[T3] 2024 Invasion Trip Report

Fri Jun 28 21:54:07 PDT 2024

Thought I would do a little more detailed trip report for our adventure to and from the Type 3 Invasion in Ticonderoga, NY.  Sit back and grab your favorite beverage….this will be a little long with lots of pictures.

Pre-Invasion Stuff

I had a few last minute things to do to the cars to get them ready.  On Saturday, I installed Sophy’s new windshield from ISP West.  Install went smooth and everything fit as it was supposed to.  I will changed her oil and checked her valves.  On Jill’s Ghia, I finished the install of the serpentine belt system that I designed and built and I also rebuilt the alternator brackets from 1/8” thick steel plate to stiffen them up a bit over the first set I built out of thinner gage steel.  All was going smooth until I went to check her valves after changing the oil.  Turns out the you can not put a standard wrench on the recessed alternator pulley nut and there is not enough clearance within the sheetmetal belt shroud to get the required 15/16” ¾ Drive socket on the nut either.  I ended up cutting a clearance window in the shroud and fabricating a removeable cover for it to prevent sucking hot air in. I will have to add those details to the thread for Jill’s Ghia when I get a chance.  After that, the cars were ready…

Day 1 – Tuesday June 18th

Jill and I finished packing up my 66 Squareback (Sophy) and her 67 Type 34 Ghia and headed south to our first stop in Temperance, MI to pick-up our niece, Gabby, who was coming along to her first Invasion and was to be Jill’s co-pilot for the trip.   Those first 45 miles or so were the first real test of the A/C system in Jill’s Ghia with the new serpentine belt.  All systems go which is good because the first few days or the trip promised to be scorchers.

Ready to leave our place in Dearborn
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%201.jpeg
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In Temperance picking up Gabby
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Just cruising along…
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Stopping for some dinner in OH
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We managed to stay dry except for a brief heavy downpour as we rolled through Toledo.  Happy to report that the new windshield and seal from ISP did not leak.  We rolled into Erie, PA for the night after about 4 hours of driving with no issues.  Getting right about 28mpg with both cars.  We met up with Richard and Mary Spryer from Wisconsin who were trailering their Squareback to the Invasion.   Nice to have that little bit of assurance of extra folks and a trailer.

Day 2 – Wednesday June 19th

This was going to be our long day of driving with about 7 hours to go to get to Ticonderoga.  We didn’t plan to get a super early start and were on the road about 9am.

Getting ready to roll out now that there were three of us
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%209.jpeg

Not a lot to report out for most of the drive.  Both our cars ran great.  Jill and Gabby took advantage of the A/C in the Ghia to cruise in comfort with the windows up…even though it was in the low 90s.  I did manage to get a shot as we crossed into NY on highway.
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%2010.jpeg

There were a couple of times were the Ghia bottomed out hard with the lower beam mount(s) hitting the pavement when we encountered some rough roads with potholes.  No really damage, but enough teeth rattling to make us think about raising it up just a bit before the next roadtrip.  Also, while the A.C worked great at highway speeds, if the compressor kicked on at idle the belt would still slip a little bit or it would stall the engine.  Jill got in the habit of turning it off as we got off the highway and /or were in stop and go traffic.

After we got off the NYS Thruway near Rome, NY we were on a beautiful two-lane highway with rolling hills and twisty roads through the Adirondacks the rest of the way.
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%2011.jpeg

Keith Park met us in Pottersville, NY so we could cruise the last 30 or so miles together.  Great to be following Keith’s silver Squareback again…like so many previous Invasion trips.
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We rolled into Ticonderoga and got checked into the host hotel, the Stone House Motel and Motor Lodge.  Turned out to be the perfect motel for us as they had a large covered outdoor seating area with ceiling fans and tables.  It became the place to hangout every day before and after the activities of the day.
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Henry & Gail from Toronto were already there with their 66 Panel Squareback
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Lyndon from Kansas City rolled in a shortly after us tow dollying his 65 Notchback.
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%2023.jpeg

Mary & Richard unloaded their Squareback.  Their tow vehicle developed a bad shimmy under braking after coming down the mountains on the way in Ticonderoga that would lead them to taking it over to a Toyota dealer in Vermont to have it serviced.
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%2024.jpeg

David and Jennifer from Arizona also rolled in in their rental car after flying into Boston.  We all went downtown for some pizza before calling it a night.
https://www.carartbyjohn.com/2024Invasion/2024InvasionWebPhotos/2024Invasion%20-%2025.jpeg
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to be continued….

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