Any North Carolina Opponauts?

"MM54" (mm54mk2) 03/08/2015 at 22:26 • Filed to: None

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In short: this week I'm going to check out a job I got an offer for (for once I graduate in May) in the eastern part of North Carolina - any of you guys from around there? As a car enthusiast/jalop, what sort of things should I know? I'm coming from northwest PA so I like the idea of the weather being somewhat warm, not to mention the idea of not-every-car-over-3-years-old-is-rusty. Beyond that, I don't know anything about the roads/culture/laws about cars, etc, in the area.

Also I'll be flying alone for the first time to get there and back, so any tips on that would be cool, too. Bonus points if you can guess what car I get as a rental (I have no idea what it'll be but I'll do a review when I get back since I seem to be able to post here once again!).

Cheers,
Matt

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:28

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I live in Greensboro NC right now, and will be in Wilmington next year for college.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 03/08/2015 at 22:30

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Now to go into detail. Roads are pretty good, and not really potholey, also, in regards to culture, people seem way nicer here than the north,

Takuro Spirit > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:34

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Be wary of the wild TORCHINSKY

NonDriftingS13 > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:35

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I'm not really in the eastern part of NC but live very close to the border in SC near Charlotte. The roads are many times better than SC's (which is a low standard anyway) and there is inspection but a lot of places only do a once over and plug in a code reader for it.

dogisbadob > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:39

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Sorry I can;t help you, but congrats on the job offer

MM54 > NonDriftingS13 03/08/2015 at 22:39

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Cool, thanks! I don't think the roads could be any worse than in Pennsylvania, I've been on gravel/dirt roads smoother than I79 this time of year.

I'm not too worried about inspections - in PA we have a safety inspection but (in most areas, including mine) no emissions tests. I sort of like the safety inspection - sometimes they catch stuff I don't notice, like when one of my gas tank straps was broken. Emissions worries me a bit, though.

Leadbull > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:40

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The roads are better in Western NC, obviously, but road quality seems to be great overall.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:40

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I live in western North Carolina... In the mountains. Pretty sick up here!

MM54 > Takuro Spirit 03/08/2015 at 22:41

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I forgot that the rare Torchinskybeast was native to the area, I'll keep my eyes peeled and the repellant within reach!

MM54 > dogisbadob 03/08/2015 at 22:42

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Thanks! Unless something is terribly wrong when I go to check it out, I'll likely be taking the job, which should be pretty sweet. I'll keep Oppo updated, since it's sort of an automotive-related job

Slant6 > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:43

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If your car is 1995 or newer it needs a $30 emissions inspection every year. If your car is 35 years or older you can display year of manufacture plates as long as you keep the current plates within the vehicle. Roads are generally ok. With the recent cold weather here in Raleigh pot holes have become a bigger problem than usual but most have been repaired in the past week since it snowed. Also one of our senators is currently campaigning against requiring restaurant employees to wash their hands. But at the same time gay marriage is legal here now if that's what you're into.

Overall a good state. Lots of northerners live here (I was born in NJ but I grew up in NC) so you should be right at home.

Where out east are you moving? Not much goes on out there from what I understand. You've got the beach and an Army base and that's about it.

MM54 > Slant6 03/08/2015 at 22:51

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I've got an '02 and a '71 so that covers both ends of the spectrum, thanks!

I'm so used to potholes and broken up pavement that I can't imagine it being worse somewhere that isn't frozen 6 months out of the year - and they actually fix the holes?! Wow!

Politicians will be politicians, I suppose. I'm sure I could find something equally stupid going on in PA. The gay marriage thing doesn't affect me but I'm all for letting people do what makes them happy, so that's good to know.

I'd be somewhere around Rocky Mount, google says it's in the 'coastal plain' but the maps don't look like it's too close to any sort of coasts!

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > MM54 03/08/2015 at 22:57

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Im southeast VA, maybe 20 mins from the border. Have made frequent trips to Elizabeth City. They have a stretch of highway going by the penitentiary with a 75mph speed limit. Pretty fun

Slant6 > MM54 03/08/2015 at 23:00

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My dad used to work in Rocky Mount for a trucking service. Not much goes on out there but it's nice. Property is cheaper compared to Raleigh and other metro areas but could be cheaper in a small town close to Rocky Mount. My dad used to commute an hour a day to get there from Youngsville (a town you will never hear of again) and had almost no traffic the whole way.

As far as being auto enthusiast goes we have Charlotte for NASCAR and drag racing, eastern parts of the state like Rocky mount have some backwoods dirt track racing that is fun to watch and just south of Greensboro is Uwharrie national forest which is the best public place to go off roading (unless you have a friend with some woods or a field). VIR is also a drivable distance to the north and the same goes for BMW driving school in South Carolina.

What are your cars?

MM54 > Slant6 03/08/2015 at 23:07

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Sweet, sounds like a nice place!

I currently DD a 2002 P71 Crown Vic (yes decommissioned police car). It's neat but needs replaced once I can afford to do so. After this winter I can put my hand through the fender, although there is a fresh one in the garage waiting for spring. That said, it's pretty mechanically sound except for a couple little things here and there. I intend to replace it with something much, much more sporty (with a proper transmission) as soon as possible.

My other car is a '71 Chevelle which I bought as my first car in 2011 from the son of the late original owner. The thing was (and still mostly is) entirely original with nothing other than normal maintenance done on it. Daily drove it for a couple years and stored it away when I got a Crown Vic to DD while at school. At this point it's patiently waiting for a full restoration once I have time and money (and a garage).

rebel101150 > MM54 03/08/2015 at 23:08

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The police, coming from near pitt I rarely had run ins from officers. Living in NC I've had extremely regular checkpoints, to the point where they ruin your day. I have been accused of stealing my own vehicle during said checkpoints (once in leland, stay away from leland!) and general harassment. The roads are decently taken care of compared to pa but I got away with much more up north. Also moped drivers ruin traffic all around the state because a majority of them lost their licences to a dui, are still allowed to drive a moped and drive like total assholes. They will regularly ruin your driving experience.

MM54 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 03/08/2015 at 23:15

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Legal 75 sounds really nice

Jack Does Cars > MM54 03/08/2015 at 23:18

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Much like Slant6, I live in Raleigh. Overall, this area is pretty nice. The people are nice, as is the weather. We don't have the biggest car scene in NC, but it's easy to gloss over that. I should point out Rocky Mount isn't the safest area. If I had the choice, I'd live in Tarboro or Wilson. Many of the businesses in Rocky Mount have had to shut down, because the local economy can't support them. But that shouldn't deter you, because Rocky Mount is still a good place to be. I'd give it a 7/10.

MM54 > Jack Does Cars 03/08/2015 at 23:24

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Thanks! I don't think this company is in any danger of shutting down soon :)

I'll keep the area in mind - if I take the job, I'll probably be finding a house to rent for a year or whatever until I can get things squared away and look for my own place. I don't like cities, so I'd be looking to live out of the way, anyways. A bit of a commute doesn't bother me either - when I worked construction for a couple years, the 20-ish mile trip (on average) to the job site was really nice, especially at the end of the day to relax. The fact that this was in 2011 when gas was $4.40/gal and I was getting ~10mpg in my Chevelle was only a slight deterrent.

Jack Does Cars > MM54 03/08/2015 at 23:28

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Gas is cheaper down here, as well. My new neighbor just moved from some small town south of Pittsburgh, and was surprised to find that gas was 30 cents cheaper.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > MM54 03/08/2015 at 23:30

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that was the first time I ever floored my car to see how fast I could get to 85 (there are cops that run radar). The Monster I drank wanted to make an abrupt escape so I took a pit stop, was the middle of the night. Pretty scary dark out there too since the only lights are those coming from the pen. Pulled out onto the road, did a little staging then gunned it. Lots of fun. I'd like to go back some time since I've included more mods since then. Remind me tomorrow and I'll do some Google mapping to find the actual strip I mention. Its somewhere between the great dismal swamp (which was on fire at the time and I frequently drove through walls of smoke) and Elizabeth city.

DWarner89 > MM54 03/09/2015 at 09:32

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I've lived in Raleigh most of my life, and the Raleigh area is great...but for the most part, the rest of Eastern NC is not. The weather is fine, the roads are fine, but with the exception of a few large towns (and Wilmington) there's not a whole lot out there. Which might be right up your alley - it's not my thing. Raleigh and the surrounding areas are great though.

MM54 > DWarner89 03/09/2015 at 09:47

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Thanks! I'm from an area known for absolutely nothing other than the huge amount of heroin the people do, so 'not much going on' is on par for me! More time to play with my cars...

DWarner89 > MM54 03/09/2015 at 14:13

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Didn't see earlier that you'd be living in Rocky Mount - I wholeheartedly agree with JackDoesCars, you don't want to live in Rocky Mount. Wilson is kind of nice and Tarboro is actually a very pretty small town, but Rocky Mount is consistently at the top of "Worst City to Live" or "Most Dangerous City" lists.

MM54 > DWarner89 03/09/2015 at 18:59

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Thanks for the heads-up - I'll be sure to look for a place well outside the city!