Somewhere west of Laramie...the Western Sweep

Charlie Chops 1940 · August 24, 2006, 03:27:56 PM

Update...stop. Home...stop.

My part of Ken and Charlie's Western Sweep (an NHRA pun)is done. We left home 8/1 and I got back late yesterday (8/23) - we split up Tuesday night as I headed further east & Ken turned south yesterday to head down to the HAMB Drags and to pick up his generator on loan to Team #974.

I put another 5,956 miles on the '40 - I think she deserves a little rest. America's highways are in rough shape...I think the car picked up a few dozen new rattles, creaks and groans. No major damage though.

I realized on the way home that the front suspension is approaching 100K and probably needs a refurishment. Seemed much more sensitive to road conditions than ever before. So I guess that will get some attention this winter. Need to tuck the exhaust up a little tighter...the world's road commissions could care less about lowered cars. It has a few leaks from being battered in driveways and road drainage dips, etc. The drivers window relay gave up with the window up on the way through Kansas - fixed it in Blanding. It gave up again near Gillette, WY on the way back - still up. Time to retrofit the system to new style relays instead of the old GM horn relays. The AC and defrosters worked flawlessly...we needed defrosters the morning we set out from camp to explore Yellowstone Park as it was about 34 F and foggy. Burned nay a drop of oil - as they say.

Ken and I are both sorry we weren't able to stay on at Bonnevile for the actual record breaking as we had a commitment for a show in Cut Bank, MT on 8/19 and a home cooked supper at my cousins there on 8/20. I consider myself fortunate to participate as a crew member with Hooley, John and the rest of the gang. I had a great time. Congrats to eveyone! What a great bunch of geezers - not to be confused with guysers...

So, here was the route: Muskegon - Louisville - Salina, KA - Alamosa, CO - Blanding, UT - Wendover, UT - West Yellowstone,MT - Whitefish, MT, Cut Bank, MT, Gillette, WY, Mitchell, SD/Worthington, MN - Muskegon. We drove through some of the last wilderness areas in the west and partook of some really great rRadster Roads (tm). There's nothing like traveling in your hot rod - on the road to somewhere and nowhere. We are now vying for membership in the IOC - the International Order of Characters. Not to mention that we met some real characters!

Charlie

Dave · August 24, 2006, 05:58:54 PM

Some day Charlie! Im jealous but im also glad things went well for you and Kenny >>> Will i see you guys at Kzoo :?: :?:
Dave

1FATGMC · August 24, 2006, 06:06:09 PM

Quote from: "Charlie Chops 1940"I put another 5,956 miles on the '40 --
Charlie

And here you told me the trip would be over 6,000 miles long. I'm disappointed

.

Great seeing you and Ken and the rest of the guys and thanks for all of the help.

Next year :?: :?: :?:

c ya, Sum

kb426 · August 24, 2006, 06:38:13 PM

Did I see you at Salina and not know it?

Charlie Chops 1940 · August 24, 2006, 09:14:02 PM

Quote from: "kb426"Did I see you at Salina and not know it?

Only if you were at the KOA or the Wendy's near it on Saturday evening the 5th. And we were only that far (631 miles) because I wouldn't let off.

Charlie Chops 1940 · August 24, 2006, 09:18:08 PM

Quote from: "1FATGMC"
Quote from: "Charlie Chops 1940"I put another 5,956 miles on the '40 --
Charlie

And here you told me the trip would be over 6,000 miles long. I'm disappointed .

Great seeing you and Ken and the rest of the guys and thanks for all of the help.

Next year :?: :?: :?:

c ya, Sum

Yer a tough audience Sum. I was just extremely happy that we made it that far without any real preoblems. Of course Ken will have bragging rights for long distanc since he went on down to MOKAN.

I saw on the HAMB today that Bob K. wasted the tranny in the convert down in Iowa. Left it their for repair and borrowed Larry's '40 Ford convert for the rest of the trip to the drags.

Charlie

alchevy · August 24, 2006, 09:31:36 PM

Charlie, It was good to meet you at Louisville and talk '40 Chevys. You got me beat on miles. How many times has your '40 Conv. been out West like that?
AL

WZ JUNK · August 24, 2006, 10:06:38 PM

The wife and I took Ken out to eat this evening. He is going with me tomorrow to the swap meet. I am glad you made it home safe. Stay off the bike

You could get hurt.

John

Charlie Chops 1940 · August 24, 2006, 10:45:36 PM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"The wife and I took Ken out to eat this evening. He is going with me tomorrow to the swap meet. I am glad you made it home safe. Stay off the bike You could get hurt.

John

Good to know that he found his way. He's on a diet , so, no ribs joints....

Charlie

40 · August 24, 2006, 11:09:59 PM

It was good to see you in Louisville....Glad you had a great trip!

EMSjunkie · August 25, 2006, 01:16:47 AM

Y'all take good care of Kenny.
don't make me hafta come up there and do CPR on him

Vance

btrc · August 25, 2006, 06:08:10 AM

It looks like you stayed overnight in Mitchell SD. Wish I would have known that, it would have been good to meet you. I'll bet by that time though you were pretty focused on getting home.

Bob

Charlie Chops 1940 · August 25, 2006, 08:35:08 AM

Quote from: "btrc"It looks like you stayed overnight in Mitchell SD. Wish I would have known that, it would have been good to meet you. I'll bet by that time though you were pretty focused on getting home.

Bob

Bob,

Ken camped at the KOA on the east side of Mitchell...I drove on to Worthington, MN.

Although I keep thinking I'll make a list of who liveswhere along the way I never do. My loss. But, yes, by that time I was on a mission.

Charlie

Charlie Chops 1940 · August 31, 2006, 11:17:54 AM

A little update on the performance of the '40. The overall fuel consumotion for the trip was 377.610 gallons over 5,956 mile for an overall average of 16.74 mpg. I was pulling a Mullins trailer that probably weighed in at 1000-1200 pounds, so I suspect there is some penalty there.

Mileage ran from a low cruising back and forth to the Nats in Louisville (12.19 on that tank) and 12.72 - 12.79 on the 2 tanks burned on and off the salt at Bonneville. Saw a couple consecutive tanks in the 20's (26.03 and 23.73) between Blanding and Spanish Fork, UT. We ran lotsa miles at 65 and some at 70 and there doesn't appear to be any real difference - likewise mountains or corn states don't seem to make much difference either.

I thought the average would be a bit better, and maybe without the Mullins on it would have made a couple mpg difference.

My 2002 Trailblazer gets the occasional 21 on the highway but it's lifetime average at 63K on the clock is 16.5.

Overall I can't complain. The '40 sat in the garage from last Wed. to this morning when I topped it up at 2.599 per gallon. When we left on the trip it stood at $3.099. We saw a high of $3.249 in West Yellowstone and $2.799 in Independence, IA but no indication of a real drop before Illinois on 8/23 - and that apparently was starting to coincide with a significant downward trend.

Charlie