Well...we went for the "Iron Bottom Award" this year on our Nationals trip! Didn't plan on taking the T but issues with the "Island Rod & Kustom" shop truck and a reservation for the ferry right across the island made for some long distance driving in those fiberglass race seats! Met up at Fitzees house at 6.30 am along with John in his RS/SS big block 68 Camaro to convoy across the island and on to Moncton..including a couple of side trips to Musgravetown to check out a 63 Dodge parts car and also to Cornerbrook to visit a friend along the way. The weather was warm and the run to Musgravetown went well except that the roads in that area had seen better days. Really rough! Put a face to a new friend when we met up with "Terry P" and family. Really nice people and Terry is a car guy with a late 50's Plymouth! He was told the car he bought to get a motor several years ago was a 63 but after a decent walk along a woods trail we discovered the 63 was really a 64 and of course the fenders won't fit. Oh well...back to searching i guess... Anyway, had a nice time for an hour and a bit just talking and looking at his stuff...including a homemade saw mill driven by a big 2 cyl diesel engine you start with a crank! Can't believe how easy and slow it started but it ran like a champ! The blade was huge, super dangerous (had the sewn on finger tip to prove it!)...and somehow my pic of it didn't show up. Figures...but you can just make it out over Terry's shoulder if you look close. As we prepared to leave Johns car refused to start first and then lost all power to the starter! Now, johns car had JUST gone together...back to being an original BB car from the small block that had been there for years. It was only put back in use from the engine change a few days before leaving so teething problems were expected. He didn't even have time to paint the new cowl induction hood he had to buy for carb clearance! Took a bit of fiddling around with the underdash wiring and then the starter harness to get her working again. An omen of things to come... to be continued....
The wind was a bit high but real warm as we hit the winding road out of Musgravetown, heading for the Trans Canada Highway. A couple of farms along the road made for some...interesting smells(!)...and the number of flies attracted to those smells made for squadrons of hungry Dragonflies all along the road! Not the nicest thing to be driving thru as they seemed to like buzzing the front of the Tee and climbing rapidly to just clear the windshield glass and our heads! We had a few close calls, but the windshield took some direct hits!!! Thankfully those Kamikaze dragonflies all slid off the side of the car rather than being carried by airflow over the glass and onto us! Once back on the highway we made good time and took turns driving...two hours at a time due to our "two hour tank". That actually works out good as two hours is long enough to make a pit stop something to look forward to. Good to get a stretch and have a chat for 5 minutes...as there isn't much talking in the car at highway speeds!
Cool story! Nothing like an adventure, huh? Last year I ran in a rally with a bunch of my "Iron Butt" buddies and I drove 717 miles in 11 1/2 hours in my '32 roadster. Out out 25 entries, I came in 9th. I was the only car and the other 24 were on motorcycles. I drove about 150 miles in rain, and about 35 or 40 miles, it was pouring! One of the neatest trips ever for me!
My longest Roadster trip was a comfortable 1,480 miles and a 1,000 of it was done the first day. Can't imagine doing it in a T Bucket at least in my Roadsters I sit pretty low in the cockpit and can support my weight on the door tops and the rear panel! How is the ride? I've ridden in really rough T-buckets and wouldn't last 25 miles! Usually in Roadster road trips you just need to stay Hydrated with water and eat lightly usually fruits and nuts and that will help you stay alert! (wouldn't hurt to take a 5 hour energy drink for the last 275 miles either!) Don't forget the "foamy earplugs"... not only will they slow down wind fatigue but you'll be able to have and hear conversations in the car at speed!
Yep, this is going to be an interesting tale (or should that be "tail".) My butt in hurting just thinking about that long of a ride in those seats. Don
I just did the Power Tour from Dallas Tx to Detroit Mi and back, in my 46 Chevy truck. My co-driver was popping pain pills all the way to sooth his hinney. He said he will never do that again in my 46. I guess my butt is numb. He was sitting on a pillow also! Any way, have a blast on your trip.
I have completed a few long hauls in my T as well. It is hard to describe what is endured and experienced in an open car on such a trip. Travel well and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells that only take place in a roadster!
I just love a road trip! Thew longest I get to do was Myrtle Beach, I think about 500 miles or so. We run every Fall to Wildwood, about 200 miles and just about perfect. I loving this thread, keep posting. Can we get some side shots at speed?
Not sure if any friends took side shots this year...although its likely some did. I've got a couple from last years trip I can put up! First pic is on the highway at 60ish mph...the second at the Atl Nats cruise night. The car drives well and is easy to control at speed. Fitzee, being over 6' tall, stretched the cowl and raised the back a bit to allow passengers to sit in the car as opposed to sitting on the car. I am TOTALLY convinced that T Roadsters and Modifieds are the essence of Hot Rodding and 100% viable for long distance runs...once you get the right attitude. It's basicly a chopper with 4 wheels and you just accept it for what it is and adapt to it...instead of the other way around. Roadsters RULE.
That thing is truly fine! One of the few Ts' that looks better with the hood on. There ain't nothing like a road trip. Thanks for sharing the pics. It makes twice a ready to hit Wildwood this year.
a little something I was tring and you can get a idea on what the ride was like.lol Ju<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xpW9OZr-MVE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>st
I must say it was alot of fun.. including all the troubles we had.. I always said you never forget a trip where you brake down.lol.. Saturday of the show, after chasing a problem friday night as well as saturday morning. The T would pop and back fire. jetted down the carb and then swapped out the power valve from a 6.5 to a 4.5 and then we had to jet it back up agian!! well the car seem to be working good later in the morning only to have the car die on a side street after I got lost!! lol.. spent the next 4 hours tring to find the problem. when it was all said and done and a phone call home to my dragraceing buddy Bobby we came to find out the pickup coil packed it in.. Now let me tell you we were ready for such a problem..had spare starters,altanator, dist,a pile of carb parts to boot as well as all the tools to do the job..in the trailer....back at the hotel!!! dam!! had to make a call so as to get a ride back to the hotel to get the parts and tools to fix it.... wont forget this trip!! lol
Geezzz...that video makes me feel good! Can't believe how much I miss the road already! We motored thru Terra Nova National park and on past Gander...always keeping a sharp eye for our Moose population. They usually (usually!) stay away from the roads in the heat of daytime but you never know...and you definately DON'T want to meet one when you're cruising in a T. Our buddy John has inlaws in the town of Lewisporte and had to meet up with a couple for some reason, so we took the turn off to the town, met up with his friends for a too short chat and then hit the fast food stretch...figuring to get a quick burger or something before we hit the highway again. That turned out to be interesting!!! LoL Dropped in to Micky D's and ended up in a line up, completely held up, by some strange woman who seemed to be ordering the entire menu...HER way! Seriously, a "double cheeseburger done like a Big Mac." What the hell is that!?!? The first one they gave to her she refused...because it wasn't actually hand written on the wrapper! 4 orders of fries...two with salt, two without... Lady..its Mickys...its gonna kill you anyway! Get a grip! LoL A pile of other equally silly requests and demands had 5 or 6 customers ahead of us ready to dunk her in the cooking oil because ALL the employees were waiting on her alone! We ended up leaving and just grabbing tea and a couple of buns at Tim Hortons. While we took our break we had a great laugh at two kids who dragged their poor mother over to the T. Fitz put both of them in the car so Mom could get pictures and the youngest was like the Tazmanian Devil...jumping over everything, trying to pull it out of gear...you name it! I'm always amazed at just how much our women can go thru without losing their cool. My heart went out to her...but it sure was funny! With half full bellies and full fuel tanks, we headed back to the highway and made a banzai run (in two hour stages!) thru the Birch forest and on into the beginnings of the "Long Range Mountains" heading for Corner Brook and a visit with another of our carguy friends.
My friend Burl and I drove our roadsters to the 1990 20th Anniversary NSRA Nats and back, he from Huntsville TX with only 7 miles on the car, and I from Pasadena TX with about 1800 on my car. I pulled a 'glass Mullins trailer loaded with a big old fashioned canvas Sears tent, 2 cots, box fan, clothes, tools, tarps and camping equipment and 2 5-gallon cans of gas. We were 59 and 41 at the time and had a blast. Weather from beautiful 100 degrees and cloudless skies to black clouds, heavy rain and wind, but mostly just hot and bright. Various mechanical hiccups but nothing to keep you from running the roads there and back. Total miles on the trip about 2900 leaving TX on Sunday and returning the next Monday. Proved our theory that working suspensions and coil spring seating do keep you comfortable and get you there without the aches and pains. Glad to see there still a few that get out there and run up their odometers for fun.
This is the kind of stuff I live for. Gotta love a good road trip and even better when it's pretty scenery like that! I can't wait to do this when my A is done...
Looks like it has somewhat comfy seating... That's 90% of the battle... because if you're comfortable you can put up with most other elements. And "YES... Roadsters do Rule!"
The Jalopy Journal
