Memories

    Memories, Mechanical

 

    I don't recall what the fines and fees that surround speeding tickets, I should, I managed to wrack up seven speeding tickets my first year driving. I got a letter from the California DMV indicating that if I was caught violating the speed limit one more time I would have my license revoked. I managed to stop getting caught. However, it did stop my Speed Racer driving habits. I even actually remember my CA drivers license number N8307905. I don't know why that is pertinent. In 1987 I graduated to two wheeled speed. I found myself in the saddle of an '86 FJ1200. At that time it about was the fastest [stock] thing with wheels. You can still get caught going 170 mph. I found out. But I was Blessed with a very understanding CHP Officer and as it happened he lived around the corner from me. He wrote me up for 75 so that I could attend 'driving school' to keep it off my ticket accumulation. I imagine that If I had tried to out run him I would have been jailed for some period of time. He did thank me for pulling over with out running. He was happy that he didn't have to the aircraft involved and turn it into a paperwork problem. That was then, I imagine now they would run up to 100 mph and say that the chase speed was too dangerous to pursue. I know that they wont chase past 100 mph [160.93] in Japan. I did hear some time ago that the high speed pursuit's gaining popularity on TV were becoming too dangerous and too popular. So there was some upper end limit that the police would not engage in a chase. But the Motorola is always faster; faster even than any Bugatti or Linguini Fandango what ever HIGH Horsepower thing you can build or buy anywhere in the world. Although while I was living in in Newport Beach I heard tell of a bunch of crazies Banzai Drivers they were called. Start in Valencia and balls to the wall to Mission Vallejo. 200 mph was not unheard of. I worked with a fabricator guy who had built himself a Chevette with a VERY High Horsepower 428. All nice and tidy outside... mostly and it was a very tight for two people because the great fat tires were tubed up inside the actual body. He took me for a shorty speed blast from Warner Boulevard down the 55 Freeway towards MacArthur boulevard. We got stopped by an 'interested' CHP officer. He wanted to see this Nutbag Crazo machine. After an approving look see he said we could go. He did however admonished us to be sure to get up to speed quickly so that we wouldn't get hit when we merged back onto the freeway. Greg obliged the officer. Greg had built a Morris Minor with about the same configuration and was working over a Porsche 911 with a Very Built 350 Cleveland. Keeping all the headers and velocity stacks  all tucked inside the tiny backside of the Porsche was a work of art. He let me watch him work on a '79 Cadillac Seville. He and his buddy had split it down the middle and stretched it by 12 inches or so with an official NASCAR roll cage stuffed inside. the 500 CID engine had four turbo chargers. I never saw it complete or see it run but I did hear about it. I can't find any internet evidence of these last cars mentioned.