Subject: The ton and then some
Author: Greg Bender
Date: Mar 13, 2005, 6:58 AM
Post ID: 1718536713
Saturday morning started out with a bit of Ambassador
maintenance...installed the new Field-Nolan alternator kit, mounted up a
pair of ugly old big opening cigar mufflers, plus a couple of other odds
and ends.
Saturday afternoon and I'm off to seek the ton. Where to go for such an
attempt? Some place as desolate as the salt flats...the middle of
Florida south of Tampa a bit. It's flat. It's straight. There's no
traffic. Perfect! I run interstate for the first bit just to get out of
the city traffic, then it's fun in the sun as I explore a couple of
windy roads. Just finishing a particularly fun one, I happen upon the
perfect straight road with very little traffic - Florida Route 674 from
Fort Lonesome East to Florida Route 37 - 8 miles.
First and second gears are easy...just run 'em up and shift. Third gear
is interesting...I ran it up to 93 MPH - it was all tapped out at this
point. A quick shift to fourth - loose 5 MPH and I'm back at 88 MPH. Now
its time for the long haul up to the ton. My knees are tucked in, my
helmet is kissing the key in the ignition switch, I'm doing everything I
can to make my 230 pound frame streamlined. I made it up to 97.5 MPH and
thought I was all run out. But, the Ambo dug in for more and topped out
at 101 MPH.
Whooopeeee!
Screams of delight filled my helmet as I backed the Ambo on down to mild
cruising speeds. The Ambo was surprisingly very smooth at the
"ultra-high" speeds and never felt wobbly.
I headed back down to the gas station at Duette, FL where I filled up
the tank and celebrated with French burnt peanuts, Gummy worms, and an
orange soda.
In a few years, when the watch battery runs down in my Sigma Sport
Speedometer, I'm going to have to run out and find the same bunch of
guys George (from Seinfeld) got to try and maintain his high score in
Frogger. Until then, my Max Speed is safely logged.
Mark, if you need a big, overweight and oversized guy to pilot the
Trasher for your record attempts, let me know. :>
Regards,
Greg Bender
1971 Ambassador
2000 Quota
http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender