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Old cars and 100 mph
- Thread starter prb51
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Silverghost
Yoda
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I take my 850 Mini on the expressways here in Chicago. Some people think THAT'S wreckless driving!! :laugh:
TR6oldtimer
Darth Vader
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Ahhh to once again hear the sound of a TR4 with the top down doing 120+. Once over 100 the wind starts to whistle as it passes over the lip for the top.
Then again, I had a top rip off at 80 mph...
Nope, not me not again, well maybe just once.
Then again, I had a top rip off at 80 mph...
Nope, not me not again, well maybe just once.
Don Elliott
Obi Wan
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I have owned my 1958 TR3A for a little over 50 years and I have never driven it at a speed of 100 MPH. I have been close several times, but I backed off. When I navigated in a sponsored rally car (not a TR), I used to tell Roger, my driver, "We're 12 seconds late, but that's OK, I'd rather be 12 seconds late that 55 years too early!"
When I drove from Montreal to Breckenridge, Colorado for VTR in 2001, I "convoyed alone", if one can say that. I didn't have a cell phone or a C B. I was driving across Nebraska on the old two-lane Hwy 30 that follows the Platte River. This road also runs beside the Union Pacific rail line and there to my left was a very long double stacked container freight pulled by five (5) diesel engines. He was doing 80 or 90. I caught up to him, waved and honked. He acknowledged with a honk back. Then I had to slow down for the next village and he was gone. But I stepped on it and caught up to him again. We did this and honked back and forth about another 5 or 6 times for 125 miles till my route headed SW towards Colorado and his track went straight ahead.
That was about the closest I got to 100 MPH.
When I drove from Montreal to Breckenridge, Colorado for VTR in 2001, I "convoyed alone", if one can say that. I didn't have a cell phone or a C B. I was driving across Nebraska on the old two-lane Hwy 30 that follows the Platte River. This road also runs beside the Union Pacific rail line and there to my left was a very long double stacked container freight pulled by five (5) diesel engines. He was doing 80 or 90. I caught up to him, waved and honked. He acknowledged with a honk back. Then I had to slow down for the next village and he was gone. But I stepped on it and caught up to him again. We did this and honked back and forth about another 5 or 6 times for 125 miles till my route headed SW towards Colorado and his track went straight ahead.
That was about the closest I got to 100 MPH.
Attachments
TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Never really verified the actual speed, but I've done several stints in the TR with the tach reading upwards of 4500 (in OD 4th) and the speedo hovering around 120. Can't say it was all that much fun, I was mostly interested in getting home.
70 mph on a curve marked 35 is more my idea of fun
The second Stag's speedometer failed less than 100 miles into the 1500 mile trip home from where I picked it up. My co-driver estimated the speed I was driving several times by counting telephone poles ... estimate always came back at 90-100 mph until we got into the mountains and I had to slow down to keep the temp gauge in check. But a Stag at that speed is like a modern car; the only difference is that the scenery goes by faster
Oops, gotta go pay another speeding ticket ...
70 mph on a curve marked 35 is more my idea of fun
The second Stag's speedometer failed less than 100 miles into the 1500 mile trip home from where I picked it up. My co-driver estimated the speed I was driving several times by counting telephone poles ... estimate always came back at 90-100 mph until we got into the mountains and I had to slow down to keep the temp gauge in check. But a Stag at that speed is like a modern car; the only difference is that the scenery goes by faster
Oops, gotta go pay another speeding ticket ...
aeronca65t
Great Pumpkin
Offline
I drive like a turtle on the street.
55 mph is plenty.
On the track....
~Different Story~
Even in ~The Red Pig~ :laugh:
55 mph is plenty.
On the track....
~Different Story~
Even in ~The Red Pig~ :laugh:
R
RonMacPherson
Guest
Guest
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Back in 65 I bought an XK-120, found out it was an M.... Lived in Redlands,California at that time. Used to drive up to BigBear and attend(when I could pass for 21, which was most of the time, as I had a goatee) the SugarShack(used to be a song about that). So I became very familiar with Hwy 38 and 18, used to take different routes back home after the bar closed at 2 in the am.(Oh to be young and invincible and tireless again....)
One night I was coming down on 38 on the last straight stretch above San Bernardino at a good clip, well over 100, think around 110 or so. Beautiful night, full moon, top down, stars in the sky, sober, enjoying being alive.... And the Main Fuse blew!
No lights, no nothing..... Fortunately I had just come out of the turn on to the straight, which was about three miles long(or felt like it) and lifted my head up above the windscreen to see where I was going, following the white lane markers which were visible with the full moon as I was standing on the brakes. Thankfully, the M had front discs. So got the car safely stopped relatively soon. Wrapped the fuse in a chewing gum wrapper and got me home. Fixed the bare wire coming off the generator, rubbing against the fenderwell liner the next day... Last time I drove it that fast... Almost as fast another couple of times, but that was the one that left the biggest "adrenalin rush" memory...
One night I was coming down on 38 on the last straight stretch above San Bernardino at a good clip, well over 100, think around 110 or so. Beautiful night, full moon, top down, stars in the sky, sober, enjoying being alive.... And the Main Fuse blew!
No lights, no nothing..... Fortunately I had just come out of the turn on to the straight, which was about three miles long(or felt like it) and lifted my head up above the windscreen to see where I was going, following the white lane markers which were visible with the full moon as I was standing on the brakes. Thankfully, the M had front discs. So got the car safely stopped relatively soon. Wrapped the fuse in a chewing gum wrapper and got me home. Fixed the bare wire coming off the generator, rubbing against the fenderwell liner the next day... Last time I drove it that fast... Almost as fast another couple of times, but that was the one that left the biggest "adrenalin rush" memory...
bobh said:
Gee, now that you mention it, my wife and I did something like that right after we were married. It was a dark and foggy night.... We were driving up the expressway at about 35 mph in thick fog behind another car when that car suddenly dodged sideways. The '68 Toronado I owned back then wasn't terribly nimble, and in the pool of light ahead of the car was a pack of a dozen or so little neighborhood dogs trotting up the middle of our lane. A chihuahua looked back over its shoulder just then. I hit them all. There were lots of thumps under the car. Toronados ride low to the pavement, with all of four inches of ground clearance. They didn't stand a chance. It was carnage in the rearview mirror, with the fog lit up red by my taillights. <shudder>
Back to the subject of speed on public roads: my Spitfire doesn't have the gearing to run comfortably much over 80 mph. Cruising on the freeway at 75 mph is almost unkind. Now, my old BMW 750iL is a different story. I hit 100 simply executing a routine pass on a two-lane highway, starting at 50 mph two or three seconds back from the car I want to pass. Quick and efficient. Gotta love twelve cylinder torque....
Scott
TR6oldtimer
Darth Vader
Offline
Did you back up to see if the dogs were alright? :laugh:skucera said:
tomshobby
Yoda
Offline
One afternoon in the sixties I was driving my TR4 on a country road and my little brother, about five or six years old, was along. As we went over a little rise there was suddenly a farmers flock of about thirty ducks in the middle of our lane. There was no time to even think of braking and it would have been a useless attempt at that point anyway.
As we went over the ducks it felt like we were riding on a bed of ball bearings. After we were clear I looked in the rear view mirror and my brother got up on the seat and turned around they were still rolling and flopping down the road.
Yes we LOAO and still do to this day even though the farmer probably had turkey for Christmas diner.
As we went over the ducks it felt like we were riding on a bed of ball bearings. After we were clear I looked in the rear view mirror and my brother got up on the seat and turned around they were still rolling and flopping down the road.
Yes we LOAO and still do to this day even though the farmer probably had turkey for Christmas diner.
I like to drive my cars, a 1960 TR3A and a 2003 MINI Cooper S JCW. When I drive hard I only do it when traffic is light and I am alone. If something breaks when I am at speed I don't want anyone else to get hurt. That said I love blasting around the secondary and farm roads early in the morning. I rarely hit 70 MPH on these roads, mostly 45 to 55. But the sounds, the wind, the sites all make it the best way I know to unwind from a week of work.
AltaKnight
Jedi Knight
Offline
Only thing I can compare with on these stories was a time in my youth when I was water skiing; I signalled for a tight boat turn so I could ski all the way up to the shore after dropping the rope; the boat turned and I had a lot of speed, to my horror as the boat cleared there was a whole family of ducks serenely paddling in my path; as I thumped over them I made a rather inelegant entry into the water. In the end I think I was more beat up than they were!
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I think about the fastest I have gone in a British car was a little under 100mph in my old TR4A, the most fun I can remember at speed was my 2nd car, a 1275cc Sprite, going down the interstate, I must have hit 90, it actually felt pretty lively as it hit the power curve over 75 or so in top, or it least it felt that way to me.
There are strectches of highway in Northwest Nebraska and I am sure other parts of the world that are straight and very sparsely traveled and you have no blind intersections and many miles of visability ahead, I have zipped up to 110 in my old RX7 and 120 in my old Nissan Sentra SE-R, both felt like they had plenty more.
I certainly do not do that kind of thing all the time and only when roads are and conditions are very clear, but if the situation is right, the car you are in hasn't had its limits explored and is all in good shape....
There are strectches of highway in Northwest Nebraska and I am sure other parts of the world that are straight and very sparsely traveled and you have no blind intersections and many miles of visability ahead, I have zipped up to 110 in my old RX7 and 120 in my old Nissan Sentra SE-R, both felt like they had plenty more.
I certainly do not do that kind of thing all the time and only when roads are and conditions are very clear, but if the situation is right, the car you are in hasn't had its limits explored and is all in good shape....
GBRandy
Jedi Knight
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Right after I bought my TR8 in 1987 we headed up to Andrews Airforce base to watch the space shuttle land...
It was around 4;30am and not a car in sight. The high desert road was long & flat....so I just wound it out. I was red-lined in 5th gear and have no idea on speed as the 90(?)MPH speedo was pegged somewhere during third gear. All I know is at one point every bump in the road was just beating on us...until all of the sudden the car just smoothed right out like we were floating.....that got my attention.
I should look up the top speed of a TR8 now that I think of it...
Sorry, no dead ducks in my story
It was around 4;30am and not a car in sight. The high desert road was long & flat....so I just wound it out. I was red-lined in 5th gear and have no idea on speed as the 90(?)MPH speedo was pegged somewhere during third gear. All I know is at one point every bump in the road was just beating on us...until all of the sudden the car just smoothed right out like we were floating.....that got my attention.
I should look up the top speed of a TR8 now that I think of it...
Sorry, no dead ducks in my story
aeronca65t
Great Pumpkin
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GBRandy said:
Sounds like your ship was at <span style="font-style: italic">Decision Speed </span>(V1) :laugh:
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I've had my 1500 spit up to 100 and that was pretty fast for that car. Pushing that little thing along a twisty two lane is also about the most fun I can think of off the top of my head.