You guys rule!!!!! So glad I got to meet up with you at this great event.......Hope the rest of the trip home is good and safe for you.
Very cool story and memories. Way to go just packing into the RPU and taking it. The ride through Price canyon is quite beautiful, as well as the western CO canyons.
Mike! Suzi and I were/ are VERY honored to get your pick race day! Not to mention blown away!! It's a pretty humble little RPU hot rod compared to some of the awesome cars you could have picked. Thank you again!!
What brand of sun screen are you using? They should pay for your trip! You nor your pickup have anything to be humble about.
Wow! That was gutsy driving out, racing and driving back in your RPU. The night I rode home from the Sacramento SoCal Speed shop party with you was an adventure, and that was only 60 miles. Hats off to the two of you, and thanks for posting the pictures and the story.
Day 7: Out of the mountains and into the wide-open. This also means into the heat! The landscape along I-70 past Green River, UT to I-15 was spectacular. Headed south down I-15. That was a long, flat, hot drive. When that's the case, what do you do? Stop in Beaver, UT to find a shade tree to sit under and cool down. And then we decided what we really needed was pie and coffee. Arshel's was the perfect spot for that. Nice folks serving homemade pie. Dell, the owner, entertained us with his car stories and shenanigans, personally and over hearing his conversation with some other customers. Priceless. With belly's and gas tank full, back in the car to St. George where we stopped for the night. After the hot day we were rewarded with a cool oasis in the form of a pool and palm trees. Perfect way to end the day! Suzi
This event is about the Hot Rods and the People that drive them. The fearlessness, commitment, and perseverance to make the trip to Georgetown, Colorado from Petaluma, California is AWESOME. Thank you for making the trip, I'm honored you drove the whole way.. both ways!
First things first...thank you all for the gracious comments and encouragement. We're both really pleased you all find our trip interesting. Thanks for the support! Six Ball, I would love to share a cold one with you! This trip we'll be heading west, south of I 50 though. I've been on 50 a number of times and love it, so give us a rain check! And thanks for the rescue offer too, always good to know. And Arshel's too , that's wild...what a find! Sunscreen? That's a hat and goggles!! I do wish someone WOULD pay me to make these runs. How bout a few more pics from Day 7... Ahhhh, St. George oasis! Johnny
I was wondering what kind of cruising speed does someone average in a open cab race truck through the expansive west out in the elements?
Anytime, I'm near Dayton and Virginia City. I bet on this trip there was always a HAMBer within rescue range. If I ever get my roadster built I want to drive it to LSR. I want to be like you when I grow up.
This is exactly right. And this is what having an old car is all about, I don't care if its a hot rod or an old sports car or a whatever, the experience is in driving the car, not letting it sit around. Johnny happens to be my brother so I have been in on this since the get go and I have to say, it IS awesome what he and Suzi did.
Somehow I got into the racing stuff and not the rodding if my life, and I sure want to thank you John & Suzi for posting their pictures and road trip story so guys like me can see how much fun that kind of trip would be It is a real plus to see them in a real Hot Rod instead of a hi-buck trailer queen as that is what its all about !! Plus having life time memories and making new friends too along the way ' Priceless ' Sincerely Don
Runnin shine and Bam.inc, yea thanks for asking. Normally we'll cruise between 70 and 75 mph all day long. When it got really hot 6/7 days in (100+) we eased back to 65mph. It was easier on us and probably the rpu too! Water temp stayed between 190 and 200 on really hot days, under 190 most of the time. It's a 59ab motor, standard '39 trans (3 speed), '40 rear banjo with 378 gears, 7.00x16 rear tires. I'm way happy with the setup! Johnny This was between Wendover and Salt Lake City on the way out.
Thanks for mph, temp, gauge stats. I like your (non-traditional speedo smart-phone, ;-) ) wild how occasionally accurate those are. Bet you dreamed of 4th,5th gear on some long stretches? Also noticed one of you're most important equipment upgrade, GOGGLES! Sweet trip & thanx for takin us HAMB thread wanna-be's.
Thanks bro, that means a TON coming from you! My big brother Ric has been doing this forever (well, my whole life anyway) and is the mechanic I always wanted to be. He's my go to guy when I have a mechanical issue on the road I can't solve myself. (he got the call the morning we left as a heads up) He's also great on the road trips we share, so...next year you're coming too, in the new roadster! My big brother. Thanks for all the support!
My first hot rod road trip was in the summer of 1958 when my big brother and I took his '39 Ford Standard coupe from Canyon, Texas to Pittsburg, California. He was 18 and I was 13. Big Brothers and good things.
WOW! What a road trip I've been on quite a few, but never in a RPU or flathead powered anything! Mine have been in mid 60s cars where the seats are more cushiony, the rides a little better and I have a roof over my head! You two deserve a weeks worth of massages and saunas, after all that road time! Congratulations on a successful trip and THANK YOU for letting us tag along! Joe
Don't let this trip go to Johnny's head, although he and Sue seem super alright to me. To top it they'll have to take all un-paved roads next year and then after that what? I can't wait to find out, this is one of my all time favorite miniseries'!
Well after the purely dirt road trip in 2016 there's this. I don't know if they would be able to race though.
You guys are funny! Thanks much, giddy-up!! Day 8: Rest day, rest day! Yea, we decided to hang in St. George a day. With the 104 temp, just couldn't leave the pool! Did explore St. George a bit. The pioneer museum, the wonderful kids water feature in the town square, and best of all, a poke bowl lunch at "the Hawaiian bowl" talking story with the owner Roberta! On a car note: I did tackle the shift issue. The trans had been getting hard to get into first and dropping out of 2nd too easily. I probably could have nursed it home that way but it didn't feel like gears, and was getting worse, so I decided to find some shade, pull the shift tower and have a look. Turns out the pin holding the shift fork to the detent shaft had sheered. It left the fork sloppy so sometimes wouldn't allow the shift lever to engage the fork. Odd failure. But, dig into the bottom of the toolbox, find cotter pin, ball peen hammer, and bingo...another hotel parking lot fix! Another reason for NO interior! Mmmmmmmm...? Aaahhhhh...should work?! See ya. Johnny
So cool, Bro!!! My FAVORITE RPU, by far!!!!! You know I'm all about the spartan interior for the same reason too!!!
The Jalopy Journal
