Not me but a good friend name of **** Lindkvist and his lovely wife Susan.Started out last month from Auburn Maine in their 33 Ford coupe(black with flames)to do a tour of the old Route 66.Rode it all the way to LA and then started up the coast.Stopping at various hot rod shops and car collections as well as seeing old friends. Susan is writing a diary of sorts and sending it out to friends.I've been following this since the beginning and it is a riot.They just left a mutual friend's house in Carmel and are on the road to British Columbia and then across the top of the USA and down into Michigan for a stop here;then on back to Maine. So if anyone sees a black 33 Ford coupe with flames and Maine tags with a blonde maniac at the wheel and his wife screaming directions and other obscenities at him give them a thumbs up and if you get to say hello tell them to call me(Ray Smith).I need to know when they are coming through Detroit.
Thanks for the heads up, "we'll leave the light on for em, eh"! Sounds like an adventure, wish we could all see that diary, if it's okay with them of course.
Hooray!!!-----My kind of "Linechasing" people!!!!----To coin Tom Medley's old saying----"STREET IS NEAT" !!! This is a cl***ic example of truly enjoying your hard work of building your dream & then proving it by cruising the USA!!----I know---300,000 miles over the years to date has made my day!!!------Don
Still no word from them;they are in British Columbia now and headed east.The windshield got hit by a rock from a truck in Washington state on the p***enger's side.Don't know if it has been replaced yet.They also turned over 50,000 miles on the coupe there.Not bad for a car that has been together less than 2 years.
Just got off the phone with **** and Susan and they are in Billings Montana tonight.They are slowly making their way back east and should be in the Detroit area next weekend possibly.I guess I am supposed to add some decoration to the vehicle while it is here which should be fun. For those of you reading this who are in the Lincoln Nebraska area he is planning on making a stop at Speedy Bill's place this coming Monday if all goes as planned.If you have a mind to stop by and say hello to them and tell them I(Ray Smith) said hello.They have logged slightly over 7,000 miles on this trip so far and expect to break 10 before they arrive home in Maine.It is a black 33 ford coupe with flames and probably a gazillion stone chips and a starred windshield.Anyway that is it so far.As for pictures;they are having problems trying to download them and there are so many.He is planning to put together a picture CD(or maybe put it on a website)when they finally get home.
Just got off the phone with **** and he and Susan will be in Te***seh Michigan tomorrow around noon.Hopefully they can stay for a bit and we can catch up on our lives.Will post some pics of the coupe and will ask if I can post Susan's journal here.When we spoke this morning they were somewhere in Iowa and the coupe was covered in bug bodies.It is now officially known as the,"Carrion Coupe" due to all the dead flesh covering it.I guess that included a couple of suicidal Texas armadillos.Will know more tomorrow.To date they have covered about 8,000 miles in a little over a month.
I love this! So looking forward to the pics! Bravo to them for doing it, good memories to last them the rest of their lives.
Ray, Thanks for posting this. I'll be anxiously waiting to see pictures of the coupe when it arrives at your place.should have a decent amout of "battle scars" from this adventure. Frank
Well after a great time reliving the past and some great food at a local watering hole,**** and Susan bid farewell this noon on their final leg of the journey that when completed will have taken them almost exactly 10,000 miles in a little over six weeks. They rolled in yesterday just before noon and after exchanging long awaited pleasantries and removing the most recent coating of bugs and other ***orted detritus(sp?)sat down and related some of their experiences along the road. Amazingly the car performed nearly flawlessly;the only problems being the shedding of an alternator(hastily replaced with an SBC unit;it has a 302 Ford in it)and the on the road removal of some crud that got into the carburetor via lighting it off;revving it up and immediately choking the engine which after a few tries removed the blockage. The car itself;while not exactly what one would call HAMB friendly is nontheless worthy (I think)of showing here.It is essentially an Outlaw 33 Ford body on an original frame with MII front suspension,a slightly warmed over 302 Ford w/a single Holley,an AOD trans and Ford 9inch rear.A set of Torq-Thrusts complete the picture and it is black with an owner applied flame job.**** also has several other cars(a Deuce highboy,a couple of T roadsters,2 Model A's and a shovelhead that Kelsey Martin and I painted for him in 1970)and drives the wheels off every one of them except the bike which is just an occasional ride now. He is a retired machinist(last year)and his lifelong dream has been to drive Route 66 from one end to the other.He finally got his wish. If I can figure a way to transmit some of Susan's commentaries to the board here I will do so.I'm still trying to convince her to turn it into a book and it just may happen. So here is to Susan and **** Lindkvist;may their journey home be safe and free from problems and a hearty,"JOB WELL DONE!!!" Oh BTW the reason for the vanity plate:He got sick of people saying,"That looks just like the,'California Kid' ". The picture sequence: Washing the bugs off. The inside with a fresh saying on the dash. Susan and **** Lindkvist. Heading out on the final leg of the journey.
Sounds like a dream vacation to me, but I don't think my wife would think so. Thanks for the pics Ray, looks like they're having a blast!
BTW in pic #5 the object in the right side of the windshield is a genuine Washington State rock chip courtesy of a gravel truck.There is a companion one about 3 inches away from it that isn't so prominent.There are also numerous chips in the paint on the grille shell and fenders and a small dent from a wheelbarrow hitting the driver's side front fender.
The Jalopy Journal
