Ducktailing it to the Targa
Moderators: hot66, Miggs, 58A - 71E, impmad2000, drummerboytom, Barry, Helen, Viv_Surby, Derek, KS, abm914, Mike Usiskin
-
- I used to have a life, then came DDK
- Posts: 3730
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:14 pm
- Location: London
Ducktailing it to the Targa
Although face to face meetings are relatively rare for most of us, regular forumites tend to get to know each other, and easily recognise one anothers' "special" topics.
Some examples taken at random:
- Vintage steering wheel chat? Enter Darren stage left.
- Brave enough to opine that a RHD 911 driving experience might be just as good as LHD? Prepare for a telling off from James hot66.
- Belts and harnesses? Cubist, can you free yourself?
- The Targa Florio? Just try posting about it and see if 23e Heure can resist responding, normally accompanied by a photo of himself somewhere on the Piccolo Madonie circuit.
... Hang on, was that Pavlov's bell I just heard?
My first in person meeting with Mike 210bhp and Brendan Mullan was in 2006, when we camped on adjoining pitches at Maison Blanche during that summer's Le Mans Classic.
Mike was there in his RS, Brendan in his (pre-engine rebuild) T, and me in my E.
Soon after the tents had been erected and we were all sat drinking warm beer, someone wandered over with a copy of the latest 911&PW.
The mag was new out, and I was chuffed to learn that it featured a 2 page article about a recent trip in the E, to attend the Targa Florio Centenary.
A month before Le Mans Classic I had driven from London to Sicily with my dad as co-driver, and flew my mum and my (now) wife out to Palermo ahead of us.
That was my third pilgrimage to the island, and this time I simply had to drive all the way there in an early 911:
I wanted to emulate the tales I had read in DSJ's Continental Notes, and when better to do that than in 2006, to coincide with the centenary event?
That's when the conversation moved pretty quickly to dream road trips. Mike revealed that his RS was delivered new in 1973 to Palermo.
And that he harbored an ambition to one day take the car back 'home'.
2006 was when I first met Johnny Tipler too. It was scrutineering day for the centenary rally, and I had blagged myself and the E into the paddocks.
When popping back to the car, I overheard the official at the gate arguing with two guys in a hire car, who were waving press cards and trying to gain entry.
They were clearly british hacks in need of help, so I pointed at my car and implied in broken Italian that they were my support vehicle.
Within short order Johnny and Antony Fraser were thru the gates and parked next to me in the paddock.
Since those first meetings, year after year Mike has asked me "When are we going to go to Sicily together?", and Johnny has asked "When are we going back together?".
Fast forward to 2016, a decade on from the centenary, and finally all of our diaries sync so that we can make it happen
And so it is that we set off next Monday lunchtime. Mike and Brendan are taking the black RS, Johnny and I the green rep.
Following the same route as I took with my dad in 06, we overnight on Monday in Reims.
This snap was taken en route in 06, I know the grandstands look very different now, much smarter (less patina?)
We run the length of France on Tuesday morning, then east into the Alps and Chamonix. 06 again. One of my fave shots of my old E:
On then through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, south past Turin to Genoa, and finally a l o n g ferry to Palermo, arriving Wednesday evening.
We'll be staying at an agritursimo owned and run by one of the Pucci family. Antonio Pucci won the 1964 Targa in a 904, and his son Giulio finished 7th in 1973 in a 911 RSR.
Just don't mention what Giulio did in testing that year, as it might bring the other Mike back from the Ferrari forums!
The agriturismo is located right within the tight mountain roads of the Piccolo Madonie circuit, giving us easy access to have a couple of laps, take lots of snaps, and breathe in the history.
Palermo is less than an hour away too, for Mike to go look for the site of the Porsche dealership that sold his car when new.
And as a cherry on the cake, Johnny and I have been invited to participate in this year's Giro Di Sicilia. What better way to hark back to the days of Jenks...?
Drive your car the length of Europe. Once there, add some oil and adjust the tyre pressures, participate in a 3 day historic event.
And then drive the car all the way home again
Technology has come a long way since the last trip in 2006. Back then my dad navigated using an old 1983 road atlas, and my mobile phone did not get a signal in Italy.
Also a great development is the stability of the DDK servers: after our trip in 06 I posted a long thread about our adventures. Sadly at some point the thread got deleted, so I can't link to it here.
This time around we can - and shall - post a mini blog here of our travels...
In the meantime, here is a (re)post of a short film I made when I visited in 2004, an in car lap of the full circuit: https://youtu.be/8AR6yLqa-RQ
(A bit of a long post to kick off the thread: sorry, getting a bit excited now!)
Some examples taken at random:
- Vintage steering wheel chat? Enter Darren stage left.
- Brave enough to opine that a RHD 911 driving experience might be just as good as LHD? Prepare for a telling off from James hot66.
- Belts and harnesses? Cubist, can you free yourself?
- The Targa Florio? Just try posting about it and see if 23e Heure can resist responding, normally accompanied by a photo of himself somewhere on the Piccolo Madonie circuit.
... Hang on, was that Pavlov's bell I just heard?
My first in person meeting with Mike 210bhp and Brendan Mullan was in 2006, when we camped on adjoining pitches at Maison Blanche during that summer's Le Mans Classic.
Mike was there in his RS, Brendan in his (pre-engine rebuild) T, and me in my E.
Soon after the tents had been erected and we were all sat drinking warm beer, someone wandered over with a copy of the latest 911&PW.
The mag was new out, and I was chuffed to learn that it featured a 2 page article about a recent trip in the E, to attend the Targa Florio Centenary.
A month before Le Mans Classic I had driven from London to Sicily with my dad as co-driver, and flew my mum and my (now) wife out to Palermo ahead of us.
That was my third pilgrimage to the island, and this time I simply had to drive all the way there in an early 911:
I wanted to emulate the tales I had read in DSJ's Continental Notes, and when better to do that than in 2006, to coincide with the centenary event?
That's when the conversation moved pretty quickly to dream road trips. Mike revealed that his RS was delivered new in 1973 to Palermo.
And that he harbored an ambition to one day take the car back 'home'.
2006 was when I first met Johnny Tipler too. It was scrutineering day for the centenary rally, and I had blagged myself and the E into the paddocks.
When popping back to the car, I overheard the official at the gate arguing with two guys in a hire car, who were waving press cards and trying to gain entry.
They were clearly british hacks in need of help, so I pointed at my car and implied in broken Italian that they were my support vehicle.
Within short order Johnny and Antony Fraser were thru the gates and parked next to me in the paddock.
Since those first meetings, year after year Mike has asked me "When are we going to go to Sicily together?", and Johnny has asked "When are we going back together?".
Fast forward to 2016, a decade on from the centenary, and finally all of our diaries sync so that we can make it happen
And so it is that we set off next Monday lunchtime. Mike and Brendan are taking the black RS, Johnny and I the green rep.
Following the same route as I took with my dad in 06, we overnight on Monday in Reims.
This snap was taken en route in 06, I know the grandstands look very different now, much smarter (less patina?)
We run the length of France on Tuesday morning, then east into the Alps and Chamonix. 06 again. One of my fave shots of my old E:
On then through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, south past Turin to Genoa, and finally a l o n g ferry to Palermo, arriving Wednesday evening.
We'll be staying at an agritursimo owned and run by one of the Pucci family. Antonio Pucci won the 1964 Targa in a 904, and his son Giulio finished 7th in 1973 in a 911 RSR.
Just don't mention what Giulio did in testing that year, as it might bring the other Mike back from the Ferrari forums!
The agriturismo is located right within the tight mountain roads of the Piccolo Madonie circuit, giving us easy access to have a couple of laps, take lots of snaps, and breathe in the history.
Palermo is less than an hour away too, for Mike to go look for the site of the Porsche dealership that sold his car when new.
And as a cherry on the cake, Johnny and I have been invited to participate in this year's Giro Di Sicilia. What better way to hark back to the days of Jenks...?
Drive your car the length of Europe. Once there, add some oil and adjust the tyre pressures, participate in a 3 day historic event.
And then drive the car all the way home again
Technology has come a long way since the last trip in 2006. Back then my dad navigated using an old 1983 road atlas, and my mobile phone did not get a signal in Italy.
Also a great development is the stability of the DDK servers: after our trip in 06 I posted a long thread about our adventures. Sadly at some point the thread got deleted, so I can't link to it here.
This time around we can - and shall - post a mini blog here of our travels...
In the meantime, here is a (re)post of a short film I made when I visited in 2004, an in car lap of the full circuit: https://youtu.be/8AR6yLqa-RQ
(A bit of a long post to kick off the thread: sorry, getting a bit excited now!)
James
'87 R4 GTL Clan
'74 914/6 3.0 Texas GT
'73 911 2.7 RS Replica LHD
'72 911 2.4 E RHD (Sold)
'87 R4 GTL Clan
'74 914/6 3.0 Texas GT
'73 911 2.7 RS Replica LHD
'72 911 2.4 E RHD (Sold)
-
- Nurse, I think I need some assistance
- Posts: 16853
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:48 pm
- Location: Worcs/W Mids border
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
About time you started this thread James !
Sounds like a great trip - very envious ...
Sounds like a great trip - very envious ...
Andy
“Adding power makes you faster on the straights;
- subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”
“Adding power makes you faster on the straights;
- subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Funny enough I do like having a map so these are what I will be taking with me...
Brendan
1969 911T
2007 2.7 Boxster
Pray, hope and don't worry - Padre Pio
1969 911T
2007 2.7 Boxster
Pray, hope and don't worry - Padre Pio
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
was waiting for this thread
Enjoy boys .. will be epic
You both taking a spare petrol can for france ?
Enjoy boys .. will be epic
You both taking a spare petrol can for france ?
James
1973 911 2.4S
1993 964 C2
2010 987 Spyder
1973 MGB Roadster
Its not how fast you go, but how you go fast
1973 911 2.4S
1993 964 C2
2010 987 Spyder
1973 MGB Roadster
Its not how fast you go, but how you go fast
-
- DDK 1st, 2nd and 3rd for me!
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:33 pm
- Location: Westhoughton
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Looks like it's shaping up to be a great trip .
Couple of recent photo's of the state of the roads here , but I'm sure it won't spoil the enjoyment .
Scroll to the end .
http://forums.autosport.com/topic/19526 ... led-targa/
Couple of recent photo's of the state of the roads here , but I'm sure it won't spoil the enjoyment .
Scroll to the end .
http://forums.autosport.com/topic/19526 ... led-targa/
Russ...
'73E 3.0
Clean living under difficult circumstances
'73E 3.0
Clean living under difficult circumstances
-
- I used to have a life, then came DDK
- Posts: 3730
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:14 pm
- Location: London
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Ha! Thankfully like I said, we have the technology nowadays, there is even a free app available to tell us live en route which stations have petrol in stock!hot66 wrote:You both taking a spare petrol can for france ?
https://mon-essence.fr/blog/2016/05/20/ ... gn=penurie
James
'87 R4 GTL Clan
'74 914/6 3.0 Texas GT
'73 911 2.7 RS Replica LHD
'72 911 2.4 E RHD (Sold)
'87 R4 GTL Clan
'74 914/6 3.0 Texas GT
'73 911 2.7 RS Replica LHD
'72 911 2.4 E RHD (Sold)
-
- I used to have a life, then came DDK
- Posts: 3730
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:14 pm
- Location: London
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Yeah, it sucks that they haven't looked after the roads better in recent years. Like Doug Nye says about the local economy: When Italy sneezes, Sicily gets pneumonia.rvzz wrote:Couple of recent photo's of the state of the roads here , but I'm sure it won't spoil the enjoyment .
Looks like doing full laps without a couple of diversions may not be possible during this trip.
Possibly a good thing... I damn nearly killed myself a few times when I first went in 2003: I spent a week there on my own, hired a Fiat Punto from Avis and managed about 10 full laps.
It's quiet up in the mountains on any day, but I did those laps on early mornings during the working week, so there really was nobody else up there but the goats.
I was hell bent on completing a lap in under 45 minutes... I did finally clock one in 47 something, but let's just say I will NEVER drive like that now that I am a parent
As you say Russ, some dodgy roads in isolated patches won't spoil the buzz at all: I think that so long as Mike gets a panorama shot of his RS rounding the Collesano hairpin, he'll be a happy man.
James
'87 R4 GTL Clan
'74 914/6 3.0 Texas GT
'73 911 2.7 RS Replica LHD
'72 911 2.4 E RHD (Sold)
'87 R4 GTL Clan
'74 914/6 3.0 Texas GT
'73 911 2.7 RS Replica LHD
'72 911 2.4 E RHD (Sold)
-
- Put a fork in me, I'm done!
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:52 pm
- Location: Fife, Scotland
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Going to be a great adventure, looking forward to the blog...buon viaggio!
1990 964 C4, 1999 Boxster 2.5
And..'89 BMW E30 325i Touring. '83 Mercedes 280E. '84 Citroen 2CV. '16 BMW i3 REx. '03 BMW R1100S. '99 Yamaha R1. '79 BMW R100 scrambler.
Member#0336
And..'89 BMW E30 325i Touring. '83 Mercedes 280E. '84 Citroen 2CV. '16 BMW i3 REx. '03 BMW R1100S. '99 Yamaha R1. '79 BMW R100 scrambler.
Member#0336
- Darren65
- Nurse, I think I need some assistance
- Posts: 7868
- Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:55 pm
- Location: North Wiltshire
- Contact:
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Epic
Yearning to find a moment in my life to do similar....very envious indeed!
Have a great journey and thanks for sharing.
Yearning to find a moment in my life to do similar....very envious indeed!
Have a great journey and thanks for sharing.
Darren
72T 2.5... http://ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=56183
73 2.4E ... http://ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=44242
77 Carrera 3.0...to 74 3.0RS ... http://ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=63389
72T 2.5... http://ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=56183
73 2.4E ... http://ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=44242
77 Carrera 3.0...to 74 3.0RS ... http://ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=63389
-
- Nurse, I think I need some assistance
- Posts: 18924
- Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:26 pm
- Location: West Midlands
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Just watched that fiat run on the circuit, real 'Italian' driving!
What a trip, what a distance, what a destination.
Then you have to come back!
We all wait in anticipation.
What a trip, what a distance, what a destination.
Then you have to come back!
We all wait in anticipation.
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
-
- Nurse, I think I need some assistance
- Posts: 8729
- Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:08 pm
- Location: Nottingham, UK
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
I avoided this thread because of the title - I've seen targas with ducktails before - what's the big deal?!?
Now I've dipped in, what a great trip - looking forward to your updates
Now I've dipped in, what a great trip - looking forward to your updates
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young but I'm just backdated yeah
I look pretty young but I'm just backdated yeah
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
As Mike is driving to London for a wedding this weekend I'm meeting him on Sunday night at Gatwick so I've had to start packing today as I'm off on a business trip tomorrow and then I will meet Mike on my journey north on Thursday evening as he is heading south so I can get my luggage in the car. My trip has started already with packing this morning!
Brendan
1969 911T
2007 2.7 Boxster
Pray, hope and don't worry - Padre Pio
1969 911T
2007 2.7 Boxster
Pray, hope and don't worry - Padre Pio
-
- Me and DDK sitting in a tree! KISSING
- Posts: 2671
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:32 pm
- Location: Not nearly close enough to the Nordschleife
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
It'll be a really special road trip boys, very envious... of everything 'cept the loong ferry ride!
Have a blast and looking forward to the updates along the way
Have a blast and looking forward to the updates along the way
-
- Nurse, I think I need some assistance
- Posts: 8048
- Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2004 12:28 am
- Location: Scotland
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
I know very little about the intimate details of the Targa Florio. As James outlines above my initial interest in going to the island was to revisit the place, people, area where my RS was originally sold. Only later did I realise (from James) what an historic event the Targa was. Later still (from James and Mikes epic build) I realised what an important year 1973 was for Porsche at the Targa.
I have never been to Sicily, I have never been to Italy so I am so looking forward to this trip.
I hope to enjoy the drive, immerse myself in the Sicillian culture, enjoy the Targa revival, swim in the sea, drive the circuit and meet some previous owners of my RS. It is hard to imagine my car was in the Palermo showroom around the time of that famous 73 race.
So, our objectives for the trip slightly differ but I am wanting to soak up the information my fellow travelers have for the Targa and I want to learn as much as possible along the way.
I think I might post up a 'Targa fact of the day' so that I can try to remember what I learn.
Can't wait.....
Regards
Mike
I have never been to Sicily, I have never been to Italy so I am so looking forward to this trip.
I hope to enjoy the drive, immerse myself in the Sicillian culture, enjoy the Targa revival, swim in the sea, drive the circuit and meet some previous owners of my RS. It is hard to imagine my car was in the Palermo showroom around the time of that famous 73 race.
So, our objectives for the trip slightly differ but I am wanting to soak up the information my fellow travelers have for the Targa and I want to learn as much as possible along the way.
I think I might post up a 'Targa fact of the day' so that I can try to remember what I learn.
Can't wait.....
Regards
Mike
_____________________________
73 RS (Sold)
67 S
Mint T (Sold)
996 Turbo (Sold)
73 2.4E (home after 25 years) and Sold again
73T targa (signal yellow project)
1953 Vauxhall Velox
914/6
1963 356B
https://www.mybespokeroom.com/
73 RS (Sold)
67 S
Mint T (Sold)
996 Turbo (Sold)
73 2.4E (home after 25 years) and Sold again
73T targa (signal yellow project)
1953 Vauxhall Velox
914/6
1963 356B
https://www.mybespokeroom.com/
Re: Ducktailing it to the Targa
Trip to enjoy and remember,have a great time lads.
Regards,
Dougie
Worry is the interest on inevitability !
Dougie
Worry is the interest on inevitability !