The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Rally! → Escape from Moscow: opinions?
I am looking at doing Escape from Moscow next year in my 1966 Ford Thunderbird, and was curious as to whether or not it's worth it. Your thoughts? It's the same one raced by John Paul II High in The Great Race for reference.
probably depends on what you get enjoyment from. If sitting on your couch is high on your list, skip the rally. If doing something challenging and meeting neat people and suffering in the name of stupidity is your thing, go for it. It don't get any better!
probably depends on what you get enjoyment from. If sitting on your couch is high on your list, skip the rally. If doing something challenging and meeting neat people and suffering in the name of stupidity is your thing, go for it. It don't get any better!
I couldn't agree more! There's nothing like driving 2700 miles in a week and ending up exactly where you started.
Sounds like my cup of tea then.
it's a complete waste of time. wears out your car and costs for gas. all the participants are fairly nuts. i wish i could do it again tomorrow.
^^^ This guy
I'm going to add that if you care about your Tbird at all maybe running it through the salty north-east winter might not be for you. I couldn't believe how much salt accumulated on the Niva in all of two days, and you're looking at a guy who grew up with seven months of winter.
But yeah, having run all three rallies, I'd have to say the Retreat from Moscow was my favourite. It had a lot to do with not driving around in a gigantic circle. Also, seriously, screw Santa Cruz. Why did we go back there?
^^^ This guy
I'm going to add that if you care about your Tbird at all maybe running it through the salty north-east winter might not be for you. I couldn't believe how much salt accumulated on the Niva in all of two days, and you're looking at a guy who grew up with seven months of winter.
But yeah, having run all three rallies, I'd have to say the Retreat from Moscow was my favourite. It had a lot to do with not driving around in a gigantic circle. Also, seriously, screw Santa Cruz. Why did we go back there?
The international metro noticeably changed color over the course of the rally. There was quite a bit of bare raw metal on that truck where they paint had been baked off over the years. It all turned red by the end.
I did cringe at several of the vehicles on the rally, that they were being subjected (probably for the first time) to the horrors of a salted road. I grew up in the mid west, and completely forgot about how important a windshield washer is, since you just don't need one down here. After a few miles with the heat on you end up not being able to see shit out of the windshield. We fixed that the first day with a super soaker and a length of hose zip-tied to the wiper arm.
The next winter rally will most likely not be in the same area. The West Coast version has a critical base in Monterey, but the East Coast seems to have more flexibility. Remember, the original idea was Moscow Idaho to Paris Texas.... yikes.
The next winter rally will most likely not be in the same area. The West Coast version has a critical base in Monterey, but the East Coast seems to have more flexibility. Remember, the original idea was Moscow Idaho to Paris Texas.... yikes.
I like the sound of that. I would consider running that. I'm ready for another rally I just can't swing the East Coast.
I'd also be 100% down for Idaho to Texas. Mostly because the start would be only ten hours due south, not several days like any of the others. (The drive back would be longer, sure, but the homeward leg is always quicker.) Going through the mountains in winter would be beautiful.
But the rumour mill at barber was suggestive that they would stick with a more East Coast winter and West Coast summer route, with the east one being associated with a south-east race, much like the west-coast is associated with the Concours d'Lemons. It was also suggested that there are many Moscows in the north-east/ eastern mid-west, and several Parises in the south-east. The idea would be to keep things more accessible to everyone. And this is something I've become more acutely aware of having recently moved about 1000 miles west from my former location smack dab in the middle of the continent, where just about everywhere was within 30 hours of driving. It adds an entire day onto the trip to anywhere east, and because of the awkwardness of north-south routes along the continental divide, didn't actually knock all that much time off the trip to Monterey, largely due to the fact my drive started by heading east...
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