With the other two threads going they got me to thinking about my own "big adventure" with a Midget. 1974 Midget, restored from a junk yard find over the year before, "ready for its big trip / adventure" with me. This was in 1993. My plan was to drive from SE Michigan (Ann Arbor) to Rochester NY, to visit family and then on down to Ithica, NY by way of the finger lakes / wine country to visit with some friends (who own a bug eye Sprite). I did not bring any extra parts, and only the tool bag (who's contents had been very carefully vetted by the various shakedown cruises around Michigan during the year after the full rebuild, to work the kinks out), and my packed clothes with me. Oh, and a roll of quarters for pay phones, just in case. The trip usually took about 6 hours to go the 300 or 350 miles on the interstate, but driving across southern Ontario at 45mph, through all of the little towns, listening to their local radio stations on the original FM radio was charming and very, very slow, at over 12 hours to Rochester. Oh, and I also had three flats. Turns out that the new tires had an inspection sticker on the inside that quickly wore a hole through each inner tube. Luckily, Canadian Tire was open on the weekends, was present in all of the towns that I drove through (at least the three that mattered) and had the right size tube in stock. Apparently, the 4th one did not have that sticker, as it never went flat. From then on, I carried a spare inner tube in the boot, "for the next time" (which has never come). 5 minutes into Ontario, across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit, barely an hour into my trip, I was pulled over for speeding. The speedo did not yet work in my car, and I had pasted a note to the dash equating various tach RPMs to equivalent MPH, and was trying to convert THAT to KPH when the flashing lights pulled me over. I wasn't upset, or angry. Actually, it was pretty funny (though the ticket was real enough). My favorite memory of the trip was early morning, driving on the deserted roads through the finger lakes, stopping into little roadside shops for a coke (literally road side, where the front stoop is the curb) - the kind of shops which sell everything from tackle to dairy. There was a slightly used well pump on the counter of one of them, beside the register for sale. That kind of real life, small town shops. I loved every minute of it. I also loved every minute of being far, far away from the interstate, away from "people trying to get somewhere", and just cruising, instead. Also great was being able to simply pull up alongside someone walking down the road, to ask directions. It was an immediately "safe" encounter for them, an adorable little red classic sports car, top down, pulling up for an easy chat. Not enough of that kind of interaction in daily life. I stopped at a buddy's house in central NY and we stowed the Midget in his garden shed to go climbing in the Adirondacks for a few days. We did the 3 mile hike from ADK Lodge to Marcy Dam with full packs in about 45 minutes (jogging), getting there just before dark (this was in mid September, and it had rained, hard, all day until after 5pm). I never hiked that fast before, but it was easy terrain, and we had the whole park to ourselves after that. The ranger came to see us the first morning we camped at Lake Colden Lean-To (simply the most beautiful, and most difficult to get to, place to sleep anywhere in NY State). He said that a bear had come and eaten all of the food from the previous 13 groups to come up there. We were the first in two weeks to make it and not have our trip ruined by that bear. We put it down to either our superior food-hanging-in-the-tree skills, or to a bear who was by that time, well fed. The ranger told us of one lone female hiker had thought she'd be smart and hang her food in the lean-to with her. She was woken by the bear when it stepped on her. It got the food, and she escaped without a scratch. Imagine the emotional trauma of being in the woods alone, and feeling the weight of a 300lb bear paw on you (!). In Ithica, I gave my friend's young daughter a ride to Jr. High school one morning (she really liked getting this treatment from her dad in his BRG Bug Eye, so this was in keeping with the tradition). When we pulled up in my red Midget, one of her friends asked, "is that your dad?". We both said, in unison, "No". Afterwards, I wondered what the heck that friend thought was going on with strange men and sports cars, so early in the morning. On the way home, around London, ONT, I blew the head gasket. Instead of doing anything about it, I simply kept the speed up and drove like heck. I gave up on the old roads (Rt 2, or 51, and stuck to the 401 the rest of the way). It seemed to smooth out going around 50mph, so I decided I'd rather either make it home, or at least get closer so the tow would be cheaper regardless of what happens next, and screw the motor. But I made it all of the way home to my garage. Later, I found that the brass plug in the head casting had moved (the one located between #2 and 3 cylinders). Strangely, every time that I had to stop, during that nail biting drive home, wasps would immediately congregate around the grille of my car. It happened every single time that I stopped during that afternoon, and had never happened before and never did again. Weird. Fun trip, all the way around. :) Norm http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2066404#msg-2066404 Wed, 22 May 2013 01:38:14 -0500 Phorum 5.2.15a http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2068046#msg-2068046 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2068046#msg-2068046
I would like to do a long distance trip someday myself. From New Brunswick, Canada to Nashville (approx 1400 miles!). May be a few years until I get to do it but in the meantime keep posting your tales of adventure. :)

Rob]]> zamboniman MG Midget Forum Tue, 15 May 2012 07:08:28 -0500 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2067288#msg-2067288 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2067288#msg-2067288
We get hornets congregating on the grille every summer here... they scavenge the dead bugs.

Unfortunately, they also congregate on picnics, barbecues, fried chicken in the park, etc... I dislike hornets.]]> mjamgb MG Midget Forum Mon, 14 May 2012 12:05:00 -0500 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2067013#msg-2067013 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2067013#msg-2067013
It's funny how we can remember in detail things that took place many years ago & can't remember what was for breakfast yesterday...In your case, probably because it was a real adventure, which beats the heck outta oatmeal & raisins.

Bishop]]> btinsley MG Midget Forum Mon, 14 May 2012 07:07:19 -0500 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2066404#msg-2066404 http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2066404,2066404#msg-2066404
My plan was to drive from SE Michigan (Ann Arbor) to Rochester NY, to visit family and then on down to Ithica, NY by way of the finger lakes / wine country to visit with some friends (who own a bug eye Sprite).

I did not bring any extra parts, and only the tool bag (who's contents had been very carefully vetted by the various shakedown cruises around Michigan during the year after the full rebuild, to work the kinks out), and my packed clothes with me. Oh, and a roll of quarters for pay phones, just in case.

The trip usually took about 6 hours to go the 300 or 350 miles on the interstate, but driving across southern Ontario at 45mph, through all of the little towns, listening to their local radio stations on the original FM radio was charming and very, very slow, at over 12 hours to Rochester. Oh, and I also had three flats. Turns out that the new tires had an inspection sticker on the inside that quickly wore a hole through each inner tube. Luckily, Canadian Tire was open on the weekends, was present in all of the towns that I drove through (at least the three that mattered) and had the right size tube in stock. Apparently, the 4th one did not have that sticker, as it never went flat. From then on, I carried a spare inner tube in the boot, "for the next time" (which has never come).

5 minutes into Ontario, across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit, barely an hour into my trip, I was pulled over for speeding. The speedo did not yet work in my car, and I had pasted a note to the dash equating various tach RPMs to equivalent MPH, and was trying to convert THAT to KPH when the flashing lights pulled me over. I wasn't upset, or angry. Actually, it was pretty funny (though the ticket was real enough).

My favorite memory of the trip was early morning, driving on the deserted roads through the finger lakes, stopping into little roadside shops for a coke (literally road side, where the front stoop is the curb) - the kind of shops which sell everything from tackle to dairy. There was a slightly used well pump on the counter of one of them, beside the register for sale. That kind of real life, small town shops. I loved every minute of it.

I also loved every minute of being far, far away from the interstate, away from "people trying to get somewhere", and just cruising, instead.

Also great was being able to simply pull up alongside someone walking down the road, to ask directions. It was an immediately "safe" encounter for them, an adorable little red classic sports car, top down, pulling up for an easy chat. Not enough of that kind of interaction in daily life.

I stopped at a buddy's house in central NY and we stowed the Midget in his garden shed to go climbing in the Adirondacks for a few days. We did the 3 mile hike from ADK Lodge to Marcy Dam with full packs in about 45 minutes (jogging), getting there just before dark (this was in mid September, and it had rained, hard, all day until after 5pm). I never hiked that fast before, but it was easy terrain, and we had the whole park to ourselves after that. The ranger came to see us the first morning we camped at Lake Colden Lean-To (simply the most beautiful, and most difficult to get to, place to sleep anywhere in NY State). He said that a bear had come and eaten all of the food from the previous 13 groups to come up there. We were the first in two weeks to make it and not have our trip ruined by that bear. We put it down to either our superior food-hanging-in-the-tree skills, or to a bear who was by that time, well fed. The ranger told us of one lone female hiker had thought she'd be smart and hang her food in the lean-to with her. She was woken by the bear when it stepped on her. It got the food, and she escaped without a scratch. Imagine the emotional trauma of being in the woods alone, and feeling the weight of a 300lb bear paw on you (!).

In Ithica, I gave my friend's young daughter a ride to Jr. High school one morning (she really liked getting this treatment from her dad in his BRG Bug Eye, so this was in keeping with the tradition). When we pulled up in my red Midget, one of her friends asked, "is that your dad?". We both said, in unison, "No". Afterwards, I wondered what the heck that friend thought was going on with strange men and sports cars, so early in the morning.

On the way home, around London, ONT, I blew the head gasket. Instead of doing anything about it, I simply kept the speed up and drove like heck. I gave up on the old roads (Rt 2, or 51, and stuck to the 401 the rest of the way). It seemed to smooth out going around 50mph, so I decided I'd rather either make it home, or at least get closer so the tow would be cheaper regardless of what happens next, and screw the motor. But I made it all of the way home to my garage. Later, I found that the brass plug in the head casting had moved (the one located between #2 and 3 cylinders).

Strangely, every time that I had to stop, during that nail biting drive home, wasps would immediately congregate around the grille of my car. It happened every single time that I stopped during that afternoon, and had never happened before and never did again. Weird.

Fun trip, all the way around. :)


Norm]]> Kerr MG Midget Forum Sun, 13 May 2012 13:37:56 -0500