Awesome pictures, and the models you found look so natural.

A photo hint I learned a while back, when taking a picture of an object (like the car) where you want to include a background object (like the haystack rock). If you are able to get "way" back and use a very long telephoto lens, this compresses the background right up to the object ... cool effect if the areas allow for it.

But back to the original picture, a great add photo for Avalanche

Update? Thought you'd never ask...

Spent part of the day yesterday at the Space/Aviation Museum in McMinnville. We saw the aviation part last year but the space building is open now. Lots of cool stuff there, for sure. Took a bunch of pictures. They're up on my Photobucket page at the link listed above. Took some more pics of Craig's car too...





Today we spent the day tasting wines. Have a crazy story for Ian but that can wait until we get back...

Tomorrow we head into Portland to explore and Saturday we head for Spokane and then home Sunday...

There's loads of great shots in there; look's like a fun road trip.

Awesome pics, love the setting and that museum was great.

... wine? did someone say wine?

Looking forward to your stories and adventures, drive safe.

Back home. Long couple of days. 931 km yesterday from Portland to Missoula and another 850 today. Good news is the trip back was problem-free and Craig's 122 will cruise at 80mph for hours at a time with no complaints. He bettered me on mileage on every segment but one. The last segment between Great Falls and Sweetgrass was at about 85mph and the long gearing of the wagon starts to pay dividends...

Welcome back

Looking forward to hearing the stories from your trip

The tales are many - getting searched at the border again was no surprise for me. For those keeping track, I've been searched every time since last fall! Not kidding - don't cross the border with me. This time they didn't check the trunk, just had me drive into the big garage for a quick walk around and question check. I was seriously going to ask them if I was on a list, but I know that I am, so why bother. I didn't panic or pull a shifty smuggler face, so they let me go.

My stereo died with some of my previous electrical problems - so Best Buy came to the rescue with a new Alpine head unit. They are cheaper there, but the service is still useless. I fixed the angle drive for the spedo with a spedo repair kit for $3 and I've now got a Painless Wiring kit to re-wire the thermo-switch for the e-fan. It's amazing, they actually have these parts (painless wiring etc.) on the shelf in the US - I know they have them in Calgary as well, but down in the 'bridge this stuff is hard to find and always needs shipping.

I also picked up the stainless/AL flanges for the exhaust and intake for the whiteblock project. Again, they were sitting on a shelf at RSI while we were hanging out waiting for parts for the 960 - so I figured what the heck. More shipping saved.

For those keeping track of the milage, it was a total of 1678 miles (highway there and back - not including trips around) and I burned a total of 48.3 UK gallons or 57.98 US gallons. Totals round trip including almost 700 km at 80+ mph is 8.12L/100Km (34 UK, or 29US MPG). It uses around 8.5L/100km at that speed - about 7.8-8 at regular speeds.

The car quit pinging after a bunch of really long pulls up steep mountain passes doing 4000 rpm in 4th for 10 - 15 minutes at least for each one. It got a pile better after that. Sort of makes me think that I could add a little more timing in that I dialed out. Other than that it is time for the final oil change and I should start increasing my self imposed rpm limit of 4500 rpm.

If your speedo/odo drive ratio is wrong, how are you getting the mileage figures?

I'm guessing with Dale's GPS. Or Dale's odometer. Both would work.

Hey, good to meet you Craig. Sorry to be completely buried after the show. We went to the drags and I drove up to b-ham to move literally that night. Adrian and I drove through the night in my cop car all the way back. I was glad to do that trip with someone else to drive.


Your car was easily one of the nicest there, and you and I seem to be like minded in picking our own cars apart, though you have a lot more years of doing it hehe. It was also very much to my taste to be honest, and I don't even like 122s, but yours might be a turning point for me. I'd like an MGB GT or an austin healey 3000 first though. Not to mention that will make everything that bugs me about a 122 look so minor, apart from not looking as pretty (though they aren't bad for a volvo). This is several years off though when I graduate, get back from other adventures and desire to restore something like a 123GT or late 220. Yours helped me a lot with the vision though...stroker crank B20 with mildly larger bore and dual SUs likely on a black body with brown interior. No HIDs though, I ended up not liking them a lot. They suit your car very nicely though.

I hope you both had some fun seeing things and taking a (long) trip. I find it hilarious that the stereo went on the 122...I lost the head unit in the cop car right as I hit B-ham. I get spoiled in Portland...everything is walking/biking distance. The huge hardware store is 5 blocks from RSI, Peter's V-shop is pretty kind with sharing knowledge/tools, the hydraulic and machine shop and custom machine shop are within 5 blocks of each other down town and everything is usually open until 7 or 8 at night...b-ham sucks.

This...

It was great to put a face to a name as well James. Sorry to hear that your stereo crapped out as well - funny thing is this is the fourth stereo that I've had in the 122, but the first one that isn't used or crap. So far so good. Don't even mention that stroker crank RSI is contemplating...Jonathan was quizzing me about the bottom end I put together, evil thoughts ensued. I've got other engines to build in the mean time, but there is a good chance that I may do that with this engine some day.

By the way, the cop car is so cool (all the right ideas in one cool package) - keep it nice.

mumble mumble stroker crank since 2001 (-ish ?) mumble mumble

I lol'd

Ya, I'm trying to not only ignore that post, but the voices in my head telling me to do it.