From a previous nostalgia trip....the 2019 tour resumes at post #17...

On the way out, Jake's truck backfired and managed to ignite his air filter and carburetor when he restarted it. Tim got the flames out and using a well known mechanics' trick- "hit it with a wrench" he managed to dislodge some debris that was causing the carb to spit fuel. Then it was back on the road.

We had heard there was bad construction on I-40, so Tara found a detour that saved us at least an hour of sitting in dead stopped traffic. We made it to the venue around 4:00 and snagged some parking in a grassy area with shade trees.

Turns out, we were some of the earlier arrivals. People kept pouring into the venue through at least 5:30 and the line to punch in at the time clocks was one of the longest I have seen in 4 years of Power Touring. The GM Motor Medics were working hard fixing cars. One Chevelle had their transmission completely out of the car

Checking into the hotel was a bit of a process, there is a very small drive way and a very large number of cars trying to use it. Part and parcel of traveling with hundreds of cars. We found a neat restaurant in downtown Knoxville for dinner.


Afterward, we took advantage of the cool weather and Lori's portable bar and had some drinks on the hotel patio before calling it a night.

Tomorrow we are off to Charleston, WV and it's going to be an early morning because the route is one of the longest of the Tour (301 miles).

 

From a previous nostalgia trip....the 2019 tour resumes at post #17...

Words do not begin to describe the show scene. The show venue was along Kanawha Avenue on the river. It covered 4 miles and there were 4 rows of cars parallel parked down the divided roadway. It was like a 4 mile Downtown Longwood Cruise. This was one of the first times that the cars were all lined up along one road. I tried to estimate the number of cars and, best guess was over 2,500 (I'll show you the math). Among the cars at the show was a Boss 302, a gorgeous black/red '69 Firebird Convertible, Hemi 'Cudas, and a 1937 Chevrolet Coupe Pickup (check out the picture).




The tour was not without some casualties, this time, our friends from the Tampa Area, Rich and Lisa and their Dart Sport, were sidelined for a few hours before finally getting to town at 6:45. Glad they made it safely. Tour ON!!

While I walked the miles to get our credentials punched in and collect our freebies, Tara took time talking with everyone about the Acadian and our experiences so far.

We pulled into the hotel and lucked into premium up front parking for both the Acadian and my Challenger. We had some drinks at the complimentary happy hour and then took the hotel shuttle to the Bluegrass Kitchen. They focus on fresh local ingredients and the food was great. Even Don Bonser, a vegetarian had an overwhelming number of options from which to choose. At dinner, a local woman asked if we were part of the Car people, we said yes and she excitedly told us that she got stuck in traffic 3 times and enjoyed every minute of it because of the great cars to look at all around her.

Even as I type this, our lullabye music is the sound of 8 cylinder muscle cars announcing their presence throughout the streets of downtown Charleston.

Tomorrow, we head to Norwalk, Ohio.

 

From a previous nostalgia trip....the 2019 tour resumes at post #17...

Power Tour Day 4: Charleston, WV to Norwalk, OH (blog missing)

Welcome to Ohio

Power Tour Day 5: Norwalk, OH to Crown Point, IN (325.4 miles- sort of)

We skipped running the Hot Rod recommended route today so that we could go to the Dusenberg Museum in Auburn, IN. Also, the Hot Rod Route went WAAAY into Michigan only to double back to Indiana. Accordingly, we made our own route. We hit some rain along the way which completely undid the cleaning I gave the Challenger before leaving town.

We got to the Dusenberg Museum a little after 9 am, but it wasn't due to open until 10. Fortunately, the National Automobile and Truck Museum of the U.S. was right next door (in the Auburn factory buildings). They had 190 or so cars and trucks on display. They featured some really unique vehicles: the FIRST '70 Hemi 'Cuda, a prototype rotary engine '65 Mustang, and the Essex Cobra race car.

After whetting our appetites in the NATMUS, we headed into the Auburn Cord Dusenberg Museum. The Museum is in the old ACD Showroom and executive offices (opened in 1930). It was breathtaking. Not only were the cars works of art, but the columns, ceiling and floor were tasteful, but reflected the opulence of the brands on display. My mom was in 7th heaven!!!
We also snagged a great photo opportunity at an old Sinclair station and then grabbed a bite to eat before leaving Auburn.

On the way to Crown Point, we were on a 2 lane road for most of the trip. When the road went to 4 lanes, a Chevy diesel truck pulled up alongside us and asked us to pull over. It turns out he was a Chevy II builder and was out getting gas when we passed by in the Acadian. He and his buddy followed us for 25 miles before they were able to get us to stop. He told us it was the first Acadian he had ever seen and would have followed us all the way to Crown Point if that was what it took to see the car.

The Tour stop at Crown Point was the Lake County Fairgrounds. It was one of the prettiest venues we have been to yet. Instead of a parking lot, field, or downtown streets, the venue was grass and hilly with shade trees everywhere. Though the place was packed with cars everywhere, we were able to find 2 spaces right next to each other for the cars.

As with every stop, the number and type of cars is beyond belief and there are always new cars at each stop. Today, we met a guy with a 1966 Nova that was fairly stock appearing until you took a close look at the motor. He had disguised a built fuel injected LT1 as a mild looking small block car). In addition to the nova, there was a satin black '64 Continental with black wheels and black badging that made it look extra sinister.

Once it was time to leave the venue, we headed to the hotel and parked in a special area the adjacent hotel set aside for Power Tour vehicles, it was a car show in itself and people were out and about. There was a Chicago style pizza place across the street, so the plan was to grab a pizza and eat it in the parking lot. Unfortunately, nature threw a wrench in that plan as it got really cold and drizzly. It was in the low-mid 60's. So, we had the pizza at the hotel and decided to make it an early night.

Tomorrow, we head to Bettendorf, IA. While we are leaving early, we gained an hour by driving into the central time zone.

Power Tour Day 6: Crown Point, IN to Bettendorf, IA (251.8 miles)

All roads lead to Bettendorf. Today we all left the hotel and took various routes to the Isle Casino in Bettendorf, IA. Using some on the fly navigation by Tara, she, Don Bonser (2004 Ute) and I, took a modified version of the Hot Rod Recommended Route- we took a surface road to avoid the Chicago highways that are parking lots. Our route then took us on Illinois Route 2 which wound alongside the Rock River and was a really scenic and fun road. All along the way, there were people parked alongside the road waving as we passed by. There was even a Superbird parked on a corner. Tara also continued her new favorite game of texting pictures of every Plum Crazy purple Challenger we see to Jim Landi and seeing if his head explodes. There may have been one or two duplicates, but there are bunch of on tour.
My parents took a route recommended by the Mo-Power Tour and ran with a number of other Mopars. Their route was completely different and included a lunch stop at Magnum Restorations. I got reports of a gorgeous black '68 Charger with a 528 Ray Barton Hemi, many modern Challengers and a blue '69 GTX.

 

From a previous nostalgia trip....the 2019 tour resumes at post #17...

Lori & Tim, Ken & Kathy, and another Ken and his family went straight out I-80 and made a stop at the American Pickers HQ on their way. I heard it was a blast.

Tara also managed to avoid a miles long bottleneck going into the Isle. We shot down a side street, through a gated warehouse lot and ended up on a dirt road that took us right up to the show stop. It is impossible to describe the scene at a Hot Rod show stop and it was magnified today. There are eight different parking lot areas and all of them are FILLED to bursting with show cars. It would be impossible to see them all. Among the highlights for me today were a black Boss 429, a '70 Cuda with a 572 Hemi and a pair of Pintos (one of them had a truly '70s orange plaid interior. Tara even found another Nova with headreasts (they are super rare).
We are staying at the Casino and it's probably going to be a late night of Blackjack for me and my dad. Don Bonser played for a bit and did well. Even Tara is got in the action and played penny slots with Kathy. Tara won $19.30, so breakfast tomorrow is on her.

Tomorrow, we make the final driving leg to Wisconsin Dells.

Power Tour Day 7: Bettendorf, IA to Wisconsin Dells, WI (203.3)

Our friend from previous long hauls, Scott Shanks, caught up with last night at the hotel. He opted not to do the long haul this year, something about the transmission in his SRT 6.1 powered '70 Challenger eating an input bearing and a first grandchild being born 11 days ago. I guess one of those is a valid excuse.

For the final driving leg of the Power Tour, we all (Tara and I, Ken and Kathy, Tim and Lori, Scott, and my parents) all started on the Hot Rod route together. The weather was perfect for driving. It started at 51 degrees w/ a high of 72 and there wasn't a cloud in sight. We cruised up and down the rolling Iowa and Wisconsin countrysides.

The first part of the route took us down a rural highway that, with the exception of a semi or two, looked like it was reserved for Power Tour vehicles. We then went through Maquoketa, IA and the people went all out. They lined the sides of main street and "Welcome Power Tour" and "Lite 'em up!" signs were prominently posted. Despite Tara shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the attempt, I tried to get the tires to spin on the Acadian, to no avail. My dad, however, had no trouble satisfying the crowd by breaking the Challenger's tires loose for the crowd.
After nearly a week of driving through dust and rain and not having a good opportunity to wipe down the Challenger, it was in need of cleaning and was beyond a wipe down with quick detailer spray (Mothers gives out full size bottles at the beginning of the Tour). Accordingly, we made a brief stop at a car wash gas station to wash the Challenger and top off the Acadian's fuel. Then it was back on the route.

A few minutes on the road and we passed a new Camaro on the side of the road after it hit a deer (there wasn't anything else around to have caused the damage to the car.

The rest of the route was uneventful. The people of Dodgeville were also out to watch the Power Tour roll by. We were behind RK Motors' (a Charlotte, NC dealer of high end classic/muscle cars) '67 GT500 with a 528 motor and 6 speed. They treated many stop signs as an invitation to create a little tire smoke.
When we reached the Dells, we couldn't help but make the comparison to I-Drive. The main street is lined with amusement parks, water parks, and other roadside attractions. There was even a giant Trojan Horse.

Traffic going to the Chula Vista resort (our hotel and the final tour stop) was starting to back up significantly. We heard people were stuck for over an hour. Tara deftly used the iPhone's map and traffic display to find a back entrance to the venue. Thanks to a tip from Ken & Kathy, we were able to get great parking spots right near the Edelbrock display trailer.

The resort is really impressive. The "rooms" were bigger than some houses. They were two-room suites with full kitchen, living room, electric fireplace and even a jacuzzi in the living room. The hotel has an on-site water park and other amenities (we plan to take advantage of those tomorrow if it warms up).

As the day wound down, we met everyone for dinner and drinks at the margarita bar at the hotel. They were overwhelmed and when our initial waiter got in the weeds, Scott threw another waiter $20 to take care of us. The second waiter threw $10 of it to the cook and got our food bumped to the front of the line. We spent the last official Power Tour night eating fajitas and putting away margaritas and tropical drinks.

Tomorrow is the "Long Hauler ceremony" which marks the end of the tour. The week has flown by. But, we still have to get home and are basically doing our own two car Power Tour with stops in Champaign, IL, Nashville, TN, Cherokee, NC and Atlanta. I plan to post a recap of the return trip by June 23rd.

Hot Rod Power Tour: Recap/The Return Trip (Wisconsin Dells, WI to Orlando, FL)

We decided to stay in Wisconsin Dells after the Long Hauler Ceremony in order to experience the Dells. We first hit the indoor water park, but the weather was too nice to be inside. Instead, Tara, Don Bonser and I decided to take a boat tour down the Wisconsin River. Again we had great weather and the trip was very relaxing. It was nice to be able to sit back and let someone else do the driving and navigating. We also did one of the super-touristy attractions- "WizardQuest" which was kind of an interactive scavenger hunt. It was tacky, but fun. We then had dinner at Tara's new favorite restaurant, High Rock Cafe.

 

From a previous nostalgia trip....the 2019 tour resumes at post #17...

We left the Dells and headed for our next destination- Bowling Green, KY. After a week of driving in packs of muscle cars, hot rods, and modern performance vehicles, it was weird being the only two Power Tour cars on the road. When we arrived in Bowling Green, we took a tour of the Corvette assembly plant. The efficiency and technology involved in a modern assembly line is truly amazing. After watching a number of 2014 Sting Ray's ripping up and down the roads and hugging the curves, and then seeing them being built, I think I know what my next car will be. Once the tour ended, we grabbed a quick lunch and then we went to the National Corvette Museum. The Museum itself is impressive. Some of the most important Corvettes were on display. And, of course, we were able to see the sinkhole and the 8 cars that it swallowed (they are now being called the "Great 8"). For now, the cars are being displayed in the condition they were in when pulled out of the hole, but the Museum and GM have committed to restoring all eight. Considering how mangled some of the cars were, I can't imagine the amount of work this will take, if it is even possible.

 

From Bowling Green, we made our way to Cherokee, NC and stayed at the Harrah's Cherokee Casino. The hotel was beautiful and we had a great view of the Smokies from our window. We freshened up, grabbed dinner and then hit the tables for some more blackjack. Even Tara got into the game for a little bit. We did some more sightseeing in NC before heading to Atlanta for dinner with family friends. Finally, it was time to drive home. Both cars got home safely and without incident. All told, we drove 4,288 miles and passed through 14 different states (many twice).

Now it's time to kick back and count down until it's time to leave for next year's Power Tour.

 

Saturday, June 8, 2019

HRPT 2019- Day 1: June 8- Concord, NC (0 miles)

The 2019 tour resumes here at post #17.



When this is the first sight of the Morning, you know it's going to be a good day

One of the best things about the first day of the Power Tour is the fact that we are already at the destination. Don't get me wrong, I like the driving from venue to venue, but on the first day, we get to sleep in a little and everyone is already here. We met up with most of our Orlando group for breakfast at the hotel. Tara did what Tara does and scarfed down breakfast and went to clean off the bugs and road spray from the past 2 days of driving. Since we didn't get into Concord until last night, our first stop was the Charlotte Motor Speedway to get our Long Haul credentials. On the way out, Tara ran into a friend who was with her on a drive through the Florida Panhandle. He and his father are doing the Long Haul in a 1971 Dodge Polara.

After getting our credentials and putting the 2019 Power Tour stickers on the cars, we headed towards the ZMax Dragway which is maybe half a mile from the Speedway. Since everyone was already in town, the traffic to get into ZMax was thick with show cars. Fortunately, it was cool and breezy and there were plenty of cars to look at just sitting in traffic.


Approximate wait time from this point- 25 minutes



Plenty to see, even in traffic


We got parked (for the first time) not far from our friends Rick and Lisa from Tampa in their Dart Sport. Once parked, my dad and I went to get clocked in and walk through the vendors to pick up the MSD/Holley magnets, Edelbrock hats, and Mother's dry wash spray. The magnets are a big thing. Holley/MSD give out a magnet a day and at the end of the tour, they fit together for a unique souvenir suitable for framing (I know because I framed all of ours from the last 8 years).

 

The vendor midway

The vendor area also has some amazing show cars parked around it. There were 2 1969 Dodge Daytonas. These were limited production cars made solely to qualify the aerodynamics for NASCAR and they dominated it. The ones on this tour couldn't be more different, but each one is amazing to see.



Proof that you don't have to be pretty to be a cover model




Original!

Another amazing car in the vendor area was a 1950-something Imperial convertible that had been completely modified into a 2-door custom variant that is truly one of a kind. I'm sure thousands of hours were spent on customizing this thing. The attention to detail on this car was amazing. It even had a hinged back window in the convertible top that opened for more ventilation.



This may be one of the most beautiful cars I've seen

 

It's Plaid!!!





When my dad and I got back to the cars, Tara let us know we were moving. In true Power Tour fashion, Tara scouted for a better parking spot and found some right in front by the vendor area.


Skipping up front



Once we settled into our new space and were deciding on what to do for lunch, Chuck Jr. and Manny from Church Boys Racing stopped to check out the Acadian. Church Boys Racing makes suspension parts for Novas. Chuck Jr is the owner and started the company because he's owned Novas for 49 years and he and his father decided they could do some things better than the factory. They built parts for their cars and then other people started asking him to make some for their cars and, voila- Church Boys Racing. They asked if we had any of their stuff on the Acadian. And, of course we did. After wearing out a set of front tires halfway through our first Power Tour in 2011, Don did some research and found Church Boys' lower control arms. Since putting those on the car, we haven't had any issues with the alignment. Tara even did an interview for them about our experience with their parts while Chuck took a look at the front end for "quality assurance."


Chuck Jr. making sure his parts are still good after 7.14 Long Hauls

 

The Church Boys' own Nova.

Lunch at the venues can be challenging. Today looked like it would be no exception. There was the track concession stand, a Bojangles chicken trailer (huge line), a hot dog/hamburger truck and a food truck that had nachos, pork sandwiches and fries. Tara and I ended up splitting chicken nachos and were surprised at how good they were.


One of the only acceptable ways to trailer a car on the Power Tour