I flew up Monday morning (Huntsville - Atlanta - Akron). Left at 6 A.M Central, arrived noon Eastern time. Realized on the second leg that I forgot to bring Ken's number with me . Met the seller at the airport and got the car. The wipers didn't work (he said the did previously), so he knocked 300 bucks off the price. I had a few other little surprises along the way, but I'll get to those in a second. And no, the owner didn't have a computer, so I couldn't get to C3VR....I'm going to have words with my organizer...

I drove off, needing to reach Louisville, KY. After figuring out how to get to the interstate, I was off. I almost got lost, but I made to Lousiville. Only hit stop and go traffic in Cincinatti. 20 minutes of working that clutch was a bear! Car drove fantastic and shifts well.

This morning, I left Lousiville and headed for Huntsville. I made it to Nashville, and it started raining. I had plenty of RainX on the windshield, so that wasn't too big a deal. It was enough to get the car dirty though. I promise I only said a dozen or so swear words. Rain stopped after Nashville. The rest of the drive was uneventful.

Of course, I have a list a mile long of things to do. I'll post a couple of specific questions in the appropriate places after I do some searching. A couple of things though. First, the car used roughly two quarts of oil for the trip. It does have a small drip from somewhere, but not that much. I didn't notice any white smoke from the exhaust. Is it normal to use that much oil? I could tell the oil level was getting low because the oil pressure gradually dropped. I just added every so often as I went. The other problem is that the tach worked when I started, although it bounced a little at times. After a while, it stopped working completely.

Anyways, I do plan to pull the engine (406) in the future, so I can keep an eye on things for now. I know I'll be posting a lot as I discover how little I know...

And no, I didn't have anyh cop encounters! I drove the speed limit the entire way.

John

Depending on how much the car has sat, the seals as such may be a bit dried out.  You could try a engine oil sealer, and it may cut the oil usage by swelling seals and gaskets.  Might not, but it won't hurt anything.

The tach sounds like the cable from the distributor needed some lube, and perhaps failed.  Typical tach bounce as the cable binds.

I did save the cell phone number, but apparently got it wrong.  The number I dialed said it was disconnected.  I wish it worked, I may have been able to fix the wipers.  Glad the trip went well, and sorry we missed each other.

Joel - I never wound it out. Ok, I almost never wound it out!  I tell you, that 406 is strong. Going 65 MPH, and needing to pass a truck quickly, well, whoosh and it was done. Very impressive. Cruising at 65 and 70 with the top down was no problem (of course, I got myself a "convertible" haircut before the trip) . Glad to hear the oil useage does not sound excessive.

Ken - thanks for the tip, I'll try the engine oil sealer.

I was too tired this evening, but I need to give her a good washing (although I did clean the side exhaust, bumpers, windshield, and wheels). Then hopefully she never sees rain again. I've got pics - I'll post one as soon as I get them off the camera.

John