New Years Day Rgruppe

[rst73]

Happy New Years!

What a fantastic two days! Through Monsoon rains heading north on the 405 freeway, then landslide mud on PCH once the sun came out. A fantastic lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Geoffery's in Malibu (no James Bond this time). After lunch continuing up PCH to where the Santa Monica Mountains end, then turning back south on Hwy 101 to the West Lake Village Inn. Snacks and libations before dinner. Followed by and very fun dinner for eighteen at the hotel bistro. Our hosts Eade & Sheri Hopkinson, co-founder of the R Gruppe Freeman Thomas and his wife Renee, Dwane & Charlie Hyatt, Ray Crawford & his girlfriend Letti, Wil Sanchez and his girlfriend Valorie, SWB Sam Di Ciappo, Wayne Dempsey & his wife, and me and my wife Terrie. After dinner back to the Hopkinson's suite for wine, desert, Champagne, and ringing in the New Year with the Tonight Show, Jay Leno, and Motley Cru!
New Years Day Freeman leading us throught the morning mist over and throught the Santa Monica Mountains to the annual New Years Day drive that starts in Malibu. What a collection of cars! Lots of Porsches, 550 to GT2s and GT3s, Ferrari's new and old, a Blower Bentley, Lotus, Lancia, Vipers, Corvettes, vintage Chevys, Chryslers, Fords, and of course Batta's MG-Porsche.
We then meet up with several other Early 911S Registry and R Gruppe members. The drive started, heading north on PCH then up through the mountains stopping mid way for the traditional lental soup. After the soup finishing the drive on the famous Mulholand Drive.
Many many thanks to our hosts Eade Hopkinson and Freeman Thomas! For me the BEST New Years ever!!!!

All the best!
Roger Grago
R Gruppe #27
So Cal Chaptermeister

[MarkP]

Looks like a great time, thanks for posting!

[rst73]

Celebrity or not Jay Leno is genuinely very nice guy. And he DOES know cars VERY well! From European classics to Hot Rods, he is a hands on gear head of the first order. He took more than ten minutes explaining and showing Freeman and myself all the very trick things on his Toranado.
Here's a partial list, GM Racing Cadillac 425 cubic inch engine, twin turbo, twin intercooler, 1,050 HP!, the latest Corvette racing suspension, wheels each made from a 500 billet, and the list goes on and on. The fit and finish on everything is PERFECT and best of all it all looks correct. As Leno put it "A classic example of someone putting way too much money into something stupid, but it sure is fun!" I can tell you watching him take off up PCH on the run, the car hauls ass! And it does very well in the twisty and turneys too. I was about ten cars behind him going up Deer Creek Canyon Road and he was right there with the fastest of them.
It was a true pleasure meeting and talking cars with him. BTW he is looking for some early Porsches.

All the best!
Roger Grago
R Gruppe #27
So Cal Chaptermeister

[pwd72s]

It was good to talke to all of you around the table at lunch...sure as hell made me wish I had made the trip. Damn!

Jay damn well better get his-self a suitable car! His taste in cars is pretty damn cool. Olds Toronado! One of my favorite winter beaters was a '69 Toronado (front wheel drive) with the HO 455; 450 hp and 450 foot pounds o' torque. $410 cash. The thing went like hell and sat 7 skiers. I hear the Toronado in the pics got the leno treatment ($$$$$).

I'm not so much impressed with celebrity, but I am impressed with the cars.

The Toranodo is featured in the latest issue of HOT ROD...a cool ride, indeed.

[Chuck Miller]

Jay Leno's 'MAN in back of the man'...

Swiss born Bernard Juchli is da-man that does it all ... If it's not there before, he makes it... If it's already there, he makes it work...

[Jim Garfield]

He took more than ten minutes explaining and showing Freeman and myself all the very trick things on his Toranado.
Here's a partial list, GM Racing Cadillac 425 cubic inch engine, twin turbo, twin intercooler, 1,050 HP!

Yikes! I can't even begin to imagine the torque steer!

And the Blue Train Bentley is such a cool car. To have a group of cars like that show up for a drive is just mind boggling to this east coast boy.....I don't think moving there is in my future, but jeez I've got to figure a way to at least visit a couple times a year.

Regards,
Jim

[Jens]

The Toranodo is featured in the latest issue of HOT ROD...a cool ride, indeed.

Thanks Paul, I'll look for it.

[Chuck Miller]

And what does Bernie talk about when he's not do'n da-Jay deal?
RACING!!! HIS racing...

When he gets a weekend off he's out kick'n ass in his own car...
One of the nicest (dah) vintage Chevrons around...

[Will Sanchez]

New Years Eve was a great time with a great bunch of guys that really care about each other and the cars they drive.
Ead, I want to thank you for being such a great host. I want to say that your a class act and the more cars you have, the more they will be with the right guy.

Thanks, for picking up the dinner tab. That was just over the top.

Will Sanchez

[Eade Hopkinson]

Will, I am glad you had as good a time as I did. The goal was to get together with great people who love the early cars, have a lot of fun, bring the New Year in with style, do some great driving, and love every minute of it. Roger mentioned that we may want to make this a yearly event. If we were able to have 8 cars for New Years Eve, and 20+ for the drive the next day, which was our 1st year, just think what we can do for 2005. It would be great to think we could get 30 cars (Rgruppe) on New Years Eve for next year, and 50 cars for the drive the next day. On New Years Day, we must have seen 200+ cars of all types. I have already made plans to spend this year on New Years at the same place. I wish anyone who can make it will, you will have a riot, and see more cool cars that you could imagine. Jens, Rick, you might want to make the trip from Vermont. Eric, Jeff, Randy, Howard, the Northwest is not that far way. I have plenty of cars that would love to go on the run.