June 16-18, '23 - Carlisle, PA: LegacyGT.com East Coast Meetup

[KZJonny]

17 minutes ago, Enlight said:

Are we also doing a parts exchange?

There is some action going on on the parts swap thread. Nothing crazy, maybe mainly because of the distances involved, but if you need a thing post it up over there. Not too late to maybe find someone with spares kicking around.

[KZJonny]

Also going to have to put in a little sneaky reminder that maybe there was a rumour about a quick Autumn meet up somehwere in Finger Lakes? Some good driving roads in around there, and it's much closer to home for me. Maybe some of those in the very NE corner of everything might come out. Wouldn't need to be as big and orchestrated as this, tho that wouldn't be a problem. I'd just be happy to go do some driving and nerding out with a handful of Subies somewhere a little closer than a 7 hour drive from home. Hah!

[SubOperator]

11 hours ago, jaylew said:

Back to topic of getting to the ECM, I ask the question again for those in NE, who wants to convoy that Friday?

I am interested. You are in Boston area, correct? I am in RI, we will have 2 cars. For next 2 days I am in the office so won't be able to comment during the day but do not let me forget. We are getting close.

For communications, I've seen people mention WhatsUp, I deleted it after terms of usage change, but if majority  is already set up for it may be I will install it just for the trip. Would much rather use Telegram tbh.

 

 

[SubOperator]

11 hours ago, m sprank said:

Yup, burn off the residue and it goes away until it builds back up (which is fast).  Centric Premium rotors and Stoptech street performance pads seemed to be a good combo for making the wheel shake violently upon freeway exit stops.  On track never had an issue, on road where you brake lightly more often, big issue for me.

You called it. Son had some free time and he changed to new OEM front rotors and pads while I was tooling away at the desk.

Went for couple of test drives, at various speeds, on various roads - no steering wheel shake. No slight pulsing while slowing down at the light. Magical.

I will drive for couple more days before calling it victory.  Strange that Centrics looks totally clean but here we are.

Thanks @m sprank!

 

[boxkita]

11 hours 29 minutes 

737 miles 

avg mph 64

avg mpg 5 day avg): 32.1

odometer: 5614

This post sponsored by "Reading Bus Lines", transporting passengers from Sioux City SD to Reading MN. Why that's a requirement, IDK. What is important is I met 2 of their buses as I getting on the freeway this morning. Nice big travel coaches running at a fast pace. I merged into their slipstream and found my mpg going from high 20's to low 30's. Around town that doesn't mean much. Over the course of a couple hundred miles, it adds up.  I spent the rest of the day hanging out in various vehicles slipstream. trip mpg is sitting at an all-time high of 32.1 mpg over ~3000 miles.

I spent last night in Spirit Lake, Iowa. As I was leaving town, the abandoned building with the large parking lot was full and a bunch motorcycles were parked outside. A quick u-turn took me back to the Indian motorcycle factory. It was early so visitors center was closed. Cool

Due to bad planning on my part and lack of suitable/affordable bnb, today was about covering miles without many detours. Only detour was lunch with a friend at their lake house near Beaver Dam WI. A much needed break in an otherwise long day.

Another 4 state and time zone day. Was an late to bnb because math, or lack of.

Driving/visiting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has long been a desire. The scenery was pretty. The devastation to the economy from covid was heartbreaking. 

Driving over Mackinaw bridge was just as impressive as it was when I was a kid. Family trip to literally drive over and back. I'm pretty sure such idiocy is genetic.

Sitting in a 1930's "Michigan Cabin" just south of the bridge. This one has been updated to have power, appliances and a full bathroom. Everything else is as it was including the log construction and the weirdly sloping floor. The mosquitoes coming through the holes in the screens just adds to the ambiance. The drunken neighbors in the cabin are normal. The nostalgia is just over flowing.

The car is holding up. getting noisier. The exhaust note has really improved. I may not need the unmuffled track pipe.

Crossed the 3000 mile oil change requirement about mid-point of today's drive. Tomorrow I'll search for a quicky oil change place and see if they do it to my specs. Leery of visiting dealership before track day...there's a tsb out that is messing up cars.

Tomorrow includes a visit to the outskirts of Detroit. I haven't been in 20 years. Should be quite the change 

Followed by 4 hours through Ohio. If I don't get a gift for my lawyer I'll be happy. 

[JJBerk]

1 hour ago, boxkita said:

11 hours 29 minutes 

737 miles 

avg mph 64

avg mpg 5 day avg): 32.1

odometer: 5614

This post sponsored by "Reading Bus Lines", transporting passengers from Sioux City SD to Reading MN. Why that's a requirement, IDK. What is important is I met 2 of their buses as I getting on the freeway this morning. Nice big travel coaches running at a fast pace. I merged into their slipstream and found my mpg going from high 20's to low 30's. Around town that doesn't mean much. Over the course of a couple hundred miles, it adds up.  I spent the rest of the day hanging out in various vehicles slipstream. trip mpg is sitting at an all-time high of 32.1 mpg over ~3000 miles.

I spent last night in Spirit Lake, Iowa. As I was leaving town, the abandoned building with the large parking lot was full and a bunch motorcycles were parked outside. A quick u-turn took me back to the Indian motorcycle factory. It was early so visitors center was closed. Cool

Due to bad planning on my part and lack of suitable/affordable bnb, today was about covering miles without many detours. Only detour was lunch with a friend at their lake house near Beaver Dam WI. A much needed break in an otherwise long day.

Another 4 state and time zone day. Was an late to bnb because math, or lack of.

Driving/visiting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has long been a desire. The scenery was pretty. The devastation to the economy from covid was heartbreaking. 

Driving over Mackinaw bridge was just as impressive as it was when I was a kid. Family trip to literally drive over and back. I'm pretty sure such idiocy is genetic.

Sitting in a 1930's "Michigan Cabin" just south of the bridge. This one has been updated to have power, appliances and a full bathroom. Everything else is as it was including the log construction and the weirdly sloping floor. The mosquitoes coming through the holes in the screens just adds to the ambiance. The drunken neighbors in the cabin are normal. The nostalgia is just over flowing.

The car is holding up. getting noisier. The exhaust note has really improved. I may not need the unmuffled track pipe.

Crossed the 3000 mile oil change requirement about mid-point of today's drive. Tomorrow I'll search for a quicky oil change place and see if they do it to my specs. Leery of visiting dealership before track day...there's a tsb out that is messing up cars.

Tomorrow includes a visit to the outskirts of Detroit. I haven't been in 20 years. A brief search of the web shows no one has figured out a roof mounted twin .50's setup for my car. I hope it works out. I've read Detroit is better. Some memories you just never overcome.

Followed by 4 hours through Ohio. If I don't get a gift for my lawyer I'll be happy. 

You are in my home territory. Grew up in Northern Door County WI, adopted dad (and now sister) in the UP. BF in Lansing. Lovely territory. Enjoy the drive!

[m sprank]

Loving the driving updates. 

 

USPS tracking shows the stickers will be delivered Thursday.  Will post pix once they arrive. 

[boxkita]

Today's update sponsored by Valentine Research, makers of the Valentine1 radar detector.

Michigan's sole drive was M-119 - Tunnel of Trees. 20+ miles narrow winding road through the trees along the lakeshore. Due to construction at the end of the run, there was no traffic. Speed limit is 45, and there's no center line. Just 2 white lines marking road edge. It was so much fun, I wanted to do it again. Alas, the construction backup going north was nearly 20 minutes. Schedules.

Used one of the subaru oil filters at a quickie lube. There was a 20$ difficult customer charge on the bill. They did it my way and i'll never see them again.

I75 runs from northern Michigan to Florida. Its snowbird flyway. It was notorious for being an autobahn when I lived here 40 years ago. Nothing changed. Everyone still tailgates. Everyone drives really fast. Unless they can find someone faster. At one point, there was a dozen cars changing lanes with me. Gas mileage was high teens.

93 non-blended is available most every where. Seattle is 91 blended. 92 is called race gas and has to be special ordered at a special price.

A hour or so north of Detroit I pulled into a rest area. A red mr2 spider convertible pulled in next to me. A Dow chemical engineer was playing hooky from work to get fish for dinner. He was following me hoping to get to see the car and engine. We geeked out on the car for a bit. Then I asked if he wanted to play in traffic. He was squealing tires merging on the freeway. Cue Valentine1. Managed to get slowed down so we didn't look like complete idiots. Only got 10 minutes before he turned off. Fun break in an otherwise dull 4.5 hour drive. Once you get used to being a scofflaw, future infractions provide no additional guilt.

car is running much better on better gas and new oil. Exhaust muffler is developing a nice patina. matches the improved sound. 

the pic of the curves sign with potholes beyond was no joke. I've driven logging roads that were in better condition. Had it been paved it would have been better than the trees road. Gill Rd for you brave souls.

Todays data

mpg overall 32

odometer: 6194

days driving time 10 hours 16 minutes 

days mileage 579

2nd oil change at 5661.  3500 miles on oil.

anyone have a set of hella horns? The oem horn is useless 

tomorrow is a short day , I hope. scheduled at 5.5 hours. A nearby vendor has developed a full brake duct kit. Adds 200 miles if they will let me pick it up.

Tail of the dragon adds an hour to the trip if I want to get a run in

decisions  

 

[JJBerk]

MI roads are terrible. Fun, but terrible!

[m sprank]

Having driven cross country more times than I want to remember, I never got to really enjoy the drive. It was always for the purpose of moving. While you may find the "slow downs" a spoiler I still relish in your adventures.  Carry on good sir.  Gods speed. 

[boxkita]

Sitting in the Lenoxburg General store in Lenoxburg, KY. Eating fresh homemade raspberry cheesecake. The owner runs a airbnb as well as the store. I'm her first customer from Washington.

3 hours of backroads (some of them twice because gps was set to no uturn) gives you an understanding why freeways became a thing.

9 hours left to the bnb. I'm looking forward to the next week where I get to stay more than one night in a place.

4 hours of drive time, actual "as crow flies" distance? about 40 miles.

If I don't post tonight, consider yourselves informed.

Doing the dragon, cherhola parkway and something else. Hoping to pass out 3 minutes after I get in the bnb.

[m sprank]

Enjoy!!!

[SubOperator]

@boxkita Are you taking any pictures?

Would love to have a nicely done photo book with pictures from such trip.

 

Food for thought!

[m sprank]

Go Pro mounted to the dash with duct tape. 

[JmP6889928]

Glad to see you making your way out here John.  Safe travels old friend.  I'm still planning on a Saturday visit barring unforseen complications, but alas, without my LGT.  My old body would not appreciate that ride for that far, but we're looking at leaving out Friday afternoon to about Pittsburgh and spending the night and then driving in on Saturday morning.  I'll need to have an address again as I know it's back in the thread somewhere but I didn't save it.  If someone would be so kind as to PM me that address, I would be most grateful.

[m sprank]

June 16-18, 2023
Paradise Stream Family Campground
693 Paradise Stream Rd, Loysville, PA 17047

 

@JmP6889928 message sent just in case.

[boxkita]

10 hours ago, SubOperator said:

@boxkita Are you taking any pictures?

Would love to have a nicely done photo book with pictures from such trip.

 

Food for thought!

There have been a few things about my trip that spoke of rushing without full testing. sadly visual documentation was an early failure 

my phone is hooked up via a super short usb cord for car play. Taking a photo is a real pain.

The gopro has a 256gb chip. Assuming it is shooting out the windshield, I can pull pictures out of the stream.

Making a picture book is preferable to making a video. Tomorrow is a no travel day. I'm hoping to hook up a viewer to the gopro and see what i got.

@m sprank go pro is version 3. Battery is good for 20 minutes. 256GB chip is much longer. I need to dremel a hole in the case for the power cable.  Duct tape was cheaper than a dremel & easy on the road. Maybe I can find someone who can fix it , because i'm pretty sure the duct tape thing won't fly at the track.  

[boxkita]

I drive fast. Always have. Always will. If this offends, don't read this one.

moving on...

I was pretty exhausted this morning at the store. If I'd been closer to an airport, I probably would have gone home. The last 3 places have sucked on various levels and my sleep deprivation is getting worse. 

Talking to the store owner and her mom helped. They were super excited about their first visitor from Washington.

Any way...

I plotted a route through the Tail of the dragon and msged the bnb that I'd be in late. 

It rained hard all the way until the turn off for hwy 129 (totd road). I saw 3 bad accidents thankfully on the opposite side. Cars spun around on the freeway, someone lost a trailer but the person following found it (in their door), and the scariest one...I drove the debris of (a semi truck hit the center dividing cable rail and crossed onto the other side (my) and then back to their side before jack knifing across 2 lanes. I had stopped to get gas and replot my dragon route. Timing was auspicious. shiver

The dragon is a minimum of an hour from the freeway unless you are staying in the area.  I was at 8 hours driving time by the time I got to the start. Thankfully a pickup and horse trailer decided to lead the way. I followed them until the smell was too much (diesel and brake dust), then I'd uturn to beginning and go again. I did the first 3-5 miles 3x. Finally got a clean run the third time. About 30 mph was about all I could handle. Which is the speed limit. How fortunate 

by the end, I was wiped.  I stopped for gas at Deal's Gap. Plotted the least distance to the bnb and took off.  About a minute later, a group of locals came rolling up with on my bumper. The evo was radically modified and sounded amazing. No pictures because i was tired and wasn't going to do much.

I sped up. They sped up. We ran up on a farmer's truck. I found a place to pull off then got in behind them. The farmer pulled off. 

And then, like the saying goes, it was on like donkey kong.

Red evo, blue sti, silver s2000, and honda type r(or similar). all wide tires, loud exhaust , fast and knowledgeable. And me. car full of travel stuff and the cooler fully melted (my g meter was the beer bottles hitting the side or not).

<deleted>

Deals Gap to Robbinsville. 18 miles. We passed no one. From watching the ones in front of me, they were running faster than normal.

The 86 continues to impress. I'm going to buy track insurance for the engine.

I drove like a little old lady the rest of the way to the bnb. 

Next week, Im spending in a buddist retreat in the mountains outside of Asheville. Its 2 hours to the dragon. And most of the Kentucky road trips. At night, I'll work on my meditation.

pics:

Lenoxville store

Covered Bridge in Kentucky down a random side road

gas station at Deals Gap (end)

Killboy's advertising sign (start)

86 in front of Valentine Research in Cincinnati. Like their detectors, it's all about stealth. There's no signage.

Killboy said pictures should be up tonight or tomorrow morning.

[Enlight]

I got tired just reading your post. Glad you got through the day without any mishaps. I didn't get much sleep, either, when I was in the area - I stayed at the Simple Life Mountain Retreat and Campground. It was a quirky little place and the cabin was damp, but the people were full of character.

[boxkita]

For the next week, all the housing moves are ~ 3 hours. The trip from Asheville to Carlisle is 7 but there's no detours and I dont have to move the next day.

Staying in places who's only positive was being as far as I could drive, really limited the pool. 

From now on , I'm prioritizing short drive time and housing quality first. Tonight's unit is 3 months old. The week before EMC was built in the last 3 years. Cost is less per night than cincinnati. 

The Natchez Trace Parkway is doable in a day, however, I'm thinking of two days. And spending a day in Nashville (where it starts).

[m sprank]

I have a guest room with a queen bed.  Wife says you can stay if you need a rest stop.

Get the best best rest you can.  Driving tired is not a good recipe.  It take a LOT of focus to drive hard and well.  We all want to see you healthy and well. 

[JJBerk]

3 minutes ago, m sprank said:

I have a guest room with a queen bed.  Wife says you can stay if you need a rest stop.

Get the best best rest you can.  Driving tired is not a good recipe.  It take a LOT of focus to drive hard and well.  We all want to see you healthy and well. 

I got him too.

[boxkita]

@m sprank & @JJBerk  I appreciate the offers. On the trip up, both of you are close to the 7 hour mark, same as going direct to EMC.

Im looking for a rest stop at 3-4 hour mark. Roanoke, Virginia is about halfway in miles/hours to EMC. I'll look for a bnb or a place to hang out for a few hours. Just being off the road for awhile helps.

I over-shared my experience getting here. I really thought the driving would be less problematic. The first 3 days were relatively easy. The next 4 were longer and had a gradual decline in quality of lodging. Factors I hadn't considered important. Learning...

[m sprank]

I drove San Diego to DC in 2.5 days last trip.  I pulled in during a torrential storm at around 230am.  Last 4-5 hours was pure adrenaline with visibility at about 10ft from my windshield.  I only stopped for sleep twice the entire trip.  Pretty sure I drove the cat insane as he did not make the transition well.  Stopped by police twice and received one ticket for 85pmh in OK. 

Your trip is far more relaxing even if your lodging is not as expected. 

[m sprank]

Stickers have arrived.  Not sure if Brian puts the politically incorrect freebie in every order or if it was just for me, LOL.