Cincinnati to New Orleans

[Baikal.2002]

I flew to Cincinnati and bought this 69 1600-2 on Saturday.

First a picture I took before leaving Cincinnati.

400 miles later a belt starts squealing and I pull into the Alabama welcome center. Inspection reveals that the alternator mount bolt had lost it nut. Digging around in one of the parts boxes yields a nut but I've no tools to tighten it. Fortunately the welcome center staff have a crescent wrench and a pair of pliers. A spare e-brake lever makes an excellent pry bar. After tightening things up I stopped a few miles down the road, picked up some basic tools and called it a night.

Day two. Get up at the crack of check-out time and fuel up, me and the car, then hit the road. 32 miles later a pop from under the hood and an alternator light. You guessed it, the fan belt broke. I'm reasonably close to civilization and call a tow truck. Pulled her up on the flat bed and chained her down. Did you cringe when you read chained? Well hold on we haven't gotten to the good part yet. I'm watching the 69 bounce in the rearview as we pull of an exit ramp and then "it" happens. My worst nightmare...the car ROLLED FORWARD into the back of the trucks cab. Have you ever seen a grown man cry?

A couple of hours later after a belt change, police report and offers of cash, too low to even buy the parts necessary to fix the car, I hit the road. All's well until I hit Orleans Parish. 30 miles from home a fan blade shatters flying into the radiator severing the flues from the lower tank.

I may be partially deaf now as the car doesn't have a muffler, just a resonator, but we made it 853 miles mostly in one piece.

[eurotrash]

Man Craig, that makes me want to vomit. I was rooting for you...

dammit.

[eurotrash]

Man Craig, that makes me want to vomit. I was rooting for you...

dammit.

[eastsidebimmer]

Holy Shnikes! I'm sorry to see this. "Possibly" a front bumper would have kept it from bashing in the snout, who knows. Makes me cringe, but I've also had to watch my 68 be winched onto a flatbed when the back end was destroyed by a Chrysler 300.

My Mother-in-laws Z3 had to be towed in recently and I ordered a flat bed, installed the recovery hook in the front bumper, and stopped the driver from using hooks/chains on the rear suspension. I insisted that it was too delicate and he needed to use wheel straps, guess what, he had wheel straps, just too lazy to use them. Keep us posted on the rejuvenation and sorry about your luck.

-=Ben

[Jim_75Sahara]

KRAP! Sorry that you had such troubles, Craig! I hope that you can get it all sorted out. I figured it'd be LOUD, based on my test-drive. Did it deliver more power after you tweaked it? Best of luck & Keep us Posted!

[Baikal.2002]

The main throttle plate was only opening about 20 degrees before we adjusted the upper and lower linkage. With that done it accelerates very well. Hill climbing in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama took minimal additional pedal.

[Jim_75Sahara]

I'm getting ahead of myself, BUT, drive it to Eureka Springs, AR next April. If not there, I'll want to see it on my next trip to BR.

[ewill2002]

Dang. Sorry to hear that, but you made it home in one piece without being stranded. Now you have a great story to tell your kids and grandkids, or anyone else.

You made it home. That's the real story. The other stuff can be easily repaired.

Rest now.

[Baikal.2002]

The insurance adjuster/appraiser came by today. His first words as the garage door went up were "I don't generally see them in this condition." I'm still waiting on their estimate/offer.

[Baikal.2002]

Appraisal came in at $14,000. New nose here we come.

[Baikal.2002]

Dropped off at the shop today. The adjuster and shop now have to agree on labor and add on the parts prices. The initial adjustment only included 17 hours of labor, well shy of the 47 the shop estimated.

[Baikal.2002]

Two weeks before they can start on it.

[Baikal.2002]

The shop was able to straighten the nose without replacement. I went and looked at it Friday and it's nice and straight with no filler. It should be headed into the paint booth today or tomorrow. Now if the grilles will just come in. According to the shop the back-order will be filled in October.