I had a great day yesterday in LA. Im out here until Thursday working, but managed to meet up with Frank in his famous Canyons.
He is a great bloke, and a serious petrol head. His car is also very impressive.
He gets on well with the local police too
I will let Frank tell the story.
We went for a drive through the Canyons down to Malibu beach, stopped for lunch in a great biker cafe, that had loads of bikes and cool american cars in the car park.
Then he let me drive the infamous rocket pig back. It really is a very sorted piece of kit, pulls really well from very low down and has no lag and instant get up and go. I also take back my comments on his long gearing. For the kind of roads he drives this thing on, the gearing is perfect, the bends here are mental and as you pop round a corner, you have a cyclist or a load of rocks in the road, so you have to be careful. Having loads of torque and the ability to just leave it in 3rd (or whatever gear you want really) just works.
I had a great day Frank, thanks! looking forward to returning the favour in April!!!
I use a pice of brass sheet shaped with gold foil on the bottom side to reflect the radiant heat and there is a sheet of flexable carbon fiber rivetted to it … The carbon fiber is getting cooked fron the convection heat but the chargecooler pipes never get hot from the exhaust heat…
On our 14 mi. drive to the beach we didn’t see another car the entire way…I drove…
On the way back up Sean drove and again not another car on the road until I told Sean to slow down since we were coming up on some parked cars near the end of the road, as we came around the corner the radar detector starts screamin… It’s good to know the CHP guys are creatures of habbit…
One thing I never mentioned, the bodywork on Franks car really is great. He is definitely a polisher as much as he is into his spanners. The paintwork is faultless. Love the way all of the bodywork is blended in together, it really does look OE.
Ha - have you noticed how alike they are! Perhaps Frank could give some of his hair to Sean? Or shave a lot and then…who could tell the difference!
Sean knows a thing or two about quick Exiges so I’m glad Frank let him have a go.
I wish we had California climate here. Frank’s car looks great but if it was here in UK, one day on our wet and filthy roads and it would look like it had never been clean and dry. As it is, it’s a work of art.
I’ve been to The States many times and I’ve always been impressed with their car preparation even if I don’t like the aesthetics of some of what they do. Every town seems to have a decent, clean engineering ‘shop’ for auto stuff with the result that they can always get done those things that they cannot manage themselves. Very few dirty, scruffy ‘railway arches’ outfits in the USA!It makes me green with envy.
Dudes, I have never waxed my Lotus from day one… Quality paint and some soap and water only… I never drive it in the rain since it’s on slicks…
Oh yeah you can eat off my engine any day…
You have no idea what my buddies shop looks like out in bumfuck Ca.
[quote=frank]On our 14 mi. drive to the beach we didn’t see another car the entire way…I drove…
On the way back up Sean drove and again not another car on the road until I told Sean to slow down since we were coming up on some parked cars near the end of the road, as we came around the corner the radar detector starts screamin… It’s good to know the CHP guys are creatures of habbit… [/quote]
Frank, What radar detector do you use ?? I bought a Valentine One , when I was in the USA , 10/15 years ago , and it’s still AOK but I wondered if technology has moved on??
That was a fun day… It’s funny when the big guys in spandex have to cry to the CHP about the rocket pig scaring them… :whistle:
