I took the roadster out at around 11pm tonight to enjoy a local backroad,
HWY 9 or Big Basin Way.
At this hour there is barely any traffic which makes for some exhillarating
driving and some spectacular moonlit sights and sounds...a single roadster
exhaust note motoring up a windy road at night is something else!!!
I came across a souped-up Honda Civic stranded on the side of the road with
it's hood up. I slowed down a bit to see if it was occupied but I saw no one
and proceeded to the vista point.
On the return trip I came across the same Civic and this time there was a
guy flailing his arms in front of it. I stopped in a hurry to help the guy
out, at the same time I felt kinda scared.
I offered to give him a ride into town and he hops in...His cell phone
wasn't getting reception so he was pretty much SOL, and nobody was stopping
for him!
He had just built a hopped-up LS/VTEC motor and was breaking it in when it
mysteriously died.
He was very grateful and out of nowhere he offered to dyno the roadster for
free! I was like who are you?
Turns out that this guy(Martin) works for DynoSpot Racing, the same shop
that dyno'd my car several years ago!! He even knew Rob from ZcarGarage. He
has an E46 M3, but says that it's boring and he wanted something to work on,
hence the built Civic.
His phone was still getting shoddy reception. I guess he managed to call his
buddies while stranded and they were on the way UP the hill while we were
going DOWN....10minutes later we actually pass by each other and Martin
says,"Hey don't worry about it just drop me off here." I said, "Hell no I
think we can catch them! So I turn around to chase his buddies....they were
in a E39 BMW M5.
So I eventually get close enough to start flashing my high beams...the M5
thinks I'm playing and speeds up, oh man not good! Martin warned me about
that :0
A few turns later I'm still(barely) in their rearview, so they realize that
I'm either crazy or something's wrong and they slow down. Martin flags them
down....I drop Martin off and they go to rescue the Civic and I head back
home....
Take your roadster out late night this weekend and see what happens!
Alvin Gogineni
San Jose, CA
67.5 SPL/SR20
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