FLORIDA MEET - OCALA FOREST JUNE 28th

[Joe_Black]

Please join your fellow VXers in the Ocala National Forest for a weekend of off-road comeraderie and mayhem. This is a shameless imitation of the fantastic event thrown by our Atlanta/Tennessee crew as it worked out so well. There will be advance camp setup mid-day Friday for early arrivals and plenty of trails to run through Sunday for those interested. I will be posting more info in the next two weeks and will put up some photos of the area as well. Plenty of hotel acommodations are nearby for the less rugged who wish to attend. A list of the closest will be included in the future info. Please post any questions and also start throwing the RSVP's so I can plan on sites. See y'all June 28th!!!;Do;

[PBR]

I am interested please send me any info.

[-x-]

...i would formally like to request help for when i get stuck...cause im there man! ;Db; Look forward to getting more info....x

[Joe_Black]

No problem -x-, I broke the tow-strap in this past weekend. Just ask forgetful! LOL! I should have some additional info up late Sunday.

[Joe_Black]

Just wanted to post an update as I didn't get out to scout the trails this weekend as anticipated. However, I believe the two sites in the running for the event will either be Salt Springs or Ocklawaha. Stay tuned, more info to come!!!

[niv_d]

Here's another idea and something for y'all to think about regarding the camping site. It is called Juniper springs and it is in the heart of Ocala national forest, 1.5 hours west of Daytona Beach, Florida (we can get some beach shots with our VX's...). There's a sweet water swimming pool where the spring is, surrounded by a grassy area where you can lay back and catch a tan. A short nature trail and a long one (it's
There is a short nature trail and a long one (it's right next to the Florida trail...), and a 4 hour jungle canoe run which at the end of you are picked up and dropped back. There are many off-road trails of various levels in the area too.
Joe Black and I will do some scouting in the near future but meanwhile, here's some links with info about Juniper springs:

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/springs/locator/juniper.htm
http://tfn.net/Springs/Juniper.htm

We'll keep you posted
Niv

[skullcap]

Keep me apprized, as well.

Me and my VX were down at Juniper Springs meeting with Florida black bear researchers just a few weeks ago. It does look like a good place for a meet.

Just a word of caution, unless you'd want to meet a black bear, face to face, I'd leave the Krispy Kreme donuts at home. They actually use them to bait traps when monitoring the bears, Believe It Or Not!:D

[Heraclid]

Never really done any real off-roading, and have never checked out the Ocala Nat'l Forest, although I pass through from time to time. I'd be interested in going to the meet if a newbie won't drag you guys down... I'm in Jacksonville, so pretty close.

[Joe_Black]

It'd be great to have you join us Heraclid! The Florida bunch isn't heavily modded so you should have no trouble keeping up, although a few of us are a bit, umm... enthusiastic about off-roading! LOL! Come on down, meet your fellow Floridian VXers and have a great time!

[Heraclid]

Would love to, but absolutely do not want to tear anything up on the VX in the process. Right now things are tight and just about anything would be too expensive to fix, and I already need a new CD changer (that damn bleepity bleep), a window fix, and a crack fixed on the door panel. By the time I get that stuff done, my baby may need new shoes too...

But nonetheless, I may show up. Need to go back and read some more... if we have a definite meeting place I'll find it in the posts... if not, please keep me posted. Thanks!

[Heraclid]

Hey, by the way, isn't Joe Black a dead guy?

If you saw the movie...

[Joe_Black]

No worries mate! The forest is criss-crossed by hundreds of miles of road-trails and the gnarly stuff is entirely optional. So come along for the ride and do what you feel comfortable with or just watch. Besides, with all the VX knowledge gathered about your VX may leave in better shape than it arrived!

As for being a dead guy, I'm sure many here will attest I'm very much alive. At least after getting coffee! Still haven't seen the movie...

[Heraclid]

Oh man, the part where he dies in that movie is just brutal and a total surprise.

I'd love to go. Wife will be in Seattle then too, so no honey-do's that weekend either. :) Just let me know when you get the exact meeting spot nailed down.

I think you mentioned that this group isn't heavily modded. Mine is pure stock, no performance or looks mods... I did put in seat covers to protect them a bit more when I'm not trying to impress anyone. But does anyone have any minor mods like the flashing third brake light, door popper, etc.? Wouldn't keep me from coming of course, but would be cool to see that stuff because I'm thinking about a few things for mine down the road.

[skullcap]

I've got the third brake light flasher and popper kit installed with the experienced hand of Johnnyapollo. I'm planning on making the Ocala meet, so you'll have at least one example present, but I'm sure there will be a few others, functional performance and safety mods were at the top of my list of to-dos.

Hopefully, I'll have the side-marker/turn-signal lamp mods installed by the time of the meet. If not, maybe a few wiring-happy VXers will lend their fingers to some routing.

I also hope to have my new PV2 installed, so we can get a good comparison to the reported audible differences of the next generation muffler.

I'm still debating on whether to invest in a Eulodium Pew-36 Explosive Space Modulator, but I don't think the front cladding will hide it.
:bomb:

[Joe_Black]

I put my Space Modulator in the middle of my hood! LOL!

[johnnyapollo]

Hey Alex,

Let me know when you want to compare PVs and I'll come down and meet you. Saw a black VX yesterday in Decatur - wasn't one I'd seen before - had a red front license plate. Whoever was driving wasn't interested in "chatting"...

-- John

[Heraclid]

I keep seeing another Astral silver like mine just about every other day parked in front of a dry cleaning place during rush hour. Next time I'll stop and try to talk to the owner. Who knows - maybe I can get someone else to join us. I've seen an Ebony maybe once or twice in town, saw a white Ironman a few weeks back, and there used to be a silver one some girl had with dumb little "Princess" and "Spoiled Brat" stickers on the rear cladding... there were four little silly glittery stickers in all. Oh, the sacrilege!

Anyway, besides the auto show where I first laid eyes on it, that's it. I've never seen a Dragon, Foxfire, Proton, or Kaiser anywhere in person.

[skullcap]

Joe:

I don't feel I spend quite enough time in my VX to merit that kind of space modulation. Besides, with a portable 20 gb Archos Jukebox, I'll wear the tread off the tires before I'll run out of crisp-clear tunes to listen to.

Woo hoo! I just got some Sylvania Silver Stars, so I'll be installing them this week. While I'm doing that, it looks like I'm going to need a measuring-cup to collect the gobs of dirty OEM bulb grease that seems to be slathered all over the connections. (I think there's enough to make a small candle. That's it! I can use the OEM muffler as a candle-holder when we're camping! I just hate the idea of letting it go to waste.);Db;

[Joe_Black]

LOL! That Archos setup is sweet but I like the "surprise" factor of hearing obscure, hard-to-find stuff. Plus, sometimes, I feel like I'm living in the VX!

If you're saving that headlight goop and muffler for a candle maybe it'll keep the mosquitos at bay. ;eekg; If it works we should have enough VXs to scrape refills!

[skullcap]

Thanks for the skeeter reminder.

I'll bring a small supply of those Off mosquito coils. They work well against backyard Asian tiger mosquitos (carrier of the West Nile Virus), so they should work well in camp against the less aggressive native.

The coils burn for hours, so everyone attending might want to consider packing a box or two for the weekend.

[-x-]

So where am i going again lol, not seeing any specific location to meet up or where i should be heading. Also any type of time frame/scheduling set up yet for the event?

Im thinking to leave early sat morn and meet everyone up there so just trying to get my trip planned out. ;Db;

Thanx.....x

[skullcap]

We're thinking that we'll leave Atlanta on Friday the 27th and overnight somewhere like Gainesville or Ocala.

Whenever we arrive, everyone will know it, this PV-2 is making my baby sound like a lunar rover on steroids!;eeky;

[Joe_Black]

Glad to hear you'll make it -x-! We'll get you off road yet! We're camping at Juniper Springs which is on Highway 40 just East (about 3 miles) of the intersection of Highway 19. Here's the info:

Juniper Springs Campground
26701 East State Road 40
Silver Springs FL 34488
352-625-3147

Skullcap, I can't believe you guys won't be there Friday! Are ya pushing the Ebony down? LOL! In any case I'll be there early Friday just itching to get on some trails. I'll have plenty of PIC coils for the skeeters and will even try my hand at a batch of "VX Caviar".;eekg;

See y'all then!

[skullcap]

There's an increasing chance that I'll not be able to make it down (whaaaa!) :waab:

My mom's having knee replacement surgery next week, so it'll all depend on how that goes, first.

I'll let y'all know for sure as the weekend closes in.:sad1:

[Joe_Black]

Ouch! That's a biggie Alex! I'm sure we'll all be pullin' for your Mom and certainly understand your absence as that's WAY more important. Of course we'll be wishing even more for an outstanding operation and promise of a speedy recovery so you CAN make the meet! LOL!

[Heraclid]

Well a ways up the thread I said I was seeing another silver VX and would talk to the owner. Turns out it's a she, and a pretty attractive one at that. :) Told her about the site, so maybe she'll stop by sometime. Would be cool to get a few more people at the meet. How many we got thus far?

Also, I am no longer a proton virgin. Hehehe. Seen tons of pics, but that's not the same as seeing it in motion on the road. I had never seen one in person until yesterday. Very cool. Too bad I was working at the time and didn't have my own VX handy to help get their attention and maybe tell them about the website too.

[Joe_Black]

Even though only five people confirmed on the poll I posted a while back, several more have contacted through email or PM. If everyone shows (a couple are maybes) I'm estimating about 10 VXs. For those who are coming, be sure to be prepared for wet, muddy trails. Bring those tow straps! :rotate:

[-x-]

Im not sure sure bout ocala but down here in orlando its rained what seems to be everyday this month :yes:

So i am very excited about slingin some mud around ;Db; ...x

[Heraclid]

Tow straps? What tow straps? :-) Don't own any and never have had an occasion to use them yet, 'cause I've never been off-roading before (well, once in a Wrangler (oh the shame- but it was a rental, not mine). Did take my VX in a field with some shallow pits and piles of dirt today, but it was all small-time stuff. Scared of breaking/scratching anything, to be honest. Not too thrilled about trying to get mud out of every nook and cranny either. Starting to wonder if I'll fit in at all at this meet. Still want to go, though.

[Joe_Black]

LOL Heraclid! You'll be fine! Mud washes right out with an ordinary garden spayer, you'll just have to spray a lot underneath which is unusual at first. I don't like narrow trails with the VX 'cause I don't like to scratch it up either since it's my daily-driver. It just takes some common sense. And remember, just 'cause someone else tries a gnarly trail or hole doesn't mean you have to! Just sit back and watch, you may just be rewarded with a free lesson in how not to do something! LOL!

At the recent N. GA. meet only 3 of us hit the trails. The rest hung out at the camp and worked on mods. Everyone had a great time! All you need is a common enthusiasm for the VehiCROSS!:yesg:

[Joe_Black]

Just in case people need the address again:

Juniper Springs Campground
26701 East State Road 40
Silver Springs FL 34488
352-625-3147

PM or email me if you want my cell as I'll be there Friday morning setting up.

See y'all there!

[forgetful]

Hey everybody. Sorry you haven't heard from me, I've been so busy on the road and trying to buy another house that I haven't had much time to do anything. I wish we could come down for the meet, but with everything going on, we just can't get away.

I don't remember you telling me that you broke your tow strap Joe. I probably would have gone and bought you a new one. You mentioned in one of your posts that you kinda watch out when off roading so not to scratch anything. Well, it was obvious that NIV-D doesn't feel the same way with the way he drove his in GA. woods. He's a wild man. You guys are gonna have alot of fun. Break Heraclid in right. We never did find any real mud. Just that little spot of it there in GA. That's where you all are gonna have a blast. Be sure to take lots of pics to post for all to see.

Wish I was gonna be there.Maybe next time. Have fun
later.....Forgetful

[Heraclid]

But my engine bay is SO clean. LOL! I already have four things (windows are slow going up, CD changer is dead, dent in passenger door, scuffed cladding) to fix and I've had it two months. It's special to me and I just want to keep it in excellent condition because I plan to have it a long, long time. Seriously considering the Line-X treatment for the cladding. That alone would make me breathe a lot easier if it is half as good as they say it is. I actually wish this wasn't my daily driver, but it is, and it would be hard not to get to drive it daily. :-)

[Heraclid]

Okay, got a few questions. Just show up sometime Saturday, or Saturday morning would be best, right? Any particular time? Also, what do I need? Will this possibly be a Saturday-going-into-Sunday thing, or just Saturday? I have a tent - should I have it with me? Any other suggestions?

[Heraclid]

Sorry, one more... is there a usage fee associated with the camping space we'll be occupying? Just trying to have all the bases covered.

[Joe_Black]

Shawn, you'll be missed! It seems a lot of the SE regulars had all sorts of things come up to prevent attending this meet, so don't feel too bad.:( LOL! In any case, no, my tow-strap isn't broken. I just didn't want to be the only one!

Heraclid, the idea is for the meet to run Friday thru Sunday but you can show up at any time. If you're camping, the overnite fee was $14 last I checked for the tent loop. It is on a first-come basis, so let me know if you're going to camp and when so I can try to get adjoining sites if they'll let me.

As for beating up your VX, don't sweat it. Check out the gallery pix in mine, Niv-d and forgetful to get an idea of what we did at the last meet. We all drove home from N. GA. and pretty much just had to wash a bunch of clay off. This is my fourth Isuzu 4X4 and believe me, they're hard to break!:yesg:

[Heraclid]

Hey Joe_Black,

Sent you a PM asking for your cell # and then realized you'd already sent it... thanks! Sent you mine too, but it said your mailbox was full, so...

Heraclid (David)
904-610-9288

[VX1]

Wawhooo! Check out all these jeep trails:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=3228205&e=430722&size=m

We're there Saturday morning thru Sunday evening. Closest hotel found was Holiday Inn down State Rd 40 in Silver Springs, so that'll be us Saturday night. There's also a Days Inn next door for 40 bucks.

Anybody up for meeting for breakfest Saturday morning, 9 or 9:30am??? Maybe Joe can scout out a good place, which will probably be back around civilization in Silver Springs or even Ocala.

And, I hope everyone is packing some lunch for both days, cause we're not likely to pass a drive thru where we'll be going.

Scott Swett

[Jonnie]

I'm up for breakfast, I can handle that without a VX yet.

Jonathan :)

[Heraclid]

Breakfast sounds good, just let me know where to be and when. Also, I do not know for sure if I'm overnighting yet. Wish I could say for sure, but can't yet. When I know more I guess we'll see what options are still open.

My wife, parents and brother are all going to be out of town at the same time. I have to have some kind of arrangement made for the dogs while I'm gone.

Just so you know, my plan is to leave early and get there Saturday morning and spend Saturday there at least.

[niv_d]

I’ll definitely join you guys. I was a bit quite lately but there are some good reasons for that. My first baby girl was born less then a month ago so I was a bit busy you can say…

However, no way in the world I’m gonna miss this. See y’all Saturday morning!
;Db; ;Db;

[Joe_Black]

:clap: :clap: :clap: CONGRATULATIONS RACHEL AND NIV!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:

Definitely up for breakfast, I'll look around on my way in Friday for anything close by. Otherwise, we can convoy the 20-some-odd miles into Ocala.

Most have my contact info, I'll send a few more PM's out today, so let me know if you don't. Depending on who shows up Friday I may do a bit of trail scouting so we don't have to wander about too terribly much. :lookg:

As mentioned in earlier posts, remember to bring some munchies, drinks and mosquito coils. Since skullcap can't make it I'll take the responsibility of exposing y'all to VX Caviar! :freek:

Just a couple days! Woohoo! :dance:

[Heraclid]

Hey Joe_,

First, is that your real name?

Second, in response to your response, I've tried every bug/tar/sap remover except the right one(s), I guess. I was so embarrassed to turn in my '95 Avenger as a trade on the VX with sap all over it. Couldn't get the crap off and was kinda pressed for time. Probably would have made a big difference in what I got for it, too.

[Joe_Black]

LOL! Yeah, that's my real name. Wasn't all that funny in school and never really was cool until I was a DJ doin' the slam-scene back in the 80's. Black was the "in" thing, especially with the goth/industrial/punk club scene. Then the Brad movie. Which I never saw. Still.

Now for the real sap! I used to operate a detailing business and the 3M stuff worked well but I ended up going with just plain mineral spirits. I was going to buff and wax the car anyway and the stuff worked great. Usually would just put it on a cotton ball or piece of old t-shirt and hold it on the sap for a bit before rubbing it off. Here's some additional info I found on the web you might find interesting:

Parking under large trees can result in unwanted deposits of a sticky substance on the car. Most people assume this is tree sap, but the real culprit is far more likely to be insect honeydew, excreted by aphids or scale insects that infest the leaves and branches.

Composed of sugars and other waste products that pass undigested through the insects' bodies, honeydew becomes harder to remove the longer it's left on the car.

If you remove the honeydew and park under the tree again, you'll just end up with more sticky stuff dripping down on your vehicle. You may be able to dislodge and reduce the numbers of offending aphids in the tree by blasting overhanging branches with a forceful stream of water from a hose. Unfortunately, a hard stream of water does not help much if the source of honeydew is scale insects.

Spraying with insecticides is rarely needed to protect the health of the tree.

Above courtesy of the University of Minnesota Horticulture department.

How to Remove Tree Sap

To remove the tree sap from your vehicle's surface, you can use finger nail polish remover on a cotton ball. After the sap is removed, make a paste of water and baking soda to wash the affected area, then apply wax.

Another method to remove the sap is to use mineral sprits (it will also remove tar). Use a soft, terry towel, or wash cloth dampened with mineral sprits. After removal, wash the car and apply wax to the affected area.

Tree sap can also be removed by using a water-soluble paint brush cleaner. A common household solution is bacon grease or lard. Just rub it on, and off comes the sap. To get tree sap off of your hands, simply rub mayonnaise on them and wash it off. To remove tree sap and other substances, you can use common solvents like lighter fluid, rubbing alcohol, WD-40 or even Skin-So-Soft bath oil.

The way to use those materials is to let them do their work of dissolving (in the case of alcohol) or softening (in the case of oils), enough to rub off the remaining sap. If you use the oil, wash the car afterwards to remove it.

You can also use commercial wax and grease-removing products available at auto supply stores. Be sure to wash and dry the car before applying the wax and grease remover. Then dampen a clean cloth with the solvent and rub the affected area. It may require several attempts if the sap is very thick or extremely hard. The surface may appear hazy after the solvent evaporates, but a good wax application will eliminate the haze and complete the job.

Removing tree sap from a car's finish is a bit more difficult than tar, as hardened sap can scratch your paint. I've found that by hand-rubbing the sap spots with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol, I'm able to easily remove the sap without damaging the finish. Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol acts as a solvent to break up and dissolve the sap.

If there is a large amount of sap on the car, or if the sap has been left on the finish for an extended period of time, it can be a lot of work to remove. For these cases, you can try hitting the affected areas with a light-duty buffing compound to remove the hardened surface on the sap spots. Then you can use mineral spirits or a similar solvent to remove it. The light duty buffing compound softens the sap so the solvent can do its job. The goal is to use the least pressure possible to reduce the risk of scratching the paint. After removing heavy sap, always buff the treated areas with a good polish to clean up any marks created during hand-rubbing with solvent. The treated area must also be re-waxed.

Another technique is to use orange based solvents and children's molding clay. Apply a bit of the solvent and rub with the clay. It is abrasive enough to scrub off the sap which has been broken down by the solvent.

The chemicals used to remove road stains can also remove your wax or sealants. After removing tar, sap or bugs, plan to spot wax or re-wax your vehicle. If you don't have time to wax right away, use a quick detailing spray that contains wax. A quick spray wax is great for this kind of spot waxing, too.

Old tar, tree sap, and paint over-spray can be easily removed with a miraculous new product called automotive clay. As you rub it across any type of surface (paint, glass, plastic, metal, rubber, vinyl) it instantly sticks-to and pulls-off all contamination that is stuck to the surface. Here's how to use an automotive clay bar:

To use the automotive clay, spray a water-based lubricant on a small area of your car and rub the bar back and forth with light to medium pressure. If the lubricant begins to dry, you'll need to spray more. Clay bars are fairly sticky, and they cannot be used dry.

After a few passes with the clay bar, rub your hand over the area to feel if the surface contamination was removed. Keep rubbing until all contamination bumps are gone. Finally, wipe the clay residue off with a soft terry cloth towel, and buff to a nice luster. Just like waxing, work in small areas.

Check the clay bar frequently for hard particles. When found, pick them off. Make it a habit to occasionally knead and reform the bar so that a fresh portion of the bar contacts your car's paint.

When you're finished claying your car, you should go over it with a pre-wax cleaner to finish cleaning the paint and restore essential oils. Then, protect your newly cleaned finish with one or more coats of rich Carnauba wax.


...and there you have it!

[Heraclid]

Hey, thanks for all that info!

Okay, here's the deal. Timing for this meet is a bit bad for me in that everyone has something going on and that leaves me no available babysitters. Therefore I have to drop my dogs off at a kennel Saturday AM, no earlier than 8:00. Trip is a bit over 2 hrs, so can't make the breakfast get-together and will have to meet you all at the campsite afterward, probably between 10:30/11:00. Does this sound ok?

I can overnight there no problem and hang out some Sunday too - only thing is I must get home Sunday by a certain time (it's either 5:00 or 6:00). I know it's really late in the game now, but if you can still get me a spot at the campground, I'll take it and bring my tent. Hopefully everyone is going to camp out the July 4th weekend so maybe the crowds will be slack this weekend.

[VX1]

Alright, hopefully Joe will call a couple of us Friday about where breakfest will be Saturday, and someone can post it here. If you miss the post, well, you still won't be able to miss us. I'm sure it will be somewhere right off State Road 40 between Ocala and the campsite. Just look around for more than one rare, hand built, all-terrain vehicle in one place, and you found us.

For anyone getting there later Saturday, make sure you have Joe's cell so you can find us, cause I'm sure we'll be hitting the trails not long after breakfest.

Scott Swett

[Heraclid]

Woohoo! I just saw in the other thread that we may have another VXer showing up! Cool... plus I have managed to make alternate arrangements for the dogs! Meaning I will save about $60 and allowing me to make it there in time for breakfast with you all. :-)

Woohoo! Getting excited... gonna be great fun and as a newbie VXer, I look forward to learning tons from the gurus. :-)

[Tone]

Not sure who is responsible for the get together but I just got a call from Frank (whom we met in Moab by accident and went offroading with us - super guy from Hungaria) and he is way into coming but does not have a computer. If someone from your group could give him a call, he is about 3hrs from Ocala but really wants to go. Frank’s number is 954-476-2164 -Thanks

[Joe_Black]

Tone, just got off the phone with Frank. Thanks much for passing along the info, he sounds like a great guy. Looks like he'll try to make breakfast on Saturday morning. Everyone check here Friday as the location for breakfast will be posted by afternoon. I thought I'd get there early tomorrow but it looks like mid-day now, but still plenty of time for me to scout trails!

See y'all this weekend!!! :dance:

[VX1]

FLORIDA MEET < 1 day!!!

Alright, I just spent all night cleaning and polishing the VX so I can go mudding this weekend. Make sense? I dunno. Anybody else wanna fess up? Well, I'll look really good on the way there...

Seriously, what I really look forward to is the ride home (not that I want the meet to be over), but somehow I tend to draw more attention the dirtier I get (just ask my girlfriend:) ), and I plan to be PLENTY dirty... er... I mean get plenty dirty, or you know what I mean!

Scott Swett

[VX1]

The scouts have checked in-

We are at campsite #45

Good chance your cell phone may not work out there, so tell your loved-ones goodbye. (They'll work closer to Ocala though)

Saturday morning, 9:00am, we will meet for breakfest at Jake's. Jake's is located 10 miles west of the campsite (toward Ocala) on Hwy 40.

See ya there!

[Heraclid]

Thanks for the info!

Yep, I was just about to not do anything to mine, figuring there was no point if I was going to get it all dirty. Still cleaned it up a bit anyway though. I don't know - maybe not so much of the dirt will stick as well now. Anyone know what it's like out there? Muddy? Pretty dry? Somewhere in-between? Gonna check the weather forecast... could get some rain tomorrow. Hope not.