Ten Fifty-nine

[LongRanger]

. . . I gotta stop looking.......I'm getting dizzy!!!! . . .

Ha!

That's because . . .

' . . . You have now entered . . . . The Twilight Zone . . .

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...ilightZone.gif

Rick Kreiskott

[LongRanger]

I first found out about the South County Cars & Coffee, maybe, six/eight years ago? I was out tooling along on PCH, north of Laguna Canyon, when I saw/heard some crazy-colored something-or-other launching out of this little shopping mall parking lot. Back then, the ‘show’ took place in this tidy retail square, over at Crystal Cove --- a shi-shi enclave of high-end condos, tucked into a hillside between Laguna Beach and Corona Del Mar.

All kinds of stuff used to show up there, too. One week there’d be a parking lot full of Carrera GTs, then what seemed like every Enzo on the West Coast, the next. And always lots of ‘other’ cars --- old, odd-ball sedans and sporty cars, Alfas, Corvairs, BMW M-cars – saw an M5 Touring there (beat to $h!t). I remember seeing this beautiful, and (maybe) totally original Mini 1275 ‘S’ --- black plates, cream-on-pea-green, steel wheels with hub-caps --- very under-cover. Saw my first Exige, there, too --- white, limited-use plates, coupla Guys with almost un-understandable Scotch/maybe Irish accents come popping out. Not many muscle-type cars, that I can recall now.

And not a big show . . . . at first. Fun. Especially because of the really wild variety of machinery that would come out. Plus? Intimate. Place was cozy-small, so not everything could fit. Which was great, ‘cause --- if you got there late and didn’t wanna hassle the parking? You could just cruise PCH. (That stretch of coast is sooooo worth it.) The lot there was longer-than-wide so things tended to get a bit spread out. Lookers parked next to Showers --- fur-balls next to Ferraris --- total jungle. Fun.

Anyway, like everything even remotely interesting in SoCal, gradually the word got around, then . . . metallic-orange ‘tuner’ cars started showing up. Then the boom-boxers. Then the inevitable NoS-bottled demonstrations of too-much-disposable/insufficient cranial, etc.

Nothing lasts. Show moved, maybe 4-5 years back?

Ford had their Premier Auto Group (Lincoln/ Aston-Martin/Jaguar) located in an office complex, at The Spectrum, a few miles away. Pretty decent parking, so . . . .

It’s nice. More room. Somebody sells coffee and donuts. Location's alongside The Five, so they probably pull in some additional traffic. PAG’s done. Ford’s gone. Taco Bell’s name is on the place now.

I go about every other month, anymore. It’s 75 min to drive down, collect the car, get over there. I like to get there early --- like, 6-6:30? --- usually gone by 8. Can’t get enough week-end.

Anyway, 1059 is kinda in cruising mode, right now . . . going to some shows, visiting, just driving, building up some miles, making everything work. I really want to go to The Concorso Italiano in August, do the Monterey thing, take the car. I’ve got some little things to play with --- stuff to clean and look-over and fix . . . but nothing to keep us inside. So? Went down to C&C, saw some cars, took some pics, then? . . .

Drove to San Diego. Nothing special. Took a drive to take a drive. Coupla hours, down and back. Got everything nice and hot. Maintenance miles --- changed-out the old gas --- maybe $50-worth? Had some traffic coming back, but, well, like I’ve said . . . . this car just annihilates traffic.

Rick Kreiskott

[beh911]

Based on the middle pic - How are you able to keep a current North Carolina plate on your California based car? Just curious

[LongRanger]

. . . How are you able to keep a current North Carolina plate on your California based car? . . .

Hmm. (Your timing . . . . )

There's a couple of answers to that.

The Short One is that 1059's tags expire 15-May.

Then?

I'm off to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Taxes. Title. Registration. Plates.

That'll be the Long One.

Keep ya posted.

Rick Kreiskott

[LongRanger]

I’d received an e-mail from one of the local PCA Regions, asking for attendees to the SGV Region's Concours. I don't get many invitations like that, plus --- they were throwing in a tour of the Art Center College of Design --- one of, if not THE, place to go if you're designing cars. Be fun to see some car design-type stuff. Plus? The weather looked promising, and, since I was sorta gonna be in the area, anyway. . . sounded pretty irresistible.

So, Friday night . . . . drove out to Simi. On the Four-Oh-Five. During crush hour. Kinda kooky, but also a great chance to put up some more miles. Had a slow start --- took forever to get out of Orange County --- but lots of clutch-and-shifter work. Then traffic cleared, around, like, Long Beach, and? --- away we go. Made the trip, from Aliso Viejo to Simi, in a little over two hours.

I kinda like driving in traffic, anyway. And now I’m getting used to using the Porsche --- at close quarters. Motor's dead below 3k, so I spend most of my time between 3200 and 4000, in 2nd or 3rd, negotiating traffic. It takes some concentration --- car's pretty busy, in sound and feel. And it takes a while for me to get 're-calibrated.' Feels very different from my 318 (but a LOT like my old M3). Power's choppy, especially at low speed/low gear. Lots of drive-line whip, dif growl. Windows down. Careful to squeeze the throttle --- up and down. Love the sound. Motor wants/likes to be used. When I find an open stretch, then I'll ride the revs to 4500 --- let her take a breath. 1059 seems to have a force-field around her. Sound helps. 41-year-old exhaust-system is mostly intact . . . but there are some holes starting, and misc visible damage to the pipes and exchangers --- everything probably needs to be replaced, at some point (and I think I'm there).

Anyway, above 4000, 1059’s ears go back, claws come out. Motor drowns out the gearbox and road. Throttle pedal gets firmer. Good thing, too, because the power curve seems to go vertical . . . small pedal, large consequences. I get super-focused. It’s not that the car’s scary or anything --- although, with skinny tires, goofy non-retractable lap-and-shoulder belts, and no ABS, I’ll just call the safety net a small one. I’m acutely aware of how tight my safety zone is --- especially compared to everyone else’s.

It’s also still just the oddest feeling to be in something so small, innocuous, almost dainty, that moves like that. I’m getting used to it, but I routinely catch other people off-guard --- in traffic and out on the open road. Little Car. Big Speed. Good thing the horns work. Those got a work-out, too.

By the time I’d gotten to The Valley, traffic had mostly sped-up/cleared-out and I’d started to push the car a little. No more negotiating with traffic --- more like executing. Plus, it was getting gusty windy. Uhhhh. Nothing reminds me just how small a 911 is like a windy broadside on a dark bouncy road. ‘Is my driving interrupting your phone call?’ If anybody anywhere near me on the 118 that night was having any trouble concentrating or figuring out what the meaning of their life was . . . we cleared it up for ‘em.

Lead. Follow. Or get out of the way.

So jazzed --- storming off that freeway. Coasting up the off-ramp, car winding down, exhaust howl dying down, barking, murmuring, steering loading up as we slow, brush the brakes ---- whoooooosh. Stopped. Gust of wind nudges the car. Turn, wind ‘er up 4000, 2nd, 4000, 3rd, 3500, watch for the sign, change down, turn into the tract . . . quiet street now our pit lane, growling along, find the house, pull up . . . porch light comes on. Dock for the night.

Thought about washing the car, next day . . . ended up just doing the tires and wheels. And they were just dirt-road dusty. Water, Simple Green, some UV protectant stuff cut 50%. Took 15 minutes. And cleaned the windshield.

Beautiful next day, Sunday. Left a little late. 45 min or so to get there? Girlfriend's first car show. And she fits fine. Says she likes the car . . . .

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...fee-Meet/page2

Rick Kreiskott

[mimimemegna]

Very great thread... you did not think a couple of Recaro?

[YTNUKLR]

Arrgh! I was just in L.A., past weekend. You were in my neighborhood. Was that Saturday? I stopped by John's to see the progress.

[LongRanger]

Very great thread... you did not think a couple of Recaro?

Hey, Maurizio . . .

Really really want a vintage Recaro -- at least in the driver's position. Mixed feelings, though. Tried on the one in Marco's Orange ST . . . but that was a pretty tight fit --- even for my narrow a$$. Big dollars for the real thing, too . . . all wasted if I'm not comfortable. So I may end up building a custom seat --- vintage look, re-upholstered, just all new construction, maybe an extra 20-30 mm wider.

For now, the regular seats will do. Mine's crap, but The Girlfriend's fits her fine.

Besides I love the look and feel --- and smell --- of the barbeque'd corduroy.

Rick Kreiskott

[LongRanger]

. . . Arrgh! I was just in L.A., past weekend. You were in my neighborhood. Was that Saturday? . . .

Well, well, well ---- if it isn't Mr Jet Set. Europe one week. Nasty old LA the next. Must be nice.

And yeah --- we were close.

Dude, don't worry --- when you touch down, back home, remember --- you're only 6-hours away. And for future reference --- on week-ends --- anything from Santa Barbara to the San Ysidro's in range. Just ping me

1059 can always use some miles . . . .

So how's John doing? And you better get goin' on that motor, Man. Driving Season. Monterey. Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding! Besides, it's way more fun driving a 911 . . . than pushing it around, making vroom-vroom noises.



Rick Kreiskott

[YTNUKLR]

Well, well, well ---- if it isn't Mr Jet Set. Europe one week. Nasty old LA the next. Must be nice.

And yeah --- we were close.

Dude, don't worry --- when you touch down, back home, remember --- you're only 6-hours away. And for future reference --- on week-ends --- anything from Santa Barbara to the San Ysidro's in range. Just ping me

1059 can always use some miles . . . .

So how's John doing? And you better get goin' on that motor, Man. Driving Season. Monterey. Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding! Besides, it's way more fun driving a 911 . . . than pushing it around, making vroom-vroom noises.



Rick Kreiskott

Exhausting is what it is ! Mr. Jet Set, LOL.

John was doing great. Seems like everything he does is just low-key, tasteful, calm. But you just *know* he spent 50,000 hours getting some teeny little thing just right! Met me on a Saturday. . . my birthday actually. . . 6 years to date that I owned 587. Went over the car. . . felt it. . . talked about some stuff. You'll see. It's coming along . The decklid is on its way. . .that's always good.

Have to take a little break soon. . . Need to buy a beater, to get to work. To keep making that money I'll need to pay John. But, I'm seeing the UPS fun truck pretty regularly, little bits. . .this'es and that's. . .coming in the mail.

Probably won't see the car done done until next year. But you'll see some good stuff. Things are happening. Sit tight.

I'll ping you.

Best,
Scott