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Old cars and 100 mph

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I purchased a '62 Maserati 3500 GTI in Italy in the mid 70's when stationed in Vicenza. Not what I'd consider vintage motoring really.... 265 hp dual overhead cam, dual ignition, fuel injected, ZF 5 speed.
I'd drive from Vicenza on the autostrada (no limit) thru Innsbruck and on to Garmisch Germany to the R&R center.
I'd 'average' around 90 mph and often hit 120 mph, just flash the lights and traffic ahead would yield to the right, lovely.
The part I remember most was hitting the tunnels in the Brenner pass. They were partial with open arches on one side and mountain on the other. I entered at about 90 mph and the contrast of light/dark/light etc. from the arches nearly blinded me. Gave me a real appreciation of the tunnels in Monaco on the GP circuit. You kind of drive by memory when you first hit the dark.
 
Think I got up to 80 once in the Elva...
It was genuinely terrifying.

On the other hand...

The DeLorean cruses nicely at 105.
I drove it for over an hour, from Buffalo to Erie once, at that speed.
(There were very few other cars on the road at the time)
 
On a track, we all know what we've signed up for. Not so on the public roads. A kid chases his dog across one of those country roads, and we're trusting our fifty year old brakes to save him. Not trying to kill anyone's buzz - just don't want to kill the bystanders either.
 
As far as race cars go, at Watkins Glen this past September the fastest 4cyl TR's were flirting with 130mph and the fastest 6cyl cars were flirting with 140mph at the end of the back straight. A track like Road America or Brainerd would see even higher top speeds.

Also, you guys are assuming your tach and/or speedo are calibrated properly. I know on Miata's, the factory tach can be anywhere between 0-300rpm off.
 
TRcheologist said:
On a track, we all know what we've signed up for. Not so on the public roads. A kid chases his dog across one of those country roads, and we're trusting our fifty year old brakes to save him. Not trying to kill anyone's buzz - just don't want to kill the bystanders either.
Click to expand...
Which is exactly why I periodically test mine, to be sure all wheels are working together in reasonable balance. Combined with some good, high performance tires, there is no reason those 50 year old brakes cannot out-stop a modern econobox with ordinary tires.

Find a deserted stretch of road, and try a few panic stops. It's both an excellent test for the car; and a learning experience for the driver. For the advanced student, try it on various road surfaces and conditions.
 
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