I found out today that my car will go 95 MPH

[Redstone]

in third gear.

Oh, yes.

Redstone

[GOPisEvil]

1. Did you find out on accident, or on purpose?

Either way...what a rush.

[Redstone]

5. On purpose. Had to cut it short at 115 the first time, because the roof

was down and the wind got to be too much. Put the roof up, and got to 135 before running out of road. I think the manufacturer is telling the truth when they say the car will hit 155 before the governor kicks in; she wasn't even close to getting out of breath at 135.

"What a rush" is right. Years ago, when I was racing SCCA E- and F-class sports cars, we rarely got over 90...

Redstone

[WCGreen]

2. Was that on the highway or on the side streets

by a school....

[Redstone]

3. No, school was out today, so I did it in front of the old folks' home

while the geezers were out for their afternoon stroll.

(No, it was on the highway.)

And I had the roof down, too. Yipee!

[WCGreen]

10. Now yer cookin'

Nothin' like the thrill ya get from knowing you could be this far from a horrible painful death....

I got my Le Baron up to 110 one night on the way from Cleveland to columbus....

[Redstone]

13. Nah, it was safe. A section of a highway that was never opened;

one of my neighbors is a state trooper, and he told me where to go to get onto it.

And I used to race cars, so I'm well aware of how fast things happen once you get over 100.

Redstone

[WCGreen]

16. Cool....

[MrScorpio]

29. Dude, I used to drive the Autobahn

Speed is life!

[DS1]

4. Oh yes, I know the feeling

:D

[Redstone]

17. Well? Details? Don't leave us hanging like that.

Redstone

[DS1]

21. 210 HP 5 speed

A 97 Mitsu Eclipse - early one Sunday morning I decided it would be cool to catch sunrise on Cape Cod, so I got on 495 and booked down there. I missed the sunrise, and realized I had zero idea on how to find any beaches, so I got on 495 North and decided to see what my new car could do. We got to 145 at points, but there was either turns I didn't feel like navigating at that speed coming up, or other cars I didn't want calling the cops on the cells so I'd drop down to 110 or so while passing - then gun it up again, it had about another 1000 revs before redline, I've still never gone as fast as it can. And don't really want to. I'm lucky I still have my license.

[Redstone]

22. Next time you want to do that, go north and grab I-91. The stretch north

of WRJ up through Barnet just got repaved, and there are essentially no cops. There's a straight stretch around Bradford where I got the Passat up to 125 two years ago.

That Passat was a different kind of Volkswagen...V-6, 5-speed, and no options...not even electric seats to add any weight; it was 800 pounds lighter than a typical Passat with an autobox, sunroof, and all the other power stuff. It was a blast to drive, but unfortunately broke as much as my prior car (an A4) did (I ended up getting rid of both the A4 and the Passat after only two years because they fell apart). I've sworn off German cars.

My C70 and Mrs R's S60 were both made in Belgium, of all places. They must have a good work ethic there, because both cars seem very well made.

Redstone

[Dude_CalmDown]

6. Porsche Boxster S?

?

[Redstone]

7. Nope. Here's the best part: It's a VOLVO!

But it ain't your daddy's Volvo, that's for sure.

C70 HPT convertible. Being Volvo, they never really advertised how much raw, screaming power those things have. 14.5 pounds of turbocharger boost can really make a difference.

Redstone

[MissB]

8. You didn't get the C70R????

:D You'd go so much faster.

[Redstone]

14. Even the type R isn't faster than this car. The new S60 type R is,

but my car has the same engine as the R-type C70 coupe (which was a damn fine looking car as well; I'm surprised they were never able to sell very many of them).

Redstone

[Dude_CalmDown]

9. The last car I would have guessed.

I know the power is there but I would have never imagined the gearing in a Volvo would allow you to do 95 in third.

[Redstone]

12. In this one it does; it's got real legs.

And the rev limiter doesn't cut in until 6500 RPM. I think it must be Volvo's "dirty little secret." (Until they brought out the S60 type R.)

Redstone

[AtomicKitten]

11. Weeeeeeeeeeeee.

[Redstone]

15. Every once in a while you just gotta cut loose.

I don't drive much, so I figure it's not a crime to bun off a few gallons being dangerously juvenile once or twice a year.

Redstone

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

18. Wow - and I was happy just to squeeze out about a dozen extra HP

out of my car.

I recently bought a Swedish car, but mine is an old 1973 Saab 96, something like the one in the photo below. These cars won several major mountain road races in the 1960s because of their extraordinary road handling capabilities. I put on it a Weber carb, a K&N high performance air filter, a lightened flywheel, a pertronix igniter with Bosch coil, and a high performance exhaust system. I managed to increase the horsepower from a modest 60 to perhaps around 75 without giving up fuel economy. If your car is stock, you might be able to further increase its performance with modifications, but then in your case you either might kill yourself or discover a new means of flight.

[Redstone]

19. Is that the one with the V-4 engine, and the column-shift 4-speed

transmission? And I bet it's got the freewheeling, too, which always scared the bejabbbers out of me...I want my engine braking when I downshift!

Redstone

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

20. That's the one - some people manage to convert the freewheeling system

and disconnect it. I haven't gotten there yet. My next project will be to lower the engine and put in a rally racing suspension.

[flvegan]

23. "ahem* Mr. Redstone, I'm going to see your license and registration

It appears you might have been exceeding posted speed limits...

95 in third. Kick ass.

[Redstone]

24. Well, Ossifer, it's like this:

Catch me if you can.

Redstone

[flvegan]

25. Fair enough. That Crown Vic ain't gonna cut it

watch out for the radio, though...

I'm on your side. My Grand National did 95 mph before I had my cd picked out.

[Redstone]

26. Funny thing, one of my neighbors has a Crown Vic cop car...

he got it from a Ford dealer across the state who had one of the towns cancel an order. It's the real deal; push bar over the front bumper, fender-mounted spotlights, black-painted wheels with little hubcaps, all that stuff.

He says that EVERYBODY gets out of his way when he's on the highway, and I believe him.

Redstone

[flvegan]

27. That's because folks like us

errr....uh, law abiding citizens don't want to hinder a peace officer in his/her daily duties.

Psst...

I went 155 in my first Vette and got nailed doing it. The cop was awesome, and wanted to know how I got her there...he had one at home like her.

[Redstone]

33. Does "the cop was awesome" mean he cut you some slack?

Numbers like 155 usually result in people becoming pedestrians for a long, long time. Hope that didn't happen to you.

Redstone

[flvegan]

38. Slack? It meant no ticket at all.

I don't think I was going that fast. The speedo didn't go that high, and it was buried. That's the number he gave me.

I did 120 or so on 1/4 track a few times. It felt closer to, but not quite, that. I don't think I could handle that speed.

I think he tossed the number out there, and just wanted to know how I got her there, since he had one himself.

That, and since my radar didn't pick him up, I don't think he did me. At the time, mine wasn't laser compatible, so he might've been using that. Plus, this was 15 years ago, and my particular year (1980) was notorious for being difficult to clock.

[KitchenWitch]

28. Check your PM!

:hi:

[uppityperson]

30. I almost hate to click on Redstone topics that start this sort of way

wondering what you've been up to now. You don't lead a sedate life, do you? Another weekend, another adventure. (That was you posting about backyard racoons or some such in the last month or so?) 95, third gear, Volvo? wow

[Redstone]

35. You shouldn't hate to click on these topics!

They're almost always guaranteed to make you feel good because of one or more of the following:

1) You know there's a guy out there who is more irrational than you, and you can shake your head and say "What a ding-dong..."

2) You can feel good that your life isn't routinely thrown into confusion because of having The Rabid Striped Menace (it was a skunk) chase you around your yard, or come home to find that your spouse had had a tree fall on her head...

3) You know you'll never freeze half to death because your husband said, "Hey, let's bring the Christmas tree home in the convertible with the top down; I know it's only 34 degrees out but it probably won't rain..."

Life should be full of adventures, surprises, and the occasional calamity; that's what keeps it interesting.

So do us a favor: Go on out next weekend and do something ridiculous and pointless but fun. Then tell us about it. I'd be interested to hear all the details!

Redstone

[uppityperson]

41. snort

you are right, keep them coming. My life with a sedate spouse is boring and I'd rather you do this than me. You tell a good story, thanks.

[fujiyama]

31. The fastest I've ever taken my car

was 110 (maybe peaked at around 115). This was a month or so ago on 696 here in MI.

Nothing quite matches the exhilaration of driving that fast. God I'd love to take it even faster!

[Parrcrow]

32. I had a 1982 chevy S10 pick-up truck

that couldn't have hit 95 mph if you pushed it off a cliff.

[DS1]

37. Aww man, I've had a Renault LeCar 4dr past 90 before

:shrug:

[Redstone]

39. Were you using a real car to push it?

We used to beat la merde out of my friend's Le Car. I can't remember hos fast it want, but we managed to get it airborne a couple of times, hammering through an apple orchard...

Redstone

[DS1]

40. Nope

just me and my friends counting off the 5mph milestones as it slowly and painfully crawled its way around the speedometer :rofl:

70! *pause* 75! *pause* *pause* *pause* 80! *wait* 85! *engine whining like crazy* 90!!!!!!

Yeah, we had it airborne too taking some really bad intersections way too fast - and went shopping cart-ramming after midnight

[Redstone]

43. Christ, you had the same kind of friends I did!

Most of us are, amazingly enough, still alive.

Damn. I'm starving. I gotta go eat lunch; there's some leftover fried chicken calling my name (don't tell FL Vegan).

Redstone

[Deja Q]

34. Dang, that's fast!

I wish my buggy could go that fast. :cry:

Still, even at 95MPH, you'd be ran over on the Autobahn... then again, I'm not insane enough to try...

[Kellanved]

36. Why?

160 kph is a good cruise speed.

Anyway, remember that all cars are capable of reaching that speed. Once; at an acceleration close to 9.81 m/s² .

[northzax]

42. only? pshaw

I hit 110 in my 83 Volvo wagon once in Eastern Oregon (best was 135 in my dad's Acura somwhere in the middle of freaking nowhere Utah. But then I'm stupid, I hit 90 in a uhaul last weekend.

[Redstone]

45. "Middle of freaking nowhere Utah..." That reminds me of why I used to

enjoy traveling out west on business...there I would be with a rental car, out near say, Amboy, California, arrow-straight roads where you can see forty miles, not another car in sight, so I wasn't going to hurt anyone but myself if I screwed up (I NEVER drive fast when there are other cars on the road)...the problem is, I'd never get to find out exactly how fast the rental cars went, because this was back in the 1980s and most of them had those punk speedometers that only went up to 80 or 90.

Ah, well. It was a bit of recompense for the miseries of business travel at least.

Although the most fun I had with a rental car, I was going REAL slow when I got it stuck up the canyon on the abandoned mining road in the Panamints. But that's another story for another day.

Redstone

[XemaSab]

44. I got my old boss's dodge minivan up to 105

He was asleep in the shotgun seat and we were hauling ass through the desert.

The next day he said "yeah, the old dodge doesn't like to go more than 70 when it's full of stuff."

I didn't say anything to that. :)