Back from Anaheim - now w/ NAMM pictures
01-24-2006 | 04:07 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 53
From: Seattle
Back from Anaheim - now w/ NAMM pictures
Got back at 3pm today. Left at 3:30 yesterday and decided to take my time getting home since I pushed the car quite hard for most of the trip down there.
The car ran like a champ the whole way. Only had to put a little oil in it because of my leak, but aside from that, everything was great...except one thing that freaked me out that I'll get to in a minute.
Fuel mileage was noted on every tank. I pulled pretty consistant 30mpg on the way down there, with 350-400 miles between stopping for gas. One stop was 450 I think, but I misplaced the reciept so I can't be sure. Gallons per fill was 13.5 - I never saw the low gas light during the trip.
It was 1172 miles. It took three 13.5 gallon fills plus two gallons before Tejon Pass to be on the safe side. That gives me 28.9 miles per gallon - close enough to 30mpg for me. I got to Anaheim, parked at the hotel, then drove a block to Subway for something to eat...that's when the low gas light came on.
Coming back was a bit worse - I had a NASTY headwind all the way through California. Wind was blowing STRONG. Return trip took 3 1/2 tanks.
Shortly after I started my trip, I nearly turned around and came home. About 20 miles from my home, I noticed something funny coming from under my hood. Light. It lit up brightly when I stepped on the gas, and went away when I released the gas. FIRE?!?!?! and I forgot my extinguisher! thought I...so I stopped and opened the hood. No fire. Close hood, Get in, step on gas...undert he hood lights up. Freaked me out.
It turned out to be the under hood light....but still..freaked me the hell out. I figured out it was the light when I removed it and the problem stopped...
So, the reason I left at midnight is simple. No traffic. Anywhere. Needless to say, the car was driven pretty hard. I mostly obeyed the speed limit through Oregon, especially the northern part, but once I hit the wide open spaces of California, the car opened up. NO traffic anywhere, for miles. Except the occasional line of trucks.
At 100, the car is at an easy cruising speed. At 130, the car is just beginning to quiver a bit, like a woman who's just had a rough night... Most of the open expanse areas were done between 90 and 110, with the occasional lightspeed jump to 130 for 15-20 miles when the urge to pee increased.
I do have to count my blessing though. Didn't get pulled over, but almost did at one point. I was getting ready to blow by a line of trucks when the last truck in line moved over to pass the guy in front of me - about 1/2 miles ahead. I had to slow down. By the time I slowed enough to hit the speed limit, we were passing under an overpass and woulnd't you know it? Cop on the other side. If I weren't for that trucker, I probably wouldn't be here right now....
I don't like hanging around the trucks - I now have a nice rock ding in my windshield from a truck throwing a rock.
I had to ask a CA cop friend of mine when I got down there about the air patrol...I told him he needed to write me a ticket by proxy and asked "would they mail me a ticket?" He said no, they'd radio a car on the highway and he'd catch you. Why, how fast were you going"
"Too fast" I said"
"Well, how fast?" he asked again..
"Well, it has a 1 and a 3, and it wasn't 13 or 31."
I think he wants to go for a ride next time I drive down...
I also have some night-shot video on the return trip I need to take a look at...
The car ran like a champ the whole way. Only had to put a little oil in it because of my leak, but aside from that, everything was great...except one thing that freaked me out that I'll get to in a minute.
Fuel mileage was noted on every tank. I pulled pretty consistant 30mpg on the way down there, with 350-400 miles between stopping for gas. One stop was 450 I think, but I misplaced the reciept so I can't be sure. Gallons per fill was 13.5 - I never saw the low gas light during the trip.
It was 1172 miles. It took three 13.5 gallon fills plus two gallons before Tejon Pass to be on the safe side. That gives me 28.9 miles per gallon - close enough to 30mpg for me. I got to Anaheim, parked at the hotel, then drove a block to Subway for something to eat...that's when the low gas light came on.
Coming back was a bit worse - I had a NASTY headwind all the way through California. Wind was blowing STRONG. Return trip took 3 1/2 tanks.
Shortly after I started my trip, I nearly turned around and came home. About 20 miles from my home, I noticed something funny coming from under my hood. Light. It lit up brightly when I stepped on the gas, and went away when I released the gas. FIRE?!?!?! and I forgot my extinguisher! thought I...so I stopped and opened the hood. No fire. Close hood, Get in, step on gas...undert he hood lights up. Freaked me out.
It turned out to be the under hood light....but still..freaked me the hell out. I figured out it was the light when I removed it and the problem stopped...
So, the reason I left at midnight is simple. No traffic. Anywhere. Needless to say, the car was driven pretty hard. I mostly obeyed the speed limit through Oregon, especially the northern part, but once I hit the wide open spaces of California, the car opened up. NO traffic anywhere, for miles. Except the occasional line of trucks.
At 100, the car is at an easy cruising speed. At 130, the car is just beginning to quiver a bit, like a woman who's just had a rough night... Most of the open expanse areas were done between 90 and 110, with the occasional lightspeed jump to 130 for 15-20 miles when the urge to pee increased.
I do have to count my blessing though. Didn't get pulled over, but almost did at one point. I was getting ready to blow by a line of trucks when the last truck in line moved over to pass the guy in front of me - about 1/2 miles ahead. I had to slow down. By the time I slowed enough to hit the speed limit, we were passing under an overpass and woulnd't you know it? Cop on the other side. If I weren't for that trucker, I probably wouldn't be here right now....
I don't like hanging around the trucks - I now have a nice rock ding in my windshield from a truck throwing a rock.
I had to ask a CA cop friend of mine when I got down there about the air patrol...I told him he needed to write me a ticket by proxy and asked "would they mail me a ticket?" He said no, they'd radio a car on the highway and he'd catch you. Why, how fast were you going"
"Too fast" I said"
"Well, how fast?" he asked again..
"Well, it has a 1 and a 3, and it wasn't 13 or 31."
I think he wants to go for a ride next time I drive down...
I also have some night-shot video on the return trip I need to take a look at...
Last edited by WolfeMacleod; 01-24-2006 at 05:00 PM.
01-24-2006 | 04:59 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 53
From: Seattle
Pictures have now been posted. You can see them at http://www.wolfetone.com/images/namm/ as a photo gallery.
Here's a few of them...
The girl you'll see in several pictures is the daughter of a friend of mine that came down. He was stiffed out of his passes by someone else (a competitor and friend of mine, no less) for the last two years, so I registered to become a Namm member finally, and told him to get his family down there. He's the muscular guy in the blue shirt in a few pics...known as "Herc" on the guitar forums. His daughter Lauren is 15, and was absolutely thrilled to meet these guys...
Herc's daughter with Kerry King from Slayer
With Mark Temonti ( I think)
Herc and some people on stilts
Nikki Sixx
Wall - o - Fernandes guitars.
Here's a few of them...
The girl you'll see in several pictures is the daughter of a friend of mine that came down. He was stiffed out of his passes by someone else (a competitor and friend of mine, no less) for the last two years, so I registered to become a Namm member finally, and told him to get his family down there. He's the muscular guy in the blue shirt in a few pics...known as "Herc" on the guitar forums. His daughter Lauren is 15, and was absolutely thrilled to meet these guys...
Herc's daughter with Kerry King from Slayer
With Mark Temonti ( I think)
Herc and some people on stilts
Nikki Sixx
Wall - o - Fernandes guitars.
Last edited by WolfeMacleod; 01-24-2006 at 06:50 PM.
