9000 mile road trip!
06-03-2012, 12:24 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
9000 mile road trip!
April 24, 2012, my wife and I departed Florida for the road trip west. The odometer read 67124 on our 2001 convertible. The first day covered familiar ground and the urge to drive far and fast was tempered by the reminder this was going to be a long trip. We each got a Sparco duffle bag and a back-pack for luggage that made a perfect fit for the trunk. We covered 516 miles and spent the night in Adairsville Ga. The fill up was at the BP station with 93 octane and me not paying attention to the pump while I cleared the bugs from the car. I noticed the pump was really slow, usually a sign the pumps filter was shot. Sure as heck the car ran rough and the fuel gauge quit. Day one - not a good sign!
A couple of doses of Techron over the next couple of tanks would straighten out the fuel gauge but the engine was still idling rough. Making our way via St. Louis we ate dinner at Ethyl’s in O’Fallon Mo., a nice place with good food and service. The following day took us through Kansas City and lunch at Jimmy’s Jigger another great place on 39th and State Line.
Heading west the route took us through Cheyenne with a three day stop in the Salt Lake City area. There was the mandatory stop at the John Browning Museum in Ogden. We spent three nights to “sight see” and also met a friend and his wife for dinner. Salt Lake has got to be the neatest well run city I’ve ever been to. But the trip clock said head west so we did making a mid morning stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The flats were still wet so I didn’t get too daring but technically the tires were on the salt so I crossed off one more for the cars bucket list. Headed north on Nevada 93 into Boise, Idaho and at just shy of 3000 miles in a week.
The days trip was to go to Crater Lake and spend the night in Klamath Falls. US 395 South is a long a long straight road until you get to Lake Albert. Tailgating behind me was a “3” series BMW driven by a woman drinking a giant slurpee. Lake Albert is really scenic and has a few good curves that the Vette is built for. The lady in the BMW passed me and it only took a few minutes to see that she couldn’t drive. She braked well into the curves while trying to steer with one hand … so I passed her back. When she tried to pass me back she probably lost her slurpee as I could see her shaking BOTH hands in the rear view mirror as I pulled away.
I stopped for fuel twice in Oregon where they pump it for you. At the first station a big heavy set woman did the pumping until I told her to stop when she opened my door to lean on it. At the second a young kid asked if I wanted to pump the gas myself.
Driving south from Klamath Falls had us looking at Mt. Shasta the GPS took us along the Salmon River in the Klamath National Forrest. That is one interesting road, barely two lanes with one switchback after another. Stopped for a flagman and a California Highway Department worker and I talked for a while. He said “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” He mentioned that their crew was clearing rock slides and usually there was nothing to worry about unless it was spring time and wet. Imagine hearing that on May 3rd with the wipers on. It was an interesting road that took us to and through the Redwood Forrest and a stay on Crescent Beach.
Highway 101 is the best. Heading north through Oregon again we stayed at Yachat where we ate a pizza made by a guy from the Bronx. On the trip up there was a gathering of the Oregon Coast Corvettes in Newport at the GM dealer. We stopped and saw a lot of nice Vettes and met some good people. I bought a “T” shirt and was given a dash plaque. The Florida plates didn’t go un-noticed and probably explained why anyone would bring a filthy car to a Corvette gathering.
This was May 5th and we had come 4000 miles. Every fill-up saw a bottle of Techron and the idle was almost back to normal. We arrived at Long Beach, Washington where we spent a week. The locals were thrilled at the beautiful 50 degree weather. We bought sweatshirts. We took a trip to Shoreline to see family and then to Kent to see friends where we spent a few more days. The people in Kent where we stayed fed the local raccoons which I thought was a bad idea. Little did I know.
The trip east! Nearly 4700 miles and the trip home started with a check engine light and rough idle on starting the car in the morning. I thought the bad fuel from Georgia finally clogged an injector. I ran a scan a saw a miss on cylinder 3 then made it to the Kent Chevy dealer that didn’t instill a lot of confidence. I cleared the code and the car ran rough but still not right. After waiting an hour without them looking at it I left and we decided to try our luck. The problem seemed intermittent and the check engine light was off and I decided to make our way across Washington.
Just outside of Ellensburg, Washington the check engine came on blinking. I stopped and it stopped and it ran all right. Now deciding not to tempt fate any longer we pulled off and went to Ellensburg Chevrolet. The service manager and writer there was Bob and Charles and noticing we were 4800 miles from home took the matter as seriously as I did. The mechanic Scott diagnosed number 3 and number 4 as missing. He said the 4 plug wire was pulled away just making contact on the first clip and he switched the 3 wire with the 1 wire and the miss then coded to number 1. I had a bad wire that you could plainly see had been cut or sliced. My first thought was the raccoons. The people there reminded me of my dealership, Greenwood in Fort Meade, Fl., family owned and friendly. They didn’t have a replacement wire but were willing to drive to Yakima to get one. Scott the mechanic said that he had installed a “used” plug wire form a LS Silverado engine and it worked. He had already put it on, cleared the codes and the car ran smoothly.
I asked them to change the oil and leave the wire in which they did. They charged me only one hours labor and the oil change and we were out of there in the time it took us to eat lunch. These are good honest people that charged a $160. I remember pulling off the interstate thinking that this is gonna cost me at least a $1000.00.
The trip east saw us drive through Idaho, Montana, Yellowstone all great roads and people along the way. East Yellowstone is a downhill thrill ride for the Vette, top down and better than anything Disney could create. We stayed in Cody Wyoming and that is one great town. You have to see the Firearms Museum and the Buffalo Bill Exhibit. The trip across Wyoming was fantastic until we hit more flag men. I figure the shovel ready jobs cost us hours waiting for flagmen.
On the way down the mountain I let her rip pretty much freewheeling in 3rd to 5th gear. I had the honor of meeting one of Wyoming’s finest who got me fair and square. I couldn’t admit to the speed I was doing but didn’t deny it either as I told him I had been going faster and having fun on a great road meant to be driven. He chuckled and said “you’re not denying it.” Honesty is the best policy and I was rewarded when only warned to slow it down. That was the second time on the trip I thought this was gonna cost me a $1,000 and got away lucky.
We stayed two nights at Mount Rushmore and Sturgis area. Heading north through North Dakota and across to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where we stayed for four days. We headed south through Wisconsin, Illinois where we stopped at a friend who owns a pair of SSR’s for he and his wife. We refused to eat Chicago “yuk” pizza so he took us to a great place called Portillo’s. On the way south we stopped and ate at a place called Myra’s owned by a retired Illinois Trooper south of Chatham where there is the remnants of the original brick Route 66. (Bucket List again.)
At about this time we were really road weary, nothing to do with the car, just looking to get home. Not to argue politics but the “blue” states have the worst roads in the country and the highest gas prices. Bone jarring patches, pot holes, debris in the roadway and especially the patches and potholes at every bridge span. I feel sorry for you Vette owner in those areas.
Bowling Green and a trip through the museum. It’s been two years since we were there and they have made a lot of changes. It was crowded and the C6 that travelled the ALCAN highway caught my attention. We had just been through snow banks on either side of the road that were thirteen feet high. We hit ice on the roads and wet mud and drove through “shovel ready” gravel pits guarded by flagmen.
The last leg of the trip was thru Tennessee, via a stop at Nashville, Alabama, Georgia and finally beautiful Florida. We travelled 9059.3 mile in five weeks. My Vette did all that could be asked of a car. During the plug wire incident, I was seriously thinking maybe it’s time for a new Vette. I decided I am going to keep it – It is now “my Vette” if you know what I mean. It averaged 28.37 MPG. It burned no oil. I stayed with top tier gas for the most part where available and highest octane available. I left Florida when it was cold and set the tire pressure to 32psi. I let 3 psi out at Yellowstone where the temps and the altitude saw it climb to 39 psi. I have Michelin SP’s run flats that I cannot say anything bad about. On getting home they were at 30/30 - 31/30.
For the most part I kept to the speed limit (except for the mountain roads.) The pests were Dodge Ram trucks seemed always looking to take you on and pass you which all right and fun looking at the goofy expressions they give you as they go by. Then there are the Prius people(?) who seem to have a sense of duty to pass you, pull in front of you then slow down.
Recalling the potholes and the bad road I don’t think I’d like to do it again with a stock C6 and the lower profile tires and bigger wheels. We really have some great roads in this country and some really crappy ones too. I remember being warned to watch out for “Elk in the roadway!” But the big fear was taking your mind off the road conditions in front of you especially as I said in the “blue states.” Trip ended at 76183, some 9059 miles.
Next year New England, pot holes and all!
A couple of doses of Techron over the next couple of tanks would straighten out the fuel gauge but the engine was still idling rough. Making our way via St. Louis we ate dinner at Ethyl’s in O’Fallon Mo., a nice place with good food and service. The following day took us through Kansas City and lunch at Jimmy’s Jigger another great place on 39th and State Line.
Heading west the route took us through Cheyenne with a three day stop in the Salt Lake City area. There was the mandatory stop at the John Browning Museum in Ogden. We spent three nights to “sight see” and also met a friend and his wife for dinner. Salt Lake has got to be the neatest well run city I’ve ever been to. But the trip clock said head west so we did making a mid morning stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The flats were still wet so I didn’t get too daring but technically the tires were on the salt so I crossed off one more for the cars bucket list. Headed north on Nevada 93 into Boise, Idaho and at just shy of 3000 miles in a week.
The days trip was to go to Crater Lake and spend the night in Klamath Falls. US 395 South is a long a long straight road until you get to Lake Albert. Tailgating behind me was a “3” series BMW driven by a woman drinking a giant slurpee. Lake Albert is really scenic and has a few good curves that the Vette is built for. The lady in the BMW passed me and it only took a few minutes to see that she couldn’t drive. She braked well into the curves while trying to steer with one hand … so I passed her back. When she tried to pass me back she probably lost her slurpee as I could see her shaking BOTH hands in the rear view mirror as I pulled away.
I stopped for fuel twice in Oregon where they pump it for you. At the first station a big heavy set woman did the pumping until I told her to stop when she opened my door to lean on it. At the second a young kid asked if I wanted to pump the gas myself.
Driving south from Klamath Falls had us looking at Mt. Shasta the GPS took us along the Salmon River in the Klamath National Forrest. That is one interesting road, barely two lanes with one switchback after another. Stopped for a flagman and a California Highway Department worker and I talked for a while. He said “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” He mentioned that their crew was clearing rock slides and usually there was nothing to worry about unless it was spring time and wet. Imagine hearing that on May 3rd with the wipers on. It was an interesting road that took us to and through the Redwood Forrest and a stay on Crescent Beach.
Highway 101 is the best. Heading north through Oregon again we stayed at Yachat where we ate a pizza made by a guy from the Bronx. On the trip up there was a gathering of the Oregon Coast Corvettes in Newport at the GM dealer. We stopped and saw a lot of nice Vettes and met some good people. I bought a “T” shirt and was given a dash plaque. The Florida plates didn’t go un-noticed and probably explained why anyone would bring a filthy car to a Corvette gathering.
This was May 5th and we had come 4000 miles. Every fill-up saw a bottle of Techron and the idle was almost back to normal. We arrived at Long Beach, Washington where we spent a week. The locals were thrilled at the beautiful 50 degree weather. We bought sweatshirts. We took a trip to Shoreline to see family and then to Kent to see friends where we spent a few more days. The people in Kent where we stayed fed the local raccoons which I thought was a bad idea. Little did I know.
The trip east! Nearly 4700 miles and the trip home started with a check engine light and rough idle on starting the car in the morning. I thought the bad fuel from Georgia finally clogged an injector. I ran a scan a saw a miss on cylinder 3 then made it to the Kent Chevy dealer that didn’t instill a lot of confidence. I cleared the code and the car ran rough but still not right. After waiting an hour without them looking at it I left and we decided to try our luck. The problem seemed intermittent and the check engine light was off and I decided to make our way across Washington.
Just outside of Ellensburg, Washington the check engine came on blinking. I stopped and it stopped and it ran all right. Now deciding not to tempt fate any longer we pulled off and went to Ellensburg Chevrolet. The service manager and writer there was Bob and Charles and noticing we were 4800 miles from home took the matter as seriously as I did. The mechanic Scott diagnosed number 3 and number 4 as missing. He said the 4 plug wire was pulled away just making contact on the first clip and he switched the 3 wire with the 1 wire and the miss then coded to number 1. I had a bad wire that you could plainly see had been cut or sliced. My first thought was the raccoons. The people there reminded me of my dealership, Greenwood in Fort Meade, Fl., family owned and friendly. They didn’t have a replacement wire but were willing to drive to Yakima to get one. Scott the mechanic said that he had installed a “used” plug wire form a LS Silverado engine and it worked. He had already put it on, cleared the codes and the car ran smoothly.
I asked them to change the oil and leave the wire in which they did. They charged me only one hours labor and the oil change and we were out of there in the time it took us to eat lunch. These are good honest people that charged a $160. I remember pulling off the interstate thinking that this is gonna cost me at least a $1000.00.
The trip east saw us drive through Idaho, Montana, Yellowstone all great roads and people along the way. East Yellowstone is a downhill thrill ride for the Vette, top down and better than anything Disney could create. We stayed in Cody Wyoming and that is one great town. You have to see the Firearms Museum and the Buffalo Bill Exhibit. The trip across Wyoming was fantastic until we hit more flag men. I figure the shovel ready jobs cost us hours waiting for flagmen.
On the way down the mountain I let her rip pretty much freewheeling in 3rd to 5th gear. I had the honor of meeting one of Wyoming’s finest who got me fair and square. I couldn’t admit to the speed I was doing but didn’t deny it either as I told him I had been going faster and having fun on a great road meant to be driven. He chuckled and said “you’re not denying it.” Honesty is the best policy and I was rewarded when only warned to slow it down. That was the second time on the trip I thought this was gonna cost me a $1,000 and got away lucky.
We stayed two nights at Mount Rushmore and Sturgis area. Heading north through North Dakota and across to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where we stayed for four days. We headed south through Wisconsin, Illinois where we stopped at a friend who owns a pair of SSR’s for he and his wife. We refused to eat Chicago “yuk” pizza so he took us to a great place called Portillo’s. On the way south we stopped and ate at a place called Myra’s owned by a retired Illinois Trooper south of Chatham where there is the remnants of the original brick Route 66. (Bucket List again.)
At about this time we were really road weary, nothing to do with the car, just looking to get home. Not to argue politics but the “blue” states have the worst roads in the country and the highest gas prices. Bone jarring patches, pot holes, debris in the roadway and especially the patches and potholes at every bridge span. I feel sorry for you Vette owner in those areas.
Bowling Green and a trip through the museum. It’s been two years since we were there and they have made a lot of changes. It was crowded and the C6 that travelled the ALCAN highway caught my attention. We had just been through snow banks on either side of the road that were thirteen feet high. We hit ice on the roads and wet mud and drove through “shovel ready” gravel pits guarded by flagmen.
The last leg of the trip was thru Tennessee, via a stop at Nashville, Alabama, Georgia and finally beautiful Florida. We travelled 9059.3 mile in five weeks. My Vette did all that could be asked of a car. During the plug wire incident, I was seriously thinking maybe it’s time for a new Vette. I decided I am going to keep it – It is now “my Vette” if you know what I mean. It averaged 28.37 MPG. It burned no oil. I stayed with top tier gas for the most part where available and highest octane available. I left Florida when it was cold and set the tire pressure to 32psi. I let 3 psi out at Yellowstone where the temps and the altitude saw it climb to 39 psi. I have Michelin SP’s run flats that I cannot say anything bad about. On getting home they were at 30/30 - 31/30.
For the most part I kept to the speed limit (except for the mountain roads.) The pests were Dodge Ram trucks seemed always looking to take you on and pass you which all right and fun looking at the goofy expressions they give you as they go by. Then there are the Prius people(?) who seem to have a sense of duty to pass you, pull in front of you then slow down.
Recalling the potholes and the bad road I don’t think I’d like to do it again with a stock C6 and the lower profile tires and bigger wheels. We really have some great roads in this country and some really crappy ones too. I remember being warned to watch out for “Elk in the roadway!” But the big fear was taking your mind off the road conditions in front of you especially as I said in the “blue states.” Trip ended at 76183, some 9059 miles.
Next year New England, pot holes and all!
Last edited by hill536; 06-03-2012 at 01:45 PM. Reason: typo
06-03-2012, 12:40 PM
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Jan 2007
Location: cookeville tennessee
Posts: 28,846
Received 1,762 Likes
on
1,529 Posts
ttt
Sounds like you and the wifey had a great time... Glad it went well and you are back safe and sound.
Robert
Robert
06-03-2012, 12:52 PM
#3
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2004
Location: Oklahoma City OK
Posts: 58,259
Received 1,675 Likes
on
1,298 Posts
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
What a great trip!
06-03-2012, 02:25 PM
#8
Race Director
Member Since: Jul 2007
Location: Reno is so close to Hell you can see Sparks , State Of Confusion
Posts: 18,681
Likes: 0
Received 38 Likes
on
23 Posts
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
Great write up, Thanks for sharing with us, But you missed the Wild West Nevada...
Mr.Bill
Mr.Bill
06-03-2012, 04:57 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
Great story,something that I would appreciate.I am curious as to how much of the time did you have the top down.I to have a 2001 vert and I don't like the top up.
FRED
FRED
06-03-2012, 06:34 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
What an awesome trip! Now you need to post pics - lots of 'em please!
06-03-2012, 07:27 PM
#17
Instructor
Thread Starter
The debate was in the falling rock zones. Did we mind if the rock ruined the top before it crushed us or did it really matter!
Cool trip!
06-03-2012, 09:37 PM
#20
Melting Slicks
Sounds like it was a lot of fun. I got a kick out of the blue states and road conditions, but you are spot on. When I have to go over to Kalifornia, I don't even have to see the state line sign to know I've crossed over. BAM! Your teeth start rattling and your kidneys are in agony. You people who live there should find out where your highway funds are really going.