Hello, The steep PCH 101 Highway starting at the Torrey Pines surf spot at the base of the road. The climb up hill is about 5% and lasts for two miles. If one is coming down the highway from the northern end (Del Mar) the higher speed drive will allow most cars to stay in 3rd gear if there are little to no cars going up hill. But, if there are cars and the traffic flow causes some cars to downshift, now, it is second gear. My Flathead powered 1940 Ford sedan delivery always had difficulties going up this long steep grade. Loaded down with 2-3 surfers and heavy longboards made the motor work overtime. If we stopped at the surf spot at the base of the hill climb and the tall cliffs right at the curve going up hill, now, it was first gear going up hill. There was little chance we would be able to shift to 2nd gear. If there was, then it would be short lived in any traffic. The Flathead was just not powerful enough to over compensate for the loaded down sedan delivery and the effort this steep grade puts on the hot rod. If we did not stop at the waves at the bottom of the hill, then it was 3rd gear for a little while then the grade made us shift to 2nd. If there was some traffic, then 2nd gear it was. Sometimes more traffic made us go to 1st gear to continue up the steep hill. Most v8 cars can make it up the other side of hill, but not so for our sedan delivery. Jnaki On any return trip home, the freeway is faster, except that there are a lot of factors to slow down the traffic. So, our alternative is to get off and follow Coast Highway all the way from Torrey Pines to Oceanside where we have to get back on the freeway to go North. The highway is nice as it follows the shoreline and goes into the small beach towns along the way. It is a must drive on any visit to So Cal.
The Jalopy Journal
