[Roadsters] Driving a special roadster over Christmas

[Alvin Gogineni]

The moment I knew that our family Christmas would be held in Paso Robles I
got butterflies. Why? This meant I could finally take Kevin up on that
roadster drive! Fate (and my sister-in-law's typing) put our Air BnB
walking distance to Kevin's and he was kind of enough to let me take Spike
for a spin.
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9949.jpg
A quick reminder of the goods this roadster is running:
U20/5-speed with a Rebello-prepped cylinder head
Solexes
RX-7 rear axle (OEM LSD, discs)
Volvo leaf springs
Koni shocks
Azenis tires

What a sight, Kevin also has a Porsche 914:
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9940.jpg

Kevin demonstrated his roadster and driving  with a brilliant performance
on the Coast Range Rallye (CRR) earlier this March.  Since we ran CRR
together he suggested a local Paso road called Peachy Canyon. Here are a
few driving impressions of "Spike", his 1969 SPL. Enjoy!

Engine
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9941.jpg

The Rebello-prepped engine with Solexes made all the right noises. Paired
with a Magnaflow exhaust it sounded great with a burble below 4k and
absolute wail above. Crisp response and impressive power...Kevin will be
visiting us soon for a dyno. From my short drive I'm guessing it makes
around 150-ish hp to the wheels. It put a smile on my face.


Suspension/Chassis
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9950.jpg

I was surprised how smooth the ride was, I think it is a direct result of
the Volvo rear leaf springs. The Koni's I'm sure add to this but the rear
of the roadster was shockingly less bouncy then the comp/stock-springed
cars I'm used to driving. Peachy Canyon was a smooth road, but overall my
thought was "this is why he was so fast on the CRR!"
Kevin overhauled the front brakes and added the RX-7 rear end with
LSD/discs. The whole package worked seamlessly.

Feel
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9951.jpg
It's the little details that Kevin added to make this such a well-sorted
roadster. Also, we can't forget the work and love that Garm, Kevin Desirelo
and Michael Anderson put in before Kevin's acquisition. His touches really
make it shine on the road, turning it into a real gem.

It's easy to get physically tired driving a roadster hard on long
rallyes...Spike begs you to drive more and allows you to focus on
enjoyment. Inside, a Momo Prototipo is perfect for spirited driving, full
harnesses keep you in place, a complete interior is inviting, while a rear
wind deflector and upgraded dash lighting round out the comforts.


My brief stint driving Spike on Peachy Canyon Rd:
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9946.jpg

Enjoy the video and turn the volume up!

https://youtu.be/nuDenEFP3Jc


A few detail shots, yes that's a 964 C2!

http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_0020-3.jpg
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_9952.jpg



Great folks. Thanks Kevin for making my day you've done a superb job with
Spike. I'll say it again. I regret not buying this roadster and I'm 100%
happy that Kevin ended up with it. Too many owners get suckered into buying
"cheaper" examples and spend more time fixing than driving. That can be
good or bad depending on your threshold for pain :)

Spike is that rare example of how effective and enjoyable these cars can be
as canyon-carvers/rallye machines. It was really that good.

Looking forward to getting her on the dyno!
http://www.zcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_0024-3.jpg
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