Detroit trip quick notes
Well, I flew in today after a hellishly long flight. Grrrrrr.
I’m in LA and the first thing that happened was getting my fingerprints scanned and my photo taken. Security is everywhere. The next thing that happened was a greeting from 1985Gripen, who met me at the airport.
I don’t have time to give a full run down of all that happened today as it’s past 1am and I’ve had about 2 hours sleep in the last 36. Also, I didn’t get the right sort of power plug adaptor back in Oz, so I’m on battery power until I can find a solution, and I’m running out fast!
So quickly….
Gripen and I took the Pacific Coast Highway down to Bob Sinclair’s place. Bob’s the former head of Saab USA,and it was a total honour to sit in his home for 3 or so hours and just swap stories and thoughts. He’s got a lot of both and I’ll cover some thoughts from that conversation as time passes.
It was a magic three hours or so. Bob’s not the sentimental type, though he still loves the brand.
We took a look over his vehicle collection and then he took me for a ride in this:
Mama!! it’s a Ferrari 328 GTS and let’s just say Bob knows how to drive it 
Gripen and I then jumped back in the car and headed back to LA for dinner with some of the SoCal Saab Club guys. They even secretly talked the waiters into bringing me out a dessert with a candle in it and singing happy birthday (my birthday’s in March!).
More on all that later, too.
After dinner we headed out to Walter Wong’s Saab workshop (more on that later, too) and were joined by Steve in this rather heavily modified Saab.
You guessed it - more on that later.
I’m off to catch some Z’s. If anyone’s got a thought on how I can power my laptop, I’m all ears. I need an adaptor that’ll fit an Australian 3-prong plug and adapt to a US plug. The ones I bought in Australia were for a 2-prong only (I didn’t realise my laptop cord had three prongs - doh!).
It’s a HP laptop, circa 2006.
——
My undying gratitude to 1985 Gripen for sharing the day with me, driving me around. It was an great chance to meet up face to face and I couldn’t have wished for a better host.
I hope you enjoyed the day as much as I did, mate!
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Welcome to the USA Swade. Glad to see you made it safe and mostly sound. Thanks as always for posting content during the trip.
On the power adapter issue - I think your best bet is to try Fry’s electronics before you leave SoCal: Store Locator
You can probably find the right international plug adapter there. If not, they have a US spec replacement power adapters (just make sure it has the same plug into the laptop and is rated for the same or more Watts of output as your usual adapter).
Swade, this adaptor will solve your plug issues:
http://www.samstores.com/details.asp?ProdID=5524
It’s ANY plug type to ANY socket
Belle aventure . You make your travel passionnating ! Sleep well
Hey swade, glad you arrvied safe and sound. small not, make sure your laptop chargher is voltage variable as USA has 110V whereas OZ uses 220-240V, cause if it’s not the case, you would need a voltage converter. Can’t wait for more news.
Hey, yes the above comments will work.
Joe: virtually all notebook bricks are capable of 110-240V these days, so I doubt that will be an issue.
The issue will be one of time, and finding an Australia-to-US adapter plug here in the US will be a needle in the haystack. Certainly, you could find the other way around (US-to-Australia), but not the direction that you need.
The best option is to get an aftermarket total power solution from Targus or Kensington, etc. at an office supply store. It’ll be US$80 or so, but it’s a no-brainer, and the first Staples you walk in will have one. I’ve got an extra if you can e-mail me your exact model number of the notebook to make sure that I’ve got the proper tip, the address of where you will be on Saturday morning or Monday morning and I’ll overnight it to you.
The least that I can do.
A-ha! So that’s where Kevin Yankton’s yellow Saab ended up!
I’m looking forward to reading all your upcoming articles Swade! But remember to take some time off and enjoy your “holiday”. We don’t want you to wear out!
Swade, is your adapter Aus-3-prong to US-2-prong? If so, it should work for emergency use, you just wont have the extra earth (ground) for added protection.
Swade, find the closet Radio Shack, they’re all over the place. They should have a universal power brick that might just work for you.
Steve, you’re killing me. Neon is behind only gigantic downpipes and goofy-ass decals on the rice-o-meter.
Jeff, the neon is optional. The guy who built this car took it to several tuner shows with good results - he did win a bunch of prizes, but apparently the neon was a must have in the class he competed at ;]
Well done Steve, I like this car and what you have done to it. It’s great to see that all types of people like Saab. Some like to keep them bog standard, some rally, some customise a little, some a lot, etc etc. All down to the individual. Everyone to their own. I’d like to see more pictures.
Swade glad you got there ok and have started to have fun.
Here’s the website about that car:
http://www.kyankton.net/saabng900/saabng900.htm
Lots of comments about adaptors…
…but if all else fails, you can try Wal-Mart or Radio Shack (as someone mentioned). But I’d take Eggs up on his offer, as that’s your best bet!
Ferrari 328 GTS / USA / Summer / Smiling –
that all reminds me of Tom Selleck as MAGNUM riding this red rocket over in Hawaii…
…but in the end it’s not a SAAB:)
Enjoy your Trip!!!
Ferrari 328 GTS. One of my favorite Ferrari designs… Mostly because I was a kid when the 308/328 were current, and they are actually reasonably priced Ferraris these days. Of course, a 288 GTO would set me back a bit more, but what a looker!
Welcome to California (In winter, huh?). The difference in climate between southern coastal CA and some of the rest of the state is remarkable. Up in the northern part of the state we got upwards of ten feet of snow in the mountains, several inches of rain, and recorded a wind gust of 162mph just last week (That’s category 5 hurricane winds, and it happens every year). Today, I saw the sun for the first time in 8-9 days. A few families who live just out of town are still without power (Day 8 for them).
Enjoy your trip Swade, and thanks for the coverage! I think that wearing shorts in Motown is a great idea!
~P
The problem with the adapter is what eggs pointed-out. He needs the opposite of what many of you are suggesting: in the U.S. it’s not hard to find an American plug to Australian socket adapter. Americans buy them before traveling to Australia. What’s harder to find are Australian plug to American socket adapters, which is presumably what Swade needs. It sounds to me as if he bought an Australian two-prong plug to American three-prong adapter, so he’s got a prong too many on the cable side.
Luckily, I checked a few days ago at a local travel specialty store and they do have an Australian three-prong plug to American three-prong socket adapter and it’s only about $5. I will be overnighting it to Swade as soon as I can get a physical address of whatever hotel he’s in. Let me know, Swade!
BTW, I had a ton of fun yesterday as well. At least I got a full night’s sleep (took a second vacation day from work today) and didn’t have to catch a flight in the morning. I can’t believe you booted up your computer and started ‘blogging after I dropped you off at the hotel last night (this morning, technically). I hope you can sleep on the plane to Detroit this morning…
Swade mate, you are having fun!
You deserve it. Looking fwds to reading about it all in future posts.
Swade: Apologies over the new style US welcome. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t make you feel like a criminal to enter our nation. Many of us realize that’s wrong.
dip - That’s my point, Saabs are supposed to be the anti-rice.
Sigh Swade, you lead a charmed life !
Olaf, it’s winter there…..
Swade, no need for 120 - 240 conversion, just get the all in one plug adaptor. i just did the same thing.
Swade,
Your best bet may be just replacing the cord from the ac adapter to the wall.
It should be a standard fitting. I know that I’ve used one from an electric shaver on a laptop in England, and the one for my printer fits on both the laptop and the shaver (and on two different camera chargers).
Drop by a local Goodwill store or computer recycler and go through their snakepit of cords. You will find the right one in a few minutes and it will cost you less than a dollar. Come to think of it, try your luck in a “dollar store” as well.
On the topic of platform sharing, did you notice how many fittings in the Ferrari came out of 1970’s Fiats and Alfas?
What’s really strange about 328’s and 348’s is that they really aren’t very fast by modern standards. Certainly no faster than your Viggen (was).
Granted, they feel a lot faster when someone you’ve just met is driving you through unfamiliar streets, on the “wrong” side of the road, you are jet-lagged, sitting eye-level to a poodle and surrounded by monster trucks…
Easiest would be to cut off the Australian plug and get an American plug at Radio Shack or Home Improvement store if you really need to charge that laptop.