Official TOTAS 2016 Bandit Run Thread

[Wheelman]

The 2016 BANDIT RUN is coming May 28th - June 3rd to Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa.

This is the closest it has ever been to Ontario, and is an opportunity that no Smokey and the Bandit fan should pass up.
If you had ever considered participating in this event now is the time!

TOTAS members are attending the 2016 Bandit Run,
and we will be organizing a Canadian Convoy to the start of The Bandit Run in Sandusky Ohio on Saturday May 28th., as well as the return trip, from Davenport Iowa.

Stay tuned to this Official TOTAS Bandit Run Thread for information on our Canuck Contingent.

2016 Bandit Run Details

Schedule
Day One: Friday May 27th.      Location: Sandusky,Ohio   - KALAHARI RESORT - Events: Check-In Day
Day Two: Saturday May 28th.    Location: Sandusky,Ohio   - KALAHARI RESORT - Events: TBA,  Canadian Contingent Cruise Arrival
Day Three: Sunday May 29th.    Location: Sandusky,Ohio   - KALAHARI RESORT - Events: TBA
Day Four: Monday May 30th.     Depart: Sandusky,Ohio     - Arrive: West Chester,Ohio - HOLIDAY INN
Day Five: Tuesday May 31st.     Depart: West Chester,Ohio - Arrive: Nashville, Indiana - BROWN COUNTY INN
Day Six: Wednesday June 1st.   Depart: Nashville,Indiana - Arrive: Pontiac, Illinois - BEST WESTERN PONTIAC INN 
Day Seven: Thursday June 2nd.  Depart: Pontiac, Illinois - Arrive: Le Claire, Indiana - HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS
Day Eight: Friday June 3rd     Location: Le Claire, Iowa  - Events: TBA
Day Nine: Saturday June 4th    Depart: Le Claire, Iowa  - Arrive: Fremont, Indiana - HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS (Angola) - Canadian Contingent Cruise Departure
Day Ten: Sunday June 5th      Arrive: Fremont, Indiana - Stop at Michigan International Speedway - Home

Registration Registration Now Open!
2016 Bandit Run Registration

Schedule
2016 Bandit Run Schedule

Route Map
2016 Bandit Run Route including tenative Canadian Contingent Route.

Our Canadian Contingent route to Sandusky Ohio, is subject to change, and is dependant upon the number and location of participants joining the cruise.

Check our Canadian Contingent Thread for more information on participants and route.

[Wheelman]

Day 1 - Sandusky Ohio - Kalahari Waterpark and Resort
It is Sat. May 28th and 3Birds arrived Friday in his 5th Gen Trans Am conversion...a sure attraction everywhere he goes.
Whitebandit left Oakville  @ 10:00AM, while I was still trying to fix a leaking rear caliper.

side note: if you had not been following, I pulled my motor about 6 weeks prior to The Bandit Run to seal up some leaks. This motor had not been apart in 25 years, and I had never pulled it out either. Thanks to Stormin and Whitebandit the engine was out and re-assembled with new timing chain and gears, cam, lifters, oil pump. Heads were cleaned up, all new gaskets torqued to spec, and back in with 3 weeks to spare...or so  I thought.
There were quite a few items on the to-do list, like replace all weather-stripping and rubber suspension bumpers, but by the time Day 1 rolled up, I had fixed or replaced
-pinhole in rad
-rad drain petcock
-lower rad hose - (just in case)
-2 power steering pumps
-1 HP PS hose
-1 Quadrajet gasket set (nice surprise all over the intake after test run on Friday.)
-1 oil cap
-Overflow bottle
-Washer motor wiring and hoses
-2 BFG RadialTA's 255R60-15
-3 RR calipers
-14 copper washers (annealing and sanding flush old copper works best)

The brake leak took up the majority of my time every day and night. But by 3:00PM I packed about 50lbs of tools and we hit the road to Sandusky.

Now Sandusky's big attraction is the Cedar Point Amusement Park and the Kalihari Resort is "just 1 mile down the road" . Well it is not! We eventually found it...a place big enough to see from Space...with the assistance of Whitebandit. The resort has record attendance for this very hot Memorial Day weekend , and our rooms are so far from the lobby (1/2 mile or more) it is all anyone mentions when passing in the hallways. It is also the start of Ohio Bike Week and the town is packed with Harleys.

It is 10:00PM Saturday night and there are about 50 Trans Ams , the Snowman's Rig, the Cannonball Run Captain Kaos ambulance, and fellow Bandits socializing in the designated BanditRun parking. 

Day 2 - Sunday morning is car wash time for many of last night's arrivals, and there is a car show in the lot. The BR16 official trailer opens up and registration and swag purchases go on all day.

Day 3 - Our first Run takes us through the countryside on #41 South. They say do not follow the car in front, as they may be wrong...well it almost happened to us on the first turn. Not sure where the brown trans am ahead of us was going in such a hurry, but they eventually caught up...after receiving the Run's first ticket. Passing through one town we found a Memorial Day parade blocking our path. Well, if you cannot beat 'em, join 'em. So we joined the parade (marching bands, fire engines, floats etc) for a few blocks and continued onward.

Our first stop is lunch at Der Dutchman's...a popular buffet. In minutes the parking lot is filled with Trans Ams, and hungry Bandits flood the fully prepared restaurant. The food was fantastic ! In fact, all the lunchstops were incredible. Hot Biscuits, fried chicken, roasts, lasagna, pies...and all prepared for our arrival, so in and out within an hour. There were some repairs going on in the parking lot, but they had plenty of assistance.