It's confession time, boys and girls...

[excelguru]

Seems to me that every time somebody posts a video clip on CC of a fellow Cobra owner (or GT-40 owner, as was recently the case) running break-neck speed on public roads, there's always a bunch of folks who jump in and say things like, "How discraceful!" and "Shame on you!" and "He's gonna burn in hell for that!" etc, etc, etc...

Well folks, while that may be true, I'm hard pressed to believe that we haven't ALL goosed our rides on public streets at one time or another. I would even venture to say that a fair majority of us have even hit the (dare I say it) triple-digit range (dear God, I said it!). I have personally ridden shotgun with many a middle-aged-man who was ripping through gears with a big fat grin on his face (you guys know who you are). And I had a grin to match.

So here ya go. Here's your chance to bear it all and come clean. Step up to the podium, boys. I'll be man enough (or crazy enough) to go first...

The highest speed I ever achieved in my car on a public highway was somewhere in the neighborhood of 130+ MPH. (There, I said it.) I hadn't had the car very long and found myself on a completely deserted stretch of I-20 where the east-bound and west-bound lanes separate and there's a large wooded area in the middle. So I started pressing it... faster... faster... faster still... I found myself straddling the center line because that gave the most amount of room to each side (so my body parts would be evenly distributed). At one point I gathered enough nerve to glance down at which time I discovered that it was pulling away from 130 just as hard as it had pulled away from 90.

"That's ALL I needed to see, thank you very much Henry Ford and Mr. Parham."

I have never, and I emphasize NEVER, pushed my car even remotely close to that limit since. And I don't recommend anyone else do it either. Yes, I've hit triple digits for extremely brief periods since, but never like that day. I'm not bragging about it. I'm just confessing it.

Anyone else wanna step up to the podium?

(Can you believe I'm starting this thread at the same time that the police officers are posting their roll call thread? I must be nuts. Hey, at least I'm honest!)

[Tony Radford]

Keith, it bums me out to hear you've been so irresponsible and inconsiderate of the law. My car has never been over 55 and that was on a Sunday morning on a deserted stretch of I 85.

[excelguru]

...and you had "flag trucks" in front and behind with flashing yellow lights, right?

[Woodz428]

I had a road race GSXR that I liked to take out late at night on the Interstate and would hit 150+ on a regular basis. As a longtime cycle mechanic, I knew what possible things could occur and would only do it for short burst. I always ride with a current helmet and abrasion delaying clothing. I did, in my younger days , drive my '69 428CJ MachI from N.J. to here at about 105-110mph after swapping the 3.91 gears for some long legged 3.00s. Got pulled over once, in Ohio just before the Indiana border, in an early morning mist. The State trooper told me to slow it down a little, didn't even give me a warning. Things were a little more relaxed prior to all the 55mph safety fascists getting their way.

[Tony Radford]

I wonder who that idiot was in the red Unique tailgating Chill at 125 down that two land country road the other day.

[flipper35]

Took a friend for a ride a few years ago during the Superbowl halftime. He asked how fast it was and when we were pointed straight on the looong piece of road I stood on it. Backed off at 145 or so, I didn't really take the time to look much more than a glance. Was still pulling hard. The part that scared him though was the sideways lurch shifting into 4th at 120. The BFGs are worse by far at 50* than 70*.

I had a friend cruising at 135 from the bottom of hwy 78 along S2 along the straight sections. It was at that time he informed me we needed to check the alignment.

I am much more mature now with a wife and daughter. Though I will still stand on it in 1st and second. Only 1st though if my daughter is with me and I roll into the throttle even then. But boy does she have a BIG grin.

[mr0077]

1967 - 156 mph twice in a 1963 E-Type coupe on a two-lane in south Texas;
1971 - 153 mph in a 1968 L89 Corvette, two-lane near Corpus Christi;
All when I was much younger and "invulnerable"...seemed scary as hell at the time, seem dumb as hell right now.
In the Cobras? A few quick blasts on deserted roads to 55 mph...

[Russ Dickey]

Cool afternoon last fall...143mph on southbound I-435 near Kansas City International Airport.

I drive my car as it was meant to be driven. Stupid? Maybe. Irresponsible? Probably. Immature? Definitely. But having a high-horsepower, lightweight car that is just used to putt around town seems like a big waste of time and $ to me. Might as well resign yourself to minivan hell...

Russ

[GeorgiaSnake]

We have an honest to goodness speed freak in the ACC. Word has it that he has seen the plus side of 200 - on his bike

Fifteen or so years ago I frequently ran my 944 Turbo or 930 way into the high rpm in high gear. Got busted going to Hilton Head one Sunday morning trying to make a sub 4 hr trip and slowed down after that.

Other than that I plead the 5th.

Oh Yeah! My name is TC on this thread

[justbetter]

[Excaliber]

I recall once when I was doing triple digits and got PASSED by two girls in a Porsche. THAT was embarrasing.

Ernie

[Matt Smith]

My first car was a 1974 Ford LTD-460-4v-3.20 rearend.
120mph in the short stretch between Humble and
Kingwood, with an inch of pedal to spare.
All this with the a/c on and my buddy turning geen.
The blissful ignorance of youth, I never considered the potential circumstances. Thankfully all is o.k., totalled the car out 2 weeks later(@ 55 mph, thank you).
No desire to relive those speeds unless on the track, now that I am Father of 3.

[Double Venom]

True Story, and this isn't April 1st!

Summer '67. GR, Mich. I had the baddest car around, you know, like Milner's. Kent County Sheriffs Dept. actually bought one of "those" pursuit cars from, damn what was the baddest Chev. dealer at the time? Started with a "B". BALDWIN, that was it. Anyway they bought a 427 Dual Quad Chev. Impala strictly for a pursuit car.

The Deputy that was trained to drive it was dating my mother at the time. Yes, she was single for you naughty thinkers! For weeks we always discussed his pursuit car vs. my modified 65 Goat.

Coming home very late one weekend, what do I see but this unmarked Impala in the driveway. As I get to the door "he" comes out and says follow me. So I did. We were on the north side of Grand Rapids and headed out I-96. No traffic, and as far as I know of we never did see any. He pulled off to the right and stopped. We rolled down windows and he said GO...so I did!

At around 60, he was nothing more than distant headlights in my mirrors. Around 90 I could make out his car, +/- 120 he was almost beside me. At an unknown speed (at the time) we were almost bumper to bumper when the front of the Goat was literally airborne. At least it felt like it. The slightest twinge from me and I was changing lanes. It was at this point that we were bumper to bumper. Ego wanted to keep going, still had pedal left, but I flat chickened out! By now the nose was so light, that Goat was going to go airborne.

I exited and returned home. I think I shook all night. Damn what a rush.

Couple of nights later he confirmed that when we were bumper to bumper our "clocked" speed was 147 MPH!

I think he is the one that convinced me to become a Cop. Told me I couldn't beat em, so might as well join em!

How's that for a "Cop" story and a true confession? Man do I miss that car.

Ed "DV" Combs, 38 years ago, different time, different era.

[BANDIT 1]

170 - 175+ MPH per the speedo in the Cobra and a 2001 Hayabusa (Suzuki GSX-1300R)....

[badrich]

Ernie: How embarrassing: passed by a Porsche. I hope you caught up with them at the next stoplight and blew their doors off (up to the legal speed limit, of course).

Justbetter: Great speedo shot, even at Km/Hr. What kind of car?

I'm still breaking in my Cobra, so my fastest speed so far was about 130 or so in the middle of Nevada in my year old (cherry) Corvette roadster. Was getting a little light in the front, so got down to 115 and it cruised just fine. A few months later I did bad things to the car, getting it set up for serious autocrossing. My club rented the old Cotati race track and laid out a great high speed autocross. I got up to 7K RPM and held it for a few seconds (rock solid at 140 MPH with 4.11s) before coming into a 80 MPH sweeping turn at 85 MPH+. Much more exiting than driving straight at 140. I really don't plan on driving the Cobra that fast, but don't get in my way on one of those nice, smooth, twisty coastal mountain roads to the coast! But if I an cruising along in the beast at 70 MPH on the Interstate and some Viper messes with me, I may be inclined to jump on it, for just a bit...
; ) Rich

[Turk]

Oh boy!,
Wait till Cranky finds this thread....
There will be hell to pay.

[Double Venom]

Turk,
Dude, it's called "Fishin' " !
DV

[Ibr8k4vetts]

I have only had the Cobra up to about a hundred, NOW my pick up thats about 140 on the way home from the showroom
Mike

[FattyBri]

A few years ago in my LT4 Corvette. Two lane hwy, no traffic except for one car about 2 miles ahead. Slight downhill, very straight road, downshifted to 3rd and nailed it. Glanced down to see 155 and let off. Started to come up on the car quicker than i thought and got on the brakes. When i got to around 70mph i realized it was a cop!! He slows way down and pulls on the shoulder, then pulls back on the road behind me. Im thinking jail time. Follows me till i have to make a turn and he goes straight. Last time i pull a stunt like that.

[Turk]

This is a sting operation, right?

TURK