Carmel valley road is bumpy. At a brisk pace things go bump and maybe a graunching noise or two here or there. My car is an 89 - It doesn't have raised spindles - it has lowered value..
Carmel valley road is bumpy. At a brisk pace things go bump and maybe a graunching noise or two here or there. My car is an 89 - It doesn't have raised spindles - it has lowered value..
Ian Smith
ES # 1523
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OK,gents, lets get serious here. If I don't take Chuck's suggestion and ignore the one time James Dean site and motor onto his G16, i am reading the posts here that say i will end up with a broken car. The alternatives frankly suck almost as bad for other reasons. Beat it up the 101 to 68 in Salinas and then south again into Monterey. There seems to be an alternative for 46 or 41 from 101 but both put you pretty far south. Figuring i will be a 5 to 7/10ths kind of guy with a modified 69 chassis, can i get a consensus?
Also, AZ guys, please give me guidance on this wacky idea of running the desert from Wikieup to Yucca over Chicken Springs and Alamo Roads.
No one interested in this little sojourn?
My Inspiration
'86 44 Turbo, black/red,7's and 8's fuchs, autothority - sold (rocketship)
'97 Boxster, first delivered in DC Metro, silver/red -sold (huge mistake to buy this one)
'99 C2, silver/black, RoW M030, limited lip, short shift - sold (good ride, but...)
'69 912, 3.2 with all the trimmings
(finally got air cooled)
Early 911S Registry Member 2044
Are you looking to make a grand journey of it, or do you just want to get there via the most direct scenic route possible?
It won't break a stock car. Even though I raised the car .75" before the drive I am still too low. But even then the worst that would have happened is the seam on the chassis will get bent/folded over by the A-arm (self-clearancing I prefer to think of it as). But I think the worst part of it was all the creaking and squeaks over the bumps from all the aftermarkey modifications done on my car.
I am glad I can say I did G16, as it is a pretty drive. If you are only doing 5-7/10ths you should be fine, as long as your car is at stock ride height (can't tell in the pictures). Steel body panels won't fall off- my glass is rather brittle from age and vibration.
That said, I think in the future I might take 1 back south and just accept being stuck behind sightseers. Carmel Valley Road had only light traffic and the people in front would immediately get out of my way! I couldn't grasp such a foreign concept. People in the Central Coast are a little more courteous than us So Cal natives.
FWIW, every time I went to Laguna Seca before and just needed to get their quickly to not miss the race or event, I just took 101 from SLO and got off at the Spreckles exit or Blanco Road or whatever that was onto 68. It's quick, at least on the weekends.
1971 911S, 2.7RS spec MFI engine, suspension mods, lightened
Early 911S Registry Member #425
Thanks to all for the comments. I guess I will just play it out. Depends on how far I go Sunday I think,
If anyone needs a room for concurs week, I had placed a Craigslist ad and had not heard anything. I found a room at the Camel Lodge. Just got an email that someone has a studio apartment and a 2 bed house with a garage on Ocean in Carmel. Say both are close to the beach. PM me if you are interested and I will put you together with them.
AZ guys, still looking for the Chicken Springs Rd advice
My Inspiration
'86 44 Turbo, black/red,7's and 8's fuchs, autothority - sold (rocketship)
'97 Boxster, first delivered in DC Metro, silver/red -sold (huge mistake to buy this one)
'99 C2, silver/black, RoW M030, limited lip, short shift - sold (good ride, but...)
'69 912, 3.2 with all the trimmings
(finally got air cooled)
Early 911S Registry Member 2044
Thought I would bump this up and ask one more time. I am rolling from Scottsdale on Sunday say 0430 or so via Wickenburg, Kingman, Barstow, probably staying somewhere at the 5, maybe Willow on Sunday night then making the run on Monday to Carmel. Anyone interested in coming along?
My Inspiration
'86 44 Turbo, black/red,7's and 8's fuchs, autothority - sold (rocketship)
'97 Boxster, first delivered in DC Metro, silver/red -sold (huge mistake to buy this one)
'99 C2, silver/black, RoW M030, limited lip, short shift - sold (good ride, but...)
'69 912, 3.2 with all the trimmings
(finally got air cooled)
Early 911S Registry Member 2044
Dave,
I think you mean HYW 46 not 146, the James Dean monument is in front of the 'Jack Rabbit Cafe' just past where 46 and 41 come together.
That's cool and I guess something to see... once
But I would suggest another route:
5 to the 46, go West for only 10 miles then take 33 North to Coalinga (parallels 5 but no one around), go West on 198 (Great road over two passes with a high valley in between) to 101, go about 20 mile North on 101 (keep to the speed limit for the 20 miles - King City is CA.'s biggest speed trap) to Greenfield, off at first Greenfield exit North to first light, left on the the Arroyo Seco, that turns into G16 Carmel Valley Road (one of the best roads in CA)......and all the way into Carmel......
Been do'n this basic route for over 25 years......... You will thank me for this.....
Did the whole route again this year........ fun, fun, fun......
One casualty however... could have been MUCH worse then it was. At the very top cattle crossing at the top of G16 I heard a single metallic sound and nothing after... checked all the gauges, checked the brakes and handling on the move and all was OK.... so I kept on go'n.......... When I finally got to the village and down to an idle I heard a metallic noise with the engine RPM... pulled over and opened the engine cover and found the oil cap at the bottom of the crank pulley well....... Turned it off, prayed it out, and put it back on... No damage on it's way down, and no blow-by to clean up.... Just a slightly chewed up oil cap... Obviously I didn't click it to the stop when I checked the level before I left........... Yep... it could have been a hell'of'a'lot worse.
Like I've said, every time something goes wrong with that old blue car it's because of ME, not IT..........
Chuck Miller
Creative Advisor/Message Board Moderator - Early 911S Registry #109
R Gruppe #88
TYP901 #62
'73S cpe #1099 - Matched # 2.7/9.5 RS spec rebuild
'67 Malibu 327 spt cpe - Period 350 Rebuild
’98 Chevy S-10 – Utility
’15 GTI – Commuter
Chuck....That oil-cap is a keeper!..../ Lars...
Lars Wikblad...
Early 911 "S" Registry # 527
"R" Gruppe # 314
Very fun road out the back way from Carmel.
Drove into Monterey this years through Big Sur with all the tourist traffic. Then home through Carmel Valley with no one but my buddy and me in Sssses
. . . aka Carmel Valley Road
Nice little drive. Hot + dry --- just like I remember it . . . 4 years ago, now
Like your over-the-shoulder shot, too, Mark . . .
. . . + the new/current avatar
Musta sounded great, too --- w/ the canyon walls to bounce all the sound off
. . . and DavidRS . . .
. . . what did ya end-up doing?