Mustang 50th Anniversary Drive to Charlotte NC

[ozbilt]

Carol & I have been in talks to purchase "Mustangs Across America" over the last 4 months. Link is below, have a look around. Last week the owner (Sam Haymart) decided to withdraw the sale.

After the announcement of the 50th & that the MCA was holding the event in 2 places (Charlotte NC & Las Vegas NV) Sam had decided he was not setting up a drive & then decided to sell the website etc.

I would assume that after being at the Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale AZ & talking to the MCA committee that he had the change of mind.

I had great plans for the site including making the event a "round trip" & coming back to Los Angeles via Route 66. I also could have included the option of organizing your Australian Mustang over there for the drive. We had great plans for different events all over the world, IE; one major event each year. Alas it was not to be.

Sam has just announced that Mustangs Across America will again be making the drive to Charlotte & as usual it is one way only. So anyone from here (or anywhere for that matter) has to find their own way home.

This has taken the wind out of my sails. I was prepping Mrsozbilt's Mach1 so it could return to the US & be used for the driving events. That will no longer happen & therefore I have no motivation to work on a similar trip, so if you are thinking of attending the event, then go to the link provided & have a look.

I wish Sam all the best.

http://mustangsacrossamerica.com/2013/0 ... announced/

Other option is the Great American Pony Drive, an MCA charted driving club .....

http://www.ponydrive.us/

[tim_morrison82]

Sorry to hear about the bad luck.

There is no reason why you can't start something up yourself.

[Pinto-Pete]

Sorry to hear about the bad luck.

There is no reason why you can't start something up yourself.

I'll second that, why cant you set your own tours up, sounds like they would better anyway (complete package as it were) you could make the 50th celebrations the inaugrual ozbilt tour, would'nt hurt to throw it out there and see, I'd go..

[boofhead]

Shame this opportunity fell through for you. I can understand it must have been a kick for you. I would support your own guided tour and I have had it in mind as my major 2014 trip. More than understand the hit to your motivation. I do appreciate your efforts big time for the China trips and I would be happy to travel with you again if such an opportunity presented itself in the future.

[ozbilt]

Thanks guys ....

Yes, the idea of starting something myself did come up. However we do not have the numbers here to make it work. By "here", I mean Australians heading over & wanting to drive to Charlotte. That would mean renting or shipping their own car over.

I needed the American link to get the numbers needed to justify the effort. My estimates to make it feasible would have been 50 cars minimum.

There has already been talk on the MAA forum about an Australian contingent (allegedly 50 people from MOCA) that are flying to Los Angeles & then driving to Las Vegas. Like big deal, that is a 6 hour drive at most. I also cannot believe the numbers he quoted as it would have been a guestimate as at the time of posting it was over 16 months away.

The event I had mapped out would be over four to five weeks, so shipping a car over would have been a similar cost to renting a car for that time (A rental Mustang will run about $6K+ for 5 weeks, that would almost get your car there & back).

It would have been an 8 day drive to Charlotte (with visits to venues like the Marti Museum in Phoenix AZ) , 5 days in Charlotte & surrounding areas (home of NASCAR), Washington DC for a 2 day visit (White House, Vietnam Memorial & Arlington Cemetery), Dearborn for a 2 day visit (Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village) then onto Chicago to start Route 66 to Los Angeles. Add the driving & sightseeing in between & you can see that you would have completed a circuit of the USA.

The looks you get driving across the USA with Aussie license plates on the car (maybe even RHD ... ) is incredible. I already know that feeling as we have done the drive in Mrsozbilt's Mach1 & it was not only RHD but had NSW license plates on it at the time.

Anyway, I do not know why I am getting all excited, it is now a pipe dream that has faded.

[Faststangfan]

Sorry to hear about this falling through for you.

I'm still planning on making this trip regardless.
Especially as the Route 66 part of the trip is on my bucket list.
If I have to I'll fumble my way across country in a rental with a handheld GPS and a pocket full of No-Doze.



Still flying in April 2014.

[ozbilt]

Winterset Iowa on the way home from the 96 MAA trip to Atlanta GA. Also Mrsozbilt's avatar .......



http://www.madisoncounty.com/

[soc123_au]

You never know Kerry, things can change & something might pop up again. If you get it going Barry, Rob & Myself will have to come over & hijack your intinary though!

Fuck route 66 we are off to Mexico...................

[ozbilt]

If you get it going Barry, Rob & Myself will have to come over & hijack your itinerary though!

Fuck route 66 we are off to Mexico...................

I had already thought of that scenario. I think I could arrange that you would never get across the border .......

[gbx78]

Winterset Iowa on the way home from the 96 MAA trip to Atlanta GA. Also Mrsozbilt's avatar .......



http://www.madisoncounty.com/

sorry to hear that kerry , i only read this thread now .. is that NSW plates on US roads?

i reckon you just do a tour of your workshop.. that gets me excited all the time with all the tools and bits and pieces and bench space!! my god the bench space... im working on milk crates here!!! and these are ones i had to pinch!

[soc123_au]

If you get it going Barry, Rob & Myself will have to come over & hijack your itinerary though!

Fuck route 66 we are off to Mexico...................

I had already thought of that scenario. I think I could arrange that you would never get across the border .......

You know we have no concern for silly things like borders. They are made to be crossed on the spur of the moment & disregarding all good advice & common sense.

[69Boss]

If you get it going Barry, Rob & Myself will have to come over & hijack your itinerary though!

Fuck route 66 we are off to Mexico...................

I had already thought of that scenario. I think I could arrange that you would never get across the border .......

You know we have no concern for silly things like borders. They are made to be crossed on the spur of the moment & disregarding all good advice & common sense.

Sounds like a plan!!! I'm with you Steve cause its great getting out and meeting new people

[ozbilt]

Sounds like a plan!!! I'm with you Steve cause its great getting out and meeting new people

I would be careful down there as " Mexican Eric" would weigh 200kg, not like DongGuan Eric .......

[soc123_au]

Mexican Eric is the Donkey at the special Donkey show.

[1st66ht]

Dam sounds like a good thing,
Im off to the US next year but at different time of yr
thought the event would be later in the yr for better whether???