Fast Car - Wandering Star

[scottmandue]

I have always loved the Spyder and yours is a particularly beautiful one! Makes me start to rethink what my next sports car might be.

Great story and keep the pics coming (please).

I haven't done a long road trip for years... you are truly inspiring me... I have been thinking of driving up to Yellostone from L.A.

[Brillo]

Great pictures and thanks for sharing your journey with us. I look forward to each update.

[Seahawk]

Somewhere, Jack Kerouac is envious, as am I.

[jriera]

Angela if you need a bath on your way back with CLEAN water you know how to reach me!!!

Great pictures, be safe.

[Laneco]

Thanks Jordi! Today was the best day EVER in the spyder. One of those days that makes you realize the worth of all that sweat equity in the garage...

Sedona is unbelieveable. A mechanical with one of the group's cars (not mine) set us back a couple of hours, but even with that, we covered some jaw-dropping country. Any place that says steep grade, sharp curves next 12 miles (actually 24, 12 up and 12 down) is a-ok with me! Plenty of traffic so speeds were subdued, but driving too fast would have meant missing the views. Oh, and we met a really cool gentleman with a V-8 motorcycle. He let me pose on it for a picture! How cool is that?angela

[pwd72s]

Hmmm, he might have the pounds per horsepower edge over even a 3.2 spyder replica.

[Joeaksa]

Now you see why many of us put up with the summers in Arizona to enjoy 9 months of heaven on earth. Sedona is one hour drive from my house and we go there often for lunch on Saturday or Sunday just for fun.

There are also some very nice roads around Prescott and that area, combined with beautiful forests.

[Laneco]

One of the best points of traveling are the people you meet on the way. Yesterday while we were in Sedona, one of the little spyders puked the fuel pump. Literally! THe pivot pin that is swedged in place on this particular pump fell out on the highway rendering the car helpless as soon as the float bowls emptied.

One of the fellas, Aaron, quickly figured out the pump problem and off two of the members went chasing a type 1 fuel pump. Spying a stranded spyder, a charming gentleman and his lovely wife circle about and offer any aid possible. They are driving an exquisite (very very REAL) 356 speedster. He offers any spares he may have but it is determined none will be suitable. So he hops into his speedster and proceeds to hit all the nearby auto parts stores to chase down the part himself! The part was located in a town called Cottonwood, two of our group drove there and picked it up. The irony that a real 356 is used to chase parts for a replica is not lost on me. The gentleman's genuine courtesy must be commended. If he ever, I mean EVER breaks down, it will look like a swarm of spyders coming over to help!

Sorry - forgot his name, but here's a pic of the car. angela

[Laneco]

Like all good things, this road trip must come to an end. Last night (Saturday) at dinner, I ccould really feel it winding down. I'm thinking about home, my beloved husband, our children, my hound and even the mountain bike. Its time to make tracks for Casa de Lane. I pass on the Sunday drive which promises great twisty roads, but not until 9-10 am, for an early start at daybreak out of Prescott.

The sun is just teasing darkness from the sky when I pull out of the hotel. Rather cool this morning. I bundle up tightly but am quickly chilled by the drive. I'm so cold that I stop early for fuel at a I-40/Route 66 little town mostly to stall and let my hands warm up. Even with gloves, they are stiff-cold. The fellow in the gas station opens up early for me. One of those gruff acting guys who warm up in a few minutes when they decide you're OK and turn out to be pretty neat person. The pics are his station and another business in the same town. angela

[Laneco]

The spyder makes short work of I-40, stretching its long legs for this run. The dash across the Mohave is my favorite part. Smooth road, fast traffic and the big six purring just behind my shoulder.

Yesterday, while driving with the guys, I realize that my fast driving skills have abandoned me. I used to do alot of autocross racing and hillclimbs. Loved them and was decent but not exceptional at it. With any skill, use or lose. I've lost, my fast little friends fling their cars thru the corners while I back away nervously.

Realizing the problem is wholly my own, I concentrated on relaxing (??), loose arms, shoulders, soft hands and watched their lines. By the last few miles of twisties, I'm starting to get it figured out. The car is pitching left-right and my grin splits my face. But then its over. The lesson is, I need to work on my fast driving. I suspect the spyder will prove a rather advanced dance partner.

Funny road sign "Stop here, EAT, GET GAS!" cracks me up. I'm writing this in a town called Ceres, CA. The little spyder has put 680 miles away today. Nothing to get excited about for a standard car, but for an open car, no heater, no top, no radio or any other pus$y equipment, this is a good day. angela

[pwd72s]

Way to go Angela. BTW, you timed your run perfectly...escaped Oregon just before several days of rain set in. Now it's clear skies, predicted to last well into the coming week. Cindy & I are hoping we'll be able to take a little 911S run tomorrow.

[Joeaksa]

Sounds like you had an excellent run and cannot wait to see more photos. Glad to see that you documented it here and let everyone know if you head this way again!

Joe

[Laneco]

No problem Joe - in fact, I think there are quite a few Pelicanites that I need to treat to Coffee/lunch on my travels!

After 680 miles yesterday, the 400 odd miles to Casa de Lane seem to fly by. Traffic lightens up north of Sacramento. The sun is warming me and the spyder pulls hard for home. I become intrigued by the spyder's shadow. The photo is a poor illustration of the lovely shape zipping down the freeway. Its pretty hard to drive this car and take pics at the same time. Maybe a little more multi-tasking than is really appropriate...

The Olive Pit is always one of my favorite stops. Great olives, olive oils and samples of speciality foods. I'd have picked up more goodies, but I have SERIOUSLY run out of space in the spyder!

Mount Shasta comes and goes - a sentinel to the end of this journey. I arrive home with 2,467 miles on the clock. And a million smiles. No problems (except the plug wire DOH that I did...), no adjustments. This car has traveled near 2,500 miles on rural roads, lonely highways and interstates. Crossed the Mohave at 85 mph. 112 feet elevation to 7,023 feet.

Might be a fake Porsche, but its a REAL car. angela

[Laneco]

This post would not be complete without a few thank yous.

1. My loving husband who built a wonderful car and is willing to let his crazy wife take off on such a trip. He has faith in me, that I can fix what may go wrong and bring the little beastie home safely.

2. Great friends, those I've known and new ones I've met. They include my spyder/speedster buddies and the Pelicanites - several of whom emailed with phone numbers in case I had a mechanical - THANK YOU.

3. To this site sponser - Pelican Parts. Our car is full of parts bought from this site. Exceptional quality every time. THANK YOU!

[jeffgrant]

Very cool road trip... thanks for sharing. Makes me think that we should ALL take a week off some month and just go for a drive and take all sorts of pics and post write-ups for all to enjoy. Might even warrant it's own "road trip" forum.

Even better, we should ALL just randomly pick a spot (or 4) on a map and just show up at some predetermined time, just because.

Having hundreds of Pelicans in P-Cars showing up at a random spot at a random time could be a ton of fun!

Thanks again for sharing...

[tabs]

She coulda stopped in Las Vegas and taken pictures of Tabby at a Buffet....

I wonder how many times whe washed the Spyder to keep it so klean..but she really musta photo shopped the WHOLE trip and was really driving a Subaru or somethin...

[Laneco]

FUNNY! I have the sunburn to prove the spyder exposure... Thanks for the compliment on the clean car. I cleaned it every night before I put the cover on it. Never want to cover a dirty car. I did have to actually WASH the car in Lake Havasu instead of just using Meguir's quick detail.

I think not cleaning the car would be an insult to my husband's beautiful paint job. Bad enough that I take his car, the least I can do is keep it clean!

angela

[pwd72s]

"Might be a fake Porsche, but its a REAL car. "

You said it well, Angela. Cool ride!

[JavaBrewer]

One of the best threads on Pelican!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Awesome thread - reminds me of a similar road trip I did with the wife a few years back - took an entire summer and did nothing but travel the western states, camp and occasionally do job interviews in various cities - I eventually landed in L.A., but that's another story. And I didn't get to do it in a Spyder, I had to drive my craptastic old GMC truck.

Awesome thread - godspeed!