Michael Kennedy wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
Michael Kennedy wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

The farthest I've ever coasted downhill was about seven and a half
miles, after I ran out of gas at four in the morning.

Well that obviously was not here in Florida, but sounds like an
adventure.


I was moving from Ohio to Central Florida in the late '80s. I was
driving a Chevy stepvan, and the gas gauge had quit. It was about 4:00
AM, and I had been up for over 30 hours, in an attempt to get to Florida
before my tag expired. I was in the hills of Kentucky, and was about to
pass a sign that said, "Next exit, 7 miles" when the engine sputtered
and died. To make a long story short, i made it to the exit, made a hard
right turn and coasted over a half mile to a gas station, and rolled to
a stop about 50 feet from the closest pump. Believe me, that entire
trip was a real test of my faith, in everything. I made it to my
destination about fifteen minutes before midnight, a couple miles north
of Eustis, on Hwy. 452.


Wow, thats a trip.. And you ended up about 20 minutes from my house.


That was the second trip. I brought 17,000 pounds of tools, parts
and test equipment with me in thwe two trips. About 1050 miles, one
way. When I decided to move, the truck's engine was siezed from sitting
for four years. A drunk driver had run out of the road and hit my car,
rammed it into the truck, and totaled both cars. The gas tank had a
seven inch long crack, someone swiped the fron grill, and the back
bumper was missing. I got the truck running for $8, and drove it a
little over 5000 miles. The body work was about $100, a used gas tank
was $50. I mad an aluminum tube grill out of scrap for another $8, and a
back bumper for 97 cents. Uhaul wanted $750 dollars for three days, one
way.

I'm still not that far away, I'm in southern Marion County.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida