Vintage car rally stops in Joplin today

[BobT-47P15]

Tues, 6/24 The Hemmings 2nd annual Vintage Car Rally will visit Joplin

today between 11 am and 2 pm. They will start from Rogers, Ark and

return to there. The cars, some of which are rare and unusual, will be

on display along Main Street between 4th and 7th streets. A local deli

will provide them lunch. I plan on driving the Plym down to look....and to

take a few pics.

They call it a "cloverleaf" rally......with the cars returning to the starting

point each day. Yesterday they went to Van Buren, AR. Wed to Claremore,

OK. Thursday...Muskogee, OK. And on Fri to Eureka Springs, AR.

The cost to enter a car.....only $2000.

The town that shows the most enthusiasm, etc to the racers will receive

a prize of $5000. It's a time and distance rally, like the Great Race.

Their website is www.vintagecarrally.com.

[Normspeed]

Sounds like you'll see some great old cars. I would imagine that being a Hemmings event the restoration work will be first rate. Have a great time.

[1940plymouth]

Bob,

I hope you take LOTS of photos:)

Bob

[BobT-47P15]

Wellll......the newspaper said cars would get to town somewhere around

11 am, depart around 2. So, when I finally got to take lunch about 1:15

I went right down. Some cars - I would guess about half - had already

left. Some nice ones were still here, but didn't seem like all that many.

Took pics of what was there.

It would seem that if cars like this are listed as being on display until

a certain time, they all should stay til then. May not do any good,

but think I'll complain to the good folks at Hemmings Motor News, a

main sponsor.

I had my Plym sitting out in front of our insurance office today,

which is on a main street. When I walked out to wipe off a

smudge I noticed on some stainless, an older couple pulled thru

the lot. The man said "in all those old cars on display downtown, there's

none as good looking as your convertible." (Of course, that made me

feel good.)

Have to attend a surprise birthday party this evening, so when I do

get back home, will post what pics I got on PhotoBucket with a

link.

They did put out a nice little magazine with small photos of all vehicles

in the rally and info about the owners and drivers. I didn't see it, but

it said Corky Coker (Coker Tire) had entered a 1932 Ford roadster pickup.

I also did not see the Hemmings 1934 Dodge panel truck as listed.

The publication stated that the Vintage Car Rally Association will donate

all proceeds from this rally to "Unlocking Autism" and "The Autism Society

of America". And, the city judged to have given the racers the best

welcome -- will receive $5000 from the group, to be used however the

city sees fit.

[BobT-47P15]

Link to Photo Bucket pictures I took.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v96/BobT3/Petey%20Plymouth%202/Joplin%206-24-08%20road%20rally/

[Don Coatney]

Bob;

Are these cars billed as all original restorations? The side mirror does not look original and the air filter is not original. It looks like the engine has headers. I would think use of a GPS would not be allowed in this type of race.

[BobT-47P15]

This is a time and distance rally and apparently certain things are used in

the cars. Each one had a clock and other gauges. The engines are, at

least in some cases, modified for better driving.

Someone told me an onlooker commented to a driver about a scratch on

his car. The driver replied that it was not a problem as he drives the car

in races -- it's not a show car. I have the program magazine they were

handing out.....I think it states rules of such a rally. Will have to read

thru it better a little later to see.

[PatS....]

Bob;

Are these cars billed as all original restorations? The side mirror does not look original and the air filter is not original. It looks like the engine has headers. I would think use of a GPS would not be allowed in this type of race.

Maybe if the entrant has the 2g's they aren't so picky about the "restoration"?

Nice shots, Bob

[james curl]

If you go to their web page for the locale state races you will find their rules. GPS is not allowed and all cell phones must be sealed during the event. Aftermarket equipment is allowed if it was manufactured during the era of the car. Even new reproduction speed equipment is allowed if it was originally available at the time the car was on the road.

[Don Coatney]

If you go to their web page for the locale state races you will find their rules. GPS is not allowed and all cell phones must be sealed during the event. Aftermarket equipment is allowed if it was manufactured during the era of the car. Even new reproduction speed equipment is allowed if it was originally available at the time the car was on the road.

I dont think K&N filters were available in the day of the A Model and that sure looks like a GPS to me. I wonder what that row of toggle switches in front of the tiller operates?

[greg g]

Hey Don, I don't see what looks like a GPS. I do see what looks like a programable independently driven Odometer. These are failry common in TSD rallys. they allow you to dial in the same odometer calibration as the car that layed out or measured and times the corse segments. The may even have a comtputer that calculates the time speed distance deal as you drive.

An early version of such a device was a halda speed pilot that was basically a road driven clock, whe you put in the rallys speeds, it would drive a clock that you matched to real time to stay on time against the rally timing.

[Don Coatney]

Greg;

You are probably correct. But this is still not a "period" accessory. And I bet it runs on 12 volts.

[BobT-47P15]

In the book, there is a section about how a rally is scored and run.

One line says "the approved electric speedometers are a must. They

are very accurate and have been designed exclusively for this kind of

rally." Also says "open cars need good communication, perhaps headset

style. Communication between driver and navigator is a must---don't

short cut here."

The booklet listed 137 entries (multiply by $2000 ea). One entry is a

48 Dodge pickup from San Antonio. Another is a 1930 Ford speedster

entered by the Titusville, FL high school auto mechanics students. Some

entrants are retired people, some are businesses, some evidently are

individuals who can take off enough time from whatever they do to

join in these events.

[james curl]

A gentleman who is older than I am and I will be 72 in August owns the pick up from San Antonio. I see him at some of the swap meets and at some of the local state runs around San Antonio/Austin area. The side boards on his truck say that the truck was driven from San Antonio, that might have been true in years past but I saw it on a trailer heading north up I 35 in Georgetown Texas last week about this time.