My wife and I decided to take a little drive in our recently acquired ’70 MGB. After a new set of tyres, a replaced spoke in the now spare, a rebuilt rear end to correct a howl coming from that part of the car, and a few other bits here and there, we found ourselves headed for the Montgomery, AL area. After an early Christmas celebration with our Sacramento family, it was time to start out for a celebration with the rest of the family in Alabama. We packed the car with everything we though we might need, including a few spare bits for the car and some Christmas presents, a cell phone, a AAA card, a credit card and pulled out of the driveway early on Christmas morning. It really is surprising how much will fit into our LBCs. Just about every nook and cranny had something in it, including the one thing that ya can’t leave home without and that’s some good California wine.
The entire trip was pretty uneventful from a mechanical standpoint. ‘Old Lucas made his presence known when he dealt us one minor problem with our head light switch. Since we drove during the daylight hours, it wasn’t really a problem. We met several people along the way who were heard to say “You came all the way from California in that???”
Here are some stats about the trip:
Total miles – 2463
Time – 4.5 days
Average miles/day – 547
Best day – 668 miles
Worst day – 476 miles
Gasoline Average MPG – 28 mpg
Best Gasoline Prices - $1.95/gal in Oklahoma
Oil Used – Approx. ½ pint
Biggest Problem – Couldn’t buy beer in a BBQ restaurant in Jackson, MS. Dry county.
Weather – perfect for the entire trip with highs in the low 70s during the day. A little windy thru New Mexico and Texas but not a problem for a low profile car.
Would we do it again – definitely. Might change the route some for a different view. The southwestern portion of the USA doesn’t have a lot to look at. This wasn’t really a trip as much as it was an adventure. We got tired but not tired of it. It was something to remember. Our plan is to leave the car in Alabama so that when we visit our daughter there, we’ll have something to drive as we have friends and other relatives in the southern USA. Besides, we’re out of garage space in Sacramento.
Dennis & Pat Rainey