2024 October Akatarawa Challenge Gravel hillclimb

First outing for the refreshed (but still stock) 4age.
Taller springs today too, so getting used to the handling.
Thanks to Levin Car Club for putting on a great day.
Thumbnail photo by Graeme Swan.

[@Aeghf]

Your living my dream. I can't wait to finally work on my own car and take it onto dirt tracks like that. You did great out there! Must've been a whole lot of fun.

[@russbowlus]

Launching in 1st or 2nd gear?

[@leonismyname6573]

Yes....*
It's a TRD close ratio gearset, so first gear is extremely high. Then it's running a Starlet diff ratio, to try to make the car somewhat acceptable to drive to events.
But that has still translated into 4200rpm in top gear at 100kph (62mph). Which sucks. So really I should have just kept the shorter Corolla diff ratio, and gotten a more useful first gear.
Currently my first tops out at something like 70kph, which is why you can see me repeatedly going back to first gear in the last year and a bit worth of videos.