On the road...again!

[hiball3985]

Some how I missed the date Hugh was going to be in LA I already had another commitment so I missed him. Good luck on the rest of your trip and hope no further problems with the truck.

[mustang6984]

I'll be way past there by the weekend. Home by Thursday night...Friday lunch at the latest.

Abe has been holding out on us...he has a couple of really nice rides in his garage...tell 'em about those Abe!

Ditto for Mike...he has a super little ride in his pl;ace as well...these guys have been keeping secrets! LOL!!!

Leaving Bisbee in about 15...heading for Las Cruces!

[djfordmanjack]

great to see you guys networking and Hugh picking up and delivering parts as he goes. That makes a true enthusiast !

[mustang6984]

I'll bring you some too when I come over G!    

hiball...the truck is running like a Swiss watch! I'll catch you next time out. Family first biddy!

[RICH MUISE]

Hugh called last night. He was putting up in Alamagordo, for the night and is expecting to be passing thru Amarillo by mid-late afternoon. Not sure if he is going thru Carrizozo to I40 @Santa Rosa, or thru Ruidoso, Roswell, and Clovis and into Amarillo that way. About the same distance, both trucking routes, but thru Carrizozo is a much prettier drive. Either way, I do in the '57 two or three times a year as a favorite car show is in Ruidoso.
I'll be meeting up with him for a short visit.

[mustang6984]

Ah...Home Sweet Home! Arrived home around 3:20 this morning local time and hit the sack. Saw Rich in Amarillo and was able to let Bob see his car. Never saw a drop of rain from the day I left until I got back. So that was good. The truck continues to run like a Swiss watch since the fellow in Sacramento beat some sense into it. (there are 14 computers in that thing!)
Did not see Alvin as his car is still giving him transmission grief...so that will be a trip for another day perhaps in a couple of months!
Now I get to head to the apartment building and figure out where my new water leak is...popped up while I was gone. Murphy is sure a pain for someone who has been dead for over 150 years!
Oh...and just a reminder...I brought back a BUNCH of stuff from Lannie in New Mexico...and it is free for the shipping cost. There is a list on the site that Rich posted under http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?board=17.0 and then look for "Free Parts".

[RICH MUISE]

"Never saw a drop of rain from the day I left until I got back."
My last two weekend roadtrips have been plagued with rain. I'll do a post on my weekend in hell later, as soon as I figure out if all this stuff really happened to me, or I slipped into the twilight zone. My 4 1/2 hour trip home from the NSRA in Alburquerque turned into 10 hours!!
Glad you made it home ok, apparently when we shook hands Thursday, you passed your bad luck onto me.

[mustang6984]

OOPs! Sorry...

[mustang6984]

WELL!!!

It is time for the road again. Leave this afternoon to drop my wife off at the airport in Springfield. She is off for 10 days in Sacramento.
I meanwhile will be sticking to the black ribbons of the American Midwest and now...for the first time ever...heading to the East! (Furthest I have been in the past is Michigan and also the Florida/Georgia areas)
Going to Billings area to see Alvin...my friend Bob is flying into Billings and we will then go to lunch with Alvin, and Bob can finally see the collection of cars that Alvin has. This has been on our list of things for Bob some time. He has heard me speak of the cars so much, he wanted to see them!
Then we turn 180 degrees and head to Connecticut to see forum member Louis Champeau who has a pair of bumpers for my Fairlane. It is actually cheaper to go get them and buy them from him than to pay to have ONE of mine chromed in today's world! Plus we both (Bob and I) get to see a few parts of the country we have never seen before. The camera/tripod are going along...so pics will be taken!
Only rule? I MUST be back at the Springfield airport by 10:00 p.m. on the 24th to pick up Cindy...yea...not missing that plane!!!

So...off an running in about 2 hours! Let the official summer traveling begin!!!
(OH...P.S.: Not taking the pick-up this time, we just had a new motor put in the /14 Explorer...so that is the road trip car this time.)

[mustang6984]

Greetings from O'Neill Nebraska. Spending the night here...(2:30 a.m. now) and will hit Billings about 11 tomorrow night. No problems...new motor pulling down a solid 24+ mpg at 67-70 mph. 

[mustang6984]

Well...made it to Billings about 10:00 p.m. local time. Will be here until Sunday. My friend Bob flies in Sat. evening around 9:40.
We'll see Alvin on Sunday then head east.
Appears we will be stopping in NY state for a bit somewhere, Alvin sold his 312 to oldgasser. He is going to come down from Ontario and snatch it.

[mustang6984]

Spent a great day with Alvin. We went to lunch together with his wife Rosie keeping us in line. 
We then took the Retractable out for a drive, and I was the one doing the driving! First time since '76 I have driven a '57! Gosh...it brought back such great memories! Alvin did a beautiful job on the restoration! Sweet ride in all aspects!
The we took his '31 Plymouth for a stretch of the legs as well...and another first for me, I drove that as well...I have ever driven a car from that era! That little buggy scoots!
Great day Alvin! Thanks!

On an annoying note...Bob called from Phoenix. His plane from there to Dallas was broke down. So by the time they could get him to Dallas he missed his flight to Billings. So...he will arrive around 11 a.m. on Sunday. For someone who has been dead over 150 years...that guy Murphy and his "laws" sure seems to have a heavy presence!

So, tomorrow Alvin and I will set the cars up for a shoot...and that will be the Stadel Christmas card this year. Then Bob and I will depart for Connecticut. 

[mustang6984]

Greetings from Wall Drug SD! 
Well...in spite of Murphy's best efforts...Bob finally made it to Billings! More importantly...so did his luggage!
We set up the cars outside Alvin's shop...and took a pic of all 4 of us along with Elvira (the ruling party in the Stadel home) and Sasha. Then I shot one of just Alvin and Rosie along Elvira for their Christmas card pic for '23. I'll post the pic of the 4 of us later in the thread. Also got some shots of Alvin's shop to share as well.
After the photo shoot we went inside and had a nice lunch of BBQ burgers and brats! There also a salad of crab and pasta and a green salad. Yes...a fine spread! Thanks Rosie! She also sent us off with banana bread and cookies!  Even Sasha got a burger pattie!
Later Alvin said about 5:15 the wind and sprinkles that we had to work around for the photos had blown it's self out and sunny skies were back with calmness. Murphy apparently sent his best regards while we were trying to take care of business.

[mustang6984]

Well...we have made it Wisconsin Dells. Good day of travel, although we seem to spend too much time in the restaurants when we stop for food. So that'll be trimmed tomorrow. Still 16 hours of travel, so I'll probably also take the speed up a notch or two closer to the posted speed limits of 70-75. Been cruisin' along at 68 and pulling down 22-24+ mpg.
Also...some truck through a LARGE rock and it bounced once...and then smacked the top of the windshield just to the left of the rear view mirror. Wife's car...she was NOT amused when I told her.
Other than that...no issues. Still movin' along. Also looks like we'll run up the road a bit and spend some time with Cobra Joe too before heading back. 

[RICH MUISE]

That's a great trip you're doing.