Top 10 Car things to do before you die

[Bill]

So what's on your top 10 list of things to do before you die?

Here is mine:

1.) Drive the Nurburgring in Germany. I finally did it in October 2006 in a rented BMW. I hope to go back next year and rent a Porsche 911. If there is one thing every car lover should do; it's drive the 'Ring!

2.) Drive the Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap, NC in a sports car and on a motorcycle. I live close by, but haven't done it yet.

3.) Drive from Reno to Las Vegas in a high performance sports car. I did it in an NSX-T and I hate to say how quickly we made it across the Nevada desert. What a blast!

4.) Go to the Monaco Grand Prix. I love Formula 1 racing and I love watching this race on TV. It seems like a glamours place to hang out and watch a race. Of course I would want to be able to rent a nice sports car to drive to the event in.

5.) Go to France to watch the Le Mans race. I want to camp out at the track and hang out with the locals. I think this is one of the best races ran today.

6.) Drive 10 of the top tracks in the U.S. in 1 year. I would love to be able to have the time, money and car to drive 10 of the top tracks in 1 year. Tracks like Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, etc.

7.) Drive clear across America in a roadster. Starting in New York City and ending in Los Angles (or the other direction). I did this in 2004 in a rental truck while following 3 scooters. We did a promotional stunt to prove how good the TGB scooters are and we did it in 11 days. http://www.cobrasales.com/news/cobrapowersports112004.htm I hope to do it again in a proper sports car.

8.) Drive Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo, Ca to Monterey in a roadster. I have always dreamed of cruising the left side in a roadster up the coast. It would be cool to do in a Factory Five Roadster.

9.) Drive the Rubicon in a Jeep Wrangler. I have the need to get crazy off road and where else to do it?

10.) Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in a sports car.

What's on your Top 10 List?

- Bill

[Martin]

Jeez, I was thinking about giving my top 10 but yours will be fine with me. I'll try anyway.

1) Drive Nurburgring
2) See Lemans at Lemans
3) See F1 at Monaco
4) Drive Hwy 1 in CA
5) Take a spin around Spa in Belgium in something Lotus.
6) Eventually own a S1, S2, S3, S4 and a V8 Esprit.
7) Drive from Monaco to Copenhagen via the Italian Alps and then onto the autobahn in a Lotus
8) Tour the Lotus factory
9) Meet another founder of a sports car co. (I have met 2: Dan Panoz and Horacio Pagani)
10) Drive a Ferrari F40

[WayneB]

Heres Mine:-

1. Own a Lotus Turbo Esprit*

2.Go to Lotus Factory and Meet and talk to Mike Kimberley and drive around the test track.*

3.Meet Mr.Giugiaro at Ital Design and have him show me some of his original drawings.

4.Own a Lotus 72D (ex.Ronnie Peterson) and historic race it.

5.Go and see the Bertone Carabo at the Bertone museum.

6.Get Pete Stevens to sell me the Carlton Thundersaloon

7.Buy the ICS Gerry Marshall Turbo Esprit off John Haynes, restore and race it again.

8.Drive to Los Angeles from Trenton and back*

9.See Jay Lenos car collection and drive some of the steam/gas turbine cars.

10.Go to the London Motorshow in 2009 to see the new Lotus Esprit unveiled

* I already did these.

[Martin]

Excellent choice for #10! And I'm with you on #6, I would possibly even sell my Esprit to get a Carlton (grass is always greener...)

[WayneB]

Martin, heres a pic of the Carlton. It was actually built before the Lotus Carlton as a racecar by Vauxhall (only one built) and is powered by a 350 cu in Chevrolet V8 (600bhp)

I used to work on it with Pete, its a ferrocious beast to say the least.

Heres the pic which has been on my workshop wall for about 20 years!:D

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/PeteStevensCarlton-1.jpg

[Martin]

Cool! Those tires in the back look like they came off of a steam roller :eek:

[Brian Skeoch]

I want to enter turn one at full tilt in an open wheel car at Indy. I want to see what its like to not lift as I enter turn 1 and see nothing but a concrete wall staring at me knowing that somehwere, the track turns left. holding my breath and hoping that the car sticks.

thats all I want to do before I die.

that place means more to me than anyplace on the earth.

[Brian Skeoch]

oh, and I wouldnt mind flying a B52 over Laos for some blanket bombing runs.. duds of course, but I would like to fly a B52 over a target and do some carpet bombing.

[WayneB]

Hmmm, very interesting Brian.:eek:

Hope nobody from Vietnam ever reads your post.:(

http://sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/09/25/pk_atomic2_ho.jpg

[Brian Skeoch]

yeah, poor choice of words on my part . I mean, I would like to fly B52's over a fake territory, like a flight simulator and carpet bomb. fake bombs.

[WayneB]

The B52 Stratofortress is an amazing plane Brian. I have stood underneath the one on display indoors at the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB on three separate visits and am always blown away by the sheer scale of the thing.

I seem to remember 665 was hit by a SAM missle once over Vietnam and still managed to make it safely back to its base.
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1956.html

http://www.maclean-nj.com/images/main/usafm_1004_b52_1.jpg

[TWO OLD ELANS]

Wait a minute guys, (and girls?, any Lotus girls out there?) in one page we go from the Top 10 things to do in a car before you die and we're already in an air force museum up the street from me looking at a jet bomber that may have been hit by a rocket???
Who's on what?

[WayneB]

I kinda think thread digression can be rather thought provoking and interesting myself, but you could always just tell us all about your 10 favourite car things to do regarding cars before you die.( If you want to):)

[Brian Skeoch]

how about driving an Indy car at Indy at 238 mph ? would you rather do that or would you rather drive a Brabham around Spa ?

[TWO OLD ELANS]

OK, I'll give it a shot, this is going to be difficult.

1.) test driving any current F1 car
2.) test driving any 2008 non-traction control F1 car
3.) laps at the Le Mans circuit in the Peugeot 908 HDi
4.) laps at the Nurburgring in a Lotus 25
5.) set the land speed record for some small displacement category
6.) expletive deleted in the back seat of any large sedan
7.) actually race some drivers who are current and quick, one on one. Coulthard, Bourdais, I dunno, Patrick? In two identical race cars of my choice on the track of my choice.
8.*) use a modified one hundred year old Baker Electric car as my daily driver.
9.) turn some laps at Indy in a Novi Roadster
10) turn more laps at Indy in the 4wd Lotus 56 turbine

I'm sure I'll want to amend a couple after more thought....

[Brian Skeoch]

when you wrote the word Novi I suddenly felt the hairs go up on my arms. Novi, as in the Novi special that Duke Nalon drove ? the " widow maker itself " ?

do you mean the Lotus turbine car from 1968 ? Art Pollard, Joe Leonard, Parnelli Jones era ?

Brian

[TWO OLD ELANS]

OK, sure, that Novi, or how about one of the 4wd models? I'm not picky on this one.
And yes, THAT Lotus Turbine, add Hill but no Jones.

[Tony K]

In no particular order:

1. Attend Monaco GP
2. Drive the route of the Monte Carlo rally in a Lancia
3. Drive Stelvio Pass
4. Drive from NY or CT to the Portofino Inn (Redondon Beach, CA) as fast as I can, in a suitably vintage 1970s sports car (Esprit S1, preferrably).
5. Drive to Alaska in a mid-engine sports car (did the drive in a mundane vehicle)
6. Compete in a winter rally (did a SCCA TSD; would like something bigger)
7. Drive through Croatia and Slovenia in an Esprit, Merak, or Lancia Montecarlo
8. Win an award at a concours d' elegance (done, although not significant)
9. Meet Giorgetto Giugiaro (done!)
10. Operate a small restoration shop (have dabbled in the practice)

:)

[Brian Skeoch]

One of the STP turbine cars lives in a shop in Avon Indiana. it was recently restored. I believe its the old Art Pollard # 40 car.

the restoration place is now working on a late 60's AJ Foyt Coyote car.. yum.....

Brian

[WayneB]

My dad and I restored the bodywork on the 1959 Kurtis 500J Offy "Mckay Special" about 4 years ago when it was re-inported back into North America from Europe.

This is the beast resplendent in her '59 Cadlliac Heather Mist metalic paint.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/McKayspecial-1.jpg

I also did a fair bit of work on the 1957 Snowberger Kurtis Offy (the one that was featured in the Stalone movie Driven)

At present we have one of the 1964 MG Liquid Suspension Specials in the shop , which is for sale If you want to race a rear Offenhauser engined indy car. I also still have the 1000bhp turbo upgrade available for it If you really want to kill yourself.

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/pics/mgliquid.gif

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/P2020018.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/P2020017.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/P2020032.jpg

[Kimbers]

I dunno....I've pretty much done everything I wanted to car wise. watched Mario win the world championship live, in Monza 1978, Driven competitively at LeMans, Silverstone and Brands, hooned with 100 other Esprits, bought my first Lotus thats actually mine...... I suppose it the following:

Drive at Laguna Seca
Race in an International race meeting (rather than Club racing)
Drive the Veyron on Germanys unlimited Autobahns
Own a Lotus for everyday of the week (and afford to keep them!)
See MJK Knighted for his contribution to design and Manufacturing
Own my own Lotus dealership
Run the Cannonball and Gumball in the same year
That they miraculously find another 10,000 years of Oil, that doesn't pollute and prices go back from £1 a litre to 10p.......just so we can still hear the roar of a V8, or scream of a 4cyl Turbo
That all Green Treehuggers internally combust overnight

Thats about it!......Oh hang on, one more left....

That everyone wants to buy a Honda from me over the next couple of weeks!:D

[Brian Skeoch]

good ones.. especially the tree huggers.

[Al B]

My dad and I restored the bodywork on the 1959 Kurtis 500J Offy "Mckay Special" about 4 years ago when it was re-inported back into North America from Europe.

This is the beast resplendent in her '59 Cadlliac Heather Mist metalic paint.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/McKayspecial-1.jpg

I also did a fair bit of work on the 1957 Snowberger Kurtis Offy (the one that was featured in the Stalone movie Driven)

At present we have one of the 1964 MG Liquid Suspension Specials in the shop , which is for sale If you want to race a rear Offenhauser engined indy car. I also still have the 1000bhp turbo upgrade available for it If you really want to kill yourself.

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/pics/mgliquid.gif

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/P2020018.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/P2020017.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/P2020032.jpg

Wayne,

I am very interested in hearing more details on the 64 Offy.
Sent you a PM in regards to it. I ma currently considering a Brabham and a Lotus 69 but your car is absolutely gorgeous, the right color and happens to have a number that matches my age. Just saw it today which happens to be my birthday. That's just too much kharma for me to pass up.

Al

[Brian Skeoch]

very cool. I love Indy. I grew up there. that place means more to me than anything..

My mom was a 500 queen in 1957 when Sam Hanks won the race in the Belond Exhaust Special..

I love the speedway. its magical... its the greatest place on earth.

[Autocross7]

Hmmm... let's see. Only 10 things... I have driven the Dragon - a must for all!
Hmmm... still thinking...

1) Danicia Patrick (I know not politically correct - but true).
2) Drive the 1979 JPS Lotus solo at Indy.
3) Drive a Porsche 917 at Watkins Glenn (awsome car).
4) See Lotus actually get back into Sports car racing with the new Esprit!
5) Base jump.
6) Meet a bunch of Lotus owners at a great event since I missed LOG in B'ham!!! a while back.
7) Ride in an SR-71.
8) Drive my Esprit in the Colorodo National Monument.
9) Attend Goodwood's Festival of Speed with a VIP pass.
10) Find out why Lotus was left out of the Victory by Design series and have one made!

BTW, the B-52 is a marvel for sure... but Viet Nam and Laos are not the same place... and they were not the same war (conflict)...

I'm still partial to the Skymaster... damn shame they took them out of service for FAC.


Cameron

[WayneB]

Hmmm... let's see. Only 10 things... I have driven the Dragon - a must for all!
Hmmm... still thinking...

1) Danicia Patrick (I know not politically correct - but true).
10) Find out why Lotus was left out of the Victory by Design series and have one made


Cameron

Sorry Cameron but Katherine Legge is Indy Cars no.1 babe!:p

http://www.gokatherine.com/legge/glamour-04.jpg

The good news is though that they did make a Lotus Victory by Design (but the Esprit was hardly shown at all)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51oEBsr-U74

[Autocross7]

Interesting... then I guess I should ask "Why was the Lotus Victory By Design not shown on Speed Channel and why was the Esprit not treated as deserved"?

I'll have to give it a look at lunch time.

...and, nothing bad to say about Katherine, but I have been a Danica fan for some time. I do wish the "hype" around Danica would drop off (I think it s starting too) and/or get spread around a bit.
I'm just thrilled that there is some great lady talent in the line up!

Cameron

[Kimbers]

I'm with Wayne Ms Legge is stunning!

[Martin]

Interesting... then I guess I should ask "Why was the Lotus Victory By Design not shown on Speed Channel and why was the Esprit not treated as deserved"?

I'll have to give it a look at lunch time.

...and, nothing bad to say about Katherine, but I have been a Danica fan for some time. I do wish the "hype" around Danica would drop off (I think it s starting too) and/or get spread around a bit.
I'm just thrilled that there is some great lady talent in the line up!

Cameron

I know I've seen it on Speed at one point or another.
As for the Esprit, not much was showcased on the car because their focus (as it is with the other marques) is the older race cars or else street cars that raced to many victories. Still, of course I would have like to have seen more on the Esprit too.

[WayneB]

I'm with Wayne Ms Legge is stunning!

Amen to that brother!;)
http://www.champcarworldseries.com/Content/Photos/2006/By400/20060922P_0005.jpg

I have seen the Lotus Victory by Design at least twice on Speed, most of it was shot out at Sir Anthony Bamfords country crib, and at Barber Motorsports Park. Its well worth watching (even just for the 72):cool:

[TWO OLD ELANS]

Holy smokes, I'm a tree hugger that you guys wanna kill who knows that Katherine is not an Indy girl. She races in an entirely different series and probably smells sexist pigs like you all fifty feet away. I thought this site was about Lotus, how many women are reading this? Please answer asap and save me from these guys...

[eurosport]

Drive at Laguna Seca
Race in an International race meeting (rather than Club racing)
Drive the Veyron on Germanys unlimited Autobahns
Own a Lotus for everyday of the week (and afford to keep them!)
See MJK Knighted for his contribution to design and Manufacturing
Own my own Lotus dealership
Run the Cannonball and Gumball in the same year
That they miraculously find another 10,000 years of Oil, that doesn't pollute and prices go back from £1 a litre to 10p.......just so we can still hear the roar of a V8, or scream of a 4cyl Turbo

That all Green Treehuggers internally combust overnight

Thats about it!......Oh hang on, one more left....

That everyone wants to buy a Honda from me over the next couple of weeks!:D

Kimbers is always an easy target: :D

Ditto Laguna, driven the 'Ring, rented Golf wagon, but I drove it! How about the old Hockenheim, no chicanes, nothing but speed and forest :cool:

Waiting for the Exige Cup Challenge to go international, was actually counting my pennies when the original Motorsport Elise series was announced, couldn't swing it:(

Prefer the Big Mac, has to be a 3-lane stretch

mmmm....7, Elan S4, big valve Europa, active susp Excel, Esprit S1 (Yeah!), X180R, Bio-Exige (!) (one for the treehuggers), got to get a bigger garage...

already predicted the Sir Mike thing...

starting baby steps on the dealership thing...

Silver State Classic in a 255 Cup car or 2-11, oh wait, no turns :(

Lots of cheap oil: can always move to Dubai and include V12s, V10s, W16's in the mix

Can we get carbon exchanges on combusting Treehuggers??

I want to buy a Honda from you, Tony! Not that I can or I will, but I want to!:p

(insert Cheers smiley)
Eric

And not to miss an opportunity to hijack a thread, guys, guys, Danica and Katy are OK, but Got Milka?? Would love to have the job of fitting her head and neck restraint harness...:p
http://www.teamcyberspeed.com/gallery/albums/duno_04revere/res31267.jpg

Also had the awesome experience to go along on exercise in the back of an F-15, flying a CAP in the desert while B-52's tried to penetrate at low level. Looking down, B-52's flying on the deck through a desert valley. Amazing :cool:

[WayneB]

Holy smokes, I'm a tree hugger that you guys wanna kill who knows that Katherine is not an Indy girl. She races in an entirely different series and probably smells sexist pigs like you all fifty feet away. I thought this site was about Lotus, how many women are reading this? Please answer asap and save me from these guys...


Oink,Oink Bloke!

(And yes I know she races in the Champ Car Series , not IRL)

She is such a great driver with a nice personality and looks how could we not be attracted to her?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3t6f2YdfB4

[Kimbers]

I don't think I'm a sexist pig???!!! I merely said that she was stunning and I like her! Surely she would be ok with that?

On LEF whenever it's a mans birthday we post up (tastefull) girlie pictures and when it's a ladies birthday manlie pictures get put up. No nudes.

So it's not sexist, believe me.

[WayneB]

Does anyone remember the all Lady PPG Pace Car Team ?

I was lucky enough to be driven around the Molson Indy Circuit in Toronto by most of them on concecutive years in varying pace cars (they had an Esprit V8 for a while)

Local Girl Kelly Williams became one , she also dated my friend Vic for a while.

Heres her website.

http://www.kellywilliamsracing.com/

[TWO OLD ELANS]

And while were not on the subject, OK, I'll agree my sexist pig comment may have been over the top, but if it's not sexism, then where are the pictures of Helio, or Nico, Fernando etc;

As far as Ms. Legge being a "great driver", she's a back marker in a third or fourth rate open wheel series. I know she's got more driving talent under her little fingernail than I do but that doesn't make her a great driver. Very very good yes, but there's a lotta males out there quicker than her without sponsership.

Does anyone here on the buzz think Ms. Dunno is even a good driver? I think Dario's wife had it right.

[eurosport]

oh..........sorry, were we talking about driving ability??:rolleyes:

[WayneB]

And while were not on the subject, OK, I'll agree my sexist pig comment may have been over the top, but if it's not sexism, then where are the pictures of Helio, or Nico, Fernando etc;

As far as Ms. Legge being a "great driver", she's a back marker in a third or fourth rate open wheel series. I know she's got more driving talent under her little fingernail than I do but that doesn't make her a great driver. Very very good yes, but there's a lotta males out there quicker than her without sponsership.

Does anyone here on the buzz think Ms. Dunno is even a good driver? I think Dario's wife had it right.

I have absolutely no problem with you posting as many photographs of male racing drivers as you like , mate knock yourself out!

It would also be safe to assume that Katherine Legge is also a better racecar driver than either you or me (even though as you put it she is a backmarker in a third rate series). :D

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41051000/jpg/_41051064_legge203.jpg

[Martin]

oh..........sorry, were we talking about driving ability??:rolleyes:

Classic

[TWO OLD ELANS]

Will men ever grow up?

[Tony K]

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m36/InfoLandsknecht/Macros/internet_serious_business4.jpg

[WayneB]

Will men ever grow up?

Apparently not!:D

http://www.makemeheal.com/news/images/hugh-hefner-plastic-surgery.jpg

[TWO OLD ELANS]

Gawd, silicone usage gone wild. I'm so old I think that stuff is for stopping oil leaks on my Elan engine.
......and how do we ditch the political pitch on this site?
Where's the LotusMaster?
Or was I wrong to assume this place is about Lotus cars. (and fiberglass boats and small personal aircraft) and maybe a bicycle or two...

[WayneB]

Didn't you know Hugh and Colin were mates?:confused:

[TWO OLD ELANS]

Welcome to thin ice.

[Kylie]

Will men ever grow up?
Doubt it :D

To be fair I wouldnt want yas to grow up otherwise I would be trading yas in for a younger model....hehe!! I will take me coat then.............