2,600mi Test Drive (DEN-LSR-Detroit)

Be safe....have a great trip back..supposed to be rainy here for he next 4-5 days.

 

Those doors look nice man! Thanks for haulin them home. Good thing its got a "Mafia" trunk too. Hope the weather holds out for ya. Drive safe. Give me a call if ya get a chance, don't wanna bug ya while you're driving.

 

Be safe....enjoyed meeting you

 

I'm being chased out of Missouri by a storm with golf ball hail, high winds and possible tornado.
Its coming down I 44 Highway right behind me.

YIKES!!!


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Find somewhere to park under a roof. We stopped on road somewhere out west pulling the Spartan under a gas station canopy and waited out a bad storm. Thought the whole rig was going to get blown over.

 

Just heard from Larry and he is taking a break and hopefully will avoid any bad weather!

 

Hope he has the car under cover if there is a hale storm in the area. I just read the whole thread and it sounds like a fun trip even with the onroad repairs.

 

Larry, Vern, Greg and Jay were planning and talking about the upcoming Hot Rod Hill Climb that Mike is planning this September in Georgetown, Colorado.

Its the 60th anniversary of this fun event and Vern was there way back in the day. Mike is working hard on all the details to make this a history making event.

You won't want to miss this, and space is limited so register early!
Check out the website for the backstory on this historic event!

http://www.hotrodhillclimb.com

(Technical difficulties are preventing me from posting the pix, sorry!)

 

I out ran the stinking hail storm. But I overtook the storm in front of me so I crashed out for a while.
Back on the road heading home. Thanks for your good advice everybody

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WOW.......Cool trip! Man, what a trip down memory lane!!!!!!!!

I took a similar trip in 1995.

There was a 1962 Impala 4 door sitting along a dirt rd near my house in Florida covered in layers of road dust.

Things weren't going so great at the time... so I sold off 3-4 cars in various states of completion (65 nova SS, 71 Riviera, 63 Impala SS, etc) and most of my possesions, and made an offer on the Impala. Think I paid $500 bucks.
Basic going through (fluids, points, carb rebuild, brakes, tires, etc) by myself and a good friend Dean, and she was running like a top. I rubbed out the paint, threw some sheets over the seats and dropped everything (stored some stuff, gave a bunch else away).

The car was an Impala, 283, Powerglide.

I drove from Florida to Detroit Michigan to see family the long way. Stopped at Graceland, few other stops along the way. After a few weeks in Detroit I headed to Chicago, Milwaukee then down through Iowa to see a buddy in the Army in Kansas. Then onto Denver.

Eventually made it back to Detroit several months later and sold it to a wide eyed teenager that knocked on my Mom's door before enlisting in the Air Force on a whim.

Boy......your trip brings back Memories!!!!!!!!!

I know I have old film type pics somewhere (some GREAT pics of the Impala next to landmarks along the way)...but found this one on the PC (taken in Wisconsin I think).

 

I'm a big fan of diners on the road. A lot of them have some great home cooking. They really know how to take care of their customers and keep the coffee flowing.
Stopped at dotties just before the storm hit and got a fabulous steak sandwich. they were the ones that warned me about the big storm. Thanks ladies!

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Killer story ADD!
I wish I had the time to extend it like you did

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I just noticed you are from Detroit. Whereabouts?

The Teenager that bought mine was from Plymouth.

 

I grew up in Dearborn Heights but I have family in Plymouth today

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Hey do you remember skipping radio stations in the middle of the night? I've been skipping a station from Toronto for the last hour. AM 740 play in oldies from the 60's.

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I remember Honey radio from Detroit WHNY I think.

Terrible crap on the road with an AM radio. Mostly Country and religious.

I grew up at 5 mile and Telegraph and in Redford near 7 mile and Beech Daly.

REALLY miss Bates Burgers over on 5 mile.


Man...does it get any better than seeing the open road through the windshield of an old car...AM radio crackling?



Wonder whatever happened to my old '62 I sold to that kid in Plymouth? Small world..... weird to think I did that trip and ended up within a few miles of where you grew up....all in a '62 Impala....and here you are in a '62 Impala going back home to Detroit nearly 20 years later! Crazy!

 

im pretty jealous... i love old cars and long trips!

 

I'm just really sad to read you 2 fuckers grew up...

 

Jocko, you know that no hot rodder ever grows up!

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Heres a pic of Mike n me.
Looking forward to the hill climb!

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What a cool Thread!
Thanks for all the updates, Larry.
That thing makes a great parts truck....
I can only imagine how much parts storage the 61 wagon would have...
See you later today one way or another.
Don't worry Jocko, I'm thinking he's not going to be growing up anytime soon...

 

Yup....grew up in the Detroit area......



Then I grew downhill from there.........................

 

Hello Michigan. I see the construction signs are already up. Going to be another chaotic number on the road.

Mitch Ryder rocking on the AM radio it's good to be home.


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Congrats on a great trip and allowing us to live vicariously through your experiences.

 

The REAL REASON he mounts the lettere IN is that he REFUSES to clean white walls!!!!

 

Awesome trip!

Wishin' I could have tagged along for the ride.

Car looks killer with the new wheels BTW.

See you at Sins of Steel. Save me a spot for the coupe!


.

 

Wow.,,,that little 6 was motoring it you were on trucker juice! Your back home already?

 

Truckers? I passed those slackers as soon as I hit the MI state line!

Worked the afternoon & am having a beer in Warren now.

Can't wait to find my pillow.....

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I've been following the thread after we talked Friday... what an adventure... Glad to hear Denise's parts made it home before she did... the Chebbie delivery did alright!

 

Glad you made it home ok. Sounds like the old "hot water six" did good.