I'm going to tell this next part of the story in third person, because, well, all I was doing was driving down I-35. Everyone else was having all the fun!

The group moved their way down 77 South into Winfield Kansas, and spotted a Wal-Mart, with a McDonalds in the parking lot, and decided to pull in. Rachael went into the McDonalds to grab breakfast for everyone, while Dale went to Wal-Mart, namely for everything to change his trans fluid. The Power Glide is what ended his trip last year, this year it is a different transmission and converter, but the same problem. He was thinking the problem was with the engine tune at this point. The Gremlin has 2 1/4 header pipes that snake between the engine and the stock frame rails, then join into four inch collectors that basically bracket the trans on each side, and run headlong into four inch bullet mufflers with turndowns in front of the ladder bar brackets. considering the Gremlin's wheelbase that should give you an idea how packed in all that stuff is.
"When we run down the road at 27-2800 rpm, there isn't a problem, the floorboard doesn't even get hot. We kick it up to 3-3200 area to make up time, that's when it starts building heat in the floorboard and starts killing the trans fluid."
"Yeah", James agreed, "It's like it starts building a ton of heat in the exhaust at that rpm...like it's lean".
"Or extremely rich, and burning it in the pipes, crazy thing is, it doesn't affect the water temp, or oil pressure at all. Obviously we beat up the fluid yesterday, trying to hustle into Heartland Park, and even though we've kept the temps down tonight, the shifts are noticeably softer!"
By the time they finished with shopping and breakfast, they had a plan to make the final ten miles into Arkansas City, then they would be in all out search mode for E85.
Darren took off first, with Dale in close pursuit. Rachael tried to start the Belvedere, but it wouldn't turn over, so Dad flagged down Boone before he headed out of the parking lot. Boone played with the shifter, and it seemed to be moving through the gears, so finally he grabbed a screwdriver, and crossed over the solenoid. Two miles down the road she pulled into a medical complex parking lot, and Boone followed her.
"It's stuck in second gear", she reported when Boone parked the Barnyard next to her.

Dale and Darren drove into the fourth gas station in Arkansas City, and it was clearly desperation time for them at this time. The town was alive with early morning business, as people swarmed the small convenience store, on their way to work. The Gremlin, and the Dakota were clearly causing a stir with the locals, so Dale used it to his advantage, and boomed out, "Does anyone here, know anyplace in this town, where we can get some E85?"
One guy was halfway to his truck, coffee in hand, and he spun around and addressed Dale, "Got a Friend here in town, Jim Childs...races a 66 Fairlane on E85. We can give him a call!"