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Topic: Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest! (Read 1215 times) previous topic - next topic

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Our time here in Las Vegas is just about up!  My wife got orders to Offut AFB near Omaha, NE.  We have been here for about 4 years and are ready to see something new.  We plan to arrive in Nebraska around the middle of February. Are there any active members from Nebraska/Iowa?

Vegas is fun to visit but not that great to live in.  I will miss the mild winters (going to have to buy winter clothes again!) and the junkyards here have a lot of good rust free Foxes.  We are from Kansas so we should be able to go home more often for cheap. 

We will be shipping my turbo Cougar for sure, and if we can get a good enough deal, the 85 too.  If not, I will probably have to sell it before we go.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #1
Welcome back to the Midwest,    Feb...... kinda a sucky time to arrive back though.
Mike

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #2
Yeah, the short route there is through Utah and Colorado, but were thinking we don't want to drive through Colorado in Winter so we will be taking a more southern route then straight up through Kansas to Omaha.  We want to stop by Wichita for a day or 2 anyway.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #3
Where you driving through utah at?

You could drive through wyoming instead, back tracking all the way up to i-80. Its a straight shot to omaha from there, but way out of the way I would think.

Honestly, the whole drive through to the plains will probably suck in feb though.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #4
If we took the short route through Utah (which is the route the Air Force is paying us mileage for) we would drive up I-15 and then get on I-70 East to Denver.  In Denver we would catch I-76 to I-80 to Omaha.  The more we think about it, the more we think we are going to take the southern route taking I-40 all the way to Oklahoma City then straight north on I-35.  This is our usual route we take to Kansas and we know it well. 

It probably will be a rough trip that time of year though.  Last time we went home to Wichita for Christmas we got stuck on I-40 on the way back because a big snowstorm closed the highway.  Luckily we only had to sit in a parking lot for a few hours before it was opened back up, but it was still a slow drive from then on.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #5
I drove through from slc to pittsburgh this year for work. Sucked, rained and snowed the whole way. We wnded up making the drive in about 32 hours, with a trailer. We tried not to go over 70mph.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #6
Well I am a little late to this post, but we are flipped around.  I am a Nebraska native now living in Kansas (in Hays).  I lived in Omaha for several years and I always thought it was a nice place overall.  Couple decent U-Pull-It yards around too.  I miss those now that I am here in Hays.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #7
Thanks, any input is welcome.  My wife has talked to a few people who have been stationed there and they all liked it so hopefully we will too.  Can't wait to see the junkyards too!
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #8
We made it to Nebraska last week and finally got internet hooked up yesterday.  We had to get new cell phones because Tmobile doesn't have coverage where we live.  There was snow when we got here and it snowed a little bit last night too, so I am going to have to buy ice sers and all that stuff too.  Overall the move went well.  It will take a while to get readjusted to the cold weather.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #9
Welcome back to this area.  It been a very mild winter here, only had snow once and it was very little.
Mike

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #10
Glad to hear everything went fairly smooth, sucks about having to trade phones, I'm guessing you had to get new numbers as well, which means you should send me your new one! Anyways, on to the important part, did the cars arrive safely?!
1983 Tbird with '03 Split Port V6 motor swap done! Headers, dual exhaust, 500CFM Edelbrock, 3G upgrade, Electric fan. 3.73 Gears and an FRPP Limited Slip. Five lug complete! 5-Speed conversion complete! Standalone Fuel Injection in progress...

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #11
glad to hear the move went well.. but the million dollar question is.. did you bring both kitties?
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #12
Yeah, both cars made the trip!  Luckily, I got to keep my phone number.  Here is a pic of the 86 sitting outside in the snow today. :(   
 
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #13
Welcome to the 2.3Turbo desert. I can count the number of people who run 2.3T's around here on one hand. Granted, their's probably a couple more in hiding.
88 TC 5speed, 168000+ miles, stock 2.3T long block, ported RFE6 exhaust, Evergreen T3 running 15#'s.
Up next: FMIC, fresh air intake, ported intakes, ported big valve head.

Getting out of the desert, back to the midwest!

Reply #14
awesome! you got to keep both.. that's what i like to hear! :)
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver