Tell me about your most memorable drive....

[spl310]

It has been too long since I have driven my car. I need to hear some good Roadster drive stories.

My favorite is one nice cool Autumn day in Georgia. I was driving up to see my buddy in Athens at UGA, and I was in my Roadster. It was maybe 65 degrees with a nice afternoon sun warming my face. There was a light breeze and the big leaves off of the Sweet Gum trees were slowly wafting down onto the road. It looked like something out of a Hallmark made for TV movie. The Roadster sounded just right. I had the radio off and I was completely immersed in the driving experience. The smell of the fresh mown hay fields, the sound of my exhaust reverberating against the retaining walls on the bridge as I slipped past, the occasional whiff of gasoline. All was right with the world that moment, and I had not a worry. I miss those times...

Another was after a particularly bad day back in High School. It was about 11pm and quite chilly. The top was down and I went for a drive. I drove through the golf course and out some back roads. They were winding, and again, the engine was just right. There was a full moon out, so visibility was fantastic. I knew that the roads were empty, so I turned off the headlights and dimmed the dash lights. (yeah, I know, not the brightest idea, but man, what an experience!!) It was an incredible feeling. The angst that I felt upon leaving the house was gone. I was almost euphoric. I ended up driving for about 2 hours that night. When I got home, I was frigid, but there was a smile frozen on my face. I stopped the car and just sat in it for a good 15 minutes - I didn't want the feeling to end...

[datsun65]

Back during the college days, during my Senior Year I drove a roadster fulltime in Berkeley, CA. During that time, I lived next door to the local beer/burger hangout (Kip's) and just adjacent to Telegraph avenue, which is where all the action is (shopping, protests, dining, riots, etc.)



One spring Sunday morning, I got up early 7:00AM (come'on I was a college student) and started up my 66 Roadster which was set-up for racing with an L18, z-5spd 5 point rollbar and a rock hard suspension. Decided I was going to take a nice drive through the East Bay Hills (North of Berkeley).

The Berkeley locals are notorious for liking odd, old things...So as I drove around the downtown Berkeley area (City), the car was always a hit! Since it was early in the morning, the usually congested city streets were wide open! I really enjoyed zooming through the local streets/hills, unfetterred by traffic/pedestrians.

Stopped by the local favorite cheap breakfast stop called 'Bongo Burgers' for a quick 1.49 Egg n' Potato Breakfast ( I think the price is now upto 2.99) on Euclid ave and then proceeded to leave the Berkeley city area.



Within a few blocks of the Berkeley campus, the scenery changes from heavy urban to a beautiful north Berkely Hills with Views of the whole Bay Area. Stopped by the Berkeley Rose Garden which has just an AWESOME view and in the crisp spring morning the smell of the hundreds of roses is awesome.



After stopping at the garden, it was time to get in some serious driving. I zoomed through north Berkeley up toward an awesome park called, Tilden Park. The roads around the park and within the park are nice and curvy with lots of ups n' downs. Normally the roads are a bit congested, but on this day no one was around. I was really able to drive the roadster to its full ability through the twisty roads & hills.



But, not knowing the area real well...I kinda got lost

So...I just kept on going through the backroads of Moraga/East Bay Hills. Absolutely stunning scenery and the roads just didn't seem to end...One twisty section after another..

I finally ended up in a city called Richmond (Urban City) and drove back through the city streets on my way back home. Got home, smelling like carbs 'n gas but man, it was a great way to spend a Sunday Morning

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

that "cold" winter day with no top, dry rotted tires, very little brakes, a 69 2000, and a 16 y/o with a heavy foot..... ok, so my brother got to drive the car while I had to take the passenger seat.... but it was my FIRST ride in a roadster!!!!!! then the last time we took it out..... well, lets just leave it at a memory..

[futuredeadguy]

Hey All:

I'm new to Roadsters, so I posted my most memorable drive in off topic:
http://www.311s.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=24693#24693

Don't want to hijack, but if you have time, take a look.

Jim

[TurboRagtop]

OK, most memorable drive...
I was returning from a 2-yr work stint in Mexico, my wife driving the minivan, I was in the lead in my '66 1600, with my 13 year old son riding shotgun. The electric radiator fan stopped working, and as we entered Arizona (summertime) the car would overheat when we weren't moving; like in the traffic jam we got into between Tucson and Phoenix. As the water temp. moved north of 210 deg. my blood pressure went with it. So I spotted a rest area sign, indicating 1 mile to a pulloff area. So I swung onto the shoulder and tried to make it to shade and water. Some cars didn't care, some honked as *apparent smartass* went cruising past on the right. Then a trucker saw me in his rearview mirror, and didn't like what he saw... so at the last minute he pulled a HARD RIGHT!! There was a guard rail at that point, and no time to brake. So I gritted my teeth, my son screamed and we shot the gap while the truck was still moving to close it. Can you say *pucker marks* on the seat? Yeah.... I have no idea how we made it, but when we got to the rest area and got the engine cooled down, I checked the car for damage, and yep, there was PAINT on the right front fender flare. Silver, of course, from the guard rail. Check the driver side? Yeah, blue paint from that d*%# truck!! You know the saying: Better to be lucky than good? I think I had my eyes closed at the last moment!
But this topic said most memorable drive, not best...

[TAP63]

My most memorable drive happened when I was back in college. I went to the University of Colorado in Boulder and had spent a day in the mountains messing around with friends. That night i was heading down Boulder Canyon and there was a bright full moon. I too drove with the lights off. It was fun until I passed the State Trooper going the other way. Thankfully the guy was a roadster nut too and let me off with a warning. That winding road is/was a great drive anytime!

[Mark]

When I was a kid (late 60's early 70's) my family lived in Hawaii at the Pearl Harbor Naval base. My father was in the Marine Corps and worked at Camp H.M. Smith (high up in the Mountains). I remember riding to school in his 1970 Roadster like it was yesterday! My Father passed away in October of 2003 and I gave some serious thought to my childhood and my best childhood memories. Then, I bought a 1970 roadster and have had it restored. Now, everytime I get in to my Roadster, I think about my Father and what a thrill it was to "ride in the convertible". Now 36 years later, I drive my son to school in my roadster (Spring and Fall) and hope that someday he will remember his dads roadster as a great part of his childhood memories.

Mark