Hertz GT-H

Automatic? Really?

Jean and I are looking ahead to vacation and we're thinking about San Francisco and the Pacific Coast Highway. (This could be the start of a series of Great Roads vacations... Yeah, baby!)

I've only just started my research, but thought I might take advantage of this opportunity to try the Hertz Mustang. (We rented the new V6 convertible in Phoenix last year.) As long as we're doing the Highway, the GT-H sounded like the choice. But automatic?

I've also heard that the GT-H may be wasted on the Pacific Highway, that it may be a too-well-travelled road in late May, early June, and that a wannabe photographer like me would be better off in a convertible.

San Francisco would be our starting point, and we haven't yet planned whether to head north (to the redwoods) or south (to Monterrey). Anyone out there from this area, or who has taken this trip, I'd welcome any advice or points of interest. We'll be driving the coast, but will be taking frequent breaks and mini-hikes. Photo ops for me, historical interest and occasional shopping for her...

With a predicted HIGH of 16 degrees tomorrow, I thought I'd best start thinking about my summer vacation.

dwight

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Reply to
dwight
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"dwight" wrote in news:iqCdnf1wCtkoEFnYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Yup. So anyone can drive them.

It's a rental.

Just keep your eyes on the road if you're driving. ;)

You might consider a winter vacation. Yesterday's high temperature was

84 here. A/C was crankin' away...
Reply to
Joe

May/June on Highway 1 will probably be foggy. We live about 80 miles inland and have made the drive a lot in the Cobra vert (trunk is just big enough for a small tent and supplies for 2-3 days. Just right for all the nice little campgrounds up and down the coast.) Better time of the year weather-wise would be April or again in Sept/Oct.

Don't plan on being able to enjoy the drive on any weekend. Between the RV's and kamikaze bicycles you're gonna be wearing a great big frown by the end of the day. Tuesday-Thursday are better.

When you make the trip be sure to dine at Nepenthe and visit Hearst Castle. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Of course you could always go north from SF. The scenery is great, the crowds are smaller and if you want to take a side trip go deep-sea or salmon fishing. Great attractions here include Jenner, Bodega Bay, Fort Ross, etc.

Have fun!

Reply to
Rick Olive

Thanks for the pointers, Rick. Obviously, we haven't even begun to form an itinerary, so everything's up in the air. I did find one site that is very helpful:

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I'm beginning to think that one week ain't gonna cut it. Hearst Castle is a MUST for Jean, I think. Big Sur looks fantastic. But, DAMN, there's a lot of ground to cover. Nepenthe looks interesting - how's the steak?

We would probably fly out Saturday or Sunday and lay over in San Francisco for a night or two. The driving would be during the week, so that'll work out. And I never mind a good fog!

Looking at that website, I'm going to have to buy another new lens.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Hah! I've already driven I95 through Florida. Wasn't all that scenic. And remember, Jean is a woman of a certain age and doesn't care for hot weather at ANY time of the year.

:()

Reply to
dwight

The steak rocks. Depending when you're out there might be something happening at either Laguna Seca or up north at Infineon in Sonoma. It's always good to get some track action :->

Reply to
Rick Olive

I have to make reservations now for that steak. As for track action...

My wife obliges my hobbies. To a point. Ain't no stinkin' way in hell she's going to a track during a one-week vacation to California.

:()

Reply to
dwight

I went out there last June, had a great time. Rented a car in SF. Went to Tahoe, Reno (for the Western States Cobra Bash), Yosemite. Then across to the coast to Hearst Castle. Then followed Hwy 1 up to Mendocino. Cut across to 101, and back down through Napa Valley. What a great trip that was. Weather was excellent along the coast. A little cool and breezy, but not cold. Unless you're used to it, maybe a little too cool for a 'vert. The GT-H is a nice car, and performs surprisingly well for an automatic. But I would get the 'vert. Crossing the golden gate bridge with the top down is pretty cool.

Reply to
.boB

You may want to consider Yosemite in August. Not that far away from your planned destination. Drove that park in my newly acquired '71 Grande with 4V M-code. Those mountain roads really worked the car and I had a blast.

mike

Reply to
goodnigh

"dwight" wrote in news:nZSdnZ_Wj8FNNFnYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I95 through FL is just plain nasty. I'm not suggesting a driving vacation to FL, but it's nice to go from the teens to the 70s/80s in February.

If you want scenic, then A1A is the way to go. Areas around places like St. Augustine are very nice, and there are plenty of bed/breakfasts to stay and plenty shops to keep you busy.

OTOH, in SoFla you can rent Ferraris, Lambos, or Maseratis and cruise down South Beach or A1A in Lauderdale. Certainly nothing like the PCH, but it's definitely got its good points. ;)

Reply to
Joe

I'm sitting here outside of Philadelphia, looking at a trip to the West Coast. There is SO much to see out there, that I know I'm going to be hard-pressed to figure out what-all to do for one week. Yosemite is one of those destinations that could be the focus of another trip. Having thought about this since, oh, Thursday, we're already talking about several trips out that way.

I'm used to a convertible in cool weather. We bundle up and keep the heat on the floor.

That sounds fantastic. I'm leaning toward the convertible, only because it would lend itself to photography in places where pulling off the road is inadvisable. Or Jean can drive for a bit and let me shoot.

If I were going to Vegas, I could rent a Roush convertible. Even the specialty rental places in San Francisco would rent me a Corvette convertible ($$$), but I find nowhere that rents a "plain old" Mustang GT convertible. The six was a blast for Phoenix to the Canyon and back, but I'd rather have a V8...

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Thanks. That's two votes for Yosemite. But, again, we can build a whole 'nother trip around that. This one's going to focus on the Pacific Highway.

We could spend the rest of our lives (and just might) planning trips out West. We've kind of "settled in" lately, going to the same lake in upstate New York four out of the last five years, and we want to break out of that mold.

One of our best trips, some dozen years ago, was in a rented Ford Aerostar (we had two youngsters who didn't really get along - the extra room was perfect) and we toured New England with no real destination. We drove all day seeing the sights, then started looking for a motel/hotel to crash at day's end. Saw a lot of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, then ended up in Arcadia National Park off the coast of Maine.

Eight states in one week. But we grow our states a little smaller out this way. All of that driving is like going from LA to Vegas.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

True to its heritage

Reply to
Jason O

On Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:06:29 GMT, Jason O puked:

The original Hertz was available with a stick...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat >:-)

Reply to
Grover C. McCoury III

And only with.

Reply to
Brent P

Everything I read had that one had to be member of hertz's sports car club or some such to prove one could drive a manual trans car. I'll have to check my books later.

Reply to
Brent P

Early 1966 GT350H cars were shipped with 4-speed manual transmissions(Borg Warner T-10 and some Ford Toploaders). The installation of manual transmissions was discontinued soon after initial GT350H production and the C-4 automatic transmission was installed in all remaining cars.

You can read a detailed description of the 1966 GT350H program @

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Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mach 1 351C featuring a 4-speed close-ratio Toploader @
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Reply to
Grover C. McCoury III

First book agrees... no need to dig further.

Reply to
Brent P

there is a really nice original GT 350H sitting in a showroom in Oslo Norway, when I was there I walked by it a couple dozen times just to drool at it. I really loved the color combination of black and gold

Reply to
Les Benn

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