Hello guys. I am finally back at home in VA. I made it back this Tuesday. It was a long, but exciting road trip, met lots of people and had fun for the most part. Had a lot of close calls, and even some actual "calls". While still in New Mexico, at night, was driving 85MPH and right over the crest of a hill were 3 coyotes standing in the middle of the road. If I'd had nailed them, the whole front end of my baby would be gone. I swerved around them, thankfully I missed them, but I had the car going in a left-right, left-right sliding swerve about 4, 5 times doing 85MPH, was scary cuz it was on the verge of rolling.
Not more than an hour later when just entering Texas, a pole cat jumped in front of my car and there was no going around it, he just straight ran in front, again doing 85MPH, so I had no choice but to steamroll his ass. He scraped up the bottom right corner of my bumper and put a crack in the brushguard, and his guts were spread all over the bottom floorpans of my car.....but it's all clean now.
Civilian cops never mess with my 93, it's always been like that. A couple of times on the trip, I did some things that asked to get pulled over. In VA I passed a state trooper doing 85 in a 55MPH zone. Here in VA, they're extremely strict, and what did the cop do? Waved at me as I passed!!! I got messed with again on base in NM right as I was leaving...thats another story. But in the civilian world, my car is invisible.
The Tempo handled the road trip like a champ. Did excellent on gas....getting a high of 318 miles with 8 gallons....thats about 40MPG!! The low being 33 MPG, through city driving. The clutch is doing ok still, though you can feel it is very tired. Driving cross country is a pounding for a vehicle, bugs, rocks, tar, animals, road imperfections, it all pounds a car, but the Tempo took it well, only a few minor front end scratches that I will buff out. Road tar and all the bugs were washed off.
Once I got back, old friends would drive down and saw the green Tempo.....they'd stop by to say hi and all, and they'd ask me if that was my Topaz. They thought I repaired the XR5 but I told them that it's my new car. Everyone likes it. I told them about the 93's future and they can't wait to see it when it's finished.
I'll write more later.
Not more than an hour later when just entering Texas, a pole cat jumped in front of my car and there was no going around it, he just straight ran in front, again doing 85MPH, so I had no choice but to steamroll his ass. He scraped up the bottom right corner of my bumper and put a crack in the brushguard, and his guts were spread all over the bottom floorpans of my car.....but it's all clean now.
Civilian cops never mess with my 93, it's always been like that. A couple of times on the trip, I did some things that asked to get pulled over. In VA I passed a state trooper doing 85 in a 55MPH zone. Here in VA, they're extremely strict, and what did the cop do? Waved at me as I passed!!! I got messed with again on base in NM right as I was leaving...thats another story. But in the civilian world, my car is invisible.
The Tempo handled the road trip like a champ. Did excellent on gas....getting a high of 318 miles with 8 gallons....thats about 40MPG!! The low being 33 MPG, through city driving. The clutch is doing ok still, though you can feel it is very tired. Driving cross country is a pounding for a vehicle, bugs, rocks, tar, animals, road imperfections, it all pounds a car, but the Tempo took it well, only a few minor front end scratches that I will buff out. Road tar and all the bugs were washed off.
Once I got back, old friends would drive down and saw the green Tempo.....they'd stop by to say hi and all, and they'd ask me if that was my Topaz. They thought I repaired the XR5 but I told them that it's my new car. Everyone likes it. I told them about the 93's future and they can't wait to see it when it's finished.
I'll write more later.