercedes ? 30:25.318 ? 8 points
Charles Leclerc (MON) ? Ferrari ? +1.360s ? 7 points
Lando Norris (GBR) ? McLaren ? +5.196s ? 6 points
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA) ? Mercedes ? +5.581s ? 5 points
Oscar Piastri (AUS) ? McLaren ? +10.185s ? 4 points
Max Verstappen (NED) ? Red Bull ? +10.529s ? 3 points
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) ? Ferrari ? +12.188s ? 2 points
Pierre Gasly (FRA) ? Alpine ? +42.510s ? 1 point

Today's main race, started with a lot of excitement until the red flag.  Then it was a 50 laps of nothing.  The last 24 laps were interesting.

Formula 1 completed its first weekend back after the break at the Dutch Grand Prix. Saturday delivered plenty of excitement with the sprint race and then qualifying, in which Lando Norris (McLaren) secured pole position.  Norris, despite some difficulties, won Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix and managed to earn 25 points in Zandvoort.  The stands, which were almost entirely behind hometown favorite Max Verstappen, did not leave with smiles on their faces, as the Red Bull star made an early exit. The Dutchman lost control at the end of the first lap and crashed into the barriers, ending his chances. Liam Lawson, his temporary teammate due to Isack Hadjar's absence, finished seventh.  With the victory, Norris closes the gap in the World Championship and moves closer to Kimi Antonelli. Although the Italian, who finished second, still holds a significant advantage, McLaren's strong performance suggests that the end of the 2026 season could be thrilling.

Interesting tidbit from Red Bull

Red Bull Racing will run Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix after Isack Hadjar was ruled out due to a wrist injury sustained during the summer shutdown

Reason for Change - Hadjar, who was in the points and sitting eighth in the championship, suffered the injury while training (reports suggest either boxing or a gym session) Medical advice has him rest for the weekend, and Red Bull confirmed he will not race at Zandvoort

Replacement - Lawson, a former Red Bull driver who was dropped after just two races in 2025, has been promoted from Racing Bulls to partner Verstappen in the RB22  He has had a strong 2026 season with Racing Bulls, earning multiple points finishes

Impact on Racing Bulls - With Lawson moving up, Yuki Tsunoda will return to Racing Bulls for the Sprint weekend, partnering rookie Arvid Lindblad  Tsunoda, who lost his full-time seat at Red Bull at the end of 2025, is now back in race action for the first time in 2026

8

News / Re: California need I say more

« Last post by Sol Asylum on August 22, 2026, 02:03:13 PM »

And that's at CA fuel prices so it's not a lot of fuel.  Which you probably burn more of because of traffic jams in CA.  Wonder how many tax dollar were wasted setting up the commission that sets this standard.

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News / Re: California need I say more

« Last post by Critterman on August 22, 2026, 12:49:37 PM »

So you save 176 dollars over the lifetime of the tires that cost you 250-300 dollars more a set.

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News / Re: California need I say more

« Last post by Sol Asylum on August 21, 2026, 12:55:07 AM »

Most performance tires are grippy so rolling resistance is probably a bit high.  Guessing they'll be banned. 

If they were really worried about consumer finances they could have just lowered taxes on gas.

If I had to drive to another state to buy tires I would have a look at some houses too.