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Some of y’all East Coast types know Alan Merklin of Chambersburg , PA. He goes by the name Dr. Clock and refurbishes about 1.5 speedsters each year to re-sell. He does excellent work, by all accounts, and is very generous with his expertise, which is total.
So every year for the past four, in mid October, Alan has hosted a continental breakfast followed by a spirited drive through the hills and over the dales in his neck of Western PA. It’s a Speedster-centric thing but Spyders are explicitly welcomed as are TDs, Honda S2000s, one Corvette and a Miata that Alan’s wife, Kim, pilots as a kind of sag wagon to make sure any stragglers find their way back to the nest.
It’s a crackin’ good time. This year run was about 90-95 miles with a healthy pile of off camber switchbacks and pace somewhat more brisk than I was entirely ready for.
The afternoon ended at Dilly’s, a local restaurant, where the 37 of us were feted. There was more later at the Merklin residence but Karen and I had to split, as it’s a two+ hour ride back home.
So 13 hours and 300 miles in Bridget yesterday.
Casa Dr. Clock, the gathering.
The first stop is a park–so we can take pics of our cars . . .
Yrs truly. Yes, that’s a replica leather RAF pilot’s helmet. It was a bit chilly in the a.m. and breezy all day.
Dale Schumacher & his wife, Lois, heading into the first switchback.
Another nice sweeping shot.
The “Pumpkin Trinity.”
My lovely and ever-patient wife.
Dale and Lois. Their car is much cleaner that Bridget, and they also didn’t break down… (I on the other hand, had a loose spade connection on my brand new coil. Fixed it in two minutes though, so no problem).
So we were cruising toward the run with another Speedster, and in downtown Gettysburg we see yet another Speedster parked by the side of the road. I stopped, asked Kelly Frazer (my Speedie wingman) who these guys are, he shrugs. So I sort of wave to the other couple, shrug, get back in Bridget and make some knots. I’m thinking–how weird to see another Speedster on the exact route we’re taking to get to a Speedster rally, and yet he’s not one of us. Well, he’s one of us. Todd catches up in a couple miles–turns out he and his girl (I missed her name) came in from VA. He bought the car last year in Baltimore, it was a basket case, but he runs his own VW shop & so he put it right. Nice guy, and funny.
No covered bridges, but we went over this stone jobby twice.
Hearing complaints about a “pumpkin run with no pumpkins,” Kelly brought one this time. It did no good, and the catcalls from the west coast continue. jealousy, no doubt.
edsnova 40832.7939583333 I’m not quite to the west coast (but that’s my old home grounds), but I am envious of the roads and fall colors. Too many straight ones in my town.
I did have a good run up with the Miata group last weekend though. Great Italian restaurant in a place you wouldn’t expect. Top down, it was a ride for the S2000 at a pace for modern cars. I couldn’t have kept pace with the London Roadster, and I would need a helmet and goggles, and maybe a silk scarf, if I got out of our current high 90’s and 100 days.
As they say…see you next year! I hope!
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Ooh, sorry for the oversize snaps.
Mark: painted desert run! dead of winter! Or Flagstaff-Sedona-Winslow through Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests. Just a thought.
Paul: Yes. We missed you. Next year’s Pumpkin Run will be the fifth annual & they’re talking about a blowout.
My little girl will be off to college by then…no more chasing the marching band around NJ in the fall.
I WILL miss that!
But more weekends will be free!
PMOSSBERG40833.3879398148
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Flagstaff, Sedona and Winslow can be snowy in the winter. The local kit car club took an April trip this year in their modern vehicles, and ran into a snowstorm up north. Kit cars would have had quite a time in the snow.
We’ve got one of the twistiest roads in our state of Arizona, nicknamed the Devil’s Highway, as it was formally named Highway 666, but is now Arizona hwy 191. Our local Honda S2000 club (as well as other car clubs) have made a 3-day weekend ride out of it. They gather in a town to the north on the first day, then come down 191 for a bit and cut over to New Mexico for the southern route. Cutting back into Arizona, the ride up 191 to the north takes you from desert to high alpine country in a matter of hours.
The latest S2000 outing for this event got such rave reviews that they might make it a twice a year run.
We do have some very scenic roads in Arizona and I wish that I had more time to play with them. The Honda S2000 is pure fun on these that I’ve tried.
With either my London Roadster or the hot rod I have, any speed near a highway speed might require a leather driver’s/pilot helmet and goggles to help with the intense wind buffeting.
Sedona…probably THE most beautiful area in the USA.
I’ve been going to Sedona for 18 years.
Bought a house in the Village of Oak Creek in 2009…was intended as a retirement home for me and “she who will not be named”. But with the breakup of my marriage…that plan is, you might say, on ice!
Still LOVE Sedona tho.
I read they had to renumber AZ Rt. 666 because people kept stealing the road signs. Is that true? Or just folk lore?
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
That’s the scuttlebutt, but here is a little summary of the entire Route 191. The AZ 666 tidbit is at the bottom.
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