Taking Off

[MongooseQuarrel]

*blinks at the sniffing* I'll worry anyhows--some famished sushi-freak might think Im a california roll or something..stranger things have happened...
I think Crash'll be safe, as long as he doesn't...uh.. crash, or get on the bad side of a rouge trooper..or find one of them there "Hidden roads to Canada", or spill his coffee...
ever think that he'll hit a deer and it'l beat him up for his car and drive to see his plastic girlfriend and stick his head on the wall?

wait- that's a music video...

[Andrick]

You shouldn't worry, MQ, as the only meat which goes into California rolls is dragon, greater serpent, sea monster and other assorted saurials as we discussed earlier. Mongoose is nowhere on that list regardless of mental states.

You're on your own with the music video, though.

I wonder if we're going to get updates from Crash as connections permit themselves? Of course, scanned post cards from the locales he picks them up from would be fun(ny) to compile after he's pulled a "there & back again".

[Crash]

I wonder if we're going to get updates from Crash as connections permit themselves? Of course, scanned post cards from the locales he picks them up from would be fun(ny) to compile after he's pulled a "there & back again".

How's this post for an answer, Andrick? : ) Thanks for the list of restaurants, BTW, though I won't need 'em for a few more days, at least... Lots going on here in Sudbury, Ontario. heheh.. Bobcaygeon by the T-Hip is playing, not that that matters...

Looks like i should have another choice up there: X.) About 10 miles outside Sudbury, Ontario, where his car will consume part of itself and spit it out the tailpipe.

So, anyway, here's a brief update on my situation... I'm stuck in Sudbury, ONT, after only about 350 miles of driving. At about 2:30 on Wednesday morning, the cylinder head gasket in my engine finally failed between the nos. 3 and 4 cylinder. Apparently this has been a long-ongoing process, for in addition to the gasket failing, there is also a hole literally burned into the metal of the cylinder head between these cylinders. Basically, the head is shot, and I need a new one.

Thanks to the excellent engineering of older VWs, the car did not stop running at that point; it carried me another five miles to a convenient gas station, where I pulled over, unpacked my down winter bag, and proceeded to sleep in relative comfort for three hours in subzero weather. Another testament to VW's engineering: Stone cold, with two dead cylinders, the engine actually started and ran when I stuck one arm out of my warm bag and turned the key. (Did I mention that I love my VW more than.. well, not more than that... or that... hmm... more than a good cup of Tim Horton's coffee and a honey-glazed cruller, let us say. ; )
Pre-dawn attempts to revive the dead cylinders (I thought it was a frozen fuel line problem at that point) failed, so i started it up and slowly drove the last few miles to Sudbury. This is the only town for a 200 mile radius with a VW dealership, so i am very lucky in that respect.

Once we discovered the problem (something which neither I, the tech, the service manager, nor anyone I've spoken to since has ever seen), we discovered two things:
First, factory-rebuilt VW cylinder heads in Canada are cheap.. REALLY cheap. For example, the cyl. head for my car would cost $2200 in the US. Canadian price: $1070. After exchange rate: About $700. (Note to Elix, Eric, and Ilona: Sometimes I LOVE your country!! )
The second problem, though, is that no one has one readily available. And so, I'm taking an unplanned vacation here in Sudbury until friday afternoon. But I called the dealer today, and they've located one in Toronto, and should have it in the morning (yesterday, they were warning me it might be Monday before they could get one...)
My tech back home says that after a short break-in period, my new cyl. head should give me back abot 10-15 horsepower, so it looks like my V-1 will get a GOOD workout across the Western states... Don't worry, Tobi, I'm watching for the fuzz!

And Sheepdog, funny you should ask what I'm doing the other two days; turns out I'm spending them wandering around Sudbury in the cold. : )

MQ, I'm more worried about finding a hidden road IN Canada, one that leads me to Hudson Bay or Baffin Island or somewhere really freaky, like Quebec...

Otherwise, this has been a good trip so far, once I got started. Made good time, had fun driving... I look forward to the rest of it, once I FINALLY get moving again. Thanks to everyone who's been keeping me in their prayers-- I like to think that they really helped! It's so good to read everything you've all posted here... I miss you all, and i hope I can get back on again once I'm back in the US!

[W.M.Y.L.G. Joe]

I'm more worried about finding a hidden road IN Canada, one that leads me to Hudson Bay or Baffin Island or somewhere really freaky, like Quebec...

Think you could end up in north-eastern British Columbia by any chance?

[ZOMBIE USER 10915]

Good to hear from you Crash. 8)

Sorry to hear about you car troubles but it dose sound like the prayers are helping anyway.

Gotta love those old VWs', what model is it?

If your not lost, what possible excuse could you have for going north of the border?

If Devon is around here, I'm going to Woodinville tomorrow morning but I'll try to be quite and not wake you.

[ZOMBIE USER 10915]

Don't worry about the NYPD though (North Yorkshire Police Department), the most they can do to you is point at you and tell you to stop speeding, otherwise they will have to point at you again.

*Sheepdog gets pulled over*

The officer says, "Lets see now sir.

Your twenty eight hundred pounds over weigh, your paperwork isn't complete and you we're doing thirteen miles an hour over the limit.

I know that you wouldn't intentionally do those things so I will let you go with a warning, have a good day."

I gotta move to England. 8)

Around here the cops try everything they can to antagonize you into causing yourself more trouble.

[ZOMBIE USER 7262]

Think you could end up in north-eastern British Columbia by any chance?

Seeing as he's planning to swing by the south coast, Vancouver Island area... but where you're thinking is a full day's drive from the lower mainland.

[W.M.Y.L.G. Joe]

Hey, a guy can hope, can't he?

[MongooseQuarrel]

well-atleast I have no ph34r of things..or fear for that matter....

wow..that..IS cheap........more good luck ta ya, Crash

[Tek Roo]

Sheesh! What is it about this group and their tendency to drive ridiculously long distances? There is this marvelous thing called a Jet Aircraft that can get you there in several hours, and it would cost a lot less than a cylinder head for a VW, or in Devon's case, an entire car!

Hmmm..... thinking of cylinder heads, maybe it's about time I shelled out that

[W.M.Y.L.G. Joe]

Pfffffft! what's the fun in that?