jracer98 Posted September 10, 2017 Report Share Posted September 10, 2017 http://matrix.ntreis.net/matrix/shared/JSC8MVbvpz/6715SawmillRoad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jracer98 Posted November 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2017 Sold! Moved to the beach in Belize. No race cars in sight. Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Benty Posted November 6, 2017 Report Share Posted November 6, 2017 Did you sell the T Bird? Enjoy Belize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jracer98 Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 No. Left it (and trailer) with Marc and Vince. 5.0 is fine...had some ignition teething problems at Daytona this time. They intend to run Daytona this next year and continue to operate the car. Towing a boat thru Mexico was interesting. My cargo container just arrived yesterday and when I get some stuff situated, I'll post a travelog of that tow for everyone's fun. Contact Marc at Team RRC facebook if you need him jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jracer98 Posted November 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2017 here you go.... Well kids, get your popcorn and a cold Coke. Dallas TX to Hopkins Belize with an f350 turbo diesel crew cab with a Clubcar xrt800 in the bed and towing a Sailfish 2100 center console. I told the Belize customs broker (a requirement for importing goods) that I would be first in line at Belize customs on Day 5. Day 1 is Dallas to Mcallen and goes without issue. One smooth day in a row would turn out to be our unbroken record... Day 2 Three 10 hours driving days to go. Up early and hit the Mexican border immigration office with no other cars in sight. Went to the Mexican consulate in Dallas ahead of time and have all documents except the immigration one you have to do there. Gave all that to the guy with the machine gun. A discussion develops between he and his superior and it turns out that the number on the cart is not the same as the number on the title...oh swell. There is a "D" in the serial number that was data entered as a "O" on the title. Easy for all to understand but still wrong. I am thinking it will take weeks to get a new title from the State of Texas and was considering driving to Austin Tx to hand carry it when the supervisor says that he does not really care about the title since the cart has no VIN, only a serial number anyway. The receipt I had from the dealer oddly did not have the serial number on it. The supervisor says that if I can get a notarized corrected copy of the receipt with the number and get it to him "today", he would allow it to enter Mexico!!! A huge traffic jam existed reentering the US (of course) and when we work our way up to about 4 cars from the border, the pickup in front of me has it's left front suspension collapse from a broken upper ball joint. The driver gets out and just walks away (back into Mexico). It takes 15 minutes for someone to let me around. At the US border, the agent asks me how long I have been in Mexico. I said "About an hour". That started a "pull over to that area" adventure that lasted about an hour HA. Working the logistics over the phone from Texas soil, the dealership handled the paperwork, notary and emailed our hotel in Mcallen from the previous night (who has a color printer). I have no idea how they got it notarized at that hour of the morning but after printing out 5 or 6 copies (to get one that was "straight on the page and looked like an original"). Then it was back into Mexico to find the original official. The toll bridge guy at the river said "hey you came thru here earlier". I said yes and he said "That will be another 12 dollars". grrrrrrrrrrr Found the original official and good to his word, we were rolling southwest 20 minutes later. We are 4 hours behind schedule. ROUGH ROADS (but nothing like what;s to come) At a fuel stop, I see that the drum of the trailer's winch has vibrated off and is wrapped around the trailer axles. I unhook it from the bow and get it out of the axles. We arrive at the Hotel One in Queretaro about 10 p.m. Day 3 No issues until past Puebla then the road goes completely to pot. There are long stoppages where the road is down to one lane and you have to wait your turn to use the only open lane. Then we hit a long stretch that we (and the 18 wheelers) could only go 20 mph because the road was completely stripped for new road base and tar. Worse than a plowed field and IT'S A TOLL ROAD !!! Gave it up about an hour from Villahermosa at 4 a.m. Slept in the lot of a Pemex (along with 20 or 30 trucks). Road beat both trailer fenders off. One is bungeed and ratchet strapped on, one is completely gone. Day 4 Made it to Escarcega and had lunch. On the way thru town I was creeping over one of those giant speed bumps and the drag on the truck went way up. In the mirror, I could see a black tire mark coming off the trailer. I drug the trailer down off the elevated main street to the lower side street. The drivers side rear trailer axle was no longer connected to the spring. The tire was jammed backward up against the (missing) trailer fender's mount, Those that know me will not be surprised that I had my aluminum racing jack and an electric pit gun in the bed under the cart. 2 pumps and 5 off and I am looking at no U bolt in front of the axle and the one behind the axle has one (only) nut that is on by about 4 threads and the U bolt itself was bent. So many nights in so many racetrack pits working on hot broken parts with 15 minutes until the "A" feature. Assessing, a positive is that the locating pin is still on the leaf springs so the axle can be positively located. Now, how to secure it to the spring? The lovely and talented Paula is searching the internet for an Autozone or generic auto parts store (not impossible in Mexico but this is a pretty small town... Then the Lord showed up. A young guy walks out of a ramshackle little storefront. He looks at the situation closely and seems to understand the mechanics involved. By various means including drawing in the dirt, I got him to understand that I could fix this with a bit of steel strap/angle iron (I had a cordless drill and bits)/4 bolts/washers and another course thread nut for the remaining u bolt. Off he went and I went to work on getting the loose axle back on the locating pin. I hear a stick welder start burning metal and in about 5 minutes he reappears with a 2 straps with holes drilled in them and 4 mismatched but long enough bolts and washers/nuts. We bolt it up, 5 on the wheel and it's ready to roll in 15 or 20 minutes down time. DEAD to alive in 20 minutes. After I stow the jack etc I look around and he is gone. Paula said he walked into the building. I walk in and there are 40 or 50 used automotive shocks (given the condition of the roads, I GET THAT !!! There is nothing else but a little desk, a young woman and a little 2 or 3 year old girl. Paula has found a translation app on her phone. Through it, I ask him how much would he like to have for helping me. He says, "I am a Christian and will accept what you can afford." Well I had gotten a wad of pesos before I left Dallas for good measure and I can confidently report that he provided for his family on that day ( or week? HA) Made it to Chetumal by 5:30 p.m. to check into the hotel in the actual daylight... PROGRESS !!! Day 5 Was the first one in line at Customs at the Belize border. No issues at the border and a smooth drive to the beachhouse in Hopkins....right up to the point that I got the truck stuck pulling into the unpaved driveway HA jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.