Road Trip... AZ to AR or Bust

[Paul]

Well, Saturday I fly out to Phoenix to pick up a 71 GT I bought off a site member. Bravely or foolishly I'll be driving it back to Arkansas. Why not, its only 1,200 miles.

I'm told the car is in good mechanical shape and should make it... oh the kiss of death...

The car comes with a pretty good mechanical pedigree... engine built by Roger Wilson, Sway bars front and rear, Koni's, sport front spring... However, with any Arizona car the interior is not the best.. So, I'll be swapping the interior out of my existing GT into the *new* one.

I've taken all the precautions... OGTS has shipped me a care package to the seller and I shipped a 30 pound box stuffed with spare parts and tools...

My travel plans have me staying just north of Phoenix Saturday night in Anthem. I intend to leave at 4 AM Sunday and go North to Flagstaff and then head East on I-40. If everything goes well, I should make it to Amarillo, TX by 4 PM and bed down for the night... after a few beers of course... Then its back on the road at 5 AM Monday morning and by home by Noon.

If anyone who lives along the way would like to leave me their cell number in case of an emergency... that would be great, but I really hope not to use it.

When I get back home I'll post a few pictures and let everyone know how it turns out... If all goes well this will be a BORING thread with very few posts

[69opelgtfvr]

How exciting! Well, I hope it won't be too exciting. In any event, this road trip will be remarkable. I hope you take lots of pictures, and video too if you can. I dream of the day when I can do something like this with my GT. Good luck and pleasant RPM's...

[dallasmanta]

if you make a detour through Dallas for any reason lots of members here... have a safe trip take lots of pictures and post for us poor guys who dont get out much Ron

[Paul]

Ron
If I end up in Dallas, it will mean I can follow signs

I turely wish I had more time to make several stops and a few small detours... like the Grand Canyon....

[Paul]

Well me and the car made it home today. I arrived in Phoenix Saturday moring and Jeff was kind enough to pick me up at the air port. We went to his house and took car of the details. Saturday night I stayed in a Hampton just North of town. By 4:15 I was headed up I-17. I spent Sunday night in Amarillo, TX and was back on the road at 5:15 AM this morning. I made it home, in my driveway at 11:40.

The total trip was 1200 miles and it took 18.25 driving hours including fuel stops. Even when the car wasn't running its best, I kept the hammer down.

Here are a few pictures. The first is me and Jeff sitting in his driveway in Phoenix just before I headed out.

The next 3 are one of my daughter and her new car, one of me, and one group shot...

I realize this thread is pretty boring and uneventfull. However, the point of it is to inspire others who would like to buy a car that they feel is too far away to jump in and do their own road trip....

[opelspyder]

Nice cars, please send more pictures with your daughter. Okay, bad tast there, but very pretty up against the GT. Sound like a really fun trip though, I always wanted to just drive across the country in an Opel to say I did something in my life. I can only work on them.
Keith

[okieopel]

Way to go Paul!

[benncojr]

Paul,

Great that you are home. This remindes me of my road trip back in 2005.

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/general...rip-wi-ga.html

I am sure you had a lot of smiles per mile like I did driving on the open road. In TX I bet you were able to wind it up real tight and see what shy could do with a loooog streach of road!!

[Paul]

Originally Posted by benncojr In TX I bet you were able to wind it up real tight and see what shy could do with a loooog streach of road!!

Actually there was a stretch of road in New Mexico approaching Albuquerque, from the west, that had some very long up hill and down hill grades were everyone had it wound up. At that point, the only posted speed limit signs said the minimum speed for the left hand lane was 65 MPH. I was following a Mazda and we were traveling 80 or so and people in the left hand lane were blowing past us at well over 100. There was a Chevy 3500 Truck (w/ 6 wheels) that HAD to be goin' over 120. It was followed by a new Mustang, the black and gold Hertz only model.

When we hit Texas, everyone slowed down because the speed limit from from 75 to 70...

[paul.catherine]

Awesome - you made it!
Paul
73 Yellow GT
Flagstaff AZ