Long distance traveling in a Speedster, Anyone done it?

I like to get an early start on Thursday & blast in.  A caravan with Michael worked once sans right-seater.  Meeting up with the rest of the Midwest contingent has proved infeasible.  Dearborn, Ann Arbor, & Findlay, OH are doable.  Also, just connected with a guy in Wyandotte, MI who I'll work on to come.

Wow. You guys really do have cabin fever. It's the first full week in January and you're already planning for an event in mid May. 

 

It's never to early to plan!

 

I love it,

Ted

You're right, Ted. The Carlisle guys get going early on their plans and us left coasters haven't done a thing yet. 

When do we start planning for SLO? 

Vince? Slofuz Scott?

Bueller?

Two days in a row of this stuff gets your mind a wandering...

...Tom was reminding some of us that we drive too slow.

Ahhhn....you guys never cease to amaze me.  I've been keeping a list of people who sound serious about coming and already have 27 listed.  Should be another good year.     

 

Tab,

Carlisle has been called "the family reunion without the family issues".  Join us and expect a good time. This is the eleventh year. Details will be posted on this site over the next few months including caravan listings, Speedster and Carlisle weekend activities, dinner plans, cruises, RSVP form, etc.  Note: Alan has already posted the hotel reservation instructions in a thread under "Events".  If you dialog your email address to me (see top of this page) I'll add you to the email distribution list.   ECB 

       
       


Step 1 - Ted needs to find a car...
Step 2 - see step 1.

Rich, not a question of driving to slow, but an awkward stopping point for you guys.  For me, Carlisle is a one day trip.

Longest trip in Ruby was the drive from Edmond,Oklahoma to Vineland,NJ. Three days and 1500 miles.

 Looking for anyone that is interested in caravaning with me to Carlisle in the spring. There is safety in numbers.

Hey Rich,

 

Could I get you to go outside and remove those three leaves which are on the window? Not all of them, just those three there next to the thermometer. My OCD is really freaking me out, knowing that they are there and that nobody has cleaned them off. 

 

Thanks,

Ted

Me too, Ted, just ticks me off! That and the central humidifier system needs to be dialed down a notch to get rid of that pesky condensation. When the temps get back up into the 20 C it's going to be really annoying.

What you could do is try to meet up and just slip into the group at the merge @ I-80 / I-76. Granted, I have no idea where this is, with respect to the location of the event. For all I know, Carlisle is right at that merge. Or you may be coming from opposite directions. Looks like Google is reporting that two intersect somewhere near Ohio. Being from California, all I know of I-80 is that it merely starts or ends here.

 

This will seem redundant for most, but for newbies planning a route, yet you only have a 'one day' trip to your event: Try to time your travels so that you can simply 'join a pack' in route. Time it so you could meet up without actually having to stop the larger pack.  It's a bit like hitting a bullet with a bullet, but I've managed to get it right a few times. It's often easier for the smaller group to get to an on-ramp or an interchange first and simply pull off and wait for the large pack to 'catch up'.  A couple of guys could exchange numbers and have the co-pilots coordinate timing. A simple phone call from the pack to let the smaller groups know "we are 1 mile out from on ramp xxx...." works well. Twitter / social groups are other good options.  Once the message comes in, the smaller group fires up and the merges into the core pack.

 

Man, just typing this gets me all giddy!

 

Have fun, be safe. Keep a safe distance in the formation.

Ted

My longest days were coming back from Knotts in 2005.  It looked like I had a weather window (read mostly no rain) so made the 2175 miles in three days.  I was home for happy hour on the third day and, believe me, I was happy!

Judging by the ice buildup on the windowsill inside the room, I'm guessing this is his shop/garage. If it's in his home, we need to start a collection to get that man some heat/central humidifier. 

 

T

TRP...That's condensation, the result of too much humidity In the house, beats ignition by static electricity.

 

I will be putting in a foot rest for sure !!! I drink water so a cup holder is not a needed item. I just want to make room for a tool/spare parts kit, and clothes I travel light  

First day I had with my car.....  525 mile drive.  Hope it would make the trip, but had owned VW's since high school.  

 

Drive like the place you are going to is going to be there when you get there.....  Guess what, it will be.

 

VW's are the peoples car.  In total, I have put about 150,000 on VW's over the years.  Only issues were with fuel.  Drove the Ghia between Winnemucca and Vegas about 8 times in a year for 3 years.  I was never worried.  

 

Drive it and love it.

 

Stephen

I drove from Central Illinois to Sacramento in Sept '11, then 1000 mi driving around northern CA, then back to Sacramento (to put my wife back on the plane), then back to Salt Lake City. It was just about 3500 mi total, and my longest day was the Omaha, NE to Rock Springs, WY leg- 750 mi in one shot. The next day was Rock Springs to Reno, NV with a 4 hr detour in STL- that was a 700 mi day.

 

I ate beef jerky and almonds, and slept in flea-bag hotels. I had the time of my life.

 

The trick is to drop into a groove where the sweet spot is on the car. Mine was at about 70 mph the way I was geared at the time. 75 was possible, 80 was pushing it. 65 was just poking along.

 

They were made to drive. Most guys are just afraid of them. The thing is, it's a mindset-- the journey is the destination. I hadn't traveled like that since I was a teenager, and it was a revelation. A hard and fast time-table just messes stuff up-- that's why I hate traveling in a caravan. In these cars, just take however long it takes.

 

You'll have the time of your life.

I hear you Stan. Caravans can be a good thing, but sometimes I want to cruise, and sometimes I want to beat feet. Kind of hard to do in a group!

 

I may just leave at 8 or 9 Thursday morning, which puts me there around lunchtime.

do you guys have any hotel info for where you are staying

Ummm, Events, Carlisle Hotel reservations....

Yeah, follow the leader works best when you are the leader.

x2, although snaking through the No-Cal mountains with Terry N., Dave M., Joel S., etc. was pretty close to perfect. Those guys drive.

 

Drive 'em!

Jerry, 

Dialog your email address to me and I'll add you to the email distribution for Carlisle.

ECB 

jfreeman65@optonline.net  made reservations at best western in carlisle---I am supposed to show my JPS for John if its done in time

The year: 1967. The car: '56 A coupe, 1600 N. The route: Pittsburgh west, mid-west (went through Columbus OH on Columbus day, by coincidence -- not recommended), the plains, some Rocky Mountain High (groovy, man), Utah, Reno, CA coast, Monterey, PCH through LA to Sandyeggo, east on 66, w/ kicks; Grand Canyon, ABQ, Lubbock in my rear view mirror, Lousyanna, Blue Ridge, West VA, and back to the Iron City.  ~6 weeks out, camping and flea bag motels now and then, plus a few friends/family here and there.  Right around 3 grand on the tach most of the time, 30 mpg.  Trip of a lifetime, and a lifetime ago.

Jerry, most of us are staying at the Courtyard Harrisburg West / Mechanicsburg

on Gettysburg Road. Were they all booked up when you reserved at the Best Western ?

Jerry,

Are you saying that John at JPS has given you a 'build time schedule' that will probably be ready by Carlisle in May?

yes he gaurantees by april 15th--he wants to show it at carlisle

i had a best western rewards card and didnt know where you all were staying--its 2 miles from the fairgrounds--how far away are you staying--i could still change

Jerry, the hotel most of us are staying is in Mechanicsburg which is a nice morning drive to the show field.  If there is space, I really think you would enjoy being with the crowd.  There's always lots of car talk, bench racing and brewsky sipping to add spice to the gathering.  Also, it's the jumping off point for all of the group drives.  

just my 2 kroner

I'll second what Hoss said.  It's worth the short drive to be with all us crazies.

thanks Hoss--  i was able to change reservations to be with the group!

Jerry,

Dialog (see above) your email address to me and I'll add you to the Carlsle distribution list.

ECB  

Just drove my 2332 JPS coupe from Austin,TX to Temecula,CA this week non stop (only for gas and coffee). 22 hrs/1350 miles and I can say that the speedster style seats in it are unbelievably comfortable for long distant drives. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again but maybe with a little nap midway

cheers,

pip.

Pip- Most excellent. Drive 'em.

Long distance you ask? North, East, West and South. ( Just became able to post pics again ) :-)

If they ever build a bridge to Europe, the first car on it will be a Speedster with Stroud at the wheel!

 

Well done.

Yeah, Dave and his wife both used to have dark hair before getting it bleached out by riding in the speedster coast to coast to coast to coast.......

 

I'm jus sayin.......

When building my car, it had to go 450 miles south to sort out some registration issues, (don't ask...)

 

Anyway, it was trailered down, and I drove it home.....At this point the car was a new build, zero miles, and an engine I had run on the bench for 60mins.....

 

Drove it home without weather gear and a leaking gas tank  through some of the worst rush hour traffic around Birmingham, UK.....Made it to within 5 miles from home when the alternator pulley disintegrated.

 

It was an fun adventure !!