So excited for the Rustbelt Ramble 2022 (Page 1 of 2)

Did I see somewhere that this starts in Detroit, heads to Dayton then Pittsburgh all on day 1?

Thanks! That a MUCH more reasonable drive on Day 1! Lmfao!

Thanks!  I'm excited to participate this year! 

This is my 3rd escort, and I'm familiar with Fords, but this one has sat for 10+ years in a garage, so I really need to go ALL through it.

I'm wide open and would love any tips, tricks, suggestions, must haves, etc!

Ten years is nothing....the brakes and fuel system probably still work!

But yeah, it all depends on what condition it's in. Some cars deteriorate really quickly. some don't.

If the fuel system got moisture in it, you can have trouble, might need another tank. If the tank is still clean, you might just have to deal with gummy fuel residue at carb/injectors, possibly pump and filter, and possibly lines.

Brakes are good to have. Discs survive better than drums, and modern master cylinders with the rubber diaphragm under the lid are better than old ones with a vented cap. Make sure the brakes work, make sure the rear wheel cylinders are not sticking. If the hoses look flaky, replace them.

Check the radiator for crap in it, and if the water pump is at all suspect, put in a new one. Timing belt? if you don't know, put a new one on. Or be prepared to deal with it. Fan belts...might be ok, might not. Spares are cheap and easy to buy at home.

Have fun! neat cars, I had to work on a few 30 years ago.

sounds good!

Old gas can make intake valves stick, I avoid it.

I went to Niagra last year, I highly recommend!

It's only a 30 minute drive from Buffalo.  If nothing else, not a bad Detour!

I'm starting to accumulate supplies to build my ice cooled air chiller...the Deathscort doesn't have AC, so wanna keep my drinks cool and myself at the same time! Lol

If you both have passport cards, just hit the falls quick and zip across Canada back to Detroit.

No passports or enhanced licenses here yet.  I'd planned to do our passports back in March of 2020 (our city clerk's office handles it, including the photographs), but the world decided to take a poop instead. It's one of those things we keep putting off and/or forgetting about.

Then again, the way the border crossings are these days, the (theoretically) slower 100km/h speeds in Canada combined with the delay going over the Bluewater Bridge is probably not much different from traveling the south side of Lake Erie at 75-80 MPH (keeping up with traffic).

Lining up my hotel rooms for RBR 2022. 

The recommended hotels, alas, are too spendy--the only way I can budget this is to save a few dollars on rooms, especially with gas prices soaring. Can't guarantee 100% I'll be joining the rally (I won't know until a week or two beforehand, thanks to the work schedule and an uncertain family situation) but at least I'll have rooms set already, and I have a couple of months to prepare one of two suitable hoopties for safe-ish travels. Grinding, welding, drywall screws and and *cough* custom painting *cough* may be involved on the older hooptie...provided it's still safe to attempt to drive.   

So far, the Red Roof Dayton - Moraine/U of Dayton has the best rates in the area, $122, including taxes, and it's close to the suggested Courtyard which is $228 before taxes.  I normally avoid Red Roof, but this one appears to be brand new and unsullied. At least, until I get there and throw a TV through a window, or write "REDRUM" on the bathroom mirror in Crest toothpaste, or something.

Downtown Pittsburgh is surprisingly pricey in mid July.  I've booked the Clarion Hotel up in Cranberry Twp., about 25 minutes north of downtown for $103, including taxes.  (AAA rate includes free cancellation.)  I'll still try to get to Klavon's, barring any incoming travel issues.

Since I live just north of Detroit in a lazy lakeside bungalow-burb, the "room" is free.    Think I'll try to grab a room near Niagara Falls for Sunday night, and see if they still rent barrels for the Falls...

We haven't traveled here at the Hooptie Garage since 2019, so it's like we're making up for lost time this year.  I did the Rocky Mountain Breakdown, will 95% most likely do the Rust Belt Ramble, and may do one other this year (maybe Great River Road or Fall Fail-iage).  I'm headed to Asheville over Memorial Day weekend, and will probably be back in Utah and Colorado in early August.  So, long story short, I'm trying to save as much as I can on hotel rooms. 

For now, I grabbed a room in Niagara Falls for Sunday night, as I don't feel like driving 6½ hours to get home after the finish line. My youngest was thinking about going, but she wants to save up her time off for a longer road trip next year.  So I'll probably doing RBR solo.  Only this time, I need to make amends with Jeff:  "Next time, bring a shittier car."  Maybe not completely turd-worthy, but I have time to do up a proper theme, and am exploring the possibility of using Con-Tact paper as a temporary wrap for either of the hoopties I'll choose to bring...

I'll probably have to do all my rallies solo (nobody else I know is interested enough to do it, or can't take off time to do it), and having done RMB on my own, it has its ups and downs. The biggest drawback is not having someone to do the research while I'm driving--the first day is tough because I don't have the luxury of an evening in the hotel room to plot the next day's stops.  And I'm sure my schedule won't line up with anyone else's--I like the independence to leave as early as I can, make no unnecessary stops, and find food I can live with.  (Let's just put it out there that if I were to stop at a fast food restaurant, many more stops at restrooms along the way would be required. ) 

However, it would be more fun to have someone ride along, and good to have someone riding in the drinker's seat to make sure I stay awake.  (At least on our crappy Michigan roads, no worries about falling asleep since we're too busy dodging car-eating potholes or orange construction barrels.)

There were three of us that I know of on RMB that were solo--JIm, myself, and the Fiat.  We all finished!