What happened to the Mulholland "King of the Hill" RSR?

[slodave]

I had a nice time tonight, thanks! It's funny how cold/cool it was on one end of Mulholland and how warm it was on the other. I spent time on Google Maps and verified that the road with the kink is Balboa Blvd. I tried to make a flyby, but couldn't figure it out.

Chris B., it was nice to see you and Jane again. I thought I could make that little "short cut" at Roscomare, because I was in the Toyota and did not have to slow to make the turn. I actually almost made it past the car that had been in front of me.

Jeff, it was nice to finally meet you. I am need of a couple more pair of Vans . The pair I had on are about to lose their soles. I also wear the complete opposite - a well worn pair of Tony Lama's, much like the pair of boots (could not tell the make) that Chris B. was wearing tonight.

Kevin, I'll have to drop by soon and disrupt your work for a bit

Derek, nice to see you again and good to see that you are getting your car sorted out. Consider the steel brake lines! You'll stop on less than a dime

Radu, glad to see you are getting your new-to-you car sorted out. I hope the throttle cable lasts this time! Niext time you have it out at night, please flip on the roof light. The car sounds good. We listened to it as you left Encino.

Chris, nice to see you again. I had been out all afternoon and did not realize you were coming out. I'm sure I'll see you again, one of these early Sunday mornings.

SteveB, it was nice to meet you tonight.

Jeff and Kevin, turns out the Ranger was not coming back down the hill. It was a regular car. I looked up the dirt road as I left and did not see the Ranger truck. I think he may have actually continued down dirt Mulholland. I thought I saw the glow of lights.

I'll try and bring my Targa next time, but don't really want things to get too conspicuous. The "urban camouflage" Toyota, blends into its surroundings really well. I will adjust my tire pressure though, I am religious with the 911, but flake on the daily driver

Till next time.... Fly low and avoid the radar!

Dave

[Banning]

Thanks to all who came out last night to enjoy a fantastic evening on Mulholland. We had a great time, the weather was awesome with a warm breeze blowing over Mulholland. Kevin remarked on how it seemed like stepping into the past last night. After some time talking cars and checking out Radu's new Racecar, we conducted a drive across Mulholland to Dirt Mul. We had a really fun blaze thru the hills. I was behind Radu and his car sounded throaty and fast.

We had more fun at the end of paved Mulholland talking about the drive, looking at the city lights and talking about Porsches and the like. I took some photos of the evening and when Pelican is fixed I will be able to post some. We got some fun group photos of Jeff, Radu, Kevin, Dave, Chris, Steve B on Mul, Derek, and myself on Mulholland in the dark.

[Jeff Hail]

Great to finally meet everyone!

It was C L A N D E S T I N E.........

Chris,
No matter what I do not think we will ever get over that feeling that Two Tone is close by even at our age. Keeps us on our heels and toes.

Next time we share a meal afterwards.........

[Jeff Hail]

Originally Posted by Banning

Thanks to all who came out last night to enjoy a fantastic evening on Mulholland. We had a great time, the weather was awesome with a warm breeze blowing over Mulholland. Kevin remarked on how it seemed like stepping into the past last night. After some time talking cars and checking out Radu's new Racecar, we conducted a drive across Mulholland to Dirt Mul. We had a really fun blaze thru the hills. I was behind Radu and his car sounded throaty and fast.

We had more fun at the end of paved Mulholland talking about the drive, looking at the city lights and talking about Porsches and the like. I took some photos of the evening and when Pelican is fixed I will be able to post some. We got some fun group photos of Jeff, Radu, Kevin, Dave, Chris, Steve B on Mul, Derek, and myself on Mulholland in the dark.

Better ps those plates to protect the innocent

[KevinP73]

[QUOTE=Banning;3395967] Kevin remarked on how it seemed like stepping into the past last night. QUOTE]
It really was a sort of deja vu moment for me. Driving up the frwy towards Laurel Canyon, the air was warm and calm with nothing on my mind 'cept hangin out with a couple buddies talking cars or whatever came up. Just like back in the day the only thing on my mind was " I've got plenty of gas, a little cash in pocket if the need arises and nowhere else I should be. No curfew, no accounting to anyone as to where I was or what I was doing." Damn I wish those days had never ended.

[Banning]

[QUOTE=KevinP73;3396129]

Originally Posted by Banning

Kevin remarked on how it seemed like stepping into the past last night. QUOTE]
It really was a sort of deja vu moment for me. Driving up the frwy towards Laurel Canyon, the air was warm and calm with nothing on my mind 'cept hangin out with a couple buddies talking cars or whatever came up. Just like back in the day the only thing on my mind was " I've got plenty of gas, a little cash in pocket if the need arises and nowhere else I should be. No curfew, no accounting to anyone as to where I was or what I was doing." Damn I wish those days had never ended.

HALLELUJAH BROTHER!!!

[flatspot]

Damn,
I was planning on coming up tonight. If I'd known I would have come last night.
Oh well, next time.
peace, Kiley

[gostraight]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hail

Better ps those plates to protect the innocent

What about me? ps my plates also!

[TWIN911]

Hello Chris,

Tell us more about raking the windshield on your car. It certainly looks great and I'm sure it does a good job on the wind resistance and wind noise. How does the raked windshield and lower roof impact your driving experience (is the windshield to close to your face), exit, entry to the car, etc. I guess this is one of those, would you do it again if you knew then what you know now, questions! Thanks, Brad

[lfot]

Good times... good times...

It made my night to see all the familiar faces I haven't seen in a while. Fun little escapade across the hills as well. Nice to finally meet Jeff. You have more stockpiled pics of Mul back in the day???

[mkaraoglan]

bummer guys. i just saw the thread. would have loved to have made it last night!
marc

[Banning]

Originally Posted by gostraight

What about me? ps my plates also!

Don't worry, those plates are so reflective with the camera flash, you can't see squat.

[nameisbauer]

Me too, too late. Next time!

[lfot]

Originally Posted by Banning

Don't worry, those plates are so reflective with the camera flash, you can't see squat.

Where are those pics?

[Banning]

Originally Posted by TWIN911

Hello Chris,

Tell us more about raking the windshield on your car. It certainly looks great and I'm sure it does a good job on the wind resistance and wind noise. How does the raked windshield and lower roof impact your driving experience (is the windshield to close to your face), exit, entry to the car, etc. I guess this is one of those, would you do it again if you knew then what you know now, questions! Thanks, Brad

Brad that's the first time someone ever asked me about how it felt to drive with the lowered Windshield...from the drivers standpoint. It feels like a 70's 911 of course, but the lower rake of the front glass does give it more of a cockpit sensation(jet plane-like). The front hood is not visible. Note that at about 150 mph the windshield begins to shutter a little bit(good cause for glass retainers).

This lower windshield rake combined with the side bars of the rollcage extending high on the sides makes entry and egress somewhat difficult. If you have bad back problems you probably won't make it. I had to put Recaro Sport Seats in the car so I could make it more driveable. With the Scheel Nomex full-wraparound deep racing buckets in the car, I found that you have to be a circus entertainer to get in and out. However, the lowered roof in my opinion looks elegant on the 911 Turbo body style. It makes the car unique especially with the custom T6 Alloy rollcage fitted to the special body. To answer your question, "I wouldn't change a thing". Thanks for your interest. Hope to see you on Mulholland someday.

[CRE]

The story below was sent to me by a good friend and customer. It was a heck of a lot of fun to read and I thought it appropriate to pass the story along.
Bob is the owner of Wheels America, a racer and a full on 'gear head'.

This is the same guy that put 4,000 miles in ONE week in this new Porsche one it arrived in the USA. I posted that story a week or so ago.

It's nice to know that in some places on this earth you're still allowed to hang it out there without offending the stiff-shirt population.

Here we go, fasten your seat belts.

Hello all, below is a bit I wrote about my most recent experience at the Nurburgring in Germany. Go there one day, seriously!

The gate arm moves up every few seconds, letting yet another car out. Put in the ticket, wait for the gate, then slowly creep out through the cones they have set up. Once you are past the cones, it is a free for all. Cars going everywhere, some fast, some slow, but all headed down the hill. The nice thing here is everyone passes on the left, always, no matter what. Motorcyles, Ferraris, Porsches, Peugeots, and even tour buses are all here all at the same all sharing the same piece of real estate. Apparently Germany doesn't have its own Ralph Nader, or a team of tort lawyers. This is truly gearhead nirvana....

I am at the famed Nurburgring, a road course that runs through the Eifel mountains in Western Germany. They run the place like a toll road, except you pay for each lap by going through this gate. It runs 12.7 miles, with 1000' of elevation change. Since I arrived here I have to pinch myself to remind me this is all real. Seems impossible such an incredible place could even exist...

Down the hill the Porsche 911 Turbo picks up speed, up to about 140 (mph). Brake on the uphill, then a hard right, a hard left, and a hard right again. Past the stands for Grand Prix track, then a hard left again. But this hard left is different. It's like the corkscrew at Laguna Seca, only it falls away and goes A LOT further. Then into a series of esses, and another downhill section like the corkscrew. This downhill section is really fast, and near the bottom I am hitting 150. I'm following an E36 BMW that is street legal but looks and acts a lot like a race car. There are many other cars on course, but they are street guys, cautious and hesitant. Of course, they are hesitant with good reason, the 'ring was built in 1927 long before the word "safety" and "motorsports" were mentioned in the same sentence. There is little to no runoff room, and there are guardrails everywhere. There is a little voice in my head saying that a new Porsche Turbo has no business being driven on the edge, after all, how will I get back to the hotel if I ball this thing up? But the louder, racer voice says there is a very fast E36 in front of me, and we have passed everyone, and he can help me learn the track, so stay with him..

At the bottom, the E36 is still flying, and we hit an uphill section. There is a touch of brake on the uphill, and at the top, his car flies up into the air at about 145, and literally flies over the top of the hill for a soft landing on the very short section he is now on. My jaw drops open because in all my years of racing I have never seen a car doing 140 fly 8 inches up into the air before. Since I am a few car lengths behind, my car does the same thing. I now know exactly what it feels like to have a brand new car airborne. The landing is a lot softer than I thought it would be. The E36 lands and then turns into a very fast sweeping right hander. The first few times I went through here I thought this was a brake zone. Turns out only the wimps brake here, those who have balls nail it and head for the fast section past this corner. Once we are around, the 'ring has a meandering section that is not straight, but it is flat out. Again, we are going downhill. Going so fast in fact that the Porsche now hits 165mph. Past the motorcycles, past the buses, past the Puegeots, and past all the street car guys that are smarter and more cautios than we are...

I'd write about the rest of the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife track, but I am afraid that so far I have only covered a couple of the 12.7 miles than this track goes. Suffice it to say that the rest of the place is every bit as good as what I've covered.

Saying the 'ring is a road course is like saying the Sistine Chapel is just a church. I certainly don't have the words to do this place justice. Take the ballsiest, best road course you have ever been on, and multiply by 20. Add to that the fact that there is no runoff, and it takes many laps just to know where to turn, and you have a truly magical place. It has over 1000' of elevation change. Much of the course is blind. And it is fast. Very, very fast. By far the fastest track I have ever been on. Makes Road America look like an auto cross course.

The Germans are pretty cool about this place too. It costs 20 Euro a lap ($30 approx), and there are effectively little rules. No helmets, no drivers suits, no gloves, no car numbers, no corner workers. Pass on the left. Watch out for motorbikes. And no temporary plates, so that no race cars are allowed on course. Of course I have never seen so many race cars with permanent plates as I saw at the 'ring. My own car had temporary plates, but a very kind Dutch friend helped out with some permanent Dutch plates, so I had no issues. Last time I was here in 05 I had temporary plates, but they went unnoticed.

If you are a gearhead, you HAVE to go to this place. The rush is like no other. I did 30 laps, but to get good here you would need at least 100. It took 30 laps to get to where I would be after 3 laps on a regular course. Anyone who can be fast here is very, very talented. In addition to being the fastest, most fun track I have ever been on, it is also the most challenging.

I had an additonal 9 days in Europe in the new car, touring Spain. It was great of course, but nothing compares to the 'ring.

If you are going to buy a new European car, do yourself a favor and take the Euro delivery and spend a few days at the 'ring. Me, I could spend my retirement there...

Bob Stretch
Wheels America
Dallas TX
469-337-3409

[Banning]

Originally Posted by lfot

Where are those pics?

Pelican still down and unable to download pics yet.

[porcupine911]

Originally Posted by CRE

...It's nice to know that in some places on this earth you're still allowed to hang it out there without offending the stiff-shirt population.

i'm driving it in september!

[TWIN911]

Hello Chris,

Thanks for the info! You learn a lot on this BBS. I've always thought taking a targa to your configuration wouldn't be that difficult with the fg targa/cab to coupe roofs available today. And yes, I'd love to get down south and do the "drive". Thanks again. Brad

[lfot]

Pics seem to be working now.
So here's my Corolla as I "dream" of it one day being.