So, there I was, minding my own business...

Just coming home at lunch to walk the dog. 14 miles of highway between work
and home. Today, way up ahead, I saw a nice shiny new black Mustang (I have
a thing for black Mustangs). But, damn, there was a trooper sitting across
the median, and he pulled out after I passed him. Speed limit 55, so I
slowed to about 67.

Even so, I was making up ground between me and that black thing, but then
the trooper was making up ground between him and me. Stink.

When the trooper came up behind me, I pulled into the right lane to let him
by, and I was now only a few cars behind the black thing - which, by this
time, I saw also had light grey body stripes. I pulled back to the left
behind Mr. Trooper and continued gaining on the Mustang. Yep, as I pulled
alongside, I slowed down to 60 to admire the new Shelby. Sweet.

Shelby was cruising along nice and slow, so I thought, but he pulled out
behind me as I went on down the road. It was trooper, me, and Shelby in the
left lane for another mile, then trooper and I pulled right for a time,
trooper then exited up ahead. Uh-oh, game on.

Shelby slowly gained speed and sailed past me, so I tucked in behind him
("tucked in" at about 100 feet behind him) and followed as he passed a line
of traffic into the open road ahead.

At one point, he gunned it, and TFrog struggled to keep that 100 foot
distance. We slowed again to pass the remaining few cars, and finally
reached my favorite stretch of the drive. Shelby's, too, apparently, as he
slowly increased speed. ("Slowly" meaning, hey, he could have gone MUCH
faster.) At the top end, we were somewhere between 115 and 120mph on that
stretch, me a constant 100 feet behind. The Shelby looked like it was just
loping down the road, firmly planted, while TFrog was ... uh... planted
somewhat. I had no doubt that he still could have left me in the dust, if he
wanted.

Okay, that was fun.

It's not unusual for me to top out at 100 somewhere along that route. I
drive it twice a day, every day, and I think I know where all of the likely
speed traps are. Normally, I'm just driving along in a long line of cars,
with minivans and grocery-getters trying to play with ME. Today, I got to
play with a Shelby, and that's MUCH better...

dwight
www.tfrog93.com

"dwight" <tfrog93 (AT) gEEmail (DOT) com> wrote

On 202 at that time of day? You got 1 less card in your deck than I thought!
Which is on par with me and the 30 bypass.

Dave

On Mar 28, 7:11 pm, "dwight" <tfro... (AT) gEEmail (DOT) com> wrote:

I'm going to have to try that line the next time I have to talk to the
judge.

Nice to have a no-frills stealthy black LX.

I've seen a few, just not on the road near me.

But it's like a major leaguer showing up at a sand-lot game.

It was good he played nice with you.

With the big guys, if they instigate I'll play (for as long as it
lasts) but other wise I give them the respect and just follow along.

Patrick

NoOption5L (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote:
sure which Shelby model he saw.

I'd call the GT500 one of "the big guys"
But the Shelby GT looks good.
http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/shelby_gt.asp

"Deputy Dog" <dave@(removethis)sibbett.com> wrote

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

For the rest of the group, this route is featured on the morning and
afternoon rush hour traffic reports every day, usually with miles-long
backups.

But when I go to lunch around 1:00, odds are that traffic is sparse.

In fact, once I pass the above-mentioned Route 30 Bypass exit, the road
tends to open up wide.

Believe me, Dave, I'm not 18 anymore. If there is ANY chance that I'd put
TFrog at risk (to hell with everybody else), I'd be content to stay in the
right lane.

dwight

<NoOption5L (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote

You can use it. I didn't make it up, I think I read it somewhere before.

I have a theory. And my theory says that I can cruise all day at exactly
72mph, no matter how many police and/or speed traps are around. My practical
experience tells me that no cop is going to bother pulling me over for a
lousy 72. Even if he's right behind me. 75 and above, maybe. And I've sailed
right into speed traps at between 80 and 90 and wondered just how fast I'd
have to go to get a police car to chase me.

Maybe the black TFrog really is invisible to radar...

Yeah... but, BOY, I wish he'd nailed that pedal. Just once.

Exactly. If the OTHER guy wants to have some fun, I'm all for it. Sometimes.
Most often, I just want to be left alone. And, as indicated, if we play, I'm
going to leave PLENTY of distance between us, just in case...

One thing I learned early on is that people who DON'T drive performance
automobiles sometimes believe that people who DO drive them hard all the
time. That's just not the case, when you live with one of these.

Same with the convertible - every sunny day, some people expect me to put
the top down. But when you live with a convertible, you often don't lower
the top, maybe just because you don't want to reach over and flip the latch.
That day.

dwight
www.tfrog93.com

<GILL> wrote

http://www.svt.ford.com/fordvehicles.html
On the left, click "colors". Then choose Ebony Black/Tungsten Grey. THAT's
the one I was playing with.

That IS a sweet looking Mustang. But lose the boy-toy stripes. I'm too old
for that nonsense.

And striping would probably negate my "stealth" quality...

dwight

dwight wrote:
Cool

Ah, It takes me back to the 60's. When 4 barrels, 4 on the floors,
spoilers and racing stripes were cool.

I got pulled over in my Mustang a couple years ago because the cop said
"It sounded like I was going too fast" He didn't show for the court date
and my record stands Perfect.
It's just me but, I think some things over ride "ricer" or "boy racer"
and that's factory-stock.

Gill

GILL <GILL> wrote in news:k_SdnTSgYYxUr5bbnZ2dnUVZ_tmknZ2d (AT) comcast (DOT) com:

I've seen a few of these on the road, and I just saw one up close at
last weekend's SFIAS. They don't look nearly as imposing as the Hertz
car.

<GILL> wrote

I had a bright purple '72 Pinto hatchback with 4 cylinders and broad white
racing stripes down each side. I thought that was cool, and I always thank
that car for getting me into Mustangs. Just as fast as I possibly could.

TFrog has the Dynomax UltraFlo's, and I've been yelled at by guys who
confuse sound with speed.

dwight