two lane blacktop

[0X01B8]

I keep thinking, "looks like the last nice weekend of the year", and then we get another one, so I'm gone in 60 seconds for what I figure is the last chance in six months to get the Dodge out, or get outta Dodge, whichever applies.

Anyway, I generally drive near the posted speed limit.  If people wanna go around, fine.  I don't hold anybody up.  I don't hassle anybody.  I'm not an ego-maniac in the Charger and not even a regular maniac either.  But this car gives me a certain feeling when I'm driving it that's rather hard to explain.  Maybe like this.

It's not an elephant motor - it's a 440 - but I feel like an elephant walking around the african plains.  Everybody else on the road is a gazelle, or a hippo, or a nasty african wild dog, or maybe the occasional Lion.  But even the Lions keep their distance.

Today I'm on a nice piece of two-lane blacktop with a big truck/suv in front of me and another one ahead of him, and he's dragging a trailer.  They're both going around 60-65 so there's no problem, but after a while I'm sick of not being able to see much ahead of me.  So, I wait for the light traffic in the oncoming lane to dry up - it does - and a nice stretch of flat pavement with good visibility comes up, so I take the opportunity to clear the hippos out of the way.

I step on it about 2/3 and quickly moved past the first guy only to see there's a lot more space between the trucks than I realized.  Now I'm going about 80-85 and have to decide to move in between them, hit the brakes and get stuck between two muddy hippos, or fully commit to finish what I started.

I fully committed.  Still nothing in the oncoming lane, now MY lane, and I put the gas almost the rest of the way down.  The car starts pulling REAL hard.  I can almost hear the engine talking to me with a comment like, "No problem, I got plenty more for you.  How's this?"

In short order I was back in the proper lane, my heart needed some de-fibrelation, and the speedo was bouncing wildly between 100-120.  I thought, "Better wind it down."  Then I thought, "Broken speedo pinion tooth?  Twisted cable?"

I hope those trucks didn't think I was being a jerk - that wasn't my intent - so I'll apologize for the "flash maneuver."  But in my defense, all I can say is, "Sorry, but you know, there's an elephant, I mean Charger coming through."

-john

[70charger_boy]

Great story, John.  They call it "Driving like you stole it"  I'm sure everybody slows down to see your ride and it is truly a nice sight to see   

[twenty mike mike]

Your movie is a lot better than the original!

[bull]

Feels good, doesn't it? Nothing like some speed to make sure the 'ol ticker is still working.

Nice writing by the way.

[gordo1968charger]

nice story,too much of a nice autumn in the uk,gonna be dragging mine out the garage this afternoon to stretch its legs,test out the new dynomax mufflers i fitted last week,before its winter hibernation,fit the new dana over the winter,hopefully with a gear vendors as well and some new wheels and tyres(money permitting)

[tan top]

awesome stuff   need part two now .................

[400/6/PAC]

 

[mally69]

My speedo does alot of bouncing around to. I allways assumed or read it when it lunged to the farthest point.. 

[Brock Samson]

i need a smoke... 

[rav440]

Your movie is a lot better than the original!

thats for sure  atleast yours had a plot and you never once said you had to " check the jets " 

[1BAD68]

cool story! 
We had about 70 degrees and sunny all weekend but I was only able to get mine out on Sunday.
Its funny that all I could think about is "I gotta get my car out again" so Sunday morning I'm looking for any excuse to tell my wife so I can go.
After breakfast my she says "would you mind if I went up north to visit my friend today?" I'm like "uh no, go ahead I have plenty to do around here"
WooHoo! as soon as she left I grabbed some cd's and fired up the Charger and I was gone. I had absolutely no destination but put on about 150 miles.
It was pretty obvious that I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the weather, I counted at least thirty other classic cars out on Sunday.

PS anyone in southeast WI, check out the Elkhart Lake area near Road America, nice twisty roads, nice scenery and hardly any traffic.