I have a "Datsun vs. Porsche" story with one very unlikely participant - my '70
PL521 truck! I was coming back to the Bay Area on a Sunday night, over Highway
17 from Santa Cruz to San Jose (the Bay Area list members know this road - one
twisty 2-lane son of a gun!). I had a few pieces of lumber in the back of the
truck, not a big load, but two of the planks were white oak 2x12x8, so they
stuck out the back a bit. The lumber was well cinched down and secure, though,
so I was not worried about going over The Hill with it.
As I approached the summit on the last long, straight uphill stretch, I moved
left into the fast lane to pass an older VW Beetle. I was in no hurry, so I
wasn't blasting by (to the extent that my truck could "blast" uphill) , but as I
was going by the VeeDub, a Porsche 911 comes up behind me and hits me with his
high beams - and he didn't just blink them, he was trying to sear my retinas
with those puppies! I muttered something under my breath about being patient - I
mean I was passing uphill, fer cryin' out loud, and not in some hi-powered
Reichmobile... , and as soon as it was safe, I signaled and pulled back to the
slow lane in front of the VW.
The Porsche blasts by and crests the summit, but as I came over the rise and
started heading down the steeper and somewhat twistier east side of the route, I
see this Porsche up ahead of me maybe 60 - 75 yards, and not making any ground
on me, either. I figure he was one of those guys whose driving skill was
inversely proportional to the difficulty of the road, and never having been
afraid of the steep and twisties, on two wheels or four, myself, I decided to
see what his guy was packin'. I goosed the old L16 a bit (She was a little
warmer than stock. Bigger L18 valves in a reworked head, a custom ground cam
that strengthened the mid and high range, a Mallory dual-point distributor and a
two-barrel Weber carb w/mechanical secondary), caught up to and then passed the
guy. There was no other traffic on the road, so I wasn't duckin' and dodgin', it
was a good night to play a little speed racer on The Hill. The Porsche's
headlights dwindled in my mirrors - only totally out of sight around the bends,
but getting further back as we got further down the hill. Finally, down near the
bottom of the grade by the reservoir, where the road straightens out and is much
more level, this guy finds his manhood (and the loud pedal) and blitzes by me. I
was laughing the whole time - and then wishing that I had gotten his license
plate number. I wanted to report him to the Porsche Owner's Club so they could
take his keys away and buy him a Eurovan!
I'm looking forward to some runs over the Hill in the Hangar Queen (my '70 2000)
later this year when, if all goes well, she'll turn a wheel under power for the
first time since 1989!
Gary McCormick
San Jose, CA
-- Disclaimer: Speed is bad, especially on public roads. The disclosure of this
incident from my misspent semi-youth is not intended to be taken as an
endorsement of speed contests OF ANY KIND on public roads ;^) --
CalSpeed@aol.com wrote:
> I remember one day when I was driving through the Napa Wine Country back in
> 1998. I was just cruising along when a black 911 pulled up right behind me
> and then passed me on that two lane highway. I dont know what it was but I
> decided to play along with him to see what type of driver he was.
>
> I dont remember the details too well but I remember his girlfriend constantly
> turning around as we blasted through the twistie roads. Finally, he gave up
> and I repassed him. As I did I looked over and neither one of them was
> amused as they stared straight ahead. Sure he could have easily taken me but
> he wasnt able to I guess. Yet another Porsche owner pissed off at a Datsun.
>
> Oh yeah... I got a few stories about some drivers and their owners, (Porsche)
> at the track days at the local road courses. Nothing more fun then to badger
> a 2001 911 Turbo until finally he gets flagged for holding me up in the
> turns. But then there are the real drivers out there that leave me in the
> dust.
>
> Calspeed
>
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