In total, from metro Detroit to New Orleans and back (with a diversion to K'zoo), the odometer says we covered 3700 give or take a mile. Tojo's fuel consumption was 31.73 miles per gallon for the whole trip and it used just one quart of oil. Besides Tojo's desire to get too hot, nothing serious went wrong. We popped the hood and had it riding on the saftey catch, though I added a couple bungees as safety straps for the safety catch. It helped, but it something was still amiss, so we just babied it home. I haven't investigated the cooling system yet. I'd like to, in the name of science, just to know what is going on before it goes back into 'storage'. If you want to take a long trip with Tojo, just remember to:
a) run with the heat on.
b) coast down hills with clutch in, letting engine idle
c) led the hood ride on safety latch for better airflow.
d) don't go above 65 mph for very long.
Of passing interest, Street Safari organizes more trips in Europe, and it was mentioned that the US events are different for a few reasons. One is that all the teams at least try the challenges. In Europe maybe a third try. Second is the teams travel together more here. I guess you'll see other cars in Europe, but not so often. Third, I guess in the US there is more camaraderie in the hotel parking lots, sharing beverages and such. When we heard this, the replies were along the lines of 'if you're not going to travel together and do the challenges, why pay the money to do it in the first place?' So there you are.
The 'Abandoned Vehicle' bumper sticker arrived after we left, and for some reason never put the 'Tail of the Dragon' sticker on the car, so here they are:
I have recently acquired a car that meets the BABE Rally criteria... for just $350! It already starts and will move under its own power. Stopping is another issue... Will we do this next year? Probably, as I'm sure I'll be living out of a car by that time anyway with lots of time on my hands.
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