Arrived at the airport at 4:30am with a suitcase full of suspension parts (literally everything) and a backpack with a few sets of clothes and the necessities (ipod, camera, phone, toothbrush).

I ran through the gates and went to check my bag in. Unfortunately it weighed way over 100 lbs…. oops. So I had to use mad weight reduction measures by shoving everything in my bag that I could to get some weight out of the bag so I wouldn’t be charged $200 for just the bag :rollseyes: Weight reduction success! And I was able to board without paying out the ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD in bag fees. I imagine I was pretty funny to see in the middle of the airport at 4:00am rearranging struts, springs, shocks, and other things trying to get some weight out of the suitcase
Here is some airport and plane pictures I took while waiting for my flight






Without further adieu, takeoff.






ohai airport!

So successfully landed at Bradley airport in Conneticuit. Brandon was on his way, called the family and told them the plane had made it safely and then decided to grab a picture of these guys, what a gem of a photo. Seriously airport security?

Standing outside at the pickup and what do I see? The R!






So jumped in and drove it back to Brandon’s garage where the Volvo parting madness takes place that everyone on VS knows

Mentioned that I had the suspension in a suitcase that I brought there… so we got right to it and started tearing apart the car after not even owning it for a half hour!



LongTom!

Brandon!

Didn’t get a picture of Dillon but he was there too!
Got the rear suspension on and buttoned up. The front was an issue, I ordered all parts separately from FCP because I had bought the struts from a member on VS so I didn’t need the whole kit, I forgot/didn’t know that I needed the two cross bolts for the top of the strut… DOH! Well I faced it that the front wasn’t getting done and started packing up the car and was ready to leave around 4:00. Flew in at 9:00, short visit but very productive!
The time had come to leave and I bid my adieu to Brandon and Dillon and my Dad (who had flown in form Detroit after a business trip decided to head out, wasn’t about to tackle a 15 hour road trip by myself on 3 hours of sleep, that’s just asking for problems).
Here are some pics from the ride back!


Volvo!








Funny story, we were at a rest station in Ohio (I believe) and this Statey was sitting right there and when we went into the gas station to hit the bathroom I came out to see him walking around the wagon…

This Cutlass sounded mean





740!




Home!


This was a great journey and I got to get reacquainted with friends I met at Carlisle and was overall such a worthwhile thing to do and now I have an R! This will serve as my pseudo “build thread” just a thread to chronicle what is happening and what I’ve been doing to the wagon. This thread should have been out in August but I got too busy with school and life, but it is here now. Hopefully it makes sense and I hope everyone who reads enjoys it!
Tommy































