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History Talk about memorable road trips in you Hot Rod or Custom

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, Jul 23, 2020.

  1. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Anaheim, Ca. across the USA to Ridgefield, Ct. in a 289 powered '56 Ford pickup in 5 days back in 1975. Great time, back with details. Bob
     
  2. We were on our way to the North Atlanta Street Rods fathers day show with several members of our club back in the mid 1980's and we all had cb radio's which was very popular at that time and we always ran together, I was running in the rear.

    About 70 miles from home the engine revved up and I thought I might have knocked the automatic transmission in the '40 sedan out of gear, I tried to shift it thinking it might be in neutral but it didn't matter, so I costed to the side of the road and got on the cb trying to get in touch with my fellow club members.

    Obviously they had gotten too far down the road so I found a big rock to chuck the rear wheel. I left Brenda & the girls in the car and started walking for the next exit and I noticed Gary's '34 heading north and blowing his horn so I turned around and headed back to the car, he pulled up shortly before I did and Brenda had already told him what happened, it seem's they had stopped for gas and noticed I was missing so he started back tracking.

    After a few minutes we realized there was nothing we could do and some friends of ours pulled in behind us on their way to the show and stayed with my family while I went with Gary to the exit and called a friend at home with a ramp truck.

    Larry came with his truck loaded us up and took us back to the house, we got in our daily driver and went on to the show, The North Atlanta guys always put on a fun show, but that Saturday instead of a poker run due to heavy rain they decided to have a poker walk, Brenda was a participant and in her 5 stops ended up with the high hand and won the whole pot. $250, That night at casino night I won a mans ring and the guy next to me offered me 50 bucks for it so I sold it.

    Sunday at the awards ceremony I won the HARD LUCK award and it came with a $100.00 bill.

    I started pulling the transmission as soon as I got home and my pal Horace had the transmission rebuilt by the next Saturday.

    BTW, the problem was the planetary gear. HRP
     
  3. The moral to the story is with the poker walk winnings, selling the ring I won at casino night and the Hard Luck award I had enough to pay for the transmission work and enough left over to take the family out to dinner.

    What I originally thought was going to be a bad weekend when I was sitting on the side of the interstate turned out to be a memorable trip and the cash was a windfall. HRP
     
  4. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,625

    atch
    Member

    Here's a little bit about the only BTT50's that I attended. I'm guessing around the turn of the century.

    As you'll notice in my avatar Clarence has no door handles. The electric door openers decided to take a dump shortly before this trip. I kept a piece of 5/16" (iirc) square stock bent into an "L" shape that I could stick into the hole where the rear door handle used to be to open the door. That's the size of the shaft on the original door handle and I had just left the hole in the door for emergency use.. I hung that "key" in my sunglasses holder on the dash. That had been my emergency entrance before but now, with no electric door openers, it was my only way in, unless a front window was rolled down. I could reach in through the window opening and open the door. I was with several friends when one of them pulled off of the road into some sort of wide driveway/parking area. I don't know why but that's not the point anyway. It was raining so I had the windows rolled up. I got out to help and forgot to take the "key" with me. Pretty soon all was repaired and we were ready to go. When I got back to Clarence I saw that the windows were up and I didn't have any way in. In a pinch a very large screwdriver could be used to open the back door. None of the folks I was running with had any such thing, and although I had one in my toolbox, guess where the tool box was? Correctamundo, Fonzie. Inside Clarence. I saw a semi truck heading towards us so I flagged him down. I'm sure that he expected us to have some sort of critical emergency that he could help us with. He was somewhat perturbed when I asked if he had a large screwdriver I could use for a couple of seconds. However, he did have one and let me use it. Soon we were on our way, although I was pretty wet from the rain.

    Note: my sunglasses holder is one of the brackets from under the dash of a Model A. The spark advance or something. You Model A guys know what I'm talking about. Anyway you can put one earpiece through the hole in it and your glasses hang very nicely and are available whenever you want them.

    Note #2: when we got home I hid another "key" inside the engine compartment and I never got locked out again.

    So all was well and we proceeded towards ST. Paul. With about 50 miles to go the brakes became spongy/soft. If I pumped them a couple of times they would stop me so we kept going. I know; pretty stupid. But what's a guy to do 3 states from home with no parts to use for repair??? It was nearly bed time when we got to our hotel so I just checked in and figured I could deal with the brake situation the next day.

    Forward to the next morning. I had perused the Minneapolis/St. Paul phone book and found a parts house specializing in old Ford parts. First thing I called them from my room and explained my dilemma. He asked me where I was staying and I told him. He then asked me which sided of the hotel my room was on. I thought that a bit strange but I told him I was in a room that faced the street that the hotel entrance was on. He said "look out your window across the street. You're looking at our store." So I walked over there and they had a rebuild kit for a 1948 Ford pickup master cylinder, which I bought. I then limped out to the fairgrounds and looked for the Minnesota Street Rod folks. Most of you Midwesterners know that they show up at some of the big meets with a trailer stocked with tools and have knowledgeable folks to give advice and/or lend a hand. I had never had a master cylinder apart or even seen the inside of one, but they guided ma along. It's a pretty simple job to take the MC out of a Ford PU or panel truck. I suspect that they had jacks & jack stands that I used; I just don't remember. I did; however, have a tool box with wrenches, sockets, etc., in it. I always carry lots of stuff with me. For among other reasons, I have the room and many of my hot rod friends don't. I don't think that I had to borrow any of their tools, but their guidance was invaluable. Who knew that a MC could have such a buildup of crud in the bottom? I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned until I got the inside of the reservoir clean enough to pass their inspection. The rest of the rebuild want smoothly and they showed me how to bench bleed a MC, which I had never done before. Again all was well. I don't remember the Ford parts store name. I kept track of them for several years, but a few years ago they sold out and closed the doors. Anyone remember them?

    I traditionally have gone to most events by myself. My then wife had never been to a car/hot rod event in her life and it's not likely that she ever will. She's a "get me to the airport and have a taxi waiting when I land" sort of girl. Riding in a car bores her to death. When we did travel by car she always had books and newspapers with her so she would not have to look out a window. Travelling her way bores me to death. Anyway, back to the story.

    I and 4 couples and I were heading for supper at some joint many miles from our hotel and the fairgrounds. We went in two cars. I rode with two couples in Mike's '48 Chevy convertible. The top was down but it was warm enough that it didn't matter. He had it up earlier in the rain (see first episode above) but now it was down. As was my custom at car shows I was wearing a tank top and shorts. I had never been to Minnesota before and I didn't realize that when the sun goes down you need a parka, even in the summertime. I had started shivering before we even got to Mike's car and I asked him to put the top up. "Too much trouble" he replied. He did, though, get a quilt out of the trunk for the two wives to wrap up in the back seat. I was wishing I was back there with them, even if the gals were married to my friends. Only a couple of times in my life can I remember being as cold as I got on the trip back to where Clarence was parked. I was by the passenger door and the wind was whipping me all the way. After that I usually made it a point to either drive Clarence and take someone with me or ride only in closed cars when going to supper at a rod run.

    Note of explanation: I like to be warmer than most folks. When others are comfortable I'm cold. Tomorrow Sherry is leaving for a week (grandkids, you know) and when she drives away I'm heading straight to the thermostat to turn it up about 5 degrees.

    The R&C Americruise was the next weekend in Lincoln so two of the couples toured the northland and we met up again in Lincoln. Any stories from that weekend will have to come later.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2020
  5. I recall the excitement getting together with a few friends and making plans fo drive our hot rods half way across the country, most of us had never driven too far from home,maybe the next town but most of the driving in the old cars was local.

    Gary, Ken, Roger and I loaded up our familys and headed out, we all had minor problems but nothing that wasn' t repairable along the way, these kind of things still happen from time to time but they are part of what makes the stories more interesting as time passes. HRP
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2020
  6. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki

    Hello,

    Our post drag race, teenage surf adventures in the 1940 Flathead powered Ford Sedan Delivery were typical stuff. Preparation was several fried baloney sandwiches, potato chips, drinks and an apple/orange. A full tank of gas and a gallon of reclaimed oil for the trip home. That was for the 50 mile coastal PCH drive down south to Camp Pendleton/Trestles Beach, a hundred mile round trip.

    At first, down the coast was always a fun trip, checking out all of the surf spots from Seal Beach, Huntington, Newport, and even Laguna/South Laguna Beaches. Then the long coastal drive through Dana Point to the Trestles secret parking spot. It was a 50+ mile trip that was simple for us. The more we took that drive, the more things we saw and it became almost a weekly event in the summer and fall.
    upload_2020-8-13_4-33-6.png
    The only time during any summer swell period was if we saw a beginning South Swell and the papers said a tropical storm or hurricane was brewing in the South Pacific or near the Mexican coast line. Then we would wait three days and head for Malibu’s Surfrider Beach in Los Angeles County. If we timed it perfectly, the early AM paddle out was to see nice point surf coming into the long shoreline.

    If we did not want to go back home, we stayed overnight in one of the state parks along the Malibu coastline. So, sleeping in the back of the 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery gave us privacy and all we needed was to find a nice diner for breakfast or a small store for our own fixings. For us, this was "roughing it" in the back of the 40 sedan delivery.

    (Currently, Hurricane Elida off of the Baja Peninsula is going to send those South Swells up the coast in a few days as the system develops and moves West. )

    One of the most memorable trips was the first time we drove the sedan delivery to the parking area in a residential neighborhood near the Trestles dirt walkway. It was a cool summer evening and we rolled in around 11 p.m. The street was quiet and there was no one around. I knew that the local police were usually called around 2 am for a check on vagrant surfers sleeping in cars. So, after we arrived, my friend and I immediately decided to take our longboards down to the beach.

    The overhead moon was beautiful, the offshore winds were a little chilly, but the adventure was just about to start. We decided to sleep in the beach as the setting was perfect…no one around and the waves were just pumping. The consistent sound was like a metronome with their consistency. Soon, we were fast asleep on our towels in the sand. We had set up our longboards like a windbreak, but still out of sight from the railroad tracks.
    upload_2020-8-13_4-33-58.png

    Jnaki

    By 1:30 am, it got so cold that we were freezing, even with jackets and long pants. So, we buried our surfboards in the reeds and walked back to the parked sedan delivery. Once inside, we noticed several other Chevy station wagons had arrived and were parked on the other side of the road. So, as quiet as we could, we got inside the sedan delivery, pulled the curtains closed and fell asleep, with warm extra towels and a zipped open double sleeping bag. Around 3:00 am, we heard some banging on the station wagons. A local police car had double parked and were waking everyone they could see, up from the deep sleep and to move to the state park campgrounds several blocks (and a long walk on the beach) away.

    When they got to our Ford Sedan Delivery, they could not see inside, due to the coverings. They banged on the door and windows, but we stayed quiet for what seemed like forever. Finally, the police gave up and drove away. Of course, we fell asleep again and woke up to stronger offshore winds blowing outside. It was still dark, but we could see the sky getting lighter. Now, it was time for a walk back down the trail to the shoreline and find our boards.

    We were the first ones out and got some great rides in the cool, offshore winds. So, several hours later, along the shore from the San Clemente State Park area, we saw several of our friends walking along the shoreline lugging their 40-50 pound longboards. From where they had to park, it was a very long walk with those heavy surfboards.

    It was a great morning and because we were the first ones out, we got some great waves. When those guys arrived, we had a great time telling of the story of the police waking up some surfers parked near us. Ha ha!! It was worth the 100+ mile round trip drive, the scare, and the great waves all morning. All we had to do was to put in the extra gallon of reclaimed oil for the Flathead, so, it could get us going on the long drive home.

    Was it worth it? Does the sun come up in the morning? Teenage adventures last a lifetime!
     
  7. I have to say all my trips in my old cars have been memorable....

    I typically don't drive my stuff much but I remember the drive home from the inspection station with one of my piles of rust and someone trying to pass me on the shoulder of the roadway because my old heap would only do 45-50 mph...a huge eye opener as to how quick the current day fuel injected stuff actually is...

    I don't think I drove it maybe 3 to 4 times after that and they were all white knucklers for sure...

    MikeC
     
  8. One of my most memorable road trips was in 2014 when I had swapped a 3x2 for the original teapot on my 56. I had issues getting it running which after WAY too long I tracked down to a bad new condensor. :mad: So, less than a week before I needed to head to St. Louis from the OKC area, I figured that out and got the car going. I had owned the car for about 3 or so years and had driven it quite a bit but never more than a hundred or so miles from home at a time. Anyway, after getting the car running, I think I drove it around the mile section where I lived and then packed it up with luggage and 4 kids. I headed to St. Louis and it rained pretty much all the way there. The car did great other than I found out that the rear window leaked ALOT to the point that it soaked the rear seat while parked at a hotel overnight on the way there.

    We made it up there, hung out with friends, did the first St. Louis Hot Rod Hundred, then realized just how close I was to where all my family was just about an hour further east. After we left the lunch of the event we went to be a part of, we decided to head over to see some relatives that we hadn't seen in a few years. All in all, I think the only real issue we had to deal with was a brakelight bulb that went out other than the window leak issue. The car did great overall and we have done it again since then. However, the second time I headed up there, I think I pretty much finished off my transmission and have been limping it along ever since...

    Oh, I did a write up on the road trip here if anyone wants to read up on the actual trip.

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/road-trip-oklahoma-to-st-louis-hot-rod-hundred.949123/
     
  9. I had many when my son's mother left me with a 3 Mo old baby to raise, I had one car to drive, this 29 Ford roadster, I put him in his baby chair down under the dash on the passenger side floor and we went all over So Cal like that. You do what you gota do, kind of hectic in the rain. Here's the car with my friend sitting in it years later, still have it My son's 36 years old now.
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. Your a good man John, you are to be commended for being a man and raising a baby into adulthood. HRP
     
  11. Shutter Speed
    Joined: Feb 2, 2017
    Posts: 941

    Shutter Speed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    THANK YOU @HOTRODPRIMER and all you gentlemen...a virtual, nostalgic ride along!
    Excellent thread! I got nothin to compare, but I am enjoying a wonder-full afternoon!

    Where to next?!
     
  12. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've done a few in the 48 since 1973.
    Turned the 75.00 beater pickup into a painted and upholstered ride with Z28 Rally wheels over a four month period in 1973 so I could take it to Tulsa from McGregor Tx for the 73 Street rod nationals.
    That included having the paint and then seat done at the last minute.

    Wife and I dropped our son off at his grandparents at about 8AM on Thursday morning in McGregor and headed to Tulsa. Got north of Hillsboro on I 35 and the truck started acting up and starving for fuel. pulled the fuel filter and it was full of gold paint and the carb had paint. made it to a parts house and bought a couple of fuel filters and away we went again with it running better as went. As we wewre crossing the Red River into Oklahoms it crapped out. While I was sorting it out Bob Davis who was in the Rod Runners of Waco club with me rolled up and helped me figure out that the coil had died. He pulls a Ford coil out of his F100's spare parts stash and we put it on and it fires right up and away we go. We got almost to Marietta when a big cloud of smoke rolled out from under the truck. The not so great yoke that I had stuck in welded it's self to the tail shaft and was glowing red. We got into a Texaco station borrowed a floor jack and dropped the driveshaft and trans as a unit. Kid at the station says there is a little wrecking yard a few blocks away and we head there. Gent has a matching trans but the cluster is bad but it has a good tail shaft section. I give him 15 bucks for the trans and he hands a small tub of wheelbearing grease to use on the needle bearings, says lock the gate when you leave and leaves.
    About 30 minutes later we load up the freshly assembled trans and lock the gate and go back and stab the trans and dig the replacement yoke I had out of my truck and put it on the driveshaft, have the kid fill the trans with gear oil and hit the road. Motel had canceled our reservations so Bob says lets to to Clairmore and we go there and stay at the Will Rogers hotel. No more trouble on the whole trip mechanically.
    Some guy with a red 40 Coupe probably still talks about the petite hottie that kept hanging around him and his 40 that weekend as my wife found the model of car that still spins her wheels.
    One of the highlights of the weekend was being in line for that "barbecue" dinner on Saturday night with Tex Smith and a couple of his buddies and although the wait was seriously long as we all were way back in line his endless stories kept those around him well entertained.
    The trip back on Sunday ended up being just making miles headed south but my wife got the bottoms of her feet sunburned as she was laying with her had on my leg with her feet out the window.
     
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  13. Flamed48
    Joined: Apr 19, 2011
    Posts: 683

    Flamed48
    Member

    [​IMG]
    Driving from California to Virginia with my dad in my first car


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  14. b-bop
    Joined: May 19, 2008
    Posts: 987

    b-bop
    Member

    This year has destroyed me. No big road trips. Canada/US border is shut down. Can't go visit my daughter and grandkids on the other side. Most of the shows have been shut down. This thread sent me back to the two big trips I documented on the HAMB. Both are listed below in my signature. Brought back some good memories and a smile to my face. Hope next year we are done with this gong show and we can get back on the open road.
    10557309_10152129002385916_6335679670907196734_n.jpg
     
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  15. hotrodharry2
    Joined: Nov 19, 2008
    Posts: 794

    hotrodharry2
    Member
    from Michigan

    My son (he was 35 at the time) & I drove to Ludington, Mi to board the SS Badger that travels to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. You have to wait in line as you arrive in and first come first serve. They asked us to move to the side out of the way, which I didn't understand... They loaded us, 2nd to the last... then backed a huge logging semi on to block us in. And we made the 4 hour trip in a huge thunder & lightening storm which stopped and the sun was shining when we reached Manitowoc. We were the 2nd off the boat and well on our way to "Back to the Fifties" We got to our motel and the rain and storms continued all night. Saturday was beautiful, which we spent at the show. By the end of the day the skies were looking dark and gloomy, we headed back to Michigan through through the Upper Peninsula and back home after a few days away. We drove my '56 Chevy pickup and my son drove most of the way. No breakdowns! Lost my son just before Christmas 2019, making this a especially favorite of many or our travels in a Hot Rod. Picture of the truck on the Manitowoc and one of it along the way. IMG_3222.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2020
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  16. hotrodharry2
    Joined: Nov 19, 2008
    Posts: 794

    hotrodharry2
    Member
    from Michigan

    here's the second picture IMG_0738.JPG
     
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  17. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    Well, my friend died yesterday, last april I'd heard he had cancer, so I loaded me into my 36 and ran 4 hours over some of the prettiest country you ever laid eyes on. I went and saw him, we talked at length about our lives and friendship, he knew my wife long before I ever met her, his sister in law was my old lady's best friend in school, so he and I had a lot in common, he had just won a lottery, been told he wouldn't make the year and he was still basically in shock, his shop had been in a flood a few months earlier, he had a lot going on.
    I left, when I was going to see him, I drove my usual, pushing my old girl, having fun and not thinking too much, but on the way home, I was much more subdued, took my time, really looked at the road and all the beauty in my life. He'd had two wives, each died of cancer, I've had a good life with the same woman, we both have had great family lives, I was thankful I went to see him, I know he was thankful I took the time to come, especially with a 20 year old hot rod he loved since the day I built it.
    We take life for granted, we take our friends for granted, we don't think much about life, but this event has caused me to reevaluate, I know now that the friends I have are growing old, and I need to make them understand what they mean to me and how they've shaped me, Bob was a great influence when I needed it, told me he could see I had a talent for building cars and he could see it. I bought more tools, and he was right, I just needed the push he gave me.
    I'll finish by saying this was probably the most memorable, most enjoyable trip I've ever taken in a hot rod, I'm sorry he's gone.
    LeRoy. DSC07687.JPG
    P.S. This old girl will fly if you want her to......
     
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  18. Glad you went. I prefer a "LAST VISIT" when possible, to a funeral trip. May he rest in peace.

    Ben
     
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  19. travisfromkansas
    Joined: Mar 23, 2008
    Posts: 2,805

    travisfromkansas
    Member

    Mine was my 48 Cars 48 States trip in 2017. 9 weeks on the road in my 63 Ford Galaxie traveling to each of the lower 48 states, shooting a magazine feature style article of a different hot rod or custom in each state. I chronicled the whole trip here on my site, interviewed a bunch of the car owners for my podcast and wrote a coffee table book detailing the whole adventure once I got back.

    It was the greatest adventure of my life so far and I hope to be able to do another big road trip sometime again.

    Mikey Brown's Ford representing Indiana
    [​IMG]

    Thom Van Pelt's 29 AV8 representing South Dakota
    [​IMG]

    Jon Centracchio's Pickup representing Massachusetts
    [​IMG]

    My dirty 63 sitting next to the Atlantic Ocean
    [​IMG]

    I'll forever remember the people that helped me make that trip a reality.
     
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  20. krylon32
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 9,396

    krylon32
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Nebraska
    1. Central Nebraska H.A.M.B.

    The year before I started going on the road doing NSRA trade shows I finished a black suede deuce highboy sedan with matching Mullins trailer. With 35 miles on the car we loaded the trailer and headed to Louisville. Had no problems on the way and enjoyed the nationals although I must confess I was just a spectator as I decided to leave my car and trailer parked in the headquarter hotel across the street from the fairgrounds and just walk across the street everyday. When Sunday arrived we reloaded the trailer and headed out with our destination Santa Fe New Mexico. After a successful trip we reached our destination and enjoyed touring the sites for several days. We then headed to Durango Colorado where we toured several ruins in the area, always drawing a crowd with the old car We then headed for Dillon Colorado where we met several other couples with 32 and 34 Ford cars and spent several days sharing a large guest lodge style house and touring the mountains. Finally after over 2 weeks on the road we headed back to Nebraska. The old 32 clicked off every mile without a problem and that was a much fun as we've ever had in one of our old cars. I only have one picture from the trip I can find but sadly can't get it to post.
     
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  21. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,600

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    When going thru a few states then returning home never once having to open the hood.
     
  22. i.rant
    Joined: Nov 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,301

    i.rant
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. 1940 Ford

    The most memorable road trip we’ve made was back in’18 when we did Route 66 with a stop in Oklahoma for 3 days for the NSRA event before moving on and making it to the end at the pier in Santa Monica . On the way back to Illinois we stopped at the sights we missed along the way for one reason or another. I did a thread on this trip which didn’t go without it’s share of problems with the cars but you learn a lot about yourself and your traveling partners on how you handle adversity. For me it was a trip of a lifetime as outside of our time in OC we set no time constraints or pre scheduled destination until we met each morning to determine where we might end up that evening all subject to change as we enjoyed our adventure each day. I would suggest to anyone planning to do 66 NOT to have any strict time limits and to enjoy each day as it comes,live in the moment.
    Over the years we have attended events in 17 or 18 states from Syracuse to Cruising the Coast in Mississippi out to the Dakotas and Colorado to name a few.
    Each time on the long runs we extend those trips and have enjoyed the sights beyond including Montana and Yellowstone and more in Wyoming, besides circling the state of Colorado and all through the Dakotas.
    I’m fortunate and thankful that I not only get to make these memories but my ever lovin’
    has always supported my playing with cars and enjoys the traveling and adventure seeking as well.
    This year’s washout included a first time trip to Raleigh followed by exploring parts of the east coast. We’re hoping to make that happen next year followed by....?:D
     
  23. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,174

    manyolcars

    When I was going to New Orleans in 1974, my mother asked if my 1947 Mercury was ready for the trip. I told her it would be an adventure and she said "Every trip in that car is an adventure."
    Yep, every trip in my old cars is an adventure
     
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  24. In the summer of 2006my pal Ken towed a pop-up camper with his '34 coupe and I towed a Mullins with my '40 Chevy. We strted in Muskegon and drove to Louisville for the Nats. Then we went on to Blanding, UT for a few days hiking canyons into Indian ruins and then on to the Bonneville Speedweek where we crewed on the #974 Studebaker.

    When we got done there we headed up to northern Montana. Along the way we camped outside of West Yellowstone where we got up the next day to ice on the water puddles. We continued on towards Cut Bank, Montana where I grew up until I was 12. Along the way I had been reading a book about Lewis and Clark's expedition. The night before I read their tale of how the expedition killed the only Indian in their travels. We were traveling some back roads and stopped at a private junk yard in Valier (it's gone now) where there was a 40 Ford coupe parked out front with about a dozen radio antennas on it. In the mid afternoon we stopped at a little shelter along the road to have a cold one. Turns out it was monument to that lone Indian.

    We found out that weekend was Cut Bank's Car Show held at the local airport so we stayed over to attend. The Movie The Thing was filmed there in the early 50's and as I recall it premiered in the theater in Cut Bank. We had a great time and were quite notorious travelers stilling shaking salt out of our rods wherever we parked. We had a great time there to say the least. We went on to Minnesota where we split up, Ken going south to the HAMB Drags and me on home due to some other now forgotten committment.

    We still call it our EPIC TRIP!

    DSC00169.JPG
     

    Attached Files:

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  25. pirate
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,024

    pirate
    Member
    from Alabama

    In 1965 I had a brand new GTO with the whole package, tri power, four speed, posi-traction which I had worked over even more. Gas mileage was terrible. I also had a 18 foot Thompson wooden lapstrake boat that was very heavy. My then girlfriend now wife of over 50 years decided to take a weeks vacation. Somehow it was decided to take my parents also. So with the GTO pulling a boat, four people plus luggage and everything else including the kitchen sink we headed out. Destination was about 300 miles away. We literally could not pass a gas station stopping every 60 to 70 miles for gas. Probably was getting 4 miles a gallon.
     
    hotrodharry2 likes this.
  26. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,625

    atch
    Member

    ... little ditty 'bout Jack and Dianne, two 'Merican kids growin' up in the heartland ..." OOPS. What I meant to say was "here's a little story of another adventure in Clarence".

    BenD and I were in Clarence heading to Bonneville sometime around the turn of the century. For you city folks out there heavy traffic is a normal routine. I hate it. Not that I can't handle it, but I like the solitude I get out here in the boonies. So you get the idea I'd rather be cruisin' the blacktop country roads than scootin' through Denver rush hour traffic. But there we were, on I-70 westbound in the morning Denver rush hour, somewhere out around where Stapleton Airport used to be. We had spent the night at a campground (KOA, I think) just before we got to Denver and were up early trying to beat the rush. I don't know when the Denver rush starts but obviously earlier than we thought. We're in the fast/left lane doin whatever speed you need to be doing to not get run over. I'd guess somewhere around 80 mph. Traffic is bumper to bumper, so there wasn't much room between us and the car in front of us. All of a sudden something blue appears out from under the car we were following. There's not much room between the pavement and my front crossmember. Maybe you could set a coffee cup under there and maybe you couldn't. My floor jack can't fit under there. So I hammer the throttle to try to get some lift to make it over this trash can. I don't know what I was thinkin'. Lift the front end of a 3500 pound truck with a 185 horse 283 goin' 70 already? Right. Maybe got a couple of thousandths lift, if any. so there we are, Denver rush hour, 70 mph at least, scrapin' sound coming from under Clarence, 4 lanes of traffic wide, boxed in by other traffic. At the time we didn't know what it was, it happened so fast. Whatcha gonna do? Keep going 'til there's a safe place to pull off, that's what. The first really good place is that scenic overlook somewhere up the mountain west of Denver. I don't know how far that is but it seemed like a couple of hundred miles. Probably only a few minutes but it took forever, not knowing what was going on. We could have pulled off at an exit somewhere but didn't feel like that would be the best thing to do. Turns out it's a brand new blue plastic trash can. Still has the sticker on what's left of it. We had gotten over it with the front crossmember (or at least had dragged it till eventually it came out from under the crossmember), but where the left exhaust pipe turns from parallel to the driveshaft to perpendicular to exit just in front of the rear wheel it had caught on the exhaust and had melted itself in place. I probably should have kept it for a souvenir, but at the time we were only thinking of getting to the salt. Guess I should have crawled under there to see if there was any of the blue plastic still on the exhaust pipe, but I never did. b-t-w; those of you who are familiar with Clarence know that you can't "just crawl under" it. It has to be jacked up to even attempt that. I don't even remember how we reached the trash can to remove it.
     
    hotrodharry2 and b-bop like this.
  27. Dangerousdan
    Joined: Apr 12, 2018
    Posts: 333

    Dangerousdan
    Member
    from Arizona

    You probably know this but she did you a favor.
     
    John Lee Williamson likes this.
  28. Todd553
    Joined: Feb 16, 2005
    Posts: 534

    Todd553
    Member

    We drove our a landspeed roadster from Pomona, CA to the Bonneville Salt Flats for the World Finals in October, 2004. We had run the car at Speedweek in August. First came the transformation. Headlights, taillights etc.
    IMG_0989.jpg
    IMG_0941.jpg IMG_1011.jpg
    We left Pomona headed for Vegas to spend the night.
    IMG_1050 3.jpg
    IMG_1059.jpg IMG_1088 2.jpg IMG_1093 2.jpg
    Up early headed for the salt.
    IMG_1108 2.jpg
    About 45 minutes later we were pulled over by the county police.
    IMG_1117.jpg IMG_1118 3.jpg
    Back at it, drove the car onto the salt and into the pits.
    IMG_1160.jpg
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    The transformation back into race trim began.
    IMG_1168 2.jpg IMG_1268.jpg
    Went out the next day and ran 209.534mph to qualify for the record.
    IMG_1289 5.jpg IMG_1297 3.jpg
    Went to impound for the night and prepared for the return run early the next morning.
    IMG_1378 3.jpg IMG_1211.jpg
    Backed up the record the following morning running 212.228mph. with Billy Gibbons in the push truck.
    IMG_1419 4.jpg IMG_1414.jpg
    The new G/BFR record: 210.881mph. Good for the 2 club.
    IMG_1436 4.jpg IMG_1445 2.jpg
    And to make it even better they were filming the World's Fastest Indian at the same time.
    IMG_1338 2.jpg IMG_1329.jpg IMG_1338 2.jpg IMG_1324 2.jpg IMG_1315 2.jpg
    The End.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2020
  29. Caprice89
    Joined: Dec 30, 2014
    Posts: 271

    Caprice89
    Member

    Great trip. Thanks for sharing

    Sent from my online shouting device
     
  30. charlesf
    Joined: Jan 14, 2009
    Posts: 215

    charlesf
    Member

    In October of 2009 my buddy, Tommy G and I decided to drive to the Goodguys event in Bowling Green, Ky. We would meet our friends Jeff and Jesse Greening, of Greening Auto Company, there. Tommy's ride was his '61 Starliner with 429 power and an AOD trans. Mine was the Stewed, a 1953 Commander Coupe with SBC (dressed to look like a Cadillac) and TH350. We left Alma early, but not dark early. To be continued. fall 2009 Trey, friends 004.jpg
     
    hotrodharry2 likes this.

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