Here are some statistics. The total distance driven was 5,794 miles. We were a little concerned about the accuracy of the gas gauge, so we filled up fairly frequently - 28 times to be exact. The tank holds 10.6 gallons, and our average fill up was 6.2 gallons - somewhat on the safe side. Interestingly, it was an average fill-up of 5.9 gallons with Angela in the car and 6.9 gallons without Angela in the car. Guess which one of us has run out of gas before in the Ghia. We averaged 32mpg. Our best was 39mpg on the first day during a stretch where we stayed off the interstate. Gas mileage drops appreciably at today's highway speeds.
Prior to the cross-country trip, the farthest we had taken the Ghia was to Gainesville, FL - which is 105 miles away from home. In a way, that was more of an adventure because it was right after we got the car and before we had the leaky gas tank and sieve-like fuel pump replaced. After those repairs, our gas mileage increased significantly. It helps if you're not leaving a trail of gasoline across the countryside.
Upon returning home from the cross-country trip, I pulled the Ghia into the garage where it sat for two weeks untouched. It wasn't even completely unpacked. It deserved a much needed rest. Finally, this weekend I backed it out and scrubbed it clean. I polished all the chrome bits (there's a lot); the trip was hard on them, but they look great now. And I unpacked it.
Like I said, it was a tremendous trip. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I can't wait to do it again, and I will do it again... soon. In the Ghia? No way. Not that the Ghia isn't comfortable or fun... but I felt it was very hard on the car. I wouldn't want to do that to the car again.
A trip in our other car, an Infiniti G37S coupe, wouldn't be nearly as adventuresome. Like the Ghia, the G37 is a 2-door 2+2 coupe. It also has four tires and a steering wheel. But the similarities pretty much end there. The Infiniti has 300 more horsepower than the Ghia. Angela and I have both had situations where we are driving along an interstate highway, thinking we're doing about the speed limit, and then looked down to see that we were going over 90 mph. If I ever looked down in the Ghia and saw that I was doing 90 mph, it would mean that I had driven off the edge of a very tall bridge.
Angela said it best. After driving the Ghia for two weeks, driving the Infiniti makes you think the Infiniti was made with alien technology. It is so smooth, and quiet, and fast, and quiet. On the flipside, hopping in the Ghia after a few weeks in the Infiniti and you'd think the Ghia was made by illegal aliens with no prior automotive experience.
Actually, that's not fair. The Ghia is a very well-engineered car. The engine alone is a marvel. Did you know that most general aviation aircraft today still use what is effectively a VW engine? The most popular (by far) engine for small aircraft is an air-cooled, horizontally opposed 4-cylinder with a carburetor (not fuel injection). Some of them are direct descendants of the VW engine, while the rest share the same layout - albeit with a lot of redundancies. These are the engines used in most new general aviation aircraft.
The one thing the Ghia could really use is one more gear. While driving down the highway, we often find ourselves pulling the gear lever to only find that we are already in 4th gear. Our friend Mike has a similar era Triumph Spitfire and says the same thing. It needs one more gear - just for the highways.
The one thing the Ghia doesn't need is a nice stereo. We upgraded the stereo, in part, so we could charge our electronics on the trip. At 35 mph, the stereo sounds good. At 60 mph, it helps if you know the song - so you can fill in the parts that aren't so clear. At 75 mph, ... the stereo's clock looks cool.
Angela was the perfect person for the trip (being my wife and all). She loves cars and a vaguely-planned adventure as much as I do. And she knows how to push start a car (or more accurately... how to pop the clutch when someone else is pushing the car). I cannot thank her enough for getting the car in the first place and, also, going on the trip.
Here are some random thoughts that I never put into the blog that I wanted to remember:
- In California, the worst drivers are usually driving a Toyota Prius. They are going the fastest - and often in the slowest lane. They weave in and out of traffic, and slam on brakes for no apparent reason. They will make a right turn from the left lane - at high speeds. Given that they are driving a hybrid, you'd think that they're all about saving the planet. But I believe that is so that they can kill each one of us individually.
- In addition to "Name that Smell", Angela and I invented several other games to play on the road. "Could You Live Here?" is one where we decide if we could live in a town (or a particular house) that we passed on our trip. Invariably, the answer is either "No" or "No way!". A variation on that theme is "How Did You Get Here?" in which we find ourselves living in some desolate town and have to give the events that led to us living in that particular place. The answer usually based on the Federal Witness Protection Program.
- One of the great things about this Ghia is that it still has its original owner's manual. That booklet is an absolute wealth of information. For example... with regards to starting the car in cold weather and heating it up prior to driving, the manual says this: don't do it. It says: start the car and drive away. Once you drive the car, you appreciate the logic. Hot air cannot get into the cabin unless the car is moving; it needs airflow and there are no fans in the car.
- If I were just a more out-going person, I could have made so many friends on this trip. People come up all the time and want to talk about the car. Believe me, I am very polite and answer all their questions; but ... if I were more of a people-person, I could have spent all day talking with them. I did meet one great guy, Rene, in the VeeDub shop in Austin. He was a customer like me and had been coming to the shop for about 18 years. He had worked in the energy industry and answered so many questions I had about oil wells, mineral rights and even the Salton Sea (where he used to work).
- I believe the attraction of the Ghia is that is cute without an ounce of pretention. It is not a rare Porsche or Maserati - it is simply a survivor from a "simpler" time. It is a car that almost everyone could afford when new, and can afford now - if they have the patience.
- And finally, as I realized on my cross-country bicycle trip, the US is a great place filled with a tremendous number of amazing and friendly people - as well as people driving a Prius.
Thanks for reading.
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