Hot Rod Power Tour

[JPotter57]

Guys, I am on the power tour right now, and I have to say that this is the coolest thing I have ever done with a car.  It is better than drag racing, car shows, whatever.  I am so wound up right now, I cant stand it.  My dad and I are doing the tour in his 63 Falcon ragtop, and I totally cannot wait until next years Power Tour.  My Ford will be going, finished or not.  This is my plan:  As soon as we can find out the kick-off city for 2011, lets try to get a handful of 57s together to do the tour together.  Hopefully, my Custom will at least be in white primer, and have glass, wiring, motor and trans by then, whether the interior is done or not.  This tour is awesome, more about the trip than anything else, and the people.  I have met some of the coolest people.  You know the type.  The kind that understands why we spend money and time on something that we can never hope to recoup, and shares that passion, even though it may be for a Chevy, MOPAR, Studebaker, Packard, Austin, whatever.  They get it.  Tell me it wouldn't be incredible to see 10 or 15 57 Fords driving together on the tour.  This one is almost 1400 miles.  This is not concrete by any means, but word has it that next year may begin in New Orleans. Where it ends up is anyones guess, and it may or may not actually start in N.O.  As soon as I find out, I am registering, and beginning to make reservations for motels etc.  I plan to do the long haul next year, whether in my 57, or if its not far enough along, I will take my 61 Ford unibody F100.  ight now, Im not thinking about the truck, but concentrating on the Custom.  The reason I feel I have no excuse is the two guys I met from Texas.  They were driving an old 49 Dodge sedan, really rusty, hastilly chopped top, but looking so cool, no side glass, no carpet, a pair of old wingback living room chairs bolted to the floor, and the biggest grins on the driver and passenger you can imagine.  These guys dragged this thing out of a field 3 weeks ago, and worked to get it together for the Power Tour.  They are doing the whole trip, from Newton Iowa all the way to Mobile Alabama.  I totally have no excuse.  I have owned my Custom since 2007, and it still has no glass, only a quarter has been changed, roof fixed, and passenger door fixed.  I suck.  These dudes rule.  When I get home, from this trip, yeah, Im getting to work.  My car will be plumbed and wired by the end of the month, and the engine/trans will be assembled shortly thereafter.  My drag racing days are over, since I totally have too many other responsibilities and obligations to waste money on that kind of hobby/pastime.  I love my cars, but I dont need to race to have a good time.  This is what it is all about, gentlemen.  Driving and enjoying these beautiful cars.  Who is with me?  Anybody interested in PT 2011?

[RICH MUISE]

Man, I'm green with envy..sounds awsesome, like you said this is what it's all about. for me, too little time, too little money for 2011, maybe I'll set my sights on 2012. If I were one of our many members with their 57 up and running, I'd jump on it. Did you join the tour when it went thru Gulfport?. I think it's awesome you're getting to do this with your Dad. have fun, Rich

[custom300fe]

That is the way to go anywhere slow and low.  I wish my Dad was still around to do things with, you are so lucky.

By the way, let us know where you are when you sign in. We can kind of pretend we're there with you.

Have fun

Gerry

[JPotter57]

A couple days ago, we were in Chattanooga, When I signed in last night I was in Birmingham, tonight, was Mobile.  Today was the last day.   I am in Gulfport right now.  We are going to extend it a bit, and go back to Tennessee.  I was just informed that we are getting Monday off with pay, so I will go back up there and drive back down with my wife and kids on Sunday.  Yeah, its a lot of driving, but I dont get to hang with my dad like I did when I lived next door.  We really have a good time together, because we're pretty much just alike.  We are already making plans for next year, if my `57 is at all running and assembled, it is going.  Of course his Falcon will go, and we are trying to get my sister involved with her 5.0 5 speed 65 Mustang 2+2.  Should be a riot, man.  This was by far, the best time I have had.  Met a lot of awesome people, including, get this:  Gary Coe, the former owner and driver of the old `57 Ford altered wheelbase drag car, the Gunfighter.  I got his autograph, gave him a business card for the club and a sticker.  He told me he has bought another `57 sedan, and will be building it like the gunfighter, altered wheelbase and all, with big, big power to compete in the Hot Rod Drag Week unlimited class.  And he plans to go over 200 mph in the 1/4 with it.  It was great talking to this legend of `57 racing, and just hanging out with him for a while.  He was really a great fellow.  If you are unfamiliar with the Gunfighter, check out the pics:

[57chero]

Speaking of Gary Coe , he shows up at a lot of the local cruise ins here in the portland metro area (oregon) with his beautiful red 57 f-100 built by a local resto shop ,Im sure some of you guys have seen it in several magazines, he also had a 57 ranchero that he had at the portland swap meet a few years back dont know if he still has it.

[JPotter57]

I was behind Gary today in the tour, he was driving that beautiful `57 F100.  Truly a beautiful, hand built machine, too many tricky things done to it to count.  He does still have the Ranchero, says hes owned it for 20 years now.  I invited him to the club, maybe we'll see him on here in a few days once he gets back home.

[RICH MUISE]

Is that f-100 the one that was built by Steves Restorations with the tailgate slanted forward? If it is, I talked with him at length at a goodguys show and didn't have a clue who he was. Also, how'd that 4.6 perform for the run?

[JPotter57]

Thats him.  The 4.6 performed flawlessly. It was like driving a new car.  AC works too.  You would really have to see this car to believe it.  It is a `63 Falcon convert, the whole front clip is 2004 Mach 1.  It has the Mach 1 suspension, struts, rack and pinion, brakes, everything.  Interior is also late Mustang, dash, instrument cluster, controls.  Everything works, not just stuck in there.  Here is a pic somebody took of it in Birmingham.

[glen b henderson]

Sounds like you are hooked James, I drove up to the Interstate and sat about an hour watching the cars heading south. Hope you took a lot of pictures.

[Frankenstein57]

Sounds like the ultimate car guy road trip, I am jealous. Enjoy, Mark

[shopratwoody]

Sounds like a good time James. I raced mine for 15 yrs or so.
It'll be a lot less money going the other way. You'll get to drive
it and enjoy it more.

[Zapato]

I'd love to see tons of pictures of the 4.6 in the Falcon, Had to be a super tight squeeze as the mod motors aren't exactly slim. Did he trim the towers? What exhaust manifolds did he use? Man I could come up with a hundred questions and some of them would answer the same swap in a 57.

[Ford Blue blood]

He grafted the front internal clip from an 03/04 Mustang onto the Falcon.  The inner fenders align suprisingly close and adjusting the wheel base is no problem.  Then hang the Falcon sheet metal on the 03/04 clip...shock tower problem gone and you have late model suspension, brakes and energy absorbing structure.

[JPotter57]

Exactly right blue blood.  And it drives like a 2004 Mach 1 instead of a 63 Falcon, too...Very cool.  Did you see it in Birmingham?
Zapato, he used the stock 2004 Mach 1 manifolds, since they fit, and he didnt know if tube headers would.  Ask any other questions, if I dont know what he did, I'll ask him.  He did all of it himself, and I was there for some of it.  He bought this car as an original stocker with 260 V8, swapped in two different 302s later, then it kinda got out of hand with this one.

[BAMA_57]

I'm sooo ready to get my car on the road but trying to pay off some bills first. Should be back on track by the end of the year. Keep us up to date.