Best wishes for a successful and enjoyable trip! You sure have an ambitious shake down cruise.
Take a torque wrench, and to be on the safe side, your service manual! Not so many places along the road know what to do with a vintage van anymore.
BTW, how'd the frame injection coating turn out?
Thanks. I am in New Jersey now. Monday I left at 6AM drove for 12 hours to North Carolina. I was supposed to stop off to visit a relative in North Carolina and I did, but quickly got lost and then a county cop pulled me over (because I have Florida plates and was in a "black" neighborhood known to have drug issues. The cop asked the usual and then asked if he could check inside the vehicle. I told him I don't have anything to hide, but it's a pain to repack everything. So he insisted to use the K9 and I said yeah go head. They checked and no drugs like I said and they let us on our way after about 30 minutes. I continued to drive, no GPS no phone signal, eventually I found a state cop asked him how to get back onto i95 and proceeded to. Eventually I got onto i95 and went to a motel 6 on truck stop road in NC.
Tuesday I drove from NC to Virginia stopped off for a big lunch at a little restaurant on the water. I took the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel-Bridge to avoid hell (Washington traffic). Had two double shrimp salads, a pound of grilled shrimp, and flounder. Then I hopped on the highway and made it into Delaware. First hotel I found on my GPS was non existent, the 2nd hotel was booked, finally found a third hotel in Newark Delaware. Reminded me of the ghetto... Now I am in Livingston NJ town I grew up in.
I would stop for fuel every half tank. When I would fill up from half tank it costs me about 25 dollars. I'm getting about 16-18MPG with the A/C on. I thought I was getting 18 but the math says 16. Eitherway I have only put about 125 bucks in so far. Walter has been using a little oil, so far I have only had to add 3/4 a quart since I left and it's been a rough ride. Especially in NJ on the turnpike and in these small towns with roads that have pot holes the size of swimming pools!
I didn't take my torque wrench or service manual. I know this van pretty inside out. I brought enough tools to fix just about anything minor to semi-major. So far it's been good, only a bad voltage regulator but I override it by turning the A/C system onto max.
The frame injection coating went well lol I got the stuff in my hair and it is certainly a phenolic resin because it does not come out. I injected the front end repair area, the rear end repair area and some parts of the frame where the front frame extension meets the frame rail. The factory welds seemed rusty so I figured why not empty the can inside the frame rather than have it all dry out.
Van has been doing very well and the ride in the Carolinas was very very nice. I drive 65MPH cruise control on the highway and it's smooth as silk. It was so cold that the duct work under the dash was condensing and the ice I packed lasted over 12 hours! Everyone but me was wearing a some long sleeve clothing. It was comfy the suspension van very nice, but NJ has torn up my tired and suspension. Hell even the steering is acting up lol. I said to my mom, hey ma only NJ can cause the gauges to go nuts just like the people!
When I get to Vermont I am planning a trip to Rochester because I bought a Snap On MT3000 for 150 bucks, so I have to drive over to pick it up. I am very excited for a new toy/tool. I stopped by an auto shop I worked out when I was 10-11 and asked one of the employees I knew what his thoughts were. He has one and said 150 bucks pick it up!!!
I have been taking plenty of photos, mostly of Walter. The restaurant in Virginia I went to back 15 years ago, so did Walter lol. We actually are visiting all the same places we went 15 years ago when we got the van. Actually we got it in the year 2000. He was just a littlin' and had hair (paint and clear coat).
Thanks hope to hear from you guys soon