[geeks] Work getting slow

[Michael Conlen]

> -----Original Message-----
> My PT Cruiser is exceptionally well behaved at 120mph - where the speed
> limiter kicks in.  I suspect that at theoretical top speeds of 140 to
> 150 it would still be well behaved as long as I had appropriate tires...

I'd also consider suspension upgrades...

Some of my favorites have been (reported by speedo, which is generally wrong
as these speeds anyway)

'81 Datsun 310, driven in '92: 110+ (spedo pegged, tach still moving). The
sterring wheel shudders like a girl having a good orgasam while being
eaten... ...car shaking across the four lane bridge and changing lanes on
it's own when the wind kicks up

'91 Toyota Paseo in '95 (I had just gotten rid of the Datsun): 120 as
measured by tach based on 60 MPH reading. Car moves well and handles
sweeping highway curves fine, but I wouldn't try any reduced speed corners.
Comming down the back of an overpass I look over to my right to notice the
squad car comming on to the highway. I break all the way down the back of
the overpass and just pull over.

Cop: "Do you know how fast you were going?"
Me: "No sir."
Cop: "I clocked you at 78 and that wasn't *even* close"

He gave me a warning.

'88 Fiero in '99: 140. I was driving down to Key West from Clearwater and
suddenly got very sick. I needed a nice clean place to sit down for a hour
or so that's clean and quiet and I've got a friend up in Sarasota so I turn
around and head back north and kick it up to 140 at about 11 PM and held it
floored for 45 minutes. OMG 140 at night... ...the car handles well, changes
lanes, and I feel confident passing trafic. If a rabbit hops on to the road
I'm dead. The roar of the engine (removed muffler, added resonator tips) is
causing me to go deaf in the frequence range of the engine noise. My senses
are forcused and I feel like a Jedi Knight. I get to my friends house and he
nearly looses it as he knew where I was when I U-turned and called him.

'96 Honda Civic: 120 (spedo reads 125, but I have GPS now). I'm heading down
the back of the hump in the Howard Franklin Bridge in Tampa/St. Pete. the
cars been floored and doing about 115 but wouldn't go any faster until I hit
the downhill portion and it kicks up to 120 when suddenly the engine cuts
out. I nearly shit, "OMG, OMG, OMG, what did I do to the engine. No blue
smoke! WTF!" and it drops back to 115 when the engine kicks back in and I
think "Oh! Speed limiter!" Car goes straight well, changing lanes is tricky
but I can do it, avoiding suprises is not going to happen.

The interesting thing is that at these speed your passing trafic like it's
standing still. Your closing with oncomming trafic at close to 200 MPH. The
world is a different place and your mind compensates. It's all very weird.

--
Groove On Dude
Michael Conlen
Obfuscated Networking
meconlen at obfuscated.net