My 510 is heading back home

[Derek]

Like the topic suggests, my 510 is heading back to it's roots -- the SF bay area, and I'm going with it.

Starting a new job as a Systems Engineer at a robotics companyin Menlo Park, CA on January 2nd. It is all really exciting, and it will be great to be getting a pay check again.

So, this is a sort of goodbye to the BC people and a hello to the Bay area types.

In other good news, I will be signing my car up for Targa Newfoundland 2007, and over the next 10 months I will be posting about the preperation of my car for that event.

I would love to hear some suggestions for shops in the Bay area that I should look into. I will need mostly cage and chassis strengthening, along with some skid plates and whatnot. I would love to have Byron do my cage before I leave, but the timing just isn't going to work -- since I need to drive down there in 2 1/2 weeks (and my car isn't running!!). I know DGR is down there as well as Troy Ermish, who has had a hand in my car before I owned it)

I do plan on getting some other work done on the car before I go -- the final piece of my motor, my built DAMB equipped A87 will be going on (gotta call Andy first thing tomorrow morning), and I will also be getting my Doug Thorley header ceramic coated and installed with a full 2 1/4" stainless steel exhaust, hopefully at Kinetic Motorsports in Port Kells.

In bad news, while I was away in Central America (Most of Novemeber), someone tried to hot wire my 510, and pulled all the wires from behind my ignition, so that needs to get sorted out -- along with an arms length list of other odds and ends that I will take care of.

Anyway, I hope to see most of you local 510 dudes before I leave -- maybe we could do a last minute go-kart night next week or something?

Exciting times!!!

Derek.

[vgwagon]

Congratulations Derek.
Good luck with the new job, hopefully you will settle in quickly and make some good friends down there.
How long do you think you will stay down there?
Did your GF get a job down there also?
Sorry to hear about your car, I hate those surprises after all that work some dick wants it for a joy ride....morons....go steal a honda or something right?
Anyway, keep posting and don't be a stranger.
Denis

[Derek]

Thanks for the note Denis. I figure we'll be there for a few years, until it is time to become parents. My GF is now looking for a job, since she can't join me until she has one.

Now I am trying to figure out how to get my car and stuff down there. Renting the smallest Uhaul van available and towing my 510 will probably cost $1000. It would be cheaper to put a hitch on the 510 and tow a little rental trailer, but I would hate to have it break down in the middle of nowhere, and I imagine the Uhaul guys might has some issues with my "tow vehicle"....

[jason]

Sorry to see you go off, but, better opportunities await you I think Derek. Why don't you just drive down taking what you can and ship the rest surface freight? Good luck to you and the GF, she shouldn't have any trouble finding work down there too!

[Derek]

Looking into surface frieght. I got a quote from UPS frieght of $700 to ship 500lbs of stuff. I might just take what fits in my car and then get the rest when my gf moves down, or keep bringing stuff each time I fly. I will miss my toolbox though..

I am not totally confident in my 510 at the moment, as my megasquirt has only a few days of run time on it, and I will be running a brand new cylinder head. Towing the car would be the safest option IMO

[jason]

I've rented one way U-Haul car trailers for $110 from Seattle to Vancouver Derek, I'd imagine one way to SF would be pricey and you need the haul vehicle too. In the end, perhaps the way to go is to go minimal with the winter car until the GF is ready and then do it that way? You could then move the old tool set down too.

[Byron510]

It's a shame that we'll loose you from the area Derek, but I know what you mean about finding opportunities else where. It's just too damn expensive to live in the Lower Mainland anymore. I make good money, yet I can barely afford it. It's a shame for the younger guys like us; it's hard to get established without outside help from family. Even though the unemployment is as low as it's ever been in Vancouver (the only ones left not working are those who won't work in the first place), opportunities with good wages for the area are still few and far between. You no doubt made a good choice. I hope it all works out for you in the Bay area. It's beautiful down there, and the culture is nearly as laid back as here. All my best.
Byron

[vgwagon]

I highly doubt the bay area is any cheaper than the lower mainland.

[Derek]

Hi Byron.

It will be sad to see the city and the people go, but we're at a great time in our life with nothing holding us back from moving and we were both feeling the call of a foreign city. When it is time to have a kid, we'll be back in Canada (Vancouver or Toronto).

I had a lot of trouble finding the type of work I was interested in in Vancouver, mostly for lack of connections I think. I probably applied for 30 jobs through Monster.ca and other sites and got only a single reply (from a firm in NYC no less). Strangely enough, I had way more connections in SF (due to my Battlebots past), and connections are what landed me the job.

As for the money, thankfully it is paying well as SF (as DEnis said) is even MORE expensive than Vancouver (a nice 800 square foot apartment can set you back $2K a month!).

Jason -- are you suggesting I leave the 510 behind for her to drive in the Vancouver winter when I could take it to California right away and start enjoying the fruits of the area (Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, Sears Point)? That's crazy talk!

[jason]

Hi Derek, well, that is true, she would get to drive the 510! Mind, I think that your 510 would do fine for the trip down. Prices in SF are stupid, think of it as the US's answer to Vancouver, actually now that I think about most cities in CA are pretty bad still. On the other hand, youre in Virgin 510 territory, think of the pickings to be had there! You're going to have to post up pictures and videos for us Derek, some of us don't get to get out much !

[vgwagon]

Oh and I forget something....make sure you save us northern folks some parts!
Maybe you will be privy to some stuff and can buy and sell to us less fortunate...haha.
You will miss Vancouver but I think san fran is a pretty good replacement..just gonna have to make due without mountains and ice rinks.

[duke]

Welcome to the Bay Derek! I live about an hour north of San Francisco, and it really is a beautiful area...but defineatly expensive in the housing department, but it sounds like you have landed a good job here so it shouldn't be to bad. In regards to local shops I have heard good and bad things about both Troy and DGR. I would have to say that for a cage I would go to Troy first, as it seems like he has done alot more cages than Dan at DGR, but they are both pretty well known around here for doing good work. I hope to meet you at some local Datsun events in the near future and good luck with the trip.

[5teN]

Hey Derek,

It is good to hear you have found a job that suits you! I'm sure you'll enjoy the Bay area - just think, no more rusting 510! Not to mention all the race tracks - do you ever see the videos An posts up on the UBCSCC website from his track days?

Anyways, I'm almost done exams and will be downtown drinking a lot very soon (been a rough semester), if you want to meet up and grab a beer let me know (or boarding @ cypress Friday? You wont be able to do that for awhile!!)

HAH - I'm just on the phone for some software customer sales support (on hold) and they keep repeating "sorry, all our engineers are currently busy". Fuck, why have I (and you) wasted all this time the last few years?!?!

Spencer

[supersportsedan]

Derek, Congratulations on landing an exciting job in Cali... I'm sure you'll have fun and make some mad cheddar while you're at it. It is too bad we didn't get to see you on one of our recent cruises, but I'm sure there will be time for that in the future. If you want to do some karting at TBC, I can set it up. What day/night is good for you?

[bertvorgon]

Yah, congrats, I will have to follow your injection project on-line. Crazy there was nothing in Vancouver, silly world sometimes.