Event Coverage DAILY COVERAGE!! RODFATHER TOUR From NorCal To INDY Goodguys - 17 Days - 5016 MILES!

OK, I'm in for the night. Just a couple more before bed...

 

see you Tuesday PM

 

Saw you guys on near Omaha on I-80 heading eastbound at about 2:15 ish today. Must have been just after you went to Speedway's Museum?

 

Kirk, I hope the rest of your trip is trouble free! Safe travels...

 

Dude, thanks a TON for the local help! That's what this crazy hobby is all about!

 

KIRK!

Can I bring you some Olds Fiestas for that damn thing? I will be seeing you in INDY on Thursday! 15's? E

 

DAY SIX.......


Today may have been the coolest day of hot rod STUFF ever! I don't brag, but the people on today's tours are some of the luckiest rodders on the planet.

Today started as the coldest of the trip. Not miserable (for me in my closed car anyway), but cold. Then we did get some rain, but not much, as we made it to Speedway Motors. I had heard tons of times that the Bill Smith Collection was amazing. Well, it's better than that! I am not exaggerating a bit by saying that I could have spent three days there and not seen everything. So many cars, engines, speed parts, pedal cars.................on and on and on. It's hard to describe, other than to say if it's even remotely hot rod related, Bill has it...or the first one made....or the prototype.....or the bones of the designer.

We also got to tour Speedway's warehouse and fulfillment process. Huge and extremely efficient only begin to describe it. There is nothing that they miss when it comes to parts or getting them to customers.

From there it was over to a private collection where not even I was allowed to take photos....seriously. Gary Meadors told me it would blow my mind, but after Speedway I expected to not be too impressed. It blew my mind. This guy has probably the single most amazing personal collection of cars I have ever seen, and I see a ton of them. Endless famous drag cars, various boattail speedsters, vintage Indy cars including a underslung Hudson that they built in 1933 but never ran, the real Dragula, the real Munster Coach, the real Monkee Mobile, the real Delorean from Back To The Future, the real Batmobile, Bat Boat, Bat Cycle.................and that only scratches the surface. I was seriously speechless and incredibly bummed that I couldn't shoot photos.

Stop three was at Dennis Albaugh's Chevy collection. Not much there was HAMB friendly, but he does own one Chevy convertible of EVERY SINGLE year from 1913 (when Chevy was called Little) up to I think 1969. Every Corvette up through the seventies. We were treated to the best steak dinner I have ever had and parked on his golf course....yes HIS 19 hole golf course (19 is not a typo).

I am stunned by today.

OK, so the fuel pump saga continues...

Today we hit Speedway Motors and I picked up a pressure regulator, trying to solve the too much flow from the electric pump issue. I install it and turn on the electric pump and HOLY **** fuel comes out everywhere! I gorilla tighten everything and it still leaks. Now I KNOW that the electric pump is putting out WAAAAYYY too much. The suspect pressure gauge we used HAD to be screwy.

So I take the regulator back out and pull off the air cleaner to see what hapens when I turn the pump on. ****ing gas out of every crevice of the carb....all over the manifold! It hits me that the electric pump has to be 6v. Turns out that it is. The NAPA at home ****ed me from the start! I connected the mechanical back up and hit the road.

I tried to get a 12v one in Lincoln, NE, but they didn't have it. They found me one in Omaha, so I headed there. The car did killer on the mechanical. I picked up the new one anyway, just in case, and drove the rest of the day on the mechanical. She drove killer.

So, the conclusion is that the hard line was indeed ****ed. Byp***ing it was the ticket. Thbe electric pump was ****ting itself pumping at twice it's intended rate, flooding the **** out of my motor and washing into the oil. Now I am leaving the 6v electrical one off until it screws up again, then I'll stop and put the 12v one in. I changed the oil again today, just to make sure it was fuel free. I am optimistic that all will be good tomorrow concerning the fuel delivery.....I hope. Thanks a ton for the help guys!!!

Did you make it through all of that? Here are a TON of snaps from today. Comment if you like 'em and want me to continue coverage. Thanks!


Cold morning






Pulling into Speedway


















Cutaway Hemi!






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Ha ha! I just bought some flippers today at Speedway.

 

**** man if i knew you guys were gonna be in ankeny today i woulda blasted over ! speedway museaum is hands down one of the best i've ever been to , safe travels man and hopefully the end of your gremlins and smooth sailing from here on out !

 

Okay...just let me know if I can help!

E

 

Speedy Bill himself




I was proud of my lunch box collection (about 100) until today.




















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Man that ****s about the 6V fuel pump. Hope your bearings are ok from all of that gas in the oil. I would add some Lucas oil treatment in there for the rest of your trip. How much oil are you having to add per day? Hope thew rest of your trip goes good mechanically.

 

Yes, even some motorcycle stuff at Speedway.






Malcolm's roadster is even badder ***er in person!


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thank you for the coverage and commentary. You are very fortunate to participate and I appreciate you sharing the experience.

and it has to be wonderful to have the fuel issue on the mend

 

Keep the pictures coming. Wish I was there. Been to speedy Bill's on several occasions. Mind blowing.
Later,
****

 

Got the oil changed again and a ch***is lube for good measure.


Dennis Albaugh's...on the green...almost.


Stuff from Dennis'


That's the 1913 Little in front.














The Pinkee's crew. These guys put tens of thousands of miles on these cars a year!




Yes, and free beer!


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Not even half the cars on the tour.












That's It for day six. More cool **** tomorrow!!

 

Thanks for the pics, See you in Indy!

 

Damn that steak looks good!

 

Keep it coming Kirk!!!

So sad the NAPA guys ended up causing you all kinds of problems for the first 1000 miles, if I were you, I'd give them a huge chewing out when you get back home...!!!

Ever get the feeling that one of these first days, the car will be finally OK and you'll go down the road with a smile on your face, like a trip like this is supposed to be...!!!

Good luck on the rest of your trip and keep the posts coming...

R-

 

Awesome ****.
Thanks so much for going through all the trouble to share all of the fun, and not-so-fun.

By the end of the trip your either gonna' love that 'Bird or hate it.

 

Oh yeah, does the hobo-clown have a name?

 

God.

 

Keep posting Kirk! really enjoying the pics.

 

Where are you spending the night? My office is in Coralville (mile marker 240) and I have a great view of I-80. I hope I can see you roll by. in the morning if you haven't already p***ed me.

At Coralville exit 242 is a really nice little museum 1 block and 2 block east off the interstate (across from the Marriott) that is loaded funky with pre-war iron, much of it unrestored.

Have safe travels!

Carmak

P.S. My brother has a shop in Iowa City and he knows his way around an FE T-bird.

 

Looks like a damm fine day.
Speedway is like you said,amazing. Macolm ,xderlict ,Jess and I went Afew months ago,total add. Too much cool **** to look at to stay focused.

Please keep posting!

 

Tonight we're in Ankeny. Not sure of tomorrows route. We've been on 80 most of the time.

 

Don't stop! What an adventure!

 

I would not have guessed that one.

 

Hope you guys are taking hwy 151 in Iowa and Wisconsin to Madison. It is a very scenic drive. You can pick it up near Cedar Rapids Iowa.