G'day from an Ex AROCA - Vic

[Torque]

G'day all,

I'm an ex AROCA - Vic member from the late 80's/early 90's.  Punted a little twin carb Sud (the squid) around in those days.

I wrote for the Cross and Sirpent under the name of Torque.  Those of you that have seen the club video from the period, including the famous 'Lets drive PI backwards' day, I'm holding the camera and narrating; hanging shiver on AvGas and the Fox (see Victor Lee if you don't know who they are).  I think I did the flag waving demo as well??

Not a lot of Suds around in those days and probably even fewer now days.  It was fun chasing the GTVs and passing the always broken 105s.  Anything changed?

I've crossed to the dark side and I'm into datsun Zeds now.  Building a 240Z and loving it.  Surprisingly similar cars - lots of rust and shiver electrics!!  But when they are running, what a note and lots of fun to drive!!

One day I'll have an Alfa again, but until then I'll have the occasional troll.

[aggie57]

Hey there Simon,

Nice to hear from you after all these years.  Tell me - have you remembered to shut the bonnet on the Zed??  You'll go a bit quicker!

Not many of the old timers are still active but quite a few of us are still around.  Your post prompted me to get the old DVD out and watch some of those video's, including the infamous reverse PI that you mentioned.  I think those of us lucky enough to have been there that day are probably the only people to have driven it in reverse at speed.  Rob Rogers GTHO, 4 up (with Helmets of course) flat out coming up from Turn one past the pits.  Ah!!!

There are less Alfa's running now than in those days.  Take a look at the results on natsoft and you'll see what I mean.  Lots of MX-5's and "associate" class cars.  A couple of well driven Sud's still though which I'm sure you'd appreciate but mainly Alfetta GTV's, 75's and so on.  Still quite a few 105's running and Neil runs a pretty good series of events.

I don't do them but the early morning runs seem very popular.  Probably not the general thrash sessions that we got away with back in the eighties and nineties but that's road safety for you.  Talking of which we still do one or two driver training days a year, usually organised by Dino but Dave Crump, Mark P., Vin, Hugh and others I still help out. 

Alister