Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

[redbirdsal]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

This is bringing back some wonderful memories Relays are SO much fun!

Charles, every time I see pics of your Bird, it makes me want more. Can't wait to see it in Vegas

[ChromeDome]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Paul, the white top really looks nice on your car..

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Paul, the white top really looks nice on your car..

Thanks, Ken. I agree that it looks very nice on the red. I can remember the first time I saw Bill Green's car with the white top on I was so impressed with the contrast. I've often considered buying one but since the red one has been on its stand for the last 4 to 5 years, I can't really justify having two sitting around.

[texasbird]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

This event has been a blast to keep up with. These member specifically and the TBN community in general needs to be commended for keeping the love for these cars alive!

James

[doubutsu]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Paul@Rosetta, Thanks alot, it was great meeting both of you. Thanks for the good words about my car, right back at you. Rosetta most of the time acts of stupidity are not documented, but this one will be with us forever. I got the hardtop off just in time to put to top down and enjoy the rain. Will see both of you in Las Vegas this Oct. Be safe.

[EllisonCal]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Nick & All,

The hardtop has landed in Oklahoma!!! Mike (doubutsu) surprised us and brought it all the way to Tahlequah after driving from Santa Rosa, NM today. Because it is the typical warm, sunny, humid day in Oklahoma I suggested we meet at the local Federal Credit Union that is less than a mile from our house so we could exchange the top in the shade. Sort of gives a new meaning to a drivethru withdrawal and/or deposit.

Mike thought that was a great idea as he wanted to get back on the road to make it up to Coffeyville, KS tonight. After the sweat we worked up in the shade I'm sure glad we didn't do it out in the open! We did end up talking for well over an hour however so he didn't get on the road that quickly.

Mike is a really nice guy and has a beautiful black '05 that he obviously loves. He has done some really nice mods that he really doesn't brag about on TBN such as wire wheels, white walls, lowered suspension, custom red dyed interior pieces, in-dash Pioneer navigation/stereo system, '06 bronze metal door and dash trim, and a very nice wood dash kit. All in all a very special bird for sure! His biggest worry was that the car was dirty after two hard days on the road. Believe me it looked very good considering how far it had come!

I'll attach a few pictures of the swap. We did take a few with the traveling camera as well, but Nicky will have to get those processed and posted when he gets it.

Karen, we should be good to go for a July 4th or 5th swap to your car depending on what works for you best. So far it has looked good on a Merlot, Evening Black and Torch Red so I'm sure it will look good on the PCR as well.

Hey Paul,
Is the blue in the center picture the tape I've heard so much about, the stuff that protects the car when the top is installed? Since I have only the soft top, I'm not familiar with the procedures used by hard top owners.
Cal

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

w

Hey Paul,
Is the blue in the center picture the tape I've heard so much about, the stuff that protects the car when the top is installed? Since I have only the soft top, I'm not familiar with the procedures used by hard top owners.
Cal

Cal,That is painters tape that I stuck on there temporarily to protect the car from the hardtop in case of rub. I got the idea from Mike and it is a good one for the hardtop relay situation. It pulls of without any residue in a matter of seconds. In fact, Mike pulled it off of his car while we were standing there talking after moving the top from his car to mine. If others in the relay chain do not have X-pel or the stainless strips on their car, I highly recommend they pick up roll of the painters tape to use as they move the hardtop along. I bought a roll at Dollar Tree for .... yep, a dollar. Pretty cheap insurance for my mind. One thing to remember it that the top only touchs a very small edge along the sides. Even though I thought I was putting a small amount over the edge it still shows.

[FritsB]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Thanks for sharing the pictures Paul. Top looks super on both cars.

[Nicky-The-Squid]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Thank you so very much Charles. Man your car looks great. Hope you enjoy your reunion and have a safe trip back home.
Thanks for posting the pictures Paul. Are you keeping the top on until you make the exchange with Karen or did you take it off? Love those NM wheels. You can send them along with the top if you want. I think those are next on my list.
It is fantastic watching this unfold. Whenever I mention this to non T-Bird friends, and that is very often, they are amazed that this is happening. My top is meeting some wonderful people I must say.
--------------------------
This is up to date as of this moment.
--------------------------
The up to date Route and participants in the Salt Lake to Boston Relay
1. 5/31 Vickie/Dizzbe met Charles/doubutsu from las vegas, NV at Cedar City, Utah.
2. 6/21 Charles left for event in Tulsa, Oklahoma therefor he drove the longest leg and relayed the top to Paul/2K2BIRD in Tahlequah, OK
3. 7/4 or 7/5 Paul will take the top to Karen/MObird, Springfield, MO
4. 7/8 Karen will meet up with Jerry/JBest, in Columbia, MO.
5. 7/9 or 7/10 Jerry to Ray/Ray_theherd in Lincoln, IL
6. 7/12 or 7/13 Ray to Brad in Chicago, IL
7. 7/12 or 7/13 Brad to Lawrence/Leroy, of Portage, IN somewhere near the Ill/Ind. state line off I-94
8. Lawrence to John/JAB02LHS, CLEVELAND, OH
9. John to Pat/94mcd, Huntingdon, PA
10. Pat to John/3rd Brd near the Poconos or Allentown, NJ
11. John to John/JRM, Long Island, NY
12. John to Chuck, Woodbury, CT
13. Chuck to me

[Sweet T]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Gee Nicky......your top does look awfully nice on red......

I may need to intercept it somewhere along the route......

[Leroy]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

I just bought a Hardtop for my car. And it was the first time I ever had one on it, as it was ordered without one. Before picking the top up from the seller I asked TBN for advice or tips on putting a top on. The best advice I got was loosening the three screws on each mounting block on the front sides. There was no way this top was going to fit on my car without doing this becuase they didn't line up. I think it would be a good idea to remove the inside front molding on this top that we are relaying. To make it easier to put it on many different cars and have less chance of damaging the top and the relay cars. The molding just pops off and then back on, no tools required.
Leroy

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Thanks for posting the pictures Paul. Are you keeping the top on until you make the exchange with Karen or did you take it off? Love those NM wheels. You can send them along with the top if you want. I think those are next on my list.
It is fantastic watching this unfold. Whenever I mention this to non T-Bird friends, and that is very often, they are amazed that this is happening. My top is meeting some wonderful people I must say.

Nick,

You are welcome. The pictures were pretty candid so you could see Mike and I sweating pretty good in our determination to move the top around in the drive thru area. Fortunately, it seated right into place without having to adjust it.

The top will be on the car in the garage until we get ready to head to Missouri in about a week and a half. We have a trip to South Dakota to make in the mean time., but we won't be going in the T-bird - she needs a rest after the almost 3700 mile trip we put on her earlier in the month.

The NM wheels will have to stay in Oklahoma. I wouldn't take for them. If you get some you will never regret it.

It is hard for mere car owners to understand the bond T-bird owners and in particular site members here on TBN have with each other. The relays aren't RANDOM acts of kindness they are just part of the normal routine with our group. Except for DavidA, I haven't met a bad guy or gal in the bunch. Even DavidA has to have some redeeming qualities somewhere given the wonderful lady that has agreed to marry him.

[doubutsu]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Leroy, Don't know if the top is special or we're just lucky s.o.b.s but the top went on vickey, mine, and paul's car without ajustments needed. now that i said this karen will have problems.

[Black Bird]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Now there you go again Paul. Picking on poor David. THe guy has been quiet lately, and trying to mend his ways. Getting ready for his and Jeannies big day, sooooooo be nice to him, we can get even with him after the wedding. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
Lou

[Dizzbe]

Re: Hard Top Relay - Salt Lake City to Boston

Loved getting back in town tonight and logging on to see the progress of the top. That white really does set off the various cars.

Can't wait to see all of the future hand offs.