DAY 8 – From the Mansion to the Winchester Speedway

Another great touring day on these perfect Model T roads, first stop at “The Mansion” bed and breakfast, for morning coffee stop. It is a restored turn of the century mansion, absolutely lovely, and you know what? It is going on the market at the end of the year, for about a half million. (Has a 3 carriage garage in the back,,,,,,,,)

Then we stopped at Mrs. Wicks pie shop for lunch, good food, very reasonable and pies of every kind for $2 a slice. They were a little overwhelmed by all the T folks, so Ray helped out, bussed a few tables, we left him a tip.

And then, the highlight of the day, on to Winchester Speedway, the “fastest half mile track in the world”. Wow, got to run the speedster around this very steeply banked oval flat out, really fun. It was so banked that on one lap, I got slowed way down behind another stock T and 44 began to sputter because the gasoline all ran to the downhill side. I loaned the speedster to Chuck and Rich so that they could make some laps also.

Pictures: The mansion, Ray bussing tables, and the Speedway.

DAY 7 – BASKETBALL AND AIRPLANES

8:00 seminar on early Fords before the Model T. And then on to our tour for today. 85 mile loop. First stop was at the Hoosier Gym, where the basketball movie “Hoosiers” was filmed. That was the morning coffee stop, and of course we had to shoot a few hoops.

Then onward to Wilbur Wrights birthplace, and I might say that all the tours are on Model T roads out through the farmland. And you either have corn on both sides of the road or soybeans on both sides of the road or one of each. The Wilbur Wright birthplace is a farmhouse out in the country that the local folks rescued and restored. Nice museum goes with it, with a replica of the Wright Bicycle shop and a Wright Flyer. The ladies had to drag us gentlemen out of there.

But the best thing of the day was the antique airplane fly-in at the Hagerstown airport which is a grass strip out in the country. All the Model T’s went to this one, so we got the chance to see all the T’s in one place. Wow, mind boggling. Hope the pictures do it justice. The antique airplanes did some fly-bys and then had a flour bombing contest.

Long day, but great fun. Couple misc pictures, Bob and Ray tightening Ray's low band, and one of a Model T Semi truck.

DAY 6 – MODEL T’s EVERYWHERE

Wow, Model T’s of every size and shape, on every street in town, parked under every shade tree at the fairgrounds, boggles the mind.

We registered today and got oriented a little bit. Today was our first tour, a fairly short one around the town of Richmond, and to a couple historical places. Part of the tour was on a bicycle path that they opened up for the T’s. While we were eating lunch, it started to blow and got dark, so we got out our ponchos and made a dash for the fairgrounds. It rained for about two minutes and then was gone, fortunately we were just on the edge of the thunderstorm as it passed by. At the fairgrounds, they were not so lucky, blew away some canopies and one branch from a tree fell on a primo town car, ouch!!!

In the afternoon, we had a practice session for the take apart car. We waited and we waited and we waited, cause we were supposed to put it together, and it was not apart. Finally contacted the chief honcho for the car, and he said we could take it apart. So we dismantled the car, and then we put it back together again. Took us 41 minutes to put it together. I think it actually took us longer to take it apart. We have our own cheering section, one of the pictures above. I can’t figure out how to caption them.

It is warm and humid, they tell us it is not as hot as normal, whoo boy, takes a lot of water to keep this group from just wilting like daisies.

The welcome party was in the evening, over 2000 people in a really large building. We about starved before our turn came at the food line. One of the speakers was Edsel Ford the 2nd or 3rd.

DAY 5 – MADE IT!

Mileage wise, this was our shortest day, saved to last, which was a good thing, cause we are definitely getting a little road weary. First thing this morning, we crossed the Mississippi into the Illinois farmland guess what, more corn and soybeans to look at, and you definitely want to observe the truck and trailer speed limit in Illinois, lots of state troopers in smokey bear hats wielding radar guns and even pulling over the big rigs. We did pick up I70 which takes you directly to Richmond.

The big highlight of the day was our stop at the Indy speedway. We unloaded the speedsters and ran them up in front of the museum for a picture. I think the other tourists enjoyed it too, a lot of pictures were snapped. Then we all climbed into the shuttle vans for a ride around the track (at 35 mph, despite our encouragement to open it up) and went into the museum to admire all the vintage race cars.

We came out of the museum into a gulley whomper, and splashed our way out of Indianapolis and back onto I70 to Richmond. Found all the other members of SCVMTFC, almost everyone is staying at the Super 8. We didn’t have time to get to the fairgrounds to register today, that will have to wait until tomorrow.

DAY 4 – STRUCK OUT – 3 FOR 3 ON MUSEUMS

Slept in a little since we got in so late last night. This morning drove to Lincoln to check out the Bill Smith Museum, Strike One, closed on weekends, but the parts counter was open so we checked that out, and peered into the giant warehouse, and picked up catalogs and pressed on into Iowa.

Bob decided that the thing to do for lunch was to get off the interstate, go into a small town, and hit a local café for some good old Iowa home cooking. Rich picked the town of Walnut, and Bob picked Aunt B’s restaurant. Great choice with homemade pie at $1.99 a slice. Bob asked for rhubarb, but when he took the first bite it turned out to be apple walnut. Ate it anyway and then asked for another slice and described how rhubarb pie looks to the waitress who had apparently never had rhubarb. (Incidentally, we found out she is a fugitive from LA). She brought a piece of rhubarb this time and was so embarrassed that she declined to charge for it, so Bob got two pieces for 1.99.

After lunch, we browsed the local antique stores. Bob got a car tool, spring leaf spreader for greasing your leaf springs.

At this same location, we began to see busloads of people and bicycles, because tomorrow is the start of the Ride across Iowa, an annual event attended by thousands. Janet was inspired to climb up the bicycle sign at the gas station.

Then we pounded the highway, having decided to visit the Iowa State Auto Museum on the other end of the state. Strike Two, the brochure said open till 6, the door said open till 5, we got there at 5:15.

Okay, onward, after a few miles more we came to the world’s largest truckstop, and it was complete with a large truck showroom, large truck parts and accessory area, barber shop, theatre, dentist, showers, etc, the works. There were lots of historical pictures to look at, and one of the truckers who saw us looking at them said that the trucking museum next door was open till 10. We promptly hotfooted it over, figured we might find one museum open. Strike Three, closed, so we looked in the windows at a few of the antique trucks and declared it a day for the museums.

WE DROVE, WE ATE, WE DROVE, WE ATE, WE DROVE, WE ATE.

Woke up to the smell of money (crude oil). The whole town of Rawlins was permeated with the smell of crude, must have been from the refinery just outside of town. I guess if you live there, you don't mind, if you own one of those wells, you sure don't mind. Hit the road early, stopped for breakfast in Laramie at McDonalds, and there are the Tregieros again. Lots of antelope on the high plains this morning.

Climbed out of Laramie and then had a fast downhill run to Cheyenne where we blundered into and out of Frontier Days, I think this would be a fun event to attend someday, looks like it would be second to the stampede in Calgary. Next stop was at Cabela's in Sydney, NE for lunch and shopping. Bob bought another pair of trail pants (many pockets) and they hemmed them on the spot. After Sydney, mile after mile after mile of wheat and corn. Wheat harvest is in full swing, combines everywhere, and they don't stop till sundown.

By the way, Janet gets a lifetime achievment award, after entering NE, she has now been in all 50 states. We celebrated by taking her to the Old Ford Garage in Julesberg, CO, so she got to enter NE twice today. The Garage is courtesy of Ray, who always finds interesting things and people. He knows Lee Kizer's brother who sent us to Lee Kizer in Julesberg who operates the Old Ford Garage which is kind of a little private museum in a bona fide old Ford garage that dates back to 1908. We enjoyed the old cars, gas pumps, and memorabilia including a vintage barber shop which Lee still operates one day a week for his cronies.

Back on I80, we had a headwind which held our speed down until it finally died down. We lost another hour today so we really got in late, again. (11:00) Oh well, we are not wasting any time, sitting around in motels. bought gas today for $3.99 and thought it was a real bargain, how quick we adapt.

Enjoyed all the blog comments. Always fun to read them.

DAY 2 – ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE – 3 TIMES

Left Elko at 7, and pressed on to the east. First stop was at Bonneville Salt Flats to inspect the salt, and for Ray to make a sign on the salt showing other T’s which way to go. At a little break stop in Knolls, we ran across Bernie and Becky Trigiero, former members of our T club. They were also pulling a car trailer with a T inside. Next stop was at Saltair, the old amusement/bathing facility on the edge of the Great Salt Lake. There were actually quite a few people who were walking out about a half mile to swim in the lake. We were content to just view from a distance. Making our way thru SLC, we started over the Rockies. The climb up I80 from SLC to Park City was a tough pull for our rigs. Got all the way down to 3rd gear once and did not have any power to spare. The amazing thing is the speed at which most of the semis go up this hill. We got to the top and I asked Ray if he had enough gas to make another hundred miles or did we need to hit a station. He responded that he had used a quarter tank on this hill and we did need a station.

At Park City, we had bright blue sky for the first time. The Nevada-Utah desert is incredibly hazy and smoky from the CA fires. On I80 east of SLC, I think there are more trucks than cars, and they are moving. The speed limit is 75 and I think that is what the trucks are running at. At 6000 to 7000 foot elevation, about the best we can do is 65 mph.

Saw quite a few drilling rigs, oil and gas rush is on in Wyoming. The sharp eyes of Ray spotted a few antelope. Made the obligatory stop at Little America and got one of their advertised 50 cent ice cream cones and then made a late day push for Rawlins, getting in at 9. Beautiful sunset in the rear view mirror. Flopped into bed, long day tomorrow.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN, DRAGGING A MODEL T

We are off to the Model T Centennial Celebration in Indiana. We are lugging a little black trailer with our speedster in it and Ray and Linda are tailing us and sometimes leading us with their trailer and speedster. We also have Janet and Rich with us as passengers, apprentice model T wannabes, and assistant everything. First day, we got an unexpected sendoff from the donut shop in Milpitas when Hazletons and Jones from the Model A club showed up to see us off. We bumped and pitched our way out of California on the worst roads (I680, I580, I5, and I80) you can imagine. California has got to be entering a crisis stage as far as the roads breaking up. What a relief to get into NV and onto some smooth roads. Long day, got into Elko at 6:15, took longer getting over the Sierras than we thought and more total miles than we thought. But,,,,, we had a great Basque dinner at the Star Hotel, obviously THE place to get Basque food in Elko judging from the crowd on a Wed nite. Included a couple desert pictures that show what we looked at for most of the day.

San Diego Endurance Run

This year, Ed Archer organized a contingent of cars to attend the San Diego Model T Club Endurance Run which was held on October 20-21. From our club, Archers, Meneelys, Bob and Mark Edwards, Ron McKenzie and his brother, George and Don Azevedo made the trip. We were joined by John Kent and his family and Dave Agliotis and Don Mirassou, so we had a total of 7 cars from our area.
The trip down was uneventful but long. There just is no quick way through Los Angeles on a Friday afternoon, lots of 5 lane parking lots. You might as well wait until late evening or night.
The San Diego club does their Lowland Tour on Saturday, and this was a leisurely warm-up tour of about 30 miles up to the town of Alpine and back. This was followed by tech inspection and a BBQ in the evening at the host hotel. The Phoenix club had brought 10 cars and with our 7, there were about 26 speedsters out in the parking lot. Lot’s of tire kicking and stories.
The Sunday endurance run was another story, as the day turned out to be high adventure. The speedsters departed at one minute intervals from the starting line and headed into the high country east of San Diego. After 10 or 15 miles, we began to encounter a lot of Border Patrol cars and passed a Border check station and pretty soon we saw a sign that said 2 miles to Tecate. "Whoa, isn’t that in Mexico?" "Let’s not make a wrong turn here, I don’t have my passport and we are dressed in funny clothes and driving a funny car!"
The route took us east on highway 94, and we were climbing up and up when we noticed a little column of smoke up on the mountains to the left. As we climbed higher, the column of smoke got bigger and the wind started to pick up. We knew that a Santa Ana wind had been forecast, and as we climbed higher, the wind intensity really picked up. We kept an eye on the column of smoke which was getting bigger by the minute.
By the time we reached the town of Portrero, smoke was blowing across the road and the visibility was way down. We jammed on the accelerator and ran through the smoke. As it turned out, we were the last car to go through Portrero, as the CHP closed the road and the last 15 speedsters were turned back. Now that we were on the other side of the fire, we were really buffeted around by the wind which had to be gusting to 60 or 70 mph and was really cold.
As we pressed on to the east, we finally made it into the town of Campo dodging tumbleweeds and sand. You know it is really blowing when the low profile of a speedster gets pushed around, you don’t trust the chin strap on your hat, you can’t hear the engine and you can’t talk because the wind takes your breath away when you open your mouth. In Campo, I noticed that the wind was actually peeling the paint off the Campo store sign. We caught up with Bob and Mark Edwards, and Bob was hatless, wind burned, sun burned, sand blasted and grinning from ear to ear, "Isn’t this a great run?" Ron McKenzie noted, "I promised my brother an adventure, but I didn’t think it would be hurricane force winds, forest fire and sand storm!" We all agreed that we were definitely having an adventure. Heading north out of Campo, we passed lots of fire trucks heading back the way we had just come.
At Pine Valley, we turned back west on old highway 80 and put the wind at our back, for an easy run back to the finish and steak at Sizzler. Since less than half the cars finished the run, they elected to select a winner by drawing a number from the hat. One of the guys from Arizona was declared the winner, but we folks from northern California know who had the best time. John Kent from our group hit all the checkpoints almost dead on. Mark Edwards was the youngest driver, finishing his first endurance run and what a ride it was for him.
It was a great adventure, new country, new faces, we all had a good time and we will always remember the San Diego run of 2007.
by bob meneely
Epilogue: The fires driven by the Santa Ana winds turned into a major disaster for the San Diego area. Over a thousand homes were lost. Both of the organizers of the speedster run had to evacuate their homes. On the way home, we saw an 18 wheeler laying on its side, blown over by the wind which had measured gusts to 100 mph.

The Race for the Barn.

Late on Tuesday nite, the debate raged on what to do about Nicholson’s engine, leaking water into #2 cylinder. Final decision, put a bunch of stopleak in the radiator, run it around a bit, and then drive it home, concensus was that it would probably make it, although it might be on 3 cylinders.

Wednesday morning, we got up at oh-dark-thirty, quicky breakfast and on the road, Nicholson’s car doing okay, adding a little water now and then, the Alumaseal did its job. Course, the cars are pulling out of the motel and I (bob m) hit the starter button and nothing. Either no contact in the switch or the starter has totally died, whipped out the crank and crank started and raced after the group. We had 11 cars as we wound down the Feather River Canyon, very scenic drive, but lots of trucks driven by sports car drivers. As we left the canyon, we disbursed a bit into a couple of groups, and got serious about getting home, fast food and gas and that's it, go, go, go. As we got to Sacramento, at least 3 cars opted for freeways all the way and headed out. The rest took a short stint on I5 until we could get on the river route down to the Antioch bridge, a very nice and peaceful drive after I5 through Sacramento (where are all those people going?). Fortunately, it was not real hot today, and the two groups played leapfrog all the way down the river. We arrived home about 3:30, banished the A to the garage and collapsed on the couch.

Mechanically, this tour to Pendleton has taken an unusually high toll on the cars. Buenos are on their 3rd alternator, Darryl could be tracked from Pendleton to home by following the oil trail. Nicholsons limped in with a leaking head gasket. Bill Rose has a clack, Melvin has a clunk, Ewart used up two bendixes, Meneely lost an engine in the first car and then a clutch arm and a starter in the 2nd car, Jack shed a fan blade and made a nice new hood dent.

In the minor category, John and Judy lost their speedometer, tachometer and temperature gauge and had a flat tire, even Chuck Elderton had to change a condenser by the side of the road. And I almost forgot, Will Lancaster had a flat tire. The winner of the maintenance free no trouble car prize is Ed Simpson, I want him to work on my car.

At breakfast, somebody brought up driving to Dallas in 2008 and got shouted down, it might not have been the right time to bring it up.

by bob m

The Very End

We all departed the Best Western Motel this morning at 6:30 AM. The same West Bestern in Chester with the frustrating so-called wireless connection that crumbles in the middle of a thought.
Linda & Bill decided against doing major surgery on the Vicky this morning, believing the car could make it home. We left town with crossed fingers, light hearts, and full tanks of gas...invincible. We passed the southern shores of Lake Almanor wrapped in the fragrance of the pine woods, headed down the road to the Feather River. We attempted to run Hwy 70 along the Feather early in the day to avoid the traffic on this two lane route. We succeeded in getting there early but did not succeed in avoiding the traffic.
Truckers there delight in crawling up your rear bumper and breathing on your rear view mirror.
Took a break to watch a train of 100 cars or more squealing along the tracks across the river doing about 40 mph on the craggy hillside. So far, the Vicky was running well, and we longed for home.
Next stop was Yuba City for fuel and a stretch. Someone said that there was a possible fire on Bill's ranch, as he flew by us sitting at the Quickie Snack & Gas.
We figured that was the last of Bill, but the rumor must have been false, because we saw him not long after as we tried to tack down Darryl's new top along the side of the road.
Things were deteriorating...Bob & Patti's starter wasn't doing what it oughtta, their oil was vaporizing in the morning air. Darryl could see daylight where his top should be, and announced that he could not go over 45 mile an hour. Our clutch wasn't clutching so well, and it was getting hot...upper nineties. Plus, we hadn't seen the Vicky in awhile...
Running along the River Road in the Delta, we suddenly saw Bill's, Mel's, and Linda's A's parked for lunch in Isleton. Up, over the high arched Antioch Bridge we ran, on toward the killer Vasco Road, full of crazed drivers and roadkill. Then, over the top into the Livermore Valley...we could see Bill's ranch off in the distant hills, glistening in the hot afternoon sun. By the last climb up the Sunol Grade, we'd lost Patti & Bob, but kept in touch by phone.
Home at last, we called Bill & Linda to make sure. They arrived home under their own power. There were lots of mechanical problems, and a bit of fun. The real miracles were Bill and Mel...Mel had a coupe that by rights should have been dead and buried back in Gold Beach, and Bill's sedan was making terrible mysterious rattles, yet they both made a 1500 mile side trip to Grand Coulee Dam, and kept on running strong all the way home. Now we can all patch and repair for next time.
Thanks for going along with all of us on this 2400 mile trek. See you up the road.

There's always something

Before we explain why we're posting so late, we ought to run down the day's activities and start on a positive note. We left Alturas in two groups this morning early, around 6:30 AM...that translates to a 4AM wake up call, by the way. Winding along Hwy 299, the scenery gradually changed from high desrt chaparall to Scrub Oak, Jeffrey Pine, and Manzanita as we climbed in the crisp morning air toward the Lassen National Forest. Some stopped at the first antique store spotted in Fall River Mills, run by a skinny old biker guy who parked his Harley right inside the front door of his store. Bob and John bought big old cow bells, and some Model A tools. Then, not yet weary of the hunt, we stopped at another rust yard outside of Burney.
We all took a nice side trip to Burney Falls and spent an hour enjoying the peace and beauty of the place. But then it was on to Lassen Park, and a climb to over 8500 feet...some like it hot. Temps we're definitely on the rise as we rode through the park,learning about the catastrophic eruption of Lassen in 1915. We stopped at some sulphur springs and admired the crystal clear Lake Helen at the botttom of a steep winding ribbon of road.
Driving on to Chester in the 90 degree heat, there were casualties. Bill & Linda's Vicky is blowing water out of the manifold and bubbling up a storm in the radiator...all indications of either a cracked block, or hopefully, just a bad headgasket. The consensus is to wait until morning, and either leave, hoping the engine will get them home, or pull the head and change the gasket. More than a few of us are running a little rough, and we're like a band of road warriors straggling home after the barbarians massacred us in battle. One way or the other, we come home today....
John & Judy