Flathead Mopar Road Trips 500 + Miles Anyone?

[Reg Evans]

I was in Libby,Montana for the birth of my grand daughter in 2008.  We stopped by flathead lake on our way home and found this cool museum. I also spotted this '56 Plym wagon in a junk yard in Libby(first photo).  I just found out the wagon is still there.  It's a fancier model than the one I just bought.....very interesting.  The junk yard owner is sending more photos and will sell it to me.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Reg Evans

[dpollo]

 Just a stray thought  or two  ......  remember  Pete Millar's Drag Cartoons  from the 60s?

 

There was a character named Temple McFlathead  and of course he was a champion of the Ford V8.

He belonged to an organization called the NAAFH,   national association for the advancement of flatheads.

 

on the 265 powered Model A, a local track racer named Harold Sjostrum (Nanaimo, BC)  ran

what was then called a B- Modified racer and he was competitive well into the  early 70s.  It had a 54 Chrysler 265 which could pull the left front wheel off the track when he got on it coming out of a curve.   He had done nothing special to the engine but had the chassis and drive ratios all "dialed in ".  It had six  "zoomies"  (short straight exhaust pipes) and sounded GREAT !

 

Flatheads Forever.

[knuckleharley]

56 Plymouth in Libby.jpgLibby 1.jpgLibby 3.jpgLibby 4.jpgI was in Libby,Montana for the birth of my grand daughter in 2008.  We stopped by flathead lake on our way home and found this cool museum. I also spotted this '56 Plym wagon in a junk yard in Libby(first photo).  I just found out the wagon is still there.  It's a fancier model than the one I just bought.....very interesting.

Damn,but I'd love to have that 56 wagon! It's sitting in a junkyard with tall grass all around it,and still looks better than most of my cars. If I lived within 500 miles of it,chances are it would soon be following me home if it is for sale.

[55 Fargo]

Enjoying the posts guys, keep em coming especially the "hotrod" stuff. There is Dumprat on the HAMB, he is building his 34 Ford p/u with a Chrysler powered flathead, his work is nice too.

This decal says it all, just received it from Tim Kingsbury, it is proudly displayed on the Fargo...

[55 Fargo]

Damn,but I'd love to have that 56 wagon! It's sitting in a junkyard with tall grass all around it,and still looks better than most of my cars. If I lived within 500 miles of it,chances are it would soon be following me home if it is for sale.

Montana like Saskatchewan or Alberta, and my home province, ground is frozen 4-5 months a year, Montana is dry, probably a treasure trove of old cars/trucks....

[HotRodTractor]

Enjoying the posts guys, keep em coming especially the "hotrod" stuff. There is Dumprat on the HAMB, he is building his 34 Ford p/u with a Chrysler powered flathead, his work is nice too.

This decal says it all, just received it from Tim Kingsbury, it is proudly displayed on the Fargo...

 

I've been following his build. Quite encouraging when the first several people that I talked to about my project told me that the motor was too long and things would be all out of proportion. No matter how many times I have measured stuff out - it seems like there is just enough room to make it all work.

 

I sat down a while ago and sketched out a rough concept to scale in about 30 minutes. It still needs some tweaks here and there... but I'm positive its going to be a fun ride.

[55 Fargo]

I've been following his build. Quite encouraging when the first several people that I talked to about my project told me that the motor was too long and things would be all out of proportion. No matter how many times I have measured stuff out - it seems like there is just enough room to make it all work.

 

I sat down a while ago and sketched out a rough concept to scale in about 30 minutes. It still needs some tweaks here and there... but I'm positive its going to be a fun ride.

hey Man, looks like I used up my daily limit of "Likes", so will tell you I like this, and look forward to the build. The aforementioned HAMB member is doing fine work, but using a Canadian 201, his manner is a tad caustic, but that's another story....

Edited March 23, 2016 by Fargos-Go-Far

[Captain Neon]

2002: Springdale AR to Austin MN, almost 600 miles one way to relocate

2008: Loveland CO to Roswell NM, over 1100 miles round trip

2008: Loveland CO to Trenton MO, almost 700 miles one way for a new job

2009: Trenton MO to Enid OK, over 800 miles round trip traveling Rte. 66 from Springfield MO to Tulsa OK

2009: Trenton MO to Alliance NE, over 1200 miles round trip

2010: Trenton MO to Rochester MN, almost 700 miles for my cousin's wedding

 

Upcoming for 2016

Saint Michael MN to Iola WI, over 500 miles round trip

Saint Michael MN to Madison SD, over 500 miles round trip

 

My '46 more door is bone stock with only a 12v converter for radio, GPS, and cell phone charger.  I keep a gas can, a few quarts of oil, a tool kit, a first aid kit, and a fire extinguisher in the trunk and have only needed the oil.  I go about 50 mph, and avoid the interstate in metropolitan areas when possible.

[desoto1939]

_{In july I will be headed to the National Desoto Conventiion that is being held in Timonium, Md just outside of Baltimore. I will be leaving from valley Forge PA and will be about a 100 mile trip or less to the convention and then 4 days of driving and then return home.  Not upto the 500 that some of you have been doing, but will be a great trip for the old car.}

 

_{This years convention will be a joint convention also with the Airflow club. Will be some real nice Desotos and Chrysler  Airflows and regular desotos.}

 

_{July 5- 9th.  The car show will be held on Saturday July 9th.}

 

_{Rich Hartung}

_{Desoto1939@aol.com}

[Captain Neon]

I'll take a 100 mile trip on a whim with mine, and not think twice about it.  I like to drive mine.  Some boys want to be astronauts; others want to be astronomers.  I always wanted to be an astronaut.

[MarkAubuchon]

I've only done a couple

 

St. Louis to Portland Oregon for the POC summer meet  5,500

St. Louis to Detroit POC meet 700

St Louis to Port Huron meet 800

St Louis to St Johnsbury VT WPC meet 2600

 

Cant say they have all been trouble free, but I sure have some interesting stories.

[Don Coatney]

Mark, I was with you at Port Huron and Detroit but I recall you trailered to Kannapolis. I also recall how much fun it was on the trip home when I zipped past you in my P-15 at about 80 MPH on I40. Plymouthy Adams was also in Kannapolis along with Greg G and many others.  

 

 

 

 

 

[mlozier76]

So I went to the Portland Swap meet this weekend and drove quite a few miles around there, all uneventful.  It was  a lot of fun. The trip home was a completely different story.  Mind you, from my house to Portland is about 350+ miles one way.  I made it approximately half way home when I got a flat tire, which caught on fire, which also ripped the fuel filler neck from the top of the tank.  If my friends hadn't been directly behind me in an RV with a fire extinguisher at the ready,  I surely wouldn't be here today.  I had an extinguisher, but it was in the trunk which was becoming engulfed in flames.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to have an extinguisher on hand, at the ready.  Mine will be mounted in the car cab from here on out.  Beyond that, the trip was a lot of fun and if the tank didn't have a hole in the top I would have made it home.  I drove it about twenty miles to park it somewhere safer, until I can go with a friend to get it next weekend on the rollback.  Car clubs like mine are life savers and make it easier on the pocket book when we have several trailers and a car hauler at our disposal.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  I'm just going to check my tires at every stop, in addition to the oil checks.  I'm not sure that it would have kept me from getting a flat, but it may have helped.  Drive safe!

Edited April 4, 2016 by mlozier76

[Don Coatney]

WOW! Glad you made it home safely. What caused the flat tire to burn? Fuel leak? I have had several flat tires in my lifetime but none caught fire????

[knuckleharley]

So I went to the Portland Swap meet this weekend and drove quite a few miles around there, all uneventful.  It was  a lot of fun. The trip home was a completely different story.  Mind you, from my house to Portland is about 350+ miles one way.  I made it approximately half way home when I got a flat tire, which caught on fire, which also ripped the fuel filler neck from the top of the tank.  If my friends hadn't been directly behind me in an RV with a fire extinguisher at the ready,  I surely wouldn't be here today.  I had an extinguisher, but it was in the trunk which was becoming engulfed in flames.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to have an extinguisher on hand, at the ready.  Mine will be mounted in the car cab from here on out.  Beyond that, the trip was a lot of fun and if the tank didn't have a hole in the top I would have made it home.  I drove it about twenty miles to park it somewhere safer, until I can go with a friend to get it next weekend on the rollback.  Car clubs like mine are life savers and make it easier on the pocket book when we have several trailers and a car hauler at our disposal.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  I'm just going to check my tires at every stop, in addition to the oil checks.  I'm not sure that it would have kept me from getting a flat, but it may have helped.  Drive safe!

Glad you and your car survived.

 

I got lucky 2 years ago with my P-15. I just happened to have a fire extinguisher between the bucket seats,and the car backfired and caught fire under the hood. I stopped it,jumped out,and fogged everything in sight under the hood with the fire extinguisher,and managed to save the car, The carb was melted,and all the wiring under the hood was shot. The car only had red and black wires when I bought it,and I knew it needed to be rewired and done right. I have a brand new Ron Francis wiring loom sitting in a box to install as soon as I can make room to put the P-15 in the shop and pull it apart. The motor was losing oil pressure,the trans was starting out in second gear and slipping,and the engine was so close to the firewall all the engine heat was coming right into the car. Going to pull the tired 305/Turbo 250 out of it,recess the firewall,clean everything up,and then put the balanced and blueprinted 412 SBC and 700R4 I pulled out of my old van in it. They only have about 20 K miles on them,and I already scrapped the van so I might as well use them in the P-15.

 

Then I have to start sanding down shiny paint and gobs of body plastic so I can start welding in patch panels. The car was rust,covered with gobs of plastic and shiny paint. Really looked good when I bought it,though.

[mlozier76]

WOW! Glad you made it home safely. What caused the flat tire to burn? Fuel leak? I have had several flat tires in my lifetime but none caught fire????

I'm sure the fuel was a source for the fire, but after some inspection, believe the shock mount sparking is what caused the fire, if it wasn't from the tire, definitely scared me a bit.  I'm glad that the car is only in primer in instances like that because it's much less disheartening when you haven't yet had it painted.  I'm going to be getting it on the lift tonight hopefully to drop the fuel tank to send off to see if I can have it repaired, and probably get the tires removed to change.

Edited April 14, 2016 by mlozier76