Montreal 2 California - The Kick-Out crossing (6,700 miles)

[vincent9993]

France is busy working her planning skills to map out our 4th America crossing attempt. The Berrien having successfully visited all 49 continental States in 3 coast to coast crossing and over 65,000 miles on the odometer, it's now up to France's real dune buggy, her Kick-Out S.S. to try to visit its birth place.

This trip duration has been shortened to 17 days (from the 21 from our last crossing).

We plan on leaving on Saturday, July 6th and return on Monday, July 22nd.

[Baseball card ART]

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!
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www.BASEBALLCARDART.com

[Tom_Kathleen]

You will have more storage space in the Kick-Out, but what about a top? Tom
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Manxter #16, 1968 Meyers Manx & Kick-Out SS #16 (WIP)
Manx Club & CVA

[GREG.M]

YAY-- More vicarious road trips via France and Vince. Now all I have to do is find the patience to wait almost a whole year, Is it July yet, Is it July yet.

Greg
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"Patina" a cheap bastards codeword for a shitty looking rustbucket

[wythac]

Glad to see you are planning a swing thru Moab on your return leg.

Next to your time with friends and other buggies at Big Bear, I think it will be the scenic highlight of your trip. When the time gets closer, I can give you some tips on where to stay and a few, short runs on easy dirt roads in that area that will add to your off pavement creds. I can also recommend a beautiful evening drive to a restaurant and lodge near town on the evening that you arrive. I think the travel time from Vegas to Moab is about 6-7 hours, which should give you some time to poke around that evening before heading out the next day up UT 128 to I-70 eastbound.

[nightmanx11]

[weasel_ugs]

At that time of year as you get close to Las Vegas and roll through the Calif. desert it gets very hot! One year crossing the Hoover dam it was 126 degrees and 119 in Vegas. Driving at night will be a little better with no sun cooking you but will still be hot.

[karu]

Looking forward to reading all about your trip. You guys do a wonderful job of writing up and enjoyed reading about your previous trips.

[Manx102]

[joescoolcustoms]

I am all about wild ideas. I come up with a lot of them all the time. Just most of the time I either do not have the @$$ or B@//$ to carry them out. So, I live vicariously through people like you two.

I just received my first copy of Manx Mania today and read it cover-to-cover. Loved France's pictures of MOTB used in Bud's article. (Well written Bud, BTW).

I also read where Bruce Meyers made his own personal challange. He intends to drive across the US to attend MOTB 2013!

Now comes the vicarious living part. Wouldn't it be a fantastic journey to leave Canada, cross the US, and then drive back across the US to NC to attend MOTB '13? All the while running the trip with Bruce, Winnie, and who ever else may caravan the trip. Like a buggy power tour. Maybe pick up people along the way. some from TX, like Murzi and the LA crew, a few from GA.

I just bought a few buggy parts from a gentleman in CA who is tentatively planning on making the trip in one, or possible both (daughter in one) of his Manx's across the US. He told me a few others may make the trip too. If anyone I have ever met can/could/would do this, it would the two of you.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[vincent9993]

Thanks for the compliment, we're working hard to have France's new Kick-Out ready for an early spring shake down run before we tackle the continental crossing for the 4th time.

Believe it or not, France and I did entertain the idea of meeting up with the caravan from the west, the problem is work gets in the way. We're already having a hard time jugle our schedule to make all our planned trips work for 2013.

We've patiently waiting for our copy of the Mania. Our horse pulled carage mail cart should deliver it any time now. A few people have given us hints that this is one issue we can't miss. We always enjoy reading them cover to cover.

I have to tell you there's a great sense of satisfaction when you "get your a$$ off the couch and get it done". Life's too short, we try to enjoy every moment.

weasel_ugs, thanks for the suggestion. We try to leave very early and get as much traveling done before it gets too hot. We now have motorcycle cooling vests and we're using Tom's (TJKustoms) sombrero top. We managed to cross Death Valley with them.

[rmckay]

For what it's worth, just wondering if you had considered returning through the upper peninsula of Michigan and crossing back into Canada at Sault Ste Marie, rather than making the loop around the bottom of Lake Michigan. (Or maybe you have done that in a previous trip.) The drive on US 2 along the north shore of Lake Michigan is beautiful - much nicer than I-94 through Chicago, Gary, Ind., and into K'zoo. That said, I know this adds a few miles to the trip and I know you have shortened the journey down to 17 days, I also don't know what the road is like in Canada between Sault Ste Marie and Montreal, but it looks like the Trans-Canada Hwy goes most of the way. Just a thought from a former Michigander.....
Rick
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63 California Clipper

"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." --Abraham Lincoln

[dan macmillan]

[vincent9993]

With all the excitement about the sea-to-sea safari brewing and the Kick-Out-S.S. ready for travel (short a few adjustments), I thought I'd unbury this thread.

France is still a little concerned (read: stressed out of her mind!) about storage and I wonder of the reliability of a brand new build with less than 200 miles but we're committed.

Trip update:

• Hotels all booked (I think?! I should check with the event planner to make sure...)
  
• Kick-Out-S.S. built
  
• Vacation approved
  
• CAA membership renewed
  
• XM-Weather subscription renewed
  
• Find-me-Spot account active
  
• Passport and Nexus documents in order
  

We still need:

• Test drive the @#$^ out of the S.S.
  
• Load the route in the Garmin GPS
  
• Confirm our daily hotels are not in a dry part of town (it has happened!)

[joescoolcustoms]

Vincent, if France is concerned about storage space in being able to take enough for an extended run/stay, what about modifing the rear bumper to allow for an additional basket?

I love mine and it was handy last year at MOTB'12. Will hold 500 pounds and a lot of cubic feet of carring space (cubic litres for you North inclined folks). I kind of fashioned my Blue Buggy rear bumper similar to the Manx bumper you have, and you could add a hitch into yours.

You can see my yellow buggy and also Davids green buggy hitch in these pictures.

_________________
Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[SBD]

I've got one of these.

http://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-78-inch-tag-along-trailer-66771.html

It's on sale right now. Also, there's almost always a 20% off coupon in the automotive magazines, and they'll let you use it on sale items.

[vincent9993]

Thanks guys, I'm sure we'll be fine... She just likes to stress about it I think. I think there's actually more storage in the SS than the Berrien.

[monomanx]

it's now up to France's real dune buggy, her Kick-Out S.S.


Uh oh...
Sounds like some snobbery going on



Good luck to you both on your tour! Cannot wait for the pics and stories! You have probably thought of this already however I propose that you write a book. There have been a few feature articles about Model A drivers who have driven their cars all around the world...OOPS>>>sounds like a new challenge!

Chris

[vincent9993]

Getting closer to this trip... We're checking the final details.

We confirmed that Mount Evans - 14,240 feet will be open to motor traffic on our planned day. Last year we arrived at the base of the mountain on the only day the they closed motor traffic (during open season) to hold the Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb bicycle race.

Mount Evans is said to be the highest paved mountain in North America.

I wonder if I could convince France that we need to drive through Mosquito Pass - 13,198 feet

[jsturtlebuggy]

Vincent,
I been to where the road ends on Mt Evans in June of 1969. Road trip with Parents and brother. It was snowing hard and very windy. Suppose to be only place you can see Tundra in the 48 states. Very interesting being above the tree line.
Have fun it is worth the drive.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960