posted 06-14-2007 03:38 AM                  

Went to bed at 11 and up at 3:30, couldn't sleep due to my anticipation of the journey ahead.

This morning I will start my epic 10 day 6,000 miles drive. First stop, Tulsa, OK,. 1,350 miles, not sure how far I will get but I shooting for 1,000. Going to be a long day with only a 9 gallon gas tank. I know you all say it's 12 but I swear I have never been able to put more the 9 gallons in it and that time I had to be running on fumes as it had been on empty for some time.

Hope to meet up with the crew in Tulsa for the night then it's off to Kansas City, KS to start the 3,000 mile race (rally).

posted 06-14-2007 12:12 PM                  

Safety first.

posted 06-15-2007 02:29 PM                  

TALK TO US WE NEED TO KNOW.

PS DELIGHTED TO HEAR YOUR WELL

posted 06-16-2007 12:38 AM                  

Not sure why I they say we have a 12 gallon tank. This morning I stretched a run out, 161 miles, and even then I only was able to put 9.2 gallons in the tank. I was sure I was going to be on the side of the road looking for gas at any moment.

posted 06-18-2007 03:52 PM                  

I bought Zack's Kat and drove it out to Sacramento CA from OK City. I still have nightmares and flashbacks of running out of gas in the AZ desert and litterarily coasting into a truck stop for gas. Horizon after horizon, no exit in sight, not even a rest stop... no loop-back and 18 wheelers hauling arse right behind me. Everytime the tank would take only 9+ gals.

**SHIVVERR!!**

You have to slowly let it trickle after it stops. It's that wierd gas tank neck problem.

Have a safe trip mate

posted 06-19-2007 10:51 AM                  

I started when Cnote (Chris) so graciously offer to buy a group of us (11 or 12) diner, we all sat in the hotel restaurant to eat. After three attempts to get service Chris went to the restraurant manager who told Chris they were to busy to serve us. Mind you, there were on a hand full of table seated, the staff was preparing for a wedding reception coming up that evening.

Upon expressing are concern of lack of service to the front desk we were able to get them to provide us the use of the hotel van to take up to Hooter's and pick us up an hour later.

We made it back to the hotel just in time for Ron Behr to start off with his drawings, prior to CJ's 1 1/2 hour long drawing for what seemed to be hundreds of items. Great stuff donated by many great people.

The first item by Ron was a beautiful black leather book full of photos of the cars. As Ron read the number of the ticket drawn and I went for the one ticket I purchased from him I realized I had dropped my wallet in the hotel van used for airport shuttle service, after we had come back from diner. Not only did I have the one ticket I had purchase for Ron's drawing in it, but also $1,500 dollars. Of course the van was now gone.

No one claimed the prized and they were about to draw another ticked when the van pulled back up to the hotel, luckily (for me) he had just gone to get togo food the the staff. I exclaimed, hold on maybe the winning ticket is in my wallet. I ran to the van, there was my wallet in the back set and indeed I had the winning ticket. Thanks Ron.

CJ's drawing went on, and on, and on. Glad it did though, lot's and lot's of great stuff. Even a center cap for our wheels was in the lot. I had lost one the drive up. It actually made to Tulsa but as I wiped the face of the wheel it fell off in my hand. I guess the vibration from the 1,300 mile run was just to much. All the tabs had been broken before in one place or another but I had hot glued them all on years before. The 13 tickets I bought from CJ didn't win me anything but I was able to purchase the center cap from the winner of it for $50. Good deal.

I left Tulsa on the morning of the 17th and headed for Kansas City, KS for the race. I really wish I could have done the cruise with the group that morning, I sure I missed out as did anyone that wasn't in Tulsa.

Unfortunately for me, several others, the sponsor Navigon the organizer did not deliver what he had promised. I knew from experience that there is always rally math involve. If you want 100 cars you get 40 or 50 at the most, especially for a first year run such as this was. So, due to the lack of organization, paid participation and several other things the drivers as a group decided to not participate and demand our money back. Some went home while myself, a Lotus and a Lambo to decided to head to Vegas and party for a couple of days.

It is the morning of the 19th. We drove from KS yesterday to a small mountain town of Avon, CO just west of Vail last night. I am now 2,281 miles into my trip. Going to drive to Vegas today, if time allows I am hoping to stop and meet Dean of Prowler Pro along the way. Hope he has a 5.0 for me to drive.

posted 06-20-2007 05:26 PM                  

I might see you out there, or let me know if you come back through Dallas.

posted 06-21-2007 07:03 AM                  

what size guy are you to take such a car for this long???

height and weight only!!! i know this could be a loaded question.

joe cat

posted 06-21-2007 12:52 PM                  

Same problem with our orange '01. Has been to shop several times,,,,replaced four fuel pumps,,,,no solution.
Goes back in tomorrow,,,,they are going to throw more parts at it this time. We've made it to 190 miles many times before fueling,,,on fumes. Ran out of gas three times! They tell us we aren't getting the tank full,,,,,,while the gas is running out the filler,,,down the side of car,,,with gas on my shoe
Gauge reads 3/4's at this point,,,,really makes me happy,,,NOT.

We'll see what happens after this return trip back to the service department. I'm not holding my breath for a true fix................................................

posted 06-25-2007 09:24 AM                  

Final mileage for the whole trip, 5,558 miles. What a drive. Only problems: lost a center cap in Tulsa; pinion seal on the transaxle is leaking (again, had this thing out 5 different time by two different shop - this time I am just going to drop a new transaxle in the thing: and the worst in thing in my opinion is... in Tulsa the hand wash shop Ron and I used must have used some kind of industrial soap when they washed our cars and taken all the wax off. I say this because when I pulled the rally stickers off the drivers side, side panel, it pulled a big piece of paint right off the car. TGF had painted the panels 6 years ago, this must of been a bad prep spot but had there been wax on the car it shouldn't of been a problem. So between this and the condition of the nose after 6,000 miles I have to get atleast the front half of the car painted.

The drive was great. What better way to do a long drive put in a sports cars as you don't have the luxury of relaxing like you would in a towncar. Less chance of falling asleep as you have to stay focused. I only got pulled over once, just outside Flagstaff, 83 in a 75. I wasn't paying attention to my radar detector. Luckily I just got a warning. From there to TX there was lots of construction so it was a long drive as max speeds where 70 to 75 mph. As soon as I hit the TX border and all the way into Dallas the cops where thicker then stink on... well you know.... so that was slow going as well.

Until next time. Loved seeing everyone again in Tulsa. I only wish it would have been longer. Thank you to everyone for been a friend. Especially, Ron, Chris and Rebecca & Marty for listening when I needed to talk.

posted 06-27-2007 12:59 AM                  

Hooters!!