Customs Route 66, my family, and a 63 wagon

Yes! That was us! Lol Thank God we broke down a 1/4 mile from Bozo’s. His welder was the save of our trip for sure.

 

When my son went to college at Texas Tech we made a trip each Fall & Spring in his '54 Studebaker wagon to and from Lubbock. Every one was an adventure! So don't count her out when she gets to college.

 

Just WOW! How did I miss this post! I just read it from start to finish and have to say, good job!
I identify with Route 66, having traveled it many times since 1952. I don’t remember it until my trip back to Oklahoma from California with my folks in October of 1957. It took us a week to get back with my Dad and I driving a 1937 Ton and a half Ford truck ( which I still have) loaded pulling a four wheel trailer, loaded! My Mom in a 53 Ford station wagon pulling a Shasta camper and my Uncle in a 1936 GMC pick up pulling a trailer. Being six years old, I took it all in and can remember it like it was yesterday! A big adventure for a kid! You are making those memories with your children and it will stay with them , forever!
I remember another trip with my folks in that 53 wagon in 1962 to Illinios,Kentucky and Tennessee area. We saw a ton of interesting things!

My mother, just got back from a trip to the flight 93 memorial last week! At 98 she was determined to see it , so my baby sister took her on another road trip!

Driveway…..keep up the good work! And like you say…..there are a ton of good people in the USA!






Bones

 

Good stories! We took lots of 66 trips when I was a kid at least the Amarillo to LA part before heading north the the Bay Area. One round trip was in a late 40s International K Model 2 ton. My brother & I rode in the bed on the return trip with furniture my mom's uncle had given her set up like a room. The last trip my dad & I made was in '59 in an overloaded '52 Dodge 1/2 ton pulling a big overloaded trailer. That Dodge 6 was amazing!

 

I rode in the back of a 1959 half ton pick up from Oktaha , Okla to Ventura , California in 1962, when we sold my grandparents house, due to my grandmother dying! Rode back in the cab , as we brought her 1955 Ford Fairlane back to Oklahoma with us, so we had enough room for everyone inside!
I ended up putting a 430 MEL in that 55 Ford!
I still have that truck, also!






Bones

 

Yeah man! Every road trip we have taken so far have been awesome. But nothing will ever compare to our 66 trip… I don’t any of us will ever forget it.

 

The human memory especially likes the good times and deals with the rest. You have set your kids up to have many positive memories. Parents can do little else that lasts as long.

 

waking up a old thread but man this is cool! I just read through from start to finish. Driving the route 66 is a dream of mine but I'm in the Uk so not happening for a while! The old rambler just trooped on too. I sold my 63 (profile pic) last year and regretted it greatly, somehow have found a 64 196 manual wagon (rare over here!) in need of resto but after that...roadtrip time!
Thank you for do***enting all of your adventures!

 

Thanks for giving this a bump. Threads like this need to reappear on the front page maybe a couple times a year or so.

 

One of my favorite threads also.

 

Yep, we need more threads like this to keep us all motivated to drive this old junk.

 

Thank You Sir

 

We did it again… this time we went north. And yes… the kids are getting to big for the old girl. We went from Pa to Connecticut, New York, M***achusetts to check out the sites at Cape Cod. Of corse on the way my front brake locked up… so that was fun.

 

Not sure what’s going on… trying to upload pics with no success. I’ll try again later but long story short we had another awesome road trip in the Rambler. I’m really hoping it’s not the last but the kids being 19, 16, and 13 years old now is making it tough. Thank god we’re not big people because with the extra weight of the kids and the endless amount of suitcases it’s getting to be a toll on the old girl. She’s definitely starting to bottom out in the back. Might have to get some old school air shocks. This was a shorter 6 day trip and unfortunately there wasn’t that many sites to see on the route we took. Just a lot of traffic. Salem M***achusetts was pretty cool but we basically had to park and walk everywhere. Cape COD was also pretty cool… some pretty neat beaches and light houses. On the way home we had a rear axle bearing go. We were lucky enough to stay with family and have a local shop with a puller save us. Lost a day there but it’s all about making memories and testing this old Rambler to see how far she can go!

 

I'm glad you are still getting to do this with your kids. I'd like to see Cape Cod and many places in the East.

 

Thanks for posting your recent travels. Gives us all a reminder to just use our old cars.

 

Love this.
Andy

 

Best part is the smiles on all the faces instead of that "why did I have to come?" look. I think a lot of us are jealous! I'm originally from M***. btw, and where you went are places I'd like to see again. Thanks for sharing.again.

 

Trust me… there were a lot of almost fist fights in the back seat and me yelling “If I have to pull over”!!! But wouldn’t change a thing.

 

A light green Rambler wagon really stands out amidst a sea of nondescript SUVs or crossovers or whatever they're called.

 

Before you try air shocks try some of the rubber spring inserts in the rear coils. You might want to use four in each spring. I have Sumo rubber spacers in my 2005 Expedition for camper towing. They are the full ring type. The upper shock mounts aren't really designed to hold the weight of the car and air shocks can push through. This happens a bit with the Javelins when jacked up for tire clearance.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...D_6sNuJ9f6Zlxto3rJKSfltH5FEVR6MRoCnJcQAvD_BwE

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Spee...ey_H7OgFugX3ZfM_0NsbKkbTpRjgjaIBoCdJoQAvD_BwE

 

On our most recent 66 trip ( Kingman To Amarillo) in July the ONLY cared for '60s or older vehicle we saw driving was a late '50 Dodge Power Wagon before we got to Kingman. On two different 20 mile stretches where I counted traffic there were more 18 Wheelers than P***enger vehicles. I think most of the truck drivers learned to drive from the same place the Florida guy did.

On a long ago trip when my boys were around 10 & 7 we had gotten them a Game Boy for them to share for the trip. That didn't work. So being a kind and thoughtful father I stopped and bought another one. I less that 100 miles they were fighting over the different games. As far as I know the Game Boys and all the games are hanging on a fence post somewhere in New Mexico. It was actually funny when they realized that we had gone so far that I really wasn't going to go back and get them. Those two fine young men now run a successful engineering company from a small office and are very good at sharing.

 

great story-even better ending!

 

Good men. Their mom did a great job.