JoeSyko Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 As promised, here is my story. Day #1: I flew out Thursday Feb 4th. I had one layover in Phoenix and then on to Pittsburgh. On the flight from Phoenix to Pittsburgh, I watched Vanishing Point to get myself into the proper frame of mind for my trip home. Would you believe this is the first time I’ve actually seen this movie in its entirety start to finish? I’ve only seen parts here & there before and that was years ago. Also, this was the UK version, which seems to be an extended cut of the film. It was like watching it for the first time. What a cool, weird movie and it helped pass the time that much faster. I arrived early in Pittsburgh @ 5:15pm and Bob Frederick picked me up @ 5:30pm. I had originally thought I would be picking up the car at the dealership in New Wilmington but Bob had delivered the car to Canfield, OH to Jack’s shop. Bob sent me these shots of the car being loaded into his trailer: For those who don’t know, Jack is Bob’s mechanic and as I understand it, he is the only guy Bob will let work on the Challengers he sells. Jack installed my Hurst Shifter, a Skip Shift Eliminator and front and rear Splash Guards. I think Bob’s original plan was to get me checked into the hotel for the night then pick me up in the morning and take me to Jack’s to finalize the deal. With the incoming storm, I asked Bob if there was any way to finalize the deal tonight so I could get rolling at the crack of dawn the next day. He made a call to Jack and got the green light. We spent the next 3 hours at Jack’s shop. The car looked great and get this….it had ZERO miles on the odometer! Bob said he has only seen that one other time. Bob detailed it himself rather than let anyone at the dealership do it and the results were obvious. It was a shame I was taking this beauty out into the elements. Bob walked me thru the features of the car, then we took a few pictures. Jack & I: Bob & I: A few of my co-workers commented on my lack of enthusiasm displayed in these pictures. I guess I'm not that photogenic but don't let that fool you. I'm jumping up & down inside. I signed my life away and then Bob helped me put painter’s tape on the areas of the car that would be at risk for rock chips and/or road debris. We then installed the bra that one of the forum members over on ChallengerTalk.com was gracious enough to let me borrow for the trip. After a few more pictures (Bob got a few of me driving out of the shop…hope I get copies of those) I was on my way to the hotel in New Castle. After I checked in, I headed out to Wal-Mart for supplies. I view Wal-Mart as one of those necessary evils in the world. You hate to go there but @ 10:30pm at nite where else are you going to go to get supplies for a long trip? All I needed was some bottled water and a few sport drinks and some chewing gum (I had packed a few boxes of nutrition bars in my suit case….btw…Zone Perfect Dark Chocolate bars rock! Git sum!). I don’t know New Castle nor do I know what kind of people live there but I do know that the people you find in Wal-Mart late at night are not exclusive to one part of the country. New Castle was no different and I soon realized that if I just ignore the zombies they should let me be. I quickly grabbed the items I wanted and headed to the check out lanes. There was one isle I went down that smelled of raw sewage and that disturbed me but I pressed on. I get in line behind a lady who, I can only assume, had decided to clean out some clearance rack somewhere in the store. She had a hodge-podge of items ranging from baby toys to drinking water and everything in-between. I believe her cart was made in the North Pole because much like Santa’s bag, she was removing items from the cart only to have it never appear to empty. Who buys this much stuff after 10pm? After a few minutes of watching this in amazement, I moved to a longer line. While it was still gawd-awful slow, I managed to get thru and out the door before Santa Cart Lady was done unloading her goods. So, there I am, in the Wal-Mart parking lot in New Castle. My recently acquired sustenance is in the trunk and I decide it’s time to do some last minute protective detailing. I had also packed a few Adam’s products and MicroFiber towels. I take Adam’s Undercarriage Spray and liberally coat under the wheel wells and as far under the car as I could reach. Then I take some Waterless Car Wash, do a quick wash of the hood and follow it with some Americana paste to add some protection. Then it hits me…..here I am, judging the “zombies” in the Wal-Mart while I’m the dork detailing my car in a Wal-Mart parking lot somewhere near 11pm in freezing temperatures! Back to the hotel I go. Those who have followed this thread know that I posted a few pictures that night before I went to sleep. Of course, I parked the Challenger right outside my window so I could look down on her whenever I felt the need….and I felt the need quite often. She sure looks purty. I tried to take some pictures from the hotel window but they wouldn’t come out and I was too tired to fuss with the settings on the camera. Time for sleep. I’ve got a long drive ahead. To be continued.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ1o87 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterp199 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Awesome I am looking forward to part two. So were you happy with your dealer choice? I have heard a lot about him, and I want to get a Sublime Challenger if they come out. He may be the place to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Awesome I am looking forward to part two. So were you happy with your dealer choice? I have heard a lot about him, and I want to get a Sublime Challenger if they come out. He may be the place to go. Yes...very happy. I highly recommend him. The Sublime is looking to hit for the 2011 model year and it's almost certain it will have the 6.4L motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterp199 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Yep Hopefully I will be able to afford a new one if not, I am going to have to track a used one down in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superdutytd Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Looks great! That was a great taping job too! Good to see that you taped underneath the bra too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Day #2:<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Friday, Feb. 5<sup>th</sup>. Up at dawn and the car is loaded with me in it by 7:00am. No snow yet but I know it is coming. I spend the next 20 minutes sitting in the hotel parking lot trying to figure out the GPS as well as the Bluetooth for the phone. The GPS I kind of got a handle on but just can’t get the U-Connect to communicate with my phone. Screw it! I need to get moving! By the way, the seat warmers are oh so nice and the temp controls work well. The only thing I miss is having the automatic climate control like what’s on my G8 but I’ll manage. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> So I hit the road and my game plan is to head as far South as I can and then West in an effort to avoid the blizzard that is coming. Here is the route I took: <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> From the hotel, it’s about 10-15 minutes to I-79 and no sooner did I get on the interstate did the Rock Star Status kick into full affect. A few drivers are doing the proverbial neck snap to check out the car and I’m hoping I don’t cause an accident A little later, a Charger (SXT I think) pulls along side and the guy is just checking out the Challenger intensely and nodding his head as if to say “That’s what I’m talking about!” The gas tank has somewhere around ¼ of a tank so I decide to see what the GPS can do for locating me a gas station. I find a Chevron somewhere near Pittsburgh. I have a Chevron credit card so that is the fuel station of choice but I don’t want to risk running out of gas by overestimating how far I can go with the fuel I have so I stop at an Exxon just North of Pittsburgh. After I fuel up I figure it’s time to take my first photos of the car in daylight (even if it is overcast). <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> That would be the last dry weather I would see for the remainder of this day. Light snow flurries along with freezing rain were pretty much the constant for Pennsylvania and West Virginia. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Took this quick shot in Bridgeport, WV. The Challenger is the car farthest away in this picture: <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> I make it to Charleston, WV shortly after noon. I stopped at a Chevron to fuel up. While I’m pumping, a sweet looking Charger R/T pulls up and the driver tells me how bad A$$ my car is. More Rock Star Status! Done pumping, I go inside to use the restroom and that’s when I get my first of many questions about the painter’s tape on the car. The cashier and another lady (customer I presume but they seemed to know each other) both start grilling me about the car and telling me how nice it is and how much they like the Plum Crazy color. Then the cashier lady proceeds to ask me about the painter’s tape. I tried to explain that it was there to protect the finish but I don’t think she grasped the concept. She kind of looked at me like I wasn’t playing with a full deck. Then the cashier lady says “Let me guess…single and no kids right?” To which I replied “Two kids and divorced actually.” Then the other lady chimes in with something about her being available. I laugh and tell her that my girlfriend might have a problem with that and I make a hasty retreat. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> It seems the farther I go south the harder it starts to rain. The rest of WV and especially Kentucky are just dumping rain relentlessly. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> @ 2:00pm I stop in Morehead, KY for a potty break and I get another “What’s with the tape?” question. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> @ 4:00pm I spot another Challenger on I-265. It’s a Hemi Orange but I don’t know if he/she saw me as they took an exit before I caught up to them. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> @ 4:30pm I stop in Shepherdsville, KY for another potty break. It was coming down pretty steady but that didn’t stop me from taking another picture. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Once back on the road, I tried to take a picture of a Pontiac G8 (these seem to be as rare as the Challengers) but as you can see, the rain was making it difficult to get a good shot. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> @ 5:15pm I stop for fuel at what has to be the slowest pump in history. Horse Cave, KY is the place and the pump took approximately 20 minutes to fill up my tank. You know that point towards the end of your fueling where the pump slows down at the last 10 cents or so? Well that was the speed of my pump for the entire $40 plus dollars it took to fill it. I guess that means it’s time for a few more photos. I had more people checking out the car while I was here and one guy asking about the Plum Crazy color and of course "What's with the blue tape?". In these pictures you can see that some of the painter’s tape is starting to peel. The car is too wet to apply more tape so I hope that it stays put until I can get to a place where it’s not raining long enough for the car to dry off. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> 8:45pm I reach Alabama and stop at the first rest area in Ardmore. It’s still raining and I’m quite tired at this point. I realize that the GPS doesn’t update the time zones automatically (or if it does I haven’t figured out how to do it yet) so it’s actually 7:45pm. Doesn’t matter, I’m beat so I decide to try and catch some Z’s. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Note to travelers: This car is very comfortable to drive even on long distances. However, it leaves much to be desired as a hotel room. I tried the back seat and there just wasn't enough space from me to stretch out. The front seat was better but they are made more for support while you drive and not intended to be cushy bedding. In hindsight, I should have tried to see how comfortable I could get pulling the back seats down and trying to stretch out into the trunk. Oh well. After about 2 hours of tossing and turning in between watching some videos I finally fell asleep…..for about an hour. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> To be continued…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyGo Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 And the saga continues… I'm riveted to this story!!! Cross country in your new car - that's fantastic!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabigbratj Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 seems like a fun trip be safe and keep the pic's coming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMADreamer Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 loving the journey so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug123 Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Nice - love seeing that part of the country. You tell a story well - are you a writer by trade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2hill Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Great story so far Don! Excellent pictures and nice writeup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluezey Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Hey What's with the blue tape:lolsmack: Great Story!! At least all you had to deal with is the rain, so they didn't have all that de-icing stuff all over the road, or salt, pea gravel, coal dust or whatever:thumbsup: That's a nice car, Congrats on the new ride and getting home safe and sound, because that is a long trip to make, btw, how did you like driving I-10 across Lousiana, and Oh My!! sure take a long time to get across Texas too. Shine On Bluezey:pc: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Nice - love seeing that part of the country. You tell a story well - are you a writer by trade? Wow! What a great compliment. It's funny, I hated writing in school but later in life, I am finding it to be something I really enjoy. Maybe I should look into this whole writing by trade thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterp199 Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Great story. I cannot wait for the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjcin Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Great journal, keep it coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 btw, how did you like driving I-10 across Lousiana, and Oh My!! sure take a long time to get across Texas too. It was I-20 thru Louisiana and most of Texas but rest assured, that will be covered in Day #3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug123 Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Texas is one long ride. "The sun has risen, the sun has set, you're still not out of Texas yet" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris@Adams Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Don I live about 8 miles from this rest stop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Don I live about 8 miles from this rest stop! Wow. I didn't know you were that close! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Texas is one long ride. "The sun has risen, the sun has set, you're still not out of Texas yet" That ain't no joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris@Adams Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Wow. I didn't know you were that close! Yea if I would of known I could have meet up with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSyko Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Yea if I would of known I could have meet up with you. Probably not a good idea cuz I might have invited myself over to see that incredible garage you have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris@Adams Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Probably not a good idea cuz I might have invited myself over to see that incredible garage you have! That would have been fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill-V8V Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Stop posting and drive !!!!!! I want to see how the story ends :D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.