MN Garage Geeks Spring Cruise

MN Garage Geeks is expanding our annual event list with a spring cruise this year! Pull off those car covers, do that spring detail and maintenance, and get ready for a cruise on by far and away some of the best driving roads the Midwest has to offer.

I'll post information as we have it nailed down and as required. Some information will not be posted until nearer to the event. Route information will be distributed via a map packet at the driver's meeting on the day of and will not be made available otherwise.

Date May 19th, 2013

Time:
9:30 Meet up. (e85 and 93 available)
10:00 Drivers meeting
10:15 Leave

Driving:
Section 1 ~115 miles
Break time
Section 2 ~115 miles

Meeting details:

Meeting point will be 433 Mendota Rd E, West St Paul, MN. This should allow minimal issues in breaking the group up upon setting off, as well as keep us near the highway. The parking lot will have plenty of room for passengers' cars if anyone has friends meeting us there.

Please arrive with a full tank of fuel ready to go. We will not wait for you to fill up; once the driver's meeting is over we are leaving. No exceptions.




Fuel near the meet spot is on Robert St. Both Holiday E85 and BP 93 are located at the corner of S Robert St and Marie Ave E. Stations are at opposite corners of the intersection:




Fuel note:

I HIGHLY suggest bringing 10 gallons of extra fuel for E85 users. I used 18 gallons total on the bomber run, which did include some navigation mishaps. Estimated MPG is 14, Rough estimates put this at 18 MPG for similar pump gas cars. It is better to be safe than sorry, as your fuel situation is your responsibility and yours alone.

Two Week Rule:

I'd like to put in place what is known as the “Two Week Rule.” Basically, after the two week mark, also known as Sunday 5/5, you're done touching your car. No more suspension mods, no more tuning, no motor installs. Just drive it for two weeks to make sure it's ready to go. The last thing we need are issues resulting from a car that was assembled the night before on 3 hours of sleep. If you find something wrong with your car inside this period, use your best judgment on whether or not it's a good idea to bring it without thoroughly testing the fix.

 

May 12th is Mothers day... just saying.

 

Good point...

 

19th?

We have a couple roads we want to hit for sure plus a lunch spot picked out. I'm scouring WI in Google maps now to throw something together tentatively.

 

Count me in! Jerk mode engaged!

 

It's 'Super Jackass Mode', Bobby.

And please, leave your car OUT of Super Jackass Mode for the cruise. One of the roads I'm planning on hitting (if I can find it) is the same one that I spun my DSM on and that killed Scheides' VIII.

 

19th looks to only have some Old car events or swap meets. We should be good

You know the only roads I know, lol. We do them on the Fall cruise.

For the other question. Long cruises are fine with enough stops. Though once that sun goes down, if you have been in a car allll day. You start to get sleepy Or at least I do

 

Not sure where you're planning on going in WI but we've done a cruise to LaCrosse for the past few years and I have a pretty good route...

 

If you'd like to shoot me a google maps route for that, I'll definitely look it over. Can't guarantee I'll canibalize any of it, but I haven't given any thought to the after lunch route at all yet, so I'm open to ideas that'll take us away from the river. Lunch is in Pepin.

Also, anyone with road ideas or routes, please PM them. I'd hate to either have our or your route in the future be compromised by publicity, hence map packets / google maps links day of.

 

I'm out I will be in utah. Driving mountain roads and canyons.

 

me and the GF should be in

 

Nail the date down ASAP, otherwise I have no input as of now.

 

Tentative yes.

 

If the 19th works for everyone, that's what we'll do.

I'm liking the route so far, but if anyone has any ideas or any roads they'd like to hit, feel free to PM me. I can't guarantee I'll incorporate them, but if you can keep them in the general vicinity of Peppin I'll try like hell to make them work... If they aren't already part of it.

 

Lap around lake superior.

 

Soft yes. Need start time and route length...

 

:Update:
Date: May 19th
Time:
9:30 Meet up.
10:00 Drivers meeting
10:15 Leave

Driving:
Section 1 ~115 miles
Break time
Section 2 ~115 miles

 

That's what I have thrown together now. Lunch breaks up the sections, and the second section ends at an E85 station in Menomonie.

There is both E85 and 93 octane within a mile of the meeting point, so plan on having to go 230 miles on a single tank. E85 users should strongly consider bringing spare fuel, I will have two 5-gallon cans with me. Also note that driving will be spirited so don't expect highway mileage. Mid-teens is a good place to make your estimates from.

James, I'll be throwing together a more complete description for a Facebook event, I'll let you know when I've got that up so you can update the OP.

 

Spaz send me the description and I will throw the event on MNGG's FB account, then make you guys admin to it

 

If you want to throw an event up, just use this as a starting description:

Along with the date and time, make me and James admins, and we'll take care of the ironing.