A Wolf in a Pith Hat...

Steve and I went up to Parts Obsolete campout last weekend. It was blistering hot and most of us spent all the time we could with cold beverages under the shade. There were four IM cars there including a freshly completed and absolutely stunning speedster with a fuel-injected 3.2 911 engine in it. There were actually two six cylinder cars as Rick Davis zipped down from BC with his orange roadster. It's kinda weird to describe that color as "orange" - think "burnt-orange" or "orange-umber" - there's just no way that extroardinary color can be just plain orange!

So anyhoo, here we are hanging under the shade and Rick asks me if I want to go for a ride in the little orange (2.7 liter PMO) rocket. Now I normally decline such offers as I am a TERRIBLE passenger - a complete wimp. I have serious control issues. But realistically I might not get another chance to ride in a six cylinder IM. Foolishly, I assesed Rick in his pith-helmet looking sun hat with his quiet demeanor and silvered hair as probably being a real mellow guy behind the wheel....

Rick, always the gentlemen, slows immediately and the rest of the trip is lovely ride in a most elegant roadster. Now I've been a passenger with some pretty darn good drivers and enough bad ones to really ruin me for the good ones... So I know the difference and Rick is quite good.

On questioning it turns out he has put in a fair amount of time at Bondurant school of high performance driving eventually ending up in an open wheeled race car...

Never judge a book by it's cover, never assume the quiet distinguished looking gentleman in the pith hat is a sluggard behind the wheel. In this case, the wolf is wearing the pith hat and can tear up a back country road like a pro-rally driver!

Oh the real corker? When we get back he lets STEVE DRIVE THE DANG CAR!!!!

All teasing aside, Rick, thank you for a most excellent adventure. Both Steve and I love your car - he hasn't stopped talking about getting an IM since Saturday.

angela (pic is Steve in Rick's car)

Into the car we go! The shoulder belt fits perfectly, like a production car and the seats are fabulous. Rick has the roadster style seats, comfortable but still supportive. Nice and easy, Rick motors down the dirt road leaving the Emory farm and turns left onto the pavement. It's all mellow for about a 100 meters then he rips the throttle open - whoo hoo!!! Way fun! Nice good honk up to 70 or maybe 80mph.

Then he turns down Whiteson road. This is a very narrow road with zero shoulders, bumpy road surface and a pretty notable S-bend in the middle. Another hard throttle rip - whoohoo- this is fun! Here comes the S-bends. Rick doesn't even lift a little bit. The guys goes tearing thru them like a straight away. The uneven pavement doesn't upset the little roadster in the least, it clings to the road like spandex on a fat chick. My heart is in my throat and this is NOT VERY MUCH FUN ANYMORE!!!

At the terminus of this road, Rick heads left and gets a good hard run up to 100-105. I don't mind going that fast if I'm DRIVING and probably not on a rural farm road but Rick and his beloved roadster are made for this, snaking thru turns like they weren't even there. This guy has terrific driving skills!

Rick is completely in his element as he turns down airport road he casually mentions that there is usually zero traffic on this road as he fire-walls the little beast. Somewhere up past 100 on this shoulder-less road I casually lean over and state,

"Rick, I hope this doesn't offend you, but I'm feeling a big uncomfortable."

I think you guys should applaud me for my tactfulness and ability not to scream in complete terror....

Angela -

You must not have heard Rick say "PREPARE FOR LUDICROUS SPEED!"

Sounds like all you folks had fun at Obsolete!!

Angela, your story reminds me almost exactly of Carlisle this year. I gave a very good number of rides this year, I lost count. Some people even had a go at the wheel. Theresa, Lane, Chris, and others. But then I let old Merklin behind the wheel with me as passenger. Now if you've met Alan, he seems like a nice, calm easygoing type of guy. Just don't put him behind the wheel with you in the passenger seat. He showed me what my car was capable of and I wish I knew! Don't get me wrong, his skills are apparent, very smooth. I guess the pucker factor is just WAY increased from the right seat, even in your own car. Speed in a straight line is fine, but I always back off to reasonable in a corner, especially with a passenger. Well, Alan stuffed that Spyder of mine into a corner way above the speed limit for the road and it just stuck and ripped around there like nothing. AFAIK, it was his first Spyder ride, let alone drive. So thanks Alan, for making me get a reality check on the handling. I didn't say anything, just grabbed the dash for dear life. Then Alan casually says, "I've been to Skip BArber a few times". Thanks for telling me after, Al!

Angela - What a cool story, described so eloquently. I felt like I was in the car with you guys. You go girl!

Pucker factor? Are you guys kidding? I think I've got about 3 meters of fine IM upholstery still fiercely gripped in my nether regions...

You go from oh, "this is nice" to "whoo-hoo this is exciting!" to "oh my gawd what happened to the nice quiet guy that was visiting with me under shade tree??? Did he fall out? Was he hurt? Can we please please go back and get him because he was really really nice and drove MUCH SLOWER THAN THE CRAZY GUY THATS IN THE CAR NOW!!!!"

Then Rick pulls into the parking lot like nothing happened. And then lets STEVE drive the car. GAHHH!

angela

The only time I drive like that is on the track in my kart or by myself on less traveled roads, and even then I slow way down when I see oncoming traffic. I'm all about a good time in a nice car but driving like that with someone else in your car is a bit silly, to put it nicely.
I lost a buddy of mine to a stunt like that. A friend of his picked up a used 911. One night they went out for a ride and his friend was showing off. His friend lived, Tom didn't. Left a wife and a 4 yr old son without a husband and father.
It's one thing if you want to drive like that by yourself, it's another with someone else in the car.
I don't want to come off as a downer or as slammin Rick, but I caution folks to remember it's not always you that's gonna make the slip. There are other drivers out there who don't expect the car they see coming down the road to be doing a 100 mph. I don't care how many driving schools you've been to or how much track time you've had it's not the same. Chances are the other people on the road only have what they've learned in driver ed and a defensive driving class. If you ask me, I say leave the crazy stuff for the solo runs or the race track.

Angela, it was fun to take you for a ride in the Roadster. Of all the people sitting with us I figured you would enjoy it most.
For the record, anywhere I wound it out was pure country roads with no traffic. Whenever we were in traffic I kept it cool. I'd never put myself or a passenger in harms way. I wanted to demonstrate the stability, handling and ride that this car offers and was unaware Angela was uncomfortable until she mentioned it and I immediately slowed to the limit or less.
I know Angela and Steve enjoyed the car as much as I but I don't want people to think I'm some mad man behind the wheel. I have a flawless driving record and I enjoy acceleration and carving corners when the road permits but never at the expense of safety or common sense.

This thread really took a sideways spin, Rick... I have driven those roads at the same speed you drove (okay, I was way slower thru the S-curve on Whiteson!) and never felt as if I were a danger.

The difference is perspective. The world looks very different from the passenger seat! In truth Rick, you drive much better than I. You are safer at higher speeds than I am. It sucks, but it's true.

I will staunchly defend this: I am safer as a passenger with a good fast driver than a bad slow driver any day. Add to the mix the very well balanced car, roads you are familiar with and non-existent traffic on the two stretches where you romped on it - then overall it's a safe but very exhilirating ride!

Hope I didn't cast you in a bad light Rick, that was never my intent. Mickey has good points about hard driving is for closed tracks. The thing is, that what you did was not hard driving for you or for the car... Both were well under their limits. The other problem is that it's a pretty short list of people on this board that can honestly stand up and say that they have NEVER gotten after it on a quiet country road...
angela

Angela, can you repeat everything after..."I think I've got about 3 meters of fine IM upholstery still fiercely gripped in my nether regions"... I seem to be stuck on that picture.....

Vince, for a minute I thought that crack got by you. I was beginning to get concerned.

That "crack" got by him? HA! Not in a million years!

Yo Vince - grip THIS!

angela

Just so you guys know, I'm NOT questioning YOUR driving skills. I'm merely pointing out that (1) Just because you are a skilled driver doesn't mean everyone else on the road IS. (2) Accidents are accidents because we usually "never saw it coming" and when driving at somewhere around 100 mph things happen pretty fast and reaction time is near zero.
As mentioned, I am as guilty as anyone on this site when it comes to pushing limits when I drive, but ONLY when I'm alone.

Rick, Angela and Steve,
There is no doubt you are all qualified drivers. You're also adults and can make your own choices. If someone wants to see what my car can do, and I trust their driving skills, then I just throw them the keys and say "Go at it. Ya break it, ya bought it." But I won't push it when I have someone in the car with me, what can I say, it's just the way I am.

Angela, I'm glad you enjoyed your ride in Ricks car. I laughed reading about it. Rick, I'm not dissing you. As I said, I'm sure you know what you're doing and that you know the limits of your car. My hopes were to remind everyone that the roads are full of people not paying attention and definitley not expecting cars coming down the road at 100 mph. Not to mention deer, dogs, possum, ect... I just want everyone to be careful. I guess it's hard to say without sounding like your scolding are being a downer.

Where's George Carlin when you need him....

I'm sure he'd have something to say about the "other' guys on the road when Rick and Angela whipped past.

Mickey's right, of course, but I wasn't thinking of that this evening when I was out blasting around our snakey New England back roads.

;>)


Wha-Hoo!!

Mickey, you ain't wrong, but for what it's worth the roads in question are rural with little if any traffic and no side streets.

Angela, can you repeat everything after..."I think I've got about 3 meters of fine IM upholstery still fiercely gripped in my nether regions"... I seem to be stuck on that picture.....

Vince -

Angela is too much of a lady to say that she was wearing Rick's passenger seat as a thong!

Yet one more use for fine hand-crafted leather - right Vince?

angela

Leather, Naugahyde, spandex, lace,
it's all the same against my face...

Hey, Vince is a poet!

IT IS called "signal" orange......I'm guessing. One of the few stock 914 colors. Mine is "canary yellow". It went with go-go boots and mini-skirts................

I LOVE stories about people driving the bejesus out of these things!
Great story, and well-told to boot!

It's definately not "signal orange". Beautiful color and the only one I've seen that hue.

Nice teener Fred! Steve has a pretty good yearning to build a 914-6

Well, he did until he drove Rick's car... Now everything is for sale. Did you guys know that each person has two kidneys but probably only needs one? That there is a "kidney market"? We're talking some serious cashola for kidneys!!!

angela

Fred, the color of our Roadster is simply called Orange. You'll find it in the 1957 Porsche color chart under the special order colors
Here's a link to a color chart: http://www.willhoitautorestoration.com/PaintChart.htm

That Orange paint job looks like Hugger orange a 69 camro color I want that back on my dune buggy as it was when I first got it way way back in 75

It's not even close to Hugger Orange. It looks like red oxide primer when it's wet sanded prior to polishing so if you put water on red oxide primer the gloss looks similar to our orange color.

Signal orange 914. They had the most ridiculous colors as part of their marketing program. For an additional $200 you could get another Porsche color like Marina Blue which I owned in 1976.