Hottest drive in a Cobra -- EVER !!
 

Well yesterday's Fish and Chip Festival at Brunswick Heads provided me with another killer drive home. The 2013 event was a scorcher but yesterday's drive home was ridiculous. Even leaving an hour or so earlier didn't help matters.

The 38C heat was bad enough but being caught in a walking pace traffic jam for kilometres along the notorious Eleanora stretch and then dropping down into the cauldron at Nerang where the temperature typically rises three or four degrees magnified the distress. Fortunately Craig and I dropped into Leigh's place at Coomera and demolished his Gatorade supply, and then it was slap on even more sunblock and get ready to face more heat on the way home to Brisbane.

On thankfully arriving home half an hour in the pool and two jugs of iced water helped restore some feeling of normality, but having been caught out twice now, in spite of a 4am start this year to try to avoid the oppressive conditions, next year I reckon I'll try to book a cabin in the caravan park, retire to the beer garden for the afternoon under the shade of that big ole tree and make the journey home in what passes for cool in Qld at this time of the year early next morning.

Having said all that however, the day--apart from the bloody awful heat-- was a great success. Having an early breakfast instead of lunch should have meant a pleasant earlier drive home but the weather put paid to that idea. I enjoyed the drive down in the company of Jeff Troy and Brad with Leigh in my passenger's seat (Craig was stranded in Byron Bay waiting for me to deliver his riding gear so he could ride his Ducati back --- long story!!!) and it was nice to see Brad's Pace car out on the road, looking and sounding very much the part. Thanks to the organisers for their hard work, and to Wazza who sprang a free brekky for all of us courtesy club funds. There was an impressive roll-up of cars and Peter and Ann Beehag had the biggest grins of the day with their soft top firmly affixed. Congrats to Fordy Troy and Wazza for collecting the silverware.

See you there next year.

I agree...one of the hottest drives home....ever.

I don't use my soft top too much...but will probably put it on for the next month.

Driving in the rain doesn't bother me...but that Sun can flog you pretty bad.

A great day out,despite the heat.

About 50 of us (25 cars)...early morning run,nice breakfast...bit of showing off...all good.

Cheers.
Warren

Sounds like great fun.

Also sounds like the reason I have a hard top. ;)

Despite the heat ... Sounds like all the cars didn't suffer overheating ..... That's a plus !

I'm glad you gave me the option of a mesh jacket, because my leather jacket in that temp would have been a little uncomfortable. Nerang was like riding through the flames of hell.

Good turnout with some incredible cars to look at. Jeez, the quality of cars has improved out of sight since I first joined the Cobra Club 18 years ago.

Breakfast was great. Lots of good conversations. The beers were ice cold. All in all a great day.

Special thanks Brad (Cobra01) for letting me climb all over your Pace. To hand me the keys and offer for me to take it for a drive shows great faith and a clear lack of insight into exactly how erratic my driving can be. I appreciated the offer.

Was a great trip and a great day. Breakfast and then a cold beer.... Can't argue with that. Good selection of cars with different motors, ford, chevs (please don't start anything here) and a viper motor thrown into the mix. Add a GT40 and a Daytona and there is not much more to ask for.

But it was a hot ol trip, earnt myself as a passenger a typical cobra tan, t-shirt arms, sunburnt neck and top of one knee (in the cruisie passenger position).

Thanks to Don for the ride in the classic arntz , and Brad for my first ride in a Pace 427. Think of it like Ashley Judd and Jessica Alba, many years difference, and would be happy with either one (cars that is.... Not Don or Brad) .

Well how do I comment on the heat?

On the way down to Brunswick Heads there was a photo company who were taking photo's of the Cobras on the trip which added a nice touch to the drive.

It was oppressive to say the lease ,I was just cruising along the M1 on the way home and I was passed by the Beautiful Lee White driving her fathers cobra and husband Craig who was giving all the cars in the SLOW lane the double thumbs up.

It was a sight to behold that there were 2 Pace 427 SC Cobras side by side and nose to tail travelling along the highway giving all who wanted to look at the sight of 3 or more years in development.

I just love driving my Pace Cobra

We had a get together at home today and a friend dropped to say Hi and she said that my Cobra was the most awesome car she had ever seen.

Some people have exquisite taste

Cheers

Brad

I'm not thinking about the weather or Cobras anymore now that Jessica Alba has been mentioned...

Two 'likes' Brad...

That sums these cars up I think

Wow, I didn't know that you had that kind of heat down there. We have very few days during our Summer that we can drive the roadsters. Last Summer set about every heat record there is, even for here. Highest temperature 120°, highest temperature with heat index 129°, and longest number of days that the heat was above 110°. We are also in the mist of the longest drought in history.

Ron :(

He could have compared the Arntz to Helen Mirren --- although better not to, I was hot and bothered enough as it was.


And Ron... parts of Queensland, the state I live in, have been drought-declared for over three years. 2014 has just been declared the hottest year ever since the keeping of records began. Longreach, one of our central western towns, recorded fifteen successive days over 40C (about 104F), in December. There is hope that the imminent arrival of our monsoon season should bring relief to the northern parts of the state but it is expected to be a short-lived season and rainfall will once again not be sufficient to replenish the huge aquifer from which many of our remote cattle stations draw water for their stock. Crazy weather and grim times for your state and mine both.

I hope that you get the rain that you need. I watched where the scientists were talking about here and they say it would take 6/10 years of double our normal rainfall just to get us back to normal so far as lakes and ground water goes. A lot of small towns in the mountains have been hauling water for the past 3 years. A friend of mine who uses well water said that before the drought started his main well was about 70 feet deep and he could pump 60 gallons per hour all day. Now it is just over 300 feet deep and he can pump 60 gallons about every 4 to 6 hours. I really wonder if the weather will ever get back to what we consider normal.

Ron

My brother in law lives and works in Marblebar in WA, the hottest town in Australia, its been consistently over 48 deg there and some days over 50. :eek:

Tomcat