Hot Rods See the USA...in a Hemi-Powered Model A.

Good stuff! I got a buddy that lives down the street from Dicks in Seattle. We didn't eat there though. I should have tried it out! Thanks for posting the pics! Can't wait to see photos of the coupe on the salt!

 

This has got to be the coolest roadtrip ride along ever. Thanks again for the trip coverage. Yer living the life man....

-Shiny

 

Looks like a good time and quite a trip, even if you have a few issues, but hey that's what driving is all about. Leavin' for the salt this morning myself, see ya out there.

 

looks like the trip of a lifetime Brian! thanks for pics and story.

 

Brian, as others have said 'Ruler!'

Nick.

 

Keep the info on the trip coming, it's been awesome coverage and pics.
How's the car been running.

 

The story (and the car) just get better and better every time I check it out. Can't wait to see it on the salt (hopefully before it rusts away!).

 

lol, thats how Rambo First Blood started!

 

Freaking awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Gonna need to do two HAMB calendars next year. No need for anyone else to submit photos.

Living the dream!! Now where is that damn winning lottery ticket?

 

Great pics man and thanks for the stories to go with em >>>>.

 

I took a couple of minutes to "enhance" one of the pictures. I couldn't stand to see a random car in the background! It's the best I could do without the original.

-Chad

 

One more enhancement.

-Chad

 

Only thing that pisses me off is I didn't see this thread until AFTER Hot-Rod-O-Ramna.

Damn.

 

Dude, I gotta say, The pic of the Dicks bag and drink on your cowl makes me proud!! Thats exactly how its supposed to be done!! Right on bro.

 

Is this the thread for the 2011 HAMB calender? Sure as hell looks it to me. You have a bunch of once in a lifetime shots there man!

 

Brian I am always jealous of what you do. Usually that comes in the form of your welding or fabricating skills. Now its just the way you are heading down the highway and I am still jealous. Awesome thread......

 

Great!! Now when I think about planning a trip or come up with an excuse to not make a show or trip, I am going to think of this thread.
Truely inspiring!! Thanks man!!
Just going to do it from now on.
Matter of fact, I think I'll head down to San Diego for a couple of days. Laters....

 

Awesome thread man are you coming back through Grand Junction CO I would love to see your coupe in person.

 

WHAT! no love for Thee Inland Emperors?

The Original Dick's is in Spokane literally right off the Division Street exit 281 on I-90. You drove right past it on your way over to Tacoma. If you would have stopped in Spokane for the night Thee Inland Emperors would have bought you whatever ever you wanted on the menu and a Dick's T-shirt. Besides our Dick's has a Giant Panda and neon Cock on the sign, I don't see that on Seattle's Dick's sign.

How did you like the drive through the Columbia Gorge? It's my favorite drive in the entire northwest because the gorge literally cuts straight through the Cascade mountain range and you can see the difference between the two climates in the northwest (marine & desert)

 

Dude, never got that about gas stations in Oregon! Almost came to blows a couple of times on that deal - not so good about people touching my beater! Actually, Oregon has so many weird little things and rules, it's kinda like it's own little country. Good to see you came out of your scape with the law unscathed. Great picture too! Keep it safe, have fun at the salt.

 

Hey Payne maybe bass may not want to go to a place with a neon cock on the sign.LOL....

 

Why not? You hardly even notice the cock on the sign

 

Dicks was founded in Wallingford off of 45th street right where Bass stopped and thats the fact. There is only one Dicks and the one you posted isn't the Dicks we know and love. That doesn't sound right ? When Bass was looking for Dicks, he found the right one!!
A little history.
http://www.ddir.com/History.html

Dicks owner still lives in a modest home in Wallingford.
The secret among all the old guys is getting the tarter to dip the fries in!!!! MMMMMmmmmmm!!!! I think I will stop there today!!!
I actually drove right past where Bass ate around noon where Bass ate.

 

Day 9


I woke up in Pendleton, OR this morning. It rained most of the night, and even though I had a car cover on the Model A it still got pretty wet. So the first thing I did was dry it off and re-apply some Gibbs.

When I pulled into the Motel last night, I had little to no clutch left...so I knew I was going to have to take a look at that, and hoped it was just needing a pedal stop adjustment (hydraulic throw-out bearing.) I got out the tools and realized that I didn't bring the required 12mm wrench, and there's really no other way to get to the jam nut on the adjuster except for an open end wrench. So I pointed the car towards the driveway and started it in 2nd gear. Kept it in 2nd all the way over to a Shucks/ Oreillys on the other side of the highway.

I went in and bought a wrench and got it adjusted out. No change. So I left the cap off of the master cylinder and depressed the pedal...not moving fluid. Figuring I must have gotten air in the system, I tried to bleed the lines with the bleeder under the car. I had to lay on my back with one hand on two line wrenches, put my right foot up inside the car, and pump the pedal. Not too easy, and I'm sure it looked like I was having a seizure.

About the third time I bled it, something in the master cylinder let go. Evidently it wasn't holding pressure, and by bleeding it I built the pressure up to a point where it couldn't hold it anymore. So I pulled the master cylinder, went inside and bought some snap ring pliers and took it apart. It was pretty dirty, so I cleaned it up with some brake cleaner and put it back together. Got it back on the car and as soon as it had pressure on it, it started leaking.

At this point I was starting to get a little worried.

I had just gotten the m/c back off of the car and put up a post for help on the HAMB when a local guy named Dennis Doherty pulls up. He gave me a lift over to a guy named Pat's shop, and Pat took a look at the master cylinder and gave me his expert opinion. The general consensus was the edge of the seal inside had just rolled over, and if I could find another seal I could probably get it to hold pressure. As I was about to leave, Pat said something about the Wilwood m/c looking a little like one he had used on a Datsun pickup.

Dennis gave me a ride over to Baxter Auto Parts, but they didn't have a seal or kit for 3/4" bore. So I asked them to pull out a master cylinder for a '73 Datsun pickup, and it was indeed 3/4" bore! I pulled the Datsun m/c apart right there on the parts counter, took the seal off of the piston assembly and put it in the Wilwood. I bought a small bottle of brake fluid and bench bled it right there on the spot. It looked like it was going to work! I never thought I'd be MacGuyver-ing my clutch master cylinder back together with '73 Datsun parts in the middle of Oregon...but I'm really thankful Pat had given me the idea.

Dennis took me back to my car, and he had to split to go back to work. Some guys heading to Bonneville with a B/GMS Opel had stopped at the Shucks, and I managed to talk one of them into helping me bleed the clutch. Got it all put back together and bled, and was back on road!

It's times like these that restore my faith in humanity. Without Dennis' help, I might still be in Pendleton.

The clutch ordeal had set me back over 3 hours by the time it was all said and done. After getting back on the road, I stopped to check out the view over Pendleton on the way up the pass...and reflected for a couple minutes on just how crazy this idea to drive across country in my hot rod actually might have been. But with all I've been through so far, it's been fun.

The rest of the day I just kept the hammer down. I was still trying to make it down to Salt Lake City to go to Chris' open house, and I was running pretty damn late.

I crossed into Idaho a little after 3pm Mountain Time, and by the time I'd gotten to Boise it was raining...again. The road between Boise and Mountain Home is a real piece of shit, and people up here drive down it at 100mph in the rain and blowing wind. Nuts.

Stopped in Twin Falls to get gas and checked out the falls and Snake River. Twin Falls looks to be a pretty neat town...I wish I would have had more time to explore the town and meet up with some of the HAMB members there, but I had to keep rolling.

I crossed the Utah state line and drove down to Tremonton to get gas. Called up Chris and he said that everybody had left, but he would still be there if I wanted to come by...so off I went. I pulled up at Chris' shop at about 10:45.

Chris is doing some really nice stuff, and I wish I could have gotten there earlier for his open house. He was a very gracious host though, and I'm glad I got the chance to check out his place.

Stopped at In-N-Out burger on the way to the Motel 6. They left the light on for me, but they didn't leave the internet on...so I'm posting this a little late.

-Brian


Pendleton, OR



Overlooking Pendleton, OR



Oregon Trail



Snake River - Twin Falls, ID



Twin Falls, ID



The Land of OZ? Nope...Idaho.



Utah State Line



Salt Flats Speed Shop - Orem, UT



Lehi, UT

 

There's nothing like a good road trip.

 

Wow! Nothing can stop you! HAHA! Glad that worked out! And good to know for future reference about that seal. Using a similar Wilwood clutch M/C for the same t-out bearing.

But seriously... Good people out there!

 

ruler.

 

Glad you got it figured out and got some help with the clutch! Good luck on the rest of the trip!

And you realize you're pretty much filling up the entire HAMB calendar for 2011, right?

 

This story keeps getting better every day!