paul p (chi-town)
12-03-2006, 02:10 PM
Somehow i ended up being very pleased by the actions of 2(!) other drivers recently.
Like many of you, i ADORE on/off ramps. They present we enthusiasts with some of our greatest if fleeting driving pleasures.
Even the straight ones, you know the kind....on ramp, uphill, flat concrete walls both sides. Redlining yer whip 2 possibly 3 times never sounds as good.
This rapture is often spoilt by drivers not as enthusiastic about forward acceleration. Drivers so uninvolved that they become dangerous in fact; attempting to merge with traffic clipping along at 10-20mph over the posted limit at the 'suggested' speed for the ramp? Insanity. Heck it's rude to the highway traffic. I hate these people. They seem to forget the influence of gravity, a downhill ramp requires only the most modest of throttle applications to get up to speed. Uphill ya gotta give it the spurs.
I have just such a ramp that i get to experience almost every other day.
(Detail is included as locals will get additional perspective)
Headed home from werk a week ago, early, little traffic. Carla, driver's t-top popped, tunes cranked. I take the NW Tollway into the Kennedy, head towards downtown Chi-town to Irving Park, turn around, get back on the other way, and finally head out on the Edens to Peterson. On a good day, it's the fastest route. Can make it home in under 25min.
Comming down the off ramp i have the left lane to myself, right is moving along too, things are looking good. Turn the tunes off, rev match down into 3rd enjoying the low inertia of the sr20 engine and the aggressive yet refined noises of the mongrel HKS exhaust. Get closer, i have the light, the arrow and no cars from the other direction making the turn. Oh yeah, gonna be able to take the left at a nice clip *grin*. Late brake. hard on the beefy NX calipers squeezing MetalMasters, fade the pressure and start feeding in some steering. Hit the apex, brushing the centerline rumble strip, hard on the throttle, crossing under 14 lanes and a set of CTA tracks....yummy sounds abound. I have the light but not the arrow, two cars comming the other way have rights to the on ramp, turns blinking, my heart sinks as i slow. Almost stopped, grabbing 1st i fear the worst. They turn without bleeding off too much speed, things are looking up. And then.......i can barely keep up as both fly through the climing concrete ditch.
Did i mention just how incredible this Nissan/Infinity 4 banger sounds between 6800-7700rpm, i may need to record an audio clip.
I watch those other cars peel off west as i go north, thanking them silently for reminding me that not every other driver out there is doing anything else but.......driving.
The cars?
A beige e39 followed by a black e36 sedan. *smirk*
”Hang up & Drive!"
94 BMW 530iT&A 133K, ‘Helga’ ( for sale *sniff* )
92 BMW 325i 135K, ‘Rolf’ ( he’s baaack *whoohoo* hers *sigh* )
91 Volvo 745T 195K, ‘Thor’ ( 13 psi *smirk* )
93 Datsun NX2000 175K ‘Carla’ ( alive & thumpin *uNfff!* )
85 Toyoda MR2 125K ‘Jerry’ ( parked for winter *sad* )
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin.
Kinda makes the ‘Patriot Act’ an oxymoron, eh.......
Like many of you, i ADORE on/off ramps. They present we enthusiasts with some of our greatest if fleeting driving pleasures.
Even the straight ones, you know the kind....on ramp, uphill, flat concrete walls both sides. Redlining yer whip 2 possibly 3 times never sounds as good.
This rapture is often spoilt by drivers not as enthusiastic about forward acceleration. Drivers so uninvolved that they become dangerous in fact; attempting to merge with traffic clipping along at 10-20mph over the posted limit at the 'suggested' speed for the ramp? Insanity. Heck it's rude to the highway traffic. I hate these people. They seem to forget the influence of gravity, a downhill ramp requires only the most modest of throttle applications to get up to speed. Uphill ya gotta give it the spurs.
I have just such a ramp that i get to experience almost every other day.
(Detail is included as locals will get additional perspective)
Headed home from werk a week ago, early, little traffic. Carla, driver's t-top popped, tunes cranked. I take the NW Tollway into the Kennedy, head towards downtown Chi-town to Irving Park, turn around, get back on the other way, and finally head out on the Edens to Peterson. On a good day, it's the fastest route. Can make it home in under 25min.
Comming down the off ramp i have the left lane to myself, right is moving along too, things are looking good. Turn the tunes off, rev match down into 3rd enjoying the low inertia of the sr20 engine and the aggressive yet refined noises of the mongrel HKS exhaust. Get closer, i have the light, the arrow and no cars from the other direction making the turn. Oh yeah, gonna be able to take the left at a nice clip *grin*. Late brake. hard on the beefy NX calipers squeezing MetalMasters, fade the pressure and start feeding in some steering. Hit the apex, brushing the centerline rumble strip, hard on the throttle, crossing under 14 lanes and a set of CTA tracks....yummy sounds abound. I have the light but not the arrow, two cars comming the other way have rights to the on ramp, turns blinking, my heart sinks as i slow. Almost stopped, grabbing 1st i fear the worst. They turn without bleeding off too much speed, things are looking up. And then.......i can barely keep up as both fly through the climing concrete ditch.
Did i mention just how incredible this Nissan/Infinity 4 banger sounds between 6800-7700rpm, i may need to record an audio clip.
I watch those other cars peel off west as i go north, thanking them silently for reminding me that not every other driver out there is doing anything else but.......driving.
The cars?
A beige e39 followed by a black e36 sedan. *smirk*
”Hang up & Drive!"
94 BMW 530iT&A 133K, ‘Helga’ ( for sale *sniff* )
92 BMW 325i 135K, ‘Rolf’ ( he’s baaack *whoohoo* hers *sigh* )
91 Volvo 745T 195K, ‘Thor’ ( 13 psi *smirk* )
93 Datsun NX2000 175K ‘Carla’ ( alive & thumpin *uNfff!* )
85 Toyoda MR2 125K ‘Jerry’ ( parked for winter *sad* )
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin.
Kinda makes the ‘Patriot Act’ an oxymoron, eh.......