Road Trip

[bobcowan]

I'm "forced" to go to Jackson Hole for a week for a medical conferance. I'm really looking foreward to it. The conferance looks good, and I want to spend some time in Teton NP. The weather is supposed to be picture perfect all week.

I go to a conferance somewhere every year. I usually ride the Harley; it's fun to ride and gets pretty good gas mileage. But 1200 miles on a bike can wear you out.

But this year I'v decided to drive the Roadster. We went on the Cruise Colorado trip last month, and had a great time. The car is easy to drive, comfortable, and get 20mpg. A trunk is nice, too.

It's about 600 miles one way. I could get there in one day - but where's the fun in that? I want a nice leisurly trip without having to rush or meet a schedule. I'll be taking back roads and mountain passes most of the way, and avoiding the freeway whenever possible. On the way up I'll stay overnight in Vernal, UT. On the way back I'll stop in Rawlins.

I'll post pics and info during the trip. This is going to be fun.

[bobcowan]

Getting time to hit the road. here's the route I'll be taking. I stop tonight in Vernal, UT. Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise.

[bobcowan]

Had a great morning. Across the mountains, and over Independance Pass, ino Aspen. I didn't stop in Aspen, though. I did stop in Glenwood Sprigs for lunch around 1300. There's a nice park where I could sit in the shade and eat lunch.





About 10 miles north of Rifle, the car started to run oddly. As I pulled over, it sputtered and stalled. The fuel pum p was making an odd noise, like the tank was empty. I filled up in Glenwood Sprins.

Bu it started again, so I drove back to Rifle. It ran great for about 20 miles All the way back to I70, and then half way back through town again. It died again in the middle of town. Some guys helped me push it into a parking lot.

I pulled the filter out, and it was fine. I put it back together without a filter. It started fine. But ther pump sounded the same - terrible. I called a tow truck, and had it towed back to Glenwood Springs.



Michele is bringing me a new fuel pump. If that works, I'll press on in the AM. If not.......

[bobcowan]

Well, my lovely pit crew comes through again. Michele brought out a spare A1000 fuel pump. We worked in the parking lot of the hotel until about 2230. All is well, and the car runs great. So I pressed on in the AM, and Michele headed home.

Howard, I do get about 20mpg crusing along at 70-75mph. hne computer is well tuned, and the engine runs just great. It's all in the tune.

So, anyway, back to the trip. I drove from Glenwood Springs to Vernal, UT. Kind of a lonely drive that way. Not much traffic, but some nice scenery.



North of Vernal is the Flaming River Gorge recreation area. Now this is some beautifull country. Lots of great vistas, spectacular scenery, and some nice driving. The short stretch of road between Vernal, UT, and Rock Springs, WY, was the highlight of the day. I'll have to do that again.

[bobcowan]

Of course, I had to hit some rain and hail at the top of the pass. Storms like this don't last long, so I just press on. A little bit of water isn't going to hurt anything. A road trip without rain is like..... Well, I don't know. I'v never been on road trip w/o rain.




This is where the Oregon Trail crosses Rt 191 in WY, North of Rock Springs. Can you imagine traveling across this landscape in a covered wagon?



The car just ran great all day; something like 400 miles. Smooth and easy, regardless of altitude or weather. In Vernal it was 103*. Water and oil temp hovered around 180* all day. Perfect.

Now I'm in Jackson Hole. Got a nice hotel with a small Suite. I'll be here until Sat morning. After the class room time, I'll find something fun to do. I'll post more pics as the days go on.

You can see more pics here: http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ackson%20Hole/

[209]

Hi Bob,
Nice trip through the mountains and pics to boot. When you're staying at various hotels, do you do anything special for security? You can't always get a ground floor room with an open spot in front. Looking forward to the rest of the story. Cliff

[SimonSays]

Great trip indeed !

A few years ago I was doing a roadtrip in the US with a buddy, and we were planning to take Trail Ridge Road (US34 I believe) through the Rockies (Granby to Denver). Maybe that's a good way to head back home?
We had to cancel that part of the trip because the pass was closed by snow. Still hope to do it some day

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Nice road trip. I thought 150 miles was an adventure in a Cobra, but 1200 miles is just an awesome trek. Good luck and post more photos.

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by 209

Hi Bob,
When you're staying at various hotels, do you do anything special for security?

Cliff

I remove the steering wheel, and either lock it in the trunk, or carry it into the room. I have a motorcycle cable lock that I wrap through the wheel and around a suspension component. And I put it under a cover.

Nothing makes the car theft proof. But you can slow them down a bit.

Originally Posted by SimonSays

Great trip indeed !

A few years ago I was doing a roadtrip in the US with a buddy, and we were planning to take Trail Ridge Road (US34 I believe) through the Rockies (Granby to Denver). Maybe that's a good way to head back home?
We had to cancel that part of the trip because the pass was closed by snow. Still hope to do it some day

Trail Ridge rd is awesome. It's the highest paved continuous road in America. I'v been over that route in a number of differant vehicles. The Cobra is the best, but a Harley comes in a close second.

[LRRCobradreamer]

We might be going in the same area the first two weeks of Aug. We were planning on camping, but things have changed. My knee is the problem, so we may end up in Hotels. Which Hotel did you say in? Reservation needed? It does not sound like you had any.

Lee

[bobcowan]

Jackson Hole is a ourist town. There's a bunch of hotels available. In the summer, I highly recommend a reservation.

I'm staying in the Quality Inn 49'er, part of the Choice Hotels group. I usually stick with this group, because I get a lot of free nights. The suite is nice, but nothing to get real excited about. It's an extra large room with a couch and fire place. They have a free breakfast, but I don't eat in the mroning, so I'v not tried it.

Across the street is a place called "Cowboy Village". It's a bunch of indivual cabins. They look pretty nice from the outside. And it's only a few blocks from the town square. http://www.townsquareinns.com/cowboy-village/ Prices are not bad at all. I'd stay there next time I visit.

Be aware that this is the high country. The bottom of the valley is 6,200' ASL. You're flat lander, and will need to adjust your activites accordingly. I see a lot of tourists pushing it too hard on the trails, then huffing and puffing in no time. Walk slow, take your time. Don't smoke.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by SimonSays

Great trip indeed !

A few years ago I was doing a roadtrip in the US with a buddy, and we were planning to take Trail Ridge Road (US34 I believe) through the Rockies (Granby to Denver). Maybe that's a good way to head back home?
We had to cancel that part of the trip because the pass was closed by snow. Still hope to do it some day

I live about 20 miles from Estes Park. Avoid Trail Ridge this year. We were just up there the 4th of July weekend. About 1/2 of the Road is under construction, with the center point being the visitor center. Up to one hour waits on each side, plus lots of loose gravel. I didn't even want to drive my truck, there were rocks spraying everywhere.

[RallySnake]

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I've driven lots of long trips in my Arntz and can relate to the fun you are having.

I've learned the hard way to never depend on just one fuel pump. After the third time I broke down (in a bad neighbohood in East LA) I decided not to let that happen again. I just installed a second pump in parallel with primary and rigged up a switch to change from one to the other. In over 100,000 miles in my Cobra, the secondary pump has saved me at least 6 times. One time was in West Texas many, many miles from anything. If you do this, you will not regret it.

I also believe in having two MSD ignition systems but that has only been used once. I also carry a spare vacuum advance for the MSD distributor. That has failed twice.

Good luck on the rest of your trip,
Rallysnake

[Sminor]

Hey Bob,
Great pictures, thanks for posting.....I should roll into Jackson on Monday afternoon. Please leave some good weather when you go home.
steve

[bobcowan]

RalleySnake, that's a good idea. I never thought about another fuel pump as a back up. I'll have to look in to that.

I do carry spare ignition parts in the trunk: module, cap, rotor, gear.

Steve, I plan on taking most of the good weather home with me. I want a nice drive home. It's raining today, so maybe that will be it for the next week or so.

[Stoney FFR]

Looks like you're having a great trip Bob! Glad you only had to deal with the rain for a short time. I hope the rest of your trip is enjoyable! Looking forward to more photos!

RallySnake. I'm curious, why do you think you've gone through 6 fuel pumps in 100,000 miles? Something don't sound right..

[cscobra]

Now, this is a great thread. Thank you, Bob!

[snakebittexan]

Any more photos and details to share?

[RallySnake]

Joe,

Have you ever looked in a gas tank? I have been driving my Arntz for 24 years. I have modified the Bronco gas tank a couple of times. Before I weld or solder something to it, I clean it out and fill it with water. When I spray water from a hose into the tank, it is amazing the amount of sand that comes out of it. I live 25 miles from the ocean and there's a bunch of mountains between the gas stations where I normally buy gas and the beach, so I don't understand where all the sand comes from. However, I suspect that all gas stations with buried storage tanks have some crud in them.

The least expensive "solid state" fuel pump is about $35. That is CHEAP insurance to make sure you get where you're going.

RallySnake