Vacation from Hell!

[marsh]

For those that don't know me I was at the Brookesville event in my new, to me, 95 M-edition miata. I'm from Canada and had planned to drive the car home starting yesterday.

Well on Monday night in Bradenton a young lady had other plans for the car when she turned left in front of me. Bumper and right turn signal destroyed and right fender bent. The right headlight cover is also touching the hood so something is out of line there. Long story short it was driveable so no change in plans.

In the morning I was also going to have an iPod adapter put on my stereo at the local Best Buy. The open box unit they had didn't work and they didn't have any spares, so 90+ minutes wasted. I left Bradenton around 11:30am for the BMW Zentrum museum in Spartanburg SC. I made it about 150 miles when I was wondering if I should stop and get gas. When I looked down at the gauges I notice the CEL. I bent down to see the gauges (being 6' tall with M edition seats and an aftermarket wheel I can't see any of the gauges without bending down). And the temp is completely pegged to the right. I put in the clutch and the it immediately died. Managed to get over to the exit and coast into the gas station next to it. Waited a little over an hour for things to cool and little and filled the rad with tap water, it was bone dry. The car started but was running rough. I made it 10 more miles down the road to a shop the gas station employees recommended. It over heated again and I called AAA. Got to the shop just in time to catch the last employee locking up. Grabbed a hotel room in St. Augustine Beach for the night.

Tuesday morning the likely prognosis was blown head gasket, and possible cracked head. It will take till Monday for them just to find out the extent of the damage. I flew home today and just got in the door a few minutes ago.

No offence but I'm not sure if I'll be back next year... :shock:

[snookwheel]

Wow, that is a lousy chain of events. Hope they get you fixed up for a reasonable price. Anyway, before you come down to get it check:

http://www.buccaneerregion.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There may be an autocross in the Jacksonville area you can run before heading back 'up there.' But then again, with the way your travel luck runs, it may be cheaper to just have it shipped to you

Good luck.

[Solar]

That does sound like a trip from hell, hopefully it isn't as bad as a blown head gasket. How do you plan on getting your car back up north?

[Native]

That absolutely stinks! Hopefully there will be a happy ending.

[marsh]

That does sound like a trip from hell, hopefully it isn't as bad as a blown head gasket. How do you plan on getting your car back up north?

Oh a blown head gasket is the BEST case scenario. A cracked block is the worst.