WCC Antics, driving using the buddy system. Options

[Demick]

There will be many interesting and entertaining stories that come out of this year's WCC. This is mine.

Saturday afternoon as we are leaving Paramount Ranch, our youngest member Barry (Grasshopper) is riding with me back to the hotel. Just as we pull out, the throttle cable snaps and the pedal goes to the floor. So we coasted back down the hill to the ranch and flag down the last couple of cars pulling out. Like most of us, I have a replacement clutch cable in the car, but no throttle cable. As if by fate, Brad is one of those last stragglers still at the ranch. He says no problem and we pull the broken cable back into the engine compartment and fish it out and over the targa bar into the passenger area so that the throttle can be controlled by hand by pulling on the cable. Sadly, I don't think Barry's dad would appreciate me driving his son back to the hotel in this manner, so appropriately, young Grasshopper get's a ride back in the grasshopper with Jeff Bowlsby. Brad jumps in my passenger seat and takes on the duties of throttle control while I handle the rest of the driving tasks. Just as I ease out the clutch in 1st to pull out, Grasshopper yells out "Light 'em up!". Brad's got control of the throttle, so he gives it a yank and we go sliding sideways as we exit the ranch! Gee, thanks Grasshopper, just what I needed to get some confidence in this driving arrangement!

So I've got to say, driving a stick while someone else controls the throttle is a very strange feeling. We had almost made it to the freeway and got caught by a yellow light. I hit the brakes and pushed in the clutch to stop - Brad thought we were going for it and pulled the throttle. Good thing I've got a rev-limiter. Then Brad starts getting confident and wants to try match-rev downshifts. If you think heel-toe shifting is tough, just try my-foot-and-passengers-hand-shifting.

Finally we're on the freeway and figure we're home free. But wait, this is So-Cal where all the freeways are parking lots. The bumper to bumper traffic gave us some pretty good buddy-system driving practice. Needless to say, we made it back to the hotel without incident. A replacement cable was quickly located in Matt P's stash, and a few minutes later we had it installed. Many thanks to Brad and others for the help. It was an adventure.

But I'm still wondering, if we had been pulled over, who would have received the speeding ticket?

Demick



Here's a pic of Brad and Jenny working on the car at the Ranch.

[plas76targa]

Wow Demick. I didn't know you limped back that way. Musta been comical at least.

$38.60 on the invoice from Pelican for the Terry cable. Buy me lunch or whatever.

You know, I ended up "almost" needing one at Willow springs. Coming out of the turn before the chicane and I STOMPED on it only to have the accel pedal go to the floor. Busted cable? Nope, only separated from the accel pedal at the front. Snapped it back together and we were off for Pleasanton.

Good drive home, made three BUG STOPS, i.e. P, more soda, and scrub the bugs off the windshield. On stop two we hoped back on I-5 right behind Tom Trudell and his son.

Excellent weekend!

[sean_v8_914]

I've done that "over the roll bar cable deal" before. Its funnier a year later

[MarkG]

Somewhat of a common problem/resolution for 308 owners too.......

[Brad Roberts]

Ha ha ... that was fun. The events are held not only for the people, but for the memories. This is one I wont soon forget. The traffic is what kicked my ass. I should have listened and let you pull over to yank that second spring off the throttle body. Nice workout.

See you at the next AutoX.

Thanks for "letting" me ride with you back to the hotel.. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)


B

[Rand]

You guys rock. I love these stories. What a cool group of people. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/drunk.gif)

[736conver]

That sounds like it was fun. I had to do that in my dune buggy once just to get home. Not fun by yourself.

[Brad Roberts]

Brian,

Thanks for your WCC contributions. I had NO idea where all that stuff came from until this evening when I dropped off SirAndy at home. We went through the goodie bags and I noticed your sheet in the bag. Thanks again for helping out with the event. Cool stuff. Sooner or later I will speak to you about the Ecomm stuff.


B

[Kevin@ojai.net]

HAHA! A few years ago I used my shoe laces over the targa bar to get home one night. Steering, shifting, and opperating the throttle can be a hand full to say the least (This was from Ventura, almost Oxnard back to Ojai at around 5:30pm). Fun stuff...

-Kevin

[maf914]

Great story!

Many, many years ago a friend and I decided to hitchhike from Philadelphia to Rochester, NY, to visit his friends. On the return trip it started snowing in near blizzard fashion as we were standing on the road side. A guy in a VW Beetle had pity and stopped to give us a ride. His front trunk and rear seat were full, so we squeezed into the passenger seat. Obviously we were desperate. Turns out the wipers didn't work, so we stopped and rigged a cord through one vent window to the first wiper arm, to the second wiper arm, and then to the opposite vent window. We operated the wipers by pulling on the cord while he drove. He took us all the way back into Philly. Good guy. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[736conver]

Sounds good Brad. I wanted to send more stuff but time was limited.

[Howard]

Brian, agreed, your stuff was a hit!!!

Back to the throttle cable story. I live 5 minutes from Paramount Ranch, and have a throttle cable at home. Offered to go get it, but noooooo, 'we can fix it, don't worry'.

Typical 914club creative engineering at work. We are all NUTZ! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)