4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (long)
06-09-2004, 01:45 AM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster
For years and years I've wanted to just jump in my Vette and just head for the horizon, without any detailed plans or reservations. I finally did it for three weeks, May 14 to June 4., roundtrip from CA to NV, ID, MT, WY, SD and UT. My general target was Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but beyond that I had no plans. Over the past year I'd replaced the usual wear items (T-arms, clutch, brakes, shocks, tires, etc.) to relieve some of the mental stress that would come from cruising back roads in a car that popped out of the factory door on December 5, 1966. My overall plan called for driving only on secondary roads, avoiding chain restaurants, and staying in local lodgings.
The first couple of days actually were planned, at a NorCal/SoCal/SW NCRS affair in central California, where a highpoint was meeting SWCDuke. From there I headed to the Sierras, for the first overnight in Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP. Three hours into this drive the first mechanical gremlin struck, the odometer stopped working. Darn, I knew I should have had the cluster rebuild…..so I used mileages from AAA maps to calculate trip length. Anyhow, once among the stupendously huge redwood trees, all was well. Anyone who hasn't seen them really should. The next day I wended my way thru Sierra foothills on the way to Yosemite. Beautiful, every foot of it! I overnighted in a tent-cabin in Yosemite, making a couple of circuits of the valley near sunset with the top down to take in the granite eminences. The following day I got up early and crested the Sierras at 9,945 feet in Tioga Pass, a first for me and a gorgeous drive I'd recommend to anyone. By that time the 327/350 was chugging pretty heavily because of its sea-level carb jetting. If I do this trip again -- and I will -- I'll lean out the jets a lot, since 95% of my trip was at 5,000 feet and above.
From the top of the Sierras it was two days of endless, nearly flat desert in Nevada, which I heartily recommend you don't do. Just not enough stimulation to stay awake. On day 2 of this leg, I'd been doing 100 mph for a hour and had seen NO other car at all, when a Nevada trooper SUV with gumball flashing appeared ahead of me. I figured I'd been nabbed for speeding by a plane, but it turns out the trooper was just making sure all the traffic (huh?) got off the road before an extra wide truck load came along. The load was a huge round thing, part of a space station maybe, that you could have driven three cars thru side by side.
After the flats of Nevada I was charmed by the greenery and mountains of Idaho and Wyoming. Wow! I had no idea that this part of the country is so beautiful and just keeps on going, mile after mile and day after day. I will go back there for sure, maybe this fall. I couldn't believe how pretty the countryside was, and much of the time I was the only car on the road, since most folks were over on the Superslab. My driving fun peaked out in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, where there are Grand Canyon-style rock layers, but I was driving in the bottoms of the canyons looking up. Breathtaking! The curves were mostly 50-70 mph sweepers, perfect for a midyear, with straights where I got to 100+ and a few curves posted for 25 to 45 mph. A couple hours of that and I was just one huge smile. I'm still smiling! My tach died as I was passing some feisty sports sedan. I had been watching the tach to time a shift, but the needle suddenly went to zero, so I upshifted. Mechanical problem #2. Would there be others?
I spent four nights in Yellowstone and enjoyed every minute and every view. I got there before Memorial Day, so I got reservations just two days in advance, but folks who work there say you have to book months in advance to stay there between Memorial Day and Labor Day. In fact, once Memorial Day hit, RVs sprouted on the highways like evil mushrooms, which is one reason I returned home when I did. You gotta see Yellowstone, it's just too awesome to describe. Just Old Faithful alone is worth seeing, but there are many wonders there. It had rained for a whole day before arriving in Yellowstone, and the passenger foot well became a wading pool. I toweled it out, but it stayed wet until I reached Yellowstone and the soaked carpet froze! Cool! It stayed frozen until I left the park, and the carpets eventually dried completely with the heater blower on full for a few hundred miles. Somewhere in there a windshield wiper blade came adrift and I fixed the blade holder with pliers.
Leaving Yellowstone for the Grand Tetons led me onto ten long miles of road construction. At least there used to be a road there, now it was just mud and rocks. I lost count of how many times I scraped the bottom of my Vette, plus some guy in a van stayed 10 feet behind me the whole way, and my going 5-10 mph didn't seem to please him. Anyhow, the road workers gave me tons of waves and thumbs up, but none for the van guy. Oh, THAT's why he was ticked off!
The Teton Mts. were fogged and rained in, so I headed eastward across lovely Wyoming toward the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. Again, I can't help saying how incredibly beautiful this part of our lovely country is, so put it on your drive-there-someday list. Once in the Black Hills I immediately went and gazed upon the four presidential heads on Mt. Rushmore, since they were my original objective. I was one happy Sting Ray driver! That evening I returned for the lighting ceremony, where a park ranger gives a talk, then everyone in the outdoor amphitheater sings "America," then they gradually illuminate the four heads as we all sing the "Star Spangled Banner." There was not a dry eye or un-choked-up person in the house. Even while I was there I thought this would make the absolutely perfect event to lead a cross-country caravan of Vettes to. Craftily, they kept the gift shop open late, so I bought tons of patriotic-themed stuff, including a red, white and blue shirt with huge stars and stripes that MAYBE would be OK on the Fourth of July but probably not any other time. Oh, well, it looks good in my closet and the Glorious Fourth is less than a month away……
In the Black Hills I also went to Deadwood SD, where Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead in 1879. Lots of neat western stuff to see there. When I left town with the top down late in the day, down the main street, I became the main attraction, with lots of folks giving thumbs up. That was a common reaction to my pretty ol' car. Since I saw no other vintage Vettes along the way, Harley riders were the most consistent thumbs-uppers and wavers. There's tons of stuff to do and see in the Black Hills, and I'll be back there one day too. From there I headed east to the Badlands of South Dakota, which are definitely worth the trip. A very stark and almost surreal landscape, like nothing you've ever seen. I saw it midday, but I suspect that early morning or near sunset would be the perfect times to be there. I involuntarily donated my cowboy hat to the landscape when the wind whipped it off my head and it disappeared into a hat-colored gully for evermore.
Exiting the Badlands I stayed in Wall SD and visited the famous Wall Drug Store, a kitschy mall worth the visit if you are in the area. The next morning I pointed the nose of my Sting Ray homeward. Memorial Day had hit, there were now too many boxy vehicles lumbering along the roads, and it was time to make tracks homeward. That's when I got on the interstates for the first time in the whole 4,734-mile trip. BTW I didn't see a single cop during my whole trip on secondary roads, they only appeared on the Superslab, and few of those until I got back to the Golden State. No tickets either!
I rained some in Wyoming, and there was a constant 30--40 mph side wind the whole darned way across the state. These old convertibles CAN be a tad drafty and wet. At one point it got REALLY drafty, and even noisier, then the back of my head started getting wet --- which announced that the rear seam on the soft top had split completely from side to side. Guess all that flapping at speed across windy Wyoming took its toll. Duct tape to the rescue! I added more tape every day, whenever the back of my head suddenly felt chilly! About this time water also started dripping pretty steadily from the header -- onto the steering wheel among other things. Ah, the charms of touring in an old crock! Besides a big roll of HD duct tape, I took the usual tools, plus an extra water pump, fuel pump, alternator, belts, oil filter, gapped plugs and tune-up parts, misc. bulbs, a 215/65/15 spare, canned tire inflator, many small parts, plus flares and several red strobes (= bike rear lights) for after the flares died out. I didn't use anything but the duct tape and pliers, but these things sure provided peace of mind. My XM satellite radio was a real blessing, especially in Nevada and coming home on the boring old Superslab. I also had a CD player with ear buds that I could hear if I put them under shooter's ear protectors.
After this great trip I now trust my 67 completely, and I know that it has only a few weak points, which will get fixed before long. It's a good feeling to drive nearly 5,000 miles in an old Vette and come thru it with minimal grief. I had the time of my life and I'm ready to do it all over again. I had countless charming encounters with folks who had not seen a Sting Ray on the road in years. Some actually thanked me for having my car out on the road and not in a garage! I discovered a whole region of our fantastic country that is too pretty for words to describe, and I got a sense of spiritual renewal by just meeting plain ol' Americans living their lives in ways different than I usually see here in Silicon Valley. We live in a great big beautiful country, and you can make it even more beautiful by pointing your Solid-Axle or Sting Ray toward the horizon and mashing the Go pedal!
Save the wave!
Louie
MY ROUTE
IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS
YOSEMITE & HALF DOME IN THE BACKGROUND
IN THE HIGHER SIERRAS
HIGHPOINT OF THE TRIP, 9,945' AT TIOGA PASS IN THE SIERRAS
SUBURBAN NEVADA
DOWNTOWN NEVADA
WITH LOCAL WORKERS NEAR HAILEY, IDAHO
TWIN FALLS, IDAHO
TYPICAL NIGHT'S LODGING (ASHTON IDAHO IN THIS CASE)
MORNINGS IN YELLOWSTONE
ADMIRING LOCALS IN THE BLACK HILLS
RIP? I DON'T SEE A RIP. FROM WYOMING TO CALIFORNIA THIS WAY
MY OFFICE
The first couple of days actually were planned, at a NorCal/SoCal/SW NCRS affair in central California, where a highpoint was meeting SWCDuke. From there I headed to the Sierras, for the first overnight in Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP. Three hours into this drive the first mechanical gremlin struck, the odometer stopped working. Darn, I knew I should have had the cluster rebuild…..so I used mileages from AAA maps to calculate trip length. Anyhow, once among the stupendously huge redwood trees, all was well. Anyone who hasn't seen them really should. The next day I wended my way thru Sierra foothills on the way to Yosemite. Beautiful, every foot of it! I overnighted in a tent-cabin in Yosemite, making a couple of circuits of the valley near sunset with the top down to take in the granite eminences. The following day I got up early and crested the Sierras at 9,945 feet in Tioga Pass, a first for me and a gorgeous drive I'd recommend to anyone. By that time the 327/350 was chugging pretty heavily because of its sea-level carb jetting. If I do this trip again -- and I will -- I'll lean out the jets a lot, since 95% of my trip was at 5,000 feet and above.
From the top of the Sierras it was two days of endless, nearly flat desert in Nevada, which I heartily recommend you don't do. Just not enough stimulation to stay awake. On day 2 of this leg, I'd been doing 100 mph for a hour and had seen NO other car at all, when a Nevada trooper SUV with gumball flashing appeared ahead of me. I figured I'd been nabbed for speeding by a plane, but it turns out the trooper was just making sure all the traffic (huh?) got off the road before an extra wide truck load came along. The load was a huge round thing, part of a space station maybe, that you could have driven three cars thru side by side.
After the flats of Nevada I was charmed by the greenery and mountains of Idaho and Wyoming. Wow! I had no idea that this part of the country is so beautiful and just keeps on going, mile after mile and day after day. I will go back there for sure, maybe this fall. I couldn't believe how pretty the countryside was, and much of the time I was the only car on the road, since most folks were over on the Superslab. My driving fun peaked out in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, where there are Grand Canyon-style rock layers, but I was driving in the bottoms of the canyons looking up. Breathtaking! The curves were mostly 50-70 mph sweepers, perfect for a midyear, with straights where I got to 100+ and a few curves posted for 25 to 45 mph. A couple hours of that and I was just one huge smile. I'm still smiling! My tach died as I was passing some feisty sports sedan. I had been watching the tach to time a shift, but the needle suddenly went to zero, so I upshifted. Mechanical problem #2. Would there be others?
I spent four nights in Yellowstone and enjoyed every minute and every view. I got there before Memorial Day, so I got reservations just two days in advance, but folks who work there say you have to book months in advance to stay there between Memorial Day and Labor Day. In fact, once Memorial Day hit, RVs sprouted on the highways like evil mushrooms, which is one reason I returned home when I did. You gotta see Yellowstone, it's just too awesome to describe. Just Old Faithful alone is worth seeing, but there are many wonders there. It had rained for a whole day before arriving in Yellowstone, and the passenger foot well became a wading pool. I toweled it out, but it stayed wet until I reached Yellowstone and the soaked carpet froze! Cool! It stayed frozen until I left the park, and the carpets eventually dried completely with the heater blower on full for a few hundred miles. Somewhere in there a windshield wiper blade came adrift and I fixed the blade holder with pliers.
Leaving Yellowstone for the Grand Tetons led me onto ten long miles of road construction. At least there used to be a road there, now it was just mud and rocks. I lost count of how many times I scraped the bottom of my Vette, plus some guy in a van stayed 10 feet behind me the whole way, and my going 5-10 mph didn't seem to please him. Anyhow, the road workers gave me tons of waves and thumbs up, but none for the van guy. Oh, THAT's why he was ticked off!
The Teton Mts. were fogged and rained in, so I headed eastward across lovely Wyoming toward the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. Again, I can't help saying how incredibly beautiful this part of our lovely country is, so put it on your drive-there-someday list. Once in the Black Hills I immediately went and gazed upon the four presidential heads on Mt. Rushmore, since they were my original objective. I was one happy Sting Ray driver! That evening I returned for the lighting ceremony, where a park ranger gives a talk, then everyone in the outdoor amphitheater sings "America," then they gradually illuminate the four heads as we all sing the "Star Spangled Banner." There was not a dry eye or un-choked-up person in the house. Even while I was there I thought this would make the absolutely perfect event to lead a cross-country caravan of Vettes to. Craftily, they kept the gift shop open late, so I bought tons of patriotic-themed stuff, including a red, white and blue shirt with huge stars and stripes that MAYBE would be OK on the Fourth of July but probably not any other time. Oh, well, it looks good in my closet and the Glorious Fourth is less than a month away……
In the Black Hills I also went to Deadwood SD, where Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead in 1879. Lots of neat western stuff to see there. When I left town with the top down late in the day, down the main street, I became the main attraction, with lots of folks giving thumbs up. That was a common reaction to my pretty ol' car. Since I saw no other vintage Vettes along the way, Harley riders were the most consistent thumbs-uppers and wavers. There's tons of stuff to do and see in the Black Hills, and I'll be back there one day too. From there I headed east to the Badlands of South Dakota, which are definitely worth the trip. A very stark and almost surreal landscape, like nothing you've ever seen. I saw it midday, but I suspect that early morning or near sunset would be the perfect times to be there. I involuntarily donated my cowboy hat to the landscape when the wind whipped it off my head and it disappeared into a hat-colored gully for evermore.
Exiting the Badlands I stayed in Wall SD and visited the famous Wall Drug Store, a kitschy mall worth the visit if you are in the area. The next morning I pointed the nose of my Sting Ray homeward. Memorial Day had hit, there were now too many boxy vehicles lumbering along the roads, and it was time to make tracks homeward. That's when I got on the interstates for the first time in the whole 4,734-mile trip. BTW I didn't see a single cop during my whole trip on secondary roads, they only appeared on the Superslab, and few of those until I got back to the Golden State. No tickets either!
I rained some in Wyoming, and there was a constant 30--40 mph side wind the whole darned way across the state. These old convertibles CAN be a tad drafty and wet. At one point it got REALLY drafty, and even noisier, then the back of my head started getting wet --- which announced that the rear seam on the soft top had split completely from side to side. Guess all that flapping at speed across windy Wyoming took its toll. Duct tape to the rescue! I added more tape every day, whenever the back of my head suddenly felt chilly! About this time water also started dripping pretty steadily from the header -- onto the steering wheel among other things. Ah, the charms of touring in an old crock! Besides a big roll of HD duct tape, I took the usual tools, plus an extra water pump, fuel pump, alternator, belts, oil filter, gapped plugs and tune-up parts, misc. bulbs, a 215/65/15 spare, canned tire inflator, many small parts, plus flares and several red strobes (= bike rear lights) for after the flares died out. I didn't use anything but the duct tape and pliers, but these things sure provided peace of mind. My XM satellite radio was a real blessing, especially in Nevada and coming home on the boring old Superslab. I also had a CD player with ear buds that I could hear if I put them under shooter's ear protectors.
After this great trip I now trust my 67 completely, and I know that it has only a few weak points, which will get fixed before long. It's a good feeling to drive nearly 5,000 miles in an old Vette and come thru it with minimal grief. I had the time of my life and I'm ready to do it all over again. I had countless charming encounters with folks who had not seen a Sting Ray on the road in years. Some actually thanked me for having my car out on the road and not in a garage! I discovered a whole region of our fantastic country that is too pretty for words to describe, and I got a sense of spiritual renewal by just meeting plain ol' Americans living their lives in ways different than I usually see here in Silicon Valley. We live in a great big beautiful country, and you can make it even more beautiful by pointing your Solid-Axle or Sting Ray toward the horizon and mashing the Go pedal!
Save the wave!
Louie
MY ROUTE
IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS
YOSEMITE & HALF DOME IN THE BACKGROUND
IN THE HIGHER SIERRAS
HIGHPOINT OF THE TRIP, 9,945' AT TIOGA PASS IN THE SIERRAS
SUBURBAN NEVADA
DOWNTOWN NEVADA
WITH LOCAL WORKERS NEAR HAILEY, IDAHO
TWIN FALLS, IDAHO
TYPICAL NIGHT'S LODGING (ASHTON IDAHO IN THIS CASE)
MORNINGS IN YELLOWSTONE
ADMIRING LOCALS IN THE BLACK HILLS
RIP? I DON'T SEE A RIP. FROM WYOMING TO CALIFORNIA THIS WAY
MY OFFICE
06-09-2004, 04:53 PM
#2
Team Owner
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (LouieM)
What a story and an inspiration! Thank you. I was contemplating the 425 mile trek south to Carlisle in August but basically had decided to forget it. I am worried about a breakdown. Maybe I will now re-think that decision!
06-09-2004, 04:57 PM
#3
12.14 w/ the original 327
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (paul67)
Louie, great story. Thank you for sharing. I'm planning a coastal drive from LA to San Francisco after I put the rebuilt 283 back in the '59. Wes
06-09-2004, 06:09 PM
#5
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Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (Gordonm)
Excellent way to C the USA in your Chevrolet!!!!! After 3 Hot Rod power tours in my 60 I have decided to drive to Carlisle this year from Phoenix. I am still charting a route and will post when I get home.
06-09-2004, 06:16 PM
#6
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Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (LouieM)
Congratulations, I admire your determination to drive your car on such a long trip and more importantly I admire your patriotism :flag
Last year, I took my car out on an 800 miler shortly after getting it road worthy. Like you, my attitude was drive this car like it was meant to be driven. Breakdowns, to me, are nothing more than a minor inconvenience and a fact of life for ALL cars.
Last year, I took my car out on an 800 miler shortly after getting it road worthy. Like you, my attitude was drive this car like it was meant to be driven. Breakdowns, to me, are nothing more than a minor inconvenience and a fact of life for ALL cars.
06-09-2004, 06:55 PM
#7
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Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (LouieM)
gladd to see you are using the car what is made for 
. what small block do you have in the car, and how much did all the gas cost you 
. what small block do you have in the car, and how much did all the gas cost you
06-09-2004, 07:06 PM
#8
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Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (LouieM)
"The first couple of days actually were planned, at a NorCal/SoCal/SW NCRS affair in central California, where a highpoint was meeting SWCDuke."
You need to be careful with such flattery. It might go to my head!
"The curves were mostly 50-70 mph sweepers, perfect for a midyear, with straights where I got to 100+ and a few curves posted for 25 to 45 mph. A couple hours of that and I was just one huge smile. I'm still smiling!"
Yeah, Bro!!! That's what Corvettes are all about! Good thing you mounted those AVS Intermediates back when they were available. When such opportunities arise, as they do from time to time, it sure gives you some piece of mind knowing you have sticky V-rated high performance tires like a great sports car deserves! Are all you guys listening?
I certainly enjoyed checking out your car and hearing about your trip plan. I've thought about you a couple of times since the meet, wondering how your odessey was going. It certainly was a great adventure. Your own private three week Route 66 episode! Man I am envious!!!
Glad to hear you had no major problems. These old crocks are pretty durable! A broken odo is a common malady in C2s. Anecdotal evidence indicates that resetting it every time you fill the fuel tank seems to make them last longer.
As far as the tach is concerned, check out the distributor cross gear and cable. If they are okay, then you call pull both the speedo and tach heads when you pull the cluster, and a competent speedometer repair shop should be able to get both in working order. While you're there see if they have a speedo driven gear with one more tooth than currently installed. It should reduce the speedo error with the 215/65s
Any change on the cold start choke operation and fast idle? Do I recall correctly that your car has factory AC? Did it hold up?
If one has peripatetic urgings, there is nothing like a vintage Corvette and the Great American West to satisfy them.
Duke
[Modified by SWCDuke, 4:38 PM 6/9/2004]
You need to be careful with such flattery. It might go to my head!
"The curves were mostly 50-70 mph sweepers, perfect for a midyear, with straights where I got to 100+ and a few curves posted for 25 to 45 mph. A couple hours of that and I was just one huge smile. I'm still smiling!"
Yeah, Bro!!! That's what Corvettes are all about! Good thing you mounted those AVS Intermediates back when they were available. When such opportunities arise, as they do from time to time, it sure gives you some piece of mind knowing you have sticky V-rated high performance tires like a great sports car deserves! Are all you guys listening?
I certainly enjoyed checking out your car and hearing about your trip plan. I've thought about you a couple of times since the meet, wondering how your odessey was going. It certainly was a great adventure. Your own private three week Route 66 episode! Man I am envious!!!
Glad to hear you had no major problems. These old crocks are pretty durable! A broken odo is a common malady in C2s. Anecdotal evidence indicates that resetting it every time you fill the fuel tank seems to make them last longer.
As far as the tach is concerned, check out the distributor cross gear and cable. If they are okay, then you call pull both the speedo and tach heads when you pull the cluster, and a competent speedometer repair shop should be able to get both in working order. While you're there see if they have a speedo driven gear with one more tooth than currently installed. It should reduce the speedo error with the 215/65s
Any change on the cold start choke operation and fast idle? Do I recall correctly that your car has factory AC? Did it hold up?
If one has peripatetic urgings, there is nothing like a vintage Corvette and the Great American West to satisfy them.
Duke
[Modified by SWCDuke, 4:38 PM 6/9/2004]
06-09-2004, 08:06 PM
#9
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (LouieM)
Wow! What a wild man you are!
I consider a trip to the beach (200 mile round trip) to be a voyage to the ends of the earth.
Kudos to you for undertaking this adventure, and for sharing the story with us.
I consider a trip to the beach (200 mile round trip) to be a voyage to the ends of the earth.
Kudos to you for undertaking this adventure, and for sharing the story with us.
06-09-2004, 09:21 PM
#10
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Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (SWCDuke)
Now THAT's what I'm talking about!!
Fantastic reading and thanks for sharing with us.
I just did 2000 miles in my '67 going to the Forum Cruise In. Not sure if I could have afforded 4000+ with my mileage!
This is what it's all about. Folks don't need "garage art"..they need fun old Vette's to actually use them!
Thanks again,
JIM
Fantastic reading and thanks for sharing with us.
I just did 2000 miles in my '67 going to the Forum Cruise In. Not sure if I could have afforded 4000+ with my mileage!
This is what it's all about. Folks don't need "garage art"..they need fun old Vette's to actually use them!
Thanks again,
JIM
06-09-2004, 09:30 PM
#11
Advanced
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (Mike Smith)
Nice trip Louie thanks, I have traveled some of those areas on my Harley and I agree they are indescribable.Its too bad my wife won't go on more than a hundred mile day trip in the Vette ,as she prefers the bike .In the meantime W've racked up just over 50,000 miles on my "95" harley done mostly on secondary roads of rural America ,seeing alot of the back country.And a Great Country it is. :flag
06-09-2004, 09:31 PM
#12
Race Director
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (427Hotrod)
Louie that is one heck of a road trip. I haven't taken mine much further than 500 miles round trip. But 4500+ that's a bunch of miles between you and your garage.. kudos man...
[Modified by youwish2bme, 11:17 PM 6/9/2004]
[Modified by youwish2bme, 11:17 PM 6/9/2004]
06-09-2004, 09:44 PM
#14
Race Director
Thread Starter
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (Nowhere Man)
gladd to see you are using the car what is made for . what small block do you have in the car, and how much did all the gas cost you
. what small block do you have in the car, and how much did all the gas cost you
The Vette was hard to start at higher elevations. It was REALLY hard to start for a long time one morning in Yellowstone when I forgot the kill switch was on!
By the time my brain woke up, the car was VERY flooded I did lean out the idle mixture 1/2 turn per screw and improved the idle a lot.In retrospect the dollars spent were not very important, because of all the fun and memories. Compared to what we spent to get and maintain these cars, the cost seems small.
06-09-2004, 09:44 PM
#15
Burning Brakes
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (youwish2bme)
Now that's someone who knows what Corvettes are made for!
My 57 & I went from Sarasota, FL to Monterey, CA and back in 2002 for the NCRS/SACC/Historics. 7000+ miles with nary a problem - and 98% top down! Last summer I drove to Flint, MI for the SACC convention; about 3500 miles. I've put about 45000 miles on my car since purchasing it from the original owner's widow in 1991.
A street I always wanted to drive:
...and another...
Keep goin' - 'cuz I'll be right behind ya wavin" 
My 57 & I went from Sarasota, FL to Monterey, CA and back in 2002 for the NCRS/SACC/Historics. 7000+ miles with nary a problem - and 98% top down! Last summer I drove to Flint, MI for the SACC convention; about 3500 miles. I've put about 45000 miles on my car since purchasing it from the original owner's widow in 1991.
A street I always wanted to drive:
...and another...
Keep goin' - 'cuz I'll be right behind ya wavin"
06-09-2004, 09:55 PM
#16
Le Mans Master
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (LouieM)
Louie, you my friend have the cohones that I would like to think I have - I must confess that I get nervous when I realize that I have taken the 65 out for a ride without the cellphone should help be needed (perhaps having the car quit right in the center lane of stop and go I-95 traffic one night has forever scarred me). I did a version of your tour myself with two pals the summer we graduated high school, bought a big chevy van (C20) and drove accros the country to Washington (from CT) and then down the whole Cali coast, lingered in Santa Barabara and then San Diego for a week, back through AZ, up through Flag and then 4 corners, Boulder CO for a few days (I was going to start school there in the fall) and then over to the East Coast, through the south and ending up at Virginia beach, before coming home, and selling the Van for $1000 more than we paid for it!
Wish I had the courage and time to do it again, in my vette. Maybe in about 25 years, unless the wife kicks me out sooner.
You rock.
Wish I had the courage and time to do it again, in my vette. Maybe in about 25 years, unless the wife kicks me out sooner.
You rock.
06-09-2004, 10:19 PM
#17
Team Owner
Re: 4,743 miles in a Sting Ray roadster (ctjackster)
That was an excellent story. Thanks very much for sharing it with us, greaat pics too. 
