Get your arms in good shape, that’s a lot of wheel turning.

 

Big brakes and large wide front tires you'll need too.

 

I think Mustangs are too big and long for it. Turns are too tight. 🤣

 

There are many events that go to TOTD. At Ponies in the Smokies, we spend a couple of days running around from Cherokee to Pigeon forge. Also check out Red Mirror Events & Apparel

 

I live in Knoxville, TN which is only about an hour from the named section of Hwy 129 called The Tail of The Dragon. There are many roads in this area similar to the famed 11 mile stretch. If you do decide to drive down, do yourself a big favor and use the Google Maps feature online to familiarize yourself with days worth of excellent mountain roads that you will be near. Try not to limit yourself to that one heavily patrolled stretch. Keep in mind that during the week the road is lightly traveled but on the good weekend days it can be crowded.

 

I went out there a bunch of years ago in a rented Chevy Cobalt. Poor thing had cooked brakes by the time I got to Deals Gap. Sucks the speed limit is 30 on that road.

 

Lot of good info here, we're planning on doing it mid week, our Fox has been modded including 03 Cobra brakes all around including hydroboost. I also installed the Mach 1 steering rack and a few other goodies to make the twisties more enjoyable. We're not going for any records but do want to enjoy the ride, we're also looking at the surrounding area to make it an enjoyable trip through the mountains.

Ponies in the smokies definitely sounds like the right idea, especially if I can get photos while I'm there.

 

As mentioned, there are several other good roads to drive in that area. I'd like to go to the Foot Hills Parkway off 321 out of Pigeon Forge. If you want to get your picture, you have to do The Dragon.

Boring driving video on 129.

 

If any of ya'll get in the area, check out "the rattler" which is NC209. It's just as much fun and usually less busy than the dragon. My inlaws used to have a cabin in the area and I spent a bit of time cruising around. NC63 and NC212 are also in the area and are also fun twisties to get into. There's a great lil burger joint "daves 209" in spring creek that's a good stop for food. Hot springs is a neat little town and has a few places to check out, the "iron horse" was a great food spot and there's a little cafe next door that has some awesome icecream.

 

Best time was back when I had my 84 GPz1100 (86-87 timeframe?), worst was with wife and two kids in 96 Accord. On my bucket list for the Mustang one day, but trust me, it was much nicer in the 80s….

 

Stang Driven does an event there every year. Our group, the Pony Drive, has done it several times. Stang Driven | Facebook

 

I’ve done the Dragon several times! It made me happy that the work I had done in the car made worked!!


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Make a stop at Wheels Through Time while you're in the area Museum - Wheels Through Time

 

These are some routes I did in the area on a 3 month/35 state tour around the South, East and Norther US. All are excellent. Many road for quite a bit more fun than the Dragon. Uphills and downhills on twisty roads w/o marker lines, guard rails or traffic. Conditions ranged from decent chip-n-seal to old eroding broken asphalt nearing dirt road equivalency to a few tracks of freshly paved blacktop.

• Google Map Route
• Google Map Route
• Google Map Route
• Google Map Route

Dozens more possibilities of twisty mountain scenery. On the Dragon, maintain your lane, lots of bad motorbikers drifting over the centerline.

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I took my Electra Glide on the Dragon, it's not the road, it's the idiots that watch F&F, then think they are Vin Diesel.

 

The Dragon is one of the first drives planned for upon completion of my Mustang. We drove both the Dragon and the Rattler last spring in the Slingshot and it was a blast.