Sunday Drive - 3/27/22, Bay Area

[dionphaneuf]

Alright folks, I'm really excited for this weekend, should be a fun time. I've put together two options for start times and drives below:

1. E500E focussed drive. Meet at the top of 35 (Skyline), where it intersects 92 just West of 280, and drive down to Pescadero. The drive would take between 45 mins and an hour. It'd be great to meet around 8 and leave before 8.30. Pescadero and Loma Mar have some nice shops where we could commiserate with other car folk and relax for a bit before driving up the coast or heading our separate ways.
2. Longer drive to a great Cars and Coffee: Same meeting location, but starting about an hour earlier, meeting around 7.45 and departing at 8 to head down to Santa Cruz via some of the same fun roads. Arrive in Santa Cruz around 9.30 and check out the car show, which always has great variety of all cars and runs until about 11 AM. Can grab a bite afterwards and head our separate ways.

I've a slight preference for option 1 as I've not met many of you in person and it'd be fun to use this as an opportunity to swap maintenance and parts tips and harshly criticize inspect and admire each others cars without being in a larger group. It would still allow for a fun drive, but with a bit less time commitment and distance. However, should interest in Option 2 be strong I'm happy to go with that. The Cars and Coffee I mentioned happens monthly, and I'm sure we'd be well received whenever we choose to go, this weekend or any other. In either case, non-E500E's are also welcome provided the group doesn't swell to some intractable brobdingnagian size.

Feel free to PM me your phone # and I'll set up a WhatsApp group to make co ordination easier.

@kegmankipp @Jlaa @tomer @smilecenterlab @RicardoD @Teddy_West @leftyflyer @Adigidy @bunty660 @JwashE @PJmak

 

[Jlaa]

Thanks for organizing this @dionphaneuf! We need charismatic people like you to herd us cats together!
I'm down for either --- although like you I have a slight preference for #1 as I have parental-duties a bit later in the day.

Looking forward to Harshly Criticize!

 

[kegmankipp]

How about #1 option this month

And #2 option next month??

 

[sheward]

Thanks for organizing this @dionphaneuf! We need charismatic people like you to herd us cats together!
I'm down for either --- although like you I have a slight preference for #1 as I have parental-duties a bit later in the day.

Looking forward to Harshly Criticize!

Please engage in some harsh criticizing for me and post some pictures.

 

[Jlaa]

It was great to see everyone for a mid-winter break right before the rains came! Unfortunately we didn’t get to take many pictures because:

a) Everyone is just happy to be interacting with people again and
b) It was and by I mean it was like 50F for us thin skinned Californians. The weather did not seem to faze @dionphaneuf the Torontonian though …. he seems to have retained some built in resistance to the cold. Couple note:

- @RicardoD’s 964 is soooooooo nice. He has these wheels which are 17” replicas of factory 16” wheels and they look incredible. Kind of like using 18” Rial ARCs. Also, titanium lug nuts.

- Who was that guy in the red 240SX? Man he was just Rightupmyrearbumper the whole way!

- @smilecenterlab’s auto looks properly refreshed with new 8 Loch wheels!! Much better from when we got together last in September 2021!

And for everyone’s benefit - a local resource we can use for maintenance is Benny at Millbrae Motors. In Millbrae. (650)952-4898.

630 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030

Benny used to work a an MB dealer way back when. This is the same Benny that bought Scott Shell’s car many years ago. Benny still has a 500E himself, albeit a different one now.

 

[dionphaneuf]

I can confirm it was actually freezing. I moved here in 2013 after living in Toronto, Boston, and Chicago (along w four balmy years in Pittsburgh) and I'll never forget my first evening in the Marina in July. My coldest winter was a summer in San Francisco...

Was great meeting more people in person and seeing more cars! Looking forward to doing this again, and agree, the 964 was awesome! Totally welcome the variety.

I went to Benny for some diagnosis on my rear end noise and he was bang on. Would recommend!

 

[dreaming.haze]

Looks like you all had a fantastic drive! Good looking cars all around. The largest surprise for me was the was the single cab Vanagon in the background of the 964 photo. Don't see many of those around as they didn't offer them for sale in the US. Could have been brought in on the gray market or now with the 25 year rule. Really cool.

 

[Trae]

Someone said that "the quality of one's life is directly related to relationships."

These get togethers have been the highlight of my E500E ownership.

Thanks to all who plan these events.

 

[gerryvz]

Sorry I missed it. I was staying at the Marriott in Millbrae (on the Bayshore) Mon-Thurs last week, working out of my company's office in downtown Redwood City right next to the Caltrain line.

 

[Jlaa]

Sorry I missed it. I was staying at the Marriott in Millbrae (on the Bayshore) Mon-Thurs last week, working out of my company's office in downtown Redwood City right next to the Caltrain line.

Didja go visit Benny @ Millbrae Motors? At least there is plenty of good chow around that Marriott. Also the nation's largest table tennis training facility has opened near that Marriott.

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New England Lobster Co - Burlingame, CA - HOME

New England Lobster has been serving the greater bay area with Maine lobsters, Dungeness crab and shellfish since 1986.

newenglandlobster.net

HL Peninsula

www.hlpeninsula.com

 

[gerryvz]

I hadn't stayed at that Marriott for probably 6-8 months pre-pandemic, so it had been quite a while. But I have stayed there probably 200+ nights in my career, at least.

The best thing about that Marriott, and why I always go back there, is the lobby bar "scene" in the evening. They close at 10 PM, but there is ALWAYS some shit going down at that bar. Typically it's locals stirring things up, or drunk travelers waiting to head to SFO to fly out, mixing with business travelers. Sitting at the bar is always great for the people-watching.

This time didn't disappoint, though it was me who got "accosted" by a 70-ish, very drunk Napa vineyard owner who was preparing to fly to Thailand (I didn't bother to ask him for what, but one can probably figure that out). Fortunately my food came just about the time he had to leave to head to SFO, so all ended well on my end.

One night some years back, while staying there on Oracle business, I had to physically get in the face of a drunk elderly local dude who was harrassing a poor, attractive female business traveler sitting next to me at the bar, who was minding her own business. He then started getting in my face until security saw his increasing belligerance, and hustled him out the lobby door. She was quite grateful for the assist.

Anyway, since I was last there in 2019, I see they've raised parking to $30 a night, and were closing down the huge COVID testing tent site in the parking lot while I was there.

You can't beat the sunrise views on the Bayshore, particularly with planes coming in to land at SFO. This was when I was walking out to my car to head into the office.



P.S. The lobster and crab are fresher and better here on the East Coast, though I do miss Washington Dungeness crabs as you do get more meat out of them for the effort expended to crack 'em open......

 

[Teddy_West]

Sooooooooooooooooooo when is the next hang out guys?
Because of course I helped stir the pot and ended up missing this hang out too

 

[Jlaa]

Sooooooooooooooooooo when is the next hang out guys?
Because of course I helped stir the pot and ended up missing this hang out too

@Teddy_West, @RicardoD, and myself are going to go for a technical drive tomorrow morn to on Mine’s Road and the Del Puerto Canyon Rd. Anyone in the Norcal bay area with interest can message me for details.