(Very) Long Term Test report 2
The Daytona is brought out of winter hibernation for a cold drive to Goodwood for the first of the Breakfast Club meets.
8:30 on a Sunday morning and the outside temperature gauge on the Alfa read -3°C as I drew up outside the lair where the Daytona slumbers. Probably not the best time to be thinking about driving a 36 year-old Ferrari that doesn't normally venture out unless the outside temperature is well into double figures. However, there was not a cloud in the sky, the roads were dry and Goodwood was hosting the first of the Breakfast Club events, this time for pre-1973 tax-exempt cars (the more attentive readers might recall that my Daytona is actually a 1973 car but hey - it's close enough!).
After three abortive attempts to turn over, the Daytona finally fired up, belching out copious amounts of steam and carbon dioxide from the quad quiksilver stainless steel exhaust pipes. After a good 5 minutes idling to get some temperature through the fluids, we finally set off down to Goodwood. It's the first time I have driven the car this year and also the first time since it was serviced. It is certainly running very well, although perhaps idling a little fast at around 1200rpm (although it settled back to about 1000rpm once the car was fully warmed up). The heater was needed given the cold outside and it works well on the car once the engine is fully up to temperature. However, this did take a good fifteen or twenty miles, so my feet - clad in relatively thin driving shoes - were certainly feeling the cold!
The drive down to Goodwood is littered with speed cameras and annoying constant variations in speed limits (not to mention the prospect of hitting some hidden black ice on the treelined roads) so there was little opportunity to really stretch the Daytona's legs.
The event itself had a superb turnout with both sides of the circuit from the chicane all the way down to St Mary's lined with a huge variety of classic cars, along with the paddock and the area outside the Vitria Cafe. One of the nice things about this was that there is no regimentation to the parking so classic VW Beetles can be lined up next to E-Type Jags and Rolls Royces instead of being arranged in Marque areas.
Cars tend to come and go from these events but for me the star cars (other than my Daytona obviously) were a rare RHD Ferrari 250 SWB and a RHD Lamborghini Miura parked next to one another.
The most interesting car, however, was a highly modified AC428 coupe which was fully prepared for racing (although apparently still road legal); it looked like it would be huge fun on a track - or a track with suitable noise limits anyway.
Of the other Ferraris, there was a red Lusso and my friend Mark Shannon brought along a US spec 365GTC4 (which is for sale - see www.markshannon.net). There were also a number of newer models there including a Boxer and a number of 308s.
My desires for a pre-impact bumper Porsche 911 were inflamed by quite a number of examples present, the highlight being a 2.8 RSR (replica?). If not a pre-impact 911 then a 356 certainly appeals and there were quite a few there in several different incarnations. The earlier cars are prettier but I would assume the newer B and C cars are much nicer to drive?
There were quite a number of American cars present (it looked like some of the American car clubs had organised to meet down there) with numerous Mustangs, although it did make me wonder if every sixties fastback Mustang in the UK is now 'Bullitt' Highland Green? Slightly more unusual (in the UK anyway) were a Plymouth 'Cuda 440 and a Dodge Coronet convertible whose driver looked very wrapped up against the elements as he headed for home.
A few hours of sitting in the spring (it felt like winter) sunshine and the interior of the Daytona had warmed up nicely. One of the downsides of this is that the surrounds to the steering column expand in the heat and squeak annoyingly when any lock is applied.
After a nice 80-mile round trip the car clearly showed the signs of driving on dirty winter roads and a much-needed wash was required, which despite the cold weather is not too much of a chore thanks to the Permaguard treatment, which means a hose and a wet sponge is all that is required to bring the shine back.
I love my Daytona (although not as much as I love my gorgeous girlfriend) and I'm looking forward to using it a lot more this summer than I managed last year. Hopefully the weather will be a lot warmer than it was today!
Click here to see photos from the Breakfast Club event.