tires and wheels Sunday drive to Chicago...

[Delia]

Drove to the Windy City yesterday and got a chance to live with my new 380mm Sport Steering wheel.

After having nothing but a Momo (late '70s vintage Mario Andretti sig model) on the car since purchase, I've now returned to a more bus-like style. I can read all of the gauges without interference and thankfully, unlike my Momo hub, the wheel clocks a perfect twelve noon as I'm motoring in a straight line. The three spoke design bears the patina of it's thirty-some years and the holes can be used in a pinch to measure the proper amount of spaghetti for two or more.

The 380mm wheel has a thinner grip than the 350mm 2002 Sport wheel, but with a far better view of the instruments, the lighter touch for grand touring, and the decreased effort for tight manuevers, I think that coupled with the 5" x 13" Minilite Sport wheels and Bridgestone 185/70-13s, I've come up with the right combination of sporty, practical and vintage correct.

And it only took me five years to get there...

Ben T. has custody of Orange Julius for the next week to prod Orange Julius' nether regions (I'm thinking 'scoot down'), add a five speed, longer rear gear and perform a few more tasks in preparation for my trip westward (Seattle) at the end of July.

I've sold out to the "upgrade/modified" camp of 2002 ownership for a very simple reason. It's my only car. And as my only car, it will need some longer legs for those freeway Interstate treks up and down the west coast.

Having more often than not, the luxury of two or more cars at my disposal, the trip west can allow me one and only one car.

So...

I could have sold my tii, and spent the money on my E30...

-or-

Fix up the 200tii and sell the E30. I can look for and E30 on the west coast.

Well, the liklihood of finding another matching number Inka Orange tii with a sunroof is becoming more challenging every day. And despite the less-than-pristine overall nature of my tii, it is as rust free as just about any unrestored car out there. Besides, after five years of ownership, I know what it 'is,' and I know what it 'isn't.'

No contest.

Cheers!

Delia

[Mike Self]

highway miles on mine since it was finished the day before Vintage in the Vineyard, I wouldn't go back to the four speed again. Gas mileage is significantly increased and those missing 800 rpm in 5th gear makes the car a great deal quieter.

Julius' engine is gonna gasp, "thank you, thank you" for not subjecting him to hour after hour of 4000+ rpm on the interstate.

See you at Ofest...

mike

[brad_c-ville_VA]

are you moving to seattle or just visiting? i recall reading that you were moving out west and there was some debate over whether you should drive julius or ship.

my wife and i will be in seattle over labor day weekend visiting my brother. if you are still there, maybe we can meet up for beers and 02 talk.

brad.

[jwcurry]

....coming up from Portland.

Add me to the beer & chitchat and cross-country

socializing list.

Jerry

[Delia]

I'm moving to Seattle. Kirkland, on the east side, specifically.

It's temporary at the moment. Two months to a year.

Some of the length of this stay depends on whether I secure "meaningful work." I'm helping out freind.

Aside from BMW CCA O'Fest 2006, there ain't none o' that here in Bland Vapids, MI.

Or as Satch calls it, "Ground Rabbits."

Delia

[Lorfjord]

Quite a few 02 owners up there. The city is beautiful!!! You should love it.

I lived in Redmond for 3 months, which is right next to Kirkland.

oh.....hmmmmm. then theres those hills in the city oooohhhhh.... driving a manual, stopping at a light, on what felt like a 90 degree angle, made my hair stand on end.

I used to find a flat place to park, then walk everywhere. But they also have a great bus system. I got into using that. "parking aint cheap" in the city, and you have to put money in these boxes. quite different from the midwest, where they pay someone to sit there.

Whats your travel plan? which roads?

[Delia]

I did some work for Nintendo back in 1990 and stayed in Bellevue. Stayed about six months. There was, still is, a great burger Drive-In nearby.

After O'Fest on July 28, I hope to hook up with one of westbound BMW CCA caravans, if there are any...

Might have to go I-80 to San Francisco first...then up I-5.

Otherwise it's I-90 from Chicago all the way.

Mind you...I'm doing this twice...the first truck leaves July 19. Orange Julius and I go 10 days later.

"Madness takes it's toll." -Riff Raff

Delia

[brad_c-ville_VA]

ok, well i'll post a quick who's in seattle post before we head out thattaway. even if it's just jerry and me we'll still consume some beers!

brad.

[jgmgti]

D.

Nice little write up on your steering wheels virtues..I'd be very happy w/ a 350mm sport wheel on my 72 Inca Tii.Currently I have a 260mm wood 3-spoke Momo on it and its wayyyy too small w/ 6x13mm BBS wheels.I may order a Momo Prototipo as a temp. fix.

*Enjoy the x-country drive..

jgmgti

[SteveJ]

Nooooooooooooooo!

Modifying OJ!

If you were doing this ~just ~ for freeway use, then you shoulda just bought an E36 and been done with it. Take the 02 on back roads & blue highways and rev that little 4 pot/4 speed into the realm of joy.

:^)

Just giving you some grief!

It's your only car, so you do have to make it livable.

Besides, you can always make the change back to a 4 speed once you get done with all those long streches across the praries.

[Otis]

I note that you refer to your tii by its owner-given name (O. Julius), whereas the E30 remains, well, "E30." I've always found that once one names his or her car, that ends the analysis, ballgame over -- it is highly unlikely thereafter that the car ever will be, or would/could/should be, sold. Thus, my three German boys -- Otis, Klaus, and Izzy -- and my three Big Boys, Hector, Teddy, and Douglas, -- oh yes, and even our good old poor, tired, downtrodden Scootie (a dead-on-the-road, rusted out, 82 Toyota Celica) all have permanent homes in our driveway -- without fear of ever being sold (until at least after they bury me). Too many cars, yes, but we're simply too attached to them. Focus, by the way, doesn't have a name, and we're keeping it that way, particularly once his warranty expires.

As for those who love big steering wheels, have some fun some time and beg, borrow, or cajole a driver's seat ride in an old, late 50's or early 60's Mack B-series, the ones with the big, flat steering wheels. What a blast; the big wheel makes turning the big front tires, effortless. As for those desiring to convert their Momo back to an original Greyhound-Bus sized steering wheel, I have Otis' original steering wheel in my garage, waiting for new adventures with a different owner. Email me offline at davidbowen5828 at comcast dot net if that sounds like yo 'ting. I know, I know, I should have posted this in the "For sale" section -- but I'm not really looking actively to sell anything (although I should). It's just that if someone could put it to better use, please feel free to contact me (I had it for sale at V@V in 2005, and no one wanted it, so it's just sitting).

[dlhoovler]

I've been here for a week (Wheaton, Ill., actually) taking summer school grad classes. Not much time for '02ing, though--we have our Toyota here, and they weren't kidding when they called these one- or two-week classes "intensives." Better go read about grammar...

-Dave

[Delia]

'Read' about 'grammar?'

Is that redundant?

Study hard. Keep learning. It's easy when you're young.

Delia