Good Ol' Fashion Hot Rod Road Trip!

Thanks for bringing us along on your road trip. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the pictures and updates.
That was my kind of road trip.

 

The time spent I with this thread was an unexpected pleasure.
Thank You for bringing this together.
The experience of getting away from home and exploring the roadways, makes life rewarding.
Glad to share it.

 

Well put, Gene.

I'll add that most of us try and anticipate the type of roadside repair that might be required and plan accordingly. We all carry a tool box of sorts. In various hidden spots in my car, mostly between the usable trunk space and the interior cabin in a hidden compartment, I carry the following items: a spare alternator, fuel pump, set of belts, spare distributor loaded with points and condenser, a new set of points and condenser (up until a few weeks before the trip, I was running a Pertronix unit and carried a spare, after some questionable timing readings I was getting at full mechanical advance, and that were confirmed on a distributor machine, I reverted back to points and condenser), a collection of nuts, bolts, washers, wire, wire crimper/terminal set, baling wire, zip ties, a space saver spare tire and jack, duct tape and electrical tape (I also keep a small note pad listing my spares and where I have them squirrelled away to help find quickly should it be necessary).

Thanks guys...these types of comments and all the "likes" received on the travel posts were very encouraging and helped me to put the time aside to update daily.

Another thing I'd like to add...at age 63 (almost 64), I am one of the younger Can-Am Curmudgeons...there are a few younger than me, but not many. Many in the group are in their early to mid 80's and obviously very active and engaged in the hobby. I really respect these guys, and hope that I too will have the same zest for life and the hobby as I approach their age. One of the joke type comments that's been made a number of times within our group sums it up well, "we're all just circling the drain".

 

The photo of Bill was taken at one of the view point stops along the "Million Dollar Highway"...hwy 550, a fantastic drive between Silverton and Ouray.

 

Trips and stories like yours help a lot of folks.
Folks like Toe Truck Tom, who maybe have never been west, north west. I am/was fortunate to have been a truck driver/operator for 40 years and have seen most of the country you traveled. Even some of your great country a couple times. BUT, without the time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, even IF there was a pull off to accommodate an 80 ft rig.

A great big thank you to all of you.

Ben

 

I enjoy reading of the ro(a)d trips, reminds me to start getting back out and explore. Just over 30 years ago, my wife and I drove our Model A roadster to Spokane and back. Over 4000 miles, and 14 days. She was 3 months pregnant at the time, and we just enjoyed the sight along the way, talking with any and everyone who asked about the car and our trip. Retired for 6 years now, with the Covid interruption, we're just starting to think about the road trips.
Thanks for the ride along!

 

As I said early on, I've connected with this group in the last couple years (and feel very fortunate to have done so!)...but they've been doing these annual tours for about 12 or 13 years now. Oak, one of the travelling minstrels makes up and shares poems and songs as we travel along. I'm not sure how well this link will work, but here he is singing about the 2014 tour accompanied by his cigar box ukulele.

 

And something I never thought of, a tire plug kit

 

Me too!...other adds I'll be looking into is the smallest tire compressor available and one of those mini jump boxes (I had no idea they made them that small).

 

Well, I missed you guys when going through the show, and never could cross paths when you were staying at the hotel next to us in Pueblo

 

Thanks for the ride, great adventure

 

Thanks again Tim for your travel log! You guys could have stayed over on the Wenatchee area and taken in a car show in Cashmere Saturday ( 179 cars). I sense the urge to get home was pretty strong as you passed through the Wenatchee area on Highway 2. It is a pretty drive from Spokane to Wenatchee. I usually choose that route when driving a Hot Rod.

Sam

 

Sam, you sensed correctly...and, I promised my better half a ride through the area later this summer to drop off a package for you.

 

I wish I could have connected with you guys at Pueblo, I was taking some meds that made me very sensitive to the sun so I remained in the shade. Thanks for a great thread.

 

One of the best car adventures on here, Thanks for taking us along!

 

Thanks for the ride along, epic trip.

 

And a big THANK YOU for all the trip coverage. We got to get in a visit in Pueblo on the first day. I checked out the group of you in the shady area. great trip, Great coverage. thanks again.

 

I have one of those boxes in my truck. Probably need to buy another for the hot rod. Good idea on the tire compressor

 

I suggest the Noco brand, I bought two for my wife and I several years ago and they haven't missed a beat. Mine is the 2,000 amp, hers is the 1,000, both work fine. Some (all?) have a flashlight for emergencies and can be used to charge your phone.

Another recommended very small item for your roadside kit is Magic Wrap. We discovered it when my dad blew a hole in a rad hose on a Sunday afternoon near Olds, Alberta, and the only thing open was a hardware store. That Magic Wrap repaired upper rad hose stayed on the truck for about 1,500 km before he felt like changing it. The stuff works great and can get you out of a bind. Finding water or coolant is easy, but hoses not as much. Google it, it's available at a lot of places. I keep a roll in all my hot rods. Link for your perusal: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...-rubber-tape-black-1-in-x-16-ft-0670300p.html

 

Thanks for giving me a lift on your road trip! Excellent report and fantastic pics!!

Hope to meet up with you in Cloverdale at the show...

 

I’ll have to keep up with this group. Would be fun to tag along with the group on one of the legs of their route.

 

Thank you Tim for the stellar accounting of our adventure,...best one yet! In re-living the trip via some of my own pics, thought I'd share for those who can't get enough.
The Sprint Boat Races were part of the rationale for this particular CanAm Curmudgeon outing. The town of St. John WA and Webb's Slough Crew accommodated our visit in a very welcoming way.
Not a bad seat in the house. We had our own VIP canopy in the top tier, next to the beer concession.
Amazing boats at about 13 feet with 1000+ HP small blocks.

 

Thanks Bill (aka Colonel)...I'm going to try and link a video of one of the fastest boats in the unlimited class. This driver really demonstrates the principle of "slow is smooth and smooth is fast"...not to mention an engine that sings at 8000rpm plus.

 

Wonderful trip and I'm finally back on the HAMB with B2's help!

 

Thanks for sharing an awesome adventure. Tom sent me the link, glad he did as I just seem too busy to check out the HAMB lately. I too would be on the younger side of the Curmudgeons. Maybe see you in Victoria next summer. Keep the shiny side up, and keep on drivin'

 

Okay Boys and Girls,....here's the route of the 2024 CanAm Curmudgeons Cruise.
Circled are start and termination points as well as overnight stops. The double circled denote where the Yanks and Canucks came together on June 13 in Auburn, WA and separated on June 25 in Salina, ID. Highest mileage guys are Tim Misko, anothercarguy, Deuce 3 window, Dave Carter Model A Roadster Pick'm Up and B3 Bill Hogue, Red 33 Roadster.


Rationale for the trip, besides the Beer, BS and Burnin Fossil Fuel was the Sprint Boat Races, visiting Pinkee's shop and Brewpub, NSRA Rosky Mountain Nats and driving the Million Dollar Highway.

 

Thanks for the detailed map.

 

For anyone interested in driving the "Million Dollar Hwy" aka hwy 550 from Silverton to Ouray, this video (credit to Oak, our videographer, minstral and poet/songwriter) gives a pretty good feel for it.

 

I tried posting and it went away. Whatzup? Any insights?