Thanks for coming out to Concorso everyone! It was great to see you guys caravan into the show! Agreed, this venue was the best to date and the Town was a pleasure to work with, making it that much easier to choose to return ! Thanks again everyone! Mike
Is anyone from the gatherers going to, or have been to, the Unobtainium BBQ in Groton. ? There is always talk about a cruise, would that work?
That's Groton Massachusetts. Way to far for me. 2 hours one way on some off the most boring roads on the planet. Some great alternative routes but they take way longer.
You should get out more.....just kidding! A drive of 2+ hours is nothing. Try 1300 highway miles over 3 days from RI to Road America in a vintage Ferrari. Boring roads yes, unfortunate but necessary do to time constraint, an experience of a lifetime - DEFINITELY YES!
Peter Sandy and I have been to the BBQ a couple of times. We last went two years ago and brought both Fcars. Verell and Cindy go to great lengths to host a very nice event. We've met a lot of nice car folks there. Attendees are laid back and there's always interesting conversation. I'm clicking on the "LIKE" button for this event. I'm never sure until the very last minute if I'm going to be able to make the date. We have a very difficult time finding help to care for the polo ponies while we're off driving around the countryside. Would a cruise be possible? Depends on the attitude of the cruisees. We've had folks come all the way from Maine, and return home same day, to attend past AVF Gatherings. Distance is all relative. - Ed -
I hear you Sam... I'm 6'2" (meaning the roof MUST be off), the kevlar seats in my 348 Serie Speciale and 2 bad discs in my back. 2 hours is not possible. I've done 22 hours straight stopping only for fuel and food in my Audi (Memphis to New Haven) but the Fcar just isn't comfortable for that kind of distance. Probably should trade for a 550.
Saint B I was thinking the same thing with respect to your kevlar seats. Awesome for weight savings and tracking the car. However, very tough on the back for cruising the back roads of New England. The 348 Serie Speciale is definitely more of a sports car than a grand touring machine. I have a 550 for exactly that reason. Mrs.AVFPolo arrives at her destination much more comfortably when delivered in the 550 than in the 355 Spider. This is a very important factor in keeping things civil on the home front. - Ed -
Great day at Lime Rock, ALMS in town...by far the best part was the high speed blast up there on the back roads, love the 355 in the twisties! And as an added treat a McLaren F1 and Enzo stopped in to visit... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks Guys, Makes sense now why it hasn't been talked about. Wasn't aware of Groton, MA. and haven't read the threads. Does seem bit far in an uncomfortable car. I'll have to mapquest it see where it is.
Where O where has my little roof gone, O where O where can it be, With its paint so bright and the pillars so long, It kept the Sun off of me!!!! Damn...guess who's drinking.....heavily
Lane, I am about 6'2" as well, minus the back pain. I feel for you. I have a younger brother who spends a lot of his time between pain shots on a sofa - disc and nerve damage. Take care of yourself! The 550 or 575 would defintely improve your experience, and are I think are amongst the best looking of the "modern" cars. The trip I took to Elkhart Lake with Tom Yang as my co-pilot was going to be direct but we decided to take 3 days stopping overnight along the way to visit two vintage Ferrari collectors. In Indiana as we were about to cross into Illinois we stopped at a rest stop to gas up and get a couple of rags because we saw big thunder storms ahead (the rags to mop up rain coming through wind wings with loose moldings!) Just then a Hells Angels group approached the car. Turns out they were the Providence RI chapter on their way to Sturgis! They ran along with us for a few miles in the rain, passing and re-passing, but then the storm really started to blow and they pulled off under an overpass. Many cars pulled over too because it was raining and blowing quite hard (tornado warning too) but we pressed on through, Tom moping water and Windex doing its thing. The car never missed a beat.
I kneel before the altar and thank the Lord above I'm not that bad. Generally I don't feel it at all unless I make a stupid mistake. A bad sneeze in the wrong position can be brutal. RE: long trips. I think I can beat most folks. In ~1980 a friend and I attended last call at Charlies Pot Belly Pub in Milford Connecticut. We both had a wad of cash and no immediate plans. Being young and impetuous (read incredibly stupid) we packed up my 914 Porsche and found ourselves in Boca Raton Florida at 6:00 the next evening. 1400 miles in 16 hours including packing. I never did pay that ticket in Maryland. I wonder if they remember? A whole bunch of everlasting memories on that trip including a horrible visual experience that still wakes me up at night involving a "clothing optional" beach and a certain octogenarian. Funny....I just recounted that story this past Sunday in GBury. I can't remember my wifes birthday but somehow can't get rid of that harrowing image. I tried alcohol for a while but that kept killing the wrong brain cells. Now I'm stupid, broke and still twitch at the intersection in front of the retirement home. In 1985 I ran out of the theater screaming after catching Ron Howard's "cocoon".
Wow! Well done. The Maryland boys probably let you by because the couldn't believe a 914 could go that fast! I drove a '66 Firch Corvair while romancing my wife in 1971. It was a car I bought from a friend at college in the late 60's that he had made by John's company in Falls Village will all the goodies and more. He raced (won it's class at Lime Rock) extensively for 3 years before I bought it. A bad head gasket (common problem with them then) leaked oil on hot things so now and again we had to drive with the windows down venting smoke puffing out the air vents. You would think the constabulary would have pulled us over afraid we were on fire - nope, they just smiled....... Fun car, much like your 914, sorry I sold it.
Sold my 914 to the guy who accompanied me on that trip. He still has it under a canvas in his garage. He keeps threatening to restore it, even bought another one for parts. We all know where that story is going to end. As you, I do miss that car with it rubber shift linkage and tendency to go straight through the apex's. was your's this one? Nice story attached http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2011/02/01/hmn_feature5.html
Lane, et al, It was mentioned that the Foxwoods event won't be happening this year, but that there may be some who would like to do a more informal Gatherers get-together and drive. I'm all for it, and would like to help coordinate something. Now, I'm not well known on the FChat forums, and this is the only thread I generally read or post in (I'm sure you all roll your eyes and say "Oh... that guy!" whenever my plebeian BMW pulls into GBury. ;-) so I hope others are willing to help to get a good group together. Some questions off the top of my head would be: - Informal parking lot gathering like GBury (not involving the casino in any way) and perhaps a drive around the loop we took in past years? - Something a little more structured, like involving the casino to set aside some parking, planning a lunch/dinner, etc. - Keep it Gatherers only, or try to collect some like-minded enthusiasts with interesting cars. (aka: good guys welcome, idiots stay away.) If there's interest, perhaps a new thread should be created. I've organized car club events in the past (both informal and formal charity events) so I'm willing to do some work on this. I just don't want to be the only one. Where do we want to go with this?
Yup, though mine was silver grey with matt black (not satin) ventop roof as well as matt stripes down the front and back. Telescoping wood wheel with shortened rack, HD suspension, Koni, not Gabriel, shocks, Pirellis, Hands wheels and wires too, hd transmission, beefed up springs, 4 tweaked carbs, grab bars, positraction, extra guages, etc. The best fun were the Lucas Flamethrowers. If anyone came at you with their lights up one flash and they were toast! Definitely illegal, but I never had trouble getting the car inspected. Corvairs (I owned 3 over the years) were also great for beach parties. The trunk was fiberglass with a drain in the bottom and a plastic plug. Fill with ice, let air out of tires, go down beach, party, pop the drain, drive back to road, fill tires and go.
Would anyone mind, or be interested if a friend of mine who is a photographer came by? I think she would be interested if some of you wanted to "pose" your cars.