North, to Florida!

As some of you have been following along, this may not be news. But due to bureaucratic bs, my dad and I were unable to take our planned trip out to the $2000 Challenge this year. 
 

I say unable to take our planned trip, but a new plan was formed and a new adventure was started. 
 

A couple weeks ago when I tried to register the car we've been building for two years, the folks at the DMV informed me that we'd need to start a 90 day process to get the registration sorted and get plates. A bit distraught, I vented on GRM about our issues and you fine folks started offering suggestions and help and ideas and even to let us use your own cars and houses if it would help us get to Gainesville. 
 

Gumby made an offer of some parts for my daily foxbody mustang, and a place to crash, if we had enough room in our travel schedule to go slightly out of our way to his place in Indiana. Then Dead_sled offered some free wheels, then Patrick helped get those wheels closer to Indiana. Then Bobzilla came over and helped us wrench. A bunch of fantastic folks, who I've never met before, going out of their way to make the trip happen and make it memorable. This community is really something special. 
 

*more in a bit. 

So we loaded up the 4cyl mustang with no overdrive and headed northeast. On the first day we got through Denver and into Kansas. Dad slept until the car and I camped under the stars at the first rest stop we got to. 

 

Day two got us through Kansas and almost all the way across Missouri. We wimped out and got a hotel room 40 miles shy of St. Luis. 

 

Day three we crossed the Mississippi River, blasted through southern Illinois, and into Indiana. That afternoon we landed at Gumby's place where he and Bobzilla were waiting for us with a pile of suspension parts and a stack of wheels. 
 

We finished swapping springs and sway bars that evening and slept in the shop, out of the rain.

The next morning we mounted the tires I'd brought from Utah onto the wheels that came from Ohio, packed up and headed southeast, through Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina, stopping just across the Georgia border at my uncles place where we are now. 

That brings us up to date. Today is Tuesday before the 2020 challenge. I'll update more along the way. 
 

Glad the trip is going well so far, and also that your dad was able to come. 

Excellent trip so far.

It has been far too long since I have taken a road trip.  I am envious. 

In reply to Mr_Asa :

I've been from Utah to California a million times. And I've been down to Phoenix and up as far as Idaho falls, but I've never done a trip like this. Never been somewhere in a car that I couldn't drive to in a day. 
The road trip to Florida was part of the reason my dad agreed to help build a challenge car in the first place. So far, in the last 4 days I've been to 8 states I've never been to before. And more on the way home. It's gonna be excellent. 

Just pulled into my buddy's place outside of Atlanta. We'll stay here tonight the head to Gainesville in the morning. No pictures of today's journey. Just imagine trees and hills. That's all it was. 

I used to road trip a lot. Been in the same state for 10 years now, which has been waaaay too long. Enjoy the trip & time with dad!

barefootskater (Shaun) said:

In reply to Mr_Asa :

I've been from Utah to California a million times. And I've been down to Phoenix and up as far as Idaho falls, but I've never done a trip like this. Never been somewhere in a car that I couldn't drive to in a day. 
The road trip to Florida was part of the reason my dad agreed to help build a challenge car in the first place. So far, in the last 4 days I've been to 8 states I've never been to before. And more on the way home. It's gonna be excellent. 

I used to bomb up and down I-95 two or three times a year when I was young and stationed in DC.  14.5 hour drive in one go.  Not my cup of tea anymore.

About 8 years ago I took a week to get from Tallahassee to Oxnard, Ca.  That was fun.  Coming back Dad flew out and we went 1500 miles out of the way just wandering and seeing places we hadn't seen before.  Visited family neither of us had seen in a decade.  A good long road trip is good for the soul

We've spent the evening at a good friends place outside Atlanta. 
I say friends, I mean family. Long time. The only other reason I'd travel this far is to visit these folks and the route we're on took us right to their doorstep.
This whole trip has been a humbling experience, spending the evening here, eating on the back porch, it's doing me good. Doing my soul good. 
 

In other news, I'm not great being away from my wife and kids. There's a big chunk of me still back in Utah. I'm eager to get back to them. The only other time I've felt like this was when my daughter was in NICU for two weeks and we couldn't even stay with her. Anyway, that's enough sappy stuff. 
 

Im having fun. Road trips are great. It's just that next time, I'm bringing my family. 

This is the last leg before our final destination in Florida. Coming up on Macon GA, riding I75 all the way. 
 

Again, not much to show. No pictures. Just Georgia trees and interstate. 
 

Actually,

That is likely faster than we'll manage on the drag strip. And don't worry, I'm a passenger right now. 
 

This is excellent. You are winning The Challenge.

We landed some hours ago. Got checked into the hotel and started unloading the car. 
 

These people, you people, are awesome. Folks have been friendly and welcoming and even with a smaller crowd than usual, we've had a huge amount of help offered. 
 

I started by distributing the small pile of parts I shuttled down, then started our prep work. Adapters, wheels, stickers, and a bit of brainstorming and I present:

Borrowed a sander and uncovered the green paint under the black. Looks rad. 
Had some good food, and good conversation. Calling it a night. The event starts for real in the morning. My take so far: if you've not been to the GRM Challenge, find a way to go. It's worth the effort/money/time. 

Hoondavan said:

That's how I feel, and I'm not even competing, just coming to work. I get to be there!

See you soon!

barefootskater (Shaun) said:

Borrowed a sander and uncovered the green paint under the black. Looks rad. 
 

The wheels look period appropriate in the green color- so yes, quite rad!

Wow, those four spokes are incredible!

The wheels are as good as I could have hoped for. They fit the look of the car extremely well. The offset is perfect with the adapters. 
Is good. Would again. 
 

Rain made plans change a bit. Maybe good we won't be doing drags tonight. I'm exhausted. I may not even make the pool party at the hotel. 

barefootskater (Shaun) said:

I'm exhausted. I may not even make the pool party at the hotel. 

Power nap, then make the pool party slash spend the night in the parking lot. That's what's up.

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

I woke up with a sweet tooth and they sell chocolate bars in the lobby. I stopped by the pool on my way back. Pretty sure I met Poopshovel. Too tired to party. Back to bed. 

Well, we're off again. Chasing the sunset. 
 

The Challenge is worth the trip. I can't imagine how awesome it must be with a full field. I think the final count was 32 cars this year. Still, excellent. 
 

We stopped at a billboard gas station for souvenirs. Bought a gator head for my wife. 
 

In full competition mode. We did better than I expected. I'll give a write up of the competition on my build thread, "the fickle motorist..."

Were hoping for Pensacola tonight. Or close to. 

In reply to barefootskater (Shaun) :

I'm not sure of you're route, but I'm about 2-hours east of there in Biloxi. Message me if you run into any troubles or need anything, if you're passing this way. 7sixer5 seven1four 29 thirty-five. 

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

Awesome! I'll let you know if we need anything. We're just getting to Tallahassee so I don't think we'll get that far tonight. Hoping to get west of Houston tomorrow. 

I’m half way between Tallahassee and Pensacola, but 45 min above the interstate. Available if ya need anything, though. 

Alabama. Got a hotel. Tired. Stinky. Don't care. Going to sleep. Tomorrow should see some cool stuff. Lots of water.