Emergency Cleveland to Virginia "Ratline" for Sunday 4/22?

[supplyguy]

Hoping to collect my eBay purchased 1971 Fiat 124 in Cleveland on Saturday 4/21 and drive it home to Virginia (near Washington DC) on Sunday 4/22. Would welcome a few emergency points of contact along the way to reach out to for advice and/or referrals to local mechanics/garages on the route if this goes bad. Will have USAA emergency towing on my policy, and bringing a large buddy as co-driver and car pusher if needed. Route will be I-76 thru Youngstown**, OH to Pittsburgh, and on to Breezewood, then south on I-70 to Hancock, MD, then I-68 through Cumberland to Frederick, MD, then south on I-15 to Leesburg VA.....at which point I will show up on my wife's radar. Should be 350 miles of top down blissful uneventful cruising but you never know. My email is chuckbanks_1@msn.com if anyone can help. Coffee or beers on me if I need assistance! Many thanks - Chuck,

** Thanks already to Kristoj in North Canton for offer to help/meet right up front, and referral to Mondo in Cleveland!

[supplyguy]

One week out from collecting my precious 124 from Cleveland. Paperwork has arrived and will title and register tomorrow. Thanks to you all have contacts in Akron, Pittsburgh, and Hagerstown. Will be experimenting with this thing called Twitter to send updates to friends and family along the way - if any interest look for chuckbanks42k. Thanks!

[ga.spyder]

Good luck,Chuck! The emergency line is a good idea...although you probably wont even need it.If you meet up with kristoj,you might try to collect on a couple of the beers he owes me! He's is a true 'good guy'.

[jfrawley]

A good portion of the DC Fiats crew will be right along your route in Hagerstown, MD for a ride and cook out. We should be at Todd's house around 12:30. Check the website for details:

http://www.dcfiats.org/events/index.html

[JammerX19]

I'm about 40 miles northeast of Pittsburgh but if you run into a snag in my area, give me a call. 724-780-FIAT (3428).

[kristoj]

Craig,

As I recall, it was the other way around on the beers Tell you what, at FFO this year we can both collect from one another! Chuck picked up his car this morning and all was well except for one minor detail. The wipers don't work...and it's raining. We hooked him up with some Rain X and sent him on his way!

Chuck, it was great meeting you today and hanging out for a while. From what I could tell, your new baby appears to be quite solid. Congrats on the purchase. Good luck on the return trip to Virginia and lets us know how made out.

John

[supplyguy]

Well, now I not only own a Fiat 124, I am also a Fiat driver. And when I met my car today my heart sank. It seemed more tired than I had expected, even though I know from experience few cars look as good live as they do in the photos (except perhaps John's car - more on that later). And the wipers don't work, nor do the turn signals or the heat (how did winter resurface at just the wrong time?!), the doorlocks don't work, the top is shabby and the wind noise shrieking, the water temperature hovers at 150 degrees (thermo stuck open or perhaps none at all?), the original 1971 trunk lock I brought with me doesn't fit (inside trunk seems to have been modified with plate welded in?), and when we hit bumps on the highway something is rubbing in the back down low. BUT - after spending quality time with a quality guy - John Kristoff is truly a gentleman - and seeing his car, and driving about an hour back to Cleveland to my hotel with nothing bursting into flames or flying off the car, it is growing on me. How cool is that wooden steering wheel and how shrill the horn? The engine purrs (or I believe it does when the wind isn't howling). Will not jinx the journey tomorrow with a prediction, but I am looking forward to the drive home. Laying up in Cleveland tonight for beer and dinner, and early morning run, and we will head southeast. Thanks again for the encouragement - Chuck.

[supplyguy]

Made it home. 350 miles, seven hours, lost wipers, horn, blinkers, gas gauge, heater, lighter socket, GPS, cell phone, and although the car ran flawlessly at 65 mph for six of the seven hours, the driving rain eventually introduced some engine woes -- stumbling, sputtering, loss of power, etc at the end but it never stalled. Reminded me of Apollo 13. Will let her dry out and begin the process of loving and rehabilitating my car. The successful trip home has already helped us bond. Thanks again to all for the help, and the folks who offered to help along the way.

[RRoller123]

Congratulations on getting home safe and sound!

[ga.spyder]

Congrats on getting her home!! It took some nerve to take a unknown car on a long trip like that.My hat is off to you.Dont judge your car by any of John K's cars!!! That would be depressing for anybody.He is a great guy,though.

[kristoj]

Chuck,

Congrats on the successful adventure! Actually, your adventure has just begun.

[baltobernie]

Congratulations on surviving the trip! It was a nasty day to be on the Turnpike (in a modern car!), and I was relieved not to hear from you. Did you stop in Hagerstown and meet the guys?

[supplyguy]

Regret I did not stop....texted Todd to say we were making great progress but with the rain kicking up wanted to press on. Given the first and only time we truly had to pull over and hit the hazards with a near total loss of power was two blocks from my co-driver's house, and three miles from mine, was probably the right call. That said, I enjoyed meeting John Kristoff in Canton so much I really wanted to meet the group. Perhaps in Carlisle?

BTW - Comment from my 13 year old daughter when I shared my appreciation for John's hospitality: "So you met a guy on the internet, he bought you a coffee, and you followed him home to 'look at his garage'? What's not weird about that?"

What a kid. She loved her first ride in the car tonight.

[georgeramos]

Congratulations! Cant wait to see your progress as you restore your 71!

George

[ga.spyder]

Now I am jealous!You got a tour of the Kristoff garage? I have a standing invite ,but havent been in that area.Has the ''new baby'' arrived there yet?Make sure you go on the FLU site when you get a chance,and register for FFO.It is in your neighborhood this year at Wintergreen Resort near Charlottesville.
Craig