Trip from Alaska

Stephidabefida

I know I have asked this before but is anyone going to PAX from AK? I was thinking of taking the ferry or flying and I wanted to see if anyone else wanted to join me! I would do the Canadian Supertrip but that starts pretty far away from me. Let me know folks!

dyaballikl

dog sledding all the way down? lol, seriously, good luck on that. there are already 3 big trips planned. i'm sure there are plenty of people coming from ak, but not sure how many are up for driving.

Steve_HardOCP

I am planning the trip (driving) and, with any luck, I am planning on linking up with the Canada crew. Two things:

A.) I am working on getting the time off from work, that is the biggest hurdle

B.) The car I am driving can only carry 1-2 other passengers comfortably (but it will be FUN ):

Moe Fwacky

Oooh pretty. On a side note, I'd like to see a bear try to eat you when you're encased in one of those. Go go Supertrip!

dyaballikl

damn, is that a '70 camaro? that thing is gorgeous, but i wouldn't put the miles on it. besides, the gas mileage will suck and how reliable can it really be?

ctishman

Yeah, I wouldn't suggest bringing that. Yes, it is fun, but you'd be putting upwards of 5,500 miles on it. An 80s shitbox I wouldn't think twice about, but that's a collector's item.

Qs23

Steve_HardOCP wrote: »

I am planning the trip (driving) and, with any luck, I am planning on linking up with the Canada crew. Two things:

A.) I am working on getting the time off from work, that is the biggest hurdle

B.) The car I am driving can only carry 1-2 other passengers comfortably (but it will be FUN ):

Ok, let me try my camaro skills... It's defiantly a second gen body style so that puts it 1970-81. The nose and non wrapped back window puts it in the 70-74 range... but the lack of a split bumper cuts that to 72-74.... or was that just with the RS option... I can't remember. The lack of a spoiler makes me want to go with 73. The hood makes me want to go with the SS or Z28 option...

Ok, it's a 73 z28. How did I do?

And side note: I might be getting my hands on my dad's 72 RS 350 when I get out of college. and I really want to restore it. Any ideas where to start?

dyaballikl

Qs23 wrote: »

Steve_HardOCP wrote: »

I am planning the trip (driving) and, with any luck, I am planning on linking up with the Canada crew. Two things:

A.) I am working on getting the time off from work, that is the biggest hurdle

B.) The car I am driving can only carry 1-2 other passengers comfortably (but it will be FUN ):

Ok, let me try my camaro skills... It's defiantly a second gen body style so that puts it 1970-81. The nose and non wrapped back window puts it in the 70-74 range... but the lack of a split bumper cuts that to 72-74.... or was that just with the RS option... I can't remember. The lack of a spoiler makes me want to go with 73. The hood makes me want to go with the SS or Z28 option...

Ok, it's a 73 z28. How did I do?

And side note: I might be getting my hands on my dad's 72 RS 350 when I get out of college. and I really want to restore it. Any ideas where to start?

you may be right, the lack of the inner light on each side (an additional light next to the headlight) puts it at 73-74

Steve_HardOCP

It is a 70. All Camaros between 1970 - 1973 were identical. The round turn signals and split bumpers is the RS option.

I've had the car 20 years, finally restored it a year ago. Every single body panel has been replaced (back of the car completely cut off, all new panels and shell of the car rust coated before reassembly). Interior completely redone. Every piece of trim, glass, weather strip, nut and bolt was replaced. Engine rebuilt. New 700R4 overdrive transmission added (for highway cruising) and electric fans. It is built and ready for another 35 years of driving

If you have 7 minutes and don't mind cheesy love music (to my car), I have a rather interesting video of the complete process on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMiXpNl0ods

The car is just screaming for a roadtrip Plus, I can't show up to see Jerry and Mike driving a Yugo.

Steve_HardOCP

Qs23 wrote: »

And side note: I might be getting my hands on my dad's 72 RS 350 when I get out of college. and I really want to restore it. Any ideas where to start?

Shoot me an e-mail at steve@hardocp.com, I have every single resource you'd need to do the car from A - Z. (watch that YouTube video I just posted)

BigRed

Thats an awesome car

dyaballikl

i was right to start with!

ctishman

Okay, fine. Drive it down. I want to slobber all over it.

Moe Fwacky

ditto

dyaballikl

ctishman wrote: »

Okay, fine. Drive it down. I want to slobber all over it.

i'd leave various other fluids on it :winky:

Steve_HardOCP

Thanks fellas. We've done all the in state road trips we can with our local car club but hitting PAX in the car would be the "trip-of-trips" and what better place to go is there?



Arranging time off is the hardest part. We sent two people to PAX last year, round trip airfare, hotel, rental car and spending money...if I can't go, we make sure someone does

Viscountalpha

Steve_HardOCP wrote: »

Thanks fellas. We've done all the in state road trips we can with our local car club but hitting PAX in the car would be the "trip-of-trips" and what better place to go is there?



Arranging time off is the hardest part. We sent two people to PAX last year, round trip airfare, hotel, rental car and spending money...if I can't go, we make sure someone does

If its meant to be, You will find a way somehow. I figure you could do some networking at the same time while your at pax. That excuse might help lessen the "Work" issue your having.

Btw, I respect someone who would want do drive such a nice car to pax. Its like breaking open the package of a collectors item, and that is just plain awesome.

Steve_HardOCP

Yeah, it is a bit like cracking your collectible out of the package and playing with it...but that is where the greatest joy in own the collectible lies.

Besides, I have a bunch of collectible comics that can no longer be read (after being graded)....it kinda sucks when you have something rare that you can't use

Talonrazor

I'm another Alaska PAer. Man, I'd really like to do this. I've got a little black Toyota and if I make enough money over the summer, that'd be a really fun trip to do with some friends. . Few questions:

How much money in gas do you expect to spend heading down the Alcan? I get about 21mpg and I'm wondering if it'd be cheaper flying. Also, how bad is parking around the Con area? I've never driven in downtown Seattle (been there a million times) so I'm a wee bit weary about driving a vehicle down into it.

ctishman

Well, normally it'd be cheaper to drive, but Alaska Air is offering some fucking killer deals on redeye flights between Anchorage and Seattle. We're talking $196 each way, but you'd have to leave Anchorage at 2:30 in the morning. With fees and taxes it'd come out to USD$412.30 round trip, compared with around $700 for gas.

Moe Fwacky

But that 700 is divisible by the number of people riding.

Steve_HardOCP

5500 miles round trip

17 gallon tank
10 - 13 mpg on freeway (thanks to the overdrive transmission)
220 mile per tank
25 tanks
$2.50 per gallon
$195 fuel additives
$1,063 fuel

Doing it in your totally restored 1970 SS Camaro = priceless

BigRed

I still have to get you guys that parking map. I have it all typed out but haven't found the time to input the info into a map of the area.

ILL DO IT AFTER SAKURACON I SWEAR!

BigRed

Steve_HardOCP wrote: »

5500 miles round trip

17 gallon tank
10 - 13 mpg on freeway (thanks to the overdrive transmission)
220 mile per tank
25 tanks
$2.50 per gallon
$195 fuel additives
$1,063 fuel

Doing it in your totally restored 1970 SS Camaro = priceless

$2.50 a gallon? Holy shit I wish it was still that here. (I commute to work 130 miles every day...)

Once you get close to WA/Vancouver it will go above $3 /gal

Steve_HardOCP

Wow, that is a bummer

Alaska has no state tax, no sales tax and our gas tax is a minimum. I forgot how much Oregon and Washington pay in gas taxes

You guys are paying something insane like almost $0.50 a gallon in taxes (18 cents to feds, 28 cents to state)

Hell, I wouldn't care...I get something like 2 dinosaurs to a tank every time I drive that beast and I enjoy the hell out of it every time

Qs23

Steve_HardOCP wrote: »

Wow, that is a bummer

Alaska has no state tax, no sales tax and our gas tax is a minimum. I forgot how much Oregon and Washington pay in gas taxes

You guys are paying something insane like almost $0.50 a gallon in taxes (18 cents to feds, 28 cents to state)

Hell, I wouldn't care...I get something like 2 dinosaurs to a tank every time I drive that beast and I enjoy the hell out of it every time

You're telling me... I got to borrow my camero for the weekend... and even though I burned through an entire tank of gas in about 3 days... there is no feeling like knowing there is nobody on the state route at 3am and just opening it up and seeing how fast you're willing to go. (BTW it's right under 120 for me)

lordthanda

120? My Voyager can barely maintain 95. And that causes it to start shaking and shuttering.

dyaballikl

Talonrazor wrote: »

I'm another Alaska PAer. Man, I'd really like to do this. I've got a little black Toyota and if I make enough money over the summer, that'd be a really fun trip to do with some friends. . Few questions:

How much money in gas do you expect to spend heading down the Alcan? I get about 21mpg and I'm wondering if it'd be cheaper flying. Also, how bad is parking around the Con area? I've never driven in downtown Seattle (been there a million times) so I'm a wee bit weary about driving a vehicle down into it.

a "little toyota" and it only gets 21mpg on the freeway? is that even possible?!

Steve_HardOCP

no word back from the OP on this thread either?

Steve_HardOCP

Exactly how many PA readers in Alaska are planning to make the trip? We can AT LEAST go as a caravan of marauding motorist.

dyaballikl

exactly? i'd say about 45.742. you can't really know, because many people, even those who will make the trip, won't wind up reading these posts.

Moe Fwacky

We must spread the word! To your blogs people!

ctishman

Maybe we can get a call-to-cars in the next PAX newspost?

Moe Fwacky

I'd love to see us linked in the Travel section of the PAX page

edit: while the main page post Gabe gave the supertrips was a great boost to our traffic and brought a few people out of the woodwork, it was only up for one weekend, and as soon as that Monday's post went up, our traffic dropped back to it's normal levels of 15-50 pageviews a day. With a PAX page post somewhere, such as in the travel section, it offers a little more permanency to the exposure of the links.

Stephidabefida

Well, it's nice to know that others from AK are going to PAX, I think I might hold out until next year though. If I do make it I think I'm gonna take one of the red-eye flights from Alaska Air. It will just be easier in the long run.

b0wser

Easier yes, more fun-- not so much. In any event, if a group comes down from Alaska, you're more than welcome to join the Canadian Supertrip (effectively creating the first International Supertrip).

Moe Fwacky

I should mention that any Supertrip that has participants that cross international borders is international and that we have Canadians too, damn it.

b0wser

true right enough, I ain't bitin' on yo steeze.

anable

Steve_HardOCP wrote: »

5500 miles round trip

17 gallon tank
10 - 13 mpg on freeway (thanks to the overdrive transmission)
220 mile per tank

I drive a Honda Insight.

10 gallon tank
50-55 mpg on freeway (thanks to the hybrid technology)
525 miles per tank

:P

Stephidabefida

Does anyone know where is the closest place is to meet up with the Canadian Supertrip from Alaska? From what I can tell I will still be making most of the trip by myself even if I do that, which is what I am trying to avoid.

b0wser

Yeah, closest point when coming from the north would be Vancouver. If we had someone coming from Prince George then that might be a little different, but I haven't been able to recruit any of the people I know there.