On the road again

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volaredon

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Sorry about title. Yeah, I'm a bob seger fan, now shoot me for it. And another long "story" post

I'm 1000 miles from home, in Savannah GA. At a KOA. Came down mostly because I bought some rust free bedsides for my truck via eBay, ended up with a whole lot more than that.
Since we have been overdue for a getaway more than a weekend a couple of hours from home at a campground, plus 30th wedding anniversary, and we've been talking about going "somewhere" for too long now but couldn't decide where, my eBay purchase helped decide at least a "direction". Some might consider that "cheating," combining a vacation and a parts run. Sorry!

Ever since I'd seen these bedsides pop up for sale I'd watched them for quite a while with apparently no interest, so after lots of eBay back n forth with the seller and the "Jesus, that's a ways to go" discussions with the seller and with the wife, I decided to go ahead and get them.
All I heard from anyone who had driven down this way was to "AVOID Atlanta" at all costs or at least go thru late at night. Terrible traffic.
Well we ran into bad delays Near Cincinnati, all lanes channeled into 1 lane, again thru KY, and again thru Chattanooga. ATL wasn't horrible at 10-11pm on a Saturday nite. The Garmin did throw me for a loop aft ATL. Took me on a victory lap past ATL motor speedway.and then thru a winding wooded road back to 75. We succeeded getting thru Atlanta unscathed, then looking for accomodations and took a while to find. Finally got to sleep @1am this morning. Even my wife suggested just finding a place to park the Durango and sleep within. Even though there were signs on every offramp supposedly prohibiting this most were lined with parked semis lining the shoulder of every off ramp we came by. Found a quality inn with "last room available" (Yeah right, sounded like that.linenhaf been well rehearsed) about 1 AM.
 
I'd posted this in the slant 6 section since I'm currently building one for this truck these parts are for.... but a road trip isn't really about an engine build so I deleted it there.
Anyway I got to the guys house mid morning and he had my bedsides pulled out of the storage w and out in the yard.they are nice for sure.
Nothing rust free around northern Illinois.
I'd asked about some other parts, winds up he did have what I was wanting. He'd sent me pix and also asked if I needed some others. Said we'd talk when I got here, we did.
He showed me his parts stash, and made me a deal I couldn't refuse. Fortunately (or not?) It turned into an all or nothing, if I wanted the parts I had asked for. Ended up with. 2 core supports, 4 fenders 4 doors, 2 inner front wheel wells, 2 bumpers, a cross bed truck toolbox, a /6 904, some cowl panels (louvered where the wipers pop thru) some mirrors, and more. Maybe a hood if we can find a good way to load it within. All rust free 80s D/W truck stuff. The other problem he created for me is he actually has a rust free bed for my 99 Dakota. Which that truck sorely needs. My trailer is hanging over already, and I could really use that. I found a couple in Indiana not far from home (trucked in from Arizona) but at a ridiculous price.
I decided to post this over, because I realized only after I had deleted it, that @RustyRatRod had replied already... I haven't met him, but he's been great with info about local stuff down here mostly by PM even before we got on the road. His attitude 'anything to help'. I did pm him for his cell a couple days ago just in case I needed something on the road, which even if so would hopefully not be anything more serious than directions and "map help" fortunately so far I haven't.
 
If you haven't gotten to Atlanta yet, take 75 STRAIGHT THROUGH. That's the easiest and fastest way. Any of the perimeters and bypasses are a total clusterf#!!. Still be prepared to slow to a crawl some even on 75, but it takes much less time. I caint stand Atlanta.
 
Yup, passed thru there kinda late last night. Like 11 pm or so. We're in Richmond hill, been here much of the day. We spent a couple of hours late this morning in Elabell along I-16. . Then came here.
We left home at 7:30 yesterday Chicago time and got to sleep in Forsyth around 1 am local time in a quality inn.
We went I-74 to I-75 to I-16. Except for the Garmin detour around the speedway last nite. Driven just over 1000 miles so far in that time.

Haven't been on many local roads yet but am surprised and disappointed not to have seen many vehicles older than say 10 years on the road. And too damn many Hondas Toyotas and kia's.
major YUCK there. Those are cars I wouldn't have in my driveway even if for free. My 01 Durango has been the oldest thing on the road for most of those 1000 miles. There were a few 50s 60s and early 70s cars along 75 in Tennessee, for about 2-3 exit's, must have been a cruise nite around. But thats about it. Any salvage yards around?
We plan to stay a few days at pigeon forge or Chattanooga area on the way back, anything interesting there?
Want to CK out ruby falls and Lookout mountain, etc around there. We should head up near Cleveland Ohio in the way back, someone close to us, they are having a celebration of life next Saturday. Actually closer to Norwalk. A member of our Apache camping group (remember those campers? Solid state,no canvas, pop-ups) passed, we have one of those campers too.
I wanna get a hitch for my Fury, it and my camper are both '78s.
 
Naw, no really good yards down here at all. A few pick and pulls around Atlanta but they all suck.
 
volaredon said:
Yup, passed thru there kinda late last night. Like 11 pm or so. We're in Richmond hill, been here much of the day. We spent a couple of hours late this morning in Elabell along I-16. . Then came here.
We left home at 7:30 yesterday Chicago time and got to sleep in Forsyth around 1 am local time in a quality inn.
We went I-74 to I-75 to I-16. Except for the Garmin detour around the speedway last nite. Driven just over 1000 miles so far in that time.

Haven't been on many local roads yet but am surprised and disappointed not to have seen many vehicles older than say 10 years on the road. And too damn many Hondas Toyotas and kia's.
major YUCK there. Those are cars I wouldn't have in my driveway even if for free. My 01 Durango has been the oldest thing on the road for most of those 1000 miles. There were a few 50s 60s and early 70s cars along 75 in Tennessee, for about 2-3 exit's, must have been a cruise nite around. But thats about it. Any salvage yards around?
We plan to stay a few days at pigeon forge or Chattanooga area on the way back, anything interesting there?
Want to CK out ruby falls and Lookout mountain, etc around there. We should head up near Cleveland Ohio in the way back, someone close to us, they are having a celebration of life next Saturday. Actually closer to Norwalk. A member of our Apache camping group (remember those campers? Solid state,no canvas, pop-ups) passed, we have one of those campers too.
I wanna get a hitch for my Fury, it and my camper are both '78s.
Click to expand...

Lol, I just gotta laugh reading this.

The chit we put ourselves through for some old Mopar Parts, been there and done that myself practically getting us killed coming back from TN one time at Three in the morning around Hot Springs, Ark by some Deer.

Y'all be safe out there!
 
The Durango turned over 280,000 miles (on the body anyway) just before getting here. 360 mag purring right along. I replaced the original 360 at 258k, still cross hatching in the cylinders, a stuck injector diluted my oil in that original one and wrecked my mains or it would still be on that engine. I put a short block with 135-ish k on it at that time. With all new gaskets and a set of brand new EQ heads on that replacement short block.
Short block has around 160k now.
Hope it does as well with a full trailer as it did coming down with an empty one. I added an a Piller pod with Auto meter water temp, oil pressure (both mechanical) and a trans temp gauges about 2 months ago, and it has been interesting watching those in different conditions all the way down, out of curiosity. But they have been a minor distraction, and added a sense of worry at times. Like Tonite creeping in traffic at 5 MPH for about a mile and 1/2 and I saw the trans up to 180.... usually around 150-160 at most while cruising on open road. Haven't seen motor over 200 yet usually about 185. Lowest I have ever seen oil pressure is 30,at idle and hot. Cruising it's 55-60 all the time. Factory gauge would lead me to believe the OP is (borderline) dangerously low. It reads the same whether I have 30 or 50 PSI on the aux gauge, but the factory gauge climbs from below 1/4 scale to jußt over 1/2 scale going from 50 to 60psi. I have both the aux and factory gauges connected. And just last weekend I added some 1.7 roller rockers onto this engine. Something I've wanted to do since the motor swap. Hey why not?, they were free, and when can be found/ the Mopar performance ones like these are cost $600. Still have factory stock cam inside. I do notice a difference in it in the midrange rpm. Like kicking in passing gear at 35-40 to 60-ish.
 
Savannah was nice but we didn't realize til after we had bought Tix for a couple of attractions we wanted to see were closed Mondays and Tuesdays which was the time we had to explore.

Currently ran out of road on I-16 at Macon, at a cracker barrel the 2nd exit north off I-16 back on 75 fueling myself up for the butt pucker of getting thru Atlanta on way to Lookout mountain.
 
FINALLY got to KOA #2 on the trip. ALL FREAKING DAY in the Durango. Garmin tok me to wrong KOA, got to right one after the office closed.was pulling into"wrong" one just as "right" one was closing. Got lots to cram into a day and 1/2 sightseeing wise.
 
Ruby falls is a must. If the Incline Railway is open, it's cool too. Not much else on Lookout Mountain. The Chattanooga Aquarium is pretty good. Not as big as Atlanta but it's nice.
 
Rode the incline, saw rock city and Ruby falls today.
We're only gonna have time to do 1 thing tomorrow morning as we gotta turn and burn for Columbus Ohio by tomorrow nite,headed to a celebration of life further north in Ohio Saturday afternoon. We're gonna hit the towing museum 1st thing tomorrow morning on the way out.
 
towing museum was cool, drove up to Ohio in the rain 2 days ago, went up US27 instead of I-75 to avoid the construction on 75 especially thru chattanooga....
raining that whole leg of the drive, crossed over on (I think it was) KY-92 back to I-75, wet roads, towing a trailer, steep hills, floored the Durango about 30 RPMs went to 4500-- dropped (automatically-- I wasnt expecting) to 1st, started spinning going uphill.... yikes.... let off slightly and regained traction, but still not gaining much accel.... 360 Mag in the Durango, sounded like I just floored a car with a Thermoquad..... finally started gaining some MPH as we got to the top of the hill--probably should have grabbed 4wd for that hill. not even a thought that 4wd would be needed, besides that one time. had to lockout the OD for much of KY climbing hills..... otherwise it was kicking in-out-in-out-and-repeat while I was running the cruise..... wasn't terrible, 2500 at 65-70 most the time.... never had to crack the toolbox the whole way.... passed 280k on the odo about 100 miles out of Chattanooga.... I was definitely the oldest vehicle on teh road most the way, Durango is an o1..... not much more than say 5-7 years old on the road the whole way.....except for a bunh ofr XJ Cherokees thru KY on the way back, and a handful of 90s F150s and an occasional Chevy square body, both pickups and K5 Blazers.... going up 27, I finally got away from imported cars..... yeah there were American trucks all boring, 4 door, stupidly short beds..... but IMHO WAY too many Toyota and Nissan trucks on the roads, in those parts.
 
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