Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Like my own personal rollercoaster...

Well, here I am, watching dawn paint the mountains somewhere in the far western corner of North Carolina, and I have to be at work today somewheres around noonish.

That means that shortly I'll get to play Need For Speed: BMW Unleashed down about forty miles of Route 68 through the mountains, or maybe I'll take the Cherohala Skyway, or maybe I'll...

I just wish it was warm enough to drop the top.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's always a good time to drop the top on a sports car. When I was MUCH younger, I used to drop the top and put on the side curtains on my '57 MGA, turn the heater up full blast and drive through the dead of winter. No better thrill

Anonymous said...

I used to do it with a '79 Porsche 914. Exhilirating to say the least. I really miss that car.Not as bad an idea as you may think Tam!

Anonymous said...

You are making it very difficult for me to continue to pretend that I enjoy my 90hp Japanese econobox.

HollyB said...

Tam, I dropped my top Saturday. It was in the mid 50's, but sunny. I had on a Cutie jean jacket and a long sleeved top. My passengers were wearing long sleeved tops and we were all ok with the heater on.
Course we were just on city streets doin' maybe 40, top speed. But it was their first ride in my Ragtop and we just HAD to drop the top.
Go for it!

Tam said...

33 degrees + folding vinyl rear window = $275 repair bill.

I learned that lesson the hard way two winters ago.

Anonymous said...

You can't pay too much for that quality German engineering!

Anonymous said...

I suppose that if you superheated the car BEFORE dropping the top, & then raised it indoors after 20", the vinyl window might be safe.

Of couse, there might be a glass window aftermarket replacement window somewhere for you... ;^).

Have fun! Be safe! Wear your seat belt!!!!!

Tam said...

Oleg,

"You can't pay too much for that quality German engineering!"

Vinyl windows are light.

Which is more important: A better power/weight ratio or being able to put the top down in the dead of January without pre-heating the window?

FWIW, the Beemer has gone over 60k miles without needing a single repair (other than a rear window caused by a bone-headed owner ignoring the instructions in her owner's manual.)

Ford, Dodge(x3), Pontiac(x3), Chevrolet, Plymouth, Porsche(x2), and Nissan, and probably one or two I'm forgetting... I've never had a more satisfying or trouble-free ownership experience. Over five years now, and still not the slightest urge to trade it in, and coming from someone who used to change cars more often than most people change underwear, that's saying something.

Anonymous said...

Cherohala...that's a name to conjure with for someone with a love for two wheeled machines. I'm jealous, Tam. I spent some time with an SO for a romantic weekend in the wilds of NC in the Smokies. We explored some awesome roads in her Ford that I would have killed to ride on my scooter. We at least did the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few miles.

If you're in range of the Cherohala, then you're in range of the Dragon... *grins* Must be fun to run *that* with a bike or Beemer.

Anonymous said...

Cherohala?

Dragon?

Do the LOOP!

Work can wait. :)

Matt G said...

Heheh... Tamara sez she wants to drop her top... heheheh...
[/beavus]

theirritablearchitect said...

The answer to the dilemma of the glass window with regards to the power to weight ratio is simply American in scope...

More cubic inches!