It was a pleasure to meet you, and your yellow Spider is fantastic!
I saw the blue '76 with the retro bumpers & turn signals, I complemented how well done those mods were!
The heat fried my brain, too. I just didn't have it in me to wander the showfield, when I got back to the hotel I camped out in the bar under an AC vent, met a couple of cool people, but I was surprised the bar was so empty!
My Spider won third place in it's class, and I was actually quite proud. The '73 - '74 class had a (I think?) 5 cars, and all were good examples, with two being damn nice. Like many of you here, I have done the vast majority of my own work right in my driveway, over the course of several years. It's great to have that hard work validated!!!
Of course, just making it round trip from Chicago ... that certainly PROVES my car is darn solid! We took two days getting back, in NW Pa we woke up to sub-60 temps & ran the heater for a bit, and later in the day it rained the whole darn way through Ohio. I cannot imagine a more comprehensive all-around test for a Fiat Spider...
Here is my own FFO Trip Report, copied from the Chi-FLU site:
2,150 miles
5 days
7 States
39 year old car
100 degree temps
Baking heat, fog, and rain
3rd place plaque
Roadside assistance in Ohio at 1am Friday.
Between my new carb jetting, and the new aspect ratio of my rear tires, I unexpectedly had 40 miles LESS range on a tank of gas. Low fuel light works wonderfully, gives approx 2 miles notice, which doesn't help when the next Oasis is 11 miles further. Car coasts surprisingly well...but not THAT well! Only took 40 minutes for gas delivery via Hagerty Plus, and I was on my way.
Construction zone in Ohio-ish area, glad I was flying through at 2am, lovely exhaust echo chamber!
Sunrise in PA
On Max's route, a fellow Chi-FLU'ster from that area, origianlly
15 mile backup in intense heat. Electronic signs were surprisingly accurate. Heater was running proactively to prevent the car from getting too hot, outside heat index was over 100. Just before this, when traffic had been FLYING across the big bridge (I was going 80, and people were passing me like I was standing still), there were bad joints in the road that were like big speed bumps that violently beat my car. After hitting one of these, my Spider went DEAD, and I was coasting! In a panic I managed to get onto the left shoulder. The car was still running, but I'd lost the accelerator. Turns out, the pivot linkage had popped out of the bushing on the carb, and thankfully, the spring had not launched! Popped it back in, and I was on my way.
Car cooling off on the 90 minute ferry ride. My car honestly did very, very well getting through the intense heat & traffic we encountered. The radiator held, and the fan cycled properly, and the car never even got close to overheating. HOWEVER, the car did get quite 'heat soaked', and while waiting to load onto the ferry, it wouldn't start. The ferry workers didn't seem too fazed about giving someone a push, but I was worried it wouldn't start when I needed to get OFF the ferry. It turned out to be no biggie.
It was odd watching the GPS while on the ferry. The frigid AC in the boat's 'Cocktail Lounge' was lovely, and a cold beer was a huge help!
Getting lined up for the show, Matson (16 year old son of another Chi-FLU'ster) washed/waxed my Spider for me!
On the showfield. This car has never looked / shown quite so well! I owe huge thanks to Tom Bara for making my display board, and for Matson getting the car to SHINE!
No, it wasn't an episode of Downton Abbey...this was the Manor House in the park where we had the show. We figured we could take a picture or two before they told us we couldn't...but the REALLY hard part was damn tourists kept popping out the front door, which must have been the tour's exit.
I'll make a note here, as many people have asked why my top was up. First - the heat & humidity was oppressive. It was beyond awful. My new top has the modification to lower the rear window - and that top MORE than paid for itself on this trip! That one mod is worth it's weight in gold!!!
Part of the showfield from Brett's big ladder
Awards banquet
My hard-won plaque! There were 5 cars in my class, so this was the first year I truly 'earned' a trophy, certainly not bought with margaritas in the parking lot
I'm pretty sure that's NYC over there. I was driving at the time, and took this picture over my left shoulder...
Interstate 95, how I hate you
A big damn New York bridge
I rolled over 60,000 miles while creeping through the heat in the greater New York Metro area!
New Jersey felt like a huge relief
NW Pa, on side roads up to our overnight stop
Monday morning was quite cool up in the mountains, needed the heater to stay warm & de-mist the windshield!
Mountains in the fog
Great picture, but 5 minutes later we were cussing, as my darn Spider wouldn't start! Of course, 5 minutes later, after Mike Bouse & I had both emptied our trunks to do a jump start (the grass was too soft & wet for a push), THEN the car started! The car was not hot at this early point of the day's driving, it was like the batter needed a few minutes to compose it'self.
I know the no-start before the Ferry ride on Friday MUST have been heat-related, but Monday morning it must have been voltage related. Twice more on Monday it had starting issues at gas stops (echoes of FFO '11 & the epic trip back from Nashville!), but if I dawdled a few minutes while the hood was up, it'd eventually decide that starting was ok.
NW Pa
It rained all the way through Ohio
Rain in Indiana, too
Home at last...
I think the heat fried my brain. I did talk to Denise. Spoke with lots of folks but didn't think to ask screen names. Who won first in our class? George
. The event in Nashville was awesome. Even when i lived in PA, NJ and NY I did not know of the Freak out events 
The people at these events are so great! Awesome deal all the way around. Thanks for sharing the pics. nice cars 
