On the Road with Joe Carroll and Mike Fruen

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Joe Carroll, the Central Region Manager for Arlington Industries, Scranton, Pa., is a classic car buff and for the next few days he and Mike Fruen, Arlington's rep in Minneapolis, will be driving a MGE-LE sports car and a Merecedes 560-SL convertible from Kansas to Boston. Joe agreed to report on their travels from the road. Here is his first posting, from an e-mail he sent to friends and family shortly before the start of their trip:

“As many of you know, I will be travelling from Kansas to Boston, Mass., next week in my classic MBG-LE sports car. This trip has been in the works for over two years. The car has gone through a 2-1/2 year upgrade from its original condition. It's 33-years-old and was engineered in England over 40 years ago. It has been serviced and evaluated by two British Leyland trained mechanics and has been okayed to go. Most of the mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems have been replaced. The car will carry tools and replacement parts, if required, and a plan is in place to transport the car back to Kansas if it fails, Back up cars are in place to finish the trip.

"Mike Fruen will also join me on the trip in his classic Mercedes 560-SL convertible. The trip will cover 10 states over a six-day period, travelling over scenic highways and routes (no interstates), with travel only during daylight hours. We will be staying in major cities and a highlight of the trip will be to dine for lunch at eating establishments featured in the Food Network's popular TV show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

“We will be visiting Arlington sales reps and customers along the way and will be guests of our factory guys in Scranton, Pa. on Wednesday. The entire trip will be photographed and filmed with the aid of a special movie camera mount installed in the MBG-LE. I look forward to seeing parts of the eastern half of America that normally would be out of reach. The trip will conclude at the Prudential Building in Boston on Friday followed by a night out at the Red Sox/Nationals game at Fenway Park.”