San Francisco, car killer?

I just visited my sis in SF (Noe Valley) and drove the new (to me) 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, the one with the funny transmission issue (like it bangs in the 1-2 shift, but that's another thread). Drove great up there on the hi-way, 85mph the whole 5 hours. Then we started tackling those (in)famous "Streets of San Francisco". You all remember "Bullet", right? Those towering streets are like going up car carrier ramps but for hundreds of yards. So, van did fine. Nothing broke or popped. But I cant say that for some other cars there. My sis navigated these streets for 5 years in a stock '56 Bug! (She told me it was a ballet of clutch, gas, brake and E-brake) HTH did she manage to even get up some of those streets, let alone slip the clutch on every one of those STUPID stop signs at the meeting of each intersection. I cant imagine doing that in a stick, let alone a 36HP 1200 peashooter ! BTW, we went up Folsom and Prentiss on this list. I was telling my wife, "This is bullsh!t!" when Waze was routing us up these streets through town. And I saw most cars parked on these hills with their wheels straight, probably just in Park, who knows. I know I parked, turned then slid back to hit the curb, then set the brake and P.

I just live in the flat land though, SF sounds like a good place to test brakes, cooling, and transmission though!

Went to Navy electronics "A" school at TI in 68--69. I made friends with an E-5 who was there for "B" school, who became a friend, and who would later on become the original owner of my 70 440-6 RR. At the time, in 68, he had a 65 Chevelle with 350 engine /trans / wheels off a wrecked 67 RS Camaro. It was a nice little car, but "we" broke some stuff. 10 bolt rear.

Anyhow, he discovered Hurst line-loc, and THAT made the hill driving somewhat easier. The Chevelle had either 308 or 336 so it was fairly high geared

Of course in travels around town, it was MANDATORY to go down Lombard at least once, LOL

This was he and what would later be my car in 70.

I remember once I was cutting crosstown on those hills and happened to be low on oil, the lifters were starving and clattering... thought I wasn't going to make it. At least SF puts stop signs on those hill intersections — I wrecked my first Barracuda in Seattle trying to make a left on a steep downhill --- a cab flying blind up the hill hit me head-on. Neither of us could see the other.

my buddy was a bike messenger in SF for several years - claimed that he could make it anywhere in SF with out climbing any of the real hills (and yes, he rode a fixed gear)

Those hills are tough, credit pishta's sister in the bug. I had a POS 88 Scirocco (worse car I've ever owned) that struggled on the hills and loading up to start on those hills in traffic, sucked

I was thinking there was an early "Bug" that showed up on those hills during the chase in Bullit??