Get your Rand McNally out and follow me!.....
Well, 'twas time to go on a "little" outing this weekend, driving my '55
Belvy sedan. On Friday afternoon we drove from our home in Lamar, CO to
metro Denver and dropped off our oldest child at my mom's house. After
having dinner with my mom, my wife, 2 younger kids, and I continued on up to
Loveland, CO where we stayed the night. Saturday morning we met a few more
couples with old cars (a '49 Plymouth Special DeLuxe sedan, a '57 Belvedere
sedan, and a '40 C**** 2-door sedan) and set off on a tour up to Rawlins,
WY. We drove up US 287 to Laramie, WY, and then headed west on I-80 to
Rawlins. There was a fair going on there this past weekend, which included
a small car show (FWDLK cars were represented only by my sedan and the '57
Belvy; also there were 2 '50 Plymouths, a '37 Plymouth truck, and a small
assortment of GM and Ford vehicles). This fair was being held on the
grounds of the old Wyoming State Penitentiary, through which one could be
led on a guided tour (this prison is no longer being used as such; a newer
prison is on the other side of the town). It was a fun, relaxing afternoon,
and I never want to go to prison....
Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast, my family and I headed south to
return home. Instead of going the way we came, we cut south through
Saratoga, WY to Walden, CO where we had a lovely picnic lunch. Then we
continued south to Granby, CO and headed up and over Berthoud Pass on US 40.
We connected to I-70 and headed east to Denver to pick up the oldest child
from my mom's house, then eventually hit the road again for the ~4-hour trek
to Lamar. We finally arrived home at 1:20 am this morning.
Throughout it all, the "little" Powerflow 6 purred and pulled confidently
(yes, even over Berthoud Pass...it was sluggish at that altitude, but it
kept up with the speed limit). The car rode nicely. We managed to stay
comfortable thanks to the vent wing windows and the "ram air" cowl
ventilator. On the fast highways, we cruised at 60-65 indicated MPH (the
tach registered 2500-2900 rpm...I have the standard tranny with 3.73 rear),
even though the speed limit is 75. People waved and honked and complimented
my car (not because I was being a slow poke), which I have not waxed in over
a year, and the paint is very oxidized. I was enjoying the drive so much I
wondered why I even bother with owning and maintaining modern cars? Someday
perhaps I'll get my hands on a "cherry" '55, '56, or '58 9-passenger Sport
Suburban to utilize as THE family hauler? Dreams.....And perhaps if I take
really good care of my '88 wood-grained Grand Voyager, I can drive it around
as a "classic" 20 years from now? LOL.....
Yes, indeed, a LOT of driving this weekend. I looked at my log book and
could hardly believe that we drove...Wow!...1,030 miles! Even though my car
is far from being perfect, it is fully functional and fully enjoyable, which
is what I believe the old-car hobby is all about...enjoying and USING the
old treasures. And the beauty of having a "dowdy" 4-door was ever evident
as we easily loaded three kids, each into a child safety seat, into the back
seat. And the huge trunk easily swallowed a tandem stroller, our newborn's
bassinet, and our miscellaneous supplies.
Thanks for "listening."
- Jason Rogers
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