California to Great Bend road trip

OK, OK I guess it is time to come out of the closet, (so to speak) and join up.
Before I begin the GB road trip, a little history of my car. It is a red ’63 convertible. The motor is a 425 and yet it isn’t. It has all the correct 425 numbers: 814, QB, 690, 881, 3361/62, etc. everything except the solid lifter cam. Instead it has a milder hydraulic cam. I sacrificed the power for low maintenance and reliably. I also installed a Tremec 5 speed OD transmission. It is a fun car to drive and a great highway cruiser!
I began the road trip from my home in Los Osos, CA, a small community on the coast half way between LA and SF, (Go Giants!). North on I5 to Sacramento, then east on I80 to Reno, NV. Just outside Sacramento I had to put the top back up because of heavy smoke from forest fires burning in the Lake Tahoe area. From my 12th floor hotel room in Reno I could see my car in the parking lot. An hour later the smoke was so thick I couldn’t see the parking lot. The next day I continued east on I80 in NV and UT. The smoke cleared and when the temp goes up, the top goes down. With the OD trans, the car will run all day at 70-75 MPH at about 2,100 RPM and nearly 15 MPG. At Salt Lake City I turned south on I15 and spent the night in Provo, UT. The next morning I picked up I70 east and continued though Colorado. Cresting the Vail summit at 10,600 feet, I had my foot deep into both carbs just to maintain the speed limit.
I entered Denver on the elevated freeway at the peak of rush hour traffic. Not a good idea as the car overheated and I quickly bailed off the freeway and into a nearby Burger King parking lot. After it cooled down I could see that SOMEONE didn’t get the cap on all the way and it had probably leaked coolant all day and finally boiled over. The people of Denver were very friendly as several people stopped and offered to help or loan tools. One guy wanted to buy the car. After 2 hours it cooled down and the traffic let up. It took 3.5 gallons of water to refill it. I went the next 5 miles to my hotel near the airport without incident.
The next day was an easy cruise from Denver to GB where I received a warm welcome from Phil. I have known Phil for several years but never met him in person until then. Thanks Phil and crew for putting this thing together.
I took a southern route home to California on highway 56 & 54 and picked up I40 at Tucumcari, NM. Spent the first night near Albuquerque visiting an old Air Force buddy. Then on I40 to Flagstaff, AZ and into California. I did not have and agenda or schedule on the return trip so I slowed down to 60-65 MPH. On a mostly downhill leg from the AZ high desert to the CA low desert, I got just over 17 MPG! The car did fine with no heating problems through the CA desert areas in 95 degree temps. I just have to keep the radiator cap on correctly. Spent the last night in Tehachapi, CA. The next morning with less than 100 miles from home, it developed a gas leak, spaying gas all over the front carb. My roadside repair controlled it to a slow drip. I put the top down so I couldn’t smell the gas anymore…..problem solved! Made it home without incident or fire. Later I found the gas problem was a crack in the nipple that joins the fuel filter to the “Tee”. An easy fix with the right part.
I had a great time driving to and from GB, not mention the great time we all had while at GB. 2,011 miles out and 1,720 miles back. An overall average of 15.4 MPG, not counting the last leg with gas leak. It used 4 quarts of oil and it runs fine on 91 octane gas.
Driving a 50 year old car on a 4,000 mile road trip is a totally different experience than your modern family sedan or tow vehicle. Besides the lack of creature comforts: no AC, no PS, no GPS, no cruise, NO CUP HOLDER, I was constantly aware of any new noises, smells or vibrations. With the convertible there is much more wind noise and with the top down you can’t hear much of anything else. On a 50 year old car with drum brakes, I was always aware of the cars around me and kept a big distance from the car ahead in case of a panic stop. With your modern car, you don’t think about break downs, however I brought a spare alternator, volt reg, fan belts, distributor, radiator hoses, and fuel pump just in case. I’m not complaining, just saying you need to be cautious and aware. I loved doing it and would do it again in a minute………. well maybe in an hour. I need to go get an extra “nipple” for my bag of spare parts.
 

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
Great story Kim!!!! Glad you made the trip. So good to finally meet you after all the years!!!

PS.....glad to hear you're out of the closet now!!!!
 

409newby

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
That might just be the longest post ive ever read but glad you made it and especially made it home Pat
 

409fanatic

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Beautiful car Kim and you are really getting to use it also... Keep in touch with us... Butch
And Ricky that was great that you drove your too. Thanks for letting me take it for a spin.. It drove good and loved looking over the hood of a 61... Hi to Loreen... Butch
 

blkblk63ss

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 5
Maybe you better take your wife's bug the next time Kim, you won't have any coolant loss!!!!!!!:laughAnd watch what kind of nipple's you pick up.:D:D
 
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Rickys61

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Beautiful car Kim and you are really getting to use it also... Keep in touch with us... Butch
And Ricky that was great that you drove your too. Thanks for letting me take it for a spin.. It drove good and loved looking over the hood of a 61... Hi to Loreen... Butch
Thanks Butch... You might want to check your odometer, when you and Loreen were out cruising around in my car, Glen and I took yours down to the McDonalds drive thru..:taunt
Hahaha
Rick
 

409fanatic

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
I did not notice the extra miles Ricky but did notice ketch-up, mustard and fry sauce all over the seats, steering wheel, headliner, cheeks, lips and shirts. Now I know.... Sure like to run into you two again.. Lots of fun... Butch
 

tripower

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I did not notice the extra miles Ricky but did notice ketch-up, mustard and fry sauce all over the seats, steering wheel, headliner, cheeks, lips and shirts. Now I know.... Sure like to run into you two again.. Lots of fun... Butch
Yeah Butch, I think they were using those comedents for burnout bleach...:poke Check out the bottom of the quarters...:laugh:laugh:laugh
 

Rickys61

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I did not notice the extra miles Ricky but did notice ketch-up, mustard and fry sauce all over the seats, steering wheel, headliner, cheeks, lips and shirts. Now I know.... Sure like to run into you two again.. Lots of fun... Butch
Oh good, I'm so glad you didn't notice that milk shake I spilled under the seat on that pretty rubber floor mat!!:roll
 

409fanatic

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
I was thinking that could of happened. Squirted mustard, ketch-up and mayonnaise under the tires, opened the windows and looked back to see if they had the tires spinning. That explains the condiments on their faces and headliner.. KIDS!!!!!!!!!! Ricky you are now just gonna have to come here to Oregon and stay a couple months and clean it up..I will even give you longer if you like. Deb and I have a place for you to stay. On your days off we can go visit Dan and Glenn.
 

tripower

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I was thinking that could of happened. Squirted mustard, ketch-up and mayonnaise under the tires, opened the windows and looked back to see if they had the tires spinning. That explains the condiments on their faces and headliner.. KIDS!!!!!!!!!! Ricky you are now just gonna have to come here to Oregon and stay a couple months and clean it up..I will even give you longer if you like. Deb and I have a place for you to stay. On your days off we can go visit Dan and Glenn.
Butch,
They dixn't even have to squirt the stuff under the tires they just threw the packets back there as they were rollin down the road...:D
 

Rickys61

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I was thinking that could of happened. Squirted mustard, ketch-up and mayonnaise under the tires, opened the windows and looked back to see if they had the tires spinning. That explains the condiments on their faces and headliner.. KIDS!!!!!!!!!! Ricky you are now just gonna have to come here to Oregon and stay a couple months and clean it up..I will even give you longer if you like. Deb and I have a place for you to stay. On your days off we can go visit Dan and Glenn.
I didn't need the stuff under the tires once I figured out all I have to do is rev it up to 6 grand and dump the clutch.:burnout
Then the tires would just spin and spin... Hahahaha!!!
 

tripower

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I didn't need the stuff under the tires once I figured out all I have to do is rev it up to 6 grand and dump the clutch.:burnout
Then the tires would just spin and spin... Hahahaha!!!
:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll:roll
No wonder the odometer has 250 miles on it...:burnout
 

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
Thanks for the recount of your trek, Kim. This is TomK, the guy you met in the parking lot at O'Reilly's where you were fitting up that fan clutch. James and I were in the white '62SS car. We really admire your efforts and the time it took to make the trip, that was some adventure to take on by your lonesome :).

Cheers!
TomK
 

1961BelAir427

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Sounds like a really fun trip to and from....not to mention the Convention!!! Welcome to the group here. Did you wait so long to join up because you were afraid we might all be like Phil? :poke
Great mileage out of the dual quad 409. What rear gears?
 
Yes I was afraid. And for good reason. All you guys ARE like Phil!
The gears are 355, but it is the O.D. that gets the mileage. I put the O.D. in mostly to save the motor, but I'll take the mileage.

TomK, of course I remember the parking lot at O'Reilly's. Thanks for the support. And thanks to James for helping put the old fan clutch back in. And thanks to Pat for driving me around G.B. the day before in search of a new fan clutch. Thanks guys.
 
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