Cross country in 32 hours and 7 minutes...in 1983

[Wakko]

http://www.32hours7minutes.com/#

Looks like a cool video well before the Gumball.

[Johnny SixPack]

Yeah, that's an oldie-but-a-goodie.

They've been advertising that movie for a year and a half I think.

Last/first update I got from them (1/18/06) was that they were in the home stretch of production, and were looking for a theatrical release sometime in the near future.

Also this little bit:

"On January 24th on G4TV, Director Cory Welles will be interviewed about 32 Hours 7 Minutes on Attack of The Show: (LINK)."

Definitely looking forward to it being released.

[TK73]

http://www.32hours7minutes.com/#

Looks like a cool video well before the Gumball.

What do you mean by "well before the Gumball"?



The Gumball Ralley (1976):

http://imdb.com/title/tt0074597/


First "One lap of America" - 1984:

http://www.onelapofamerica.com/history/previous.shtml

[69_500]

I don't recall what Mopar magazine it was but they had a Challenger in there that had drove in the same race. If I recall they had mounted a 35 or a 40 gallon tank under the car, and had it geared with a 2.76 rear end. Which they said they could cruise at 80-90 mph and still get close to 18 mpg. I believe it was a 340 or a 360 in that car, I know it was a small block.

[Wakko]

I thought the Gumball was a recent thing, my error.

[greenpigs]

I don't recall what Mopar magazine it was but they had a Challenger in there that had drove in the same race. If I recall they had mounted a 35 or a 40 gallon tank under the car, and had it geared with a 2.76 rear end. Which they said they could cruise at 80-90 mph and still get close to 18 mpg. I believe it was a 340 or a 360 in that car, I know it was a small block.

Yeah, it was Brock Yates car and a 4 page write up is in Popular Hot Rodding April 2000. According to the article it had a 2.71 gear and a 30 gallon tank and the 340 was built by Cotton Owens. I was going to sell that magazine on Ebay, think I'll hold on to it for awhile.

[mustanghater]

what was that other muscle car movie that came out recently? it had a Superbird in it.

[69_500]

You mean a superbird on the cover of the DVD? Or in the movie.

The Pixar cartoon that is coming out this summer called Cars has a Superbird with Richard Petty as the voice of the car.

Then there is the movie called Finish Line, which has a Superbird on the cover of the DVD. I haven't seen that movie to know how much of a role the Superbird plays in it.

Then there is the movie Dazed and Confused which also has a Superbird in the movie a couple of times.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Just so y'all know - there's really no such thing as a gumball rally.  I've been reading Cannonball! by Brock Yates, and the movie was a blatant ripoff of the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash which was run between 1971 and 1979.  Apparently, if Mr. Yates had a better lawyer, he could have stopped the production of that movie altogether based on an intellectual property claim.

The movie was a cheesy ripoff.  The real deal was the Cannonball, which also preceded One Lap of America, which, as I recall, is run in part by Brock Yates, Jr.

[Mike DC]

Yeah, that's Brock's deal. 

He does an editorial page in Car & Driver issues.  For as long as I've been reading C&D, he spends the column either glorifying his old Cannonball runs or bemoaning the wimpiness of modern society.

The cannonball race is a very cool idea although it's definitely a product of the 1970s.  The legal ramifications are more severe now.  (And besides, the entire interstate NY-LA path is virtually nonstop suburban sprawl today.)

.

[69_500]

Still its not out of question to think that you could  travel that stretch in 32 hours if you really wanted to. That is averaging a little over 100 mph the entire way.

[Arthu®]

Still its not out of question to think that you could  travel that stretch in 32 hours if you really wanted to. That is averaging a little over 100 mph the entire way.

Nope not at all, you would have to step on it as the pit stops and traffic even if you slow down a little below 50 you would have to drive very fast to make it up. Btw I would probably only consider it possible if you were to do it by yourself or with 2 friends or something. Too big of a group would draw a too big crowd. And that means there will also be cops.

Arthur

[Wakko]

Get FLIR (forward looking infrared radar) and roll with the lights off with flat black or charcoal paint.  Be GREAT until someone pulled out in front of you and you get smooshed at 120.   

[Johnny SixPack]

Get FLIR (forward looking infrared radar) and roll with the lights off with flat black or charcoal paint.  Be GREAT until someone pulled out in front of you and you get smooshed at 120.   

If I get pulled over before I'm killed can I tell the arresting officer I was told to do this by another cop?

[RallyeMike]

Still its not out of question to think that you could  travel that stretch in 32 hours if you really wanted to. That is averaging a little over 100 mph the entire way.

You'd never make it in the modern century:

1. Cell Phones
2. Do-gooders.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Still its not out of question to think that you could  travel that stretch in 32 hours if you really wanted to. That is averaging a little over 100 mph the entire way.

Actually, it would be more like an average (including gas/etc. stops) of about 85 MPH.  Perhaps less since the freeway system has gotten better (but perhaps more because of greater traffic) since the the last running - 1979 - of the Cannonball, where a Jaguar XJS dipped below 33 hours at an average speed of 87 MPH and change.  Either way, over 100 MPH would be overkill if all you wanted was a Cannonball in 32 hours.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Still its not out of question to think that you could  travel that stretch in 32 hours if you really wanted to. That is averaging a little over 100 mph the entire way.

You'd never make it in the modern century:

1. Cell Phones
2. Do-gooders.

I'm willing to give it a shot if you are.  We'd have to find a stealthier car than your Charger though.  Besides, with radar detectors so sophisticated now, if you were able to find a route and timing to avoid traffic jams, I think it could be done.  Gimme a call if you want to put it to the test.

[Rolling_Thunder]

not true...   a guy in my car club took his SRT-10 Ram to Texas (about 1500 miles) and got there in about 17 hours...    but he did get pulled over twice

[RallyeMike]

As one of the previous posts said, the 70's was a different era with fewer cars on the road and fewer consequences. There were stretches of western roads that had NO speed limits !. Today, there is a limit between what people perceive as fast driving, and what people perceive as reckless driving where cell calls get generated. You can get away with a certain amount. I just don't think you could get away with 100mph average accross country. In order to do it, you'd have to run a continual 110 or so to make up for stops, even if done very quickly. You would be stopped and ticketed or worse quite often. Then you have to go that much faster to make up lost time. There are still places in America where you pay the ticket before you leave the county. Of course maybe "get away with it" needs to be defined. You might make it. If you did, you would be broke and uninsurable.

There was a fella who was disqualified from one of the Open Road Racing events a few years back for exceeding his maximum tech speed on practice day (He was a rookie, and therefore limited to the top speed he was allowed to drive for his first event). He was pissed at being DQ'd, and got in his very expensive, very fast, and very exoctic car and headed West on I-80 from Battle Mtn NV which is about and quiet and desolate as anywhere. He made it about 50 miles at triple digits before he was stopped and his car impounded. 

I'm willing to give it a shot if you are.  We'd have to find a stealthier car than your Charger though.  Besides, with radar detectors so sophisticated now, if you were able to find a route and timing to avoid traffic jams, I think it could be done.  Gimme a call if you want to put it to the test.

A cop doesnt need a radar detector to know you are going 100+ mph. Radar detectors still dont detect airplane pilots with stop watches. I'm up for just about anything, except if I lose my license, I loose my job. You drive? 



Every car nut and speed freak should read Brock Yates book. I read it in high school (when it was nearly new), and it left a lasting impression on me.

[472 R/T SE]

Mike, do you run scanner's.  When I was OTR, I run one that emitted a red light everytime an officer was close by and keyed up his mike.  You could listen to pilot's as well radioing down to awaiting patrolman. 
I bought a Radio Shack laptop, we're talking old stuff and used to log all the places I seen cops setting up speed traps and such.  And the empty patrol cars with maniquinns in them that would sit in the median.

The best I ever did with a big truck was 3 days from Boston to Seattle, no drugs.  I hauled a restored fire engine ladder to a Seattle firestation, no weight.  Back then, it was common to run more than one log book,

[RallyeMike]

Mike, do you run scanner's.

I am a law abiding citizen and never exceed the speed limit except at sanctioned events.

[472 R/T SE]

 

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Scanners are a good idea.  If I got two other people in the car to work a scanner, navigate, manage fuel stops and drive shifts, I'd do it.

I'm up for just about anything, except if I lose my license, I loose my job. You drive?

Hell yes I drive.  Anyone else wanna come?  Mike can be our scanner/nav guy.

[472 R/T SE]

That would be a kick in the pants.  Can I drive too? 
I have an old Cobra CB with sidebands (goofy channels) and an old school solid state 500 watt bi-linear that fries the end of fiberglass antennas.  If your rig is next to mine and you key up while I'm on, it'll fry your radio. 
I was in Bellvue, Wa. once and talked to someone in Panama.    That's the true meaning of reaching out and touching someone. 

I can move my legs pretty good now, you HAVE to let me drive some tho.      "Where's that brake pedal, ooops"

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Okay, AllBlue is in, and for driving too.  Mike, you can be our nav/scanner/radar detector/lookout guy.  If we get another driver, we can do nice, short shifts.  Now all we need's a car...

You're damn right it would be a kick in the pants.  We wouldn't even have to break any records - just doing a cannonball would be awesome.

[Andrew]

Have you jokers heard of the gumball 3000?

[Vainglory, Esq.]

I don't think any of us can afford to do the U.S., Europe and Asia.  But a cross-country blast, now that's doable.

[Arthu®]

Ok don't know how serious you guys are, but if all you are still looking for is a car. Than may I make the suggestion that you get an Jaguar XJ-S or if you can get one cheap a XJR-S. Really they are pretty cheap (surely not the most beautifull cars, but love is in the eye of the beholder), and you can't beat the 5.3 or if you get the XJR-S the 6.0 V12. They have a lot of potential, but from the factory they are not all that great. Here is a great site for some performance upgrades on a XJS: http://www.jcna.com/library/tech/tech0010.html. I know all this because I actually had the oppurtinuty to get one very cheap, but you have no idea what it would cost to insure a Jag V12 for a 20 year old. It is just cruel.

Arthur

[Vainglory, Esq.]

That's funny stuff, Arthur.  Actually, the last running of the Cannonball in 1979 was won by an XJS that shattered the last two records set by Ferraris.  I'm talking like 3-4 hours faster, too.

[Arthu®]

We have both an 5.3 V12 XJS and a 6.0 V12 XJR-S in service where I did my trainee thingie. I had a chance to drive both of them. And seriously if you can find a XJR-S for a reasonable price, it is a much better starting point. I believe the regular 5.3 has something like 250hp while the 6.0 had 310 I believe. Though I am not a hunderd percent sure. They are ok cars, a bit on the heavy side but you could easily take care of that by just taking out all the fancy luxurious parts (that most likely won't work anymore since it was mostlikely all made by lucas). Btw that is the first thing you should do if you get one, change everything that has anything to do with motormanagement to Bosch. The 5.3 we have in service is a standard HE and oh man the electrical system is a nightmare.

But check e-bay there are plenty around. Put in a fuel cell, strip the interior, put in some racing seats with harness and do the upgrades that the site I first mentioned stated. And you will have a car that makes a reasonable chance of getting there in 32 hours. Considering it won't break down, afterall it is still an english car.

BTW if you do do this good luck, I wish I could join up but that would require money and as a partying student cash is like finding a restored 69 Hemi Charger for under 5k.

Arthur

EDIT: Also found this link in my favourits: http://www.jagweb.com/aj6eng/

[Arthu®]

That's funny stuff, Arthur.  Actually, the last running of the Cannonball in 1979 was won by an XJS that shattered the last two records set by Ferraris.  I'm talking like 3-4 hours faster, too.

Btw tell me about it, I love these cars. Cheap, bad on gas, ugly, long hood to jump over, V12, rear wheel drive. Too bad that just how do you guys call that liable insurance (that you are only insured for damage to other) would set me back 2k in euro's, after one and a half years I would have already payed more on insurance than I would have payed for the car. But I called every major insurance company and none of them were too wild about a 20 year old with a Jaguar V12. Really too sad, would have been fun to drive. Oh well my time will come.

Arthur