Cross Country, in a Stock Coupe!

[Onlybackroads]

Registering/insuring the car today, should have it on the road by this weekend! First stop is Turlock, CA Sept. 25th and 26th. Then up to Columbia, CA on the 27th for a banjo/fiddle contest in downtown Columbia. 28th we'll be spending the day at Pinecrest Lake, then heading down the 49 the next day, making our way south through California to try and outskirt the tall passes of the Sierras. I'd kind of like to pass through Visalia, as that's where I we picked the car up. Our next big goal will be Flagstaff, AZ so anyone one our route, feel free to give us a holler!

-Sean: 925 705 2308

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Onlybackroads

Oops! Should work now.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VRvveDq6Yzk

You BOTH did good, thanks for sharing ! Is that the current hot rod rave... flat black paint that you've put on ?
Maybe you can share with us, your approximate investment thus far.

Turlock, Ca has some HUGE old car swap meets, maybe you will be fortunate enough to be there at such time. I cannot remember the dates, at this time, but I think that there are two or three such swaps each year.

[banjoQ]

Sean- Your trip sounds like an "everyman's adventure" for sure. I know I can relate to it on many levels. Good luck in Columbia, I picked there over 25 yrs. ago. Things must have improved as I don't remember any prize money being offered back then. Plenty of good pickin' though. I just did that drive through the dessert and the South a month ago, except I used interstates. Beautiful country to see through the windshield of your A. Crossing Texas going 80mph takes a couple of days. You guys are going to earn your keep on that stretch. I used to live in La. years ago. A trip to Shreveport or Lafayette meant you were goin' to a big city. Have a great time, I'm jealous.

[Onlybackroads]

Hardtimes, the semi-gloss paint I used has nothing to do with hot rod culture, I just wanted it to be black but not all shiny, wanted it to look dull, so it looks like an old car!

Banjoq, thanks for the support, it's great to hear about so many trips and how it's not that big of a deal like a lot of people think it is. It's really just havin some fun in an old car, takin your time and seein the sights! And yes, texas is very large...

[hardtimes]

Also noticed that your maps include Utah/Nevada. Look up 'monsoon' as it applies to these states. Last year, Misses/Me visited both states in September. I will not go into details here, but suffice to say that NO one wants to be caught in that type weather. The locals said that the monsoons have been showing often and at strange/different times, at least last year. Scary stuff indeed !! Best to you guys . Have fun, but plan good so that it is fun.

[Onlybackroads]

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Thanks for the heads up, I think we'll just stick to AZ, NM, TX and LA.

[Onlybackroads]

Any advice about route 66? I'd like to drive some of it, but I know it turns into the 40 at certain points. Any experience driving parts of it and avoiding getting on the interstate?

[Onlybackroads]

Left for the first day of our trip today! Spent the morning with some folks in the Diablo A's club, picked up some last-minute parts from them as well as some positive encouragement. Well it took us a while to leave town since we visited with a few guys and ran a few errands, but we finally left around 4pm. Everything was fine until we hit a busy backroad, with a line of cars behind us, we pulled over to let them pass. As soon as we tried to leave, the car started backfiring a bunch and had no power. Well, we shut the car down and let it cool since it was getting pretty hot climbing up the hill we had just encountered. Once cool enough, I removed and cleaned out the carburetor, which had some junk up in it, as did the sediment bowl. Now I haven't driven my car all that much, so I knew we'd have to cycle the little bits out of the tank, even though it's a pretty darn good-lookin tank. Well sure enough the car fired right up and away we went. Same thing happened a couple more times on the drive, but instead of taking the carb off, I just revved the engine and quickly choked the carb a few times until the idle got better, hoping to suck up any little bits stuck in there. It worked out well and then we'd head right back down the road. The last hour of our drive was great and we had no more carb problems. We got here at 8pm, with about an hour of stop time, and covered a little over 90 miles. It seems as if our gas mileage is pretty low… Seemed to be about 12mpg! We did hit a lot of stop-and-go traffic before leaving so hopefully that was part of the low mileage, but we're also fairly loaded with stuff and it's a bone-stock engine.

Todays drive: Concord, CA to Turlock, CA

To anyone in Turlock: We'll be around for a few days if you'd like to say hi, and we'll be playing some old-time music at La Mo, a restaurant in downtown Turlock on Friday evening at 6pm. Come on down!

[Onlybackroads]

Alright anyone who is following this, we're leaving Turlock tomorrow morning (Tuesday Sept 30th) and are shooting for somewhere near Bakersfield. If anyone has any suggestion on where to stay the night, feel free to let us know! Check out the blog link at the bottom of this post too if you haven't, some pictures/music up there for anyone interested.

-Sean 925 705 2308

[mshmodela]

Awesome'! Good luck and please post some updates and photos

[Onlybackroads]

Leaving Tehachapi soon, shooting for Needles area. Car is running great, had quite a grade to pull on the 58 up from Bakersfield but once we locked in on whatever speed the car wanted to go, we just sailed right on up the mountain, even passed a truck!

[1930artdeco]

Make sure you don't get a speeding ticket

Mike

[Onlybackroads]

Blog updated for anyone following, currently in Roswell, NM and heading to Texas today! Car is running well, gas boils fairly easy even though we have the fuel line wrapped and made a tin shield between the carb and exhaust. No problems when we drive with the hood strapped open though

[Terry,NJ]

I just got back from that trip! We left the LA area on "the" 5 and then to "The" 15, up to Las Vegas somewhere we got on I 40. I like NM better than Ariz., I don't remember why. Although the scenery was better and the gas was cheaper. We left I 40 for I 25 at Albaquerqe (sp) and went north to Denver. Then home on I 80. Old 66 parallels I 40 through Ca, Ariz, but in many places it's been allowed to deteriorate to impassability.
Terry

[Onlybackroads]

[Onlybackroads]

Anybody have a couple spare parts I could borrow? Can't trust other drivers… Guy made a left in front of us while we had a green light. Broken nose, multiple bruises, sore bodies and many pieces of automobile scattered across the intersection. So much for out trip...

[juke joint johnny]

So Sorry this has happened to you !!!!

Maybe some of the local Ford Barners will help you with parts. Then you can carry on

We're all cheering for you out here !!!!!
We can't let a few Goons on the road stop us from using the road too .

Isn't that what Freedom is about!!

John Cochran

[dumb person]

i have parts you can borrow except for them being on the wrong side of the world .

[Onlybackroads]

Thanks guys, well I was mildly joking… More than a "couple" parts are done-for… My frame is completely ruined, hood ruined, fenders ruined (especially the passenger side,) radiator/radiator shell ruined, crankshaft pulley is shattered, fan is bent, bumper is toast, front axle is bent, shock was found 10 feet away from car as well as pieces of the bumper that had sheared off, the wishbone broke loose from the casting and about 4 pieces of the wishbone housing were found feet away from the car, and I'm assuming there's more I'll find out in the morning during the day-light. But as far as I can tell, the body is o.k. and the rear-end is fine, there's a big dent in the trunk where the moped slammed into it but that's fine. Doors still close so the body isn't too badly warped, I say this because there's a ripple in my top so I'm assuming the body isn't straight anymore.

[montanafordman]

oh no.... so sorry to hear the news... just remember cars can be replaced, people cannot so I'm very happy you were able to walk away from this. I hope you have a speedy recovery from the injuries you did sustain. I have followed your work and trip with great interest since I'm another one of the "young" guys around here and currently restoring my own coupe. It would be great if the barners here could band together and come up with a collection of stuff you need to eventually put your car back together. Maybe someone has an extra flywheel housing laying around, maybe someone else has a wishbone they would like to donate? Frame etc.? If everyone pitched in a needed part or two who could help a young guy out that would be pretty cool.

Best wishes and speedy healing.