Dreams do come true!

[Alan Jones]

Last Tuesday i was lucky enough to be given the keys to a 1988 Ferrari 328GTS for the day. Red in colour, Targa roof and in amazing good nick for a car 17 years old. My wife and I started our perfect day with a ferry ride across Broken Bay to Palm Beach to pick up the car at Avalon, and after a rather scary demo from my wife's brother who bless his heart, has more money than sense when it comes to driving a car, let alone lending it to me, my wife and I took off with his parting words after I had told him I'd be very careful. His reply was to drive it like I stole it ! If he ever goes for the job of PM, he has my vote !!!!!!

We headed off thru the traffic and I was suprised how well it coped with the 60-70k speed limits around Sydney. Easy to drive and the only complaint I could make would be how quiet the motor was under 4000 rpm. Once we hit Wahronga and the start of the expressway I could finally open it up a little and we went for a quick 80 mile an hour trip to the Berowra turn off and the start of the old Pacific Highway. As we went thru the first series of 55kph corners at 100k's, the Ferrari truly came into its own. As for me, I was in heaven. The car handled like a dream and felt like I was no where near it's limits of adhesion. The only squeals I could hear came from my truly beloved, who kept muttering about the excess should I bend it, and the fact that I would lose my licence immediately if I was caught by our friends, the boy's in Blue. At the time I thought it was worth the risk, as I can't imagine I'll get many more chances to drive a car like this.
We turned off the Old Pacific Highway at the Gosford turn off and took the road to Wollombi. With the sun out and no traffic, we had a fantastic time and the only worry was when you started to push, we were scraping the bottom of the front spoiler occasionally, due to little dips in the road etc etc etc. I would love to drive one of these on a track, and to take it up near its 8500 rpm redline ( think it was 8500, might have been 8000). I didn't take it past 6500, and the motor would just start to really come into its own at around 4900rpm. Did a few standing starts and was very impressed with the howl of the V8, when you gave it a lil stick.
We stopped for lunch at the home of Dr Jurd's Jungle Juice ( Wollombi Hotel )
and after a good meal and a cold Crownie, headed back to Syney via Freemans Reach, the Expressway to Mt White, and back on the old Pacific Highway for one final blast on some open road. Thankfully the only Police we saw that day pulled up while were filling the car, and after a frustrating trip back thru the 3pm traffic to Avalon, reluctantly returned the car to my wifes' brother.
I never thought I'd get a chance to fulfill a fantasy and I owe my brother in law bigtime. For years I have read motoring mag's and wished I had this guys job as the writer described the latest rare and exotic supercar he was test driving. To finally get to "live the dream" was fantastic.

Please share your own perfect day on 2 or 4 wheels here !

[Pug620]

Racing at brands last year has a speacial feel to it worth the extra entry fee

[SpawnyWhippet]

Mr Jones, try a Boxster S and you will never be able to enjoy a classic Ferrari again. They are the sweetest handling things on the road.

[Alan Jones]

I'd love too, I'll have to speak to thr bro inlaw and try and talk him into buying one!

[SpawnyWhippet]

See me after class, could do you a great deal on a p/ex for a Boxster against the 328!

[djb]

my my, I hardly ever pop in here and look what I find. Now thats quite a story, naturally I we are very envious AJ. Quite a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing, and a very generous offer from your brother-in-law. If you took photos they'll make a good story when the kids are teenagers, it'll impress their friends to no end. My best friend had an uncle who had a Lambo back in the mid-eighties (wasn't a Countach, can't recall which model), but alas he only ever sat in it when it wasn't moving.

Last august I had the opportunity to drive my wife's brother-in-law's Honda RC 51 for a number of hours, and it was the fastest longest legged bike I had ever driven, truly only comfortable over 80 mph and stable even at top speed. A very memorable day, and as you said, you wouldn't want to meet a police officer, especially not at 260k.

off topic, my wife heard on the news that you're having a hot one down there, forest fires still a problem?

cheers

[Alan Jones]

DJB, greetings and happy new year.
I read your thread about the RC , If I remember it right my bro was raving about his Daytona as well.
The bushfires were about 5 k's away as the crow flys but thankfully we had no ember attacks to worry about. The worst thing about that day was the 46degree temperature and the hot norwesterlies. Around 10 pm we were hit by 80 kilometre per hour southerly which changed the course of the fire and the night sky was glowing red over the fires.Thanks to the rural fire service, staffed by volunteers, only 3 houses were lost.
The Ferrari day is one I'll always remember and to top it off, my wife bought me 5 laps in a V8 supercar ( not as powerful as the real ones, but still had plenty of power, slicks, lowered suspension and full rollcage) at Eastern Creek. Hard to say which day I preffered, as both were once in a lifetime experiences. I'm now saving to do the rally experience day with an Evo7 and WRX STI.
Cheers!

[djb]

Happy new year to you and Mr. Moff as well. 46c, Son-of-a-gun thats hot. Yes, its a "dry" hot, we get up to 35c here sometimes with humidity making it feel like 40 or so, but I can't really imagine what its like to be in a straight 46! What's really scarey is a 80k wind with fires around, "ember attacks" I can imagine, thats quite a stiff breeze, must give the fire crews the jitters! My wife has cousins that were living in Kelowna, British Columbia (west coast of Canada) when there were big fires there a few years back, and even hearing from them what it was like to have big fires nearby, one cannot really imagine what it is like or the scale unless you see it I imagine. In any case, obviously all the best with regards to proximity of this stuff to your area.

A supercar 5 laps, pretty cool. Over the hoidays, I took my nephew Karting, hadn't done it years, was a gas. Paid for a 30 lap session (19 sec. laps) but at the end, you are just starting to get the hang of it, so I can imagine how driving the supercar around that track (with real dangers and speeds as opposed to a for-the-public-kart) would be really something, just starting to get the hang of it and then the fifth lap is up--argh!.

I couldn't resist and took a peek at the ciruit website, Nice looking layout, that turn one looks daunting though, they mention that the real-deal supercars take it at 200k....gulp. Must have been a hell of a lot of fun!

Rally experience, yum...handbrake turns and turn left to set up a right drift, ooh baby...update if you ever do it.

cheers, all the best though with the winds and all that.