Left the Lansing MI area Friday morning at 7am drove down I-69 to Indy then jumped over to I-65 south thru Louisville to just south on the TN/KY state line and jump on the back roads 109 I think to avoid Nashville at rush hour, came out on I-40 headed east to Crossville TN and stoped in to see a cousin there, just over 11 hrs and 650 miles, left for North Carolina the next morning I-40 to I-81 east of Knoxville then off I-81 by Bristol speedway and east to state road 321 up thru the mountains east to state road 421 and on the North Wilkesboro and a friend I went thru High school with... over 5 hrs and just over 300 miles... spent 3 days driving to cruise-in/ car shows in the area between North Wilkesboro/Winston-Salem/and Hickory... about another 250 miles then left for home Tuesday morning up I-77 to us 30 in Canton OH and across to Fort Wayne IN back to I-69 up to the Lansing area just about 700 miles... all in a 1950 chevy rat rod my Father built a couple years ago and I bought when he was talking about selling it , too many thumbs up to count, air horns from the big rigs, and more the a few "what's under the hood" at the gas stations and car shows. That old rat rod rolled down the road doing 65-70 mph most of the trip, got 22 mpg for the trip and was simply the best time on a road trip I have ever had( I drive big rigs ) what a weekend
here is a picture at North Wilkesboro speedway, home track of Jr. Johnson, NASCAR first track established in 1949...
It was nice meeting you on Sunday @Morganton,NC cruise in.Glad to see you had a safe trip home.I really like Dakota frame set-up under your truck.
OK Loc ***e (kiddin' !) U done good ! two atta'boys.................. But, A neighbor,aND ALL-TIME rUNNUING a'ROUND bUDDIE WHERE LOOKING FER EXCUSE TO GO TO rENO nEv, to cee Bill Harrah's Car Mueezee'um..........1200 auoos on display.........Along comes rev. "Evil" Kaneevil, an ahh starts talking 'bout jumping th Snake River Canyon.........what better reason to make one trip doit ALL ! Drove My Friends '49 (Flattie w/ o.d. ) Ferd "Woodie"..........to Utah, Nevada, edge of Calif, Lake Tahoe, .....into Oregon, then down to Salt Lake City, on to Provo (missed "the speed Trials, couple days ) , got our "horns S****ed" fer 20 dollars each ! Back to Twin Falls .................................Watched Evil smack the canyon WALL ! back thur Illinois, Oh!, stoppedlong enough to load 13 cases of COORS, an still have nuff $$ to get back to good 'ole Tenn................One Oil Change, One "flat Tire" lots of jack Rabbits, and Steers in tha' middle of the road, Antelopes, No Injuns (thank God !) .........bought a SHIRT in Cheyenne, Just to say "got this Shirt in Cheyenne !! .................. JUST UNDER 6000 miles , In ELEVEN Days. Oh ! "Sweet Memories" Do I Get one ? Atta'Boy ??? Best to Ya ! Smoked Up, in tha' Great Smokey Mts. of Tennessee
making my 500 miles in 1 day trips seem kinda worth something. Glad yall got out and drove and enjoyed it, nothing like driving old skool cool. Drive em dont trailer em.
Sounds like a fun trip. Are you sure it was in a rat rod? Cause the pic. looks like you next to a cool old pick-up.
I will tell you what I know , as I did not build it... It was built by my Father(SuperDan1947). He found the truck on E-bay down in the Dallas, TX area... had it shipped up to MI. it was a Gas company truck J.W.Gaddy Gas Co. from McAmey, TX out west towards El Paso way. The doors and driver side front fender still have the company lettering and logo, windshield and driver side window shattered, no seat,ect... pulled the body off the frame and was going to sub-frame a Dodge Dakota front end on for the disc brakes and power steering unit , which unlike an S-10 didn't require and modifcation to the firewall or radiator. found the frames lined up really nice to each other and ended up cutting 17 1/2" out of the Dakota to shorten it up. found the drive train while helping KustomBuilder load up a 1968 FireBird he purchased, got a 305ci/700r4/10 bolt out of a 1983 z28 that was all next to the guy's polebarn, threw it on the same trailer as the Firebird and was out of there. I would come over on my days off and check out what he was doing with the build then one day he tells me "I think I am going to sell that old truck" , I have seen way too many cool vehicles leave his Garage, and replyed "no you're not" went to the bank and got the money for it. I haven't changed anything he built on it , other then put new tires on it and buy an aluminum radiator before the big drive down south. I drive it to work, about 20 miles on the nice days up here, it is garaged in the winter months, there is nothing in the dash but the speedo and it shows 70 as 12-13 mph, 55 as 7 mph LOL but I love it just the way it is... the most fun vehicle I have ever owned...
You should've just headed west and come out to the LARS. Good to see you're out driving where ever the destination is.
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