Day 1

Finally got caught up around here. I'll try to keep this brief this time. On June 1, I finished getting my '34 roadster ready for the trip to the LA Roadster Show. And I was chomping at the bit to get underway. My original plans were to leave Tuesday, June7 and take some side trips to see places I seldom saw. But our Roadster Club had a big bash planned for the club's 45th anniversary on Sunday, June 12. So I had to postpone leaving. I figured I'd attend the bash in the roadster. Then load it so I could leave early the next morning. Sunday evening I loaded every inch of the roadster with parts, tools, and clothing. I took two heavy jackets... a leather So-Cal and my heavy winter Roadster Club jacket. I've been caught without warm gear before and always carry a heavy jacket just in case. A spare jacked in case I get soaked is a good idea. Spare parts included: two truck water pumps, stock '42 distributor, 2 Mallory dist. caps with rotors, 2 sets of Mallory points, 7 condensers, a stock fuel pump, a 6V voltage regulator, set of generator brushes, 2 Bendix drives with bolts and washers, 2 starter springs, 2 NOS Mallory 6V coils, 3 cans of flat fix, set of H-10 plugs, Synchro-Giz..... and a partridge in a pear tree. Tools were just what I always have in the roadster. No spare tire, jack, or lug wrench (I've never had room for them). The only thing I had to load the next morning would be my ice chest and shaving kit. The rumble seat area was loaded to the hilt. My original plans were to take I-70 west to Grand Junction, CO. Head south to Delta, CO. Then turn SW to Gateway, CO. Gateway is a small community (population 180) near the Utah border. John Hendricks, founder and chairman of The Discovery Channel, is constructing a 30,000 sq/ft auto museum. It'll feature the Oldsmobile Concept car that he purchased at the Barrett/Jackson auction for a trifling $3 million! The museum will have lots of other vehicles from restored to hot rods to streamliners. Plans are to replace the cars every few months. Construction is behind schedule, but they say they'll be opening during the late fall of this year. Anyway, I planned on going to see it on my way to LA. I had to scrub this idea when I watched the news Sunday night. Heavy snow in the high country (8"-12"). I-70 over Vail Pass was closed to all traffic and chains were required on both sides of the Eisenhower Tunnel. Didn't figure it'd be much fun sitting out a snow storm in a roadster or sliding all over the roads. So plans were changed and I'd take the southern route to Las Vegas. The forecast said there would be heavy winds along I-25 south. Just the way I was going! Neat... I hate heavy winds since it blows rocks across the road and chips paint. Went to bed. Couldn't sleep hardly at all since I was anxious to get on the road. Gave up the sleep idea a little after 3:30AM and got up. Loaded up my ice chest with ice and two bottles of water to drink. The ice chest is needed to keep my insulin cool and the blood sugar meter (the LCD's don't take kindly to heat). Had a quick cup of coffee standing over the sink. Bid the wife good bye and headed to the garage. Put my shaving kit in the last little hole left in the rumble seat area. Put the ice chest on the passenger side of the floor. It was pretty cool in the night air. Snapped on half of the compartment tarp. This keeps things from blowing out of the front seat (maps etc.) and directs the heat from the heater towards me. Snapped up my winter Roadster Club jacket. Stood for a moment going over things. Couldn't think of a thing I was forgetting. Finally, it was time. Clicked on the ignition switch. Hit the 6V starter button. It barely turned over before catching. Running rich like it always does when it's first cranked up. Fed in the choke until it leaned out and the engine smoothed out. Snicked the '39 box into reverse and backed out of the garage. The glass packs sounded good in the still night. Flicked on the headlights. My old 6V headlights are lousy. I almost have to strike a match to see if they're lit! Closed the garage door and headed out the driveway. Felt good in the cool night air. Keep from getting on it and waking up my neighbors. Got on the approach ramp to the I-25 freeway. Couldn't contain it any longer. Dumped it in second and punched it. The flathead built rpms and the pipes seemed to bark louder than usual. Shoved in the clutch and hit the Columbia overdrive switch. A loud 'CLICK' and it shifted into second overdrive. Wound it out to about 80 mph before shifting it up to high overdrive. Backed out of it and let it come back down to the speed limit. Sure didn't need a ticket. The cops here are writing speeding tickets like they've got a bigger quota than usual. But I guess they're cracking down on speeding everywhere. Tucked in behind two cars running 75 mph and let them lead me and my lousy lights south towards Colorado Springs. About an hour later I stopped in Colorado Springs and had breakfast. Actually I had no choice but to stop... the earlier cup of coffee at home demande me to stop! It was still dark when I finished breakfast. Got behind a car heading south. About 45 minutes later it began getting light in the east... and the temperature dropped. The forecast winds began shortly after sun-up. It was soon blowing hard directly at the left side of my heap. Rocks and sand blew across the road. Slowed to 60 mph to save the paint and my glass windows. Went through Pueblo, CO and finally got to Walsenburg, CO. Turned west which put the wind behind me. Counted the number of construction zones I went through the first day.... 29! Going over Wolf Creek Pass there were two construction zones with one lane traffic. So I got to wait. One I waited 55 minutes. The other I waited 25 minutes. I've often wondered if the US National Flower isn't the orange construction cones. Sure see them everywhere. Wolf Creek Pass accumlates well over 100" of snow each year. Not much left this time of year... only a few patches up high. Beautiful drive though. Wolf Creek Pass is between Del Norte and Pagosa Springs. Decided to call it day when I got to Cortez, CO. I was beat. Partly from the early hour I left, but a lot from the howling side winds. As is my normal routine, I found a motel first. Unloaded my two cloth bags. Then found a car wash and washed the car of all the Kamikaze bugs. Lots of them tried to take the fenders and grill with them! Returned to the motel and showered. Then I ate dinner. Lucked out and found a good place to eat. Couple of good looking waitresses too. After a day of being by ones self, one deserves some eye candy don't you think? Went back to the motel and watched TV. Tomorrow was supposed to be a nice day and the wind wasn't supposed to blow. I'd never taken off my heavy jacket the entire day. And the heater was on all day. It's always cool to cold in the mountains of Colorado.

Day 2

Something I meant to include on the Day 1 report. I didn't keep track of the mileage because of the severe winds all day. The one time I did check it, it was slightly over 16 mpg. And the price of premium gas made it an expensive wind. The weather report Monday night said the winds that day were up to 70 mph along that stretch of road! No wonder the roadster was getting blown all over the place! Day 2. Woke up just before dawn. First thing was to replenish the cooler ice using motel ice. Loaded the roadster. Kind of cool, so put on my So-Cal leather jacket. Unzipped the driver's side of the tonneau cover and took it off. Tucked it away in the rumble seat and I was ready to get on the road. Cranked over the flathead. As always, it caught right away. The oil pressure jumped to 70 psi at a fast idle. After the engine had cleared it's throat, the engine did it's usual smoothing out thing. Pulled out of the motel catching gears as I headed west on a two lane road. Great morning. Kept the speed down to 55 mph since the two head temperature gauges were taking their time getting to 140 degrees in the cool morning air. When they hit 140 degrees I leaned on the gas pedal. I was soon cruising along in the 70-75 mph range. Good, smooth road and the roadster engine sounded sweet to these geezer ears. And, as forecast, no wind. Soon passed through the four corners. This is the only place in the US where four states (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona) meet at one spot. Used to be one could make a quick stop and stand in all four states at the same time since they'd driven in a re-bar in the ground where they all met. Not any more. Now you have to pay to see it. I entered Arizona. Found a diner and treated myself to biscuits and gravy. Now that's certainly not on my diet! Boy would my heart doctor cringe! The air temperature began climbing for the day. Cloudless sky and bright blue. Peeled off my jacket and turned on my "factory air" (cowl vent). Life is good! Engine temp stayed in the 155-165 range until after mid-morning. Oil pressure was slightly over 65 psi running 70 mph in overdrive (2200 rpm). The highway took me just to east of the Grand Canyon. Didn't take a side trip to do the tourist bit since it was getting hot in the morning sun. Stopped outside of Flagstaff, AZ and had lunch. Picked up I-40 west bound. A couple of young women pulled alongside the roadster and took several pictures before waving good by. This happened frequently throughout the trip. One semi pulled alongside and the woman on the passenger side took a video for several minutes! People do some funny things. Kingman AZ was a warm 104 degrees. Crossed into California. Needles. CA was warmer.... like 108 degrees if I remember correctly. Warm enough anyway. The old flathead ran in the 180-185 in this heat and the oil pressure sits on 60 psi. Pretty good for an old home built flathead. The temperature would rise when I was in town and off the highway. It would stay on 190 even in that heat and city traffic. Gas mileage? Averaged 21.1 for the day. Oil level was still on the full mark. Stopped in Needles, CA for the night. Did my usual routine, but delayed it for an hour hoping it would cool off. Dreamer! It didn't. I decided to not push my luck the next day by crossing the desert during the heat of the day. Figured to get an early start on day 3 and get to Barstow in the late morning, before the temperature soared. I was hoping to see Sopp in Barstow, but didn't have his phone number or address. Tried to call home and get the information, but my wife and daughter were taking in a show. Figured I'd eat lunch where Sopp and I met a few years back. My roadster would stick out like a sore thumb in that parking lot on Main Street should he drive by. It was a long shot, but it was all I had. Buttoned up the roadster for the night after talking to motel guests in the lot for an hour after I had eaten dinner at a KFC. Great run so far.

Day 3 thru Day 7

Sorry about no making any entries the last few days. We had our annual Roadster Picnic today (Sunday, August 7) and I've been getting things done for this event. It's one of our annual events. I had called Billy the night before (Tuesday, June 14) and told him I'd see him sometime after noon. Wrong. I was almost to La Verne (a suburb of LA) hours before then since Barstow isn't very far from LA. Day 3., Wednesday, June 13. Left Barstow, CA on I-15. Warm enought I didn't need any kind of a jacket. Traffic was light and I cruised along enjoying the beautiful morning. Ran about 5 mph under the speed limit. Passed a couple of State Patrol cars playing Kodak Kojak with their sneaky radar guns. Must have shoeked them to see a hot rod going under the posted speed limit. Kind of nice to not sweat getting stopped. And not getting blown out of the '34 for a change. Stopped at McDucks and had their "Big Breakfast". I like them since it's a quick in and out at McDonalds. I often eat breakfast at one when I'm on the road. The miles flew by and I was soon climbing the hill to Cajon Summit. This is a long and constant pull, but our flatheads have great torque. I was able to maintain the posted speed in overdrive (2.64:1 ratio) with no problem. Got to the top of Cajon Summit. As usual, the valley below resembled gray soup. Dove into it ane began my decent off Cajon Summit. The smog was thick enough to block out most of the morning sun. And I could taste it. Got on I-10 heading west. I had made reservations at a hotel in Ontario beginning Thursday night. Since I had time to kill before meeting Billy, I thought I'd find the place and see about beginning my stay Wednesday night. Boy was that wishful thinking on my part. Stopped at a gas station and bought an Ontario street map. Didn't have street listing anywhere even close to an E. Center Lake Drive! Stopped in a Taco Bell and got a soda while I studied my maps. Spread out my maps and looked. Nothing on any of them. Two young ladies were sitting at the table next to me. Asked then if they lived there. They both had all their lives. Neither of them had ever heard of E. Center Lake Dr.... nor the Fairfield Hotel! Great. Since I don't own a cell phone, I drove around looking for a pay phone. Finally found one and called the number I had for the hotel. The woman gave me directions. Guess what.... according to her, I had passed right by it about 11 miles back! I followed her directions. Still couldn't find the place. You'd think I could see a mult-story hotel easily wouln't you? Well I couldn't. Called the hotel back. Same directions. BUT she happened to mention it was next to the Ontario Airport. A clue! Wandered around for an hour. I must have stopped a half dozen times asking people if they knew where the street was. None had ever heard of it. Well, I finally found it. It was on a new street than had only been in existence for about two months. No wonder it didn't show on any map. Since it only went a half mile, none of the locals had heard of it. No wonder I couldn't find it. Vern, a friend in Denver, had said it was only about 3 miles east of the LA Roadster Show. He said it had security parking and it was about $55 a night. Sounded like a bargain. So I had called from Denver and made reservations. 3 miles and $55 a night my butt! Boy did he set me up! It was nearly 15 miles east of the show off I-10. I knew I'd been set up when I saw it was a Marriott Hotel... they're far from cheap. Try $119 plus tax a night! I had to figure a way to get even with good 'ol Vern. They were able to accommodate me. Unloaded the roadster and left to meet Billy. Stopped and gave the roadster a quick bath to make it presentable. The old heap has to look good for Billy and Miki (Billy's wife). Drove to Billy's house in La Verne. They had wanted me to stay with them as I've done in the past. But I'm always sponging off people on my runs, so decided I wouldn't stay overnight with people on this run. We messed around Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Got to meet several of his friends I'd met in past years. Managed to eat at In and Out every day for lunch. And we went out for a steak dinner every night. Live is good. Billy and I managed to find time to pick a box of spark plugs. Mine were getting to the point of needing changing when I'd left Denver. By the time I got to LA, they didn't want to turn rpms. My compression ratio is about 9.5:1 and is tough on plugs. And today's gasoline (I use the term lightly) sure shortens plug life. Saturday I drove to the LA Roadster show. No primer or blanket interiors allowed.... only finished cars. I'm always concerned they won't let my heap in since all the roadsters are awesome. When I pulled up to the man at the gate, I asked if he'd let me put mine in the show. He said "Sure is nice to see lots of bugs in a radiator. Sure sign it's driven. And anyone that drives a flathead clear from Colorado gets in." So they let me in again this year. Fantastic show. There are so many roadsters it quickly beomes overwhelming. That's the trouble with big shows.... too much to see at one time. Found Billy and his group of friends in the swap meet area. As in previous years they all got together and cooked up a big lunch featuring their own specialty. Absolutely the best Mexican food I've ever had. I always hate getting filled up it's so good! And the coldest beer too. But topping everything were his all the good looking wives his friend have! Super ladies and they're always so very nice to this traveler. Billy's friends are SUPER in my book. Sunday was a repeat of the day before. Spent most of both days with Billy or in the swap meet area. But did talk to several people when I was at my car. Several were from the flathead web sites. Vern. back in Denver, had wanted me to get him an LA Roadster shirt. He wanted an XXL unless they were running small. He'd given me money to get a good one. So I did....... It was get even time for the hotel bit!!!! Picked out their most expensive shirt. They were running fairly large, so I got triple XL! Boy was it too big! The shoulder seams came almost to his elbows! Now he has to have it altered. Told him I must have misunderstood the size he wanted. Billy and I had breakfast Monday (Day 8) before I got back on the asphalt slab heading north to Canada. I hadn't spent near enough time with Billy and Miki this run. Mostly due to me staying in a hotel so far away (thanks again Vern... enjoy your shirt, or should I say tent?). I always hate saying goodbye to good friends. I try not to get choked up, but I still do. Traffic was heavy as I got on 210 freeway to pick up I-5 just south of Santa Clara. Weather was getting hota as I headed to Roseville which is northeast of Sacrmento.

Day 8

June 20, 2005 Traffic was heavy most of the day. Wind blew all afternoon in the driver's side. And it was just plain hot. Old roadster ran 175 degrees almost all day. There are a couple of very long and steep hills on I-5 just north of LA. I think one was called Tejon Pass. Was only able to run 60-65 mph on these hills. It simply was all the FH had. A couple of times it got down to 50 mph and I shifted out of overdrive to gain my speed back. On these long hills the engine temperature would approach 200 degrees. But it never got any hotter. It was slow going the whole day and the miles didn't go by fast. Part of it was the heat and wind, but a lot of it was there wasn't much to see in the way of scenery. Found a motel in Ketterman City late in the day. This is about 187 miles from San Leandro. After washing the car and eating dinner, I called Warren Atwood in San Leandro and we talked about meeting the next dayDay 9 (Tuesday, June 21). Told him it would be somewhere near 10:30 AM before I got there and that I would call him. Hit the road a slightly after daybreak. No wind and a cool morning. Nice change from the preceding day.. After about an hour I stopped for what was supposed to be a quick breakfast. It turned out to be more of a mini-car show. Was there over a half hour talking to people and hearing about "I had one just like that... .except it was a blue 4dr sedan and a '37. Shore wish I'd kept it." I always make it a point to be cordial to people interested in our old cars. They love telling their favorite story. Besides, the hot rod ranks are thinning down fast these days and we might inspire someone to get back into hot rodding. Finally got back on I-5. The old flathead hummed as I cruised along. I think it liked all the compliments it had received! Pulled into San Leandro and finally found a pay phone at a convenience store. Got Warren. His message line and I told him where I was. It wasn't a few minutes until he called me. Seems he was only a few blocks away! Warren pulled in driving a super sano '49 woody. All original. Pristine is the only word that comes to mind. He found it in Florida. We yaked for a few minutes and then I followed him to his shop. He has a '47 woody under construction that will have a 3-5/16" X 4-3/8" 8BA engine. Now that baby should develop some real serious torque! We talked about how he was going to set up his engine and other FH stuff. Very knowledgeable person. He certainly does nice work. His son came by just as we were about to leave for some lunch. He has an International he's re-doing that will be his daily driver. Doing some good work on it........ "an acorn doesn't fall far from an oak tree" does it? Warren and I took the roadster to lunch. I always suggest we take it since many guys would like a ride in it, but won't ask. Guess what.... we spent the whole time talking cars. Now isn't that odd? After lunch we returned to his shop. Said my good byes since I had to get moving or I'd be way behind the whole trip. I had plans to meet some guys in Canada. Trouble was, they HAD to leave at the end of the month. So I had to watch the time or I'd miss them. Aimed the '34 grill NE and soon pulled into Roseville. This is located just NE of Sacramento. Pretty warm all day. Called Carl Lembke (don't know what he goes by on the web site) after I got a motel. Not home. His wife was very nice to a me and said he was at a car show. She told me she wasn't sure where it was, but gave me some general directions. Shoot, I could find that...... yeah right. Drove downtown looking for it. Couldn't find it. Now you'd think I could see a hot rod driving to the show wouldn't you. That would make two of us wrong. Returned to the motel to find a message. Long story short, he soon pulled into the motel parking lot driving a blown FH powered '36 pickup. Didn't record the inside spec's, but it sure ran good. Automatic trans and late rear end. Front end was Mustang (if I remember correctly). It's a finished car and seemed to be well constructed. Says it drives and rides as good as a new car. Followed him to the car show. I had been within two blocks of it and didn't see it! They block off several blocks every week and have a car show and lots of vendors. Parked our cars and went looking at the other cars. Some nice iron. Met several of his friends. One was named Roger who has a black '32 tudor with an OHV Chevy and an auto. Another nice car. Seems the two of them are best buds. They hadn't eaten so we went to one of the Mexican restaurants and they ate. We were joined by another couple. The talk was mostly flatheads while they ate. Went back to the cars and soon left. I followed Carl and Roger to Carl's house. Fantastic garage. Way too nice to park anything I drive. Had a suds and talked some more. Carl is building a '31 A roadster which will have the usual 350/350/9" setup. Got more ambition than I do. It was dark when I left. Roger was kind enough to lead me back to the motel. Good thing because I'd have never found it! I'd still be driving around looking for it! Made the usual nightly phone call to my spouse and then hit the rack. It had been a long day for these old bones. Tomorrow I was going Fort Bragg and meet Red Hamilton and Marilyn. Fort Bragg is on the coast and I had hopes it wouldn't be 100 degrees on the road. It sure wasn't! ..... rumble seat

Day 10

Wednesday, June 22. Fired the roadster about 8 AM. Same routine as always.... push the accelerator down half way and let completely off it. Pull the choke all the way out and hit the starter button. As usual, the engine fired right away. And like always, decrease the choke setting once it's fired keep it running and not load the cold plugs. As soon as the engine started running smoothly, I fed the choke all the way in. Eased it into low and pulled out of the motel. Beautiful morning and comfortable in just a light weight denim shirt. Found California State Highway #65 heading north. Picked up speed once I cleared town. Dumped in the overdrive about 50 mph and backed off the throttle when the stock '34 speedometer indicated 65 mph. I always enjoy the sound of a flathead as it effortly cruises along. Lots of yard art all along the way. Lots more than one sees from an interstate. I've been anxious to meet Red Hamilton and Marilyn for the past few years. Red's Headers are on my flathead and they fit good from the git-go. Just south of Tuba City I turned west onto State Highway 20. This would take me just south of Ft. Bragg. About half way to Ft. Bragg the sun disappeared due to an overcast sky. Temperature dropped. Shut the factory air (cowl vent). A couple miles later, I pulled over and dug out my heavy So-Cal jacket from the packed rumble seat. It felt good as I the mill got back up to speed. Pulled into Ft. Bragg about 11:00 or so. I was surprised at the size of it. I had alway thought it was a big city, but it isn't. Checked my road Atlas.... population is 7026. Neat town. Main street follows the shore line which is about 100' from the road. It appeared fishing is the mainstay of the town. Found a phone and called Red. His office assistant answered and she said Red was on another phone. Marilyn was busy too. She gave me directions on how to get to his place. "Stay on Main St. until you're 2 miles north of town. There's a school on the left. Turn right the first road after the end of the school zone. Then take the first right turn." Okay... if you say so. Sounded to me like I'd was going to be lost in the forest all day. Good directions though. When I was heading east after the school zone, I drove by a grass runway. It looked like a small airstrip. It was. Took the first right turn per directioins. Red was standing near the end of the road. Pulled up and shut the mill off. Met the famous Red Hamilton. Neat guy. His shop, home, and business are all on the airport property. Several people are in part owners of the airport along with him. Showed me his airplane he was finishing building. He had it entered in a cross country event a couple of weeks away. He's really into airplanes. Didn't get the bug until he was about 50. Marilyn said it was only way he could go faster without getting more tickets. He has a couple of airplanes that I saw. Lots of flathead blocks stacked up next to the airplanes. He and Marilyn had been gone all weekend on and Early V8 run.... it rained heavy all the time they were gone. He had doors opened to dry their '46 (?) Ford sedan out. It's original throughout. Showed me his new 2005 Mustang standard transmission GT. More on this later. Said I had to get something to eat. Took the roadster into town and had a burger. Red and Marilyn insisted I stay the night with them. Marilyn had went to a lot of work and trouble arranging this. I felt it was the courteous thing to do. Looked over his header/exhaust shop. Quality work everywhere. Red does most of the header welding himself. Lays a mean bead too. Marilyn stays busy either on the phone or getting orders ready for shipping. Red wanted to go into town to the farmer market. Took his GT. This had like 170 miles total on it. Smeeled new. Red had the doors open and a fan running. Said he didn't like new car smells! Pulled out onto the asphalt road. AND HE NAILED IT!!!!!! Brought the rpm's up to about 5000 or so and dumped the clutch. The thing launched like an old gasser. Rpm's climbed really fast and he went for second like he was racing for the world championship of drag racing! Tires screamed rubber again. Then third. By this time we're approaching traffic about 10 times faster than they're running. Got on the brakes hard to shut it down. A few minutes later he said to watch how it cornered. About 50 mph on a side street in town. Didn't even cut the corner. Turned left mid-intersection of the street! Figured I'd end up in someone's front porch for sure. Turned like it was on a rail!!!! Never even slid sideways a foot! Impressive. Went through the gears again (hard) on the way back to the shop. Red confessed he had lost his license a "few" times. Which is one reason he liked flying...... no speed limit. When we got back to the shop I had a message to call Warren Atwood. Called him Seems he'd left his glasses in the glove box of the roadster. I was wondering where the third set of glasses had come from. They're very close to my prescription as well as having the same frames. Marilyn was so kind as to package them and ship them off to Warren. Sorry about that Warren. If they'd been a mite stronger, I'd have sent you a pair of mine! The three of us went to dinner that evening in a super sea food place in town. Then to bed after talking flatheads most of the day and evening. Marilyn didn't say a word when he played Racer Brown on the way to and from dinner. My wife would have killed me I ever drove that hard with her in the car... let alone a new one. But Red sure knew what he was doing. Never a worry... except to be concerned about the life of the trans. Slept good in the quiet place. Had coffee with them before pulling the roadster out of the garage Marilyn had sacrificed. I would have like to have spent more time with them. Super people.... like everyone I met on this trip. Weather was still overcast and cool. Put on my So-Cal jacket and zipped it up before I left Reds. Had the passenger side tarp on and the heater running. Felt good in the cool air. Red said the temperature was normally cool since Ft. Bragg is right on the coast. Roadster liked it and the moist air. Headed north on Main Steet extended. This is State Hgwy. #1. ..........

Roger/Sacremento posted in the replys on the 5th entry that the CA state hgwy. #20 to Ft. Bragg through the redwoods was very winding and the locals camped on your rear bumper. Noticed the same thing. Most of the tight curves are posted in the 15-30 mph range. And they mean it. Road is quite narrow and the locals think they'rea driving a one-off sports car or are Barney Oldfield reincarnated! Sure made me nervous.Day 11. Thursday, June 23Heading north on CA state highway #1 from Ft. Bragg. The two lane road follows the coast line and has lots of interesting curves. Too many not to play a little. Managed to take off the edges of both front tires in short order. I sure like sliding corners!As usual, every stop for gas or food resulted in people wanting to look the car over and talk about the ones they had when they were kids. Sure makes for long stops.The morning had a heavy overcast and was quite cool in a breezy old roadster. Ran in and out of fog/mist frequently. Soon intersected with US Hgwy. #101. Took it north. Got colder as I went. Had the tonneau snapped on the passenger side and the heater on. Combined with my heavy jacket, I was comfortable and warm.... except for my ears! Thought about getting a pair of ear muffs out of the rumble seat area, but decided they weren't that cold. Chugged along towards Portland, OR and meeting Stan Ochs. He uses the handle "flatout" on the site. The miles went by pretty fast mostly due to the great scenery.Then I got into some rain drops. Not heavy, but definitely rain. Was in it for about 10 minutes. Then back to the mist. Useless to use the wiper since the inside of the windshield was as wet as the outside. I seldom turn the wiper on unless it's snowing and sticking to the windshield. I've driven in the rain so much the past few years without using a wiper that I don't even think about it. I guess I just look between the rain drops. Drives my wife nuts when we're in her car! I've tried Rain-Ex. It doesn't work on my flat windshield. Oh well. Drove in and out of rain and mist all day. Never did put up the top... it wasn't rainiing all that hard.South of the Oregon/California border there's a place called Crescent City. Changed roads to US Hgwy. #199. Soon crossed into the state of Oregon in the continuing mist/rain. Pulled into Grants Pass, OR in rain. Decided to call it a day before I got back on I-5.Found a motel. Boy are they getting expensive. Most of the time a room for one for one night, AARP rate, was a minimum of $85 to $95. Combined with the high cost of premium gas, the trip was going through money like it was anti-freeze! I did my usual end-of-the-day routine. Didn't wash the roadster since it was still raining. Great day despite the wetness. Lots of scenery to look at as well as rusty hulks in ranches and farms. Gave the roadster a quick visual once over. Everything looked to still be attached.... at least nothing was hanging from it. Hadn't turned a bolt or screw on this trip...... unless you count changing the H-10 spark plugs in LA. They were on their last legs when I left Denver. Figured I'd run the last bit of life out of them and then change on the road. In LA they finally gave up the ghost and I changed in LA at the hotel.Gas mileage for the day was 20.8 mpg. Not to bad for a rod with zero streamlining! I had added one quart of oil thus far. The dip stick said it was full at the motel.Later that night I called Stan and said I'd be in Portland on Friday sometime around 3 or 4 PM. Said I'd call and get directions when I got there. ....... rumble seat

Day 12

Friday, June 24, 2005 Finally got out of the mist and rain mid-morning. Got into Portland, Oregon in the afternoon. Called Stan Ochs (aka Flatout) and met him at his place in the town of Boring (which is a suburb of Portland). Stan gave me directions to his place which was just two blocks beyond Wescott Manufacturing. Stood around his driveway and got acquainted for a time before taking my roadster down the road and getting me something to eat. Stan has a host of neat cars. One is a duece high boy roadster that sports a four banger with Winfield head, cam, and dual 97 Strombergs. He'd run it at the 1999 Muroc Lake reunion. Artist Tom Fritz did a painting of his roadster at this event. The painting is fantastic and looks very realistic due to such things as lake dust being stirred up by the tires and air. Prints of this have been sold world wide. Eddie Cole was crouched down behind the steering wheel. We talked flatheads while I stuffed my face. Then we returned to his place and he opened his garage. He keeps it under a dead bolt and a huge chain/padlock. It was broken into once and he lost a couple of cars and a lot of rare parts. So he now locks it securely. I got to see his cars. The aforementioned '32 roadster, a '34 Ford PU with a flathead, a '48 Ford convertible with a flathead, a '34 Ford fordor, and a '35 Ford phaeton with a flathead. Every one is a great car. I couldn't stand to have that many rods! It'd drive me nuts since I'd never have time to go on a long run! Time flew by and soon it was time to leave. Next stop would be near Seattle, WA. Called Ken Wall. He and his wife, Jan, are members of the Denver Timing Association and come to Denver a couple of times each year. Ken wasn't home. Jan said he was at a Model A meeting and show and she'd call him and tell him I was in town. Between the three of us, we managed to set up meeting for 1:00 at a place a short distance from their home in Mukilteo, WA. Ken was on time. Followed him to his house. Good thing too, I'd never have it. These crooked subdivision layouts are really confusing to us out-of-towners. Ken's home is on the bay and has views of the bay out in two windows. Beautiful views. We talked for a few minutes before Ken said the Model A guys at the meeting would like to see my roadster and flathead. Seems Ken had told them I drove it "some" (I think that's how Ken put it). So we unloaded baggage and drove to the meeting place...... like that was a short trip. It's over an hour from Ken's home! Super place in the woods and had lots of restored vehicles and tractors in some of the many garages. Even had a forties something Plymouth coupe with head, carbs, and split manifold. Pretty rare to see one of these. Lots of space everywhere and a great work shop. The club had a picnic going and there were lots of Model A's and a lone '65 (?) Lincoln one of the members had just gotten. Super clean car and sure didn't need any restoration as far as I was concerned. The Model A's were all super. Each one seemed to be special in one respect or another. I never did learn Model A's so was unaware they had made lots of specials. The men all gathered around my car and we talked flatheads for a while. Ken and I each enjoyed a 'burger and a beer. Pretty soon, Ken and I left and headed back to Ken's. Ken and Jan insisted I stay with them, so we went out to dinner and spent the evening talking. Ken had moved things around so there was room in his upper 3-4 car garage for my car. His lower two car garage had his custom '52 Merc convertible in it. It has a late model front end, a 460 OHV Ford engine, and a C-6 trans. It has a "Carson" top. It won best radical custom at the Seattle Goodguys in 2004. It was featured in Rod and Custom in 2004. Super car from one end to another. Next to my heap in the upper garage was his next project... a Model A pickup with a hopped up four banger. It's about 70% done already. The next day was Sunday. In the afternoon, we drove out to his project he's just now finishing.... a '36 Ford Roadster. I've been trying to get to see this for three years, but never could make it. So it was a real treat for me. It's a radical custom by anyone's definition. All he had to start with was a cowl for a '36 roadster. He used a coupe for most of the panels and fenders. Except he's made major alterations to every nook and corner of the car. The fenders are all extended. The front fenders have '37 headlights in place of the '36 units. The front end was extended a few inches which required major surgery on the fenders. The running boards are removed and the fenders extended to hide the frame. The windshield frame was done by Ken. It resembles a DuVal, except it fits the car and compliments the car whereas a DuVal wouldn't have. It's solid brass. The rear deck lid is a from a '40 Ford and the contour lines match the back of the coupe. Fantastic is the only word that fits. I simply don't know where Ken gets his patience. He's older than I am and is at the shop (about 45 minutes each way) five days a week from 8-5... just like a real job. Jan always packs his lunch so he won't have to go out and get something to eat. The roadster grill is unbelievable. He made each bar and then made a jig to bend and mold them. The grill is amazing in itself. The car is nearly completed. It should be in the paint shop by know. Then the upholstry shop. Sunday evening three of Ken's friends came by his house. They're lurkers on the flathead site and had lots of questions about flatheads. Pretty knowledgeable people and they all are interested in learning about flathead. I did some serious old time tale talking. I've got to stop that... I'm sure these old stories are boring to everyone but me. Monday morning I called Robert Frye (the famous rodnut) in Kingston, WA. This is on the other side of the bay from Seatlle. It was raining pretty good so I said we'd call him when it broke up. Finally it stopped. Called rodnut and said we were leaving and we'd call him from the MacDonalds we'd met a few years back. Said it'd be about noon. Ken knew the roads so it didn't take long to get to the ferry. Took the ferry across the bay under threatening skies. So what... it always rains on me in Seattle! Called rodnut. Went into MacDucks to wait for him. Several people were gathered around the roadster laying in the parking lot in short order. Ken and I went out since we had jackets just laying in the seat. Talked with them and showed them the flathead until rodnut pulled in. After introducing him to Ken , we followed him to his home. Finally I've learned how to get to his house. Now he's not safe when I'm in the area. Pulled up to his home to be greeted by Tracy... his black Lab. Tracy was a pup when I first met her. Now she's starting to get gray on her muzzle. I'm sure she didn't remember me, but I like to think she did. Tugged her ear and scratched her neck while she wagged her tail. Then we went into rodnut's garage. He's been building a '39 coupe. Absolutely breathtaking green color. Prettiest green I've ever seen. And he did an outstanding job finishing the paint job. Smooth as glass now after countless hours color sanding and rubbing out. The car is nearly done. He's going to put in his new headliner within a week or so. The engine is in and has been run and driven. But sitting in the corner is an old McCullogh (sp) blower! It's going on next now that he's run the engine. He'll finish the coupe as soon as he finishes building his Harley. And that's nearly done also. Then he showed us his other stall. A '65 (?) Plymouth. The red paint is flawless which is why he bought it.. or so he said. The engine was shot so rodnut built one up. Talk about hp! He fired it and it almost sounded like an old gasser! I'd estimate it makes something over 450 hp! Now that shouldn't have any problem turning the rear wheels! It was sprinkling but not near hard enough to put up the top. Ken wanted me to see another collection. Robert knew the guy. So off we went. Followed Robert since the three of us would be too crowded in the roadster. Besides, Tracy would get to go for a ride if Robert took his SUV. Met Gary Olsen. He's got a finished red '34 roadster with an OHV, a finished black '40 coupe with a flathead, a '39 or '40 convertible that's nearing completion, and a '32 Brookville roadster that'll have an OHV. Gary asked if the '32 roadster looked familar. I said no, He said he'd bought it from Ken Wall who had bought it from Chuck Lane in Denver a couple of years ago. Chuck is a member of the Denver Roadsters and came on hard times when he retired as a pilot for United Airlines. He lost most of the retirement he'd worked for. Matter of fact, he's an over-the-road trucker now to make ends meet. Tough to lose your hot rod that you've worked and saved towards. Gary has a super shop besides having entirely too many hot rods. Time was running out. We had to leave soon or miss the ferry. Rodnut led us back to the fairy. Hated saying goodbye to him. Like the last visit, we didn't spend near enough time together. Maybe he, and other guys on this site, will get to Denver and visit me? Got back to Ken's. Packed the roadster so I'd be ready to leave first thing Tuesday AM. Tuesday AM I had coffee with Ken and Jan. Left out of there early and headed towards Baine WA to meet Scotty. The overcast soon went away. Sunny skies for a change! ....... rumble seat

Day 16

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 Left Ken Wall's place in Mukilteo and got on I-5 north bound. Baine, OR is only about 60 miles from Mukilteo so it would be a short ride. Baine, WA is located on the USA side (barely) of the Canada/US border. Scotty sure nailed it when his e-mail said "Baine is located at the bitter end of I-5 on the Canadian border.". Baine is a small town on the coast. Pretty picturesque too. The weather was sunny and warm when I left Mukilteo. About 20 miles north I got off the interstate and pulled into a restaurant for breakfast. Took my time eating for a change. I wasn't very far from Baine and I was running early. Came out of the restaurant to find the sun had forsaken the whole world and had taken the warm temperature with it when it left. Cloudy with dark threatening skies and it would be quite cool in the open roadster. Put on my So-Cal leather jacket and zipped it up. Got out my winter gloves and put them on. Started up the roadster, turned on the heater, and left the parking lot. The heat from the heater sure felt good on my legs. The skies soon asserted themselves by turning loose a heavy mist…. which quickly turned into a drizzle…. and then into a light rain. Plenty of water laying on the road to make the light roadster want to hydroplane. Slowed down. Still had the top down. People passing just stared at the old codger in an old decrepit car without a top. There was considerable splash back from the passing cars. The roadster had been clean when I left that morning, but it was now streaked with road mung from one end to the other. A few miles south of Baine, I drove out of the rain and into the sun. A blue sky with dry highway. Got into Baine and found a gas station with a coffee shop. Filled up with gas (premium) and dumped in some octane boost before going in for a cup of joe. I wasn't cold, but the hot coffee went down good. Next order of business was to find a car wash to wash the road mung off. I couldn't let Scotty see a dirty car. Gave up looking and asked directions to one. Followed the directions and got a good coin operated car wash. Gave it a good bath and wipe down. The engine was a pig pen, but it usually is on the road. I hosed it off, but it didn't help a whole lot. I try to keep it clean but it's marginal at best. The next item was to find a pay phone. Yeah, like that's easy in this day and age of cell phones. Found one in a small shopping center. Called Scotty and described where I was. He said he'd be there shortly. He soon pulled up in his daily driver pickup. Followed him to his place to drop off his pickup and go to lunch. Took the flathead down town to a restaurant. Good lunch with some good conversation. Scotty loves the outdoors and is an avid fisherman and hunter. After lunch, we went back to his place where I met his wife, Maureen. She'd just gotten off work. An super lady and she's as anxious to get their Merc on the road as Scotty is. She made this 'ol road bum feel welcome. Scotty and I were soon in his garage and I got to see his current project. A '51 Merc fordor. Maroon in color. Solid car with very straight sheet metal. It didn't have any engine when he got it and he's putting an 8BA that's been bored out. He's planning on using a 3¾" crank. Suggested he save up and go with a 4" crank since the Merc is fairly heavy. Scotty is doing virtually everything himself. Everything I saw showed quality workmanship. Got to take Maureen for a short ride around her neighborhood. She seemed to enjoy it. Then I used their computer to catch up with what's been going on with the web site. Made a short entry. We spent the afternoon in the garage yakking about street rods and restored cars. They offered me a room for the night, but I begged off…. telling them I had a hard time sleeping and I was usually up much of the night stirring around. And I'd just disturb them. They're both very gracious people and Maureen had even baked a pie for an after dinner desert. I said I'd feel better if we went out to dinner since I sure didn't want to put them out anymore than I already had. They finally agreed on the condition I have a slice of pie. Before I forget… it was delicious. I asked her if she knew of any motels since Scotty didn't. She told me where there were a couple. Drove to one and got a room. Unloaded the usual clothing baggage from the rumble seat before taking a shower. Then back to Scotty's. The three of us got in the roadster and went to dinner. Three adults in a roadster certainly is chummy. Not that I had any kind of problem with Maureen sitting next to me! The restaurant served some really great Mexican food and cold beer. Life is good! Back to Scotty's for a short time. Then I said my good-byes and went back to the motel. Saying goodbye to good friends really tears me up anymore. Don't know whether it's my old age or what. Maybe it's because I know I'll probably never see them again. Sad to me. Sometimes these trips make me feel really old… but then I am old. The next day I'd be on Vancouver Island in Canada. Up early before daylight. Loaded the roadster with baggage and got everything ready for the border crossing. I had been warned to bring a current drivers license along with my birth certificate… or else a current passport. They will not let you in or out of Canada without them. And Xerox copies are not a viable option. So I got these papers in order before I left the motel room. It was about a half hour after sunrise when everything was ready and I left Baines for the border. Yeah… like that would be a long run… try fifty feet! Never even got out of second gear before I was stopping! Pulled up the Port Of Entry (POE). The guard there closely examined my driver's license and birth certificate. Asked where I was going and what was the purpose of the visit, etc., etc., etc.. And did I have any guns with me. He asked several other questions before directing me to pull over to one of the parking spots and then go inside the POE building. There was only one other car there at that early hour. I was parked two spots from it. It was a white Toyota sedan. There were two POE personnel going through the Toyota big time. The man, his wife, and their two children (about 10-13 years old) were standing and watching. I wondered if they might be from India or somewhere like it from their mode of dress and appearance. The POE men had the all seats out of the car, the door panels were off, and everything taken out of the trunk. There are glass windows in the POE building where they check out luggage etc. I could see two other POE persons were going through their baggage…. one piece at a time. They must have thought they were trying to smuggle in something illegal or ??????? Following my instructions, I went into the building and up to the counter. A woman wanted my birth certificate and driver's license. She asked several questions that were like, or similar to the POE guard. She also asked questions about particulars that were on the birth certificate and driver's license. Questions that might have tripped up someone who was using someone else's papers. Then she got on a computer before disappearing into another room. I sure wasn't looking forward to unloading the rumble seat, tools, and parts. Lots of stuff for sure. The little car was packed tightly with not an inch of empty space. It'd take me at least two hours to get everything back in the right place so I could shut the deck lid. It looked like I had a long morning ahead of me. After about 15 minutes she returned to the counter and handed me back my papers saying "Thank you sir. You're free to enter Canada. Enjoy your time in Canada!" That was it! No search or nothing. I guess they thought an old geezer in a decrepit old hot rod wasn't any kind of threat. So now I was in Canada. As I went back to the car I noticed the POE people now had removed the carpets out of the car and trunk. Talk about being thorough! Cranked over the flathead and pulled out onto the road. I was ready for breakfast and would watch for a place as I drove to the SW part of Vancouver to catch a ferry to Vancouver Island. We all know everything in Canada is on the metric system. Since I don't recognize metric numbers as fast and easily as our American numbering system, I'd have to convert their numbers to numbers that meant something to this old addled brain. Since 100 km/hr is very close to 60 mph, I would multiply the km/hr by 0.6 to get mph. Like converting 60 km/hr to mph is 36 mph. Found a place for breakfast. It was pretty bad, but I ate it anyway. Found the ferry okay. Stopped at the ticket window. The woman said I'd just missed the ferry by 5 minutes! Damn. If I hadn't stopped for the lousy breakfast! Now I'd have to wait for nearly two hours for the next ferry. Got a ferry ticket. All the ferries are owned and operated by the Canadian Government. Cost to take your car and you across the bay? $45 American for me and the car. All additional passengers are $10 each. I used my credit card since I hadn't bothered in converting American money into Canadian money. Partly because I don't know what their monetary denominations mean. Funny thing about using an American credit card. They prefer credit cards because the get a break on the rate of exchange. They even like it when you use a credit card for something as little as a slice of pie and coffee! Drove to the ferry landings and parked where I was told to. There are several ferries to various places other than Nanaimo that use this landing. So I wasn't the only one waiting. It was great weather at least. Wandered through the tourist shops to kill time. Talk about money makers! There were several buses full of tourists from other countries soon showed up. They too were waiting for a ferry. They tourists exited from those buses like they were on fire. They flooded the shops and bought nearly every thing that wasn't bolted down. I spent about an hour talking with people and dock workers about the roadster and engine. At least it helped passing the time. The woman parked in the next lane asked where I was going. I told her I was going to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and meet someone before going up the coast to Qualicum Beach. She had seen me pouring over my road Atlas. She said she was born and had lived on the island her entire life. She gave me a super book of maps of the island saying she didn't have any need of it. I offered to pay her for it, but she said I'd sure enough earned it talking to people about my car for the past hour! The map book was a live saver since it showed lots more details than my Road Atlas did. The ferry finally came. They sure know what they're doing. Took less than 10 minutes to load all the cars and get underway. We shoved off for the two hour ride to Nanaimo. I layed topside by way of the starboard ladder to the geedunk ('ol navy talk for "I went up to the top of the ship using stairs on the right side of the ship to the eating area" or something like that) and got a seat by a window. Took a nap…. hey, I'm really good at that! Woke up when we were about 10 minutes out of Nanaimo. Talk about good timing! Got off the ferry and found a phone after driving about 10 miles around Nanaimo. Pay phones are almost a thing of the past. It was inside the mall of a shopping center. Called Bill Boomer (4tford) and told him where I was. He said he was leaving and would be there shortly. When he got there he said Tom Russell who lives in Qualicum Beach was at a car show, but he'd called him and Tom would meet us in Qualicum at this home. Bill wasn't driving his '40 since he was visiting his in-laws in Nanaimo. He lives in the lower part of Saskatchewan and was heading for home within a day or so. I followed Bill north on highway 19 which is next to the beach. Beautiful drive with lots of scenery and pretty beaches. The town of Qualicum is about 30 miles north of Nanaimo. Blue skies and warm weather… my kind of day. Bill knew exactly where Tom lived. He pulled into a driveway with me right behind him. The driveway has a good downhill slope which takes off from the residential rode. The result is a hump that's a pan dragger for anything that doesn't have the ground clearance of a Hummer. And mine sure doesn't. So I drug the pan pretty good each and every time I went in or out his driveway. Sure ended up with a shiny drain plug! Met Tom Russell (27TV8). He'd left the car show and was waiting in the driveway when we drove up. Talked for a few minutes before I said I hadn't eaten and I had to eat. Tom had, but Bill hadn't. So the three of us piled into the roadster to go to lunch. This was REALLY chummy. Not nearly as nice as Maureen and Scotty! Drove back into the main part of town and parked outside a restaurant. Spent about an hour over lunch. Most talk was cars and flatheads. When we came out, there were several people looking over the '34. It always attracted a lot of attention….. especially the engine. Found out later this was because of all the speed equipment and alterations to the engine and roadster. Part of this may be attributed to their insurance requirements. Tom and Bill told me some things about their insurance requirements.… at least I hope this is pretty close. There is only one car insurance carrier in Canada. It's government owned and operated. Insurance rates are a lot cheaper than in the US and claims are seldom a hassle. But, and this is a mighty big but, the car must be absolutely stock to get insurance. The car has to be inspected by one of their people. And what he says goes. They'll turn down a car for any alterations whatsoever…. like an aftermarket air cleaner or an exhaust pipe extension! They said a friend had restored a '55 Ford and was ready to get his insurance and license plates. The inspector turned him down because he'd replaced the naugahyde seat inserts with cloth fabric! He showed him '55 Ford brochures that offered cloth inserts exactly like the ones in his car. The inspector said the brochures were wrong and '55 Fords didn't have any such option! Like he knows everything! It took 6 months and a certified letter from Ford Motor Company stating cloth inserts were an option in '55! Talk about hen house inspectors. I'd like to inspect one of the inspectors personnel cars to see just how many changes are on it. I'd bet big bucks it doesn't have the same brand and type of tires it came with…. nor the same brand of air cleaner element….. or brand of plugs… or light bulbs… or battery…. and the list would go on and on. No car with over 10,000 miles is original despite what people claim. Tom has an original '56 Chev he's going through right now. Very nice solid car. His hot rod is a '27 "T" touring sedan with full fenders and boards. Color is right… black! Power is from a 59AB flathead. Neat rod and looked like a lot of fun to drive from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans! Tom's house overlooks the beach and bay. It has a fantastic view, but I'd not notice it since I'd spend most of my time in one of the garages. Bill, Tom and I sat around yakking the rest of the afternoon. It was dusk when I finally had to leave. I said my good byes. I'd have liked to have seen Bill's '40 Ford. Bet it's a super ride too. He lives near Regina. (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada? Let's see… Saskatchewan borders Montana and Regina is only about 100 miles north from the eastern edge of Montana. Maybe a trip north next year?????????) I wanted to get to Courtenay before dark and stay there. That way I could get up in time to catch an early ferry to Powell River which is on the mainland. Got into Courtenay just before dark. Found a motel and called it a day after following my normal routine. Tomorrow would be the last meeting of forum guys on the 2005 run. Then I'd head east toward Kamloops before turning south and going home. Neat run so far…. would that change? ……… rumble seat