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Sept 15, 2022 19:32:12 GMT
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My initial plan was to do a big thread about the trip itself, but as my friend Shaun and I were mainly having a mates' holiday after a rubbish couple of years, most of it wouldn't necessarily be relevant to everyone here. It wasn't like a grizz trip where he's hanging out with people heavily into cars - this was a trip to somewhere nice where we spotted a few interesting bits of kit. Instead what I will do is post a few pictures up of some of the more interesting (sometimes Retro!) cars/trucks/other stuff we saw during our 11 nights of fun. The pictures may not necessarily be in order, but who cares? It's all nice stuff! I will do this in several posts. Our hire car - 350BHP of Chevy LS-powered leviathan. A Suburban Premier 4WD. It was a beast of a thing and had every option you could think of - including air-conditioned seats - useful in the near 100 degree heat. And I am only bending slightly in this picture. I'm 5ft 8. We overtook a Range Rover on the freeway - it was tiny by comparison.  Plus it had Quad pipes   What we saw a lot of in Florida - the delightful left-hand turn stop signal. We always just missed them, and then sat there for ages waiting for them to change.  We went to see our friends Ed and Jenny who were in our Classic Mini club in the 90s. They moved out there in 2005 on a 3 year contract initially and they're still there. They are now fully fledged US citizens. Jenny has a sweet little roadster - a Saturn Sky in bright yellow. The dealer was having trouble shifting it as it was a Manual. When Jenny told him she could "drive stick" they were able to make a decent deal. Once she'd replaced the rear tyres it was a lovely thing to drive.   |
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Last Edit: Sept 16, 2022 19:20:44 GMT by mrbounce
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Sept 15, 2022 19:45:06 GMT
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In the Everglades, we stopped off at Coopertown - it isn't really a town at all - just a few buildings where there is an Airboat Tours business. When we returned from our Airboat ride (thankfully avoiding falling in and being consumed by the numerous wild gators down there), I spotted a Jeep Panel Delivery in a fetching shade of purple. What was not so fetching was the rampant corrosion and obvious lack of use over the past few years. Plus those very 90s wheels told me it could have been in Street Machine in about 1993.   The airboat has a 454 cu in Big Block Chevy V8. They recommend earplugs as it's not very quiet. However, drifting around the Everglades with one of these a few feet from your head is an epic experience.  Gators were about...  |
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Sept 15, 2022 19:56:20 GMT
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We stopped in at the Kennedy Space Centre one day before the Artemis Rocket was due to take off. There was much excitement surrounding this as it was the first unmanned trip to the moon in a VERY long time. Unfortunately, the rocket was somewhat recalcitrant and had launchpad issues with a fuel leak. Postponing the launch saved NASA Billions most likely, but it was still disappointing to be so close to it with nothing happening. Said rocket, on the launchpad 3 miles away. We were NOT allowed any closer!  There was something a bit new but very cool in the car park - sorry - parking lot. We reckoned it probably belonged to one of the Astronauts - a Ferrari Portofino. Not Retro, but pretty nice all the same!   We of course had a good look around the various exhibitions - and the Saturn V itself was simply epic. The size of the thing is incomprehensible until you actually see it. This thing is massive. I wonder if you strapped just one of the engines to a vehicle, how fast would it go? (until you lost control and perished in a huge ball of flame, obviously!)   |
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Sept 15, 2022 19:56:28 GMT
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a great start  please keep the pics coming and thanks for sharing them with us |
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Sept 15, 2022 20:03:46 GMT
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Sept 15, 2022 20:19:12 GMT
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Sept 15, 2022 20:24:10 GMT
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Some other vehicles that we spotted on the way: Big Truck  Fire Station  Tahoe from the 90s I think?  Railroad Carriage doubling as a museum  |
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Sept 15, 2022 20:36:04 GMT
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Then we had a day in Key West - spotted loads of unusual vehicles - some were Retro, but not all. Ford F150 in the parking garage  Jeep with unusual wheels - there were a lot of later trucks we saw on the trip with similar style wheels - must be a US trend right now.  We even managed to tick off "Humvee" in our "I-Spy" book.   Chevy Van with interesting wrap job  G-wagen with correct badge (V8). Impossible to tell its age but I would probably guess at recent.  Dodge RAM with novel (if a bit scary for non-Americans) radio aerial - a 50-calibre round.   |
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Last Edit: Sept 15, 2022 21:49:20 GMT by mrbounce
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Sept 15, 2022 20:59:35 GMT
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Nissan do a "Navara-Plus" pick-up in the US - it's called the Titan. It has a Quad Cam 5.6 litre V8 - sounds a lot meatier than a diesel Navara...  Need a reversing bleeper in your Chevy pick-up? You need to put your workmate in the back. This guy was in the back of the truck calling out to the driver as they reversed out of a tight driveway. It was a brilliant, if low-rent version of a bleeper, but they got the job done!!  SLK similar to mine under a cover near the waterfront. Due to the heavy rains in Florida plus the humidity, I am starting to feel for the owner - that rear subframe is going to rotting like an over-ripe pear!  Sticker-clad 50s ?Chevy? as part of the front of a bar or shop. Can't remember what it was there for, but I liked it.  Interesting-looking Toyota - appears to be pretty modern, but I love the style of it.  Mercury Grand Marquis (a CROWN Victoria with a posh dress in Layman's terms) complete with chicken. Chickens are everywhere in Key West - they roam freely and are protected. We even had some in the bar we were at. They kept pecking at my feet hoping I fed them!  And the latest Police motors - the Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility - these were everywhere in the Keys.  |
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Last Edit: Sept 15, 2022 21:50:39 GMT by mrbounce
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Sept 15, 2022 21:25:09 GMT
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Saw this UK number plate up in a bar in Key West - I had to look it up on the DVLA Website because I wanted to know what it had come from - it was a yellow Vauxhall Astra 1.2, last on the road in the 90s!  Coming out from breakfast on Big Pine Key one morning, there was a good-looking 1980s Lincoln just hanging out in the parking lot.  Our last evening in the Keys saw us chowing down at Kiki's Tiki Bar on Big Pine Key - they have a Series 2 Land Rover outside which had been sticker bombed. I had a close look at it and let's just say that the chassis might not pass an MOT...   Then it was time to leave the Keys behind and head northwards to the wonderfully named Okeechobee. My sister-in-law gave me the impression that this town was a bit backwards and if we went into a bar it would all go quiet before someone said "You're not from round here, are ya boy?!" However, I can happily report that Okeechobee is NOTHING like that at all. In fact, the area on the outskirts of town by the lake is incredible - upmarket lake-side houses with double garages and a separate boat shed for example. The hotel was excellent and the restaurant we went to in town was cheap and friendly. We saw a LOT of this on the way - a very straight road for miles with next to nothing on it.  When we stopped on route 27 to change drivers there was sort of motorbike club "do" going on - several bikers came screaming by at 100+mph. What was strange in Florida was seeing so many riders without helmets. A selection of the parked-up bikes at the truck stop.  I don't really do bikes, but this Suzuki really caught my attention. It looked classy.  And is this strange contraption the bike equivalent of a "Donk"??  When we reached Okeechobee, there was a tidy and honest Ford LTD CROWN Vic in the hotel parking lot.   Plus we were well and truly out-"bigged" in the parking lot - our Suburban couldn't cut it against this huge Silverado.  |
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Last Edit: Sept 15, 2022 21:51:43 GMT by mrbounce
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Sept 15, 2022 21:41:50 GMT
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Finally we headed back to Orlando for our last night, then having a lazy day before our flight from Melbourne (Orlando, not Australia). "Orlando" is pushing it a bit - it is as near to Orlando as Stansted is to London - i.e. not very. Caught sight of this beautiful GMC square body pick-up on the way to the hotel.  A few things I noticed whilst driving in Florida - most people treat their vehicle as a sometimes-unguided missile, which can change direction at any point without notification. I'd recommend hiring something big, as if you are hit, it will not hurt nearly as much! Some of the drivers are terrifying. Also, there is no such thing as an MOT or roadworthy test in Florida. A lot of the cars carry battle scars, most of which would be taken off the road in England. We saw this woman's Mercury SUV in Walmart's car park - apparently driving a car like this is perfectly acceptable!  It was a fabulous adventure though - we did 1680 miles in the days we were there and saw some sights that most people who go to US don't see - alligator roadkill on the side of State Route 41, the fabulous drive over the 7-mile bridge in the Keys, the beautiful side of Okeechobee, etc etc - I could go on but I've run out of car photos. If you go to the States, don't just book a standard package trip - do something unusual. It's worth it. Two things to note - most of the Tesla drivers I encountered were arrogant (presumably with the exception of the one who'd been pulled over by a State Trooper), and the most dangerous drivers seem to pilot knackered grey or silver Japanese/Korean cars with little or no regard for anyone's safety, especially their own, or yours. Be careful out there. But above all, please do it - it's a lot of fun! Hope you enjoyed this little thread. Dave |
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Sept 15, 2022 22:32:39 GMT
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Great pics mrbounce thanks for sharing. Oh, one more thing... Ford F150 in the parking garage I think this might be a Dodge Dakota... Very nice though. |
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Sept 15, 2022 22:46:42 GMT
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Excellent write up Dave! Did you get to the beach?  |
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Sept 16, 2022 7:05:12 GMT
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Thanks for posting, looks like you had a great roadtrip. It really does amaze me how big the US/CA pick-ups are compared to UK/EU versions. You also quickly realise why they have such huuuuuuuge engines in them. My father-in-law had a Silverado Z71 with a 5.3l V8 Vortec. I drove it a few times and was bitterly dissapointed by its performance but fell in love with the noise it made.
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Sept 16, 2022 7:26:21 GMT
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Nice before work fix.
Thank you for taking the time to share your pics and experience with us.
I was hoping for a part 2 of the other pics you may have taken, you know, food, humans etc.
But also a nice fix for me.
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Sept 16, 2022 11:39:49 GMT
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Great pics mrbounce thanks for sharing. Oh, one more thing... Ford F150 in the parking garage I think this might be a Dodge Dakota... Very nice though. Actually, that's just a full-size Ram, ... Interesting-looking Toyota - appears to be pretty modern, but I love the style of it. And that's a Jeep Wrangler. Glad you enjoyed the trip! |
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Sept 16, 2022 16:19:05 GMT
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Great pics mrbounce thanks for sharing. Oh, one more thing... I think this might be a Dodge Dakota... Very nice though. Actually, that's just a full-size Ram, ... Interesting-looking Toyota - appears to be pretty modern, but I love the style of it. And that's a Jeep Wrangler. Glad you enjoyed the trip! My car-spotting ability is definitely getting worse But then I don't live in the USA so I don't know a lot of them! |
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Sept 16, 2022 16:22:11 GMT
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Excellent write up Dave! Did you get to the beach? Yes! Yes I did! (Retro content here - I am definitely pre-2000!!)  It was like getting into a warm bath! |
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Last Edit: Sept 16, 2022 16:22:46 GMT by mrbounce
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brachunky
Scotland
Posts: 1,314 
Club RR Member Number: 72
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Sept 16, 2022 17:03:14 GMT
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Simply awesome, cheers!
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Sept 16, 2022 18:12:29 GMT
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We also did some shark watching in the Florida Keys (from the boat, NOT in the water!). These were Lemon Sharks and they were being fed Barracuda...   Fantastic |
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