A few months ago I was looking for an engine donor for a future project when Andy mentioned his $50 Q45 being available still in one of the threads. Hard to pass up a $50 340hp running car even if it was 808 miles away.
Andy was willing to hold it until my son's spring break so Monday morning we headed out of Jacksonville up to Pennsylvania. As normal I'll be a couple of days behind in posting cause I'm not that organised.
First day was an easy one. We drove the 4 hours to my mom's in Charleston. Saw this behind a gas station outside Savannah
My first thought was that I could see Pat doing it. Next was wtf kinda frame and engine swap did they do to make it work. I actually drove back around to look at it closer and it didn't have a hitch. Guess they just parked it like that to save space.
Got to Charleston and started what I call The List. My mom always has things that need doing for when I come to visit. Usually it's too long and we don't finish everything but this time we got done just in time to go to bed.
We got up early (for us) Tuesday and headed north to PA. The trip went amazingly well other than the empty trailer beating us to death. Got my timing wrong and hit DC at rush hour but even that wasn't too bad. We checked into the bed and breakfast and off to meet Andrew and our Q45.
Everything was as described but honestly I just drove 900 miles for a $50 car that I'd already paid for. Don't think I'd be leaving it. Only hiccup was my trailer. For the Miatas that I've been carrying they just drive up between the open wheels. My research and measuring said the Q45 was two inches wide for that. I had started making drive over fenders Saturday but rain Saturday and Sunday prevented me from finishing. The temp fix was a wooden bridge for one side. I got the Q45 on the trailer but it didn't leave enough room to remove the wood bridge. Ended up jacking the drivers front and rear to get enough room to remove it. That done we went back to the bed and breakfast and crashed.
Want to add that Asa and I loved York. Bunches of cool old buildings. Jacksonville had a fire in 1901 that destroyed most of the city so we don't see that often.
i would never do anything that crazy, give me a little credit 
i did, however, see what it would take to put a gooseneck hitch on an avalanche and thought about doing a cummins swap before giving up and just buying a real heavy hauler.
No, I could see Pat doing that, too.
Pat, or Steve...either really.
I was just tipped of that this thread existed. Very cool!
Not as cool as the snow trip but still was a cool trip.
So next morning we loaded up after a great breakfast and then tackled moving the Q45. Since we loaded with only one fender we were too close to the tires on that side. Like 1/2 inch close. So I then spent 15 minutes backing up and forward 1 foot trying to move it over while trusting the spotting abilities of an 8 year. Damn good kid I made. So said berkeley it after moving 3 inches and off to Hershey PA for Chocolate World.
Got there at 10:30. Was planning on leaving at 10:30 but we're damn good at power touring or own way.
Quick picture outside.
Ran inside and bought the world's biggest chocolate bar.
On the road at 10:49.
Check the Google and see that it's possible to make Jacksonville by midnight. I'm a goal orientated person so the bet is on. The next 13 hours are stop for gas, pee, and food. Don't stop until we run out of gas 260 miles later.
The only highlights were in Richmond. On the north end we come up on a traffic jam but quickly it ends with a car roof in the road under an overpass. A little wtf moment until we see the car transporter parked 300 yards down the road. Seems it had a car missing a roof and the same color as the one in the road behind us. Guess someone loaded it a little high. That'll turn into a bad day for several people.
After that we take 295 around Richmond and man was the road bad. Next gas stop we find this on the back of the Q45.
Not good, replace with a spare and make note to buy heavier duty ones.
So we repeated stop, pee, food, drive 260 miles until 11:45 when we hit the driveway. Throw Asa in bed and pour a drink. Damn good trip.
Glad to see you made it home safely and had some fun in the process.
Andy Neuman wrote: Glad to see you made it home safely and had some fun in the process.
Thank you for providing the instrument for the fun. Was great to see your mad scientist lab in person.
Glad you made it home safe! Do you use those 1" HF ratchet straps as your primary rigging?
2002maniac wrote: Glad you made it home safe! Do you use those 1" HF ratchet straps as your primary rigging?
please say no.
I had some better ones but unfortunately I left two of them at home. I am definitely looking at even upgrading from the better ones. I kinda like the idea of tire straps.
You can't be like John when you grow up because John is not grown up. 
That's what we like about him.
Those straps make this thread the stepchild of the overloaded towing thread. Please stop immediately.
If you were to have an accident, that 2 ton car would be coming through your rear window with you and Asa in the truck. Not cool.
Rant off for now, but I reserve the right to bitch slap you if you are ever caught doing it again.
OK I've been bitched slapped but I'd already bitch slapped myself. Just picked up four of these at Northern Tool. 3,333 working load, 10,000 breaking. On sale right now for $12.99 each.
there ya go. i rotate mine out every couple years with new ones and relegate the old ones to backup or redundancy duty.
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