For Oregon97, we did a Banzai run up the coast, the Group was two (2) cars.. Courtney in his 128, and myself/my Bride in the 124. The trip to Portland took way too long, 18 darned hours, but we did make it. You can see a photo chronicle of this crazy journey (which started in Santa Rosa at 02:00hrs) here.
Now, for Oregon98, the story was different. A small happy band left Starbucks Coffee/Santa Rosa at Dawn, and managed to make it to the Honeymon campground at a reasonably decent hour. We had some carburetion issues (Jason!) that held us up by at least three hours, but the rest of the trip was sightseeing, spirited driving, and some good camaraderie.
Oregon99, the Northern CA group took a different approach, one I grudgingly went with (KD is very persuasive) and subsequently appreciated. Blaze up I-5 in the cool of the morning, and hit the 'interesting' roads when you are almost already in Oregon, just before the heat of the day sets in. This is the best way to go IMHO, and it looks like we'll follow the same method this year.
Very important: Run a car you know and trust, the Group will be much more forgiving if it fails. This is a big trip, so make sure that your Cooling system, Brakes, and Engine are up to the task!
The Bay Area Caravan will be assembled via the Oregon mailing list, as will all others. If you are not already subscribed, check out http://www.mirafiori.com/lists/ for a reference, and information regarding how to join the List.
In case you have not done so already, please make sure to Register your intention to come!