Mixed feelings on this one, but pretty amazing drive.
Peak performance
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Burning Petard
- Posts: 4439
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:35 pm
- Location: Near Bear, Delaware
Re: Peak performance
As the Unser family has testified, Pikes Peak was more fun when it was all gravel.
snailgate
snailgate
Re: Peak performance
Some very scary moments in that video!
I have Toyos on my RAV, but have never given them that kind of workout.
Climbed Pike's Peak with my mom and brother in 1979 - it was a lot of fun, even though we went much, much slower.
I have Toyos on my RAV, but have never given them that kind of workout.
Climbed Pike's Peak with my mom and brother in 1979 - it was a lot of fun, even though we went much, much slower.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Peak Performance
High Plains Driftin'... give or take 11,000 feet.
“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.”
Re: Peak performance
I've driven Pikes Peak more times than I can recall. My best time was about 30 minutes in a 1970 BMW 2002tii in 1974 or '75. That was from the toll at the bottom, not the six mile marker. I'd have done better, but I caught up with a bunch of slow pokes fairly near the summit, and never drove sideways. It would be interesting to try it again on pavement.
The guy taking the temperature of the brakes (and turbos?) is for real. It looks like he's using an infra red thermometer these days. One of the times we flew to Colorado Springs, we rented a five year old Ford Fairmont from a Rent-a-Wreck franchise. When we were coming down the mountain, the guy saw the local Colorado tag on the front of the car, and waved us by. Of course the real reason is to get tourists to stop at the high priced souvenir shop that sits half way down. We could have had burning, faded brakes, but he didn't figure we were likely to buy anything.
One year, we were there just after the Pikes Peak hill climb ended. It was prominently featured in the local paper that day. The guy with the best overall time shredded his right rear tire (Toyo??) half way up, and said the bare wheel just dug in better. That was over 20 years ago, so it was largely gravel. The car was a purpose built tube framed rig with a small block Chevy engine. The owner lived in Colorado Springs, with a view of the mountain.
There is a museum at the BROADMOOR Hotel that houses several successful hill climb cars including a Model T Ford that held the record for many years. See: http://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Art ... ak1922.pdf
The guy taking the temperature of the brakes (and turbos?) is for real. It looks like he's using an infra red thermometer these days. One of the times we flew to Colorado Springs, we rented a five year old Ford Fairmont from a Rent-a-Wreck franchise. When we were coming down the mountain, the guy saw the local Colorado tag on the front of the car, and waved us by. Of course the real reason is to get tourists to stop at the high priced souvenir shop that sits half way down. We could have had burning, faded brakes, but he didn't figure we were likely to buy anything.
One year, we were there just after the Pikes Peak hill climb ended. It was prominently featured in the local paper that day. The guy with the best overall time shredded his right rear tire (Toyo??) half way up, and said the bare wheel just dug in better. That was over 20 years ago, so it was largely gravel. The car was a purpose built tube framed rig with a small block Chevy engine. The owner lived in Colorado Springs, with a view of the mountain.
There is a museum at the BROADMOOR Hotel that houses several successful hill climb cars including a Model T Ford that held the record for many years. See: http://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Art ... ak1922.pdf
A friend of Doc's, one of only two B-29 bombers still flying.