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#1
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A Great Day
I had one of those rare days that reinforce one's belief that its great
to be alive. If you don't want to read about it, just bail. I live in the SF Bay Area in California, USA, about 35 miles south-west of the city in what is Euphemistically called "Silicon Valley". While the rest of the country is enjoying ol' man winter, this day dawned with clear skies and temperatures that eventually reached the high sixties. Having spent the earlier part of the week working on putting the next issue of the magazine I publish to bed, I decided that I owed myself a fun day. I opened the garage, slipped behind the wheel of my black 3.0 liter Alfa Romeo GTV-6, and twisted the key. I was rewarded by the instant explosion of a thoroughbred engine coming to life. I warmed her up some ("her" name is Sophia, BTW), and pulled out into traffic. Accelerating gingerly and short-shifting (engine's still somewhat cold), I drove toward the freeway on-ramp near my home, once there (with the engine now fully up to temperature) I punched the accelerator to the floor. The magnificent V-6 screamed toward it's 7250 rpm red-line and and I shifted to second. By now I was up to merging speed and cleanly integrated Sophia with the post-rush-hour flow of traffic. I headed down I-85 toward the Big Basin Way exit occasionally touching 100 mph in the light mid-morning traffic. I drove slowly through the little village of Saratoga, nestled at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains. Also known as Highway-9, this two-lane road twists and turns it way to the summit of "Skyline Drive" and then continues through the mountains, through Scott's Valley, and ends at CA Highway-1, the justly famous "Pacific Coast Highway" at the resort city of Santa Cruz. Climbing up from Saratoga, was a driver's dream come true. There was little or no traffic this morning and I was able to use the Alfa as it was designed to be used. Pouring on the coal, and using all the road (where judicious) I would point at the apex of a turn, give the car a twist of opposite lock to destabilize the back end, and then turn-in smartly while executing a double-clutched downshift from 4th to 3rd and then stabbing the accelerator as soon as the nose is pointed correctly. The back end comes around perfectly, caught with the nose pointing at the exit of the turn by a another quick flick of opposite lock. The smile on my face could be seen for miles - a perfectly executed turn. After about 60 more of those (some more perfect than others), I found myself on the Pacific Coast Highway heading north. It was clear and warm. I had the windows down, the sunroof open - all the better to hear that magnificent V-6 (experts agree that except for the Columbo-designed Ferrari V-12, no other passenger car engine sounds as sexy as the Alfa Romeo V-6); in fact, I kept it 3rd gear all the way up highway 1 just so I could more clearly hear it sing - whatta sound! Alas, at Half-Moon Bay, I had to turn back inland and back across the mountains to the Valley again. Highway 92 is a very crowded road, and not much fun to drive. Luckily its only six miles from Half-Moon Bay to Interstate 280, which I took back home. After 138 unnecessary miles and about 4 hours of my day, Sophia was back snug in her garage and I felt like a million bucks! I still do. The car had it's "Italian tuneup" and ran perfectly (as always In spite of it being almost 19 years old). Just thought I would share a rare day with my fellow Alfisti. Boy, life is great! -- George Graves ------------------ "I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." Gen. G.S. Patton |
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#2
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Great story and clearly written so I had the feeling I was on the passenger
seat. Okay, luckily those days exist. Enjoy driving, regards, Hans. "George Graves" > wrote in message ... > I had one of those rare days that reinforce one's belief that its great > to be alive. If you don't want to read about it, just bail. > > I live in the SF Bay Area in California, USA, about 35 miles south-west > of the city in what is Euphemistically called "Silicon Valley". While > the rest of the country is enjoying ol' man winter, this day dawned with > clear skies and temperatures that eventually reached the high sixties. > Having spent the earlier part of the week working on putting the next > issue of the magazine I publish to bed, I decided that I owed myself a > fun day. I opened the garage, slipped behind the wheel of my black 3.0 > liter Alfa Romeo GTV-6, and twisted the key. I was rewarded by the > instant explosion of a thoroughbred engine coming to life. I warmed her > up some ("her" name is Sophia, BTW), and pulled out into traffic. > > Accelerating gingerly and short-shifting (engine's still somewhat cold), > I drove toward the freeway on-ramp near my home, once there (with the > engine now fully up to temperature) I punched the accelerator to the > floor. The magnificent V-6 screamed toward it's 7250 rpm red-line and > and I shifted to second. By now I was up to merging speed and cleanly > integrated Sophia with the post-rush-hour flow of traffic. I headed down > I-85 toward the Big Basin Way exit occasionally touching 100 mph in the > light mid-morning traffic. I drove slowly through the little village of > Saratoga, nestled at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains. Also known as > Highway-9, this two-lane road twists and turns it way to the summit of > "Skyline Drive" and then continues through the mountains, through > Scott's Valley, and ends at CA Highway-1, the justly famous "Pacific > Coast Highway" at the resort city of Santa Cruz. > > Climbing up from Saratoga, was a driver's dream come true. There was > little or no traffic this morning and I was able to use the Alfa as it > was designed to be used. Pouring on the coal, and using all the road > (where judicious) I would point at the apex of a turn, give the car a > twist of opposite lock to destabilize the back end, and then turn-in > smartly while executing a double-clutched downshift from 4th to 3rd and > then stabbing the accelerator as soon as the nose is pointed correctly. > The back end comes around perfectly, caught with the nose pointing at > the exit of the turn by a another quick flick of opposite lock. The > smile on my face could be seen for miles - a perfectly executed turn. > After about 60 more of those (some more perfect than others), I found > myself on the Pacific Coast Highway heading north. It was clear and > warm. I had the windows down, the sunroof open - all the better to hear > that magnificent V-6 (experts agree that except for the Columbo-designed > Ferrari V-12, no other passenger car engine sounds as sexy as the Alfa > Romeo V-6); in fact, I kept it 3rd gear all the way up highway 1 just so > I could more clearly hear it sing - whatta sound! Alas, at Half-Moon > Bay, I had to turn back inland and back across the mountains to the > Valley again. Highway 92 is a very crowded road, and not much fun to > drive. Luckily its only six miles from Half-Moon Bay to Interstate 280, > which I took back home. > > After 138 unnecessary miles and about 4 hours of my day, Sophia was back > snug in her garage and I felt like a million bucks! I still do. The car > had it's "Italian tuneup" and ran perfectly (as always In spite of it > being almost 19 years old). > > Just thought I would share a rare day with my fellow Alfisti. Boy, life > is great! > > -- > George Graves > ------------------ > "I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French > one behind me." Gen. G.S. Patton |
#3
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George Graves wrote:
> I had one of those rare days that reinforce one's belief that its great > to be alive. <snip> *sigh* -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk |
#4
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On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 06:58:33 +0000, George Graves pee'd inna snow:
> I live in the SF Bay Area in California, USA, about 35 miles south-west > of the city in what is Euphemistically called "Silicon Valley". While > the rest of the country is enjoying ol' man winter, this day dawned with > clear skies and temperatures that eventually reached the high sixties. Some of us US-based Alfisti live in mid Florida... so far the mornings have started inna low sixties, progressing to mid-seventies by noon. This Alfisti's 50+ mile drive to "work" is usually with the hood down on the Spider ;-} It IS great to be alive. -- Dr E-- mhm 17x1 Linux: Load it, Learn it, Love it. |
#5
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George Graves wrote:
> I had one of those rare days that reinforce one's belief that its > great to be alive. If you don't want to read about it, just bail. <snip> <sigh> I had to make do with 30 miles on the M4 |
#6
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George Graves wrote:
> After 138 unnecessary miles and about 4 hours of my day, Sophia was back Unnecessary miles are always the best ones. > Just thought I would share a rare day with my fellow Alfisti. Boy, life > is great! Thanks a lot for a great tale, it was just what I needed on this, the darkest day of the year. My Sud is hibernating, but not a day goes by without me looking at pictures of Alfa's and making the appropriate sound, both in my head and externally. My life SO need a fast forward button, spring can not come a moment to soon.. :-) -- Hygge.. Thomas <http://www.carftp.com> - a library of car videos. |
#7
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cupra wrote:
> <sigh> I had to make do with 30 miles on the M4 I love freeways. They have the wonderful ability to draw people like moths to a flame, leaving all the great, twisted by-roads totally uncluttered and traffic-free for me and my Alfa! Freeways rule! -- Hygge.. Thomas <http://www.carftp.com> - a library of car videos. |
#8
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In article >,
Thomas Strandtoft > wrote: > cupra wrote: > > > <sigh> I had to make do with 30 miles on the M4 > > I love freeways. They have the wonderful ability to draw people > like moths to a flame, leaving all the great, twisted by-roads > totally uncluttered and traffic-free for me and my Alfa! Freeways > rule! That's certainly one way to look at it! -- George Graves ------------------ "I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." Gen. G.S. Patton |
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