These days I am Maine-ly the only Datsun guy around......

[wildmaninid]

Greeting friends!

This is my first thread on Ratsun since the wife and I made it out here to Maine late last month. It has been a whirlwind of craziness. I have been bad about updating here, but those of you who know me a little more personally have been a little more up to date on Facebook, since it's just easier to post there.

Also, I have had little chance to get my oics off my phone because we just got reliable internet at our place, so that will come later.(so most of you can quit reading now if you are expecting an oic heavy thread)

 

With that said I will say that starting out, I was really skeptical of making a 3000 mile, 5 day cross country drive, towing a trailer and hauling my entire life across the entire Northern United States, taking us through Montana, NorDak, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire before making it to Maine. Arriving at the southern tip of the state then required a 190 mile jaunt north to Bangor. Along the way I got very acquainted with the words "toll" "turnpike" and "service oasis". A turnpike is a pay road. A ridiculous stretch of road that doesn't seem as well maintained as it should considering you have to pay extra to drive on it, swarming with State Patrol officers just slaying rule breakers. I also learned that the more axles one has, the higher the toll. Towing a trailer, even though small, made the tolls that much higher. Illinois charged me $14 just to get over the skyway bridge, that's after being on the turnpike and going through 5 toll stations. I am sure some of you are familiar with it, but for a guy from a small town in Idaho, it was a whole new world.

 

As far as the Datsun is concerned, I knew after making it through Montana on the first day she would do just fine. The first half of Montana was fine, mostly flat and cool. By the late afternoon and the second pass we went over, I was a little worried. The temp guage was pegged one needle width from max. I had the heater on inside full just to maintain that. 2nd gear and 24-30 mph was all I could do. The truck still got 19 mpg through this brutal workout, with temperatures hovering around 110 degrees outside. I discovered somewhere around eastern Montana that my cooling fan must not be working. I investigated it at a truck stop and found my fan controller got so hot it burnt the relay socket clean out. I tried a new relay but the damage was done. I just wired the fan to come on with the key and that solved the cooling problem, and that my friends summed up the ONLY problem I had with the truck or trailer the entire trip. I kept the tires properly inflated, checked all the fluids regularly and all went well. In fact the ka only consumed barely less than a half of a quart of oil during the entire trip.

Barring the grueling Montana debacle, the truck achieved 22.87 mpg from there on out, so consideing what I was hauling I feel that was pretty damn good (my wifes Fiesta averaged 44.7 during the trip, and when we got here I noticed the right front wheel bearing was noisy, which was fixed by ford last week, so all in all not bad)

 

We arrived here at our new place about 10:30 on Thursday July 26th, after leaving Bonners Ferry on 5:30 am on the 22nd. Spent only 1 night in a hotel, the last night on the road as it were, in Ohio right on the Pennsylvania border.

 

I couldn't believe all of the positive vibes I got from folks the whole way out here. Every gas stop had at least 2 people come over to check out the Datsun. Of course I had the hood up to check fluids etc, and that brought even more guys over, even a couple of ladies. Every one of them had had some past love affair with these sweet cars/trucks and I heard so many stories about their old vehicles and the good times they had, and all of the regret for ever having got rid of them. I had people pace me on the freeway, taking pictures, giving thumbs-up, waving or just a big "hell yeah" smile. I had an Indiana State Trooper pace me in his 2011 Charger pursuit car, flank me on the left then he blipped his siren, he had both thumbs up high. He grinned like an idiot, punched that thing out and sped off out of sight. As I came around a curve there were 3 cruisers off the side of the road, lights going and 2 of them were taking pictures of me and waving. It was pretty damn awesome. I mean I have seen all sorts of exotic cars around, and people flock to the Lamborghini, Ferrari and supercar crowd, when they see them. But seriously, an old yellow 620 getting that kind of attention? I loved every second of it.

 

So all in all the ride out wasn't bad, I had a really nice seat cushion my wife bought me so even the bench seat wasn't that bad on my back. I had a new windshield installed right before I left so it was easy to see. Unfortunately the truck took both hands on the wheel almost the entire time, it didn't give me a chance to grab my phone and take any oics. When we stopped to rest it was always dark out and I was so tired documenting anything was the last thing on my mind.

 

Since we have been here things have been hectic. Maine is different. So they require annual safety inspections for all cars. Fortunately my truck falls into what they call "antique" and I can register my truck special so I don't have to have the inspection, which is good! The rust situation here is worse than I could have imagined. I see cars and trucks only 3 years old that have some substantial rot already, so I can imagine a vehicle over 25 years old is rare to see (which it is) would be considered an antique :)

I have a CDL from Idaho. I went down to the DMV, which was the cliche' take a number (i got 70, they were serving 14) I waited all damn morning in line only to be told they couldn't process my CDL there, that I had to mail all my info down to Augusta, Maine for them to be able to accept my CDL without me taking EVERY test all over again. Well that has been 2.5 weeks ago, and I am still waiting, which sucks because every employer required me to have a Maine license, plus I can't get the State Mechanics Inspection License I need to be a tech here until I am a Maine resident....

 

So on the Job front, as of Friday I have an offer at Down East Toyota, a giant Toyota dealer here with a giant facility that is all brand new. They are willing to wait for me to get my paperwork in order and train me to get my certificate as well.

I like the place, but also had another interview on Thursday with an indistrial equipment company out of southern Maine, who are looking for a Service Tech here in the Bangor area. I would get my own van and be on the road. The pay is a little better, but the insurance and benefits are way better. They pay 100% of health and dental insurance for both my wife and I (premiums, deductibles and co-pays) and they offer an amazing retirement, with huge advancement opportunities. I have a second interview with them on Tuesday morning in Lewiston, Maine at their branch, so I am hopeful I get that job. It looks good, as the guy who did my interview pretty much told me if they ask me to come down there it would be likely that they would hire me.

 

Anyhow, I am going to make some breakfast and head to the coast to enjoy the ocean (only 45 minutes from our house). Take care my Ratusn bro's. I miss you all, and when things finally get all settled I will start making more posts.

 

Much love,

Wildman

[KELMO]

Good to hear you had a safe trip, and good to see ya back on the forum.

[pharouh]

Sounds like an adventure! Glad you made it there in one piece.

[]2eDeYe]

About time we got the story and as a good read even. The cops made me laugh. :)

 

 

 

I said it before, protect that thing well during the winter there and get a beater to commute during the salt season. ;)

[elmerfudpucker]

Glad I was not alone this year for the move across the country and start over trip. Mine gave a bit of issue with a blown coil and fuel filter clogged but other than that and a flat I was good. Congrats on getting there safely! No pics of the truck and load at all???

[wildmaninid]

I do have an oic of the load. The truck had light, irregularly shaped items in the bed, but the trailer was loaded up full, over the sideboards with boxes, books and equipment. My fully loaded Snap-On Masters series roll-cab was centered over the axle, so that is why there is a large hump in the middle. I bought a custom made tarp from a guy who makes tarps for long haul truckers (liek JAYDEN!!) so it was really tough and lasted the entire journey without tearing at all.

Redeye, I didn't have time to update everything that happened to the 620 before I left, but I did install a new windshield, I used POR15 over all the little bare spots and scaled back the tiny amounts of surface rust I had. I found one little rust through hole on the drivers door, so I took panels off and painted all the inside of both doors with it, I used an emitter nozzle and sprayed inside my rocker panels as well. Also the entire underside of the truck had spray on bedliner applied to it after a chemical power wash to remove all loose stuff and prep the surface. I taped off the exhaust, driveline and wiring. The brake lines I coated with a por style product as well. So I am well protected. The floorboards were already bedlined (and rust free) as was the inner fender structures and backs of the fenders as well. I think if I do encounter any salt I will be a-okay. I will keep it hosed off well. Also, a lot of locals tell me when I change my oil to thin it out a little with mineral spirits and then get a weed sprayer, jack up the truck ad coat the underside with a nice coating, getting in all the nooks and crannies with the spray. that supposedly keeps the rust at bay.

I will keep more updates coming, and hopefully I get the traveling tech job so I will have a van to drive everywhere instead of my truck!

[wayno]

I would agree with ]2eDeYe, find yourself a disposable car for the salt season, even though you have coated everything, that will only help slow it down, as they submerge vehicles in anti-rust solutions, and they still rust in the NE.

Happy you made it safely to your new home.

[flatcat19]

Cool story, Bro.

 

Good to know you made it through.

Bundle up. Winter is getting close.

 

Any plans to go meet Fisch?

[elmerfudpucker]

I would agree with ]2eDeYe, find yourself a disposable car for the salt season, even though you have coated everything, that will only help slow it down, as they submerge vehicles in anti-rust solutions, and they still rust in the NE.

 

Heheheh, that would be a good use for a honda! :rofl:

[xxmass]

great road trip story! glad all went well and you made it safely.

a parked car will rot very quickly here also. outside and on the dirt, even if it's not winter,

will cause corrosion and make you madder than a midget with a yoyo.

 

welcome to the east coast. oh boy! i can't wait for you to ask for directions in maine

and the guy says "you can't get there from here." (except he won't be pronouncing his R's)

[HRH]

Very glad the trip went well Bill! Invest in some titanium undercoating for the Datsun, don't want to see it rust!! I remember Joe told me how he went back east for a motorcycle swap meet/fair something and he was driving his 720 which is beat and rusty. On the way over there though, he saw a guy driving a 620 on the interstate and could see his leg through the door as he was driving. The whole thing was just eaten away. Still running though! :)

[wildmaninid]

Thanks everyone. The new England accent is adorable. Idears, cahs and the like lol. I have the whole underside of the Datsun coated in bedliner, and will keepit washed often and she will be just fine. Now I just need moar ratsun folk here!

[datzenmike]

Maine is likely like Ontario. Frozen salty slush on vehicles for 3 months of the year. You'll be washing it when you get to work and when you get home at night.

[wildmaninid]

Yeah, BUUUT the job it looks like I will get tomorrow gives me my own van. No worries there!

[]2eDeYe]

Score on the work van :thumbup:

[wildmaninid]

I want to request a windowless one so I can maximize creeper opportunities.............

[nismo dr]

:rofl:

[Farmer]

Glad to here you and your wife made it safely. Great story about the Hwy patrol. Datsuns are probably pretty rare in those parts.

 

Larry

[Jayden71]

Bills new screen name WildpedonME

 

:rofl:

 

 

Love ya Bill!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wildmaninid]

Oh my god, I just got your text message and saw this, maybe we need king rat on this name change, stat!

 

[datzenmike]

[ripetomatoes]

glad to see you made it OK dude! liking the east coast? :thumbup:

[wildmaninid]

Loving it here!

[Eagle_Adam]

good story! i can see the cops now :D

 

eat some lobster for me you lucky SOB, nothing like fresh off the dock!

[wildmaninid]

Well, just so you know, I will be rolling a windowless van! I am officially the new mobile service tech for Northland Industrial Truck Company (www.nitco-lifts.com) in the Bangor area. No need to drive the Datto in the shitty salt!