What happened to the Mulholland "King of the Hill" RSR? - Page 47

Jeff Hail · 04-06-2007, 08:40 AM

I used to hide backed in lights off about 75 yards north on Dixie off Mulholland. Sometimes with friends or by myself playing cat and mouse with the cops or other cars.

I did this for years. As you well know when you spend that kind of time up on Mul you become familiar with the surroundings. Especially when you keep seeing the same cars over and over in a certain location . Besides your silver car I also remember your white 911.

Every once in a while I would see lights coming like a bat out hell down the S Straight. The car would vanish west of the blind kink at the end of straight with lights out. The Dixie vantage point was like having front row seats to behind the scenes.

Anyway funny thing is I remember on quite a few occasions two cars would come down the S Straight at speed and the lead car would disappear leaving the other solo as it entered the identicals. I witnessed this a few times. Had to laugh thinking the other driver must have thought he was chasing a ghost.

Banning · 04-06-2007, 10:40 AM

Thanks Jeff, I'm still laughing too.

Banning · 04-06-2007, 11:02 AM

Speaking of a good laugh, imagine you are living off Mulholland Dr. at the top or bottom of a steep hillside, with a dirt driveway? What do you do if you still want to drive a Testarossa? Check out this little puppy below. Gauranteed to get looks.

TRE Cup · TRE Cup's Garage

what is the item # on e bay for that testa-tank ?

Banning · 04-06-2007, 01:52 PM

It's in the four wheel drive section.

TRE Cup · TRE Cup's Garage

wouldn't it be in the 4 x 4 x 4 section? or don't all those wheels drive power thru?
inquiring minds want to know

Banning · 04-06-2007, 03:58 PM

What if all the wheel are driven and it's a 9x9?

Banning · 04-06-2007, 04:03 PM

Actually if they are all driven wouldn't it be a 18x18? Two wheels are not on the ground but probably drive it, so maybe it should be a 14x18. What do you think?

TRE Cup · TRE Cup's Garage

i missed math that day in school !

Pat_in_L.A. · 04-06-2007, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TRE Cup
... don't all those wheels drive power thru?
inquiring minds want to know

There are no wheels there. There are idlers, and sprockets drive the tracks. A grease gun is used to adjust the chain tension, which varies on the terrain. For Mulholland, I'd say a medium to loose track adjustment would apply..

TRE Cup · TRE Cup's Garage

aha! thank you pat
so two drive sprockets , presumably at the rear where the power plant is?
i think this one could expand grandstands so we had enough space to pit again!

Jeff Hail · 04-06-2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TRE Cup
aha! thank you pat
so two drive sprockets , presumably at the rear where the power plant is?
i think this one could expand grandstands so we had enough space to pit again!

Standard options include the REDHEAD SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE for the Mulhollarosa All Terrain Vehicle (MATV). A Mil-Spec 1300 horsepower Lycoming Textron gas turbine engine along with the more powerful Modena R-Spec 1500 horsepower option is available. Coupled to an Allison hydrokenetic transmission with four forward and two reverse gears. It's tactical crusing range is approximately 275 miles. Excelleration is a whopping 0-20 mph in 7 seconds at 0.6 mpg. (your mileage may vary)

Not even a Buick can get in its way.....

I was bored

Banning · 04-06-2007, 08:10 PM

Nice graphic Jeff.

LateBrakeU2 · 08:41 PM

Who else lurking on here got arrested on Mulholland April 6th 1977?
Thirty years ago tonight

It was a typical evening, think it was a wednesday(the two offical nights were wed and friday,but seven days a week for three years also worked for me)place was packed..a buddy of mine in his 390 AMX was making a pass,Next thing you know there were cops coming out of the woodwork.Some were actually hiding in the bushes behind grandstands..rat bastards must have been crouching there since daylight and it was past 10pm.

Everybody went to the Wilcox hotel-probably 30-40 people total.We all got charged with aiding and abeting a speed contest.just so happens it was the two of my buddies in that AMX were the contest(actually contesting the road I guess as Jimmy was on a solo pass) The two klink cops from NO HO DIV that were in charge of the "raid" managed to switch the F.I. cards on my freinds in the hero car and they charge my other buddy(who had never been up there before that night) who was riding shotgun as the driver.But wait it gets better-by the time my freind who was now the smoking gun gets booked at hollywood station the clock strikes twelve-it's his birthday and he gets charged as an adult.He was not the only guy who's birthday was that night either,but i'll let him ad his own perspective.So of course I get hauled in,along with a girlfreind and boy did that spell the kiss of death with her mom,lol

They dropped all the charges on everyone-except of course my birthday buddy who was still named as the driver( the two cops in charge refused to set the record straight even after several witnesses told them they had it backwards) and he had to hire a Robert Shapiro level atty to get it reduced to misdemeanor.

Seceral years later he got the last laugh though,as those same two cops got busted in a big burglary sting in the valley.Seems they retired from the force, opened a residential security company for high end clients,and were caught relieving their clients of jewels and such when they were out of town.lol

I had dinner tonight with that same freind-his mom was our den mother in cub scouts.I asked him if he wanted to head up there tommorrow night and ditch a few of LA 's finest on his thirty year anni of adulthood-he took a pass

Jeff Hail · 04-06-2007, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LateBrakeU2
Who else lurking on here got arrested on Mulholland April 6th 1977?
Thirty years ago tonight

It was a typical evening, think it was a wednesday(the two offical nights were wed and friday,but seven days a week for three years also worked for me)place was packed..a buddy of mine in his 390 AMX was making a pass,Next thing you know there were cops coming out of the woodwork.Some were actually hiding in the bushes behind grandstands..rat bastards must have been crouching there since daylight and it was past 10pm.

Everybody went to the Wilcox hotel-probably 30-40 people total.We all got charged with aiding and abeting a speed contest.just so happens it was the two of my buddies in that AMX were the contest(actually contesting the road I guess as Jimmy was on a solo pass) The two klink cops from NO HO DIV that were in charge of the "raid" managed to switch the F.I. cards on my freinds in the hero car and they charge my other buddy(who had never been up there before that night) who was riding shotgun as the driver.But wait it gets better-by the time my freind who was now the smoking gun gets booked at hollywood station the clock strikes twelve-it's his birthday and he gets charged as an adult.He was not the only guy who's birthday was that night either,but i'll let him ad his own perspective.So of course I get hauled in,along with a girlfreind and boy did that spell the kiss of death with her mom,lol

They dropped all the charges on everyone-except of course my birthday buddy who was still named as the driver( the two cops in charge refused to set the record straight even after several witnesses told them they had it backwards) and he had to hire a Robert Shapiro level atty to get it reduced to misdemeanor.

Seceral years later he got the last laugh though,as those same two cops got busted in a big burglary sting in the valley.Seems they retired from the force, opened a residential security company for high end clients,and were caught relieving their clients of jewels and such when they were out of town.lol

I had dinner tonight with that same freind-his mom was our den mother in cub scouts.I asked him if he wanted to head up there tommorrow night and ditch a few of LA 's finest on his thirty year anni of adulthood-he took a pass

Fortunately I was not up that night. I heard about it a couple of days later from some buddies. The cops maintained a regular presence from that time up until 1980 then things got a little quieter again. That night in 77’ when the piper came scared a lot of people off. Many never returned and others were victims of circumstance- wrong place at the wrong time. Even as late as 1982 there were still smaller crowds that jammed Grandstands and Bowmont. Cars still lined the shoulder at Carl’s & Deadman’s bumper to bumper. Nothing like the earlier years though.

I learned a few things’s quickly- 1) wherever a group assembled on Mulholland the cops were soon to come. If you drove a car that appeared anything other than stock, didn’t get a moving violation you were eventually bound to go through a safety inspection with the prerequisite intimidation chat (lights, height, license plates, exhaust etc). 2) stay in the car and be prepared to leave at the first sign of trouble. 3) if the cops knew your car, your face or name it was a sure sign that time had run out. Maybe I was just lucky?

I felt sorry for anyone caught up in that round up. Most were just out having some fun. What was the harm in going up to the top of a hill and parking cars? I have always had a problem with that part of it. Mulholland has always been known for its wonderful vistas. Much of the gathering's were a social thing of sorts just to be there. A lot of people would cruise though and then go on their way. The hardcore racing crowd was a small part of the big picture on Mulholland. Mulholland was a right of passage in Los Angeles. We had a right to be there.

The dark side was the racing. If you got caught racing you paid the price of the game. That was understandable and we knew the risk. The golden rule was you better not get caught.

Our world changed overnight. We were outlaws.

Wish your friend a Happy Birthday from all of us.

(Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment (Ecclesiastes)

lfot · lfot's Garage

i love this thread.

Banning · 04-07-2007, 07:32 AM

Originally posted by Jeff Hail

Fortunately I was not up that night. I heard about it a couple of days later from some buddies. The cops maintained a regular presence from that time up until 1980 then things got a little quieter again. That night in 77’ when the piper came scared a lot of people off. Many never returned and others were victims of circumstance- wrong place at the wrong time. Even as late as 1982 there were still smaller crowds that jammed Grandstands and Bowmont. Cars still lined the shoulder at Carl’s & Deadman’s bumper to bumper. Nothing like the earlier years though.

I learned a few things’s quickly- 1) wherever a group assembled on Mulholland the cops were soon to come. If you drove a car that appeared anything other than stock, didn’t get a moving violation you were eventually bound to go through a safety inspection with the prerequisite intimidation chat (lights, height, license plates, exhaust etc). 2) stay in the car and be prepared to leave at the first sign of trouble. 3) if the cops knew your car, your face or name it was a sure sign that time had run out. Maybe I was just lucky?

I felt sorry for anyone caught up in that round up. Most were just out having some fun. What was the harm in going up to the top of a hill and parking cars? I have always had a problem with that part of it. Mulholland has always been known for its wonderful vistas. Much of the gathering's were a social thing of sorts just to be there. A lot of people would cruise though and then go on their way. The hardcore racing crowd was a small part of the big picture on Mulholland. Mulholland was a right of passage in Los Angeles. We had a right to be there.

The dark side was the racing. If you got caught racing you paid the price of the game. That was understandable and we knew the risk. The golden rule was you better not get caught.

Our world changed overnight. We were outlaws.

Wish your friend a Happy Birthday from all of us.

(Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment (Ecclesiastes)

__________________

Nice quote Jeff. I too was lucky to not be up on Mul that evening. As fortune would have it, that evening was my girlfriends b-day, so Leslie and I were out to dinner that night and to see "A Chorus Line" at the Schubert Theater. We had no idea until the next day that another type of Chorus Line was happening on Mulholland and at the Police Station.
Most of my friends were busted and the action really slowed down from that night on. It did pick up again later (in the 80's) as Jeff stated. This had happened before when the MRA and CRE was busted en masse. The action slowed down until more came in to fill the void and in time created a new group. MRA left, CRE filled in, CRE left, TVL stayed and ACR came in. ACR left, some time passed and another group came in. After many years of enjoying Mulholland the B$st-ards put up the No Parking Dusk til Dawn signs and that was the finale of congregating on Mul, almost. It still happens "clandestinely", to coin a phrase.

Banning · 04-07-2007, 08:22 AM

Just to clarify, these busts for the MRA, CRE, and ACR on Mulholland happened years apart from each other. Also the TVL (Turkeys Very Limited) group faded with the ACR. I only knew Jeff C. and Tony C.(not related) from the TVL. But Jeff C. was instrumental helping with his Police Scanner as he parked across from Grandstands every racing night. Jeff told me that the TVL was created because they were a new younger crowd that the CRE would not admit to their ranks. So they started another group concurrently with the CRE. To my knowledge this is the only time that this has happened on Mulholland. Tony C. has a younger brother that posts to this thread and he has lots of stories too. He works for the only CRE member that I know, TREcup. Isn't it a small world?

SSB · 07:42 PM

" Jeff told me that the TVL was created because they were a new younger crowd that the CRE would not admit to their ranks. "

There he goes again.
After the Hot Rod Magazine article of April '74 most everyone in CRE was actively racing in SCCA or helping someone racing in SCCA or working as corner workers in SCCA events. Though most of us could be found at Tiny Nalor's during the week, few "hung out" on the hill. It appears "We'd rather be Racing"

ps: CRE was never busted "en masse"

Banning · 04-07-2007, 04:29 PM

Way to go SSB, if you can tolerate the high temperature of racing it's great you did it and continue to do it. My hats off to anyone that turned their Mulholland experiences to propel them to track racing. Track racing is legitimate and professional and all of you guys deserve an applause, no kidding. It's all just for fun.