Hi all, I am planning a trip from Houston to Toronto taking a route that leaves Houston, goes to Baton Rouge then cuts up through Jackson to Memphis, from there through Cincinnati through Dayton and Toledo, around Detroit to enter Canada at Sarnia then across to Toronto. I'll be driving my recently restored 84 QV which has passed her road test this past 10 days with over 300 miles on her and seems to be running fine. I did all the work in my shop here and have over 250 hours invested in her to date. I was interested in knowing of any Ferrari maintenance options along the route that may come in handy if worse comes to worse. Of course I would also be interested in meeting up with any Ferrari Chat members along the way who might want to chat in person. I am heading up to give my Dad a ride in the car. He is getting near the end of life and has always wanted a ride in a Ferrari. He is in a nursing home in the Toronto area and will just love a few hours out in the passenger seat of this car. I cant' wait to see his smile when I nail it and he is accosted by the visceral attack on the senses that this car can provide. If you know of any reputable mechanical help along the route I would love to be armed with that information before leaving town. I will have a reasonable toolkit along, as well as fire extinguisher, water etc. But you never know. I have done the hydraulic, electrical and cooling systems as well as timing belts, tensioners, ignition, air handling, blow-by and several fuel hoses. When I get back from this trip I will be tackling the fuel system and suspension. Those are the two weak points on the car at the moment and why I wouldn't mind knowing about a few service options along the way should they prove necessary. I have attached a pic of the car. Take care all, and thanks for any information you care to share, Paul Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sweet!!! Be sure to keep us updated along the way...! Enjoy the time with your dad! I did similar things with mine before we lost him. Rick
I am excited for you and your father hope you have a safe trip. If you have time, I am in Baton Rouge and would love to trade you a ride in a 993 porsche for one in a ferrari! Lucas
The Louisiana guys can name the shop in N.O.,........it's actually located in Slidell. You did the right thing, starting this thread! When I brought mine back from Oregon I had emergency numbers from Fchatters in every state, and managed to meet a few in person, too! Good luck to you and your Dad!! Keep this thread alive and post pics along the way!!!
Photos are a requirement for this thread to have any validity!!!! Seriously, post the dates of your travel and also post this in each of the regional areas you will be passing through. There is, of course, the great possibility that along the way you could meet up with FChatters along the way. If your route passed through OK, I would be up for meeting you with my 85 QV. Great looking car and I look forward to hearing more about it all. PDG
Hi again, It is very nice to see action on this thread. I am testing a response from my mobile. If this works I can keep y'all updated from the road. Paul
Yep, that works. Now I'll see if I can upload an image. Hmmmmm.... When I try to manage attachments on this phone the web app doesn't see my images. Anyone know a way around this??
Many (most?) phones don't allow direct uploads through the browser. Your best bet might be to upload your photos to flickr/picasa/whatever and then provide links to them in the post.
Paul, post up in the Canada thread - im in Toronto, and could meet up, let us know of the dates and get a few guys together for drinks .... can even bring the TR for your dad if he is nearby ... not many homes here, so im sure its one i know - PM me if you want - safe travels.
That seems to be the case with this iPhone. Bummer. That means if I wanted to keep pics flowing I would need to bring my laptop along. I don't really want to have that take up a lot of room that could otherwise be used for tools, clothes, oil etc. If I did take it I could upload trip images to my personal website and reference them. Here is a test for that site: http://www.ccbycathy.com/~zpgg07/Images/Isabella/IMG_1049s.JPG this is an image from the day I was doing cam work. I'm going to do a test pack over the next 24 hours. I'll see if I have room for my laptop. If I do then I'll take it along and post stuff at night. If I don't, then texts will have to do from the road and I can upload my phone when I get back and point y'all to the site. Paul Ciao, Paul
I plan on leaving early Sunday morning and hopefully get to Toronto by the Teusday evening. I'll be up there for a week or so then make the drive back, except I will be coming through Tulsa on the way back to visit some old friends from the Alfa Romeo Club of Oklahoma. Should be back in Houston sometime around the 11th or so.
What a great story! Best of luck, drive safe. Can't wait to hear about how it goes, I've got a couple lessons learned for the suspension when you get home.
I lived in Houston from 99 to 05 and now live in Toronto. I have never attempted the drive though. You stated that you will be driving back through Tulsa on your way home, I am assuming that you will be going through St Louis to get there. I lived in St Louis for a few years as well and can provide some recomendations for assistance if needed. Enjoy the ride and keep us posted if you need anything when you get to Toronto.
My wife is a chef so I will ALWAYS take a food recommendation. Never know when that might come in handy. Thanks much, Paul
Here are my planned routes for the way up and the way back. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looks like you'll be coming right through Ft. Wayne on the way back. What are the dates that you are travelling? JIM
I would suggest looking into a more direct route on the return trip back through Detroit to Fort Wayne to Indy. It seems like the return route is taking you too far north, unless that is intentional. I drove from St Louis to Toronto last July and took a similar route to the one that I am describing. Lots of corn along the way.
yeah, it is intentional. I have driven the route from Tulsa to Toronto and back several times when I lived in Tulsa and visited my parents in Toronto. I have always gone through Detroit as you describe but this time I wanted to see some of the state I have not traveled through before. I am fortunate to not be pressed for time on this adventure. I can afford and extra day here and there. Thanks for the head's up though. Paul
I'm sure several of us can provide both food and assistance recommendations here in St. Louis. Let us know when you plan to be through.
Last night I was checking Google Maps to check the distance from Toronto to Ft. Wayne and was surprised to see that northerly route was suggested. It's a little farther, but according to their times, a little quicker (~7.5 hours versus 8+ hours if going through Detroit).
