Busted/New Top Speed/The Loud Pedal

["Shannon Fenton" <sfenton@amazon.com>]

After a completely shitty week/month/...I had to escape. I mounted the
chariot and ventured into the mountains both seeking and running away. As of
late the urgent drone of my 2.0 16V has been nothing more than another thing
I need to fix, last nite it was the call I needed. Keeping a tight leash on
the hounds through the 60mph zone while leaving it in 4th to build up the
heat in the boiler. Couple of fast 3rd gear blind twisties to heat up the
Proxies and mold my body into the seat while placing my mind at the edge of
my headlights. 70mph zone and 15 mile uphill grade unfurl ahead, 5th down to
3rd and run 3rd up to 83mph, 7100rpm and the 2.0 screams to be released. 4th
gear, tight right hander, both burners lit the valkyrie loads up on her left
haunches and devours yet another turn as the Toyos trying to rip up the
asphalt. 100mph, clear of traffic hit the brights and 500 watts of life
knife edge the darkness. A sudden left and a unsettling pavement dip at the
apex, 16V at full song trying to tear itself free of the motor mounts at
7000rpm, ease to 3/4 throttle and cover the whoa pedal. Turn in and drop
three lanes to the inside, contemplate 5th but sweat it out in 4th, big dip,
the 17s touch the splash guards and the ass comes alive. Apex, unload the
rear and head for the slow lane at the top of the bank full load pedal
applied. 100mph again grab 5th and punch a hole in the night up a long
straight. With the motor trying to tear itself apart underneath the hood and
Toyos exploding onto the pavement at 115mph, I pass the 1.8s Nspeed and
still pulling. Long left hander on oncoming traffic leave it set at full
military power, kill the brights, and the road disappears around the turn.
Brakes, no time to brake now, no time to dive inside at this speed, apex and
the Toyos begin to complain, boges have had enough, suspension loads and
unloads. Rearend is full loaded and the steering goes light, come on baby,
speedo glance 107mph, too fast. Committed but the turn wont end, gravel and
dirt sandblast the right hand fender wheels while the Toyos goes a deafening
silent. Then its over, right side straddling the yellow and once again
everything unloads, 88mph, somehow at 2/3s throttle. Long straight ahead and
light semi traffic in the slow lane, merge 2 lanes left, apply full juice.
Slight uphill grade and the Ultraflow grows silent, 110, 115 and slight
surge, 120 and the euro cam slowly looses steam and the 16V gasps for
breath. Semis flash on by on the right swallowed by the darkness and 16V
wail. Brights burst on into the night. Uphill grade goes flat. Long
silver/gold reflection flashes across the median so far into the darkness it
appears to be a light source of its own. Speedo check 122mph, release gas
pedal slowly, hand on e-brake. Sliver line now has tiny sparkles dancing
just above the itself 90mph, one click up on ebrake and no throttle, 80mph,
clutch, 4th gear and much complaint under the hood. 70mph, and the cruiser
is now baking in my brights, low beams and he slips back into the darkness
leaving only the silver line. Yellow parking lamps flash alive in the
median, shift out to kill the exhaust and pass him just before he leaves the
median. I hit 5th and 67mph he is right on me when I look in my rearview
mirror. Blue and red light washes over my interior, slightly sweating again
and lump in throat, must be cool, roll down window, light smoke. On the side
of the road I am told it is illegal to have non-DOT legal wattage bulbs. I
am sullen, sorry, the PO was a bit of a boy racer and I have yet to get rid
of his toys. He glances at the rims and tires, the car rocks as a rig blasts
by. All I can hear are the clicking of his cherries and the ticking of my
exhaust of the now silent motor. "How big are those tires?" 17s. "Oh". Fix
it ticket in hand, I leave the roadside. Head home, somehow the 16V seems
happier at 70mph than it did before. Having a smoke in the afterglow, got
little piece of myself back and got a little piece of Scirocco joy back.

Shannon Fenton
Telecom Resource Management
Amazon.com
206.266.6736


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