Cannonball Run - L.A. to Indiana

UPDATE: we've decided to drive to Indiana in a rental car with the transmission in the trunk, drop it off, pick up the new one and drive back. Looks like this will take place towards the end of March. Things this money will be used for: Rental car Gasoline Hotel Food. We can't take the Plymouth because we don't have enough time if something goes horribly wrong. If we had a week and more money, sure we can get out there and see what happens, but as it is, we're on a crunch to get back to work. I thank you all who have donated and I will continue to keep you up to date. Godspeed .......... Anyone who knows me knows that I am known for 2 things: My crazy ideas. and my love for American Classic Cars. Let's cut the fat and get to the meat. 15 years ago my father and I purchased a 1970 Plymouth Valiant. It has been my daily driver since then. I own no other car, nor do I want to. Sometime late last year i turned the odometer for perhaps the 3rd time (that i know of). Just recently the transmission has started going away. I came to a crossroads. Let the car die, or rebuild the transmission and keep it on the road for another 15 years. I decided on the later. After much research and phone calls I found a kindered spirit. His name is Rick Allison of A&A Transmissions in Indiana. I saw this as an opportunity, because I have always wanted to drive across the country in this car, but have never had the chance to. Now is the Time.     I asked my friend Julian (known as Bubba) to help me drive the 2,100 miles to Indiana, swap the transmission in a parking lot somewhere, and drive back home. If you've ever seen a Subaru that was faster that it should be, Bubba probably had a hand in it. This guy is sharp, and a good driver and reliable friend. His excitement for this trip is equal to mine. We've both always wanted to see this great country, not through an airplane window, but out on the road, windows down, 80 miles per hour, hearing the roar of the motor as we speed down route 66.  The Plan: Leave from Los Angeles on a Saturday morning at 2am.  cannonball run all night and day. Arrive in Indiana Sunday and check into a hotel and sleep. Pick up and swap the transmission on Monday and drive the 2,100 miles back home in time to be at work on Wednesday.     Yes. It's an insanely crazy idea, but it's an experience and story we can pass on forever.     I ask you dear friends, to remember the adventure of the open road, the feeling of going someplace and seeing something new. We are going to push ourselves to a limit and push ourselves even more. Have you ever just wanted to get in the car and go? That's the beauty of it. The escape. The endless vast rolling hillsides of life. The endless vast rolling waves of discovering one's self. Any little bit will help.      Last year I lost 3 friends who understood the beauty of American Classic cars and a deeply rooted sentiment for others who felt the same way. The drive won't only be for Bubba and I, but for the friends I've lost.  Nelson Chong, Rene Ayala, and the legendary Don Zabel... If anything their deaths do not sadden me, but make me realize that we have to do everything we can possibly do and see all that we can possibly see while we're here on this Earth. I'll have them with me the whole way. Any additional money raised beyond our goal will enable us to stop on the way back and visit with fellow car enthusiasts. Thank you.