Hey Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Offline
<span style="font-style: italic">Normally I'd just post this over in the Spridget's forum, but this gets to the heart of why we own/restore/work on/hold our wallet's hostage to these silly little cars.</span>
Today was my local British car club's drive up the Trapper's Loop road. For me this would mean about a 180 mile round trip drive -- just one short stretch of freeway and then it's all back roads and mountain passes. Not only is this a nice drive, it would be the first club drive I've done since I got the Tunebug on the road. It would also be the longest drive I've ever done in the little car.
<span style="font-style: italic">Route goes clockwise from the very bottom, with a long out-and-back at the top left</span>
To top it all off, I took off Friday and this coming Monday to make a 4-day weekend. I'm on vacation, though I'm not really going anywhere. Just a weekend to do my stuff.
So early this morning I drove to the top of my street to this old gas station that has been converted to a coffee shop to grab a little breakfast. Seemed the appropriate way to start the day. A nice tasty scone and I was on my way to the meeting point.
<span style="font-style: italic">Tunebug is right as home</span>
I'd be meeting the rest of the group at Little Dell reservoir, just off of Parley's Canyon. I left extra early just in case, and arrived early enough to be able to relax a bit. The club was gathering in Salt Lake City, so I'd be meeting them partway in. I found a nice place to sit and relaxed for 45 minutes while watching the bikes, motorcycles, and mountains. Not a bad way to start the day.
<span style="font-style: italic">Tunebug at rest</span>
Soon enough I saw a wonderful site -- a long line of British sports cars making there way up the canyon. After a few good waves and beeps I joined the line of cars and headed up East Canyon. The Fall colors are in good form this year, so we were treated to nice curves and pretty foliage as we dodged the bicyclists on the way up the canyon. The Tunebug got warm, but not hot, and handled the climb nicely all the way up to the 7400' pass. It was a great experience to be in the middle of this long line of cars.
<span style="font-style: italic">Back side of the pass, heading towards the reservoir</span>
As an aside, I've been a member of this club for over 5 years now and this is the first club drive I've been able to do in a British car. Over the years I've shown up in a Hyundai, Honda, and numerous motorcycles. It was a hugely satisfying experience to be there in the Tunebug, finally!
Once past the reservoir we headed down the twisty road into Morgan for a gas/restroom stop and a bit of chatting. Good roads behind, and the best yet to come. We had a great turnout of 24 cars -- a great mix of marques from a new Lotus to an MG Y-type.
<span style="font-style: italic">My friends wondered where my motorcycle was -- I tricked them by showing up in a LBC!</span>
Once properly rested we headed on to the lunch stop over the Trapper's Loop. This is a fine sports car road (closed in winter), the old access into Snowbasin ski resort. We must have made a fine sight, this long line of old British cars snaking through the fall colors. I was able to get up in front with the quicker cars, and had a spirited, if subdued, drive over the pass. A nice lunch followed, and the group broke up to head our separate ways home.
I decided to retrace the best parts of the route, and head home by avoiding all of the freeways. It's complicated to do in this area (even though we're close to Salt Lake City, this side of the mountains are quite remote) but I know the way. So it was back up the Trapper's Loop road and on we go.
That first bit of road was the reward for 3+ years of garage work, financial stress, and just plain stress. No traffic. Great curves. Fall colors. The only soundtrack that of a tiny A-Series motor being wound out. Absolute driving nirvana.
This was why I put in all this time and effort. This was where the money and a good part of my sanity went. This, finally, was my first real drive in a fine sports car. Driven as Donald Healey (and our very own Hap, who built the motor) intended. Foot to the floor, wind that motor out -- boy does it sing! -- and drive. No stress, no confusion, no worries. Just drive.
That stretch of road set the tone for the rest of the way home. Roads stayed (mostly) clear, the Tunebug sang right along and on we drove. Through a few small towns, stopping once for a milkshake and once for gas. Rolling home about 8 hours after I left. What a day.
The stats: 8 hours, about 180 miles, one happy Tunebug, and one happy Drew. After almost 5 years of owning the Tunebug I finally know why I bought him -- for driving days like today.
Today was my local British car club's drive up the Trapper's Loop road. For me this would mean about a 180 mile round trip drive -- just one short stretch of freeway and then it's all back roads and mountain passes. Not only is this a nice drive, it would be the first club drive I've done since I got the Tunebug on the road. It would also be the longest drive I've ever done in the little car.
<span style="font-style: italic">Route goes clockwise from the very bottom, with a long out-and-back at the top left</span>
To top it all off, I took off Friday and this coming Monday to make a 4-day weekend. I'm on vacation, though I'm not really going anywhere. Just a weekend to do my stuff.
So early this morning I drove to the top of my street to this old gas station that has been converted to a coffee shop to grab a little breakfast. Seemed the appropriate way to start the day. A nice tasty scone and I was on my way to the meeting point.
<span style="font-style: italic">Tunebug is right as home</span>
I'd be meeting the rest of the group at Little Dell reservoir, just off of Parley's Canyon. I left extra early just in case, and arrived early enough to be able to relax a bit. The club was gathering in Salt Lake City, so I'd be meeting them partway in. I found a nice place to sit and relaxed for 45 minutes while watching the bikes, motorcycles, and mountains. Not a bad way to start the day.
<span style="font-style: italic">Tunebug at rest</span>
Soon enough I saw a wonderful site -- a long line of British sports cars making there way up the canyon. After a few good waves and beeps I joined the line of cars and headed up East Canyon. The Fall colors are in good form this year, so we were treated to nice curves and pretty foliage as we dodged the bicyclists on the way up the canyon. The Tunebug got warm, but not hot, and handled the climb nicely all the way up to the 7400' pass. It was a great experience to be in the middle of this long line of cars.
<span style="font-style: italic">Back side of the pass, heading towards the reservoir</span>
As an aside, I've been a member of this club for over 5 years now and this is the first club drive I've been able to do in a British car. Over the years I've shown up in a Hyundai, Honda, and numerous motorcycles. It was a hugely satisfying experience to be there in the Tunebug, finally!
Once past the reservoir we headed down the twisty road into Morgan for a gas/restroom stop and a bit of chatting. Good roads behind, and the best yet to come. We had a great turnout of 24 cars -- a great mix of marques from a new Lotus to an MG Y-type.
<span style="font-style: italic">My friends wondered where my motorcycle was -- I tricked them by showing up in a LBC!</span>
Once properly rested we headed on to the lunch stop over the Trapper's Loop. This is a fine sports car road (closed in winter), the old access into Snowbasin ski resort. We must have made a fine sight, this long line of old British cars snaking through the fall colors. I was able to get up in front with the quicker cars, and had a spirited, if subdued, drive over the pass. A nice lunch followed, and the group broke up to head our separate ways home.
I decided to retrace the best parts of the route, and head home by avoiding all of the freeways. It's complicated to do in this area (even though we're close to Salt Lake City, this side of the mountains are quite remote) but I know the way. So it was back up the Trapper's Loop road and on we go.
That first bit of road was the reward for 3+ years of garage work, financial stress, and just plain stress. No traffic. Great curves. Fall colors. The only soundtrack that of a tiny A-Series motor being wound out. Absolute driving nirvana.
This was why I put in all this time and effort. This was where the money and a good part of my sanity went. This, finally, was my first real drive in a fine sports car. Driven as Donald Healey (and our very own Hap, who built the motor) intended. Foot to the floor, wind that motor out -- boy does it sing! -- and drive. No stress, no confusion, no worries. Just drive.
That stretch of road set the tone for the rest of the way home. Roads stayed (mostly) clear, the Tunebug sang right along and on we drove. Through a few small towns, stopping once for a milkshake and once for gas. Rolling home about 8 hours after I left. What a day.
The stats: 8 hours, about 180 miles, one happy Tunebug, and one happy Drew. After almost 5 years of owning the Tunebug I finally know why I bought him -- for driving days like today.
