Erik W. Treves
04-08-2019, 08:48 PM
I didn't see much if anything posted on the forum about this show... A ton of Facebook but I thought since it seemed like mostly a different crowd from the Ohio Cobra Show ... I figured I would share a bit on this forum and the Coupe Forum since both groups were represented by the group I was in.
The planning actually started a few years ago while sitting under a tent in Ohio and then later through Facebook that we were going to "crash" the South show - Well, Henry Renaud posted something on FB and the plan formed... I jumped in since I am not building anything (well not kit car-wise) so I was going to be able to finally enjoy driving my Coupe this summer.... Right away most everybody jumped in - but as life seems to get in the way only a few of us were able to make it - Henry, Craig Watkins, Dan Hall, Sten Johnson and Myself. Henry (coming from Florida) and myself (coming from North Alabama) both Trailered - The rest drove from Illinois! They got there first , then Henry and I brought in the rear, making the 16 hour trip in 1 day.
Anyway - the Venue is fantastic. The Hotel gives us a huge section of the parking lot for the trailers and the cobras and they have people there to receive you and help you park. It was like a sea of Serpent Express Trailers!
I showed up at 8pm ish... checked in and settled in to catch up with the boys.. we were all pretty tired so I think we split to our rooms by 10-11 pm .
Nothing starts until 9am each day so there is plenty of "recovery" time -
One of the coolest things was that the "tours" or routes to choose from were Web Based so you go to that website and pick which tour you wanted to do and it was linked to Google Maps to include all the intermediate stops and lunch stops. This ensured nobody got lost and if separated you could find yourself back to the pack... Our Texas chaperones were also kind enough to Lead and provide straggler control for each group as well - just for good measure.
We basically got 2 of 3 days in for driving - the 3rd day was a huge rain day ... we made the most of it and ... well... what better thing to do in Texas...but shoot guns! So we spent the day at the gun range and shot a bunch of ammo.
The driving.......
not much to say ... IT WAS FRICKEN AWESOME!! The views were great and all... the food too.... but with posted speed limits of 75 and 85 MPH on the open "back 40" of Texas.... can I tell you that we let the cars EAT! We did 30-40 minutes at a time at 75+ in formations of 6 or more...The roads are nice a smooth and you can see for MILES! at 85 the speed to over-take ... well you get the idea. Nobody was stupid and I managed to leave my finger off the Line Lock the entire weekend! I beat the living crap out of my coupe the entire 2 days... running the AC the entire time which was nice with the 95* weather...
My Coupe looks nice... but the ride... you would think with all the turbo stuff and aircraft stuff and Kirkey Performer seats...I would be beat up... man did it perform... the longest I drove it before then was about 40 miles... we did 190 miles the first day and 340 miles the second day... it ran like a clock and power just kept coming!!! The engineering that went into the Chassis in stiffness ... really lets the suspension work and the IRS is the bomb.
Anyway, the meet up back at the Hotel after the days rides was great ... was like a car show every day.... different people would come by from one day to the next. -
Did I mention the driving...lol.... man the best time I have had driving these cars hands down - other than a track :)
Big thanks to Bill Swendsen for taking lead of our caravan each day and to his wife Diane (the I am not the navigator , navigator )
Here are some of the highlights and pics: the pics are in my Gallery if you want to see them all .. and on FB...
Day 1 parked for lunch:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105308&d=1554774123
Allen Grant stopped by to check out the Coupe and to say "hey"
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105299&d=1554773882
Too close for missiles ... switching to guns
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105298&d=1554773882
The "crew" .. minus Sten... who was taking a power nap...
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105294&d=1554773880
so how about this flat road with no other cars other than your group for 1+ hours at 75+ ??
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105288&d=1554773877
Stop at this "town"... population = 3 ... not a joke.. lol.... the group needed some liquid
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105287&d=1554773877
The planning actually started a few years ago while sitting under a tent in Ohio and then later through Facebook that we were going to "crash" the South show - Well, Henry Renaud posted something on FB and the plan formed... I jumped in since I am not building anything (well not kit car-wise) so I was going to be able to finally enjoy driving my Coupe this summer.... Right away most everybody jumped in - but as life seems to get in the way only a few of us were able to make it - Henry, Craig Watkins, Dan Hall, Sten Johnson and Myself. Henry (coming from Florida) and myself (coming from North Alabama) both Trailered - The rest drove from Illinois! They got there first , then Henry and I brought in the rear, making the 16 hour trip in 1 day.
Anyway - the Venue is fantastic. The Hotel gives us a huge section of the parking lot for the trailers and the cobras and they have people there to receive you and help you park. It was like a sea of Serpent Express Trailers!
I showed up at 8pm ish... checked in and settled in to catch up with the boys.. we were all pretty tired so I think we split to our rooms by 10-11 pm .
Nothing starts until 9am each day so there is plenty of "recovery" time -
One of the coolest things was that the "tours" or routes to choose from were Web Based so you go to that website and pick which tour you wanted to do and it was linked to Google Maps to include all the intermediate stops and lunch stops. This ensured nobody got lost and if separated you could find yourself back to the pack... Our Texas chaperones were also kind enough to Lead and provide straggler control for each group as well - just for good measure.
We basically got 2 of 3 days in for driving - the 3rd day was a huge rain day ... we made the most of it and ... well... what better thing to do in Texas...but shoot guns! So we spent the day at the gun range and shot a bunch of ammo.
The driving.......
not much to say ... IT WAS FRICKEN AWESOME!! The views were great and all... the food too.... but with posted speed limits of 75 and 85 MPH on the open "back 40" of Texas.... can I tell you that we let the cars EAT! We did 30-40 minutes at a time at 75+ in formations of 6 or more...The roads are nice a smooth and you can see for MILES! at 85 the speed to over-take ... well you get the idea. Nobody was stupid and I managed to leave my finger off the Line Lock the entire weekend! I beat the living crap out of my coupe the entire 2 days... running the AC the entire time which was nice with the 95* weather...
My Coupe looks nice... but the ride... you would think with all the turbo stuff and aircraft stuff and Kirkey Performer seats...I would be beat up... man did it perform... the longest I drove it before then was about 40 miles... we did 190 miles the first day and 340 miles the second day... it ran like a clock and power just kept coming!!! The engineering that went into the Chassis in stiffness ... really lets the suspension work and the IRS is the bomb.
Anyway, the meet up back at the Hotel after the days rides was great ... was like a car show every day.... different people would come by from one day to the next. -
Did I mention the driving...lol.... man the best time I have had driving these cars hands down - other than a track :)
Big thanks to Bill Swendsen for taking lead of our caravan each day and to his wife Diane (the I am not the navigator , navigator )
Here are some of the highlights and pics: the pics are in my Gallery if you want to see them all .. and on FB...
Day 1 parked for lunch:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105308&d=1554774123
Allen Grant stopped by to check out the Coupe and to say "hey"
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105299&d=1554773882
Too close for missiles ... switching to guns
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105298&d=1554773882
The "crew" .. minus Sten... who was taking a power nap...
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105294&d=1554773880
so how about this flat road with no other cars other than your group for 1+ hours at 75+ ??
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105288&d=1554773877
Stop at this "town"... population = 3 ... not a joke.. lol.... the group needed some liquid
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105287&d=1554773877