Dearborn Trip

Most people would think that flying to Detroit and driving back to California is akin to some type torture, personally I enjoy it. The plane trip was the most arduous part of the journey, I was fortunate enough to sit next to Jabba the Hut in the the smallest seat on the plane. I couldn't wait to get into a 2000 Ford Expedition XLT and drive home.

The 2300 mile trip was for the most part uneventful, I did see three accidents, two of them had fatalities. The weather was great everywhere except Nebraska where it rained very hard. I had taken along my Sony Mavica to snap some pics along the way to share my journey with you.

I can tell you firsthand the Expedition drives well and gets what I think is excellent mileage for a vehicle of its size, I regularly recorded 18.5 mpg as a high and 14 mpg as a low in the mountains. The largest engine available for this SUV is the 5.4 liter engine, this is not the same double overhead cam motor that comes in the Navigator so it is a bit down on power. I found that with the air conditioning off it was easy to roast the rear tire (the open differential makes this possible) however with the A/C on this type of spirited driving is not possible.

I did however keep careful track of mileage during this trip and while I can tell you that mileage was good even with the A/C on it would seem there is a serious lack of low end power. Once the big Sport Ute gets moving, it does so with authority, however you will not win any light to light drag races with this rig in it's stock configuration. We definitely have our work cut out for us.

Plans call for a supecharger and what is much needed for the type of driving we will be doing, a serious anti-sway bar front and rear that keep the tires planted on the terra firma. I really think this vehicle calls for a limited slip differential of some type and even a lower gear ratio to assist in keeping the wheelspin to a minimum after the supercharger is installed.

I am getting a little ahead of myself, so enjoy the trip pics for now, take a look below and see for yourself.

Many bugs gave their life so I could bring this vehicle to you.

After getting the keys, it only took me ten minutes to piss off the Ford security people. That's gotta be a new record.

I named her 'Nilla. Seems only fitting, huh?

This was kind of freaky, I flashbacked to my grandmother and her plastic covered furniture. Eeeek!

this was a Blackwood, but because the picture was taken of Fords property they asked me to remove it.

I have obliged and respect their right to privacy.

It had 5.0 miles on it when I got it, but I drove it to the gas station and then to a Rite-Aid to get glass cleaner and paper towels.

Removed

And you thought that the dealer PDI was a joke. They get 500 bucks from you to throw a switch, pull the plastic off the seats and check the oil level.

This rather unique looking vehicle had a "Rox" moniker hung on it. It started life as an F-150 and had the bed drastically shortened.

From the rear it's hard to tell that it has been shortened so much, I didn't break out the tape measure but an eyeball guess looks like about 3 feet were removed. I want one in a 4X4 version, I would imagine that many of you would too.

Nebraska, one thing that never seems to differ from state to state, motorists seem to think that wet roads are as safe as dry ones. My guess is someone in a car darted in front of this tractor-trailer causing this debacle on the interstate

My suspicions were confirmed by a local gendarme, I asked what happened as I crawled by and the highway patrol told me a car cut this guy off causing a chain reaction ending in twisted metal. Luckily no one was seriously injured in this melee.

June 3rd, Vail, Co. 60 degrees. Very nice

Absolutely glorious in Denver.

Still snow for you outdoor freaks out there!

Even though the sky looked threatening, I only experienced a light drizzle.

A sobering reminder of what happens when things go bad on the road.

This memorial was next to a beautiful waterfall. It is dedicated to the Wichita State Football team and its supporters who lost their lives on this mountain. October 2, 1970. There are 31 names on this plaque. Even more tragic is the fact there are 4 sets of siblings listed. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those memorialized here.

After spending a few minutes at the memorial, this waterfall was a nice respite.

This water was moving very rapidly and was VERY cold!

And you thought dinosaurs were extinct. I found this one at a Sinclair gas station and convinced him to mug for this photo.

A quick side trip to Wal-Mart is never disapointing.

These guys were just setting up a display at 8am.

Travel light, move fast.

You're eyes do not deceive you, 104 degree heat greeted me in Barstow, California. Welcome home!