Fall Driving

Fall-weather driving here in the northeast has been spectacular this year. I've driven the MGB to work almost every day in the last two weeks and the top's been down for at least that long.

It's sports car weather here! I've seen lots of others out there too.

We saw four MGBs in the Chester (NJ) area last weekend. Also two red MG-TDs, two Ferrari 355s, a newish Aston-Martin Vantage (top down), a TR6 and even two newish Bentley convertibles (OK, not sports cars, but both of them were top down). And I seem to have two "new" MGBs in my parking lot at work lately.

So what's it like in your area?

Here's mine near our lake house in NW-NJ taken last weekend.

Below: My dd taken today in a state park near Waterloo Village, NJ (The friendly hound isn't mine. There was nobody else around and he just randomly walked up to me.)

Nice MGB! What year? Is that Pale Primrose?

Thanks!

It's a '69. Barn-find last year. Did a quick, one-month "sympathetic resto" and have been driving it since mid-Summer. I've been racing Spridgets forever, but I missed having a Brit-street car.

It was painted about 20 years ago and yes, I think the former owner said it was repainted in the original Primrose colour (but don't ask me?....to me, it looks "white" )

You guys do any Fall driving?

You guys have me envious. The biggest thing I miss being down in FLA is the change of seasons. We just have summer...... and really hot summer down here.

On the positive side though, last night was a perfect, clear 70 degree night with an incredible full moon. Driving along the ocean was fantastic. Gotta love year round driving too!

It is still warm here in OK with cooler mornings. Next week I will lead the Roamin' Chariots car club to explore the area around Tahlequah for the weekend. You just can't beat this time of year. Nice pictures.

Cheers Ron

I to am full of envy. Here in west Texas it is hayfever season and I can't/won/t put the top down on my Miata because if I did I'd have to use a shovel to get all the pollen and dust out of the car. The local PCA had a auto-x last weekend and I didn't even take the Miata. I took my Maxima just because it has a hepafilter and it keeps the yuck out! But my CMS t-shirt, vol. 3 brought me good luck as always.

Here in Chucktown it's been beautiful! High 50's at night, low '80's during the day. No leaf change yet but the J-H has been daily top down transport for all the clear dry days. It's been great to drive it, and the 21-22 MPG around town is a nice bonus.

Windscreen folded in the day, leather jacket at night. leaves roostertailing in the wake of the Morgan...Best time of year!

Leo

Makes me miss Jersey.... a little....

What river is that behind the Miata?

(I really need to go fishing soon =D )

There's probably a list of about a hundred things I should be doing this weekend, but I think the Mini and I may get lost for a day. Provided our fickle weather holds...

What river is that behind the Miata? (I really need to go fishing soon =D )

That's the Musconetcong River. Off Waterloo Road in Stephens State Park between Hackettstown and Waterloo Village. Great trout fishing there!

The picture with the dog shows the remains of one of the Morris Canal's 28 locks with a section of the old canal's towpath.

Ah the ole Musky. I fished that alot when I was younger. I grew up in Hunterdon County, still not really sure why I left. LOL

More sportscars here in SoCal, that's for sure.

Two weeks ago was peak here in the coulee area of Wisconsin. Had a great drive last weekend in my wife's Golf to a couple of apple orchards just south of where I live.

Great roads, great colors, great apples... can't wait until the GT6 is ready to do the trip.

(Sorry, no pics.)

That's awesome. If you decide to sell it, let me know. I have a friend in NJ who has been searching for that EXACT car for a few years now. He eventually gave up and bought a chrome bumber B in a different color, but still mentions he'd like to have a pale primrose version if one becomes available. I'm dead serious.

We did some Fall driving last w/e. A MINI run with our local club starting near the Crossings Outlets in PA, going up through the Poconos, down Rt 97 (Hawk's Nest) and finishing at an ice cream shop in Port Jervis, NY.

I finally dug my Spit 6 out of the garage a couple of night ago... but not much of a drive... just drove it home. :(

Last weekend in RI was a 3-day holiday weekend. (Columbus Day ... can you believe this state celebrates Christopher Columbus?) Weather in southern New England was spectacular all 3 days and the foliage is perfect. I spent time driving the back roads of northern RI and eastern CT in my Miata. Eastern CT has some of the best sports car and motorcycle driving roads in the country. (Classic Motorsports should do a regular feature in the magazine or on the web site for "best driver roads" and we can submit our favorites). Anyway, this weekend’s weather in southern New England is supposed to be good again for top down driving, and the foliage is peaking. But I’ll be on a plane to Turin, Italy tomorrow for a few days of business. One of my stops will be the Fiat plant in Mirafiore. Tough work, but somebody’s gotta do it.

I love driving in the Fall. Not too hot during the day, cool nights, great Healey weather here in Portland, OR. Though not as nationally recognized as the New England States, Oregon has very beautiful fall colors. The Katsura trees in front of our house are starting to turn providing a wonderful display.

Dougie

Margie and I just took a 1000 mile trip around Kentucky. The weather was mostly glorious and the Tiger loved that cool air.

AH... the BlueGrass1000. Did you go to the concours at Churchill Downs?

Hot night drives, year round top down driving, I could learn to live with such hardships. Here in the NW we are pretty much at the end of dry weather for the year. I had to take advantage of the mild clear day and take the '65 out for its last run before storing it until spring. The Columbia River Gorge was quite beautiful on my lazy Sunday drive today.

Dougie

It finally started getting nice here...we got down to the fifties for lows on Saturday night..up to low 80s during the day..but hey, it's something different than it usually is

Per (also missing seasonal changes here in FL)

What Per said, it's finally getting nice here in Florida. It's now the perfect time for those late-night, top-down drives.

We had our fall tour this weekend in Tahlequah, Ok. It is very like Missouri/Arkansas with parkway-styled roads and lakes and forests. The fall colors are predominantly brown but the twisties were tight and slow to high speed sweeps with no traffic. It was a good weekend and we did warm up the tires. I organized just the tour and the participants did the rest. 12 folks and 7 cars showed up and the Italians at the evening restaurant got a big kick seeing them. With only a rough idea of a route (what else is new for me), I went looking for the towns of Chewey and Chance that are more likely family ranches from what we saw. But there on the highest ground on a windswept plain surrounded by chicken farms and cattle ranches was Cowboy Corner, a small gas bar/restaurant/store. Most of the gas pumps were knocked over and locals arrived in trucks to call the cashier to turn one or the other on for fuel. The clean tables enticed us to stay for a hearty lunch of local beef and chicken. Somehow I found our way back the starting point in spite of very few road signs. Even the GPS units were confused and useless.

It was a good weekend in a great area and the car was faultless but for some exhaust rattles/buzzes that need some attention. My drive to/from was a treat in itself with half the distance through the hill country.

cheers Ron

Ya'll are killing me w/ these pictures of beautiful fall driving roads. I'd have to endure three hours of buzzing the Miata at 80+ mph dodging semis and oilfield gang trucks, scared s***less about which one is asleep, drunk, high, or worse to get a place as pretty as what you've posted. The scenic drive from/around Ft. Davis, TX. But then again we can have 80 degree days in January so I guess it all balances out.

This past Sunday it was very nice for a drive, so I was blasting around some winding roads near home. As I was going down Morris Road between Bryn Mawr and Gladwyn, I almost crashed when I was shocked to see an '66 or '67 Ferrari 275 GTB going the other way...I quickly fantasized that I could run him down and get a ride but insanity prevailed and I kept going my way.