Charged the battery and went for a drive

[94touring]

The rx7 has been dormant for months. Battery flat dead.  Finally got around to charging the system, cleaned the car up, and went for a nice cruise.  Aside from being enjoyable and fun to drive, I notice a pattern that in the past I must have been accustomed to.  First, everyone tries racing me.  Guy in a mazeratti gave it his all.  People wave and take pictures.  The 3rd thing is people are assholes.  Last two times I've taken it out I've been flipped off trying to merge in stop n go rush hour traffic doing 5mph.  Blinker on, not being aggressive, carefree, I'll merge when everyone is happy.  Guy yesterday appeared to give me room, as I slowly made my way over, he guns it and tries to run me off the road.  Then flips me off as if I did something egregious. A bit heavy handed reaction.  I waved and smiled as I crept by at 10mph.   

[MiniDave]

Yeah - that "you're not getting in front of ME" attitude when traffic is crawling is annoying at best, completely antisocial at worst.

[gr8kornholio]

Many similar experiences in the 07 yellow mini.

A) it's not a drag race car but everyone wants to drag.  B) lots of random compliments, pictures as I drive by and my favorite can I take a picture of my girl with your car when parked somewhere. C) the obligatory irritated idiot.  Mine were usually slowly going past someone at freeway speed cause my cruise was set a little higher when all the sudden, whoosh they go blasting back by.  What, you embarrassed my little yellow car slowly went past you just like the last hundred cars did but somehow mine offended you.

[94touring]

He had his arm out the window in a rage of fury.  Good way to have a stroke...or get your ass beat.

[jeff10049]

Always nice to get a car out thats been sitting.

Re The things people do when driving a smallish performance looking car.

Get it all the time in the 2004 mini and worse in the wife's countryman S.
I drive the 04 almost every day unless I need the truck for work it just sits or when the snow gets bad I take the truck.

I drive the 04 on snow packed/ice covered roads every day this time of year and the jacked up truck assholes just have to pass that car even though I'm driving the same speed as everyone else they just can't stand that a little car could possibly go as well as them in the snow. I have seen a few coming fast in the mirror and they end up off the road in into a tree before they get to me. This week going into work it was raining on top of ice super slick guy in a ford truck was determined to get ahead of me I saw him acting like a slot car racer in the review passing people left and right the light changed he was two cars back we all stopped he couldn't went to the left lane ended up sideways I gunned it and went hard right to the curb he passed be me "just" while sideways and ended up completely backward and rear-ended the truck stopped at the light with the back of his truck LOL explain that one to the insurance.

We were in between Salem and Portland in the countryman when some POS civic with 8" exhaust was coming onto i5 so I moved over to give POS room he sees the countryman and drops down a couple gears and runs alongside gunning it shifting up then down then up making the worst racket you've ever heard tired of it I step on it and go from 70 to 95 in short order POS civic is way back there I can hear the noise of him as he keeps shifting because apparently, he doesn't have the power to hold higher gears on flat roads at speed. Miles later I've set the cruise and settled in to a lane he finally catches up and starts running alongside again gunning it I back off so he slows down stays alongside I look over at him and he motions like he wants to run road is clear so I step on it again We're gone and can hear him revving the piss out of the poor civic after he was way back I settled in again miles later hear he comes only this time he blows right on by in the carpool lane making all kinds of noise and a cop nails him. He suceeed in proving his car wa slow and noisy to me.

[gr8kornholio]

I had some idiot almost put his F150 in the ditch trying to keep up with me on a curvy road once in the 07 mini

[Jims5543]

The rx7 has been dormant for months. Battery flat dead.  Finally got around to charging the system, cleaned the car up, and went for a nice cruise.  Aside from being enjoyable and fun to drive, I notice a pattern that in the past I must have been accustomed to.  First, everyone tries racing me.  Guy in a mazeratti gave it his all.  People wave and take pictures.  The 3rd thing is people are assholes.  Last two times I've taken it out I've been flipped off trying to merge in stop n go rush hour traffic doing 5mph.  Blinker on, not being aggressive, carefree, I'll merge when everyone is happy.  Guy yesterday appeared to give me room, as I slowly made my way over, he guns it and tries to run me off the road.  Then flips me off as if I did something egregious. A bit heavy handed reaction.  I waved and smiled as I crept by at 10mph.

Well Dan, you are just a dickhead for driving such a flashy car, people are green with envy and will find a problem where there is none.  How dare you sir, how dare you. 


A group of us were heading to the tail of the Dragon, this was pretty much the group.



We were on a divided 4 lane road and coming up to where it merged down to 2 lanes. We were coming up on a Dodge Durango R/T and were snaking around him when his engine roared to life and he closed the door on a couple of us. The guy in the white M3 and myself taking up the rear in my black RX7.

We were stuck behind him as the road heading in was starting to get interesting.  Some nice high speed sweeping corners coupled with some nice tight 2nd to 3rd gear corners to keep things honest.

What sucked is we were about to get sperated.   No worries we knew where we were going and where to regroup.  Then someone got on the 2 way radio and hatched a plan.

We decided to back this clown up a bunch then throw a pass on him. The car in front of the Durango, the silver 911 backed down the Durango, then pulled away, as the M3 passed and got in front of him and I was hot behind the M3.  The M3 gets the pass done. I am about 3 car lengths back, as I am passing the Durango, I hear its engine roar again, he closes the door for me to get in front.

Red Mist...........

I downshift 2 gears now to 3rd gear and push the loud pedal to the floor unleashing all 550 HP...

I wind our 3rd gear, around 110 MPH and grab forth and punch it again, the road is pretty straight, no one coming the other way, I have room...

I wind out 4th gear, I am now doing about 140 MPH, I am passing the entire group of cars and tucking in front of the first car which is a White Porsche 930.

Adrenaline pumping, I get on the radio, announce, LETS GO!

We pick up the pace, we are booking it, my FC is planted with some 180 treadwear sticky tires, enjoying the very spirited triple digit run.

The 930 behind me was scaring the crap out of me, I can hear his tires squealing around every corner.  I even get on the radio during a straight and express me concern, I am dismissed and told the tires are just talking to him they are fine.

We continue, to beat cheeks, the Durango fades off into the distance unable to take the turns with us.   ;D ;D


On the way back we found some guys on Bikes way in over their heads, I told the white 930 I erased this.    ;D ;D ;D

[94touring]

Ah bikes just cruising along like the slow pokes they are lol

[Jims5543]

Harleys are the worst, no regard for anyone.

On the Dragon there are many pull offs you can use to get out of the faster drivers and riders way, Harley Riders seem to ignore them.

Sports bikes are a little better with an experienced rider, although there are a few of us in that group that could run them down too.

I am going through Smokey Mountain withdrawal, I feel a spring trip up on my radar.

[MiniDave]

MINIs on the Dragon, first week of May ?  77.gif

[Jims5543]

MINIs on the Dragon, first week of May ?  77.gif

Hell to the no.

It is bedlam there that weekend.  I like to drive not go on parade rides.  which is what MOT is.

I have a great friend that helps organize that event every year and schedules a week vacation around it.

Not for me, we go on our trips when it is not ideal weather wise just to get empty roads and hope the bikers stayed home.

[MiniDave]

Yeah, they are talking over 600 cars again this year....but you can always do your own runs off time - I know the hard core guys do it that way.

I agree on the bikes, the Hardly Ablesons think they own the road and will not stop or move over for anyone. The sport bikes think they're on a qualifying lap and that yellow line isn't really there.....

[gr8kornholio]

I loved the hellbender.  Took that route into town any time I could from the camp area when I was there in 08 with MOTD.

[Jims5543]

I loved the hellbender.  Took that route into town any time I could from the camp area when I was there in 08 with MOTD.

I have a Hellbender Battle story, maybe this evening when I have time, it was crazy, I may even have it on video.

We were positive we killed a local kid in a Honda fart can of some sort.

[gr8kornholio]

Someone dipped a tire off the road and flipped their mini.  Just saw it sitting at camp with a freshly added this end up sticker on the shattered front windshield.

[Jims5543]

We were staying at Fontana Village on a November weekend, the roads were empty, there was probably about 20 cars in our crew that weekend.

We were out doing Dragon runs, after a few many in the group left to relax at Fontana, my older son in his E30, myself in my RX7 and my friend Duke in his highly modded 1980 911 with a 3.2 liter making somewhere in the 340HP range did another run up and back on the Dragon.

We stopped at the Dragons Lair, fueled up and then prepared to run down Hellbender to Fontana.

Duke took the lead I tucked in behind my son took up the rear, it was his very first Dragon driving himself, he has ridden with me many times.

What we did not notice was a local kid in a Honda Civic off to the side waiting for us to leave so he could have a go at us.

We took off kind of relaxed and not really moving, day was over, or so we thought.  The Civic come roaring up behind my 18 y/o son, we knew what was up and I did not want my son wadding up his car trying to out run a local, we know these guys know the roads and that is to their advantage.

My poor son is being tailgated something horrible, I get on the radio and tell him to let the cat by and do not do anything stupid, reminding him its his first time here and he doesn't know the roads.

I was proud of the boy he swallowed his pride and let the cat by.  He books on up to me, I radio Duke and we discuss what we should do with this guy, we toyed with letting him by, then Duke says, lets give him a run and see if he can keep up.

I hear Duke drop a gear or two and get it, I let him get some room out in front of me and do the same, we walk away from the guy pretty fast, but the road was sweeping and kind of straight, there were some 2nd gear turns coming up, lets see if he can catch us. 

He could not, we got so far out that we never saw him again until we let up to make sure he did not wreck, we slowed for a straight part and let him catch up, it took him a while.  Then we dropped gears again to rocketed away, total repeat. 

We never saw him again after that, we have no idea where he went, he could still be at the bottom of Fontana lake for all we know.

My son tried to keep up with him but did not push too hard, said the guy ran away from him in the turns. He could make up ground on the straights but would lose him again in the turns.

If I ever get spare time, I will see if I still have it on video, you will not see the Civic maby hear it at first, you only see me chasing a beautiful red 911.

I really miss it up there, I am going to try to get up there this spring.

[Jims5543]

Many shenanigans in the mountains over the years.

One year I missed a meet up, glad I did, the crew got chased down by an off duty crooked ass corrupt cop.

He caught them in a gas station / touristy type of store in Cosby Tenn., the owner was a retired lawyer.

Seems they zoomed by a Fire Station too fast for the off duty cops liking, who happened to be standing in the parking lot bsing with fireman.

He jumped in his civilian car and was in hot pursuit of these "street racers".

He caught (up to)  them at the gas station. Made them all stay put while a patrol car came to write them all tickets for speeding and racing on the street. Racing on the street is a result of the Fast and Furious movies, many states have laws now that are so draconian you can lose your car.

This is what that cop was after, he saw about 6 Porsche 911's and saw $$ for his department.

The owner of the gas station got into the middle of it all, and irritated the off duty cop.

After it was all over he gave my friends the number of a nearby lawyer that would love to ruin that cops day.

The lawyer did exactly that.

Before that, is was looking like they were going to lose their cars, they were panicked, some sold their cars to friends in order to not lose them.

They wiped their you tube uploads clean, deleted social media etc...


I can honestly say, that was the day our meet ups about died.

We never went back to Cosby, even though the is a much better road than the Dragon there, it is an old moonshine runners road, and it is EMPTY.

They came out and we met up a few more times, staying far away from Cosby, then they all faded away, a small few of us still meet up but it is like 3-4 cars now, if that.

One guy inherited a ton of money from some family death, he changed, no longer interested in being a normal guy, wanted to always be in 5 star type of establishments. That was not our style, he moved on to his rich friends and disappeared. Sad because he was what I considered a good friend, I lent my vacation home to him, he and I were Dragon run buddies.  Our driving experience was about the same so we could keep up with each other perfectly.  I miss that guy.