Torque… That was what impressed on my mind while concentrating and powering through twisty corners in the backroads of Paso Robles and Pismo Beach during this year’s Targa California Rally. An incredible event paired with an equally incredible car…
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| Low tide at Pismo Beach. Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
RALLYING THE TARGA CALIFORNIA — IN A COBRA! PART 1 OF 2
By Tom Stahler
Like most of the stories that fill the car-adventure writer’s columns, it began with a phone call… Longtime friend and fellow Porsche enthusiast, Jonathan Sieger — or ‘Jono,’ as I affectionately refer him, rang me up with an absolutely-impossible-to-refuse offer: He and I would co-drive in the eleventh installment of the Targa California Rally.
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| Jonathan "Jono" Sieger, my co-driver for the Targa California rally. I think I am in for a LOOONG trip! Photo Credit: Tom Stahler |
More than 100 25-plus year-old special interest cars were signed up for the nearly-1000 mile adventure put on by Dave Bouzaglo of TRE Motorsports. In the past couple of years, Jono and Dave had partnered on manufacturing and selling mechanical fuel injection units and other air-cooled Porsche trick-goodies — known as “911 MFI Solutions” — out of the legendary TRE SoCal Porsche Hot Rod shop.
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| Dave Bouzaglo, proprietor of TRE Motorsports and founder of Targa California. Photo Credit Jonathan Sieger |
What could I say? As a racer, it would be different from my typical race weekend or ride-mooch-story test. This would also be four days of luxury hotels, local gastronomic flavors and blistering seldom-travelled Central California Coast roads. Entirely a chance to see what Cali is like off the main thoroughfares that torment my limited commutes and haunt my dreams… It was time to blow out some cobwebs and work on ye olde driving craft — with a marvelous scenic backdrop of agricultural California. As my mind flooded with visions of those roads, it took less than two seconds. “I’m in!” I declared, to Jono’s delight. So begins yet another adventure…
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| The author, looking absolutely satisfied behind the wheel of the Superformance 427 Cobra. Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
I had met Dave Bouzaglo previously. We spent some quality time and made friends at last year’s Rennsport Reunion at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. A “thank you” and detailed information call was in order. In an always friendly conversation, he gave me hotel details and deadlines. A second quick call to my publisher Stefan Pagnani and editor Edmund Jenks with the pitch of a lifestyle story and Facebook Live broadcasts, was met with equal enthusiasm and checkbook approval… WOOT!
Dave Bouzaglo, founder and organizer of Targa California, is a fabled Porsche tuner. His business, Toad Racing Enterprises (now known as TRE Motorsports) began as his own enterprise in 1974. Dave and a group of friends, like so many enthusiasts throughout the years, were bombing the twists and turns of Mullholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills — and legitimately running at Riverside and Willow Springs. They began offsetting expenses on tuning their own cars by selling parts. In what has grown into a business of hot-rodding sports cars, that modern Singer Porsche Supercars can give a nod, the customers kept coming. The busy shop continues today and many of Dave’s customers have taken full advantage of his Targa California event to pursue the twisty’s that the popular and long running rally has to offer.
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| This Lotus Esprit unfurled the flag at Pismo Beach, but by the end of the rally, had literally burnt to the ground. Photo Credit: Tom Stahler |
So now it was time to go find a car… I considered my own Porsche 986, which only dates back to 2002 and didn’t feel had ample time to prepare. But what a perfect opportunity to test out something tasty and interesting. In a moment of insanity, as much adrenaline, I rang up close friend and purveyor of fine Shelby monsters, Lance Stander at Hillbank, owner and distributer of Shelby and South African factory-built Superformance Cobras, GT40s, Cobra Daytonas, Corvette GS replicas — and Caterham Lotus 7 continuations. As always, he was happy to help. “I have a Cobra for you.” That certainly gave me a moment of pause. What a wicked concept! A race car for the street with lots of rear-wheel drive power to get from point A to point B — rapidly — feeling the backroads of middle California.
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| Lance Stander and the folks at at Hillbank/Superformance provided a thrilling ride for the Targa California -- a MkII SC 427. Photo Credit: Hillbank |
A quick trip down to Hillbank in Irvine, in my comparatively tame, but stylish, Mercedes CLK 350 Convertible to grab the Cobra and a run back up, for familiarization — and just in time to grab my daughters at elementary school. "Take me for granted, and I will kill you,” the car whispered to me as I did my standard walk around, before climbing aboard and firing up the modern Roush Racing 427 powerplant. It sent a chill, and quieted the normally boisterous persona that so many have noted, as the car warmed to operating temperature. The Cobra commanded immediate respect, that feeling like someone just walked over your grave… almost. Clearly this car was ready to communicate with me, feedback to me and not be treated like every other car on the road. I have driven some absolute monsters in my career in the car world, both on track and on the street. But this car shouted in my ear. There would be no cool driving tunes on this trip. Not that the car had a sound system anyway… The pounding exhaust notes would be heavy metal serenade, enough.
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| Out on the open road, the Cobra was a handful and required concentration and patience to drive -- but in the end, what a a reward! Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
The first minor adventure, to whet my appetite for more with the Cobra was Catholic school. It was time to get my middle and elementary school daughters as the school year rapidly came to a close. Needless to say, as I pulled up, and slightly blipped the throttle into the private school’s parking lot to get into queue for afternoon pick up, school was defaulted ten minutes early as kids clamored for the windows to see the source of the noise. One classmate of my third-grader turned to her, sighed, and said, “that has to be your dad…” I guess I have impressed on the school population a bit by pulling up to pick up the kids in a number of interesting rides. Needless to say when the bell rang, the car drew a crowd. Happy as always to show off nice iron to inspired kids and parents, I lifted the hood and let kids sit in the driver’s seat for pictures. Take a kid to a car show!
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| The tight cockpit -- and even tighter foot well, without any modern conveniences made for an intense "office" for the four days on the road. Photo Credit: Hillbank |
In my hands is a Monza Red Superformance Cobra MkIII SC (with big white stripes!). Calling to mind the “sex on wheels” aspect: if other car people make love as they tool about in their Ferraris, Porsches and Lambos, the Cobra is pure, rough, dirty, animal sex! Driving around town, all the waves and winks from fellow travelers on the freeways was beyond cool. It rekindled my youth, for whatever reason. Though no gals “paper airplaned” their number to me, Hank Moody-style, there certainly was the “best chariot” feel at every stoplight — where no-one dared to challenge me with the typical “blip and stare” to start a classic street race — nope. I won just by showing up with this beast. That is a satisfying feeling.
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| A peek under the hood reveals pure mechanical art - a 510 hp Roush 427! Photo Credit: Hillbank |
To most laymen, there is little knowledge of the mechanics of a Cobra — and that doesn’t really matter. It is a truly sensual and sensuous car for the driver and those around him — in any incidental meeting — from all walks of life. The sight and sound of the Cobra does effect people. There are the disapproving, angry stares from the Birkenstock-wearing hippies in their Priuses and Tesla Model S; then there’s the guy or gal in a Benz, Mustang, Camaro, M4 or other “driver’s cars” who offer thumbs up and shouted words of encouragement. Always met from me with a wave and a satisfied smile.
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| The Author affixes the event decals to the Cobra at the Grand Vista. Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
All things considered, with the road-based love-fest, this was the first time I realized how rawly exposed I was to the whole environment. A convertible is one thing, but even wrapped in the luxury of the heated Mercedes seats and tall, aerodynamic windscreen is Cocoon-like compared to the Cobra’s simplicity of a short windscreen, headrest-free bucket seats, with only lap belts with a very tight pedal tunnel that can mistakenly make one push the brake instead of the clutch. Then there are those side pipes right next to your ears…
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| Co-driver and co-organizer of Targa California, Jonathan Sieger, normally a Porsche-guy, takes a turn in the Cobra. Photo Credit: Tom Stahler |
The Superformance MkIII is a very genuine throw back to the mid-1960s Carroll Shelby-built AC Cobra — pure race cars for the street. Jono and I were in for a long ride on a snake who’s bite could be fatal, but when tamed in ample and respectful hands, a most rewarding mechanical synergy to motoring any road — making even crowded Katella Avenue pleasant.
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| Nearly 64 years after James Dean lost his life on this spot, paying homage to the actor/racer seemed a good way to wind down from a long day of wrestling with a monster. Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
The South African-built Mk III chassis with a 510 horsepower Holly-carbureted Roush 427 connected to a Tremec TKO-600 five speed manual, laying down 500 foot pounds of torque with music from evil side pipes that not only wakes up the neighborhood, but routinely sets off parked car alarms everywhere you go. Certainly a much more modern interpretation of the classic, but certainly fifty-plus year old technology harnessing all that umph reminds one of what notorious racer-guys like Dave MacDonald, Walt Hangsgen, Alan Grant, John Morton and Ken Miles had to contend, muscling these barbaric demons through corners in competitive racing — and winning!
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| Oversize brakes, 19-inch wheels and low profile Nitto performance tires kept all that power on the road. Photo Credit: Hillbank |
To call the accelerator pedal a “loud-pedal” is the most underestimated term one can consider. It’s more like the “Oh My Sweet Jesus!!!-pedal.” Between the ground-pounding exhaust notes and the three second launch to 60 mph, perhaps the only answer from the confounded sensory input could come from God himself. Of course, we car-guy types like that kind of stuff…
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| Folanked by numerous interesting cars, the Cobra displays its' meanacing stance on the beach at Pismo. Photo Credit: Tom Stahler |
Speaking of pedals of consequence, the brakes are big and seriously grabby. The oversized Wilwood disks and six piston calipers combined with the lightweight 2200-lb curb weight require the “egg behind the pedal” approach to not lock up and lose grip. The pedal itself is an ornament once in the zone through corners, with the car powering through the corners using the accelerator to harness the crazy torque and twitchy oversteer.
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| "A Case study for mid-life crisis," the author commented to the laughs of the participants. Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
The morning of the Targa rally’s start, I headed from home up to the Grand Vista hotel in Simi Valley. Thankfully I left early enough to beat heavy traffic to make the trip on the 5 North to the Valley somewhat pleasant… “June Gloom” was in full force in SoCal, which makes for cool mornings giving way to pleasant and sometimes hot afternoons. A cap, jacket, Stand 21 Gauntlet-Nomex Gloves with my trusty Sparco racing boots — along with more than 40 years of braving Chicago winters — made me invincible to the low 50s-degree, cloudy-cool “wind-chill” weather for the hour-plus ride up.
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| The morning of the rally and each night at the hotel parking lots, was like a great car show. Photo Credit: Tom Stahler |
Once parked amongst the other participants in the hotel parking lot, I got checked-in to the event, grabbed my swag, had some breakfast and then was able to wonder amongst the sum 200 participants, making last minute prep, or just socializing amongst all the interesting iron sculpture that would carry them on this adventure. A few were racers, but this Thursday morning was not like a race weekend. The intensity remained, but there were no trophies or speed records to be broken — this would be a spirited ride in the country, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
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| A pretty Porsche 356 Coupe adorns the street during one of the "tourist stops". Photo Credit: Jonathan Sieger |
There were a plethora of vintage Mercedes, BMWs, Alfas, MGs, Jaguars, coupes, roadsters, sedans and the “grid walk” was like a great car show or museum… I looked forward to strapping in! Jono and I would be having a very amazing time… An I will tell you more about the adventure in Part Two.
End Part One
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