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Sac meeting and Lombard ST(long)



I am so glad we could make the Sac Jan 1 Meet.
Getting the directions was difficult. You see we headed
out on Saturday 12-26-98. We drove up the coast in
our 81 MK1 that is set up for racing not touring.
It is a good thing I rebuilt the seats before this trip because
we would not be able to sit for a month if I did not
make the seats more comfortable. Our trip would take
us all the way to the Oregon border. When I departed
the location day and time for the meet were still not decided.
I noticed that when I returned to check my messages
the location, type of beer and time were a topic of
debate for several days. Once we were under way
my only contact with would come from Nate and Tosha.
 I called Nate and Tosha
from the most remote phone booths in California.
Both of them were not home at the times I called. The Hotels we
stayed in were so budget they did not even have
phones in them. With no way to know where we
would end up the next day Tosha and I started playing
phone tag. His out going message is short so I had to
get the message in two parts. The directions were great.

We arrived at the Meet about 4:30 after driving about 240 miles
from lake Shasta. ( I was thinking I should do an oil
change soon on the way down) Life was good,
we made it to the meet. The gang had
taken the pictures and they all looked like they were
about to head home. I pulled in to my parking  place,
jumped out and started talking about my car.
The crowd went wild when I pulled out the Scirocco
toys and key chain. I had a few minutes to talk to
each member of the group.   Kathy liked Nates car the best.
She kept saying "Look he has Momo seats."
I think she wants me to replace my seats.
I only had a few minutes to check out all the cars but
I think I remember most of them. 

As each car drove off we could hear a loud BANG.
It was a manhole cover at the end of the street.
Tosha, Kathy and I were the only ones left standing
So we took Alex’s advice and headed down to the local
Italian food restaurant.  
As I drove off I missed the manhole cover. Ha I was not gonna hit
a stupid manhole cover. I noticed that the roads of northern Cal
are covered with manhole covers.

The food was great at the Italian restaurant and Tosha and I got to know
each other.
This was great. I hope He will make some of the So Cal
Shows and maybe an Auto-x. He can drive my car.
After a long talk that could have gone on for hours longer
Tosha had to get back home. Now Friday was over.

Saturday was a day that I will remember for the rest of my life.
It all started when the phone rang. Kathy and I were sleeping
In our Motel 6 room in Davis California when Shawn called.
"This is your wake up call," Shawn said.

Later that morning Shawn pulls into the Motel 6 parking lot
In his MK2 Scirocco with Julie in the passenger seat. Of course 
he makes a beautiful varoom announcement on the way in. As I look 
out the window I see a mini van pull up next to my car. Kathy and I rush
Out, stuff our bags in the MK1 and start the motor.

I told Shawn that I would fallow him and Julie said, "We will
Be following the mini van driven by the _____ with the ___ ________!"

I thought a, "a mini van how much fun could this be."
As we fly on to the freeway we cross 3 lanes and cut off six
Cars. I knew we were in for some action now. My years of bike
Racing would come in handy, drafting, sprinting and avoiding obstacles.
This mini van was on a mission. I think Mario would have been afraid.
Shawn got several pictures of Kathy and me flying down the
Fog covered road passing cars like cones on an auto-x.
I hope the shots we took of Shawn and Julie comes out.
I asked Kathy to take some pictures but she could not hold the camera
and hang on at the same time. Finally the mini van stopped after an
endless pursuit. Who was this evil driver? The door opened and the lead
foot hit the ground followed by the other lead foot. I stood there 
Ready to congratulate this demon of the highway on successful
mission without a ticket, jail time, or a serious accident to find out
that the driver was a 120 lb. girl. As I was introduced I said, "You’re da
driver! "

We spent some time in "The City" don’t call it "Frisco" and then
we decided to slip out from the mini van and have some fun.
YES this was it! The chance to finally get the pictures of the
Sciroccos going down Lombard ST. 

As we arrived at the base of the hill I looked up and I could see the
twistyest road in the world.
All I had to do was drive to the top of this killer hill, drop off Kathy
with the camera and
the fun would begin. Shawn was behind me at this point. I would need some
speed to make it up this hill so I gave it some gas, popped the clutch and
up we go.
The road was all chopped up at the intersection at the bottom of this hill.
I thought I saw
a manhole cover too. BANG (SLAM) "What was that," Kathy said. I was
thinking
the stress bar, the stress bar, I must have nailed the lower stress bar.
The car
flew up the hill like it was on the way to the road it was designed for.
twisty twisty I could almost hear the car say as I drove up this hill
(cliff).
I made it to the top. I was thinking I hope Shawn does not hit that
manholecover.
I look out my rear view mirror and see him drive around it. I pull into a
driveway at the top
to see what if any damage had occurred. I park the car, shut it off. Kathy
looks at me like
what are you doing. Se attempts to remind me that we agreed that we would
drive down
the twisty part first,
then drop off the girls, and take the pictures on the second run. Now I
knew it was Kathy
who was saying, "Twitsty twisty." I get out and look. OOOOOHHHHGGGG. Oil
was
poring out the pan. It looked like the plug had popped out. But it had not.
I said, "Were Screwed."

After convincing Kathy that we can’t just drive to a gas station Shawn and
I proceed
to jack up the car. I pull out my tools and start working on the project
and everyone
suddenly needs to get a drink or use the rest room. Well this is not that
bad of a deal,
I am in a big city 400 miles from home, It is getting dark, I am stuck with
no oil and when I say no oil I 
mean no oil! But Shawn was expecting to meet Tosha to pick up a trany. 
Shawn is practicing for the transmission event in the upcoming Olympics.
Shawn sends a 911 message to Tosha’s beeper and then we wait. The phone
rings,
it is Tosha and he has an extra oil pan and oil. YYEESS! So now we call off
the
ProLog experiment and start working on the pan exchange. With a 10mm
on one hand I pull the thing off and look at the hole. Yep it is a nice
one.

We wait around and then we hear a Scirocco drive up and pop into reverse.
Shawn and I run out to see who it is. This dude see us and drives off.
At the time I was thinking he is not a true Scirocco kind guy but now that
I think about it we just wanted his oil pan and we would have killed him
for it
so it was best that he drove off. 

Tosha finally drives up the forbidden hill (cliff). I am thinking I hope he
missed the manhole cover.
In minuets we are going to town. I start chipping off the gasket on the pan
because we
decide to re use the one on the car. We were working so fast we made the
Indy pit crews look like, well , Indy pit crews compared to me putting on
an oil pan in the middle of  "The City" with six people watching me. Tosha
picks up the flash light
and we are getting the job done. The bolts up near the tranny prove to be
difficult as usual.
Tosha jumps it and just gets them in. This guy is the best. Shawn did offer
all kinds of good advice and some special tools that helped get the job
done.  Hurraaa now Shawn put in 4 quarts of oil using
the patented Shawn technique we start the motor and this cold grumpy bored
out there mind gang
if off to dinner. I left my oil pan, in San Francisco, on the hill, near
Lombard ST (sounds like a song) You just got to love this list and the
Scirocco drivers who use it. 
Thanks to Tosha we were safe and ready to continue home.

Sunday I found a new gasket at a parts store and a gas station that would
let me do my own work in Monterey. 
I changed the gasket for a leek free drive home down the coast.

Doug
87 16v
81 8v


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