Road Trip home…finally.


roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
8,095
ma.
After buying my car in late October, it is finally coming home. My son and I flew to Jersey to visit Bob Ida, who has had the car since very early November. We left our house about 5am, got to Bob’s about 11am and hit the road at noon. Our first day ended as designed in Knoxville, TN. We arrived at Midnight, no bad weather, no mishaps with the car. Wow is it a beast. We headed south out of Jersey through Philly, Wilmington, Baltimore and DC before turning west on 66 and then SW on 81. Too much of the ride was in the dark but we avoided the weather and the car can always come back this way in the spring or summer.
I put about 655 miles on the car today, I don’t know if I can catch some of you who are at or above 40k, but I’m gonna try! It will turn over 16k miles by Sunday.
Thanks to all of you who helped me figure out parts sources and thanks most of all to those of you who drive your car regularly and encouraged me to do the same.
Submoose
Bob Ida is a class act and all round good guy!
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,920
Gainesville FL
Submoose sent more pics and text ...

"What a ride. My son has been driving a manual for about 90 days full time, but did some practice driving with me last summer.
Start to #1 was day one, about 655 miles.
Day 2 was #1 to #14, about 240 miles
Day 3 was 14 to the end, about 440 miles."
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"This is a garage that was built in 1924, my father and I rebuilt it 18 months ago to use as our personal garage for working on our own cars.

There is a longer story but that is the gist of Smitty’s.

The rest are just shots along the way!"

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fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,704
Belleville, IL
Funny, the reflection in the window glass looks like a white Porsche.
 

fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,704
Belleville, IL
My last time making the drive to Atlanta in the 18 GT for the Petit LeMans, it rained all the way down and all the way back. Those long mountain pulls in the misty rain were a little scary for a flatlander. Congrats. I know of only one other blue car in the St Louis area.
 
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Submoose

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 28, 2023
112
St. Louis, MO
Funny, the reflection in the window glass looks like a white Porsche.
Trick photography! ‘84 with 137k miles. My oldest son and I drove that one back from San Diego in September last year, 2k mile trip! It’s actually Glacier Blue which is a really cool (to me) light blue color!
 
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Submoose

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 28, 2023
112
St. Louis, MO
Submoose sent more pics and text ...

"What a ride. My son has been driving a manual for about 90 days full time, but did some practice driving with me last summer.
Start to #1 was day one, about 655 miles.
Day 2 was #1 to #14, about 240 miles
Day 3 was 14 to the end, about 440 miles."
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"This is a garage that was built in 1924, my father and I rebuilt it 18 months ago to use as our personal garage for working on our own cars.

There is a longer story but that is the gist of Smitty’s.

The rest are just shots along the way!"

View attachment 69177
Jeff thank you very much for getting these up!
 
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w.a.nelson

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 29, 2008
1,119
Asbury, NJ
Congratulations, and welcome.

Awesome trip! Very brave to start your relationship that way.

Unfair pictures for your son to show to his friends.
 
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Simon

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 19, 2013
1,265
Houston
My last time making the drive to Atlanta in the 18 GT for the Petit LeMans, it rained all the way down and all the way back. Those long mountain pulls in the misty rain were a little scary for a flatlander. Congrats. I know of only one other blue car in the St Louis area.
We did that drive from Houston...they way back was worse for us esp along the coast.
 
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steved57

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
Congratulations on the car Submoose - love that blue

Drove mine from East Texas to Daytona and back with a decent amount of rain ( think there was 8 GT's)
Also drove it from Detroit to here from Rally 10