One Fine day in Dinosaur Canyon circa 1978

A long story about the scenic beauty of Dinosaur Canyon.
This was in the Best scenic drive thread but got WAY too long.


My brother and I took my just bought '66 GT350H on a trip out west in 1978. I bought it from a friend for 3400.00. That's when they weren't such a big deal. We started in Wichita, Ks and headed for Colorado. You haven't live until you drive a black on black car with 4:11 across western Kansas in the summer time. Hot, windy and noisey. Of course I was 23 and my bro only 15. We went thru Fort Collins. Into the montains. Steamboat Springs. All beautiful. And then we headed to "Dinosaur Canyon on the Colorado-Utah border. I had been there in 1974 by myself (in a Yellow '70 Boss 302) and just had to take my brother. I had driven the Boss down into the canyon and camped at a nice shady park that was down along the Green river. It's an amazing place. Also on of the most remote in the US back then.
Everything was going pretty well. then I started having a little trouble with the car not starting ever time. A little sacry but I thought "well be fine". We took it down into the canyon as I had done 4 years earlier. It's a pretty rough road. You just have to take it easy. Got the the camp site. Did some hiking and had a pretty good time.
There is a 2000 foot hi wall of the canyon on the other side of the river from the camp ground. The face of it it is almost sheer.
I told the ranger at the camp ground we had been having some problems with the car just so he knew. It was hot. We were in the desert and it was 14 miles back out of the canyon. We took off. Everthing was fine and then we got about half way out on a pretty steep grade on a switch back and the car died. I thought Oh SHIT. Don't panic. just get out and see if you can get it running. I did have some tools. After all it is a Ford...did I really say that out loud? I opened the hood. I had got it running before. I looked at the 289. I messed with it but to no avail. It seemed like when I
would let it set for a while it would start. We decided to head back to the camp site.
We had filled all our water coolers because I knew we might have problems. We started walking back. Think Zion Canyon or parts of Utah or Arizona. At least we were walking down. At first it was OK. we just kept going. The Ranger said he would be driving out in a while. It sure was hot. Fairly early in the morning still. Lots of cool scenery up close and personal. Lizards and other critters. And we kept walking. Must have been a few miles. We still had water. I don't know how long it was but we were getting pretty tired and water was getting low. I think the temp was in the 90's. We were getting low on water but we knew there was some small shack and a stream right by it close to the camp ground. We got the the stream. We were out of water by then. Filled the cantens and kept walking we had walked 5 or 6 miles by then. It felt like we were in a movie about the French Foreign Legion. The Buzzards were circling over head.
Then here comes the cavelry (the ranger in his Ford pick 'em up truck) SAVED!! We won't be bleached white bone in the desert.
He drove us out. We passed the car. I got out just to try to start it just in case. Nothing. I opened the hood again,The coil had blown up after we left. There was
some kind of "goo" oozing out of it. Crap!! I figured no one would bother the car down there. We got to the bustling town of Dinosaur, Utah. Original name.
Got a room. Woke up the next morning. Mission. Find a coil for a '66 Shelby!
Someone told us there was a salvage yard on one side of town. We walked to it. It was a pretty small town. Went in. Pretty quiet. No one there. I thought I'll just scout out a Ford and get the coil and pay for it. Found a 1970 Torino. it's a Ford. The coil looked the same. Still no one at the desk. This was urgent so we'd use the coil and come back and pay for it. Walked to a cafe and had breakfast. We were telling the waitress of our ordeal. She said the guy that owned the salvage yard was a pirate and would charge us a lot. We were on a limited budget so me decided to take her advise and consider the coil a gift.
The ranger drove up back down to the car. No vandalism or thevery during the night. Plopped the coil in and went on our merry way. .
I had some more trouble with the car on the trip and and even after getting it home. I had it tuned up(it had duel points) and it was fine after that.
at the time and never was sure what the problem was until quite a few years later.
I guess the condensor wasn't doing what it was supposed to do. Store extra electricity. Mystery solved 25 years later during restoration of the car. An old mechanic told be that's what it sounded like.

I will move this to it's own thread if it's too long or far off topic here.
Mark

 

I am a delivery driver and I go to town of Dinosaur every other week. It is still a very small town, and I always leave my truck running while I make my delivery.

Brian