[Roadtrip] The "wrong-way-round" ORANGE roadtrip ! IT'S ON !! :)

[level42]

In preparation of the "Wrong-way-round" roadtrip here is a first posting:

Stats: 1 cab
2 Countries

[Etienne MacGyver]

aaahhhhhrrrgggg      we have another teaser on this board 

[ckong]

I love teasers. 

André, have a nice and safe trip and a nice weekend.

[gyruss]

I HATE TEASERS!!

[level42]

Heheheh, well it's no big secret, if you read around this forum.

A little update:

Statistics:
Date: 30 & 31 January 2010
Author: Level42
Target: Lauda, Germany
Trip: Holland – Germany - Holland
Total length:  1129,2 kilometers
Duration: 2 days

Some preparations done yesterday:

[Superully]

argh, andre's coming over - i almost forgot 

[Etienne MacGyver]

ah ofcourse, "wrong way round"...... you are delivering stuff to ully, how can we forget  

[level42]

You got it !

A roadtrip should be about GETTING a cab, but this time I'm actually BRINGING one ! 
Not really  because it's Ully's and I'm actually pretty glad it's leaving because it's crowding my gameroom 

Also, I _will_ be bringing something back. Something very nice, very needed and very longed for.......but later about that....

[petieken]

So it will still be a little bit good-way-roadtrip

[level42]

OK, everything is prepared ( I think ):

It's great to have a company car. It really is. Because else I would think twice before going on a road-trip like this (petrol costs). But I HATE it that I need to drag all this stuff around for my work every day. It means I always have to get everything out whenever I move a cab....
The result (plus the fact that I knew I had to drag it out again today) is that I tend to make a mess of it.....seriously:


A REAL mess this time !     


So...what's the best way to move this stuff out:


Well, let's have a look at our "victim" today:


I had drilled out the lock of the machine. I suggested to try the game and Ully said OK. Regretfully there was no mains plug and I didn't have one around. Also, it's very cold in my gameroom now (but not humid at all). I thought it would be better to try it at it's final destination.
But I did take some pics. It looks REALLY good inside. Actually amazing IMHO. Remember it's from 1976 ! It's only 9 years younger than me...damned I wish I still looked that good !

I always love these:


Holy shit look at that B/W monitor ! It doesn't even look dusty (a pre of a monitor that hangs) !


"Look ma, no processor !"   Unbelievable, is this NEW ?!?!?

[Superully]

It's great to have a company car. It really is.

your company car and the tidyness / organisation inside is amazing

But I did take some pics. It looks REALLY good inside. Actually amazing IMHO.

WOW  this looks as good on the inside as the cabinet does on the outside! can't wait to have it over and see what happens. thx so much for bringing this baby home! 

have a safe trip, andré. see you tomorrow!!! 

[level42]

Oh man, I'm almost getting to the point that I don't want to move it out

But it's time to pack up and go:


IMHO Ully scored BIG with this one. I remember clearly how he was climbing over cabs, sorting them, examining and finally picking this one. He was _so_ right. For a machine that has lived in the field, this is about as nice as it can get for a 34 year old machine. Don't look at the dust. When cleaned, painted (coin door), new vinyl etc. it will look like NEW !


Just look at those sides. No scratches. Only some small spots here and there. Will clean up lovely.




So the car is empty. Looks better ! I love the Skoda, it's a great car.


But there are 2 things I hate about it. One is the big edge around the bottom. Competitors have a entirely flat loading floor. I don't know why Volkswagen (the mother-concern of Skoda) keeps doing it like this. Maybe it's a stronger construction for rear impacts ? Anyway, it's terrible when loading cabs....

But once you get over that hurdle, there is the second thing I hate: The floor is not entirely flat when you throw down the backseat. Yes I did remove the seat itself so this is just the backs flipped forward.... This makes it necessary to lift it over this edge too.....luckily the Breakout is a light-weight cab....



OK some last shots:


No, let's give that a 1976 look:


In she goes, always a good moment to check out the underside. It looks lovely. The cab is ply-wood all over and it shows !! Sturdy !!!


It will fit easily. Breakout is like most other early (B/W) Atari machines not that big.


And in she is. Sleep tight beauty, tomorrow will be a long trip !


Some items for the trip (more to get):


An Ancient German road-map. I still always take a map with me. I'm too old to 100% rely on the navigation. The map is so ancient, there's a mobile phone the size of a small fridge advertised on the back-side ! But I guess the main roads are still the same.....
Also: Released TODAY and I actually went to a CD store to get it: The first album of Holland's best new talent: Caro Emerald. (Check her out at www.caroemerald.com). This is going to get a shit-load of plays during the trip.....I love her and already bought tickets for a gig in April !

So, when I looked outside I see......o no !


O well, screw it. Nothing's gonna stop me now ! Snow-tyres are installed but I hope it will not be too bad tomorrow.......:S

[Muerto]

I bet ully can't wait till you get there! - and it is a nice looking cab, and i also remember him changing out the bezel...


Great pic! - would have been even greater if you had had the time to move it into the street light, so thet the cab would have been even more iluminated...

[level42]

 
CANCELLED !

DAMNIT I HATE SNOW (unless I'm skiing of course).

I actually was on the road for about 25 minutes but things are too bad to go on. There was snow falling, which is bad enough but I can handle that. But then snow turned into rain and with a temperature of -0.5 degrees that's something I _really_ don't like. So there was a battle between reason and will and reason won. Nothing justifies risking the safety. I'm a really experienced driver and not easily scared of road conditions. But this was no fun I tell you. Even if there wan'st the risk, there is also the fact that traffic wasn't moving any faster then 60-80 km/h. This would make the trip about 2 times as long to complete, which is not what I desire since we actually want to spend some good time together in the short weekend it already is.

So, Ully, I'm sorry that this is at the last moment, but I had to take this decision. Trust me, if there was anyone who wanted to go ahead it was me!

Of course the trip is not cancelled but postponed it is !

I'll upload pics later today....

[Superully]

 

BUT: I ABSOLUTELY BACK YOU DECISION

i've told you in my email from yesterday morning that IF the weather is horrible feel free to cancel because as much as i was looking forward to your visit and as beautiful as the breakout is nothing is worth risking your life on the road or wasting precious time getting over to my place. i've been to the sauna yesterday evening which is about 30 kilometers away when i take the autobahn and the road conditions weren't good at all - mildly put! your decision to cancel was right, there will be better times - and better weather!

the only thing i'm really sorry for is all the time you spent unloading your company car, preparing stuff for the roadtrip and wedging the breakout in. and all that now has to be un-done and re-done later on. poor andré, poor breakout - take care of my baby

no hard feelings, my friend, it was the wise thing to do! enjoy your caro emerald cd nevertheless, she is one hell of a lady 

p.s.: thx for all those wonderful roadtrip preparations pictures - i love how you documented the progress!