I used the "Road To" theme last year, "2001, a (fill in the blank)
Oddesy" was already a tired, old cliche' by mid January and "Colorado Crew"
was already taken by the Minnesota club so I guess I'll anoy the Denver
folks and utilize the old, trite phase "Mile High." But they shouldn't
worry, what will the Minneapolis group think about the "You Becha Tour"
coming up next year?
This trip is promising to be a test of the sorting out job I did on the
cooling system of the TR8. Last year, as you may recall, I had some
difficulties related to a radiator cap that would not hold pressure and
cooling fan fuses. I also discovered that someone (I swear it wasn't me)
put the wrong thermo switch in the wrong place. Now the fans come on in the
proper sequence (low speed first and then high), they both work, and the
radiator cap holds 15 PSI (I even tested it, it does). The only other
modification was to add a recovery tank to catch any overflow from the
expansion reservoir. Since I expect to reach new heights (altitudinally
speaking) I am anxious about what will happen.
So, we began our Mile High Meander with a party at my house attended by
Local members Brian and Robin, Mel and Gail (with their Awsome Healey), Don
and Suzanne, Richard and his '65 Corvette driving buddy, Gary the
webmaster, Linda and her friend Laurie, and me. Joining us from out of
town were Scott Tilton and his wife Bridget of the Richmond Triumph
Register (in a red '70 TR6 with panasports), Dan Masters from Alcoa, Tenn,
(in a red '71 TR6 with panasports), Fred Thomas also from Virginia ('59
TR3) and Ken Gano form Cherlston, Ill. in his Herald. One lesson learned
is if you are having guests, pack first. After leaving I realized I forgot
to grab my atlas, my TR reference books, my car wax, my RainX (R), my
plastic window detailer, my chamois, my wash rag... well, you get the idea.
The drive to Goodland KS (approx 650 miles) was fundementally uneventful.
Thank goodness! We left St. Louis (at about 500 ft above sea level*) and
after driving 250 miles we arrived in Kansas City (900 ft). We then
proceeded acros Kansas. It is a common misbelief that Kansas is flat. Not
so. It is far from flat. We left Kansas City (900 ft) and after crossing
half the state (Russel, KS) we had reached 2000 ft in elevation. And we
had only just begun for the next 180 miles to Goodland would add another
1800 feet on top of that. So in the 500 miles from east to west we climbed
2,900 feet in altitude. Kansas isn't flat. It's tilted. And to the
right, no less (you figure it out).
Tomorrow will bring us to Denver and yet more thin air. Time to lean out
the carbs.
Reporting from Goodland, KS
Dave Massey
On the Road to...oops, that was last year. Meandering to Breckinridge.
*Note: all altitude readings are taken with my $26 altimeter I bought from
J.C. Whitney and as such are accurate to within 300 ft at best.
/// triumphs@autox.team.net mailing list
/// To unsubscribe send a plain text message to majordomo@autox.team.net
/// with nothing in it but
///
/// unsubscribe triumphs
///
|