A good friend posted this link to Old Topanga Canyon Road, suggesting that if I'm in Studio City, this would be a good thing to do early one morning. For this road, I'd get up early Saturday!! Whatcha think???
I'd recommend a run down Old Topanga Canyon Road to Topanga, then back up New Topanga Canyon Road, then to the motel(s).
11miles W on Ventura Fwy from Sportsman's, 3m S to Topanga Canyon Road, 5.6m to Topanga.
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Blasphemous Mike
US '87 560SEC with Euro headlights, clear markers, H&Rs, 18x8.5, ATE slotted rotors with semi-metallics, BergWerks FGS, 3.07 Limited Slip.
In progress - FrankenBenz SEC: GM LS6 5.7L engine with custom 4L60E 4-spd overdrive transmission, GM rack and pinion.
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
A good friend posted this link to Old Topanga Canyon Road, suggesting that if I'm in Studio City, this would be a good thing to do early one morning. For this road, I'd get up early Saturday!! Whatcha think???
I'd recommend a run down Old Topanga Canyon Road to Topanga, then back up New Topanga Canyon Road, then to the motel(s).
11miles W on Ventura Fwy from Sportsman's, 3m S to Topanga Canyon Road, 5.6m to Topanga.
That is a fantastic area for a drive and you have picked a good time frame to do it. During the week if you are up in that area anytime after 645 am you will have tons of traffic...Saturday morning, not so much. And it seems like the L.A. County Sherrif and the Highway patrol sleep in on the weekends. They don't come out to play till about 9 am to watch over the beach crowds running through the canyon.
This is a very nice change of scenery with 2 lane roads, trees, mountains and some insane hairpin turns! The sport bikes start showing up around 11 am around Topanga and the Harley crowd about noon. You should miss them both.
Vehicle: 1985 500SEC, 1991 190E 2.6 (50k original miles)
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 9,887
Old Topanga Cyn Rd on Sat / Sun morning is where a lot of people race their motorbikes and souped up small cars. Quite a few lose their lives there. Another favorite of the insane brigade up there is Stunt road.
These roads a very narrow and dangerous, with extremely tight turns.
We (my Son and I) drove it in a Corvette, and the car was too long for the turns.
Even in a Honda S2000 it was still very tight. I wouldn't take the Benz through there.
On much of Stunt, and old Topanga Rd. two cars can't pass each other.
There are often no guard rails, and sheer drops. Stunt Rd. has a section where they do down hill racing.
We once came down Stunt at a pretty good clip in the S2000, when we came up on a group of people negotiating turns, and going 60 MPH 'ON SKATE BOARDS.' I kid you not.
I am also not sure whether all sections are still open to two way traffic (Saddle Peak Rd.)
There used to be a one way tunnel either to / or from Pacific Coast Highway, but I heard it has been closed.
Once you get to PCH, Malibu's Gladstone's Restaurant would make a nice destination.
Cheers
P.S. I haven't been on that Road in 2+ Years. Perhaps Mike's suggestion on the old Rd only to Topanga, and back on the new is O.K. A few of my Son's buddies frequent the area, and i'll check with them.
Another good route is supposed to be Highway 2 out of Glendale to the beginning of the Angeles Crest National Forest.
Diametrical Benz let me drive his 6.9 up and down the first part of that in his old 1977 W116 6.9 several months ago at our mini gtg late last year.
The old beast pulled hard, and really well, at about 105 mph, at midnight with no cars around, going up the gentle but steep 5 lane sweepers going up that hill with no other cars - especially POLICE ones, around, going up that hill late at night.
It was marvelous fun.
Maybe some other Angelenos amongst you here know about that or have been on it. He said it was popular with car enthusiasts for drives. Supposed to be a big parking lot at the top of the hill above Glendale to start out from or something. Even snow there in winter?
Then of course, there is the fabled Mulholland drive in the Hollywood Hills that is supposed to be really famous.
Anyone?
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Vehicle: 1985 500SEC, 1991 190E 2.6 (50k original miles)
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 9,887
Mulholland Dr., and the famous view of the Hollywood sign is only a short drive (just up the Cyn) from the Sportsmans Lodge / Days Inn.
Yes, the old 2 Fwy out of Glendale is a nice drive.
Last year after an accident / tunnel fire / closure of the 14 Fwy, i was stuck in Lancaster (Chadahar's neck of the woods), and had to drive back on Angel Crest Hwy. and the 2.
Cheers
Mulholland Dr., and the famous view of the Hollywood sign is only a short drive (just up the Cyn) from the Sportsmans Lodge / Days Inn.
Yes, the old 2 Fwy out of Glendale is a nice drive.
Last year after an accident / tunnel fire / closure of the 14 Fwy, i was stuck in Lancaster (Chadahar's neck of the woods), and had to drive back on Angel Crest Hwy. and the 2.
Cheers
So maybe you could think about doing them with us and setting them up?
Location: Leona Valley, Republic of Southern California
Posts: 573
The drive along Angeles Forest Hwy, to Angeles Crest down to the 210, or from there back, IS a marvelous drive. There is a big park(ranger Station at the junction of Angeles Forest Hwy and Angeles Crest) for a picnic or gab session. Nice drive in any car. In the summer that is how I get to pomona to the fairplex. In the dead of summer one can go from Angeles Crest east through the mountains from the ranger station to , I believe Wrightwood.
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1989 560 SEC, 040 Blk/ #265 Mushroom, 178,000
Miles and counting. "Mariah"
1984 Euro 500 SEC Lapis Blue /#258 Orion Gray, 134,000
miles and counting. "Blauer Vogel"("Blue Bird")
1983 300SD, Traded
1984 380SE, Sold
2000 Texas Heeler (Aussie-Queensland Heeler X) best dog I ever had. "Sulphie"
9-11-01, 7 years after............Lest we forget.
Maybe I'll make it out to this gathering. Picked up a 560 SEC recently, and would be cool to meet some fellow enthusiasts.
Trying to fix the high idle issue and get some mods done before August.