ShadowsPapa
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Bill
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2019
- Threads
- 247
- Messages
- 40,442
- Reaction score
- 53,859
- Location
- Runnells, Iowa
- Vehicle(s)
- '25 JTMX, '23 JLU 4xe, '82 SX4, '73 Javelin
- Occupation
- Retired auto mechanic, frmr gov't ntwrk security admin
- Vehicle Showcase
- 3
Been sick off and on much of Feb (docs said "flu" but who knows) so not online much, no real shop work either, but did get feeling well enough for a trip to Fort Wayne a few days ago. So, we loaded up and drove to Indiana the 14th. Took one of my antique engines to a friend of mine who has been wanting on for a long time (and I need the space anyway). He had some parts for my 73 Javelin that can't easily (or cheaply) be shipped, like restored wheel well trim, AC parts so I can someday install AC in that car, and more work for me to do - ugh, I'll never catch up. It was a change to take the truck on a road trip, see a friend and his family, get away for a bit and see how the JT did on the road for hours at a time.
Discovered a few things -
It's a comfortable truck to be in on long trips. Actually my wife said that. She told a friend that it was easy to ride in it for 8 hours so it should be fine taking it to Colorado Springs in June. She said it rode nice, comfortable, etc. (whew!)
Funny thing - in another thread, someone posted their MPG numbers and another person said "you have those numbers reversed". I commented likely not - these don't do well at high speeds MPG-wise. I proved I was correct on this trip. Around here I can easily do 19-20, town, shopping, errands, it's easy to do that, and if careful, can do over 20. BUT, hit the open road where the speed limit is 70 and with my wife driving wanting to get home doing over 70, that MPG number drops like a rock. In Indiana where the limits were 55-60 and there were a lot of towns along hwy 30, we were doing 20-20.9 - then she hit Illinois and the 70 mph limit and the MPG dropped like a rock to about 18.
BUT - filled up on the west side of Fort Wayne and if she'd kept the speed down under 70 we'd have made it almost all the way home on a tank of gas. (of course she reminded me her Grand Cherokee would have made it all the way - thanks, dear)
As we were leaving to head back home Sunday the 16th, I was tired, still not myself from having been sick for so many days the weeks before, she said she'd drive a ways coming back home. Fine with me. So I got the seat slid forward for her (she can't reach and deal with the seat adjust handle with her arms/handicap - it's one reason she's decided she'll never buy one). Got the seat set for her, things all set up and she hit the highway and her first comment was "hope there's no police back there, they'll think I'm drunk. This thing is all over the road" or words to that effect. She commented on how hard it is to keep it between the lines. Yup - she found out why I refuse to pay attention to things she's pointing to or one or the reasons I refuse to eat in that truck or take my attention from the road to do anything at all. You must pay full attention to the road to keep it between the lines. She was concerned people would think it was her first time driving, or cops were going to pull her over. After a while she got the hang of it. If you aren't paying full attention or in complete control, you will find yourself somewhere other than in your own lane. That's the best way to describe it. Ticks her off when I am driving and I won't look at something she's trying to get me to look at - I think now she knows why I won't look away from the road - I don't dare. You are playing that old game of "Operation" - you don't dare look away. LOL
But she's telling people how much "we" like the truck.
I picked up some trim to finish off the floor of her sun room the other day - long pieces. Was sure nice to be able to just flip up the back section of the tonneau cover and slip the trim in the back and not have to roll up the whole cover like I'd have to have done with my Chevy truck. That was all or nothing with that one.
Fair trade, right? I got my truck, she got her sun room............(even though I had to install the floor in her sun room)
She's already telling people when the weather warms up the top will be coming off. Great, now I just have to find a way to get it off and store it. I sort of wonder if the soft top option might be in our future..............
Discovered a few things -
It's a comfortable truck to be in on long trips. Actually my wife said that. She told a friend that it was easy to ride in it for 8 hours so it should be fine taking it to Colorado Springs in June. She said it rode nice, comfortable, etc. (whew!)
Funny thing - in another thread, someone posted their MPG numbers and another person said "you have those numbers reversed". I commented likely not - these don't do well at high speeds MPG-wise. I proved I was correct on this trip. Around here I can easily do 19-20, town, shopping, errands, it's easy to do that, and if careful, can do over 20. BUT, hit the open road where the speed limit is 70 and with my wife driving wanting to get home doing over 70, that MPG number drops like a rock. In Indiana where the limits were 55-60 and there were a lot of towns along hwy 30, we were doing 20-20.9 - then she hit Illinois and the 70 mph limit and the MPG dropped like a rock to about 18.
BUT - filled up on the west side of Fort Wayne and if she'd kept the speed down under 70 we'd have made it almost all the way home on a tank of gas. (of course she reminded me her Grand Cherokee would have made it all the way - thanks, dear)
As we were leaving to head back home Sunday the 16th, I was tired, still not myself from having been sick for so many days the weeks before, she said she'd drive a ways coming back home. Fine with me. So I got the seat slid forward for her (she can't reach and deal with the seat adjust handle with her arms/handicap - it's one reason she's decided she'll never buy one). Got the seat set for her, things all set up and she hit the highway and her first comment was "hope there's no police back there, they'll think I'm drunk. This thing is all over the road" or words to that effect. She commented on how hard it is to keep it between the lines. Yup - she found out why I refuse to pay attention to things she's pointing to or one or the reasons I refuse to eat in that truck or take my attention from the road to do anything at all. You must pay full attention to the road to keep it between the lines. She was concerned people would think it was her first time driving, or cops were going to pull her over. After a while she got the hang of it. If you aren't paying full attention or in complete control, you will find yourself somewhere other than in your own lane. That's the best way to describe it. Ticks her off when I am driving and I won't look at something she's trying to get me to look at - I think now she knows why I won't look away from the road - I don't dare. You are playing that old game of "Operation" - you don't dare look away. LOL
But she's telling people how much "we" like the truck.
I picked up some trim to finish off the floor of her sun room the other day - long pieces. Was sure nice to be able to just flip up the back section of the tonneau cover and slip the trim in the back and not have to roll up the whole cover like I'd have to have done with my Chevy truck. That was all or nothing with that one.
Fair trade, right? I got my truck, she got her sun room............(even though I had to install the floor in her sun room)
She's already telling people when the weather warms up the top will be coming off. Great, now I just have to find a way to get it off and store it. I sort of wonder if the soft top option might be in our future..............
Sponsored
