Run For The Hills

>>Click here for RFTH 5 (2000) info<<

A few pics from '98. Note the Rubber (NOT tar) on the white Formula.

by: Craig Brown from GA Fieros

                       Just wanted to send a "thank you" for all of the effort you put into organizing the 4th Annual Run for the Hills. Since this was my first time experiencing a Run for the Hills event, I wasn't quite sure of what to expect. Needless to say, I was quite surprised with how well it went together. It was a great opportunity to get out and see the mountains in the early fall season, test my Artero kit for the first time, and meet some wonderful people who are also interested in Fieros.

                     For us, the weekend started Friday evening leaving Atlanta and trekking northward up to the North Carolina mountains. The trip up to Beech Mountain went well for us, although, we did hear that there were car troubles for others traveling from Florida to make the run. Maybe we will see them at the event!! The next morning, in route to the Alpine Ski Center, we spotted a few Fieros at the Sunrise Café. There we met some of the people from the Florida Fiero group. We were all quite excited about getting the run started and testing the tight suspension on our cars!

                              I was quite impressed with how organized the event was from the very beginning. The CBs were a great idea for communicating and keeping the group together since there were so many cars!! There were quite a few scenic overlooks to stop and stretch our legs, and to also take pictures of our cars with the mountains in the background. The good part about doing the run this time of the year in the mountains is that you have opportunities to visit some of the fall festivals that are happening in the small North Carolina towns like the one we stopped at in Sparta.

                 It was also a good feeling traveling through the small towns and watching all of the people on the streets staring and pointing at the colorful stream of Fieros in amazement. This run gave us the opportunity to meet people at some of our stops who aren't as familiar with the Fieros and to also meet people who are brand new Fiero owners such as the ones we met at Lump Overlook. I think that was the most exciting part of the run for me. It's not very often you run into someone that has just purchased a white '88 GT with only 8,000 miles and is the first owner.(the vehicle was stored by a dealer who never had it titled, so technically this new owner of two months has the original title!) It was in beautiful condition and you could still smell the mothballs!! It just shows what opportunities can arise during these Fiero events since he wasn't part of our group, but a straggler we picked up along the way.

                The meeting that was held at your cabin after the run had ended also proved to be very informative. I learned a lot about the upcoming Daytona 2000 Car Show including that I need to start preparing my car for it! The door prizes were also a good way to end the meeting!

                 Last, but certainly not least, the actual route that we took through the mountains was perfect for seeing just how well built a Fiero is. I'm proud to say that all the Fieros that started also finished without any problems. In fact, the cars did so well hugging the sharp mountain curves at high speeds that the passenger in my car (which happened to be my girlfriend) put permanent grip marks on the door handle. I probably should've stayed closer to the back of the line with those that were enjoying the scenery instead of up front with the speed demons.

Thanks again for all your hard work and putting the run together! I'll see you in Daytona!

Sincerely,

Craig Brown

Georgia Fiero Club