Topic: Rocky Mountain High Road Trip


Old Henry    -- 09-23-2012 @ 7:45 PM
  Just posted this illustrated report of my recent road trip to Colorado on the Ford Barn you might be interested in viewing: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966

For other recent road trips I've reported look here:

Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864

Death Valley in February 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705

Pike's Peak in July 2011: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141

Route 66 in April 2010: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511


Old Henry
(The older I get, the better old looks.)

This message was edited by Old Henry on 9-23-12 @ 7:58 PM


nelsb01    -- 09-23-2012 @ 8:37 PM
  Question: Did you do anything to your vehicle to assist with it climbing those small hills into and around Yellowstone?


Old Henry    -- 09-24-2012 @ 5:38 PM
  No. None of those were anything like I drive almost daily up the canyon from my house. The car is original stock as it can get. No embellishments for climbing. Even has a stock Stromberg 97 carb with sea level size jets - 45 - and did fine over 12,000 feet.

Thanks for asking.

CORRECTION: As Stroker pointed out, my car is not really as stock original as it can get because I'm still using the Stromberg 97 carb that was on it when dad bought it in 1959 instead of the Holley 94 that would be more authentic.

Old Henry
(The older I get, the better old looks.)

This message was edited by Old Henry on 9-25-12 @ 4:31 PM


Stroker    -- 09-24-2012 @ 5:46 PM
  Old Henry: Not to detract from your inspirational demonstrations that old Fords are
worthy of things way beyond trailers and museums, I might point out that the wonderful
Stromberg 97 is not original to your car.


trjford8    -- 09-24-2012 @ 7:54 PM
  I have to hand it to Old Henry, he uses that old Ford like it's meant to be used. I think he has more fun with his V-8 than most V-8ers. I really like the fact he takes Pepe the "pooch" with him on the trips.The package shelf was definitely meant for Pepe!


Old Henry    -- 09-24-2012 @ 8:11 PM
  Yeah, I know the Stromberg wasn't original original but it was on the car when dad bought it in 1959 and still works better than the correct Holley 94 I tried for a couple of years so I put it back on. Good catch, Stroker.

Old Henry
(The older I get, the better old looks.)

This message was edited by Old Henry on 9-24-12 @ 8:13 PM


Old Henry    -- 09-25-2012 @ 4:32 PM
  My musings on actually driving our flatheads for fun:

I think one of the very sad misconceptions that too many have about our old Fords is that they have somehow become fragile, weak, and brittle in their old age and could not possibly withstand the rigors of the highway like modern cars do. I must admit I had some of those feelings initially when I first restored Old Henry after he had slept for 31 years (like Rip Van Winkle). But, I soon came to realize that he was the same old beater car I drove in high school, including a lot of off road, and was still just as sturdy and could still be driven cross country just like his kind were driven cross country on Route 66 and many other cross country routes so many years ago. Sure, things break, probably more than modern cars. (My owner's manual declares a 90 day warranty on the '47.) But, that's part of the fun if you like a challenge, which I guess I do - to be dead on the side of the road far from any garage or anyone that knows anything about your car and have to sit there and figure out what is wrong and how to fix it with just what tools and parts are in the trunk to get it back on the road. Calling AAA is an absolute last resort (although I've done it once but felt a total failure for having had to do so). It has often reminded me of Apollo 13 when they had a malfunciton out in space and had to figure out how to "Jury Rig" to fix the problem with just what they had on board. They couldn't "send out for parts." They just had to do it and they did. Times haven't changed much.

Old Henry
(The older I get, the better old looks.)

This message was edited by Old Henry on 9-25-12 @ 4:32 PM


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