what's the craziest thing you ever did with an 02?

[davidboco]

So I'm reminiscing here, bear with me - what's the craziest (stupidest?) thing you ever did with a 2002 - I 've got 3 that I remember:

1)I took a brand new 74 02 down to Telluride from Boulder to visit some buddies who worked in the mines (pre ski area) there and after a few we ended up on a jeep road that went to Ouray, luckily after a few undercarriage scraps we turned around.On the way back to Boulder I got it up to 105mph!

2)4 of us took the same 02 (in 1976) from Boulder to lake powell with camping gear, food, water and a sun fish sail boat and a klepper double kayak strapped to the top. We were loaded, needless to say.

3)Same 02 (in 1975)towed a buddie's 02 from portland to tacoma - and we reasoned that it'd be better to take back roads to avoid cops on I-5. We headed west out of portland and went over the astoria bridge and up into tacoma. We made it without being stopped but my 02 was starting to get tried by then and ended up selling it in 1977.

Crazy times, it helped being young and clueless!

David

[skipsfcr]

Kind of similar to your first story...A few years ago, enroute to the Mid-America '02 Fest in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, my pal Danuel routed us on AR. Hwy. 74. He didn't notice a broken line on the map. We ended up "lost" in Snowball, Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains. After some pondering we decided to take a gravel road West towards AR. Hwy. 7. Fifteen miles down this really rough road (three of the 5 '02s in the group have $$$$$ paint jobs / resto work) we came upon a 3/4 ton lifted 4X4 truck with some good ol' boys in it. I asked how close we were to the Buffalo National River (knowing we had to cross it). The driver said "It's just a ways up ahead, but you ain't crossing it in them thangs." He then pointed to the water line on his truck, about halfway up the door. Needless to say, we had to turn around and backtrack the whole treacherous way.

[pkbinplano]

Bought one LOL

[auggiemize]

Let's just say my first intro to birds and bees; during the Nixon administration...Cant believe I just typed that..

We used to stand up in the sunroof going about 85-90 mph on the old Blue Creek Road, 'bout a 2 mile straight...High school, not for the faint of heart.

But the craziest (most stupid) was sell it. c.1979....Only took 26 years to get back in the saddle.

[Dave3x72tii]

1; On the way home from Nickle Beer Night, and driving fairly fast, my passenger asked what I would do if I needed to stop suddenly, so I showed him... and only after the stop did I notice the Sherrif in the adjacent parking lot, who for some reason wasn't curious enough to come ask why.

2; I bought a wrecked Kaw 750 in Milwaukee, got it mostly in the trunk of my '73, and delivered it to Racine, 20 miles away, I'm sure I had some rear negative camber going on.I think there's a polaroid of that one somewhere

3;A tie rod came apart as I was going to a job interview, in my suit, I coat hangered it together and continued on

4; towed my 02 home (45 mi) from Milwaukee on busy I-94 with a buddies 68 1600, I think we were close to the speed limit most of the way

[ClayW]

Summer of 2001, I think. A buddy of mine and I decided to take a week's vacation on the beach. Booked a cheap hotel room and packed up the `69 1600. Original, Solex 1bbl fed motor with a four speed and a 4.11:1 longneck. Somehow, we managed 27 mpg in that heat.

Not 50 miles into the six hour trip did one of the #4 exhaust studs back out and start a fire under the hood. In my youthful innocence and ignorance, I didn't bring a single tool. We pulled over immediately and extinguished the fire. I walked only a quarter of a mile to a pawn shop where I bought a 12 & 13mm combination wrench. After it cooled off, I tightened up the stud and we were on our way.

Five hours later, we were within 20 miles of our destination when the 320 radiator that I poorly bolted in jumped loose and cut itself open on the fan. At 4:30 on a Friday afternoon in Port Isabel, TX, a stranger pointed me toward a radiator shop just 300 yards away. $30 later, the hole was welded up and we were on our way. Not a hitch for the rest of the trip. 100F weather and sunny beaches.

I still can't believe how naive and lucky we were. Good times.

[2002Targa]

When I was about 10 (1978) my Mom's boyfriend had a white roundie and whenever we would go for a ride, we'd hit this traintrack underpass (Van Ness Blvd, Fresno Ca.) and the upside of the underpass was pretty steep so we'd LAUNCH out of the other side. We probably only got a foot or so of air, but to a 10yr old, it felt just like the Dukes of Hazzard...

He also paid me $5.00 to was his car that summer, so I grabbed a rag and a can of Ajax and went to town. I got the front fender and most of the drivers door done before he came out to check on me and just fuckin EXPLODED. I don't think I've touched a can of Ajax since.

[m-racer]

I got caught in the worst snow storm I have ever seen in my 71 Alpina prepped car. I manuvered around wrecks and stuck cars and was white knuckled for about 6 hours. The car never missed a beat and certainly saved my butt. Amazing well composed and balanced car and I could feel everything that was going on. Still miss that car.

[Guest Anonymous]

The craziest thing I did with Molly was drive her to O'fes 2002 in Colorado (from Maryland), but I was in good company with 10 or so other loonies. We probably had enough spare parts to build another 2002. The only car that quit on us was a 635csi (bad oxygen sensor). After O'fest, I drove to Boulder and from there to Grand Teton, then back home via Montana, the Chief Joseph highway, and the Badlands. It was a looong trip, but she never missed a beat.

I used to take her on the Bob Ridges Memorial Rally (as rallymaster, never as a contestant) over the Forest Servce roads of Virginia and West Virginia. High speeds, gravel roads, and one heck of a lot of fun. Once, I got her stuck in the snow on the top of Dolly Sods wilderness area. I noticed her oil temp had dropped to nothing and so got out and checked. The underside of the car was a Valvoline sno-cone.

On another occasion, I was running a 24-hour precheck for the event when I encountered a tree across the road. To get to the other side of that tree, I had to backtrack and then sidetrack about 60 miles. Luckily, the Forest Service had cleared the tree by the next day.

In 36 years, Molly and I have had some great adventures. We've driven Sebring, Road Atlanta, VIR, Summit Point, Watkins Glen, and Lime Rock. The scariest moment in all that (I realize I'm getting off topic here) was when she ran out of brakes - and I mean foot-to-the-floor-nothing) at Sebring, fortunately just after the hairpin. There was an escape road straight ahead, and I was able to get her slowed down and turned around with no damage.

David Roach

"Molly" (Inka 1973 2002)

"Nick" (Schwartz 2004 330xi)

[Mike Self]

Found some 6x6 guardrail posts at the local dump, about six feet long each. Stuck 'em (at least most of 'em) in the trunk of my '69 (long before I owned a truck) and hauled 'em home. Each one must have weigned close to 100 lbs; I had to tip 'em up into the trunk--too heavy to lift. The '69 at the time always rode tail-high (from the factory); those posts just leveled it out.

Route 12 on the Outer Banks, North Carolina: narrow, two lane, no shoulders--just sand. Tooling along about 55-60, wife in front, dog in back, trunkload of luggage and two bikes strapped on the back bumper. All of a sudden the Falcon that was way in front of me wasn't so far off any more. He had stopped to make a left turn--no brake lights, no turn signals. I hit that soft sand shoulder at 55...managed to slow down enough to gingerly get back on the pavement--at about 40, before I got stuck...didn't even lose a bicycle! And it happened too fast for Carol to yell, "WATCH OUT!" But her eyes were big after it was all over...

And then there was the blizzard....but that's a story for another time--or column

mike

[Bill_Riblett]

I used to take her on the Bob Ridges Memorial Rally (as rallymaster, never as a contestant) over the Forest Servce roads of Virginia and West Virginia. High speeds, gravel roads, and one heck of a lot of fun.

David Roach

"Molly" (Inka 1973 2002)

"Nick" (Schwartz 2004 330xi)

I was a participant in the Bob Ridges Memorial Rally (BRM) at least a couple of years in the late 80s - great fun, at least for me the driver. Fairly high average speeds on lightly traveled roads.

Apparently the pictures I tried to post are too large.

[gracer]

From 77-87 a group of crazy 02 drivers from Portland would make the trip to Laguna Seca to watch the IMSA races. One trip we were headed south out of San Jose, ~ 430 in the morning, three 02's side byside @ over 100 MPH. One driver, who shall remain nameless, started singing on the CB, "Born to be WILD". We then got back in single file and slowed to ~80 and saw a Sheriff going the other way. There were many more stories on those trips. G

[gracer]

(nt)

[bcthomas122279]

Mines a bit similar to 2002Targa's. My first car was an 02 and at 16 my girlfriend and I thought that the 2nd best thing to do in the 74 was to jump the train crossing in riviera beach. If you got up to 75 or so (in 35 mph zone) you could hit the transition perfectly and not even land that hard. This went on several times a week until I got pulled over a few minutes after a particularly epic jump. Turned out I had an expired tag but I was shaking, scenes from Shawshank redemption playing in my mind.

[jrkoupe]

I had a 73 back in 78.....I have so many stories....sheesh...I was 21 yo...and my driving record was baaad...so many speeds.......just stupid....really stupid.

A new shopping mall opened in Brooklyn NY...I lived a mile away.....

my 73 was prepped well........suspension...seats...tires etc etc...I used to go thru the indoor parking lot/maze to save 3 blocks on my route from work to home... and just kept going faster and faster....

so one day I want to "show off' to my pass.....it was the first time I had a pass. for this "track event"....Im sure I set a PR...missing concrete walls by inches...sliding onto down ramps......sliding onto up ramps..wheels screeching...opposite lock....shifting at 6500....all 2 and 3 rd gear......it was a wild ride...I dont have the balls today......or the stupidity....hahaha

In retrospect...with all the dumb things I did in cars.............Im very happy to be alive today.