Claiming Longest trip


sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
I was snowbirding in Arizona, had a direct flight to return to Canada from Phoenix June 2 2020. They cancelled the flight. Air Canada sucks. Other options were explored, but it came down to driving the Ford back. I've made this trip several times before, but always had the chance to make the trip interesting by changing the route, stopping at other attractions, seeing new sights or old favorites. I have the land speed record for Mesa Verdi, oooh, bad John. This time with everything closed due to corona, it had to be direct, and basically non-stop. I didn't want to risk a hotel/motel sanitizing for corona, so settled for a couple of naps in the car.
Only got out for fuel and potty breaks. Overall, 1557 miles, 30 hours seat time, 25 driving, 5 for fuel and naps.
It was the least fun drive I've made in the Ford, not so much for the endurance but being unable to stop and play along the way. On a previous trip I got to be John Wayne for a few hours on horseback in Monument valley. Not this time.
Maybe next.
So can anyone else claim more miles, single trip, or more hours seat time?
 

gtjoey

Keep Smiling - GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 14, 2005
3,454
Great Run.....…..
Jeff will Have you beat as he hit 47 or so out of 50 states, stopping for a visit but he was in retirement mode.
I think im close ...New York to Leno's...…….3,300 miles in 3 days and that's with having dinners every night!
Co driver and I coming home from Pebble back to New Yok we slowed down lets call it 4 days.
From eastern texas to the california line we paced 400 miles every 3 hours!
Been doing the indy 500 for years 1,600 miles in 48 hour time table.
The old GT NEVER gets old
gtjoey1314
 

Joe Dozzo

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2006
763
Canon City, CO
3740 miles from Denver to Anchorage - 4 days. Passenger to keep happy but I did all the driving.
 
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fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,475
Belleville, IL
You had better talk to Ralphie and Larson. Hilo Dave is no longer with us, but he drove cross country (west to east and back) a couple times. This is the first time I remember them not heading east. Dang virus
 
Oct 14, 2009
367
Alberta, Canada
I was snowbirding in Arizona, had a direct flight to return to Canada from Phoenix June 2 2020. They cancelled the flight. Air Canada sucks. Other options were explored, but it came down to driving the Ford back. I've made this trip several times before, but always had the chance to make the trip interesting by changing the route, stopping at other attractions, seeing new sights or old favorites. I have the land speed record for Mesa Verdi, oooh, bad John. This time with everything closed due to corona, it had to be direct, and basically non-stop. I didn't want to risk a hotel/motel sanitizing for corona, so settled for a couple of naps in the car.
Only got out for fuel and potty breaks. Overall, 1557 miles, 30 hours seat time, 25 driving, 5 for fuel and naps.
It was the least fun drive I've made in the Ford, not so much for the endurance but being unable to stop and play along the way. On a previous trip I got to be John Wayne for a few hours on horseback in Monument valley. Not this time.
Maybe next.
So can anyone else claim more miles, single trip, or more hours seat time?
You rock John! For a middle aged fart I give you full credit. That's a pretty dang good drive for a youngin like you. I've made several straight shots to Vegas and back which typically last 20 hours of drive time. One damn time I dozed off on the trip back after 15 straight hours of driving but it was a bad choice on my part due to the hour of day that I left Vegas for my straight shot home. My bad decision making is what caused my fatigue. Thank the stars I didn't wreck.

Glad you made it home safe and sound.

QSS
 

Cobraguy

GT Owner
So.....I have made that Scottsdale trip many times in my blown Raptor. Best time to date was a few days pre-border closure with 22 hrs of seat time however I think I spent 22 hrs at the Flying J’s as well.
 
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FlagstaffGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Straight drive, no naps, 16 hours, 1100 miles, Austin to Flagstaff. Ghetto GT is the most comfortable long distance driver I’ve ever driven.
 

sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
Great Run.....…..
Jeff will Have you beat as he hit 47 or so out of 50 states, stopping for a visit but he was in retirement mode.
I think im close ...New York to Leno's...…….3,300 miles in 3 days and that's with having dinners every night!
Co driver and I coming home from Pebble back to New Yok we slowed down lets call it 4 days.
From eastern texas to the california line we paced 400 miles every 3 hours!
Been doing the indy 500 for years 1,600 miles in 48 hour time table.
The old GT NEVER gets old
gtjoey1314
400 miles every 3 hours from E texas to California! What brand of radar detector do you recommend?
Impressive run!
 

sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
So.....I have made that Scottsdale trip many times in my blown Raptor. Best time to date was a few days pre-border closure with 22 hrs of seat time however I think I spent 22 hrs at the Flying J’s as well.
Raptor don't count. Chip could do farther / faster in his plane, but we're talking ''in the GT'' here.
 

AJB

GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jun 28, 2006
2,943
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Record...Using two FordGT's on one trip!
Detroit to Atlanta petit Lemans. 800 miles.
Leg 1.. 2017 GT. Short trip. Deer jumped on hood. Smashed windshield. Turned around went back home. Parked 2017 FGT.
Leg 2..threw duffel bag into 2006 FGT.
Drive nonstop to Atlanta.
Summary: 14 hours total , 2 Ford GT's,, made it to Atlanta in time for dinner with Ford GT owners at 7:00 pm.
Ajb (andy)
 

gtjoey

Keep Smiling - GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 14, 2005
3,454
Sr71, You make friends in the middle of the desert along the way!😀
There’s a sweet spot around 119 to 130
In 6th you can sit there all day in complete control
The cops name was actually Steve Martin from California
A wild and crazy guy👍🏾
gtjoey1314
P.S. thats on a set of Bridgestones, one of the first sets to be used for the GT from the GTGUYS.
huge difference as we average 21 to 23 miles per gallon at those speeds in 115 degree july/august heat. Stock filters as well.
 

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texas mongrel

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 3, 2009
1,661
Houston Texas
After the Utah Rally in 2017, we saw what was happening back home in Houston ( hurricane Harvey) so we went on a road trip. Ten States, 5,000 miles over fourteen days. Had a blast, would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
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dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
After the Utah Rally in 2017, we saw what was happening back home in Houston ( hurricane Harvey) so we went on a road trip. Ten States, 5,000 miles over fourteen days. Had a blast, would do it again in a heartbeat.

Yes and I never bothered to calculate, but in 2016, we had to do at least 2k miles Going Southampton-Dover-Calais-Sint Martens Latem-Spa-Nurburgring-Weggis-Cernobbio-Lyon-Le Mans-Normany-Southampton. That was a whole bunch of freewheeling hauling of ass.

We should do it again someday.
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,267
Kalama, Free part of WA State
I think you're safe with that record in Ford GTs!
 

Cobraguy

GT Owner
Raptor don't count. Chip could do farther / faster in his plane, but we're talking ''in the GT'' here.
Haha.... for sure I’m out on a technicality..(bit maybe I should’ve mentioned I had the gt in the trailer behind me.)
 

Stef

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 5, 2009
1,082
Southern California
Yes and I never bothered to calculate, but in 2016, we had to do at least 2k miles Going Southampton-Dover-Calais-Sint Martens Latem-Spa-Nurburgring-Weggis-Cernobbio-Lyon-Le Mans-Normany-Southampton. That was a whole bunch of freewheeling hauling of ass.

We should do it again someday.

I think the forum should put together a book about this adventure.
IMHO, it's a story that is part of the 50th anniversary return to Lemans for Ford with Ford GT owners experiences.
Then again maybe it's a silly idea for a book, but that was really cool.
I think I can speak for many here that we were rooting for the ones who went and wishing we could have been part of that run through Europe.
 
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texas mongrel

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 3, 2009
1,661
Houston Texas
I think the forum should put together a book about this adventure.
IMHO, it's a story that is part of the 50th anniversary return to Lemans for Ford with Ford GT owners experiences.
Then again maybe it's a silly idea for a book, but that was really cool.
I think I can speak for many here that we were rooting for the ones who went and wishing we could have been part of that run through Europe.

DBK should be the author, he had the most, err, interesting experiences, especially near the Mont Blanc tunnel! I have tons of pics
 
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texas mongrel

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 3, 2009
1,661
Houston Texas
Yes and I never bothered to calculate, but in 2016, we had to do at least 2k miles Going Southampton-Dover-Calais-Sint Martens Latem-Spa-Nurburgring-Weggis-Cernobbio-Lyon-Le Mans-Normany-Southampton. That was a whole bunch of freewheeling hauling of ass.

We should do it again someday.

My odometer showed just over 2500 miles, but we did a little extra when, after Le Mans we hooned around England visiting the Morgan and McLaren factories. 135mph up the M40, speed cameras flashing at us, but what they gonna do - no front plate and Texas rear plate?

Maybe a Classic Le Mans trip? After last year I’ve lost interest in the 24hours
 

sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
When I started this thread, I was hoping it would bring out some of the stories of more adventurous long road trips. I'm enjoying these. I did one trip of 3400+ miles, Calgary to Mesa AZ, but that was over 6 days
with a number of fun detours and points of interest stops, overnight hotels, etc. That was through Glacier Nat PK, Lewis and Clark forest, Grand Tetons, Mesa Verdi, Moab Utah (rented a mtn bike to ride some slickrock), visited 4 Corners, Monument Valley (trail ride by horse), 89a from Flagstaff to Sedona.
But I don't figure it would count as it wasn't continuous. The only reason this last marathon happened was due to corona, everything closed. I look forward to more leisurely trips, finding new places along the way. One of these times I may actually stop at the potato museum in Idaho.
But please continue with some of the stories of your travels, and adventures.
 
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sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
Possibilities for a book....anyone who wants can contribute a story. We'd need a compiler, and it would have to include the story of Chip Beck going to pick up his 05/06. That one still breaks me up.
 
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