"IDAHO 2002"...The Stuff of Legends!

Walt Tomsic · #1 (**permalink**) 06-12-2002, 11:40 AM

Man what an aventure! And I thought that Oregon run last summer was the ultimate Cobra experience. It was great, but this was beyond great. Don't want to bore with too much detail but a few things just really stand out for me.

The XXX Root Beer owner's obvious delight and enthusiam for the cars, his spontanious t-shirt raffle and $50 contribution to the poker prize...because "people who love cars have been good to me, I want to give something back". Now there's a retail concept that needs to be encouraged...patronize this place every chance you get!

Watching my mates endure horrible weather in open top cars with courage and humor. These people are tough! (I, on the other hand, did my admiration thing from an enclosed car with the heater on...I may be old and slow but I ain't stupid!)

The help I got from Adam (Bish's S.O.'s son-in-law) when "Crosley" developed some ominous clicking & clunking sounds. He took time off to track down a great mechanic in Boise who squeezed me in late on a friday with no appt. Adam taxi'd us to the hotel and back in his 22 foot long, 8 foot wide, 7,000 pound, 4,000 cubic inch, 36 cylinder Cadillac Coupe de something or other and kept us in stitches the whole time.

The trip to Sun Valley and back was beyond description, scenery that would make John Ford weep, the celeb thrift shop in Ketchum where Zderf was seen enquiring as to whether or not the thong he was buying had once belonged to Demi Moore (turns out it was Bruce's).

Driving the twisties at 8,000 ft...in a snow squall (this time with my top down, my wife Deni white knuckling the grab handle but grinning all the way)...behind a Ferrari! The guy knew the road, every time I heard that distinctive snap-pop-crack-pop sound coming from his exhaust, I knew he was getting set and it was time for me to get focused.

Finding out over dinner one evening that big Dennis and I are political soul mates.

Discovering that there's not one pretentious twit in the whole group (unlike a previous club I belonged to). Everyone on the trip was thoughtful, helpful, funny and friendly.

Being quite frankly, shocked at how gorgeous Eastern Oregon is. I had no idea.

Experiencing both the best (Richland & Boise) banquet style meal and the worst (Madras) banquet style meal I've ever had. Madras reminded me why I generally hate those things and Boise showed me that they can actually be done in an efficient and organized way so as to get hot food to the table, at the same time with no post meal check chaos.

In a rare serious moment at breakfast, Rich and I talked about the real value of owning a Cobra. When you cut to the core, a Cobra is a lot like a boat, a basically impractical hole, down which one throws handfuls of money. The real benefit is the social side...meeting good people, who share your bent sense of humor, quest for adventure and who, like you (and against all logic) love this noisy, smelly, sometimes mean spirited little beast of a car.

I've gone on long enough. There will be more of these drives in the future. If you missed this one, make the next one. The memories will sustain you for a lifetime.

Over and out!
Slabman

Rich · #2 (**permalink**) 06-12-2002, 11:54 AM

Slab Man,

Well said. The only thing in your post that kinda frightens me is that there's another person out there who shares your political views.

See you at the races,
Rich

Walt Tomsic · #3 (**permalink**) 06-12-2002, 12:41 PM

Yes there is, and he's very large...watch thy tongue.

Speaking of the races, what's the plan...how do I get my pass in...is it at will-call...do you send it...do I need to get in the convoy...if so, where and when...???

BTW: some things I forgot to mention in my above diatribe;

that the poker pot was won by the most deserving one among us, young master Vincent (and definitely not old master Vincent)...

the gas station attendant in Madras who carefully positioned towels under the hose where it touched the car and did same to nozzle when he removed it...

finally, His Eminence, Father Bishop Wheeler...the perfect flight leader, he kept things moving but did it with a layed back style and good humor all the way. Thanks my friend.

Rich · #4 (**permalink**) 06-12-2002, 01:06 PM

Yeah, he's big, but he'd lose his head if it wasn't screwed on.

Stay tuned for more info in the Historics.

Rich

Bish Wheeler · #5 (**permalink**) 06-12-2002, 01:40 PM

Silly me, I thought the Nazi party was long dead.

Walt Tomsic · #6 (**permalink**) 06-12-2002, 03:58 PM

Bish...I take back the nice things I've been saying about you!

Just because I'm slightly to the right of Attila the Hun, doesn't make me a Nazi. In fact, I'm 180º from the jack boot set. They were socialists, totalitarians and collectivists...all things I despise and hold in utter contempt!
They did have neat suits though...gotta give em that.

Waldo the indignant

Bish Wheeler · #7 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 07:40 AM

Waldo,

OK, maybe Nazi was a little strong, but Jimmy Carter you ain't!

Bish

Bob Parmenter · #8 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 07:57 AM

Hey Slabdaddy,

I may have missed the great run

but I'll watch your back!

This may explain the seating arrangements at Red Hook, some of us just naturally gravitate to the "right wing" of the table.

Looks like a good time was had by all, and, thankfully, haven't read any serious hard luck stories. (OK, Fred's windshield looks like a casualty).

July 28 still on for the next gathering (not counting the SOVERN event at SIR, or whatever they call it now)?

Walt Tomsic · #9 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 08:09 AM

Bishmo...
Jimmy Carter is the second to the last person I'd want to be...guess who's first!

SD

Bish Wheeler · #10 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 08:14 AM

Ummm let's see. Could it be perhaps, the current Junior Senator from New York.

Bish the unbiased

Walt Tomsic · #11 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 08:37 AM

Bingo! Or should I say "Bongo"

Waldo the unwashed

Zderf · #12 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 09:07 AM

A couple things unrelated to the current dialogue herein...

Final points from the ole Cam Am Cobra:

Average mileage: 13.1 (Mountianeer gets 13.9)
Highest mileage tank: 16.9 (my lead thru Oregon?)
Lowest mileage tank: 7.1 (Ferrari lead to Sun Valley?)

Damage report:
- Bulls eye rock impact center windshield
- Double star break in windshield, drivers left eye
- Star break with hole right headlamp
- 2 star breaks in license plate acrylic cover
- 976 paint chips across front including pusher fan motors and mount bars
- 1 destroyed 100% Egyptian cotton wipe down towel from battery acid sloshing out around cell caps (Optima needed here)

Rich, you mentioned in another post that we were wearing heavy garb due to the cell structure of bugs in great Pac NW. Looking at my car, those buggers are tougher than you realize.... I should have been wearing a catchers mask. Need the name of that alignment shop in Redmond again, need to get rid of the 70mph shimmy (although it wasn't that big a bother during our trip to the North Pole).

Kevin, I just ordered those retro headlamps that you have... I actually needed them now. You get the info on Zaino and Wenol?

Steve T, need the name and contact for the dyno guy in Tacoma... time to get rid of that nice rich smell (Rich will appreciate that) even tho the rig is running great.

I'll be ready for the next run... all holes filled.

Best Regards and thanks to all....

Zderf

Rich · #13 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 10:52 AM

My damage report:
-New squeak in left rear suspension that started when I hit Northgate on the way home!
-Too many rock chips to count in the front cowl and the rear fender flares.
-Hiem joints rattle even more.
-Clenched fist marks on both sides of the passenger seat.
-Dirty engine

All in all, not bad.

Rich

Walt Tomsic · #14 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 11:03 AM

R & Z...
wear your road scars with pride...for thou art not a trailer queen!

SB

Bish Wheeler · #15 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 12:11 PM

Added damage to my "driver":

Two huge chips in the left front

numerous "bullet holes" across the front cowl

Several large dents in the radiator. This I gotta do something about.

Mysteriously lost the rear brakes on the way home. Reservour was bone dry, but no sign of a leak. Refilled, bled and adjusted work fine now????

Used one qt of oil and averaged 15.5 mpg for the whole 1778.2 miles of the run.

Like Rich, developed a new squeak on the left behind the drivers seat.

Not too bad considering where we went, what we did and the speed we did it at.

I'm ready for the next one.

Bish

Rich · #16 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 01:02 PM

One more causualty...the 3x5" static cling American flag blew off the trunk lid. That sucker had been on there since last November. I think the warranty said good to 110mph...oops.

Rich

Zderf · #17 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 01:22 PM

Rich,

It was there in the "polar" shot posted by Neal. Bet someone in Madras stole it!

Zderf

Walt Tomsic · #18 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 01:25 PM

Rich...Deni and I saw it let go just before we got to John Day. Too bad, it looked good back there.

Slab Man

Keith Vincent · #19 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 03:53 PM

Slabo, If you quit watching the bumper of the cars in front of you and just drove we would get there faster. Most of the roads have signs regarding "slow" vehicles staying to the right. (a good place for you) and have "slow" vehicles turnouts. I found as the last Cobra in the pack that we were all following and really slow Aqua TR3 across Mount Hood.
The biggest dent I got was paying for "money bags" Vincent weekend.... He ended with all the money and me with all the receipts.
Hey there, hard to believe but the owner of the Stag Resturant has not found Patti's jacket. Hmmmm, hard to believe.

Keith, Patti and $$$

NealM · #20 (**permalink**) 06-14-2002, 06:56 AM

2.5 hour car wash session to get the dog drool off.
Refill the wiper/washer fluid (Actually had to open the hood!)
Had strange rattle until I pulled the flat stop can from my bag o' emergency stuff.
Found a neat little US Flag stuck to my front bumper.

Average mileage 22.7