Zuffen said:
A sad comment on GT40's
In 1966 I was in Paris (I was also 13) when Le mans was running.
I watched it on grainy French black & white TV.
The GT40's won and there was I less than 100 miles away watching it on TV.
One day my wife and I will see the entire race live. Cool thing is she wants to do it!
Mate you should come along!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As long as you can handle the beer, the French, the beer, the heat, the beer, the sweat, the beer, the flies, the beer, the noise, the beer, the hairy arsed speed driving down from the UK through rural northern France.... and the beer....... you're more than welcome to come with me and the boys on our annual jolly.
I've got a 427 Cobra Replica (now with go-faster Le Mans Coupe roof moulded from an original) which I take down and the rest of the boys have kit like a couple of TVR's a 996C4S, a mental Areal Atom and the odd Masser etc etc.
For me the drive down is the best bit as the roads are fantastic and we all give it some stick. None of us are mad to the point of extremely dangerous but we all enjoy fast hacking and pushing the handling of the cars much more than normat street driving. I've had 150 mph a couple of times out of the Cobra, but I'm afraid the laws of physics take over as the first year, I didn't have the roof just the glass screen, and at that speed it just couldn't cope and eventually gave up, cracked and folded back in on me. Nice! Then with the roof on last year the aerodynamics improved greatly so acceleration over 100mph was very rapid but again at 150 mph it proved too much and the speedo broke in protest when the glued on magnet for the sensor on the prop gave up and is probably buried in France tarmac somewhere! ;o) My mate had 180mph out of his '98 Cerbera (avec smoke) and another Mate had 176 out of his porker. Incidentally, exactly what the owners manual said it would do! ha ha
No pretentions. None of us are rich but we work hard and love our cars. We all slum it in the camp sites surrounded by some decent cars but none of us in a tent worth more the 20 quid! ;o) The average age is high 30's (probably 40)and there's a good mix (including a couple of Antipodeans) so the odd old coffin dodging pisspants crim like you wouldn't be out of place. ;o)
Caste iron gullets are needed as the beer ultimately get's warm and the food (Merguez spicy hot dog style in a baguette) usually cooled off by the time you get it. There are just so many people there. Apparantly it's the biggeest mass migration for Brits every year as I think it's about 125,000 go over. It's a great atmosphere with many of the drinking races (Brits/Germans/Scandanavians) kicking back and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere together.
Mate, it's absolute heaven. I've been 3 times in a row and start looking forward to it as soon as I come home each year. You have an open invitation to jump on a plane and hitch a ride with me or one of the boys. The only caveat is that if you don't drink enough you get left as some French Service station to find your own way home! LOL. In all honesty you could hitch a lift with us and if it get's too much there's always someone looking to ease back a bit.
The only way we as a group have met is through introductions and 'blind date' style attendees. That's how I joined in. Some enjoy our company and keep coming back. Others just for the one year. There's no falling out and
This year is not looking good for me as starting a new venture and piss poor broke (that's why I couldn't do Rodder's Rods Group Buy) and if I do go it will be last minute and probably as a passenger but by F**K I will be going next year!
So for June 16th weekend if I'm going, pack a tent, and a gold card and some sunnies and get on that bastard plane. I'll pick you up from Heathrow as it's on the way to Dover!!!!!!
Oh I forgot to say there's a race on and it ain't bad!
)
