The Search is Over & The Journey Home Part 2

[Marty Rogan]

Continued from Part 1,

Finally its 5:30, and the car is ready. Can't get the song "On the Road Again" out of my head. About 6:30 my stomach begins to remind me that I haven't eaten since 6:00 this morning, so I fill up the gas tank and pull into Burger King to inhale a Cheese Wopper. This is in Kinston by the way, same town I got stuck in earlier. As I walk back out to the car, I notice a 6 inch dark spot under the gas tank. On closer look I see that the upper hose on the tank is leaking. Damn! Seems to happen only when its full. So now I am thinking, they roll up the streets in this town at 5:00. There's not going to be anywhere open that could fix this thing. I only imagine what they would charge a yankee driving a Japanese car for this reapir job. I decide its not leaking that bad, and hey, its dripping behind the car.

I hit the road again, up Route 70 towards Raleigh. I am thinking I will try to get to Winston-Salem, about 4 hours away and then stop for the night. Raleigh is 115 miles away, and by the time I get half way there it starts raining again. About the time I am pulling up to Raleigh, it really starts pouring again. The wipers are slow, but working pretty good. The wind shield is starting to fog up a it 'cause I had to close the window. No defrosters either, ... remember the blocked off heater core. At this point I am marveling at how bright the dash lights are. I never had a 240 with such good dash lights (this is my 3rd)!! Well, its getting a little hard to see, its raining like all get out, and I am trying to decide whether I should stop for the night or keep going to Winston-Salem. I look down again and the dash is black. Double Damn!!! I know what that means. Can you spell FUSE BOX MELT-DOWN!!! Well, I can take a hint as well as the next guy, so I pull into the Hampton Inn for the night.

I take the opportunity to look at the original owners' log book. This is not to be believed!! I was expecting to see a few scribbled entries about his gas mileage and oil changes. Turns out that he kept a detailed journal on accounting paper of every fill-up, oil change, repair, state insection, tune-up, and anything that was ever done to the car from the day he bought, right down to the first fill-up at 184 mile on March 4, 1971. This journal is filled in by date, mileage, a description of repairs, place of repair and current gas mileage. All the receipts for everything are in the back of the book. This is the most complete history of a car that I have ever seen!! Turns out that he was vintage racer and he liked to take meticulous care of his cars. The journal shows oil changes every 2,000 miles or less. One was after 300 miles. I see and entry for Koni shocks. Another for front and rear compentition sway bars. Yeah baby!!! I guess I won't need to do the suspension like I thought, and that explains why it feels so planted. I also find a receipt at 68K miles for a complete trans rebuild, including gears, bearings and synchros. Wow!! Another big expense that I was expecting, already done. The journal just goes on and on like this. Its like the gift that keeps on giving!

Next moring the news says they got 8" of rain and there was flash flood warnings. Good thing I took the hint. Grab a quick breakfast and hop into the Z, it fires right up. AAAHH, nothing like the smell of an old Z in the morning. Checked out the fuse box, third circuit down on the right, inner side holder is melted right out of the plastic, I put in a new fues and it still works!! That side is just kinda hanging in the air. It's 6:30 am my time when I hit the road.

I decided to go through VA, West VA, Ohio, to Indiana and then on to Chicago. The Z is running great. Really strong, cruises at 80 with no sweat. The temp guage stays put at between the "M" and the "P". If I go above 80, it starts going more over to the "P". I have a long way to go, so I decide not to push it too much. Didn't really want any more surprises along the way, and waiting for a car to cool down from overheating did not sound like much fun.

The route was a great choice. W and W. VA are beautiful. W. VA was the best, with lots of mountains and winding roads. At one point I see a sign that reads: "Winding Road Next 23 Miles, Slow Down 55 MPH" . I smile, pop in the ZZ Top greatest hits tape and punch the go pedal harder. What a blast! This Z just hugged the road through all those turns like it was enjoying it as much as I was. Kool.

Ohio was mostly uneventful till I get Past Cleveland. It starts pouring again. REEEALLLY hard!! There are literally 100 cars pulling off the road. I've got the wipers peddaling as fast as they can. I heard once that it was safer to keep driving, rather than being a sitting duck on the side of the road, so I keep going. Turn on the lights, hope they work. Can't really tell so I put on the 4 way flashers. Just followed a pick-up truck at a bout 30 MPH. I drive out of the rain in about 5 minutes.

The rest of the ride home was pretty calm. You can get Sunoco 94 octane on the Ohio Turnpike. I had not seen that in years. I put off turning on the headlights again till I absolutely had to, but it didn't blow the fuse again.

I drove over 900 miles that day, in 14 hours. Funny thing is, the Z seats were really comfortable, till about hour 13. I really didn't feel fatigued the whole day. I don't know if it is a testimony to the Z seat design, or I was just pumped to be living out a long-time dream of driving cross country in an old Z.

You get a lot of time to think on a journey like this. Toward the end, I am thinking this would be a cool Mastercard commercial. "Gasoline ... $74.85 on Mastercard. Sooner than expected hotel stay ... $87.50 on Mastercard. Driving 1,056 miles cross country in a classic 240Z through the mountains ... PRICELESS.

Later,

Marty

[Victor Laury]

Marty, This one sounds too nice to run into a wall as well...

Guess you'll have to convice the war department that a 3rd Z car IS the smart way to go!

[2ManyZs]

Hey Marty, glad you had a rather uneventful trip but you forgot to come up my way and stop in for a visit.... Wanna do it again?

Could have set you up with any parts you needed.... and taken a pic to post with your "cheshire cat" grin on your face.....

[Bambikiller240]

Hey Marty! Great tale (and sounds like a good deal on the car too!), but as a suggestion.......... you should "cut and paste" Part Two of the story into a NEW REPLY to the Part One thread of this story so the whole story stays together for others to read as time goes by.

It's a Classic Road Trip experience to be savored by you and envyed by the rest of us!

***EDIT*** Marty : Hope you don't mind, but I copied and pasted Pt 2 into the original thread for you.

Carl

[thefastestz]

Sweet. (*tear*)

[Marty Rogan]

2Many,

I would have loved to stop by your place on the way back. I guess I was being a little superstitious to tell anyone before I got the car, so as not to jinx the deal. That happened to me twice before. It would have been great fun to meet more of my Z buddies on the way back. I seriously wished I had more time to wander on back home. But no complaints!

Carl,

Thanks for pasting in the Part 2. When I wrote it up, the system said it was too long! That was the only thing I thought of at the time. Your way makes more sence though. I'll have to remember that for the next time, ...heh, heh, heh.

Thanks,

Marty