2020 Mileage Challenge Thread (OFFICIAL)

[Dan Szwarc]

I have yet to uncover mine. It’s been so cold and bad here...

Soon.

[papawayne]

FINALLY...it is out! Yesterday was so nice that I just couldn't stand it. I went out to the garage, pulled the moth balls out of it, and started it up. We took it to Port Clyde, America, drove to a restaurant that is doing take-out, had a lovely dinner on one of their picnic tables overlooking the ocean, and came home. Only problem was that while on the way to Port Clyde, I realized I was almost out of gas. The local station does not have high test, never did, only 87. Put five gallons in. Will go to Rockland today maybe and fill it with some 93 to help it out. Wayne

[Stuart M. Cohen]

"The local station does not have high test, never did, only 87."

Experienced that a lot on our road trips; started keeping octane booster in the car.... but I digress.

Now, back to the topic at hand, took the car out last week for a drive by parade for someone I don't know who's kid graduated from Notre Dame. One of the clubs I belong to was contacted by the father asking for cars, so since it was nice, we went. Next week there's another one at a nursing home; not sure what car we're taking.

[papawayne]

I'm, digressing, too. but I wonder with all of the national and local car shows canceled, I wonder if we ought to start a thread of things like what you are doing with you cars, Stu. Sort of a "This is how I used my car this summer for the common good" kind of thing. Wayne

[TonyC]

Oh, I don't think that sort of discussion warrants a whole different thread. I would submit that this one is as good as any to divulge (or brag) not only about how many miles you rack up, but also about how you rack those miles up. I'll start it off, with a summary of this week's (so far) use of Frankenstein: Aside from maybe Tuesday, I used Frankenstein to run errands, mainly grocery-shopping; today I used him to pay one of my monthly bills (I prefer in-person service when paying bills). Wednesday I drove him out to Salina, about 50 miles west of my nest, on the interstate, to check into a few places that had been shut down by the cootie-scare and had just re-opened this week.

Tomorrow I might consider going to the auto shop on Fort Riley to do some underneath inspections. The hanger for his left resonator has been toast for at least a couple years now, the rubber section shredded with old age; and with the absence of any new hangers that would fit properly, I've had to resort to the ghetto-fix of coat-hanger wire. I'm toying with the idea of concocting a better-looking and more sturdy repair to what's left of the original hanger.

Now, I haven't kept an itemized list of the miles I drove on all these errands; I don't bother being that meticulous, my record-keeping being relegated to a quarterly report on the mileage thread. That report will come in at the end of this month. Of course, with the cootie-scare having paralyzed most of the places I'd otherwise visit, I don't expect it to be that large a rack-up.

---Tony

[Dan Szwarc]

I'm, digressing, too. but I wonder with all of the national and local car shows canceled, I wonder if we ought to start a thread of things like what you are doing with you cars, Stu. Sort of a "This is how I used my car this summer for the common good" kind of thing. Wayne

Turn this thread into your mileage updates and what you did or where you went or where you broke down.

[rick]

Well, Saturday June 6th is a historical day for me. Five hundred and five days after winching my 1961 sedan onto a flatbed, I took it for it's first ever cruise and thus officially entered the world of the Mileage Challenge Thread. Heady stuff. Pretty damn nervous that something would neutron but all worked out well. Wow

[Dan Szwarc]

Here’s my starting pic.

Starting mileage: 130,911
Mileage to date: 130,911
Total miles: 0

I parked the car oct 19 and covered it. I FINALLY got it out today. Damn near 8 months.

[action]

Here’s my starting pic.

Starting mileage: 130,911
Mileage to date: 139,911
Total miles: 0

Last time I did math 139,911 - 130,911 = 9000

Action

[Dan Szwarc]

That’s a typo, not a math-o.

Fixed.

[TonyC]

Well, it's that time again for me to report. Below is the final odo reading for the quarter, taken today. Subtracting my last reported mileage, I've taken Frankenstein ‭2,158.7‬ miles since my last report. I was counting on doing some serious traveling starting next month, but the refreshed cootie-scare nixed the event I was planning to go to. Oh, well, there's still interstate in Kansas.

Maybe for the better, as Frankenstein has been having recent overheat issues. I figured it might be a failing fan clutch, so I got a new one; but yesterday the "HOT" light still came on, on the interstate! It flickered out when I got off and didn't come back on, but I began to think that maybe it would be a good idea to get a new thermostat. Today, on the way to O'Reilly to get one, the "OIL" light came on, just five minutes after I started him up, then went out again after about 30 seconds. that it was only a wiring malfunction and not early signs of a pump failure; the wiring was in fact bad and has since been fixed. So was the temp sender's wires, so I covered them up for good measure as well.

---Tony

[papawayne]

Watched the movie "Homer and Eddie" last night for the first time. That had to be the junkiest, most reliable 63 on the planet. Other than a flat tire, it experienced none of the troubles that we write about on this forum every day. Glad you got your senders fixed, Tony. Wayne

[TonyC]

Ah, yes, I remember that movie; it's been over a generation since I saw it, and the only reason I rented it (yeah, that long ago) was because of the 'vert displayed on the cover...which was in better-looking shape than the car Whoopi Goldberg actually drove in the movie.

Yes, it's good to have my sender wiring repaired; at least I know that's one thing I no longer have to worry about. Now, the systems those senders are connected to, that's another story; I still have to take Frankenstein out today and see whether those warning lights still come on. If they do, then I know I have bigger problems to address.

---Tony

[rick]

Checked the mileage today for an update (after being in and out of the repair shop all summer). Originally picked up my car on a very cold January 15th, 2019 and 508 days later I had my first drive on June 6th, 2020 (thought it might never happen). The odometer reading was 36,742. My original post is about 7 posts above this one. Checked today for an update and see that I am currently at 37,314. I believe I've accumulated a total of 572 miles. But I do have a couple of weeks left before it'll be time for winter storage (fingers crossed.)

[TonyC]

It occurred to me that I did not submit my quarterly report last month; with the kind of month I had, I guess it's to be expected. Anyway, update to my last post: The systems that were giving off false warnings are intact for the most part. The expansion tank, which I bought two years ago "new," according to Mark II Enterprises, has an irritating leak at the left-front corner, spraying mists of coolant across the top of the engine. It's not a dangerous leak, but it is very irritating, since that tank was supposedly new. Not even JB Weld will stop it, although admittedly it did manage to slow it. I have a replacement that I'm about to go install, a good used one which I think should be better than the "new" ones. Anyway, the concerns I had about the warning lights were purely electrical; I have had no issues with them since my last report.

Now, to my current mileage. The shot below is from yesterday, and Frankenstein hasn't been moved any since. At 78,051.4 miles (plus 300k, naturally), that makes for 4,234.1 miles of exercise since my last report on 30 June. That also means that I'm due for another oil change, which I had hoped to get done at the same time as a head swap, but it is what it is. I'll look into that oil change this weekend if possible; if not, I'll do it next weekend. I think it can last that long if needed, what with all the oil-belching I still am dealing with; the oil doesn't stay in the crankcase long enough to break down.

I could tally up the total mileage to-date, but I think I'll wait on that for the next report, at end-of-year.

---Tony