Slip Slidin' Away....

[Hal Copple]

About a week ago, the Wife told me she was going back this weekend to KC, to see the grandkids, and the family. I immediatly put the trip planning disc in the 'puter, and started checking out driving distances to this or that far destination. I kinda wanted to run up to DC to see the Wall again, and leave something there from long ago. But then Thur we had the biggest snow since 1902, and being SC, it completely shut down the city. For two days, i couldn't even get out of the driveway, but yest, just on a hunch, i dug out a path thru the 20 inches to the street.

Slept in, then got up, cooked up a package of bacon, watched Dream Car Garage, our SPF is in it, then about 11 AM, noted it was warming up, so went out in Lynne's Jag (it is the AWD X series), and reconn'ed the roads, and found that outside the neighborhood, they were just wet. So came back, and pondered the stupidity of driving 400+ miles to Charleston (and back), just for the fun of it. It took about 45 minutes to just tell myself that i had planned on some trip a week, and i should not let snow and ice keep me away from my need to drive. Dressed up, put on the G 1, gave Abby, my Weimerainer, a Frag Order to watch the homestead, and jumped into the Great Stroker's cockpit, Latched up the 5 point Simpson, brought the oil pressure up with the A'sump, and fired up the motor. Then, backed out, and got about 3 feet, and that was as far as i could go. Stuck.

Tried rocking it back and forth, but then climbed out, and got the spade, and dug out some ice, and went for it again. Again, another few feet, and then just spinning on the wet snow and Ice. Again and again i would chop out more frozen slush, move a few feet, finding it strange that a car with 450 hp could not pull the front wheels over a chunk of ice the size of a biscuit. But eventually, spinning and throwing slush all over the by now sizzling sidepipes, got it aimed down the driveway, but promptly it slid into a bank i had not cleared. The car kept wanting to slide to the left. But eventually, got it turned around, and traveled to the end of the driveway, where i got out the shovel again, and cleared out the snow where it would possibly crunch my oil cooler shroud, and then went down the street, to the corner, heaving snow right and left, clearning a safe path. Finally, about 30 minutes later, tossed the shovel aside, carefully planned my driveway exit to avoid the hillocks of snow in the road, lit it off, and pulled out of the driveway, and immediatley it slid, and plopped the front wheels over a hard 4 inch snow ridge, leaving me stranded in the middle of the road.

Retrieved the shovel, and again chopped and hacked, and cleared enough to protect my front cooler, and let me continue on down the street, and then, i was away at last. The sun was warm, the roads were full of water, but i blasted out, and in about 15 minutes, hit I-77, and accelerated hard up the ramp, finding the interstate dry. Mostly dry, at least. I tached it up to about 70 then 80, and the big Olthoff motor just seemed to settle into a rythm, as i passed cars and trucks, warm enough under the SC sun. It felt good to be on the road.

part one ends here.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d..._Snow_home.jpg

[Hal Copple]

well, trying again:

[Hal Copple]

It was exilerating to feel the power, the sun, and grip that leather Moto Lita again. With the Valentine ever vigilent, and hoping the HP's would be too busy with road conditions, and knowing that they could not cross the median to catch me, i just went on down the road. I was careful around trucks, as sometimes they would drop a big chunk of ice, but I found the biggest worry for me was following SUV's with huge loads of ice on their roofs, held tenuously by the roof racks. But this gave me lots of opportunities to drop back to fourth, and hurtle by them. In the cold air, the Holley HP Pro just seemed to want to inhale huge CFM of clean, crisp SC air, and the Carter worked its own thing to keep up the flow of 93 octane, coursing thru my latest modification, my Canton fuel filter and Aeroquip Socketless rear fuel hoses. As is my custom, cruised every rest stop, leaving each one with a long angry snarl from the sidepipes, the roar at each shift's redline becoming a hostile shriek. Finally free of any roadway water, the traffic began to clear, and with open road, the formidable road machine tracked straight and true, with not a hint of tremor from the full race Bilstein suspension, or the Goodyears.



Arrived at Charelston about 3 PM, and cruised the historic district, slowly rolling past crowds and throngs, and having many people step back and shoot pics of my car, and as happens so often with these cars, just driving small children nuts, leaving them jumping up and down, dropping candy, waving.

Parked, walked to Bubba Gumps for Shrimp and Grits, and met up with a Replica enthusiast, and drank about 6 big Diet Cokes. For those unfamiliar and surprised by the Shrimp and Grits, it is a delicacy of the Low Country, my favorite, and is truly food for the gods. Then the two of us walked back, latched up, and cruised again, with the same result, as the hot, crackling, loping pulsations out the sides of the car just stopped people in their tracks.

But all good things must come to an end, and about 6 pm, headed back home, running first under the dusk, then as the cold night air seeped into my marrow, i could look up and see such beautiful stars and galaxies, and running about 3000 rpm in fifth, refueling once, made it back home in three hours.

So a fine weekend trip was made regardless of the weather and ice, and as soon as it warms up, i'll wash the Great Stroker, and top it off. A fine car.

[McCobra]

Hal,
Great story and pics's.
It's great to be alive, isn't it?
Mike

[CobraDan]

Hal,
I hope you plan on retireing soon so you can move much farther south and not have to worry about that snow shovel any more. The only time I even think about heading north is in June for the Spring Fling. My 58 years in Ohio are not missed even for one minute and my snow shovel is hanging above the garage door.
Now getting ready to celebrate my 65th birthday in two weeks in the sunshine state.
Dan

[nikbj68]

Excellent post,Hal!!!I will get my significant bother to read it, just maybe she will be convinced that 'it`s not just a car' and that 'cars aren`t just for getting from A to B'.
Nik.

[ENTDOC]

Great story Hal,maybe soon I can meet you in Columbia for one of those Charleston trips.I spent 11 years there and there is no better weekend trip. chuck

[Doug Axelrod]

OK, Doc, let's hear about the trip back UP the driveway!
I think you've got a leg up for next year's calendar's winter scene!
best!

[Tom Wells]

Hal,

Great way to transfer a perspective to other humans, as always!

Can't wait to get mine back on the road.

Thanks,

Tom

[DonC]

Hal:
There was a video posted a little while ago on how to tow your car out of the snow. It looked like a really simple process (or was that simple minded). Unfortunately the link is no longer available but I can probably find a copy of it if you're interested in how to do it ;-)
DonC

[Ron61]

Hal,

I love your stories and am still laughing from this one. Great pictures too. At least you can drive yours on wet roads. If I touch the throttle mine wants to dump me and go on by itself. As for the ice and front wheels, how about trying skids until you clear the driveway.

Ron