Since this thread seems to be in a nostalgia mood, here's my long ago adventure on Route 66. I made the trip many times back in the fifties when I was living in St. Louis and my folks were living in Tulsa, Ok. In '57 I moved back to Tulsa to go to school. The picture below was taken by my dad (Why don't you get a decent car?) when I rolled up in my beater Duece roadster after 400 miles down Route 66 in August '57. (Check out the Porta-wall whites on the front) Road Warrior, 1957 version I spent the following year, ditching the flathead and installing a '55 Nailhead, working after school. The following August ('58) I was almost ready to fire up my new rebuild when an old friend from St. Louis bought a nice '32 out of Muskogee, Ok. and came to Tulsa to pick it up. Rich with his new prize. I wanted to visit my old friends in St. Louis so we figured let's go back together and just flat tow his new prize with my new but untested deuce. We welded up a simple tow bar and in mid August '58 (God, thats fifty years ago) loaded up some tools, sandwiches, and headed the 400 miles up Route 66 to St. Louis. Hooked up and ready to haul ass for St. Louis Here's a shot over the back of my roadster at speed with good old Route 66 streching off into the distance somewhere in Missouri. Blasting down Route 66 The next two pics are after our arrival in St. Louis. That's me with the tow car and Rich's car in the background The last pic is a rally the next day when some friends came over to see the new arrivals. According to notes I took on the trip,we made it in about eight hours (avg 50 MPH)used 28.9 gallons of gas (14 MPG) and spent $8.45 for gas (avg.28 cents/gal.)Yeah, that really had to be fifty years ago. Enjoy!
I was at the Hackberry store in middle of April this year! One of the best places around 66. There is still the air from the 50`s. For me a guy from europe it`s a dream to cruise on 66 with the own car. With my 39`Chevy coupe or the 51`Merc?? If i have the money to ship one of them over to the US than i drive it the whole way from LA to Chicago to see this pics you guys posted. Thanks for sharing the pics with a europe-rodder!!!!!!!!!!!
I drove a little bit of it in the oatman/ kingman area.. I couldn't believe how twisty it was. Mart. Great old pics shown above by the way.
Mazooma1 or JPbanjo - I'm not sure which of your stories I like better... wow... I've saved all of those pictures
I flew out to LA this summer and bought a 93,000 original mile '73 Duster from David Frieburger and drove it back to Georgia alone, staying on Rt. 66 as much as possible all the way into Oklahoma City before getting on 40 East. Had to bypass the leaking heater core in a parking lot in Arizona. Changed the original radiator hoses in an abandoned motel parking lot in New Mexico. Ran out of gas in the desert, because the gas gauge float leaked and didn't read accurately. No problem--I knew I was getting 12 per gallon; except I did my fuel stop math based on a 18 gallon tank, not 16 gallons. So I walked 5 miles in the desert to a gas station. Got the car running again with a nail clipper (filed the rotor tip to get spark) after it died on the side of the road (same stop as the gas can) Popped the head gasket in New Mexico, but it's a Slant 6, so I just kept driving it home. Once I got it home, I discovered the distributor was put in wrong, and the timing was off 20 degrees at idle. It ran rough, but we thought it was a vacuum leak, because it cleaned up at speed. Got it running like a sewing machine two Saturdays ago, only to have the water pump explode and take the head gasket the rest of the way out that night. It was an adventure, and a great one. Even with all that went wrong, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. There's nothing a car guy can't over come with some basic tools and a thirst for living. If you don't know Who's signs these are You haven't driven Very Far
Mazooma a.brad54 are very nice stories and nice pics to!! That`s the way i wona do the motherroad. With an old car maybe with problems to fix in the land of nowhere. Remember your skills and fix this thing up with some tools and no parts!!!! Found here some friends with same picture in mind if route 66 is named!!!! Great time here. www.hotrod.at
66 still runs right through La Verne, I'm on it at least twice a day. Glendora renamed Foothill Blvd. Route 66 a few years ago. Changed all the street signs. Pissed off all the business owners who had to get checks, and paperwork reprinted, but everyone else thinks it's cool.
Yeah, I live a block and a half off Route 66, so I drive it pretty much every day. But it feels different when your just out driving and when you actually set out to "drive route 66." Unfortunately, I've never made a point of doing route 66 for anything outside of the state, just going North to joplin, or south to OKC.
Live a mile or so North of 66 between Sapulpa and Kellyville OK. There are still some "original" pieces around here if you know how to get on them. I drive 66 every day. Since no one will see this, I have a chunk of the original in my shop. Driven from Tulsa to Chicago many times, in AZ and California also.
Live in Joplin, MO.....right on the Route. Drive on parts of it from time to time just going across town. Haven't been real far on the road, but would like to cover some more of it in the future. Some of it is real interesting, some kinda boring....just like any road, I guess. On the left is that building in Carterville the lady showed earlier. This rejuvenated filling station is on Main St in Galena, Ks - which is 66. Four women now run the thing. The old wrecker is the one they say was the inspiration for "Mater" in the movie CARS. They had a parade last summer on the 13 miles of Rt 66 that it takes to cross the corner of Kansas between Mo and Okla. Several nice old cars participated. Shown on the main street of Baxter Springs, KS. At the Route 66 Drive-In in Carthage, MO. One stop on the HAMB Drags tour in 2005. In Oklahoma, on the Route, heading for Tulsa last summer to watch the digging up of Ms Belvedere. In the vicinity of Claremore, OK. We drove all the way with the top down. Sun setting on the way home from Tulsa. We attended a car show and street dance the week before this July 4th in Baxter Springs, KS. It was held right on their main street, which is Rt 66. A company that does water jet cutting made the placques they gave out at the show. This one was for "Marvelous Mopar". We also won another for the jitterbug dance contest.
been all over the oklahoma parts.the shop i used to work at was on old 66.there where always groups of cars and bikes going down that strip of road.
In May we drove stock Model T Fords from Baltimore to Santa Monica. We picked up 66 in St. Louis. I left the drive at Albuquerque. We stayed true to 66 and it was a hoot at 35 miles per.. Wayno
I'm five blocks from it. I could almost throw a rock from my house and hit it. The big LED 66ft. pop bottle is in Arcadia, Oklahoma at POPS 66. A gas station with 500 differant sodas. A pretty cool palce to go.
Elmo............ I think I passed you guys just West of Sapulpa. In Spring/Summer I see lots of tours but a few T's or A's stand out. I was in my "other" car that's plastic and NOT HAMB friendly . Dave
Very cool! '67, the year I was born. I haven't been on Route 66, but along with Speed Week it's on the "bucket list".
I've driven almost the entire existing roadbed and/or route, with the Chicago end yet to drive (out to about 100 miles from Chicago), and a portion of the California end that is out in the Mojave Desert. In either 2010 or 2011, I plan to drive the entire length in either my nearly stock 1937 Terraplane, or my '48 Chevy rod. I drive the Oklahoma City area portions quite regularly. My Grandfather moved my Grandma, plus my mom and her siblings, a dog, and a small U-Haul trailer from Chicago to LA right after the war...in a '37 Terraplane, exactly like mine! That is the reason I'd like to do the trip in the 'Plane.
Not yet, but intend too. I really wanna see it all too. It has to be a nice ride, It's funny this thread came up. My wife and I just had or 6th Anniv. on July 28th and she gave me this book. The other pic. is the neon light in my garage. Thanx. Bryan
Grew up about 10 miles from old 66. Drove on it in high school in my 65 Mustang. Drove it recently in my 64 Thunderbird before I sold her. Not a single pic, but I do have a chunk of the original concrete sitting in my garage from when they redid a section in Lincoln, IL around the now business 55 loop. Most sections in Illinois are rather rough, but the sections that go through cities like Lincoln, Springfield, etc. have a lot of cool things to see. The Pig Hip Restaurant burned in Broadwell, IL. They are trying to save the Mill in Lincoln (www.savethemill.org).
I actually live on route66 right now, one day when I get the time and gas money its off to cali... maybe hunt down a teardrop trailer
This sounds really cool to me, can't imagine this happening today though. Shows how much times have changed. Inviting people to your home for dinner just because they are fellow hot rodders.
Wonder if the ruins of this gas station in the background of this picture I took of my car on 66 between Oatman and Kingman near the bottom of "The Canyon" could be the same place your car was when it broke down.
This photo was taken on Route 66 in the Texas pan-handle in 1958. We were on our way back to California from attending the NHRA Nationals in Oklahoma City when we had a flat tire in my friend's chopped Merc.
You also put your rental car on it when you came to my house, Wayno! I love it that directions to my house include, "...then turn left on old Route 66..." - I'm just off it here in NM.
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