Stan's Roadtrip, Central IL to Highway 1

This is a great discussion.  These cars can be made to be very comfortable long distance cruisers.  Up until this month, the farthest I had driven was to Watkins Glen and also Carlisle (a few hundred miles each way).

 

This month, we again headed to Watkins Glen, but then drove to Ottawa, and back home, a distance of over 900 miles.  The car ran great, was dry in the rain, and Mary and I were both comfortable with the Speedster seats.  We took the roads that pleased us, and stopped when we wanted.

 

So much depends on how the entire car is scoped out, and I guess, how much money you want to/can put out in the first place, and then, subsequently.  For a while there, I was thinking of going to a used Porsche Cayman, but each time I get in the Speedster, I forget about it.

 

:-)

Some bearing failed & washed through the trans.

Musbjim, I think your 31 flavors analogy is always appropriate and accurate.

 

To be sure, I drive my replica (6000 miles in it's first season) and I have no doubt it is capable of a journey like this, but I am not nor do I envy anyone who is.

 

I had my Kerouac, Steppenwolf period 50 years ago.

 

Today, on a road trip of that length, I would go in a small (25' or less) Class C motorhome that is sufficiently equipped and easy to mange that I would not have to tow a dingy.

 

I would never speed by Mesa Verde, the Redwoods or even Devils Tower.

 

Typically, I leave at the break of 10am and stop and make camp by 3pm and travel about 3 or 4 days in a week and seldom go 300 miles in a day.

 

Just my flavor....others like a different taste.  

Bart-- I'd like that flavor too. I live in the middle of corn and beans, and have my entire life. 300 miles from my front door (in any direction) puts me in the middle of more corn and beans.

The motor home sounds fantastic. I've had a job that has kept me on a 60 mi tether for 30 years. There's a lot of places I haven't seen yet, and I'm trying like mad to make up for that. Blowing by Moab twice on this trip hurt, but The Arches National Park is a couple hundred miles from... Nowhere, and seeing it at all would've added 2 days to a trip that already cost a lot in terms of treasure and goodwill with my customers.

300 mi a day would've put my trip at close to 20 days on the road... assuming I don't stay anywhere for any period of time. I'd LOVE to be able to do just that (take a month to see the sights) but I can't afford it right now. I have a hard time envisioning a time when I might be able to.

Jim's right about the 31 flavor thing, as he's generally right about pretty much everything else. Your flavor sounds nice too. My flavor is the one I can justify and execute. My advice is no good if you don't like the flavor, but that's cool too. What I've got isn't for everybody, but it is for somebody.

I just picked up my Speedster it's a '69 1915cc and some advice would be helpful. 1. Should I have an oil filter installed. 2. Also should I get an electronic fuel pump. The builder was Vintage 10 + years ago. Should there be a vent or fan on the engine hood, it has the grille and no opennig under it. There seems to be a vapor lock issue, I was told, the fuel lines run over the engine from the fuel pump to the dual carbs. Should they be re routed ?

Any direction is welcomed.

Stan, to be sure it is not my intent to be critical but to simply point out that my drummer is beating out a different pace ....

 

I have been retired for about 20 years and so I have the time to poke along...

 

I am not one of those who back up traffic as I can remember my motorcycle trips down the Big Sur when there were girls who didn't worry about body hair or underwear and I was in a hurry...

 

It is a beautiful and diverse country and I still venture out to see it. I spent a couple weeks getting across Kansas because I like to hike and explore the historical trails and they all originated and crossed the corn country....Lewis and Clark, the Santa Fe, the Oregon Trail, the Spanish, the cattle drives, ... ect 

 

Since I only travel a few days a week, a trip of nearly 6000 miles would take me a couple months. 

Craigr, you might want to start a new thread in the engine/mechanical section.

 

Bart, we recently took our 27 foot 5th wheel on its maiden voyage.  I drove just over 300 miles to our favorite campsite and that was far enough for me. 

300 miles in a car is fairly easy, but 300 miles pulling a 7500 pound trailer pooped me out.

 

Craigr, I agree with Ron.  You'll get better response in a new post as he suggested, rather in this very long travelogue thread.

That's ok Ron, I'll answer him here...

An oil filter would be a good idea (just about everybody else has been putting them on the cars they build since the '50's for a reason). If you use one of the pump/filter combos (some exhausts don't clear them) be aware that the passages in the cover won't pass enough oil and above 6,000rpm the drive tang can break off. The pump cover with the outlet, hose to the filter (mount it fairly low in the left fenderwell) and return back to the engine case before the oil pressure sender is the preferred way to do it. With an assembled engine it means being careful tapping the end of the oil galley, but with grease on the tap threads and air pressure fed into the engine itself it can be done.

 

The mechanical fuel pump is fine; if you drive long distances carry a spare. Get a fuel pressure gauge and make sure the pressure is right for the carbs you have.

 

I would open up the engine lid on the sides below the grille (inside) so air can flow through the engine compartment. Is there a hole in the firewall in front (front is front of the car) of the fan opening? If not, cut a 6" round hole (I would elongate the hole to the left 2-3" for more air access) so the carbs and fan have an easy time drawing air. The engine will be much happier.

 

Adding airflow through the engine compartment may help the vapor lock problem. Also, make sure the fuel lines don't rest on the hot sheetmetal anywhere. Pics of the fuel lines (and the engine in general) would be helpful. Al

 

Ouch! Tough break. Unfortunately, sh*t happens. Glad it's back together.

"300 miles in a car is fairly easy, but 300 miles pulling a 7500 pound trailer pooped me out."

 

That's how I felt the first few times I dragged Pearl back and forth to Beaufort from here on a trailer.  Nerves, mostly, worrying about everything that might go wrong (or fall off).

 

After a few more trips (when nothing happened or fell off) it got much easier and we normally did 600 miles the first day and another 400 the next.  The biggest event on those many trips was hitting the rest areas and dog walks for the Jacks.

Keep on trucking, Jim & Ginny (both 66+) in our '95 VS 1835cc with 95,000+ miles on odometer. Hope to see our SOC friends somewhere down the road (especially my brutha from anutha mutha, Stan)...

 

….somewhere on CA Hwy 1

 

 

 

…sunset cruise through Arches National Park and Moab, UT...

 

 

 

…cruising by St Malo Church in the Colorado Rockies...

 

 

 

…Central California mountain roads...

 

 

 

Hope that Stan's Excellent Adventure inspires my knucklehead SOC friends to hit the road in their Speedsters!  

Amen.

X2!!

Tom: Sounds like your output shaft front bearing failed - this is VERY common in Type 1 transaxles and totally not your fault.  It is simply the fault of the very poor parts quality available to the engine/transaxle builders these days.  My front output shaft bearing failed, too, after about 8K miles - nobody's fault, but mine was gradual and just made a lot of noise and heavy vibration.  I fixed it with an full rebuild out at Rancho.

 

The builder ends up with a choice; an Asian part at cost X or an original German part at 3-4X and still try to contain build costs and a "reasonable" Sell price.  It's not easy, believe me.

 

I hope your new transaxle works well and gives you the longevity you're looking for.  You didn't do anything to cause this failure to happen..... 

 

 

Thanks Gordon

Basically the entire page 3 of this thread should be archived, some VERY good info there.

 

Stan, my hat is off to you for a deed well done, and documented. It gives me hope that I could do something similar in my Spyder.

 

Totally agree as to stock gears and 3.44 final, the cheapest way to almost perfect, given a 2100 or larger engine.

 

I actually use a long hill near my house to get the CHT up, going up it at 2200(45 mph or so) gets the temp up in a 1/2 mile or so on cold mornings!

 

And I love the sound of mine cruising along anywhere from 2500 to 4000, which is about 55 to 85 or more.

That "long hill" that Danny speaks of is similar to the approach to the Austrian Alps just before slinging the spyder around the exhilarating 180 degree switchbacks!!

 

Not only does it quickly get the CHT up but it's also got to be a pure delight for adrenaline junkies.

 

But the scary part is actually coming down off the mountain...

 

 

 

It must be my muffler (brand is unknown, which is now replaced with something larger).  It gave the engine a 'tractor-like'  crude sound.  Course and not pleasant to my ears.

On my old 2110 I had a small Magnaflow and it sounded awesome. It was quiet while cruising, but got really loud when I stomped on the gas.  While I had the IM off the road for the first couple of years I put the Magnaflow on my Miata, and it sounded pretty good on that car too.

One downside to the Magnaflow was the very loud noise inside the cabin with the top up.  The drone at highway speeds was very unpleasant on a drive over 20 minutes.