The Long Road Home, Part II

[bamfordsgarage]

Rockwood — the engine has been running on high side of normal temp. Have not had to add a drop of coolant since leaving Jim Yegin's in February. However, it has approached 212 a few times idling or in slow traffic when very hot outside. We suspect sediment in the block as this engine has likely never been open.

Cap'n, a clarification is due — yesterday was the first live armadillo we saw. On the drive down from Atlanta to Tim Adams', BIlly Austin pointed out some road kills along the shoulder and we have seen a few more since.

[Plymouthy Adams]

If I had known they had never seen a armadilla..I would have put one in their car for them...while a sight to see for the northerners, these pesky animals are both stupid and destructive to have on your property..considered a nusiance and definitely a varmit critter in my book..and to some a delicatesy..am surprised they are still running around in number in middle Georgia..when properly prepared, they are referred to as "Possum on the Half Shell" their first defense or reaction in flight or fight is to jump straight up in the air..they are know to do some extesnive, fan/radiator shroud damage as you pass over them at speed and they instinctively jump...its like hitting a 10 pound boulder

Edited April 18, 2011 by Tim Adams
spelling

[Don Coatney]

I spotted two dillo road kills on the way to Tims house last week. I was going to scoop them up but Tim said he already had the menu planned.

[Jim Yergin]

Chirs,

Thanks for the updates. It sounds like you and Jerry are having way too much fun. Keep it up.

Jim Yergin

[Captain Neon]

Agreed that armadillos are vermin.

Future sister-in-law's picture of a squirrel raiding a bird feeder gave me an idea of how to reduce the squirrel population in my neighbourhood. D-Con instead of corn any one?

[greg g]

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To show ________________(insert 1, Possum, racoon, armadillo) that its possible!

[Plymouthy Adams]

I know why she stopped half way...wanted to lay it on the line..

[adam_knox]

Tim, please tell me your kidding about the armadillo's kangaroo-eque jumping antics. I'm paranoid enough driving around here with all the deer, stray dogs (why are the owners so neglectful here?!) and snakes. They made an announcement at the drive-in about an alligator. I no longer get refills on popcorn after the first movie!

By the way, I LOVE the nightly posts! Thanks for taking the time to write them Bamford!

[Plymouthy Adams]

my good man..it is not a joke...if you get a chance to startle one you will see..if you ever shoot one you will also be surprised at the resulting effect of the gunshot..an Armadillo hit in the left shoulder with with a homeloaded 357 magnum hollow point defensive load will have its heart and lungs exiting it back side will still running about a good minute or thereabout obtaining multiple examples of minimum 3 foot air time....I assure you you can put you fist in the existing hole if you can chase him down when he runs and find the carcass..

if one of these animals burrows in your yard or worse as in my case the barn and under a stored vehicle..you may have to jack the car up to get off the mount of pushed up dirt..you will not only want to kill this varmit but everyone you see from that day forward..to those that have never encounter this pset this sounds cruel..those trying to recover and restore the damage area...it is a fit reward...

[Captain Neon]

I have been inclined to arm the wife w/ a pistol while we are driving. Deer at night and armadillo during the day. I hate'em both!

[Eneto-55]

I am going to try to upload some pictures of a Ford Model T tractor I saw at a County Fair in Aurora, Nebraska a couple of years ago. (This one seems to be built differently than the one previously described here. I wish I had better detailed pictures, but it was a permanent adaptation, I believe.)

[bamfordsgarage]

Hello All, Day 9,Augusta KS to Manhattan KS, 214 miles today. Car running perfect again. Yawn.

Spent a very interesting couple hours at McPherson College in McPherson KS today, where they offer the world's only 4-year degree program in Automotive Restoration (a BA or BSc, depending on what other courses are taken). There are some 110 students currently enrolled including several young women — there has been as many as a half-dozen gals enrolled at one time and our host, instructor Chris Paulsen, commented the best welder to ever come out of the college was a woman. Anyway, they provide a comprehensive education in all the restoration specialities and a great deal of hands-on learning and practice. Read more at: http://www.mcpherson.edu/academics/auto_about.php and about the one-week summer auto restoration classes at http://www.mcpherson.edu/academics/auto_institute.php

Then it was off to Manhattan KS to meet my son Morgan who has been here since Wednesday visiting his good friend Dima from Ukraine. Morgan will be travelling with us tomorrow and flying home from Denver Wednesday afternoon.

A real treat was meeting Captain Neon who drove his '46 P15A in from Topeka KS to join us for supper at the local Pizza Hut. Thanks, Ben, it was nice meeting you and getting a ride in your car. So that's what these things look like with nice upholstery...

Today's pictures (and no Model Ts this time):

The quality of restoration at McPherson College is evident in the reflections off the flawless black door of this 1936 Buick.

The program encompasses not only cars (from turn of the century to 1960s) but also motorcycles and even tractors, like this recently completed Farmall.

This sample fender was made from scratch, starting from a paper outline (right) to foam mockup, to wooden buck, and, finally, welded and formed aluminum. When finished the surface will be fully polished with no filler and no trace of the welds.

This was the second vehicle we've passed since leaving Tim's place last Saturday — and we passed another (tractor pulling a cultivator) not five minutes later. Whoo Hoo!

Cap'n Neon's P15A with the Cap'n, your reporter, Jerry, Dima and Morgan.

[Jim Yergin]

Now that is interesting. Your son from Canada travels to Kansas to see his friend from the Ukraine. And here I have difficulty meeting up with friends who live two towns away.

Jim Yergin

[michael.warshaw]

Now that is interesting. Your son from Canada travels to Kansas to see his friend from the Ukraine. And here I have difficulty meeting up with friends who live two towns away.

Jim Yergin

what a journey very cool..

[bamfordsgarage]

Hello All, Day 10, Manhattan KS to Colorado Springs CO, 478 miles today, 2,736 this leg.

A good day on the road, and nice to get some serious miles under our belts — my homing instinct is starting to kick in big time. Leave the light on sweetie, I'll see you Saturday night!

There was no practical alternative to I70 for the first 240 miles, but the traffic was light and we made good time. My son Morgan, 23, was travelling with us today and got his first chance to drive the Dodge and only his second time ever on a standard. I have several standard shifts, but they are all insured as collector cars and under-25 drivers are not permitted. However, I had to put regular insurance on the Dodge for this trip so he was covered and we made the best of it. An old 3-on-the-tree is hardly a good vehicle to learn standard, but Morgan did pretty well. Not many stalls, only a few grinds, and at the end of his 130 miles (Interstate, secondary and town) had a reasonable proficiency. Morgan is also not used to manual steering and brakes, so there were a lot of new experiences today.

Our tourist stop today was the Walter P. Chrysler Childhood Home & Museum in Ellis KS. Built in 1878 when Walter was three, the Chrysler house has been a museum since 1955. A second building has since been added in the back to house display items and an early Chrysler sedan.

News to me was 19th century woodgrain decoration in homes — seems that better houses in areas like this that had little or no native lumber would have their wood trim (door frames etc.) made from a plain wood like pine, and then painted with a woodgrain technique to simulate higher class woods like mahogany. This was the case in the Chrysler house, and when the interior was refurbished following disastrous floods some years ago, the woodgrain treatment was re-applied. So there you have it... Chrysler woodgraining some 130+ years ago.

Alas the old tub was not quite trouble-free today. As we stopped to turn around and take today's last photo, I shifted into first and... nothing. Second... nothing. Third... nothing. Reverse... you get the idea. Fortunately it was only an AWOL cotter pin from the shift linkage, and one bent nail later we were on our way. I've never had that linkage apart so we suspect the original cotter pin just plumb wore through after 63 years of faithful service. Cute coincidence that, transmission failure the day Morgan learns to drive a standard!

Tomorrow we climb Pike's Peak, deliver Morgan to the Denver airport, visit Model T & fire truck friends north of the city, and hope to meet Randroid in Loveland CO for an early supper.

Todays pictures: Morgan at the wheel on I70; First-year 1923 Chrysler Six at the WPC museum; Early wood grain (recreated) in the WPC home; Nice to see the mountains again as we approach Colorado Springs; Imperial coupe roadside in Ellicot CO.

Edited April 20, 2011 by bamfordsgarage
Grammar

[bamfordsgarage]

Hi Frankie, that sounds like a pretty nice drive. We were never that far north. We left I70 at Oakley and went west on 40 into CO and then 94 straight into Colorado Springs. There was one lonely stretch on 94 with no services for 70 miles.

[1940plymouth]

That will be good memories for you son, driving the "old Tub" and learning the column shift while sharing yours and Jerry's adventure.

Will be looking forward to reading about your trip up Pike's Peak and meeting Randroid.

Good that it was only a cotter pin.

[Captain Neon]

Frankie, I've driven that stretch of road from Limon to Trinidad. I started bringing a full 6 gal. petrol jug w/ me on long road trips when I planned that one (Loveland CO to Roswell NM). Had I not fueled up in Limon, I don't think I would have made it to Raton. Had expected Last Chance CO to be more touristy, but were not one looking for it, one would never notice it. Not even a sign on the old buildings saying "Last Chance" when I went through in 2008. I had anticipated at least a two pump petrol stop (87 regular and diesel) with the 1980s mechanical petrol pumps, but even that was long gone, w/ little to no evidence of it having even existed.

[james curl]

Wood graining wood work in homes was quite common at the turn of the century. A good painter could simulate marble or other exotic stone as well as woods on any smooth surface. My step father who was born in 1880 was a painter and contractor and mixed all his paints by eye and the colors always matched. Little tubes of this some colored powder a little Japan Dryer and presto he had enough paint to redo a room or a whole house. In his younger days he did some wood graining in older houses for people. He also always drove either a Dodge Pick Up or a Plymouth car until he bought the new 55 Chevy pick up I now have. I learned to drive in our 41 Plymouth 4 door in 1950.

[norrism1]

Bamfordsgarage, That Chrysler looks the same as one that the Chrysler dealership in Vestal, N.Y. has. Same color and everything. He had it completely restored and it was used for his daughters wedding. Mathews Chrysler/Jeep. Chrysler canceled the dealership couple years ago and now sells used vehicles. Planet Auto I think is the name(?).

[Jerry De Jong]

glad to see you guys are having a great time. hope jerry didn't break any fingers!!!!! See you when you get home. granny

[randroid]

Gents,

It was my pleasure to meet with Jerry and Chris this evening. I've been anticipating this encounter from just after they posted an itinerary of their voyage home and I began thinking about topics of conversation so they wouldn't be inundated with the same droll questions (or,as Chris so aptly put it, "14.6, a lot of fun, just fine"). Thing was, once I sat down at the table I could think of nothing to say. I got thumped with the Ugly Stick and struck dumb all at once. Fortunately they are both true gentlemen with good humor and we got to laughing at my plight so I never got around to telling them that simply meeting them was pleasure enough.

Chris filled me in on his day's adventures but I'll let him describe them for you in his own inimitable way. Because of those adventures they were running behind in time so our encounter was brief but our Waiter had time to shoot a picture of us which I shall post as soon as I remember how.

-Randy

[bamfordsgarage]

Hello All, Day 11, Colorado Springs CO to Laramie WY, 298 miles today, car ran just fine, no problems.

A great day on the road and another bucket list item checked off. We started with our fourth oil change and lube since leaving Edmonton (others were Rapid City, DC and New Orleans). Jiffy lube offers free fluid top-ups for the next 3,000 miles — I suggested they could just give me a couple gallons of 15-40 in advance as the car leaks about a quart every 400, but they didn't bite.

Then it was off to Pike's Peak for the big climb. We expected problems with overheating given our experiences at Mt Rushmore and the deep south, so we asked permission to shed excess weight at the Park gate before setting off. The ranger kindly opened up a storage shed for our luggage and trunk items and we took the "body bag" off the top and left it nearby. Not sure exactly, but we probably lessened our load by more than 500 lb.

The road to the top is 19 miles long and climbs to 14,100 ft. Because of snow and ice near the summit, we were only permitted to climb to just shy of the 12,000 ft mark. Rangers were parked across the road to block traffic from going higher. Average grade is said to be about 6% and some stretches are up to a 10% climb. We did get near boiling a couple times and pulled over to cool down for few minutes. There was plenty of gurgling and steam when we shut the engine off but next to no fluid lost.

Everyone got a chance to drive and Morgan learned about handbrake starts on hills. Trial by fire! The road is mostly paved now, with a wide gravel stretch several miles long remaining around the mid-way point. We saw a dozen other visitors going up or down but no one with heating or other problems. Over half our climb was in first gear at 12-18 mph and the rest was second with a wee bit of third. We used the same gears going down as up, and hardly had to touch the brakes. Lots of switchbacks, for which we had to keep on the gas and swing wide to keep from bogging down.

Coming down Morgan spied a GM test vehicle parked at the mid-way restaurant. It was some kind of 2-door Cadillac, all done up in camouflage and test gear and sporting a Michigan manufacturer's plate. Very cool — I've been seeing spy photos of test cars in magazines ever since I was a kid but never saw one in the flesh.

Today's pictures, part one: Shedding excess weight before the big climb; The end of our road at 11,791' elevation, your reporter wanted to go just a little bit higher. The winds were intense (note my clothes billowing) and the temp only 20F. Brrrrr!; Secret Cadillac covered in camo; Notation on driver's door glass (note black duct tape covering chrome moulding); Data pickups on all four wheels, big ol' computer in the back seat.

[bamfordsgarage]

Day 11, Part 2:

After Pike's Peak it was I25 up to Denver, drop Morgan off at the airport, then north again to Berthoud (home of the late Floyd Clymer, car dealer at age 11) to see a Model T fellow about some parts for my speedster.

We were pleased to meet forum member Randroid at Johnson's Corners near Berthoud for supper. Actually Jerry and I ate supper while Randy, who had already eaten, had one of their famous cinnamon buns, which in fact was large enough to be a meal in itself. Most of Randy's bun went into a doggy box for him and Lynn tomorrow. Anyway, it was great to meet another forum member and to talk politics and other stuff for a change. Not that I don't enjoy talking and talking and talking about cars, but a little variety is nice too.

After supper we visited a fire engine contact I've known for years but never met. John Bergquist is now retired, but in his career buying and selling collector cars and related vehicles, he has owned, and sold, some 233 fire trucks and a whole mess of related parts and accessories. He only has one left, a 1926 Reo combination unit purchased in 1955 and the first fire truck he ever owned.

Sharing the same garage with his Reo is a most unusual piece of plumbing history — the first flush toilet in Loveland CO. Story goes this contraption was originally in the outhouse behind an 1890-ish home and is still in the same location, although there is now a garage built around it. The galvanized cistern was filled by hand and the spring-loaded seat would, when sat upon, open a valve and release a flushing stream of water into the bowl and from there into the pit below. The stream would cease when the user stood up. Very cool indeed.

The 75 miles from Loveland to Laramie on #287 took almost three hours... the road climbs to over 8,400 ft and there was heavy snow for many miles. It was 2nd gear most of the way, visibility was one or two car lengths, the road was slippery, we couldn't see the lines, and had to follow the drop off on the right. It was a relief to arrive in Laramie to nothing worse than wet streets.

The arrival in Laramie late tonight was a landmark of sorts for the Dodge — it marked the completion of the second cross-country run for the old tub. We drove from Edmonton to Laramie in Oct/08 to join a New York to San Francisco old car run, so, starting from Laramie, we drove from there to San Francisco, then back to Edmonton, and from Edmonton to the east coast last fall then from east to Laramie this month.

Tomorrow is a driving day only, no visits or tourist tops planned, and we hope to get well into Montana before calling it a day.

Today's pictures, last batch: Typical switchback on the Pike's Peak road; Randroid trying the D25 for size, John Bergquist in his '26 Reo; First flush toilet in Loveland; Clearing slush off the windshield at 8,000'.

[1940plymouth]

Chris and Jerry,

Thanks for the photos from yesterday, it must have been an interesting trip down Pike's Peak as the one photo shows. Sure wish I could have been in the backseat with you guys.

The Dodge in the snowstorm looks like it could have been taken "back in the day"

Have a safe trip today, kinda hate to see this "Excellant Adventure" come to an end, but I know you both will be happy to get home