Todays crazy idea... Pelican Road Trip ala Top Gear?

[porsche4life]

Ok... So I read this thread about these guys doing a marathon drive of a bunch of beater 944s. Got me to thinking, why don't we as a group do something like that here in the US, but with a wee twist. Lets pick a route (route 66), or a destination (Rennsport V) and then all fly into one city, cruise local classifieds and find a certain type of car( European, under $1500). You buy the car and then we do a top gear style drive across the US. Beater cars and idiots with CBs just having fun. Maybe stop for hijinx along the way depending on the route and what we can find. Thinking we'd need to time it to be done in a week or so for those us with corporate gigs, but still doable.

Obviously there are lots of logistics to work out, but would there be anybody down for trying this? Thinking we'd need 4 or 5 of us at least to make it fun?

[Seahawk]

I will follow the carnage in my truck and trailer, pick up the detritus along the way.

I'm in.

[porsche4life]

Have you no faith in our ability to patch beater cars together? I thought we were all pros in that after hanging out on here?

[fastfredracing]

I'd be all over something like that. I wonder if we could raise any $, and give it to a good charity or something like that,
Of course , just for the fun of it would be cool either way.
Pretty tough to get decent running euro cars for 1500.00. though..
I can see us all in rusty cavaliers.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Have you no faith in our ability to patch beater cars together? I thought we were all pros in that after hanging out on here?

I do, I do!

But faith, hope, in the desert, is not a metric In white water rafting, the last boat, in big water, was called the "sweeper". I was good at it.

I'll sweep the unfortunate to the right place to make the patch.

You may be onto something, young man.

[fastfredracing]

We would need at least one support vehilce that had a compressor, tools, jack etccccc

[porsche4life]

That takes some of the fun out of it fred... I was thinking about just taking the tools I could get in a checked bag (50lbs). A light jack would fit in there.. But yes if a kind soul with a truck and trailer would follow along we could be much better prepared.

And yes, I think we letter the crap out of the cars and try to raise some funds for a charity along the way. I can get vinyl done up no problem.

I think where we buy the cars will dictate condition. IE, in LA you can get a decent E30 for 1500 thats not a rust bucket, but if you go to Chicago they are rusted away.

[edgemar]

I say step it up a bit:

[porsche4life]

I say we escalate to international expeditions once we have it figured out a little bit in the US. But I'd be all for riding a bike across vietnam.

[scottmandue]

I would be all over this... but I can't even put together $500 for a beater motorcycle!
Carry on...

[porsche4life]

You can live vicariously Scott! Or maybe you can help Paul drive the support truck?

[porsche4life]

Heck... The Top Gear buffons have already had a go at this Merc!

1982 Mercedes benz 280 SE 134.000 mile . Just 1500 $

[Jim Richards]

This sounds like a lotta fun.

[porsche4life]

We should come up with a points system to determine a winner at the end... With bonus points available for things like.. Tying a dead cow to your roof.

[herr_oberst]

I don't think you should limit it to European cars. Domestic and Japanese should be represented, too. Maybe come up with a sliding scale of bonus points, Japanese cars as the default, 1 point for Swedish, 2 for Domestic, 3 for German, 4 for British, 10 for Italian.... (as an example)

Bonus points to be applied to each challenge, challenge points assigned arbitrarily depending on the amount of beer consumed during the rule writing meetings....

[porsche4life]

I like it....

And yes, much beer must be consumed when not driving the cars...

[gordner]

That is a fantastic idea and would be a blast I bet. With enough forewarning I would totally dedicate my available summer vacation to an idea like this!

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Have you no faith in our ability to patch beater cars together? I thought we were all pros in that after hanging out on here?

(European, under $1500)

[porsche4life]

Look on craigslist in a US city like LA. Lots of good BMWs, mercs, Volvos, saabs, etc...

I bet theyd make it a few thousand miles at least...

[herr_oberst]

1986 Fiat Bertone X1/9