Roadtrip! Taking the Noble across America

[Randy Chase]

Thanks. A member invited me and said it would work that Sunday morning. I was not planning on it, and that is the thing that is really tempting to do, but makes the rest of the trip to Tail of the Dragon a little difficult.

I get into Detroit on Saturday a bit after 4:00pm. Get time to collect my car in LIvonia, then hit the road to Chicago. Spend the night in Chicago and hit the track bright and early. Do a couple hours of lapping and then hit the road south. If I have time, I would like to drive Route 66 from Joliet to Bloomington, because this would make my return leg where I drive north BACK to Route 66 a lot shorter.

But it is almost a 12 hour drive then from Joliet to Deals Gap. If I blow off Route 66 that morning, I can get to Deals Gap in 9 hours... but if I feel I want to do the complete Route 66, I need to then drive back to Chicago after Tail of the Dragon.

[DPM]

Hope to see you there. If you have time we can take you for a ride in the Diasio and the Carbon Fiber Turbo Elise if you are interested.

Maybe while you are there you can look at the cars for onboard video set ups.

[Randy Chase]

Excellent. I will be there On Sunday June 15th at very early. Not sure when I leave, but probably by 11:00am at the latest so I can get to Deals Gap that night.

[Lancia]

If you end up going through Nashville, check out Lane Motor Museum.
It's near the freeway and worth it even if you run through.

[DPM]

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

Excellent. I will be there On Sunday June 15th at very early. Not sure when I leave, but probably by 11:00am at the latest so I can get to Deals Gap that night.

OK, we are usually there by 8:00 AM. Should have the Diasio track ready by then. Hopefully this Wednesday. The guys at Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing are making some significant mods to the car. If all goes as planned, we should be able to knock another 7 seconds off our lap times. I think you'll enjoy the ride. Hope you don't get motion sickness, we've had a few go away green

[Randy Chase]

What is it that they sat about best laid plans of mice and men.... they oft go awry?

So yeah...it looks like now the car needs a small bit of work done and the best place for that is in Tallahassee Florida. It will either be placed on a racing transporter out of Lime Rock on Monday, or it will be driven down by Jordan from Connecticut to Florida.

Once in Florida, some work will be done to the car to make sure it is reliable and making good power. Then I will fly into Tallahassee and pick it up. How I get back to San Diego, I have no idea yet.

This means no trip to Watkins Glen.
This means no breakfast with LOONYs
Detroit is still possible, if I fly in. Not sure if I will.
No trip to Chicago. No Autobahn.
No trip to 1G Racing in Cincinnati.
Deals Gap and Tail of the Dragon are being considered.
No Route 66 probably.

Positive is I might stop in New Orleans, Houston, El Paso, Phoenix..and take I-10 the whole trip, which would take less time. Or not.

I need to work out a new plan.

[DPM]

What happened with it?

[JWA]

Wow, bummer after all of that planning. Oh well, New Orleans is ALWAYS fun .

[Lancia]

Collier Museum in Naples is worth the trip, if you have time.

There are plenty of similar roads here and there to 66.
In Florida you can easily find stretches of the original Hwy 1. (few hundred feet at a time usually)

In Georgia
The Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum microcars, bmw isetta, messerschmitt, messerschmidt, kr200, micro cars

Nashville
Lane Motor Museum - Nashville, TN

[JWA]

Cutting across the South could put you near Barber, which sounds like a great playground for a wicked fast Noble.

[Randy Chase]

Originally Posted by DPM

What happened with it?

They put the car on a dyno and determined that it was running very rich. As in cylinder wash. Solution would be normally to tune it for more lean.. but in the tuner's words.. "we don't know why the fuel pressures are so high.. and if I tune it and the fuel pressure fixes itself, the engine will then be very lean."

So the proper thing to do is to solve the problem. Unfortunately, the tuner is in Tallahassee Florida where the car is going now. We are trying to arrange transport with a racing team (Lotus connection... one driver is Patrick Dempsey).

[Randy Chase]

Latest plan. Sigh....

I hope this one sticks. Basically, the main change is moving Tail of the Dragon from the group trip to earlier. It just does not make sense to drive from Tallahasee to Detroit to Tail of the Dragon and then back up to Chicago. Well.. most of my trip does not make sense anyway....




June 5th Thu. Fly to Tallahassee.
June 6th Fri. Drive up to Deals Gap NC.
June 7th Sat. Tail of the Dragon. Drive up to Cincinnati OH
June 8th Sun. Drive to Detroit
June 9th Mon. Detroit. Lotustalk dinner.
June 10th Tue. Fly out of Detroit Metro to San Diego.
June 14th Sat. Fly back to Detroit Drive to Chicago
June 15th Sun. Drive Joliet. Track day at Autobahn. Drive St Louis MO. Route 66
June 16th Mon.. St Louis to Oklahoma City OK Route 66
June 17th Tue. Oklahoma City OK to Albuquerque NM Route 66
June 18th Wed. Albuquerque NM to Laughlin NV Route 66
June 19th Thu. To Santa Monica via Route 66 and then San Diego.

[nvrblu]

I hope you post updates on your progress. I might just take a drive up north to tag along for part of your trip across AZ.

[Randy Chase]

The goal is to not drive until midnight each night (like I did in the Elise coming across) but to stop and take my time. Assuming I have Internet... or cell phone, I will post updates.

[NCZ06]

If your dragon plans hold, maybe we can have a little Lotustalk gathering there.

[Lancia]

Deerfields is a really nice place outside Asheville if you can stay there.

[Randy Chase]

Originally Posted by NCZ06

If your dragon plans hold, maybe we can have a little Lotustalk gathering there.

Talked to the car guy in Tallahassee today. It is looking good for me being at Tail of the Dragon on Friday night, June 6th. I will stay overnight, I have a room at the Fontana Village Resort. My plan is to drive a few roads Saturday morning until I feel I have to leave. Let me know if you can put something together, but if you have the option of doing TOTD, everyone should go a week later when Lotusfamily and Fox Valley are coming down. I wish I could,.

[Randy Chase]

Originally Posted by Lancia

Deerfields is a really nice place outside Asheville if you can stay there.

Nice place, just checked the site. They require a 2 night minimum.

[Lancia]

They are nice folks.
I would call and check.
Tell them about your trip and that you are posting about it.
They love showing off their place.
Depending on the cabin you want, they may charge you a surcharge for one night or not, depending on amenities and how busy they are.
I camped up there last year.
No mosquitoes, very nice.

They may love cars too.

[tandemracer]

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

Talked to the car guy in Tallahassee today. It is looking good for me being at Tail of the Dragon on Friday night, June 6th. I will stay overnight, I have a room at the Fontana Village Resort. My plan is to drive a few roads Saturday morning until I feel I have to leave. Let me know if you can put something together, but if you have the option of doing TOTD, everyone should go a week later when Lotusfamily and Fox Valley are coming down. I wish I could,.

Try to keep clear of Atlanta on Friday afternoon unless you want to try driving your Noble through hours of stop & go traffic. Try getting onto 129 when you get to Macon and then continue north on 441 through Athens and up into Franklin and Fontana Village. Some nice roads there as you get into the mountains. Better roads, mileage will be about the same and with traffic it may be faster.