The Iron Buggy Award

[joescoolcustoms]

Iron Buggy Award Winners:
1. Paul Mabin August 2015
2. Joseph Wheeler August 2015
3. Marty Gain October 2015 On Way Home from MOTB
4. Tony Meyer October 2015 On Way Home from MOTB
5. Rebecca Powers September 2016 On Way to MITM
6. Vincent Parisien October 2016 On Way to MOTB
7. Rick Ditolvo June 2017 On Way to MITM
8. Tim Hillier August 2018 On Way to Manx Around The Mountain (MATM)
9. Kevin Nitzsche August 2018 On way home from Florida
10. Jeffery Holt September 2018 Made a trip Around South Eastern US.
11. Doc Mir October 2018 On way to Manx on the Banx
12. Mike Dario October 2018 On way to Save the Texas Dune Buggy Rally in Austin, TX
13. Chris Lewis October 2018 On way to Save the Texas Dune Buggy Rally in Austin, TX

The Iron Buggy Award
In the spirit of the Long Haul League Award, this Iron Buggy Award will be given to those who see and imagine a buggy is to be driven anywhere they want to go.


What is it?
The Iron Buggy Award is to signify that a buggy and driver has achieved a challenge of driving the buggy for 1000 miles in less than a 24 hour period.

When can it be done?
Any time you want to do it. The achievement does not need to happen in conjunction with a Manx Club Event.

Who can do it?
Any Manx Club Member that has a Fiberglass Buggy or Burro, or Rivets, or what is considered a buggy in this hobby.

Where can it be done?
Anywhere in the world that 1000 miles can be driven legally in a 24 hour period. (Driving 1000 miles on 25 MPH governed roads is not possible in a 24 hour period)

Why do it?
Because you can.

Is this the same as the Long Haul League Award?
No. The Long Haul League (LHL) Award does not have to be completed in a 24 hour period. But, both the LHL and the Iron Buggy Award can be done at the same time. (Research what the Long Haul League is and make your plans)

What is the actual Award?
After proving you have meet the qualifications, (rules addressed below), you will receive 2 Iron Buggy Award Decals to display on your buggy, (will be small enough not to be obtrusive, about 2” X 4”), Garage Fridge or where ever you like. (The Decal art work is being finalized and proofed currently)

Can someone come along with me?
Yes. But, this is an award for one driver, not a team. So, the driver needs to complete the 1000 miles themselves.

Can I have a support vehicle follow me?
Yes. If it makes you feel more comfortable to have a back up in case of mechanical failure, most certainly. But remember, this is an individual award and the driver cannot switch off, but drive the full 1000 miles in under 24 hours.

Rules

1. Pick a SAFE Route

Your drive should be documented (steps outlined below) and cover a minimum distance of 1,000 miles in 24 hours or less.
Please keep in mind, 24 hours is wall time, not driving time. So if you start your drive at 5:00 pm on August 19th, you must finish it before 5 pm on August 20th
The Iron Buggy Award DOES NOT require you to speed. The majority of Drivers will cover their 1,000 miles in about 18 to 20 hours (including all stops). For every hour you are on a major highway riding, you put approximately 20 minutes of "off" time in your time bank that can be used for resting. Use that time wisely as it does not come off the 24 hour clock!
Although this is not much of an issue in the USA and Canada, please note: We do not certify drives where the maximum speed limit is too low to support the average speed necessary to complete the trip within the time limit. A safe drive should be your primary goal. U.S. drivers will find that the Interstate Highway system offers the safest and quickest way to cover the miles. With efficient time management, many drivers leave early in the morning and are home in time for a late dinner.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless your speedometer has been calibrated, do NOT depend on your own odometer readings for official mileage! Most buggy’s either register at least 4% more miles than actually traveled, or 4% less than traveled. Over the course of a 24 hour period, this error can be quite severe - as much as 40 miles. IN ALL CASES, mileage will be verified with either Microsoft Streets and Trips, Google Maps, Google Earth, MapQuest or in some cases, paper maps or other sources as required. Electronic tracking programs may also be used.
We recommend you put your route in to Google Maps, it works in most parts of the world and allows you to easily change your route by dragging it on alternate roads. Additionally, it allows you to save your route and post it up.
From a documentation standpoint, the best route is one where you take a straight line drive from point to point (for example, start in Chicago, Illinois and finish in Denver, Colorado). However, we realize that many drivers cannot afford to devote this kind of time to their trip. With that in mind, you may choose any route you wish using the following guidelines:
If you choose a circular route, you should obtain a dated receipt at each "corner" to show that you did not take a short-cut. For example, if you choose to ride the circular route of Chicago, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas to Des Moines, Iowa and back to Chicago, you should get dated receipts or pictures with a landmark and yourself/buggy in the pictures in each of those corners. If you choose a route where you ride 500 miles and then turn around and come back, you should get a dated receipt at the turn around point. For example, if you were to start in Charleston WV and drive to Nags Head NC, and then back to Charleston WV, you should get a receipt from Nags Head NC and/or a picture showing a known landmark that includes the buggy, (we all like to photo our buggy’s!!).
We strongly discourage a repetitive route. For example, should not try to claim that you drove 7 round-trips between Columbus Ohio and Cincinnati Ohio.
No preregistration is needed. We feel this removes the pressure to complete the drive should you become tired or otherwise feel unsafe. While group drives bring with them the safety of group travel, they can also increase your risk by encouraging you to press on when you might otherwise stop. Group drives can also encourage aggressive driving. Be sure driving styles of others in your group match your style. When planning a trip, keep in mind that group drives are only as fast as the slowest person in the group. This can extend your driving day many hours pushing you toward fatigue.
Driving a Buggy comes with risk and Driving a 1,000 miles or more increases your risk substantially. It is imperative you understand the risk you are taking and minimize the possibility of an accident by practicing safe habits. No one, not even the most experienced long distance driver, can safely fight off fatigue. If you are tired, the only option is to stop and rest. Ignoring the symptoms of fatigue can be fatal. If you are tired, having a bad day, or facing other hurtles that are impacting your driving skills, please stop and rest so that you may enjoy driving a buggy another day!

2. Get a Start Witness

In order to document your ride, obtain an eyewitness to document the start of your ride. Witnesses may be a friend (but not one on the ride with you), spouse or even gas station attendant. Receipts from a starting point that have the time/date on them are excellent. Take starting pictures with date/time stamp, write down notes as to time when you left, time at an intersection, time stopping for a rest.

3. Collect Receipts and Pictures Proving Your Locations and Times

You can have receipts at every CORNER/TURNING POINT of your ride to show you did not take a short cut, or pictures with dates on them.
Collect any receipts from Toll Booth’s.
RECEIPT TIPS:
Before the start, you will want to try gas stations to find one that has a receipt with a good location, time and date on it to document the start of your ride. Date and time is most important for your start and end receipts. They are much less critical on the other route receipts. We know there are mistakes on many station clocks - spend your time concentrating on the start and end receipts.
Fill up your gas tank and obtain a computer printed gas receipt with a legible date and time stamp. NOTE: Many gas stations in both the United States and in Europe are printing an "invoice number" which is actually the time of the transaction for example, you might see Inv# 113557 which means 11:35:57 am. You may also elect to use a bank ATM receipt with a time and date stamp for your start time but please leave with your tank full.
LOG YOUR FUEL AND OTHER LONG STOPS!
Your fuel (and stop) log helps us figure out how your ride progressed - it is a summary of what happened during the ride.
At the end of your ride, before the 24 hour time period is up, obtain a computer printed gas receipt with a legible location, date and time stamp.

4. Get a End Witness

After you get the gas receipt, find at least one eyewitness to document your ending time. Just like the start. Pictures at the end with a time stamp are great too.

5. Post Up Your Trip For Review on This Forum

Post up your trip. This, like the LHL, is an honor Award. This means the Award is presented to you on your honor that you did the Challenge. This is to be a fun event to do and talk to others about, not to be nit-picked over.
Since the C2C, Shuffle to Buffalo, ECVW ’14 and ECVW ’15 trips are documented and each person’s progress is decently documented by all the participants, it is acknowledged that the guide lines were completed for that Award.

But, since this will typically be a very small group, or an individual task, some decent documentation is suggested and will be appreciated by others who may want to try the Iron Buggy Award. Post up pictures, receipts like stated above, a map of your trip and anything noticed or experienced along the trip.

Special Note on Alcohol, Drugs and Stimulants

It's this simple, drugs, alcohol and other stimulants do not work! If you need No-Doze or other drugs to stay alert, it's time to stop for the day and get some serious rest. Save the Beer for the completion of your trip to Celebrate with.

Receiving Your Award Decals

Once your trip has been reviewed, you will be sent 2 of the decals to proudly display. A copy of the Decal will be posted up as soon as it is approved and finalized in the coming weeks.

Have fun with this and enjoy your buggy!


Message from the Manx Club BOD

“The Manx Club appreciates the efforts and initiatives set forth by its members but due to the risks associated with this challenge, the Manx Club does not recognize this challenge as an official event or award. Anyone undertaking any kind of challenges initiated by its members or otherwise, does so at their own risks and understands that the Manx Club is not encouraging them to attempt these challenges.

Manx Club BOD.”

[marklandon]

I wish I knew about this sooner we did 850 miles when we left the east coasters heading to Big Bear we could have driven all the way home and been over 1000 mi., Well next time I guess

[joescoolcustoms]

Mark, your and Donna's run that day was one of the inspirations that Paul Mabin and I dreamed up this Challenge around. You showed that 1000 miles was well in reach in a buggy, and safely done.

I am sure you will get this award.

[joescoolcustoms]

To get the Iron Buggy Award rolling, Paul Mabin and I decided to make a 1000 miles run ourselves before publishing this to ensure it could be done, and done safely. We decided on a run to the OBX and back would be a good test. And since the upcoming Buggy's To The Banx will run this same route, we called it a Pre-Run. Glad we did because I have changed a few of the stop locations to be more accommodating on the Cruise in October to MOTB.

So, On August 28th, 2015, Paul drove his buggy from his home in New Jersey to my house in Saint Albans, WV. He arrived early afternoon and we just chilled, talked buggy's, wen to David and Trish's to see David's VW projects, then Dinner at Fat Patty's in Teays Valley WV.

On Saturday Morning, August 29, 2015, we left my house at about 0318 headed to the OBX, and specifically, Jennette's Pier. Map Quest showed the trip I laid out to be 520 miles from my door to Jennette's Pier. Perfect!

(Please excuse my cheap camera, it does not photo very well at night, or in the dark)

Rolling Through Saint Albans on US Route 60 East.



Passing the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston WV headed South on I-77.



Entering the First Toll Booth on the West Virginia Turnpike near Cheylan WV.



Entering the Second Toll Booth on the WV Turnpike near Pax WV.



Entering the third Toll Booth on the WV Turnpike near Flat Top WV. (Where some of the Ski Resorts are located. About 50* F this morning)



A beautiful Full Moon near the WV/VA state border.



Entering the East River Mountain Tunnel that is also the WV/VW state Line. Located near Bluefield WV.





Entering Virginia. Sign is a little shaky, but there.



A little over 2 hours on the road and entering the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel just North of Wytheville VA.





We rolled on through the early morning and crossed into North Carolina near Mount Airy NC. (The mythical town of Mayberry)



Other than slowing for the toll booths on the WV Turnpike, our first stop was along a Exit Ramp near King NC off of the edge of I-74 just North of Winston Salem NC. Here we dropped the fuel we have been carrying with us so as not to waste too much time stopping at Service Stations.



We drove onto Graham NC to stop at a Convenience Mart for Fuel, which is almost 1/2 way to the turning point. This was the second fuel stop scheduled on the BTTB cruise in October, and was not a user friendly place to pull 12 buggy's and a few support vehicles into. Glad we stopped there, and it has been deleted with a much better future stop for the group in a month.

Paul took a lot of pictures that were posted on Face Book Manx Club page and I forgot to get some photo's through this section of the trip.

Paul's buggy gets fantastic fuel mileage. Mine is a brute, heavy with a large engine that like to drink, but I have a very large custom fuel tank. We did not make another stop until Jennette's Pier. Right at 260 miles.

Jennette's Pier Parking lot was packed with a Surfing Tournament going on.






Another ECVW'er snuck a ride with us.



We refueled at the Citgo Service Station right across the street from the MOTB morning Rally Point, then drove South 2 miles to Nags Head Pier for Lunch at Fish Heads Restaurant.



Paul helped me fix a blown header Gasket after the engine had cooled during our lunch stop.





We then headed back West. But, we stopped on Roanoke Island at Vince Symanski's House to deliver MOTB Valve Cover Racers that will be raffled and auctioned off during the event, along with raffle items from Keith's Auto Parts near where I live (VW machine shop and parts house).

Rolling back the way we came.







We stopped at a Convenience store near Graham NC for our first fill up after leaving Jennette's Pier. This will now be the second fuel stop on the BTTB cruise in October.



Rolling on towards home. Light again getting dim with a beautiful sunset.



We did not stop again until just South of the WV/VA state line. Stopped at the rest area, dropped 2 gallon of fuel in the tank and then towards home.



The WV State Capitol in Charleston WV on the way home.



And back in the Garage in Saint Albans, WV drinking a celebratory Beer.



Statistics:

Started: 0318 hours on 8-29-15
Completed: 2336 hours on 8-30-15
Miles traveled: 1048 total
Total Time: 20 Hours and 18 minutes
Total Drive Time: 17 hours and 12 minutes
Hit 1000 miles at: 19 hours and 22 minutes total time
Fuel consumed: 48.5 gallons

We collected receipts at the Toll Booth's, at each fuel stop, and at Fish Heads Restaurant. My Wife witnessed Paul and I leaving and arriving home. Vince's Wife Vonny witnessed Paul and I dropping off the VC Racers at their house in Manteo NC on the Islands.

So, there is an example that it can be done without speeding and with extra time for ample rest stops.

Give it a try, you will have something crazy to talk about for a long time to come!

[neohic]

You guys... "Iron Buggy" or "Iron Balls" award?

[joescoolcustoms]

You guys... "Iron Buggy" or "Iron Balls" award?

Ha Ha!

I will just answer that with a yes. But the numbness does wear off and it is a fun adventure.

[Subarugears]

Wow Paul and Joe, that's just awesome. Well done. And $3.50 beers at the lunch stop - super.

[abgiles]

I can't believe this, but myself and couple of other Jackwagons are considering this for our cruise to MOTB. Figuring out routes now.... More to follow!

[Mike-Presley]

Oh thanks, the wife and I are sitting here this evening having a couple of margaritas and now we are making plans on how we can get this award. She keeps saying, "what else do we have to do?.

[joescoolcustoms]

That is the spirit Mates!

Bearings and tires are made everyday, drive the wheels off those buggy's!

Just remember, Safety is always first. Plan a period of rest before hand.

[PowersBuggies]

Well, thinking I may be tossing my hat in this ring to get to Manx on the Banx.... we shall see what comes up between now and then!

[vincent9993]

You know what Bruce says... The 1st step is announcing your intentions... We've got you on the list. We'll be following your challenge with the up-most interest!

[joescoolcustoms]

The top of the thread now has a running list of Iron Buggy Award Winners.

[joescoolcustoms]

The Iron Buggy Award Winners have been updated.

[joescoolcustoms]

At MOTB '16, the then 6 award winners.