I was up bright and early...
I was up bright and early on the first day of the cruise, and with the help from my father Pat, signed in West Coast Americruise entrants while the Westech crew made some dyno demonstration runs and filled our bellies with doughnuts and coffee.
West Coast Tour: Two-Lane Trippin' to Lincoln
What could be better than a week of cruising America's great two-lane highways in your favorite hot rod for a trip back in time when life was not so hurried and mega-lane highways were not the preferred route of travel? The only thing better would be a great event to attend at the end of that week. For the rodders who participated in the West Coast Americruise Tour and the following weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska, that week had more fun packed into it than they could ever have imagined
The return of the Americruise was welcomed by both veterans of the event as well as new attendants wondering want the buzz was all about. The West Coast leg of the tour, sponsored by the transmission experts at TCI Automotive, began at Westech, and after touring their facility and getting a full dose of California hospitality, the group set off on the journey across America. Along the way, the group, led by Kevin and myself in a '32 Ford roadster graciously loaned to us by Roy Brizio, stuck to two-lane roads as much as possible and all involved enjoyed the slice of Americana not seen from the fast-paced "super highways."
Visits were made at shops and businesses like Streamline Hot Rod Parts and Pinkee's Rod Shop, as well as plenty of local eating establishments, giving a very comfortable and un-corporate feel to the tour.
Plans are already being made to make next year's event bigger and better, so make your own plans to be a part of it all because you wouldn't want to be left out, would you?
Who wouldn't be smiling rolling...
Who wouldn't be smiling rolling down the road in a beautiful '32 roadster? Making our trip very enjoyable and equally memorable was the '32 Ford roadster Roy Brizio graciously loaned to the R&C staff. Lack of a top and triple-degree weather didn't even put a dent in the fun we had on this trip.
The only mechanical failure...
The only mechanical failure encountered by the West Coast group was an expired fuel pump. An electric pump was quickly swapped in to bypass the wounded mechanical pump, enabling Steve to get the '55 to Pinkee's Rod Shop where they had a new pump waiting.
Streamline Hot Rod Parts in...
Streamline Hot Rod Parts in Denver, CO, was one of many interesting stops along the way. Known for an extremely well-stocked supply of original early parts, as well as a huge selection of new products, their showroom is an adult's candy store.
Assembled decades ago by forward-thinking...
Assembled decades ago by forward-thinking preservationist Harold Warp, Pioneer Village is an unbelievable collection of Americana, chronicling many of the major advancements made in this country over the last 200 years. The history of American transportation is a large part of the museum, and extremely rare cars like this six-cylinder 1906 Ford Model N racer tell the tale to visitors.
Pinkee's shop owner and operator...
Pinkee's shop owner and operator Eric Peratt gave Kevin a guided tour of the projects in the works, including an up-close look at the amazing custom work on this Caddy convertible.
This Chevy wagon rolled through...
This Chevy wagon rolled through Pinkee's doors as a mint stocker (that's the factory chrome showing on the bumper and grille). Can you tell where the top has been perfectly cut just slightly? Amazing work!
We never would've made it...
We never would've made it to Lincoln without Peggy Vernon from Air Ride Technologies, who planned this expedition and was our combination tour guide/fearless leader/navigator/den mother for the first half of the trip.
East Coast Tour: Following the Sun on America's Back Roads
Americruise is back. The road trip Rod & Custom invented in 1993 had a phenomenal return this past summer after a year away. The fun started with one group of hot rodders leaving from the West Coast and another group leaving from the East Coast, both bound for Lincoln, Nebraska, right in the middle.
I decided to indulge my Eastern roots by cruising with the East Coast Tour, led and sponsored by Air Ride Technologies (thanks, Peggy!). Brent Van Dervort at Fatman Fabrications filled us with barbecue on the night before our departure. In the five days that followed, we covered more than 1,300 miles through eight states, with approximately 30 high-mileage, hard-driven hot rods and customs.
We avoided the interstate highways as much as possible. By keeping to the ambling, two-lane state routes, we managed to enjoy the ride-and see a lot more America-along the way.
We took our time, stopping at Air Ride Technologies in Jasper, Indiana; Jerry Bickel Race Cars in Moscow Mills, Missouri; Linville Caverns in Marion, North Carolina; the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri; and at rural gas stations, small-town restaurants, cruising spots, and (a few times) auto parts stores all across the Eastern half of the United States. We made friends with people we'd never met before, traveled to places we'd never been, and saw things we'd never seen. And you know what it felt like? Being home.
The youngest member of the...
The youngest member of the East Coast Tour was 9-year-old Derrick Adleman, on the road with his grandfather, Tommy Winkel, whose '35 Ford ton-and-a-half was a stake bed cement hauler before he bought it for $500 10 years ago. He added the longbed plus a 350/350 drivetrain. These guys drove from Wisconsin to Charlotte before heading to Lincoln.
On the first full day of the...
On the first full day of the tour, we stopped to visit Linville Caverns in eastern North Carolina. These caverns go on for miles and have only been partially explored. It was a cool tourist stop and a great break from the summer heat-but not for the claustrophobic.
Jim Hiatt and Jim Walker have...
Jim Hiatt and Jim Walker have been friends their whole lives and have traveled around the country together many times, including a few Americruise trips. This year, it was in Jim Hiatt's flamed '40 Chevy. The chopped sedan rides on a Morrison frame.
We're doing it again next year. Keep checking the magazine and the Web site for info on Americruise 2007-and sign up to be part of the fun.
The interstates are faster,...
The interstates are faster, but the two-lane U.S. highways and state routes take you through some of America's great small towns. When we stopped to eat in Carrollton, MO, we drew the attention of local citizens as well as the town newspaper. No wonder, when you pull into town with Will Ander's rodded '50 Seagrave fire truck. A Jasper 454 replaces the stock V-12.
Most race shops are kept closed...
Most race shops are kept closed up tighter than Fort Knox, but we had full access to Jerry Bickel Race Cars and got to spend all afternoon exploring every corner of the expansive shop. Donnie Cross explained that it takes approximately five weeks to build a race car like this one.
They say "getting there is...
They say "getting there is half the fun." We say it's 90-percent of the fun, and figuring out where to go next is the other 10 percent. This year is the 50th anniversary of the day Ken and Jean Wells bought this '36 Ford Club Cabriolet (Jean actually paid for it). It's been through "many experimentations, improvements, and failures" over the years, including dozens of family vacations.
What do famous NASCAR drivers...
What do famous NASCAR drivers do in their free time? Ted Musgrave cruises the back roads of America. In addition to his yellow '56 Thunderbird, which he's been restoring and driving for six years, Ted owns practically every imaginable model of '58 Ford and several other cars. This was his first long-distance cruise.
The other '40 Chevy sedan...
The other '40 Chevy sedan on our tour was this mostly stock version, Americruised by Bruce Estes and his granddaughter, Katie Trippet, who came from Oregon to ride with us to Lincoln. After buying the car in 2005, Bruce added a bored Chevy six-cylinder. He said the car has been done "all week."
On our last night on the road,...
On our last night on the road, the hot rodders in St. Joseph, MO, made sure it was memorable by showing up for a mid-week cruise night. We hated to leave, but by now we were eager to get to Lincoln to hook up with the West Coast Tour and hear their stories.