Okteenerfest caravan from the DFW area, Lets start planning. Options

[ClayPerrine]

We are starting to plan the trip to and from Okteenerfest.

If you would like to travel with us, just let us know. The more the merrier. Any and all suggestions, ideas, etc.. are greatly appreciated.

We have been to Okteenerfest multiple times, and twice to Banner Elk, so here are the gotchas.

1. Registration in Banner Elk on Thursday is usually 3 to 7 in the afternoon/evening. It's better to get there early rather than late because registering on Friday is a pain in the ass. It's a lot more fun to get there early enough to get settled in, meet people, and figure out dinner. We normally make Wednesday a long day, and Thursday a short day of driving.

2. The time change. Around Rockwood, TN, on highway 40, we lose an hour. It bit us hard a couple years ago.

3. Anyone who is pulling a trailer is going to need a safe place to park when we stop for the night, both there and back.

4. Leaving DFW, Betty and I are going to trailer one car, and drive another, both trying to clear Dallas morning rush hour traffic to get to I-30 headed east. A long first day favors leaving early.

Questions for the group.

What time are y'all comfortable leaving in the morning? We found that leaving at 7am works for us.

In the past we have found hotels that were running $60 to $80 a night. What is a comfortable price range for a hotel for y'all?


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving-girl.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[scottthephotog]

Well, I just lost at least one cylinder on our 914, possibly 2 this past Thursday. No big bangs or anything just started driving progressively worse throughout the day. Started as I got close to work, so I couldn't really turn around. Checked cylinder compression when I got home. 1 & 3 were 115, 2 was 0, and I couldn't get a reading on 4. (I didn't have the patience to fight with trying to get the compression tester hose onto the spark plug hole). No visible damage to the case anywhere, but I haven't taken the engine tin off. Opened up the valve cover and things seem fine in there. Valve are adjusted correctly.

Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do. I had started rebuilding a 2.0L and I've got a decent amount of the parts. (Need a clutch, muffler, exhaust hanger, and heat exchangers.) I've got an appointment with Mayo to redo the heads, and I'm just going to order new cylinder jugs and pistons. The case, while dirty, looks fine and everything turns smoothly.

Either way, the 1.7L is going to have to come out to be fixed or to swap the 2.0L. I'm planning on trying to drop the 1.7L out of the car this coming weekend to get a better idea of what happened. Depending on which engine needs more work, that will decide my course of action. We'll see how much I can get done before September. Hopefully, we'll still be able to make it. If we can't get the 914 running by then, then we might take the 944, or just try again next year.

[Betty]

Well, I just lost at least one cylinder on our 914, possibly 2 this past Thursday. No big bangs or anything just started driving progressively worse throughout the day. Started as I got close to work, so I couldn't really turn around. Checked cylinder compression when I got home. 1 & 3 were 115, 2 was 0, and I couldn't get a reading on 4. (I didn't have the patience to fight with trying to get the compression tester hose onto the spark plug hole). No visible damage to the case anywhere, but I haven't taken the engine tin off. Opened up the valve cover and things seem fine in there. Valve are adjusted correctly.

Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do. I had started rebuilding a 2.0L and I've got a decent amount of the parts. (Need a clutch, muffler, exhaust hanger, and heat exchangers.) I've got an appointment with Mayo to redo the heads, and I'm just going to order new cylinder jugs and pistons. The case, while dirty, looks fine and everything turns smoothly.

Either way, the 1.7L is going to have to come out to be fixed or to swap the 2.0L. I'm planning on trying to drop the 1.7L out of the car this coming weekend to get a better idea of what happened. Depending on which engine needs more work, that will decide my course of action. We'll see how much I can get done before September. Hopefully, we'll still be able to make it. If we can't get the 914 running by then, then we might take the 944, or just try again next year.

Dang Scott... it's always an adventure with old cars.

if you need ANYthing - parts (seriously, we've got parts!), help, whatever - call Clay. We'll see if we can get over to help if you need it. It'd be awesome if you guys can make it in the 914, awesome if you can make it in the 944, awesome if you can make it in anything! We'll try to help as much as we can! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)