05/14/2018
The iPD Garage Sale in Portland is only a few days away!
I worked with David Smith from the PSVSA to get as many of their folks involved as possible, so this should be an EPIC group drive from Seattle!
Seriously folks, this is not to be missed! It's all taking place on Saturday, May 19th (that's THIS Saturday) and we're leaving EARLY. I strongly recommend bringing or picking up an FRS walkie talkie for the drive. There are details on that below.
Send money, marriage proposals, hate mail, rare Volvo parts, or questions to me *anytime*! I'll do my best to get you answers quickly. My phone number is at the bottom of this post, (text *greatly* preferred)
Since someone will ask:
You do not need to RSVP, just show up at the prescribed time and place!
No, there is no cost!
And, finally, can't bring your Volvo but still want to come play? YES, please come along! You could very well make someone's day as a support vehicle!
Plans:
4:00am, May 19th, 2018
Drivers who live north or northeast of Seattle (or in Seattle proper, I'll be driving north to pick up the caravan here, join me!) meet at Porter's Shell station, 812 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115. There is lots of parking, air/water, and they are open 24 hours.
We'll roll from here at 4:20am and head for the southern gathering point.
5:00am
Seattle and eastside, basically anyone south of 520, meet here:
24130 Pacific Hwy S #101, Kent, WA 98032
https://www.yelp.com/biz/starbucks-kent-6
The Starbucks opens very early, and has a very large parking lot to collect in, in case we manage to get everyone who has expressed interest to show up!
PLEASE! THIS IS IMPORTANT!
Since this Starbucks is our departure point, *please* arrive fueled, stocked, and ready to roll. At this point you should be getting a cuppa, checking radios, and picking your music for the next few hours.
We will roll with or without you at 5:30am! If you get left and want to try to catch up, call me and I'll try to help you join/rejoin the group. Ideally though, be on time! I know it's stupid early, but trust me, you'll have a much less stressful and more fun day if you're prepped on Friday night and not bleary eyed and rushing at 3am on Saturday. Ask me how I know!! :)
Rules, and route planning
There are only TWO rules:
1) Don't be a jackass. We all love Volvos and we are all human, let's be *excellent* to each other. Forgive mistakes and minor things, don't sweat small stuff, and be ready to meet new people, and hopefully make new Volvo pals with whom you'll have enjoyed a shared experience!!
2) Have fun within the confines of the laws of Washington state and Oregon! I am simply organizing a group of people who like Volvos and are headed to the same destination, I take no responsibility for your safety, the safety of your car, or any damage caused by your actions. Legal things being what they are, I plan to have a disclaimer for you to sign before the drive begins. It will simply state what I wrote above in a way that's legally binding - participate at your own risk.
(IMPORTANT!) Prep:
I cannot stress this enough!! Check fluid levels, do that oil change you've been putting off, take a peek at the color of those plugs, and just generally give your car a once-over NOW, so that you have a few days to sort anything you find wrong.
If you have a horde of basics for B18, B23 or T series motors (plugs, wires, filters, fuel pressure regulator, cap, rotor, etc..), early balloon fuses, or late blade fuses, bring them along just in case! They may help someone out of a jam, that could even be you. I'll be doing the run in my V40 with a good bit of room for spares if anyone wants me to carry them. I will try to remember to pick up a few gallons of distilled water as well.
Route:
Just give me a link already!!: https://bit.ly/2I2sLXA
Tell me about it: Driving a Volvo is an experience we all relish. I-5 is efficient, but for a portion of the trip we'll be diverting from I-5 to drink in the sights and hopefully make a few rural Washingtonians tilt their heads sideways and wonder where all these Volvos came from. This adds about 50 minutes overall, but turns the drive from views of the industrial corridor into views of the beauty that is rural Washington state. It also gives anyone with non-functional overdrive on a a classic model a chance to get a break and let the ibuprofen kick in for their, by now, nagging headache. :)
The text version. I-5 to exit 127 at Parkland. Surface roads for a mile or two until we join WA 7. This route takes us through Elbe, Wa, on the shore of Nisqually River / Alder Lake. Following WA 7 through Morton, we'll pick up WA 12 West and drive through Mossy rock before rejoining I-5 at Toledo with about an hour left to our destination.
The route in Google: https://bit.ly/2I2sLXA
Rescue and stragglers
I'll have a reasonable set of tools with me. I also plan to bring a few gallons of distilled water (Della has a weeping water pump I'm avoiding), a mini jump-starter, and a ham+FRS capable radio with an external antenna.
I ask other mechanically inclined members of the cabal to bring some basics as well. I do not have a floor jack or stands, so that would be a *huge* help. I also don't have direct jumper cables, so that's a plus too.
To keep us moving I'm going to impose a hard 30 minute limit on holding the *group* for a mechanical. If volunteers want to stay with the disabled vehicle and catch up later, that's fantastic and I encourage it, but the goal is to get a fleet of Volvos to Portland in time to participate in the garage sale.
In any event, I'll make sure you and your car can get home, I'll find tow services and I'm sure we can find anyone with an unfortunate mechanical DNF a seat in someone else's ride. I should have at least one empty seat.
Last but not least, please! You can pick up an FRS radio super cheap, and I highly recommend them for anyone who likes group drives. (And I *VERY* much plan to do more of these, so you'll get use out of it!) I *strongly* recommend them for anyone who has the slightest nagging feeling that they may suffer a mechanical on a 4 hour mixed interstate and state numbered route run -- Or who wants to gab with the group (We'll pick one channel for breakdowns and keeping the group together, and a second for a free for all chat). Cell phones are great, but being able to check in early with the group and give a heads up that you're running warm or suffering a worsening misfire is really helpful. They're like handheld CBs (don't worry kids, this is a reference for us oldbees) with a range between 1 and 4 miles.
They are usually sold in pairs, so team up and cut your price down to less than $15! Sometimes you can catch one at Goodwill, or Walmart for a bargain.
https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-BF-888S-2pcs-Rechargeable-Radio/dp/B00ECW9DB4/
REI has a pair of nice compact Motorolas on sale for $35 that you can walk in and pick up.
https://www.rei.com/product/115187/motorola-t100-2-way-radios-pair
Sporting goods stores, Wal-mart, etc also have them. Probably even your better Fred Myers.
If you've read this far, thanks! I'm hoping to to make this a fantastic and fun day for everyone, and I appreciate each and every one of you who have expressed interest in this (hopefully the first of many) 2018 group Volvo drives!
"Just watch ol' Bandit run"
Cheers,
F. Grant Robertson
Twitter:
P.s. You can ALWAYS text me at 404-457-7299, or call voice (text greatly preferred) for anything Volvo related (need parts, need a mechanic, looking for a car, etc etc), and I mean that! If I can't help, I'll try to put you in touch with someone who can.
