How about a view from the driver's seat. Collection of
short stories submitted by owners as why they enjoy their vintage
mopars.
Redhead Betty and the P-15 Plymouth
by Jim Leman, Editor P15 Driver
Grayslake, IL
In August 1998, my 1946 Plymouth Deluxe Business Coupe — a redhead named
Betty — turns 52 years old. In July, we’ll join hundreds of other
Plymouths and Plymouth owners at the Plymouth Owners Club Grand National
meet in Plymouth, Michigan. The affair celebrates 70 years of this fine
marque — and those who admire, care for, take care of, drive and collect
Plymouth automobiles.
Older machines mean permanence and endurance to me, and other peoples’
histories are as tied to these survivors as is the history of the current
owner. What promotion ideas were tossed around in the Plymouth advertising
agency in late 1945? What was the name of the man who tightened the mains
on the crank on my car? At the Briggs Manufacturing Company where they
built the body, had the press operator been a returning veteran — and did
he buy a new P-15 himself with specially equipped vacuum-assisted clutch
for disabled vets?
From The inside story of your new Plymouth, the P-15 owner’s manual:
"Thousands of miles of driving pleasure are in store for you. How many
miles? Frankly, that depends on you. Do your part, and the car will serve
you faithfully." When I bought my P-15 for $2,200 from a man in Crete,
Illinois, the engine knocked and the brakes didn’t work. The sheetmetal
and interior were in good shape. Some restoration had been done to the car
by a previous owner, believed to have been the owner of a radio station in
Edwardsville, Illinois. A rebuilt engine and a new master cylinder later,
I was on the road.
My grandfather, a farmer, worked to feed the men and women who built my
Plymouth. My Dad served with the U.S. Army in Okinawa where an officer
gathered the troops around him in early August 1945 and read aloud from
Stars and Stripes that "an at-omic bomb had just been dropped on Japan."
"The L-Head power plant," copy in a P-15 promo flyer from 1946, Plymouth —
Four Years Better Than Before!, "is the keystone of Plymouth’s low cost of
operation and upkeep. To the basically fine engine design are added such
features as new scuff-resistant light weight aluminum pistons with four
rings, downdraft carburetor, oil-bath air cleaner, Oilite gas filter,
automatic manifold heat control (does anybody have a car where this device
still works right ?), full-pressure lubrication, burn-resistant exhaust
valve seat inserts. The sum total is the new Plymouth engine which offers
a smooth, powerful performance with record-making economy."
The Chrysler Corporation in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Leandro built
more than 197,202 Deluxe and 862,287 Special Deluxe Plymouths, California,
and Evansville, Indiana, from October 1945 through February 1949. These
Plymouths are known as the P-15 model. The three-passenger Deluxe Business
Coupe like Betty sold new in 1946 for about $1,100. My original owner
spent $5.50 for bumper guards, $6.65 for a passenger side windshield wiper
and sun visor, $2.65 for cigar lighter, $73.50 for a Model 802 AM radio
with pushbuttons, and $6.10 for antenna. With the upgrades, Betty looks
much like her uptown sister, the Special Deluxe.
In a P-15 you sit high, a commanding view, behind the big wheel. The
flat, blonde-grey woodgrain steel dash is an arm’s length away. The
controls are few and sufficient. From left on the dash is the starter
button, then slightly below the Bakelite throttle and headlight knobs, and
over the steering column, the choke knob. Down a little and to the right
are the heater controls, also Bakelite, for the Arvin heater blower motor
and defroster, then the centered ignition switch, a knockout where I’ll
install a cable for a hot water on/off valve, and then the cigar lighter.
The center dash gleams with the chrome grillwork for the big Model 208
radio, which with bad tubes only hums in my car now.
Betty starts with a quick touch of the starter button, though the slow
cranking six-volt starter causes concern for the unfamiliar as they hear
it groan for the first time. Betty settles into idle that I set using a
vacuum gauge for maximum vacuum at 500 rpm.
The P-15 C series manufactured in Detroit began with the serial number of
15,154,001. The Serial Number for my P-15 is on a tag on the right door
pillar, where it was located for all early 1946 models. Betty’s serial
number is 15,181,665 or the 27,664th P-15 off the Detroit plant assembly
line. She is, however, one of only 16,117 Deluxe Business Coupes
manufactured during the entire P-15 model run. Based on serial numbers of
1946 models upgraded to heavier coil springs, and on monthly shipping
figures, I place the production of my P-15 during August 1946.
A flathead six engine of 218 cubic inch displacement powered all P-15s,
rated at 95 horsepower at 3600 rpm. Betty cruises easily at 55 mph, and
accelerates strongly, surely and quickly to 65 or 70 when needed. I drive
I-294, I-94 and I-90 around Chicago with Betty frequently, and in the
right weather I drive her daily 20 to 70 miles a day to and from
assignments. She’s not perfect. She burns a little oil, despite the
rebuild (I may have ignored the break in instructions), and I’m having
trouble leaning her out right. I found a custom engine rebuilder having an
old Sun distributor machine and had him rebuild my distributor and set the
advance curves up for today’s high octane, high quality gasoline. Because
the engine was built originally with hardened valve seats, unleaded fuel
is no problem.
When you bought a P-15 you had choices. To begin with, you could choose
the economy Deluxe or upgraded Special Deluxe. Body styles where available
as two and -four-door sedans, Business Coupe, Club Coupe, and in Special
Deluxe only, convertible coupe, station wagon, or just the chassis. Colors
included Black, Marine Blue, Chevron Blue, Balfour Green, Kenwood Green,
Battalion Beige, Airwing Gray, Plymouth Gunmetal, Cruiser Maroon, Sumac
Red and Charlotte Ivory. The last two appear to have been available only
on the convertible model.
In traffic, Betty is head-turner. She’s Sumac Red, perhaps incorrect but
attractive nevertheless. In my opinion, the Business Coupe has the most
pleasing and alluring lines in the P-15 body style line-up. The car holds
the road straight and true, with enough energy to put out a respectable
pace. The oil gauge holds 42 pounds, the temperature gauge a steady 180,
and the amp meter shows that the generator and relay are doing their jobs.
On average, Betty gets 15 miles to the gallon.
When I open Betty’s wide driver door, her scent is powerful. The scent
reminds me of my grandparents and my childhood and the times that I
remember only in black and white. Betty’s smell is a pleasant blend of
cloth seats, aging wiring, years of road grime and oil, the bite of metal
in the mouth. It is a fragrance of a time I did not know, of people who
created an outstanding automobile, of the people who owned and drove and
cared for Betty before I knew her.
To get up into her, you have to step up slightly, a foot on the inner
running board, and then you slip under the big steering wheel. With her
cowl vent up full and the windows down, I rest my arm on the sill. From
inside Betty, the hood is long and domineering out the V-spilt windshield,
the Plymouth hood ornament a deadman’s sight down the roadway ahead. In
her, Betty is my throne. I command the highway from her majesty.
Big Butt D24
She sat in a private scrap yard with a beltline that went from San
Francisco to San Diego. With graceful front fender lines that curved into
the door and running boards, she begged for another chance to show her
stuff on the road. Up front a Dodge Ram ornament graces the butterfly
opening hood. Eight hundred dollars later and three engine blocks (none of
them the right one!) I was the proud owner of a 1947 Dodge Business coupe.
My P15 Club Coupe (The Blue Goose) now had roommate. This unnamed beauty,
one of 27,000 built after World War II, traveled the roads of Southern
California. Now she sits, awaiting her rebuilt D24 engine. Her flathead 6
is stroked 1/2 inch more than the P15, resulting in 12 inches more
displacement. She shares most of the same running gear with the Plymouth,
but her skins come from her bigger cousins, the Desoto/Chrysler family.
She is the step up from the P15 in the Chrysler Corporation family.
Additional features include an automatic choke, optional electric
windshield wipers, larger brakes, and Fluid Drive! Using the same C3
manual transmission as the P15, it was coupled to the 230 cubic inch
flathead 6 with a hydraulic torque converter. You still use the manual
clutch to shift into gear, but at idle you release the clutch without
stalling! When you are read to go, just step on the gas. You could start
in any gear, including third, without stalling. The flat head 6, while
only having 102 horsepower, made up for it in the torque department with
184 Ft. Lbs. at 1200 rpm. Staring in third gear, not a problem. Fluid
Drive, coupled with the "Floating Power" motor mount system had the Dodge
marketing department boasting the D24 was the "Smoothest Car Afloat !"
Sharing the same engine technology as the P15, she had all the "new" post
war features like scuff-resistant light weight aluminum pistons with four
rings, downdraft carburetor, oil-bath air cleaner, Oilite gas filter,
automatic manifold heat control, full-pressure lubrication, and
burn-resistant exhaust valve seat inserts. My D24 is pretty much the Plain
Jane business man special. Brown mohair seats, beautiful wood grained
dash, with chrome accents that still make a classic statement of style
today. Along the way someone added a Mopar 802 radio. The 802 radio is
directly interchangeable between all 46-48 Chrysler products, except the
Dodge. The Dodge required a special curved faceplate replacing the
standard one. This allowed the radio to blend into the gentle curve found
on the chrome dash trim. Fortunately, I found the parts from someone who
had a junk chassis and saw my newsgroup post on the internet. She is also
getting a new clock which fits in the gaping hole on the glove box door.
Her firewall has never been scarred with a heater installation.
She, like my two P15s, is a work in process. The engine and transmission
are ready to be reassembled. The next major job is to remove the body from
the frame, and start restoration on the frame, suspension and running
gear. Check back, I will be posting photos of my progress in the WIP
section. And she still needs a name…..
First Trip In Bess, My P15
It was a long time ago, 1952, driving from Turlock California to Nebraska.
We hit a snow blizzard in Utah and stopped in Ogden for the night as we
were just about out of gas. Stayed in the car that night, running the
engine to keep warm. A P15 heater does a good job. My wife and I were
sitting under a service station awning, thinking we could gas up in the
morning. Suddenly we see a man walking down the middle of the street with
a bucket of hot water and thought, that looks strange. Asked him when the
station would open, he said "about a week". Asked him how far to next
town, "48 miles to Rawlings." I tell my wife I hope we make it and she
says Bess will do fine. I thanked him and we found out the water was for
his tires which were frozen to the ground. Couldn’t see fence post on
either side of the road in the snow and finding it was really hard. A
bobtail truck rolled in to town and I asked what the road was like to
Rawlings. He replied I should see his tracks all the way. We followed them
and as we rolled into the gas station in Rawlings, Bess burped two times
and died at the pump! My wife looked at me and said ‘See I knew she would
make it."
From Nebraska we headed south to my home state of Oklahoma, as my wife had
never been there. Got on Highway 9, headed for my hometown. She was
looking ahead and all of a sudden says, "What’s that black thing in the
sky?" I made a U Turn and that tornado chased us all the way to Texas.
P15s go better than 70 miles an hour with a tornado on your tail!
In Arizona on Route 66 my wife is driving at 5:30 am while I slept. She
lets out aloud scream "On my God, what’s that?" The brightest light I had
ever since the Bikini bomb in the Pacific in the late 40s woke me up. Our
radio was not picking up anything. Two hours latter the radio started
working, "Did you see the bomb test this morning?" YES!
Family grew to four children and needed a bigger four-door car. That
little ‘47 Plymouth Club Coupe is still out there some where. I searched
for 8 years with no luck. I found my new ’48 Club Coupe last February.
Only difference I can see is the oil dipstick and the ‘48 has 15 inch
tires. Both are the same color. Keep them old beauties on the road. And I
will be looking for Bess on P15-D24.
Nelson Baker
Great Memories...
I learned to drive in a 47 Plymouth coupe in southern Indiana, so your
Blue Goose story really struck a chord with me. The car was left behind by
the previous owner on the "place" (house and 35 acres) which my parents
bought in 1960. It was pretty rusty and forlorn with flat tires and a dead
battery, but it sparked an interest in my younger brother and I, who were
age 14 and 11 at the time. We coaxed my Dad into buying a battery for it,
and a couple of recap tires, as I remember. Then we made a "race track"
(which would later become part of our vegetable garden) in the field
adjacent to the back yard. Because of the rough ground, we could rarely
get up enough speed to shift to second. The floorboards of the car had
rusted through and I can remember seeing the ground go by.
The car was dependable enough that for about a year my Mom used it as our
second car and drove it about 20 miles to work in New Albany. There was a
trick to starting it in cold weather, which we boys soon mastered. Three
pumps of the throttle, full choke, and hit the starter. It would usually
start on the second or third compression stroke. At temperatures less than
10 degrees, forget it. The old girl just wouldn't start.
The old P-15 knocked around Georgetown, Indiana for awhile after we sold
it. My Dad traded it for a reconditioned 56 Ford (at a Ford dealership),
as a second car for my Mom. A schoolmate of mine bought it and it stayed
in the area for awhile after that.
Submitted by Joe Fulton
Blue Goose Stories, Back Home in Indiana…
I have been driving my P15 since the early seventies and it’s reputation
for longevity and reliability is well earned. A friend originally owned
the Blue Goose when I was at Indiana University. She didn’t have the
mechanical inclination to keep it running and eventually the car ended up
on her grandfather’s farm across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. The
Goose sat for almost a year in a cow pasture. One day I got a called
saying pick it up or would be scrapped. I was living in Indianapolis at
the time. Come Saturday morning a friend and I headed down I-65 to New
Albany, Indiana. The plan was to start the car and I would drive back. My
Dodge Dart would be the chase car. I came fully prepared with parts and
tools, not knowing what to expect. The early spring day was sunny with the
temperature in the 50s. Arriving I discovered the battery was dead after a
winter of neglect. The good news was it still was full of acid. Everything
checked out, and as it was sitting on a small hill, gave it push and
popped it into second gear. To my amazement it fired up on all six
cylinders and settled down to a proper idle in a couple minutes. Maybe
this was going to be an easy trip after all. Checking the gauges
everything looked good, water temperature 160 degrees, oil pressure 45
pounds and the battery charging at 35 amps. Stopping at a gas station as I
headed back to the interstate, I checked the tires and topped off the gas
tank. All the time I was wondering why the car had been parked out at the
farm. Everything seemed to be running ok, but soon the question would to
be answered. Heading north at 60 miles an hour, it was normally a four
hour trip. Forty miles down the road the battery stopped charging and the
car was starting to slow down. First it dropped to 55, then 50. I grew
more concerned as it continued to fall, 45, 40 and down to 35. The ammeter
was pegged at a 35 amp discharge rate. Now I knew the answer. I looked for
an off ramp to figure out a new game plan. I really didn’t want to pay for
a 120 mile tow! Just as I was getting ready to exit, the voltage regulator
kicked in, and the battery started charging again at 35 amps. Immediately
speed climbed back up to 60 and we were making time again. As darkness
fell the increased electrical load of the headlights only served to
accelerate the fast-slow cycle. Six and half hours later the Blue Goose
arrived at my house in Indianapolis and a new voltage regulator was
installed the next day !
Heading West
Over the next couple years I kept the Goose running with appropriate
mechanical care. My house didn’t have a garage so any major work was not
going to happen. The block had a couple cracks in the water jacket above
the exhaust manifold, I’m sure from the winter in New Albany, but radiator
stop leak kept them under control. The bigger problem was a miss in # 6,
which later turned out to be a burned valve. However, the car always
started up, especially with the help of a split 6/12 volt battery. After
living in Indianapolis for 20 years I decided it was time to move on.
People just don’t know how cold and depressing the winters can be and I
had my fill. The production company I was working for was based in Las
Vegas, so that was my first planned stop. In addition, I had college
roommates living in Santa Barbara, California. Warm winters and ocean
views sounded like a perfect break from the sub 32 degrees January
weather. No more frozen car locks, rundown batteries and snow tires. My
problem was how to get everything moved, including my household, my dirt
bike and, of course, the Goose. My daily driver was a 4 year old Dodge
Dart with the venerable 225 slant six I had inherited from my parents when
they moved to the south. Fate would solve my problem. Two weeks before I
was to leave the Dart was totaled. The lady running a red light didn’t
hurt anyone except the fatally injured Dart. The choices were either delay
the move or get the Goose ready for a 2,500 mile road trip. Tune up, check
the brakes, get a working radio and the Goose was good to go. Then a
solution appeared for my household items. Another college friend called
who was moving up to Indianapolis and needed furniture. Second problem
resolved. She would use it until I was ready to come back from out west
and pick it up everything in a van. And I already had bumper racks to
carry the dirt bike. Everything looked good for a late February departure,
until I came out of work one night and saw the pool of gear lubricant
under the rear end. The pinion had chipped a gear and sent it through the
case, leaving a small hole. Next day I refilled the rear end lube, duct
taped the hole and headed up the road five miles to a local repair
shop/scrap yard. They had a third member out of a 50 Dodge pickup they
would swap out for a hundred bucks. An hour later, I was heading down the
road, noticing my speedo didn’t quite seem right. Turns out the rear end
was a 4.1 versus the stock 3.9. Oh well, I won’t get any speeding tickets.
Departure day was a scene straight from the Grapes of Wrath. Dirt bike
secured on the back bumper, padded with two spare tires. I still had snow
tires on and didn’t know how far I would need them. On top, a Sears roof
rack with the big suction cups. If was packed with clothes. Inside was
filled with tools, parts and junk, and my pet cat that loved to travel in
a car. Six hours later half way across Illinois things were actually
running pretty smoothly. While gas mileage was about 15 mpg at $1.75 a
gallon I was hoping for a little better. But not bad for 5 cylinders. Oil
consumption was very low and the engine usually dripped more than it would
burn. I didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the flow of traffic at 55-
60 mph, until I hit a hill. They that # 6 cylinder was really missed. I
drove for about 12 hours and finally checked into a motel for the night.
Next morning I discovered someone had stolen one of the extra tires. Other
than that the Goose was ready to go, with all vital fluids topped off.
After another long day of driving a police cruiser passed in the other
direction. The evening darkness concealed his quick U-turn and the next
thing I know I have red lights flashing in the mirror. Quick, grab the cat
and stick in the carrier so she doesn’t jump out the window. "Yes officer,
what’s the problem ?" After the mandatory check of registration and
drivers license, I found out the real problem. "Sir, you have a headlight
burned out. The next town was only a couple miles down the road and has a
motel. Fix the light or park it for the night." Got a room and called it a
night. This time anything that could be stolen was moved into the room.
Next morning the local gas station had a 6-volt headlight and I was back
on the road. The worse part was crossing New Mexico. Fighting a 30-mph
headwind for over four hours makes you realize a P15 is a high profile
vehicle. I could only average around 45 mph and it felt like that leg of
the trip would never end. Along the way you hook up with other people
traveling the same route. Eventually you get to meet them at the rest
stops. This was an era when a lot of people were on the move and everyone
was very friendly. As I neared Las Vegas even in February the desert can
get hot (and boring) during the day. The temperature gauge hovered around
200 degrees, but the Goose never boiled over and kept rolling. After a
short stay in Las Vegas I decided to head on to California to visit my
friends. Coming into the California coast down Route 126, the air filled
with the aroma of millions of orange blossoms, is an experience you never
forget. Last leg was north on the Ventura Highway, made famous by the
Eagles. That was 25 years ago and both the Goose and I still live in Santa
Barbara.
On Vacation
Fast-forward 15 years. The Goose has undergone many mechanical upgrades
including a new rebuilt engine, radial tires, electronic ignition and an
overhauled brake system. Mechanically she is running like new. However her
body has cancer, caused by too many salty roads in Indiana. It has spread
to the roof gutter rail, rear quarters, floor and trunk area. She
patiently awaits a body transplant, while being driven weekly. In earlier
years she towed my 1,800 pound sailboat rig around town. Now her hitch was
removed, living a life of retirement until a new body became available. It
was August, time for National Championships in my sailboat class. The
venue was Huntington Lake in Sierras of California. The lake, which sits
at 7,200 feet, is a picture postcard and the perfect venue for small
sailboat racing. The trip usually takes 7 to 8 hours when towing with my
Thunderbird. My crew and I were ready to go, cabin rented, new sails and
paint on the boat. We had been racing well earlier in the year so bringing
home some trophies were in the realm of possibility. I had taken the
Thunderbird in a week earlier for the usual pre-trip work, transmission
service, oil and coolant change, tune up and, by the way, fix that
annoying stumble off idle. Five days later we got the news: the exhaust
pre-heater tube was cracked, dumping raw exhaust into the intake. The only
fix was a new intake manifold. It was available, but would take four days
to be shipped up from Los Angeles. We were scheduled to leave in two hours
! I called my crew and we made some calls to see if we could round up
another tow vehicle. No such luck. Scratch the trip, no way. Time for our
go to player, the Blue Goose. After a short discussion, we decided to go
for it. First we had to find and reinstall the trailer hitch, Once
completed, change all the trailer lights to 6 volt and get the harness
working again. Fortunately the harness was stuffed up under the brake
light in the trunk lid. Next check all the fluids and make sure everything
was good to go. Last, stock up on extra water and oil, just in case. Much
of the trip is across California's San Joanquin valley, where daytime
temperatures exceed 100 degrees on a regular basis. Plenty of stops along
the way, but getting stuck 30 miles out can be fatal. Four hours later we
were ready to go. Up side of the late departure was ideally the
temperatures in the desert would already be starting to cool by the time
we arrived.
First leg was up 101 Freeway to Paso Robles, usually an easy 2-1/2 hour
run. Thirty minutes out was the first big hill and we were over in the
truck lane, but easily pulling second gear. So far, so good. Coming down
the hill into Buelton, two things became very noticeable. First, the steel
floor provides no insulation from the engine heat. Second, what was that
gasoline smell ? Pulling into a gas station, out came the fire
extinguisher just in case. Opening the hood was quite a surprise. On the
fuel line the plastic filter had melted and was squirting raw gas onto the
hot exhaust manifold ! Shutting everything down I quickly wrapped the fuel
line with a rag to stop the fountain. Across the street an auto parts
store was just closing so my crew ran over to get a new fuel filter. They
had a metal one in stock ! After letting everything cool down I installed
the new filter, checked for leaks and we were back on the road. Our next
mountain to climb (literally) was the Cuesta Grade just north of San Luis
Obispo. It rises over 1,600 feet in a little over a mile. It is always
littered with cars along the roadside that didn’t the reliability of a
flathead six. At the crest air temperature was over 100 degrees. The Goose
hunkered down in second, passing semis as we started up. As traffic slowed
we were forced to drop down to first gear. Traffic became stop and go at
15-20 mph. Thirty minutes later we reached the top and started the coast
back down hill. The water temperature dropped 15 degrees and another
hurtle was cleared.
Two hours later we reached Paso Robles. The next leg was due east and
climbing to the inland valley. The highest pass was 3,100 feet before
dropping to the valley floor near Fresno. Paso Robles sits around 850 feet
above sea level and it was over a hundred degrees outside. However the
Goose had settled down, cruising along at a comfortable 60 mph, right
around 200 degrees on the temperature gauge. We stopped for gas, checked
the oil and got lots of drinking water. We started up Route 46, AKA Blood
Alley. This two lane death trap has already killed 35 people. To the east
25 miles is the Cholame "Y" where actor Jimmy Dean died. A mix on semis,
RVs and fast moving passenger cars routinely exceed the 55 mph limit. We
cruised along for about 30 minutes when suddenly the oil pressure dropped
to 0. Pulling over to the side, the dipstick was looking dry. However a
quick look underneath showed no problem. No pool of dripping oil or any
other precious fluids. I had checked it at Paso Robles and it looked good.
Adding 3 quarts got the dipstick wet and after 10 minutes of idling
everything seemed ok. We never did find the missing oil. The next hour was
spent letting people pass and climbing up the 3,100 foot pass. The last
mile was in first gear at 20 mile per hour. Only the RVs were moving as
slow. After clearing the summit it was all downhill for the next hour into
Kettleman City. This is where Route 46 intersects Interstate 5. Lots of
gas stations, truck stops and fast food joints. The only thing lacking was
shade. The San Joaquin Valley was having a heat spell. High for the day
had been 117 and it had cooled down to around 100 in the early evening.
Along the roadside overheated cars sat waiting for the evening cool and
tow trucks. However, the Blue Goose was still keeping her cool even while
dragging an extra 1,700 pounds. Our next stop was Fresno, two more hours
up the valley. Surprisingly the Goose was holding up better than the
passengers. By the time we got to a grocery store in Fresno we were pretty
dehydrated even though we had consumed a couple gallons of water. While it
was 100 degrees outside, it was another 20 degrees warmer inside the car.
We picked up out food and supplies for the week and I dragged my crew away
from the frozen food section. We were only 88 miles from out destination,
but we had to climb up 5,000 feet to get to the cabin. The air temperature
was finally under a hundred degrees, but only the locals could tell the
difference. We started up Route 168, a scenic drive through the Sierra
foothills rising up to around 1,000 feet in 10 miles. Because the road
twists so much speeds are limited to 30-35 mph. Finally the road breaks
open to four lanes. Over the next 12 miles you climb to 4,500 feet. We
quickly accelerate to sixty, made it around the first turn and start
climbing. Soon we were down to second gear, with the temperature gauge
over 200. Caltrans places water tanks every quarter mile, and a lot of
people were using them. We kept climbing, slower and slower until we were
down to first gear, crawling at 15 mile per hour. Maybe this wasn’t such a
good idea after all. As the temperature gauge moved into the 210 degree
territory, it was time to pull off and cool down. The Caltrans water tanks
came in handy. Good news was we were not boiling over. Pouring cool water
down the front of the radiator quickly dropped the temperature down to the
180 degree range. Parked at 4,000 feet two more miles of steep four lane
still lay ahead. Then the grade moderates, as the road becomes two lane
with 20 miles of low speed switchbacks. Once you reach the 5,500 elevation
the air temperature quickly falls to the sixties as the evening
progresses. The next hour was spent in first and second gear. Hitting the
switchbacks really showed the need for a first gear syncro. Having to kill
our momentum to downshift to first gear was no fun. Soon the air was
filled the aroma of old growth forest. As we neared the town of Shaver
Lake at 5,600 feet the air quickly started to cool off. Inside the car it
was almost pleasant. The temperature gauge was under 200 degrees for the
first time all day with 40 miles to go. The worst was behind. Leaving
Shaver you drive down a pair of switchbacks past the base of the Shaver
dam. I started down the switchback in third gear and this quickly proved
to be a mistake. My crew, seeing the concerned look on my face, asked what
was wrong. Brakes ! They had gotten quite hot on the short downhill and
were fading fast. Should have used second gear ! But what goes down must
come up and we quickly burned off our speed as we climbed back up the
other side of the switchback leaving the dam behind. The last mountain
pass was five miles further at 7,400 feet and then the downhill ride into
Huntington Lake. Once again we were down to first gear crawling over the
summit, but our effort was rewarded with sightings of deer and bear along
the road side. We arrived around 1:30 a.m. and the Goose was ready to
launch the boat the next morning. And our return trip was an uneventful,
downhill run back to Santa Barbara.
Postcard From Rose in Tyler, Texas
Hi y'all, I'm Rose, a 1947 D-24, I had my second date this Veterans' Day
since I got my new face lift. Last month I rolled through the Grapeland
Peanut Festival. I wanted my grandson (a 1998 D350 cummings) to take me up
there on Gator's back (a diamond plated car hauler), but he had an
accident and is in the hospital getting reconstructive and cosmetic
surgery. So I ask Bubba ( a high mileage '92 Chevy) and he said yes. I
knew he would-he's a good ole guy. After he gets several gallons of super
under his belt, he starts feeling young again. It was a super nice day
here in East Texas, and the trip was really fun. One old geezer gave me
the thumbs-up sign as he went by, but I ignored him. I had more serious
things on my mind! We listened to KPXI 100.7 kool oldies on the 75 mile
journey. They along with Whataburger were hosting the event. Sometimes my
owner sang along with the oldies. I never say anything, but he can't sing
well at all. Bubba ignored him-Bubba likes country &western. When we
got there about 5:30 pm, there were already about 50 cars there.
Eventually around 130 showed up. I saw two of my cousins there, a 36 which
got her picture on the calender (she was really pretty- alittle too much
make-up I thought!) and a 37 4-door sedan-all dressed in white. I was the
only D-24 there. I enjoyed that uniqueness. Many people came by to see me
and most kept their hands to themselves. Some of the ladies were looking
at my roomy rear seat and whispering to each other laughingly. I never
could figure what that was all about. I was alone for a while during which
my owner went in to patronize the sponsoring establishment. While he was
gone a couple of guys came by and I heard one say that I was a lot like
his sister-real sweet, but not too pretty! I just took it as a compliment!
When my owner came back he showed me a picture of the 51 Ford that was on
display inside. I might like to pose sometime, but I'm kinda bashful!
Bubba and Gator took a long rest (and probably a nap in the nearby Target
parking lot) while I mingled with the crowd. About 9:00 the party started
to break up and I hopped on Gator's back for the trip home. I loved the
cool night air and I was tired so I slept while Bubba carried me home. I
have to be in by 11:00. Don't you think that is a little early for a 53
year old? But my owner says it is dangerous for me out at night. I'm
sending you some pictures of the event; I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for
reading my adventure.
Rose
(Update 2002) Rose has a new owner, Patricia Petersen, and still travels
the highways of east Texas.