New member in Oregon after THE epic road trip

Benzito · #1 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 04:49 PM

Hello, this is Mike, new owner of SPO 1967. Roush 402R engine ran like a new engine should.

Portland, OR to Aurora, NE back to Portland, OR over the weekend. 3,091 miles round trip, including the second half back in the new car. No radio, barely any heat, and LOTS of wind.

I have to calculate my mileage completely, but I ran a few legs at over 20 mpg. Is that unusual? Either the gas pumps are screwy or my odometer is playing tricks on me.

Only ran into one downpour (needed to put the top up b/c I couldn't speed through the rain for two hours) and one deer carcass. I have a lovely picture of the remnants that dragged under the car for a few hundred miles. I love the smell of fresh venison.

Anyway, I'll post up a few photos here a little later.

For those in the Oregon area, I'll be seeing you around. P.S. - I think it is a good idea to do a bolt / nut check and if there's someone local who can help or refer, that'd be appreciated.

Mike

Dana E. · #2 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 10:18 PM

Mike-congrats on the new ride-sounds like a good trip....except for maybe the deer carcass part. Let's see some pics of the SPF.
Dana

Benzito · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 10:46 PM

Here it is at the final destination (not yet cleaned up) and the flesh and blood, compliments of Idaho fish and wild life:

Benzito · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 10:52 PM

And in somewhat reverse chronology, some shots from the 1500 + trip from Nebraska to Oregon:

(1) Buford, Wyoming - at 8 a.m. at 8,000 feet at 80 miles per hour, I'm guessing the temperature was around 35 degrees.

(2) Lovely surprise Idaho rain storm - an excuse to figure out how to install the soft top.

(3) Columbia River, Oregon - don't let the sunshine fool you . . . it was still quite chilly in the shade.

DonC · #5 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011, 08:13 AM

Mike:
Your trip back to Oregon sounds a bit like the same thing I went through. Had my ERA delivered to me in Denver and drove it back to Portland. I missed the deer but did manage the cold and rain. Last 2 hours into Portland was raining pretty good and continued to do so for the 2 weeks following my arrival.
The majority of the Portland folks use the Factory Five Northwest Forum since that was where Cascade Cobras originally started out (originally a Factory Five group but now we have a bit of everything).
If you're interested the Cascade Cobras website is:
Cascade Cobras
The next club meeting is Nov. 12 at Landmark Ford in Tigard just off of I5. By all means stop by and introduce yourself if you get the chance.
The FFR forum is at:
Northwest Region - FFCars.com : Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
We're pretty much winding down for the season but still getting in some local stuff until the weather shuts us down completely.
Welcome to the insanity and hope you enjoy the new toy.
DonC

Benzito · #6 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011, 09:04 PM

It's already been an exciting few days.

Luckily, Oregon DMV / DEQ was trouble-free for me. The Gladstone DEQ refused to test my car and the DMV agreed to title the car as a 1965 Cobra (either AC or Shelby) with a "replica" tag on the title. Fine with me, as it means I am likely to skip DEQ forever!

I notice that yellow and black is a popular color combination in the Northwest.

Dana E. · #7 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011, 09:56 PM

Good for you on the DEQ deal. The DMV office I went to didn't have a clue when I went to register my SPF. I couldn't get them to register it as a 1965 Ford, like my old Cobra, let alone a 1965 Cobra. I had to settle for 1965 Superformance with "replica" in the title brand. That kind of screwed me on my "antique/special interest" insurance policy.

DonC · #8 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 07:56 AM

Mike:
What part of town are you in? Gladstone DMV sounds like southeast.
DonC

CoolCarl · #9 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzito

It's already been an exciting few days.

Luckily, Oregon DMV / DEQ was trouble-free for me. The Gladstone DEQ refused to test my car and the DMV agreed to title the car as a 1965 Cobra (either AC or Shelby) with a "replica" tag on the title. Fine with me, as it means I am likely to skip DEQ forever!

I notice that yellow and black is a popular color combination in the Northwest.

DMV was a cake walk for me also. Mine is titled as a 1965 Ford. The previous owner had it titled like that in Nevada. I just played dumb and the process took less than 10 minutes (not counting the hour long wait to get my number called).

Your right about yellow/black. I have one and know of 2 others (now 3 including yours) with the same combo. All different brands though. Mine is a FF mkII, yours a Superformance, another is a Shell Valley or Contemporary. Not sure what the other one is. Technically, mine is yellow with a dark blue stripe but it looks black unless your in the right light.

Benzito · #10 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonC

Mike:
What part of town are you in? Gladstone DMV sounds like southeast.
DonC

Lake O. I hit up Gladstone in case I had to go to the DEQ down the road.

DonC · #11 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 07:50 AM

Lake O is a good location for Cobras. Off the top of my head there are at least one other Superformance, 2 ERAs, 5 FFRs and an Arntz within 15 minutes of you. Two of the FFRs are yellow with black. One roadster and one spec racer.
DonC

DanMartin · #12 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 03:48 PM

Welcome!

Gotta love those Yellow MK-IIIs.

Mine is Yellow with White stripes (with black pinstripes).

Definitely nut and bolt the car...especially the lower/outer pivot bolts on the rear suspension. Ask me how I know what can happen when they come loose and break. :/

Mine is also titled as a 1965 Ford. Previously titled in Cali as such, so the actual process was cake and took about 20 minutes total, and I walked out with plates. I went to the Hillsboro DMV, which is actually pretty good.

Looking forward to meeting up someday....

SwiftDB4 · #13 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 04:05 PM

Benzito-
Welcome to OR. As Don C. said check out Cascade Cobras. We're the local Cobra replica club with lots of activities and helpful members. Congratulations on your drive. I lived 20 miles from Buford WY (population 1). Brutal winters at that altitude.

CoolCarl · #14 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 04:51 PM

Sweet looking car Dan. When I was shopping for my FFR I was hoping to get yellow with white stripes or solid yellow. I ended up getting yellow with blue stripes. It was the only one close enough and within my budget.

Benzito · #15 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanMartin

Welcome!

Gotta love those Yellow MK-IIIs.

Mine is Yellow with White stripes (with black pinstripes).

Definitely nut and bolt the car...especially the lower/outer pivot bolts on the rear suspension. Ask me how I know what can happen when they come loose and break. :/

Mine is also titled as a 1965 Ford. Previously titled in Cali as such, so the actual process was cake and took about 20 minutes total, and I walked out with plates. I went to the Hillsboro DMV, which is actually pretty good.

Looking forward to meeting up someday....

Dan, your car convinced me that yellow works. So much so that I joke with my wife to paint the black stripes white, too! J/K

I need to find a shop to do the chassis check / tighten. I'm too much of a chicken to risk doing it without knowing exactly what I'm doing.

DonC · #16 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 08:18 PM

Mike:
No one around that's a "certified" Superformance shop. Nearest is, I think, in Idaho.
Locally probably Dana (see earlier post on this thread) would be your best bet for advice.
You might also try the Superformance Owners Group here on CC if you have particular questions. I'll ask around at the Cascade Cobras club meeting in a couple of weeks as well.
DonC