Cafe' Machiatto "Full Throttle"

You guys are overthinking this. I drive barefoot. Especially when I autocross. Best pedal feel and control IMHO!

Danny, we are just goofing around mostly.  But you cannot drive my car with moist wet shoes like converse(I know I tried)  I guess if you're in California this is not an issue.  I love to drive barefoot too.

Marty, I only wear shoes if I have to, because it's cold enough!

Marty - Nice engine sounds.  I like the whine of the timing belts a lot.  Sounds just like Kathy's Outback 2.5.  Not overt, just there in the background.

 

Great exhaust bark, too!

I had to follow Bob's link to get the video. But that thing sounds GREAT! Can't wait to hear it, ride in it, and maybe(please?) drive it.

 

BTW, both Marty's and Bob's cars are exquisite works of art! Go Henry, and his elves!

I'm sure Danny would even autocross it for you. 

 

 

Ok Danny, but you must promise to keep it under triple digits.

Marty, are you getting an LSD in that trans? You're gonna need it.

 

No problem on the speed, the autocross is maybe 60-65 tops, 30-40 in the corners.

 

I'd be happy to be of service. I'll drive anybody's car, it only takes a couple laps to figure out the limits of the car.......

Who said anything about autocross:-0

Danny offered to like, you know, test drive your car, East Coast Bruce was like for sure Danny could you know auto-cross it  for you dude, you asked Danny, dude no problem just like keep it under triple digits bro, and Danny was like you know, sure bro but jus' saying auto-cross speeds only hit like, dude, max 60-65 mph.  

 

Come on Marty, you gotta keep up with the conversation. LOL

Like... cummon' man. Get with the program.

Seriously, though: I'm pretty sure you're going to let me drive it, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to keep it under triple digits.

 

Danny can autocross it if he wants. I'm just a hick with a heavy right foot. I wanna' know how fast stuff goes.

 

Forewarned is forearmed. 

Stan, I hope to get out and meet you in late September so you can test drive the car.

Thanks, Marty. I'll be gone until the 20th, so it would need to be VERY late September.

 

I promise not to keep it under 100.

Stan wrote: "I'm just a hick with a heavy right foot. I wanna' know how fast stuff goes."

 

Me too.  But I met my match with my brother's Norton 750 Dunstall motorcycle - He wanted a "road bike" after riding trials bikes for years.

 

Kick start it up and it shook so hard at idle that all of the gauge needles just slapped from stop to stop (it was kind of a radical cam).  It was pretty dead below about 5 grand but then came alive in a step-function......One second you were nicely accelerating and the next second "HANG ON!", all the way up to around 9 Grand.

 

It was a 6-speed.  On a straight back road I was up to 110mph in third gear in about 4 seconds with lots to go.  The supposed top end was over 180 - on a motorcycle - in 1972 - with mediocre brakes.

 

I powered down after third gear, putt-putted back to the garage, got off and swore I would never get on it again.  

 

Sometimes, you just know that something can easily kill you if you mess with it enough.

Gordon, I had a similar experience with a 1986 Suzuki GSXR-750. Cruising along, then accelerate and all the sudden HOLY SHNIKES! I brought it back and never got on it again. I like my performance to have 4 wheels.....

Yeah.

 

I sold my last bike 25 years ago, when I realized I was the sole mans of support for 4 other people. The last one was an RZ350 2-stroke with expansion chambers and some port work. I've had faster bikes, but none more explosive. That thing had a REALLY hard time keeping the front wheel on the ground. It might've been a "Kenny Roberts Special", but the handling was truly spooky.

 

It's really amazing I'm still around to bore people with stories like this one.

Back in the early 80's I rode a Kawasaki ZK 1000.  One day, while driving on the freeway, I decided to see what she would do.

I leaned over the gas tank and whacked open the throttle.   Everything was fine until just after I hit 120 mph. Then the front wheel started to wobble.

 

Tank slapper!!

If you've ever experienced a tank slapper on a motorcycle you'll know what I'm talking about.....scared the crap out of me.

After that I kept my speeds on that bike WAY down.

 

 

 

I hear you, Ron. The bike before the RZ was a '73 Z1 900 with all the go-fast stuff. I threw a chain on that one going 115 mph trying to catch an early '80s Honda 1000 Interceptor. He had already dropped me like a bad habit when my chain broke.

 

If it had wrapped on the back sprocket, I would've been pin-wheeling down the road at over 100 mph. Freaky, crazy stupid stuff. I should've been scared, but I wasn't because I perceived myself to be "unbreakable". I was just honked that I needed to buy a new chain and sprockets.

 

I have a long history of idiocy.

Sold Ducati ST4 (916 engine) and Ducati Monster 750 year and a half back after bad crash.  I have owned many fast cars but no car can match the acceleration rush and pure exhilaration of a bike.  I really do miss it.  Don't think I could ever go cruiser.  Rode either dirt bikes or sport bikes continually between the ages of 7 and 53.  But after having my left chest rebuilt with titanium plates I think I'm done.  Never say never but I would like to enjoy retirement and grandkids some day.  That bike rush is addicting.

Um...  Ouch?

I once road a moped to CCD.

Born to be Mild, eh Marty? 

Back in early spring of '68 I bought my first(and last)road bike. It was a '65 650 BSA and the previous owner had done some mods to it such as a new king/queen seat, cruising foot pegs, bobbed fenders and semi-'hanger' type handlebar and custom grips plus a few engine mods. Overall it was a good looking bike, ran very well and it came highly recommended by a couple of my friends who were into bikes.

 

So with me with about 3-4 months of street riding experience a few bike owning friends suggested a trip up Big Thompson canyon to Estes Park. We got up to Estes with no problems and decided to grab some lunch at the Rathskellar, a popular 3.2 bar and grill. Finishing lunch and a couple pitchers of 3.2 Coors one of the guys suggested running up to Trailridge road to the summit since the road had just been re-opened then turn around and head for home...sounded like a plan.

 

We had an uneventful trip up to the summit, parked at the summit lookout area and took in the magnificent view of the Rockies for awhile. While we were up there it began lightly raining, just enough to get the roads wet. When we left to head back into Estes I was second in line following the leader and he began to hi-ball it down the road, knowing better I tried to catch up with him...everything went fine,we were pushing 60mph and I was about 4-5 lengths behind him, until one right leaning curve...my rear wheel broke loose on the wet pavement and down I went and dumb old me I held on to the bike but had the presence of mine to pull my right leg up...bike went down and we went sliding across the two lane(thank God there was no oncoming traffic)to the shoulder where me and the bike separated. Luckily I got nothing more than some road rash on my right leg, hand and elbow and some bumps and bruises. The bike was pretty scratched up but no major damage. I WAS DARN LUCKY!

 

Sold the bike shortly after that and have never owned another road bike though sometime in the early '80's I bought my younger brothers off-road Yamaha 250 Enduro that I kept for a few months. Crashed it off-road once or twice and that convinced me that motorcycles were not for me at all.

 

Last time I was on a bike was few years ago shortly after my brother the biker...lol...took delivery of his 100th anniversary edition H-D electra glide and brought it over to the house and wanted me to take a ride with him.

 

I like four wheels under me...LOL

Had a nice conversation with Henry yeterday.  I always give him flack for taking off for two weeks.  Them Canadians think they are European:-). 

Anyways, it seems like we are in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Exhaust is going for ceramic coating and we have a check engine light to deal with. Something Porsche is not talking to something Subaru. Speed sensor I think.  They are running electric to my power heated seat, installing a mini amp under the dash, adding some sound deadening material to my doors, adding greener bulbs for my gauges, changing out fluids in the engine and trans & fitting a rear valance where the center exhaust will come through.  The 911 front end is already installed and now we're just talking about which sway bars to use. The summer is half over but I hope to in get a couple warm weeks of driving.

Marty, sound deadening in doors, is that an addition, why? did you have a problem? I'd be interested in knowing about the green instrument bulbs too, I think we have the same guages, lighting could be better. Sway bars are real nice  Ray

Marty:

 

I think Henry is just working things to get you out to the IM Tour in September...

 

Marty, Marty,  Marty..... that's what winter is for, Speedster upgrades.

Ray, no problem with the doors. I drive all German cars for my daily use and I love the thump they make.  Plus, Sandy is a door slammer.  It will alleviate some of my aggravation. As far as the bulbs I am in agreement, they are not bright enough and I want them to glow more green.

Thanks Marty, I would be interested to see the difference in the bulbs compared to the originals. If your changing all the bulbs in all the guages then it is quite a bit of work to do the change I would think, the clock and 3 guages to pull. The door insulation might help with the THUD, the sound your looking for I often think that continual slamming can't be good for the joints or seams of the FG door I would think. Well, stuff happens when your living... ha ha . Bob, you may be right we might all three be in Vancouver for the IM tour. Ray 

Ray I'm probably just exaggerating  a little: but you know how protective we are of our  cars:-)

Changing all of the backlight bulbs in all of the gauges isn't all that difficult.

 

Pull out the pushed-in bulb base, twist and remove the bulb (X2 per gauge) pop in a new bulb and re-seat the socket.  I would give the entire job (all gauges changed) about 30 minutes (ten, if you're good), most of it spent on your back under the dash.  None of the gauges need to be removed.

Thanks Gordon for reminding me that some jobs are actually doable .... I think the clock might be the only part that might be more trouble.   I might just wait till I see you guys in Carlisle next year, to compare the light, hoped to do it this year but my car needed more sorting. Ray 

Fantastic idea, I think. There's no better time of year than early-mid September to take a nice, long road-trip.

Rear Valance fitted and ready for paint.

That's bitchin.

Another nice change!

 

What will you do next year?

 

Sell it and Buy a Miata like GERD. 

Say it ain't so, Joe...

 

A pink one, too?

You may just be right, Stan.  It's within the realm of possibility...fly out and drive back.