[opelgt722002]

Interested if anybody has driven this 11 mile section of US 129?

Legend says a Dragon lives in the mountains of western North Carolina. He tests your skills on US129 with 318 curves in 11 miles.
Everyone who comes to ride the Dragon will always remember it.



http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

 

[ging]

I have travelled that a few times - a couple when I was a child. A tip for children: get Mom out of the car and just drive it with Dad. Mom will always want to go too slow and it is impossible to urge Dad any faster as he has to sleep with Mom and you don't.
Another tip for those of you who haven't run it. Don't attempt it in a '70 Nova SS with no power steering. The driver will end up exhausted, in pain, crabby, and it takes waaaaay too long. You do, however, get to do a lot of detailed sightseeing as it will go by slowly. Oh, and make sure to have the brakes on any vehicle checked immediately before take-off.
(Otherwise --- It is SUCH a blast!!!)

 

[soybean (R.I.P.)]

I did it in 1975, when I was living in Asheville, N.C. , in a 74 Manta Rallye with a girl that went on to become my first wife. I miss the car. The road was awesome. Jarrell

 

[tekenaar]

Hmmmmmm . . .

I did it in 1975, when I was living in Asheville, N.C. , in a 74 Manta Rallye with a girl that went on to become my first wife. I miss the car. The road was awesome. Jarrell

NOT the first wife though, eh?!!!

 

[Wolf Spyder]

I've slayed the dragon several times in my Spyder. Great trip do not miss it. My best time for the run is 16.5 minutes. It's the best thrill you can have with your pants on in a car!

 

[Wolf Spyder]

The Dragon can bite!!!

 

[greensmurf20]

haha, cheesy little ricer, sorry, i'm just "anit-ricer"

 

[opelbits]

Careful what you say, there......I happen to enjoy my Japanese car and an MRS is not easy to dismiss.

 

[greensmurf20]

i know theres alot of you who like japanese cars, and knew there was even a few who owned the MRS. thats why i said sorry in the origional post, triyng to lighten it up a little bit. so yet a further apology, i'll keep hush on remarks as that, sorry if your offended, just making play.

 

[Willy_g77]

one less ricer

ouch, that reminds me, when i got in a wreck a month ago.. my friends 89' escort smashs in a tree.. missed the deer though.... totaled the car.. still gotta headache.. well, now i really wanna drive on this road, to see for my self how bad it really is..... i hope the driver was ok in that car... but im gonna have to agree with jared, one less ricer... not to offended..........

 

[opelbits]

You guys do realise that the 'American car' crowd used to say the same stuff about people who drove those foreign Opels, right?

Technically, to those who are interested in Japanese (and Korean) cars, the 'ricer' is the guy with cheap tires on 17 or 18 inch wheels, rear 'wings' that are more than 6" tall (or have more than one blade, or sit at an improbably effective angle), lots of stickers (I refuse to call them 'graphics'), seats that say "NOS" on them, and 'bling'.

There is always a 'heirarchy', no matter what the defining limits to a specified group. The domestic guys look down on the foreign guys, the European guys look down on the Japanese guys, the Japanese guys look down on the 'more money than taste' guys, and everyone looks down on the 'banged up, rusted out poop-box' guys.

Diatribe aside, as much as I like the GT, when I head for the twisty roads (the roads around my house will rival the 'Dragon' for turns per mile, all two lane with no shoulder, just drop-offs and trees, big fat, non-moveable trees. The main road itself has been nicknamed "Blood Alley' for decades, if that's any indication) I prefer to take my '87 RX7. Much more capable than the GT, less white-knuckled. Althopugh, this preference may change once I get a Manta on the road again......

 

[greensmurf20]

my upmost favorites include the late 50's to early 70's american muscle cars. i just dont like a specific kind of car, but more so "if its cool, its cool" and your definition of "ricers" is what gives all the jap cars bad names minus the RX-7, NSX, GT3000, and a few others. i seem to tend to dislike front wheel drives more, and the cheap, "all show no go" cars. no harm or offence intended, everybody has their own taste, and i almost dare not say this either, but theres plenty of cars i prefer over the GT, but it just happens i have one, it fits my budget, its my first car i've done much with, so it will always be a special car, and i'm sure we all have those types of cars, whether they're GT or not.

 

[kwilford]

i know theres a lot of you who like japanese cars, and knew there was even a few who owned the MRS. thats why i said sorry in the original post, trying to lighten it up a little bit. so yet a further apology, i'll keep hush on remarks as that, sorry if your offended, just making play.

Easy, grasshopper, I think that was just a friendly comment. But diss my Lexus is300, and we'll have to step outside!!

 

[greensmurf20]

post came off harsh didnt it keith, once again by no means did i mean it as it sounded..... a downfall to chatting online, reading words instead of facial expressions and tones of voice, and it dont help as i rarely re-read my posts after i type them. just a apology to opelbits and any other japanese auto fan, not sure whatelse to say without getting my self in a deeper hole

 

[opelbits]

Aw, don't worry about it....I'm just being difficult!

But make no mistake, the ricer element have given even the RX7/NSX/etc. a bad name. Lack of knowledge and bad taste cross all boundaries (the GT that used to run around here with a 'turbo' sticker across the windshield, an add-on third brake light in the shape of the Chevy logo, and 'Vette' stickers on the rocker sills is an excellent example. Did I mention the lamp cord used to patch bad under the hood wiring?), but it sucks the most when those without knowledge refuse to learn.

At this point I'll make every effort to keep on topic....


In the RX7club forum a couple of the members in that area have discussed the Dragon and riding sportbikes on it. That is how I know of that road. They have also talked about trying to run it in 3rd generation RX7s (twin turbo, 250+ hp, usually with over 300hp) and how scary it is.

A group of us here have gone on drives in a fairly unpopulated region south of St. Louis. As I said the roads could rival the Dragon. If you map out the right roads, you can spend the better part of an afternoon covering 100+ miles of very twisty, very winding, two lanes. Plenty of elevation changes (up and down 200-300 feet, not a huge change, but enough that in some places you have no clue what is just over the crest). The roads are great for making a level playing field. The turbo guys have trouble getting away from the non-turbo cars.

 

[opelgt722002]

Opelbits said:
the RX7club forum a couple of the members in that area have discussed the Dragon and riding sportbikes on it. That is how I know of that road. They have also talked about trying to run it in 3rd generation RX7s (twin turbo, 250+ hp, usually with over 300hp) and how scary it is.

I noticed the BMW Z3, M Roadster groups were going to Tail of the Dragon during the annual trip back to where they were assembled.

 

[greensmurf20]

i looked at the website and checked out the map of the dragons tail. it looks very interesting, and fun in my opinion. it'd be awesome to have a good handeling car for that road....too bad a F-1 car costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if the coppers seen ya they'd never catch ya!!!