My account of the first road trip I took in my freshly finished 1966 GTO — 400 miles round trip to a car show in a neighboring state.

The car was finished three weeks before the trip. I'd done three local drives, confirmed everything worked, and made the decision to go. It was either the best decision I made with this car or the most foolhardy, depending on when in the trip you'd asked me.

The first 200 miles were perfect. The car ran flawlessly. The highway cruise at 70 mph was exactly as it should be. The temperature gauge held steady. The gauges all read correctly.

At mile 220, the fuel pump began making a noise I hadn't heard before. I nursed it to the next exit, found a parts store, and replaced the fuel pump in the parking lot. Arrived at the show three hours later than planned. Won my class.