In a message dated 9/30/03 7:34:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time, ccrobins@ktc.com
writes:
> When you add in the $$ to pay off your speeding tickets, what's your
> cost per mile? (BG)
>
No additional surcharge for tickets ;-)
I am the soul of discretion (and use a Valentine 1 when the Gods of Lucas
circuitry don't frown on me). The tickets I have picked up in the last few
years
consisted of a photo radar ticket because I didn't pay attention to the parked
van on my way to the local building centre, and a ticket I got when I was
caught 'on the fly' with instant-on radar when a police car came over a hill in
front of me and switched on - nothing to do but smile at him.
Besides, I have never exceeded 145 mph within city limits!
In an MG, I guess the fastest public highway speed I've ever attained was in
the MGC on a newly opened section of highway at 130 mph, closely following a
V12 E type (who did have a radar detector). The MGC engine is not stock, BTW.
That speed is also, as it happens, about the same as my Twincam tops out on
the race track (on a downhill section of a track that is sadly no longer with
us, although with sufficient straight it would also do that on the flat).
I am not so much into top speed as into enjoying effortless high speed
cruising, which the Jensens do incomparably well, and as I was pointing out,
with
better gas mileage than most MGs can do, as they would be straining at their
top
speed limits, and wouldn't get decent mileage. The MGC is the exception to
this - we had a wonderfully smooth high speed (100+) run back from Tahoe one
year - until a front wheel bearing seized in the middle of Oregon, which was a
major pain (many hours of bus back to Canada to pick up the tow car and
trailer, and many more hours to go back and pick up the dead 'C'). The diff
ratio on
the C is already low, and with the OD engaged you can cruise at high speed at
quite low RPM.
These days the only place you can do that sort of cruising is the long
highways in Northern California, Nevada, and a few other places, where there is
no
traffic. Passing Mom and Pop in their VW van and having them pull into your
lane when there is an 80 mph speed differential is just not on, I'm afraid.
I prefer to do my high speed work on the track for the most part, where
everyone is (theoretically at least) paying attention to what is going on. I do
wonder if the Lamborghini would REALLY hit 165, mind you, but am rather
unlikely
to test the question. With my luck, a wheel bearing might decide to seize on
it at great speed in Nowhere USA, leaving me trying to find a replacement part
at the local parts outlet. "What sort of Lamb is that again...?"
Bill
(regards to those in the US who aren't paying about a buck a litre for petrol
like we do)
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