Jim and Carlos' attack on CA Hwy 33 (a nice Sunday drive)

[wolfswest]

car's steering is lighter w/o it.

Cool... to each their own. But I think you're a brave man. Mine already feels too light.

I'd say any of us that pilot a 40 year old + VW on the freeways of modern life deserve to be deemed "brave." I'm no different.

Like I've said earlier, my car isn't about measuring what it can do or can't do. You won't see me entering some cryptic 1/4 mile e.t. in my sig here. Nope what I am proud for is being able to go out to the garage about any time I want, and just look at the car for five minutes or so, thinking about all the stories it could tell, then to hop in, squirt the throttle a new stabs, fire it up and just sit and listen as it warms through. I enjoy feeling the way the engine strums the car a bit when it's first fired, and how it takes a few seconds for the Webers to "wake up" before that real crisp and instant throttle response comes around. As it comes to the first "stage" of getting up to temp, I'll hear the idle clean up just a bit, and it takes on this really "nervous" quality, you hear it more in the cam gears and valvetrain changing pitch than in the exhaust. It's so cool.
Anyway, just those first 5-10 minutes mean more to me than actually quantifying why I've done any of this silly stuff for the last 23+ years to this old box of bolts. Going on an epic 3-4 hr drive in the mountains, for me, must be like drugs for others. I may change something on the car, but it's all done in feel, not e.t., braking distances or lateral g.

Jim, love your stories.  please continue! 

Dem

[mg]

For those interested in vintage cars on great roads.

A few California non competitive/fun car rally’s are limited to 1975 and older cars
Allowing you to enjoy the roads and other vintage sports cars.
Most are held on weekdays when the back roads are empty.
Here's a report on a recent rally in Nor Cal.
http://fulviacam.phanfare.com/4338216

Great link to fun drives all across the USA.
It was good to see some of my favorites were not listed. 
If you prefer to keep close to Nick's here are a couple of routes.
http://www.lateralg.org/roads/orange/oc.htm

My favorite is the Targa California, starts right by Rattos home too.
Hope you guys can make it out there.
3 days and 900 miles on the best roads in Central Cal.
http://www.targacalifornia.com/

[Jim Ratto]

car's steering is lighter w/o it.

Cool... to each their own. But I think you're a brave man. Mine already feels too light.

I'd say any of us that pilot a 40 year old + VW on the freeways of modern life deserve to be deemed "brave." I'm no different.

Like I've said earlier, my car isn't about measuring what it can do or can't do. You won't see me entering some cryptic 1/4 mile e.t. in my sig here. Nope what I am proud for is being able to go out to the garage about any time I want, and just look at the car for five minutes or so, thinking about all the stories it could tell, then to hop in, squirt the throttle a new stabs, fire it up and just sit and listen as it warms through. I enjoy feeling the way the engine strums the car a bit when it's first fired, and how it takes a few seconds for the Webers to "wake up" before that real crisp and instant throttle response comes around. As it comes to the first "stage" of getting up to temp, I'll hear the idle clean up just a bit, and it takes on this really "nervous" quality, you hear it more in the cam gears and valvetrain changing pitch than in the exhaust. It's so cool.
Anyway, just those first 5-10 minutes mean more to me than actually quantifying why I've done any of this silly stuff for the last 23+ years to this old box of bolts. Going on an epic 3-4 hr drive in the mountains, for me, must be like drugs for others. I may change something on the car, but it's all done in feel, not e.t., braking distances or lateral g.

Jim, love your stories.  please continue! 

Dem

Hi Dem, thanks, and thank you for PM, sorry my setup won't allow me to reply. I did send you an email, though.

[Rennsurfer]

Jim, love your stories.  please continue! 

X2 on that.

[Jim Ratto]

Jim, love your stories.  please continue! 

X2 on that.

you guys kill me. 
I've been driving the spine of the Coast Range in CA for 20 years now. Some say it's not scenic, I tend to think otherwise. I do have some old stories I'll share some day.

[Rennsurfer]

I've been driving the spine of the Coast Range in CA for 20 years now. Some say it's not scenic, I tend to think otherwise. I do have some old stories I'll share some day.

Quoted so we can hold you to that.

 

Joking aside, you're right... many will say it's not scenic. I beg to differ. Been driving up and down the California coast since I got my license in '79. I can't get enough of those drives.

[mg]

Looking forward to hearing more Cal Look adventures.
I'm planning a drive, some roads new to me, has anyone here driven the 25?
A good reason to be in the area. 

Rennsport
22-24 October at Laguna.
http://www.early911sregistry.org/forum/showthread.php?t=31637