Driving To/From the Florida ZFest in Orlando

[Carl Beck]

Hi Gang:

I had the pleasure of attending the Second Annual Zfest in Orlando, Florida this past Saturday. Hosted by the South Florida Z Car Club.

I believe that they had just over a hundred Z's registered/paid for the Show & Shine and to my count there were at least another 50 cars in the surrounding parking lot. Plus a ground of G-35's.

Event registration and show entry fees were very reasonable, everyone I meet was happy to be there and glad someone at last has provided a central gathering place to draw both North and South Florida cars. With this size turnout, if they keep it growing year after year, this very well could be a foundation for a really great Annual Event here in the South Eastern US.

The event couldn't have been held on a better day here in Florida. The weather was nearly perfect. So perfect in fact that I didn't realize how long I had been out in our Florida sun... So my face was quite red by the time I got home!! Yeiks!!

I'm sure that they will be posting some pictures from the event on their web site at: http://www.sfzcc.com/

Speaking of coming home... Interstate 4 runs South West from Orlando to the Tampa Bay area. I-4 is usually fairly heavily traveled this time of year. (well actually all the time now). So I was in a group of cars running along about 75 to 85 mph when all of a sudden about ten cars ahead I see massive PANIC STOPPING... Brake lights lit up and rear-ends sticking high in the air... blue smoke coming off tires!

I too hit the binders.. while watching my rear-view mirror I see a Ford Pickup gaining on my rear bumper.. he isn't stopping as quickly and he hadn't allowed the room in front of him, that I allowed in front of me... Damn.. I just got this car back together...

I'm in the FAST lane of course (far Left Lane here in the Orlando area)... so with a large medium between opposing lanes, I'm looking for an escape route.. while trying to rub off as much speed as possible... while trying to stay ahead of the now ever larger truck in my rear-view mirror... Damn.. I just got this car back together!!

Three or four cars ahead of me - I see others taking the same escape route, so now my angle of attack on the wet slippery grass, on the soft and down hill medium is getting ever steeper and ever more tricky.. I leave the road at about 40 mph as the Truck slams into the rear of the car that was ahead of me!! ...Damn.. I just got this car back together!! This all happens in about two tenth of a second... but it seems to be in slow motion...(everyone that's been in an accident knows what I mean).

I finally come slipping, twisting and sliding to rest at the right side of the now third car stacked up side by side in the medium.....Thank God, made it without getting hit nor hitting anyone...Kind of like sliding Home Safe.... ahhhh...

I look about five feet in front of the car to my right - and this HUGE Alligator walks by... with a slight **** of his massive head, he looks at the car to my right, then to my car.. and proceeds on his way toward the swamp at the bottom of the medium... Now I know what caused the panic stopping, the accidents and now my Z sunk into the soft ground...

I've lived here for over 30 years - never have I seen a Alligator that BIG.. You know how they kind of push themselves up off the ground when they walk.. Well his head was just above the nose of my Z as he glanced at me while walking by. I wasn't about to get out and chase him out of the medium!! He had to be 12 foot or more head to tail.

The car to my right was STUCK in the mud and I could hear his tires spinning.. the car to his right was still high enough on the incline to be on firmer ground, so he was able to back out and get back up to the shoulder of the road. I put the Z in reverse, eased the clutch out... and the Z backed out of there with the grace of an Alligator ;-)....

I stopped along with the first and second cars that went off road - but the guy in the third car was now out of his car with a cell phone.. calling a tow truck. His rear tires buried past the axle as he tried to spin his way out..

Once underway again I was about a mile from a Rest Area.. so I pulled in to check the 240-Z for any damage, and to let my now shaking hands, arms and legs shed the few ounces of the adrenalin that had been pumped into them.

No damage to the Z - just a bit of mud and grass collected.. Fun Day and an EXCITING TRIP to end it ;-)

FWIW,

Carl

Carl Beck

Clearwater,FL USA

http://Home.com

[gramercyjam]

Ha, Ha! Don't they have alligator crossing signs in FL? (I shouldn't laugh, my company wants me to move there)

Sounds like you had a very narrow escape.

[2ManyZs]

When I first read that after it was forwarded to me, I thought you were going to end the story differently. I kinda figured it would have been one of those "tourists" who had never seen a gator and had stopped in the middle of the Interstate to take a pic, and that was what caused the traffic jam....:stupid:

Gator that big would have done a hurtin on most any kind of vehicle....

The thing I hated the most about traveling in Florida was hitting one of those "armored"dillos in a tractor trailer, those little buggers would yank the wheel out of your hands.

Can almost imagine what hitting one of them would be like in a car.:tapemouth

[Fun_in_my_z]

Thats was might close dont you thinkROFL

[lordbiotree]

Hey guys,

I live in north Florida (Tallahassee) off of a large swamp. In my spare time when not tinkering with the Z, I'm running my air boat (Sled with a big fan in the back-like a hovercraft.) I'm very trained in catching and handling Alligators.

Having said all that I have Never seen an Alligator Cross a Highway. Carl was very lucky to see a 12 foot alligator. Due to hunting, poaching, and the sale of Alligator hide etc. Alligators almost never reach 12-14 feet long in the wild. Not to mention almost all people are scare of them

As mean, nasty, scary, deadly they might look I take lots of enjoyment watching them in the wild.

-Brandon

P. S there's not enough alligators in Florida to have Alligator crossing signs. Most of Florida's wetlands are becoming very developed. Waterfront land is wrath lots of money.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Brandon (everyone):

I agree - as I said, I've lived here for over 30 years now - never saw an alligator that big and I should have said "in the wild". I don't know if you or anyone has been on I-4 West of Orlando/Disney World lately... but there is a lot of new highway construction going on there for miles.

The State seems to be putting in another six or so lanes, parallel with and about 1/2 mile to the North of the present highway. That was mostly open wetlands /swamp /Cyprus stands through that area. I would guess that many "creatures" are being driven out of their home turf. Maybe the State Highway Dept. should put up some temporary WARNING signs about "Native Floridians Crossing" along with all the "CONSTRUCTION" signs.

The 240-Z itself is about 5.5 foot wide - when the alligators nose was even with the left side of the Z, his rear legs were about a foot or two to the right of the right side of the Z - much of his tail was still behind the car next to me. My home office is about 12 ft. wide and I'm not so sure he would fit in this space.

I have seen gators crossing the highway along Alligator Alley, although they are usually much smaller. Over the years the State has put tunnels under that roadway to keep them off the road.

I had a camera in the car... just was too shook-up to think fast enough to grab it.. If I had realized how rare it was I might have thought a little faster. Would have been a good photo to sell the local News-otain-ment people. (we don't have any real "NEWS" broadcasts anymore - now it's all entertainment for fun and commercial profit). It always seems to make the Front Page when someone around here discovers an alligator under their car or in their garage!.

FWIW,

Carl

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[Carl Beck]

Originally posted by gramercyjam

Ha, Ha! Don't they have alligator crossing signs in FL? (I shouldn't laugh, my company wants me to move there)

Sounds like you had a very narrow escape.

Hi John:

Over my lifetime, I've live in several States.. Depending on where your company wants to move you, Florida has much to offer. No matter where you live there are of course trade-off's to be made. Nothing is perfect.

I will say that all things considered - this has been a pretty good place to be. Come on down - we need more Z Car people here.

regards,

Carl