LocostUSA.com

This is going to be such fun! I'm picking up Chet's Miata-powered Locost April 14...
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=952&start=450
...and driving it to Lakeland FL for the Sun 'N' Fun Fly In April 21--26 (where I'll write stories for various mags--you didn't think all my wealth came from the Locost industry, did you?), then driving home to Oregon. I haven't picked my route home, though I'm guessing southern US to avoid the weather nasties. Anybody got any ideas? I'll be tent camping and pretty dang footloose.

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Locost builder and adventurer, and owner/operator of http://www.kineticvehicles.com

I know I'm biased because I live here, but if you've never driven a sports car through the Southern Utah Red Rock, you haven't lived... Swing up through SLC and see JR's build, and the rust bucket...

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In God We Trust... All Others, Bring Data.

Miata based, custom chassis build in progress. First Drive!!! http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=2269&start=375

If you aren't rushing back to Oregon, the Mitty at Road Atlanta is May 01-03. Stalkerv6 Brunson usually shows up, along with Factory Five, Chuck Beck "Spyderman", and others. I'll be there too. It seems like I just missed you in Alabama with the Ron Champion/GRM build a few years ago.

Edited to correct dates!!!

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R ('70s mazda pickup)
http://www.vsusp.com
ford IFS cheap viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Frame L x cockpit W x eng bay HT (w/o hood/bonnet/cowl)
Lotus Super Seven: 115 (no spare) x39x7.25
Tiger Avon: 114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion (Book): 114x42x11
Gibbs Haynes: 122x42x14
VoDou: 113x44x14
McSorley “442”122x46x14
Collins “241” 127x46x12

could you stop by michigan? it is not that far out of the way
seriously though, i would swing through utah and see canyonlands and mesa verde and bryce canyon....
But i digress

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Read my build thread!
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=52903#52903
over 12 postings!

Supposedly the shortest, easiest way is to take I10 all the way to LA and hop on the 5 up to your place. If you were in Portland instead, there's a diagonal route through the snow and mountains though

I haven't been to Florida since I was 6, and I haven't been to Dallas since I was 2. But New Mexico and Arizona, I've been there much more recently! And the Texas Panhandle, but that's not worth mentioning lol.

I don't know the deep south at all, so unless you want to see some civil war battle fields, I'd stick to 10 till around El Paso . Cutting through NM to the 4 corners area is very nice - warm mountains and not many people if you stick to state highways - I once drove along US54 from I40 in north central New Mexico to Alamogordo and didn't see more than 10 vehicles till I was almost to the city! Chaco Canyon in NM is very cool, but would be almost imposible to get to in a Locost. Mesa Verde is worth the visit. Almost every national park is worth it around there if you think ancient pueblo dwellings are interesting.

5 and CA-99 are both pretty boring through the central valley too. But once your around Fresno, you can take some mountain roads that top out at ~3000' (CA-41, 49, 120) and they shouldn't be any snow, and you'd stay in some nice country till just north of sacramento.

Having made the drive from Seattle to FL seven times, I-10 is not the shortest but in late April IMHO I would eliminate any thing that has any potential for snow!! Been there and done that and in a Locost I would stick to places where gasoline stations are handy--therefore do not try Wennamuca to Klamath Falls!!! Even that stretch from Cheyanne to SLC isn't smart this time of the year--I rember topping out at about 11000 feet crossing the Divide!!!The Interstate between St Louis and Kansas City is the roughest stretch of road I have ever been on except for some dirt/gravel roads in Alabama!

When first saw Jack's post. I thought "he's Nuts" but then I remembered reading about his Pacific to Atlantic trip in the Paradactyl--so unless Chets Locost has only a 5 gallon tank, itt should be doable!! Maybe a stop ever hour would be smart.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

Bob Boone
The Villages, FL

I'm going to second(third? 4th? 5th?) I-10 all the way home.

Purely so you can stop by San Antonio, and I can get a look and a ride. I'll show you all of my favorite roads in the hill country. Fair?

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JSullivan

I'm going to have to stick new pins in my map.

The Mitty! That'd be perfect! A gentle cruise up north from Lakeland, then amble west when it's over. I want to be back the first week (well, May 3 at least) so I can deal with the needs of my fellow Locosters but that shouldn't keep me from a quick visit to Atlanta...it's practically on the way. Okay, impractically on the way, but life is for living.

Last time I went through Southern Utah I was in a Dodge van, and I had to park and get out every five minutes because it was all too beautiful to look at through glass, it would be glorious in a Locost. Fear of snow? Hah! I've seen worse. I don't plan to go out of my way to make this an adventure, but I'm not going to hide from it either. Man, what a lot of choices.

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Locost builder and adventurer, and owner/operator of http://www.kineticvehicles.com

Well if you need a place to crash in Phoenix, I have a fully furnished vacant house next door. All it will cost you is a ride in your car. I also have a fully equipped shop with lift, in case you need to fix anything.

Tom

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Sometimes, I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

My short term memory is absolutely horrible and so is my short term memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG16m2e4O6I

A couple years ago we drove out I-40 from SoCal to New Mexico, then headed north to Colorado. It was really cool to drive on the road that has all the towns in from that song... "don't forget Wynona", that town is there, too. On the way back we went a bit further north, crossing east to west from Colorado to just south of SLC on I-70, some great scenery there.

All that was in a Lotus Esprit Turbo... Colorado to San Diego in 11 hours, but I digress.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains, http://www.kimini.com/book_info/

Yeah as a kid I've seen that stretch too many times, heading up to Trinity Lake. Given the choice I'd go CA-99, at least there something to see, some actual genuine farming life, as opposed to I-5, ick, miles and miles of hazing nothingness. I agree, on the way back, come across north of Sacramento and it's not as bad.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains, http://www.kimini.com/book_info/

There is also a bed for you in the Dallas area, and a shop with lift for repairs.

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New owner of the formerly Winston's, formerly Stein's, Miata-Based Locost Build.

Hmmm.... Perhaps hop off I-80 in Yuba Pass on to highway 20, down through the beautiful Nevada City / Grass Valley area, across the valley, past I-5, into some wonderful twisty roads, then along the shores of Clearlake, the Blue Lakes, and Lake Mendocino, connecting with 101 between Ukiah and Willits. Yep... that would be my choice.

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New owner of the formerly Winston's, formerly Stein's, Miata-Based Locost Build.

From OK City to Barstow, CA, I-40 follows Route 66. From OKC east, 40 doesn't follow a historic road - Route 66 went to St. Louis via Tulsa (close to the present route of I-44), the final leg from St. Louis to Chicago was just about abandoned next to I-55. Driving from Michigan to AZ takes you along the path from St. Louis all the way to Phoenix.

I was looking at the wrong calendar.

The Mitty is May 01-03/2009.

http://www.roadatlanta.com/event_detail ... Token.id=3

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R ('70s mazda pickup)
http://www.vsusp.com
ford IFS cheap viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Frame L x cockpit W x eng bay HT (w/o hood/bonnet/cowl)
Lotus Super Seven: 115 (no spare) x39x7.25
Tiger Avon: 114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion (Book): 114x42x11
Gibbs Haynes: 122x42x14
VoDou: 113x44x14
McSorley “442”122x46x14
Collins “241” 127x46x12