Thanks, Roger - we've been traveling Rt 66 the entire way so we would avoid it but others trying to avoid it could cause a jam - we will flip t the other side like you said then cut back .... thank you for the heads up!
Andy, I had a blast hanging with you guys - you know you are the man, the myth, and the legend in my book as I've now seen your work first hand. We had Keith going pretty good with us shooting quips back and forth there for awhile, huh? You stay cool and we'll catch you in the fast lane soon - oh, what am I saying - the slow lane as we STILL are the Slow Bones, the Slow Speed Division of the Rolling Bones ...
Tom, Same here, it was a total blast my friend. Do you have any photos of my shop lunch party you can send me? I did not get to take many and would like to have some. Mayor Dennis Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Thanks, Keith - it was really great rolling with you guys. You treated us "newbies" like vets and we appreciated it. As far as am I still smiling, you bet - I'm always smiling. The adventure continues until Sat or Sunday and we are having a blast ....
Hey, Bret, my whole adventure is a blurr right now and it's still going on - no worries. The HAMB drags could not have had a more perfect setting in every respect. I know the weather was really stupendous this year but it's a must do so just do it, Bart!
John, thanks - Lord do I have stories to tell - I just hope I don't forget them all! Just kidding - just trying to give everyone a feel of how each day goes by from wake up until you crash at night. It's an adventure, a hot rod adventure - I didn't think I could top my Austin trip, now I don't know if I'll ever top this one. I'm just really happy I'm doing it ... see you to home. Maybe we'll do a garage night or day at my place and I'll run the videos, the pics, and relate some of the stories .....
Dennis - I have some and so does Chuck - I will send them to you once I get home - PM me to remind me in about a week ....
Tom, The trip sounds absolutely killer! Thanks for the (near) daily progress! Are you still planning on passing through my neck-o-the-woods on your way home? You're still welcome to stop by!
Tom, I'd like to jump in here and say what a pleasure it was to make the trip with you and Chuck. You have a great car which is very well built. You are really racking up the miles for sure. You guys might want to brave the winter cold and come up to the Feb garage night at the Boners shop. We generally make a weekend of it. Butch
Brett - thanks, man - unfortunately I think I will miss NC all together. Things are a bit turned around at home and I need to get back sometime Sat night. Since I'm dropping Chuck off in Cinnci, OH, I can't really justify the swing south. Next time I hope - thanks for the invite .....
It was great hanging with you Butch - we loved talking with you and thank you for your kind words. See you in Feb I hope ....
Saw this car cruising down I80 between Des Moines and Omaha last Saturday. I need to make it to Mecca one of these years. BTW that car is the shit. Looked like you had a lot fun Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Day 19 Cuba, MO, the town where the Wagon Wheel motel is, is really a nice little town. Clean, friendly, nice murals painted on some of the town buildings, and a great Menonite Café. If you know the Amish, the know how to cook we had some great muffins and coffee really good. While at the café we fixed a loose shock mount that came loose probably because of the previous days pounding. We talked cars a bit with the owner/manager a and we then went on our way. I really like the way the Wagon Wheel Motel was restored by the owner they kept the nice old oak flooring, dark stained wood/trim, nice neutral wall colors. Its all about the detail, just like in cars if you can appreciate it with cars, you can do the same with home/structures - same principles apply, just different materials. We again set out on Rt 66 and continued to get pounded by some of the roadway. We tried our best to avoid what we could and I kept my fingers crossed we wouldnt break anything. We drove out of MO, around St Lou, and then into Illinois Rt 66 where the roads were even worse if that could be imagined. We stopped at the restored old time Shell station in Mt Olive and then we had a rather strange encounter. We had just pulled up, parked the car as if we were getting gas and started to take pics when a group of 20-30 bikers pulled up. Normally theres some talk and chatter but with this group, there was silence nothing was said. They were smiling and all looked to be in fairly new if not new leathers, and we said wed just be a few more minutes to take pics and wed be on our way. We said hello and so one toa few but no one responded. They just kept smiling and taking pics of the station and the car. As we pulled away, Chuck figured it out they were German and on a bike tour (Sturgis perhaps?). But usually Germans, especially the younger ones, can speak English quite well. It was all strange just not so much in a bad way but a strange one. My best friend from home wanted me to check out a 46 Ford p-up at Country Classic Cars since we were going right by. I said I would do my best and not more than 20 minutes from Mt Olive, there was Country Classic Cars. Ive told him about this place due to all the chatter about them here on the forum I can only tell you that it is actually worse in person. Chuck and I were so disgusted on what they were doing we just had to leave. As for the p-up nice truck but about $5K too much in my book. If they would just leave the cars alone, allowing folks to see what they were, I think they would do a lot better but hey, thats me. There wasnt a single car out there worth buying save for a 40 Ford 4-door that they had not monged up yet. Pretty clean, 2nd paint but older, 76K original and looked it, solid from what we could tell (no bondo city job done on it) nice interior, and the engine was clean and could probably fire right up. That one I would consider and they were asking $15,500 probably a $13K car all day long if it ran. The best thing I can say about this place the porta potties were clean and we made use of them We went up the road again and came across the old café just north of Mt Olive called the Belvidere Café and Motel, it was on a stretch of Rt 66 that was from the 1920s to 1931. The pics tell the tale but I do believe they are trying to restore the interior of the café as there as a battery operated drill in there and it looked like work was being done. It would be really great if they could as it has a lot of potential. From this point we took Rt 66 up to about 10 miles from Springfield we then said good bye to Rt 66 and hit the interstate over to Decotur, then took Rt 36, a straight as an arrow 2-lane highway, all the way into Indianapolis. Our B&B for the night was just off of it, a couple miles from the Speedway and Bubbas so it worked out well and we at least still felt like we were on Rt 66 .. Tomorrow we are off to Bubbas shop and then the Indy Speedway museum. After that, Thurs and Fri are kind of open as we travel down to Cinnci, OH, and Chucks new hot rod. Is there a good cruise night we can hit Friday night in Cinnci?
You would have really dropped 'em if you saw the blown flathead mill under the hood that makes the sweetest sound you ever want to hear ....
Tom and I had a great time with you guys and all the Bones crew. We learned a lot and tried to stay out of the way. Yeah we are still smiling. You guys know how to have a good time and get the job done.
Day 20 We had a really, really great day, basically in 4 parts first, we visited Bubbas Ignition, then the Speedway Museum, then a treat of treats that was NOT even known about until today, Tom Culbertsons Custom Shop, just 2 blocks from where we are staying, tehn some stuff to purchase a new GPS, get my phone fixed, and get a new camera since all 3 went out on me yesterday not a good electronics yesterday. Damn . I will handle this in 3 parts: Bubbas, Speedway, then Toms shop. Bubbas Ignition - It was great meeting Bubba for the first time really great guy and we all know how well he takes care of us. He showed us around his shop a bit and we chatted about different distributors, Bonneville, the breathing/air capacities of flatheads, etc, etc just an enjoyable albeit short visit. He's going to fix a top-mount flattie HEI distributor for me as well as apply some updates - it needs lengthening for my 40 coupe so it clears the water pump belt. He gave us a few pointers on places to go but the biggest was info about Toms shop and making a visit well talk about him later, after Speedway. When we saw Denise at the HAMB Drags she told us she was going to visit Bubba's on her way home. We unfortunately missed hanging out some more with her by a day or 2 as she was already home I believe by the time we got there. I also heard she went home with quite a load in her wagon but I will let her tell the story should she so desire ....
Day 20 - Speedway Museum - what a great museum and cheap. Only $10 bucks for the museum and a lap around the track on a tour bus. A bargain in my book. I have two favorite cars, one early, a Miller - just a beautiful car - and one a bit later, the Lola driven by Jim Clark - what a breathtaking design - just beautiful. I will let the pics tell the tale here - it's just about all the cars there in the museum but I may pick and choose a bit so as not to overwhelm. The tour bus ride around the track was very informative but unfortunately there was one woman describing everything in another language and in English to some folks across the aisle and it was very distracting but I didn't say anything ....
I have to agree with Tom. The Speedway Museum is a bargain. The display of cars is impressive. Tom Culbertson's shop is equally impressive. He is doing lots there. Bagging a De Soto custom, not an easy task, and finishing a Bantam dragster. Tom is a master craftsman. The workmanship and engineering is perfect.
the pic of the Ford inline 6 brings back memories. We ran a 300 in. 6 with a similar carb set up in an Altered back in the 60's
You should hear this one run. It sounds real healthy. I should have taken a video. He just walked over while he was talking to us an fired it up.
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