| |
|
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 |
| The HRPT Recap |
With the trip behind us, Sonny actually saved EVERY gas receipt (I lost a couple along the way), and here's some of the stats: We all used regular fuel. Sonny traveled 3626 miles, consumed 236 gallons at a cost of $750.10. The average price per gallon was $3.17, and he averaged 15.3 MPG. I drove 4017 miles, and every time we stopped to fill up, I used about a gallon and a half more than Sonny, averaging about 13.7 MPG. Packard Bill and Cecil used about a gallon and a half less than Sonny on each fill up, and their average was probably in the 17-18 MPG range. We stayed in Choice Hotels...usually a Comfort Inn. The nicest room was proably the night we spent at the Sleep Inn in Memphis. The worst were the EconoLodge's...both were pathetic, and we've scratched them off the list of any future trips we'll be taking. We ate well, thanks to Packard Bill basically refusing to eat an junk food this year. Our best meal was Sims BBQ. This year, there really wasn't anything that qualifies as a bad meal, except for the BBQ at Memphis Motorsports Park that was way overrated. It was almost impossible, with a total of three GPS, to get lost, although we did manage a wrong turn or two. A couple years ago, we pretty much stayed lost! After five consecutive years of doing the Tour, Sonny, Cecil, Kevin and I have decided to attend the All Ford Show at Carlisle next year. Packard Bill will no doubt do the Tour again (Little Rock to Madison in 2008), as he has done since 1998. |
| Day Ten - Long Hauler Awards |
It took us a week, a few thousand miles, many hundreds of dollars for gas, and a little aggravation, but this morning, we went back to the Arkansas Fairgrounds for the Long Hauler ceremony. This year was relatively painless...we got there about 9:15 AM, Kevin had us park in an area we could easily leave from, and at 10:00 AM, Hot Rod's editor took the group photo. Immediately after that, the lines formed for the Long Hauler gift(s), which were a $5 gas card from BP Oil (how far will THAT get you?), a Long Hauler certificate, and a soft-sided twelve-pack cooler with the Hot Rod logo on it. We were outa there about 10:30 AM! Next year's Tour, for those that might be interested, begins in Little Rock, and ends in Madison, Wisconsin. The only stop in between that's firm is Lincoln, Nebraska. We took Kevin and AJ to Sims BBQ, and AJ, the culinary expert, said it was the best BBQ he ever had! The ride to Hamilton was uneventful, except for an eight-mile detour for some ice cream...Sonny will explain, but I wouldn't recommend you ask! Tomorrow we drive to Tallahassee, and spend the night. Monday morning, Sonny and I head for Altamonte Springs, Cecil's going to Jacksonville, and Packard Bill will head towards Englewood. No Tour for the Mercury guys next year...we've done it for the past five years, and are ready for a change. See y'all next June in Carlisle! |
| Day Ten - Little Rock |
 Last night, we planned to leave the hotel about 7:00 AM. The time translastion (most of y'all are an hour later) got lost in the beer consumption, and Sonny and Cecil were late!
But no problem...Little Rock is just a couple hours from Memphis, and even going the HRPT route, only about three hours.
We stopped along the way for breakfast...good food, but it took an hour to get served, and we were pretty much the only ones in there! When they get busy later in the morning, they're gonna be in big trouble!
We were at the Arkansas Fairgrounds about 11:30 AM, and were among the first ten cars to enter the show field. They began parking us at the far end, and you wouldn't believe the number of people bitchin' about our preferred parking...it wasn't preferred enough for them!
We wandered around, picked up some of the Long Hauler gifts from the vendors (we've received at least a half-dozen T-shirts), and finally found Dan Dixon (aka Burple), who we travelled with in 2005 and 2006.
We wanted BBQ for lunch, especially after that lousy BBQ we had yesterday, so we asked one of the local's, who told us to try Sims BBQ, and gave us directions.
No description of this place would do it justice; you've gotta see the pics in the photo album. But forget the ambience, and forget the fact that we were the only white people in the place, and focus on the BBQ, which was the best we've had on this trip! This place easily gives Smokey Pig a serious run for the money!
Now it's 4:00 PM, and the Tour is over. Tomorrow morning, we go back to the Fairgrounds for the Long Hauler awards, find out where the 2008 Tour will start and stop (not that it matters...we're going to Carlisle next year!), we'll meet up with Kevin and AJ, and head for Hamilton, Alabama, where we'll spend the night.
It was a good Tour. The smaller the size of the group you travel with, the easier it is. We've driven nearly 3000 miles, and we've got nearly a thousand more to go. The price of gas never got as high as we expected, and was usually in the $3 a gallon area.
Sonny's radio gremlin was fixed when he replaced the radio. Cecil's oil leak is still a problem, even after replacing the front seal and a valve cover gasket. We're gonna take a power nap now, and then try to find and fix the leak this evening...Cecil has spent more for oil than for fuel! |
| Day Nine - Memphis |
After being in the middle of the pack for the past week, we were determined to lead the charge this morning! Actually, the excitement of the BIG RACE kept all of us awake most of the night. No, what really kept us awake was the lousy beds! We were on the road before the sun came up, and with the Packard in the lead, we made some serious time. About ten miles before Memphis Motorsports Park, we stopped to fill the tanks. I caught Sonny sneaking some 93 octane in his tank. Not only that, but he paid $9 for some internal engine cleaner additive! At the venue, Packard Bill added a can 10 octane boost to my tank, to help even the playing field. Being amongst the first ten cars on the show field, we were directly in front of the main stage. We clocked in, and then Sonny and I went to Tech. I was number 0001, and Sonny was 0002. We were ready to race, and while Cecil and Packard Bill made their way into the stands, we moved up to the start line. We stopped at the water box, then went around it! From the starting line, the quarter-mile looks to be at least a mile long! All I can say for myself is that I didn't red light! The race was on, and at the finish line, Sonny had be by .3 of a second. We turned in whopping speeds of just about 70 MPH. The race took twenty seconds! But Sonny wanted more, so we went again. This time, he whipped me worse, but still the same basic times. Drag racin' the wagons...how stupid...we ran faster than that just to GET to Memphis! However, there's never been a Cougar wagon down the Memphis strip, and there never will be again! And I had no excuses. If only Phil had been here... For your viewing enjoyment, Packard Bill took a video of the entire race, and we'll try and post it later tonight. Cecil was responsible for the still shots, but being an Analog Man in a Digital World, he screwed with the camera settings, and all the pics came out blurred, and in black and white. None were usable. It was time for lunch, and since the BBQ being sold at the track has won the Best BBQ in Memphis for the past twenty years, we decided to try it. There's NO WAY that it could possibly have won any award except for maybe being the Slowest Served BBQ. Now, as the main portion of the group is entering the venue, we're back at the hotel, enjoying the A/C, and preparing for Cocktail Hour. Tomorrow is the final stop, then Saturday morning we get to listen to how great General Motors is, and get our Long Hauler gift. We ALL hope it's better than last year's chairs! |
| Day Eight - Evansville |
You're reading this a day late because there was no internet access at the hotel last night. Not too much to report...we did our usual trip to the venue, clocked in, talked to Kevin and AJ about the Beale Street Cruise In in Memphis, and found the hotel, which was a dump! We did find time to have dinner in Applebee's, and the rest of the evening, Sonny and I worked on psyching each other out about the upcoming trip down the drag strip. |
| Day Seven - Springfield |
Last evening, the rain finally stopped, and I wanted to wash the car...err, wagon...but the others thought it would rain some more, so I was overruled.
Somewhere about 5:00 AM (6:00 Racine time), as the sun was rising, we were in the parking lot, loading our cars. I wanted to wash the wagon, but the others thought it would rain some more, and they were right again!
Sonny and I were ready for the big race (he practiced in the parking lot last night), but it wasn't meant to be...it began raining as we headed for the track. Nah, that's not true. Actually, we had no intention of racing this morning, but if we DID, we would have been rained out.
We ran the two-laners for nearly a hundred miles, and ended up in Lake Geneva. It was still raining off and on. We stopped for breakfast, and a photo op along the lake.
Once back on the road, the rain finally stopped, and way out in the country, we came to a stop sign. There were about three cars in front of us, and a huge crowd at the intersection, yelling for a burn out!
The first two did well, but the third car, a Chevelle, power-braked, then burned for a good ten seconds, leaving me in a cloud of burnt rubber! Of course, Sonny and I couldn't possibly outdo that, so off we went.
The two-laner was wide open, and we were running behind the Chevelle, averaging about 75 MPH. This road was actually in better shape than the interstate was!
We thought we would be among the first few into the Fairgrounds, but that didn't happen. When we arrived, there was already several hundred Long Hauler's in the lot. I guess NOBODY goes to the drivers meeting any more.
We clocked in, walked around, picked up a few more freebies, then had the famous Edelbrock We'll Serve No Swine Before Its Time BBQ.
We found the hotel with no problem...almost...and checked in. It's located directly acrosss the street from the State House, and DOES have a lounge. Did I mention we got FREE drink tickets at check in?
It had been sunny all afternoon, and the coin-operated car wash is just a few blocks away, so Sonny and I took care of that. Packard Bill DOESN'T wash his car, so he didn't go. Cecil, who always has the cleanest car, took a nap instead.
So with all the work out of the way, it's time to play. And the Old Guys have selected the lobby cocktail lounge as our playing field this evening. Surprise, surprise.
Tomorrow morning, we'll try and line up the cars on the lawn in front of the State House, and if we don't get arrested for that, we'll be on our way to Evansville, Indiana, where we expect to meet up with the world famous (alumni of 2003 and 2004 HRPT's) Robert Lee Zoom.
LATE EVENING EDIT: Springfield is the sleepiest town in the country! We took a walk...covered about 20 blocks...and the busiest bar in town had three customers! We hope the Route 66 Festival in September wakes this place up a little! |
| Day Six - Racine |
First thing this morning, just as it got light out, we found the local quarter car wash (remember when it was REALLY just a quarter?), and cleaned the mud off the cars. All of us except Packard Bill, of course. Then we headed northwest, stopped at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and were back on the road well before 8:00 AM. About 9:00 AM, it began to rain, just like during the thunderstorms we're used to in Florida, except that it NEVER let up! Just outside Chicago, we stopped at the first toll booth. A mile away, there was another one. And just a short distance beyond that, there was yet a third...over $3 so far, and we weren't nearly done. They've got a great system here...you pay tolls for the privledge of sitting in traffic for about an hour, as we idled all the way through Chicago. And the rains never let up! About an hour from Racine, we stopped for lunch at the Turnpike Oasis...the same one we stopped at two years ago to fix Cecil's brake booster. There's six or seven restaurants under one roof, and regular gas for only $3.69! After lunch, we had just one more toll to pay, and when we finally got there, it was backed up about a mile. We can just imagine what it'll be like when the rest of them come through later this afternoon. We got to the hotel, checked in, and drove down to the venue. The local police directed us in, we parked (the downtown streets were all blocked off), and walked towards where we though registration was, only to find out we weren't even close. Back to the cars, and after checking with the cop directing taffic, we made it over to the venue, which was right on the water, and if it hadn't been raining, would surely have been the best HRPT venue in years! We saw Kevin and AJ, punched our tickets, and immediately drove back to the hotel. There won't be any fast food for the Old Guys tonight...we're gonna find a decent place to eat...yeah, right! There won't be many pics to post tonight, either. It was raining too hard to even try and take them at the show. Hopefully, the weather will be better tomorrow! Okay, now it's Cocktail Time, and the Old Guys Evening Meeting. First on the agenda is dinner plans. Second on the agenda is whether or not we drag race tomorrow. If we do, we have to be there about 6:00 AM, and may not be able to race until noon. That'll mess up our travel schedule. We'll keep you posted. |
| Day Five - Kalamazoo |
The day started out sunny and cool, and by mid-afternoon, it was still cool, but raining. That didn't ruin the Old Guys' spirits...we just slowed down a little driving through those torrential downpours. We started out driving the published route, and as we passed the drivers' meeting location, we're happy we didn't attend...traffic was backed up a mile getting into the IX Center! We thought we'd be leading the pack (as we usually do), but it turned out that only a few attended the meeting, and the rest of them were already on the road. We did our best to pass them, but the two-laners held us back a little. All along the route, the residents sat in their lawn chairs, and cheered us on. One group was even cooking some BBQ! I guess in the Ohio country, they've got nothing else to do on a Sunday! Lunch was just over the line in Michigan (right on Lake Erie), and sponsored by DynoMax. There were several choices, and we opted for fish sandwiches and fries...EXCELLENT lunch! Trying to get out of the park was almost impossible, and took about a half-hour. We decided to abandon the two-lane route, and we headed for the interstate. That's when the sky opened up, and slowed us down again. The GPS kept us going, without even one wrong turn...boring! We went straight to the hotel, and checked in. The Old Guys select their hotels by first checking to see if it has a bar, and then by the location. The good news is this one had a really nice lounge. The bad news is that it's closed on Sunday! We headed for the Fairgrounds, which is just a couple miles from the hotel. There was only one turn we had to make, so the GPS never got turned on. Bad move...we went about ten miles out of the way, and as the rain continued, Packard Bill finally turned on the GPS. We entered through the wrong entrance, and ended up driving a couple blocks in the dirt, which due to the rain, was now MUD! Needless to say, we checked in, picked up our Eaton fender covers and Flowmaster hats, and headed back to the hotel. Our cars looked like we'd been muddin' for about 100 miles, and they'll definitely need a bath. Packard Bill said he was leaving his just the way it is...the mud adds character! Anyway, it's Cocktail Hour, and we've gotta get going. Tomorrow morning, it's off to Racine, Wisconsin. I'm hoping to meet with Vic Edelbrock, and get some drag racing pointers, so I can whip Sonny on the strip. |
| Day Four - Cleveland |
Last night, we were treated to a dissertation from MC Bill about trading cars with his father (Packard Bill) on the HRPT last year. It was hilarious, and if we can work out the details, we'll post a video of it tomorrow. The Old Guys were also reminded of an important lesson...read the directions! We spent much of the evening planning today's activities, only to find out the day started at 9:00 AM, and not noon, as we had planned. So this morning, after we woofed down a continental breakfast consisting mostlyof donuts, we drove a couple miles to the IX Center for the first day of the Tour. Since the Old Guys are known to be prompt, we arrived about 8:15 AM, and had to sit in line for 45 minutes. That gave us plenty of time pick up a couple T-shirts, and nitpick the other cars as they arrived. We did our usual stroll around the vendors, picking up tons of free stuff (most of which we'll throw away), and looking at the cars. Packard Bill, who's car is now for sale ($16K if you're interested), agreed to do a dyno run. Actually, he was shamed into it during cocktail hour yesterday! DynoMax had a contest where everyone guessed his HP and Torque, and since he's running a Vortec engine and overdrive trans, most of us guessed too low...EXCEPT Sonny, who predicted 249, and won! His actual rear-wheel HP was 254...impressive! During the dyno run, we all stood around, hoping to catch a piece of the Packard when the engine blew up, but it didn't happen! We had lunch, and since Cleveland is in the middle of a heat wave (upper 80's), we came back to the hotel at 2:00, just in time for Happy Hour (it's 5:00 somewhere, right?). Tomorrow morning we head for Kalamazoo, and we'll have company...Sonny's brother. Those of you who know him from Daytona already know that he will lead the charge to Cocktail Hour!
|
| Day Three - Cleveland |
Last night, a stanger joined us in the parking lot. This guy, who had apparently drank more than the Old Guys ever did, was convinced I would beat Sonny in the upcoming drag race. He thought since my wagon was running slicks, and was tubbed (how much did he REALLY have to drink?), Sonny wouldn't have a chance, and even as obnoxious as he was, I think he's right!
First thing this morning, the Old Guys did some Preventative Maintenance...Cecil pulled his spark plugs to find out why he's blowing smoke out the left bank, Sonny replaced his radio, Packard Bill replaced his carb return spring (with two paper clips and some rubber bands), and I tried to find the source of my overnight fuel evaporation (no luck).
Later in the afternoon, Kevin and AJ arrived, as did a couple of Packard Bill's sons. We went to the IX Center to register, checked out a few of the cars, and of course, I bought a shirt.
After that, we went to Flaming River Products (steering columns, rack and pinion stuff, and steering wheels) for a cook out and cruise in. We got a tour of the plant, saw some very cool cars, ate, and just after we washed our cars, got rained on big time!
Back at the hotel, we swapped out Cecil's balancer seal, which will hopefully stop the oil leak. It was accomplished WITHOUT the use of power tools, or an impact wrench.
Monte Carlo Bill (Junior) feels we should mention him in the blog. Okay, Bill, you've been mentioned!
Now it's cocktail time...tomorrow the big show begins! And you've gotta love that GPS...we still haven't gotten lost! |
|
|
The Route 66 Cruise
Packard Bill Weekend
Cars of Dreams Museum Benefit Car Show
WinterFest 2010
2010 River Ranch Rod Run
NPD's All-Ford Show
Daytona Turkey Run
Daytona Beach Dream Cruise
Show and Concert In The Park
Tifton, Georgia
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
August 2008
September 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
May 2009
June 2009
October 2009
November 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
|
|