Long distance award

[studmobile]

Just wanted to post kudos to the couple who I believe drove their Sunbeam the farthest to come to Columbia. Bill Blue and his wife drove 576 miles in their 1969 Alpine. And it looked beautiful too after the trip! Great effort. Any other long distance drives in a 50+ year old car? I was happy to do 90 miles. Again, fantastic weekend. David

 

[absunbeam]

Bill & Barb Blue drove “Judy” to SUNI last September also. They do have the Sunbeam driving experience which I commend also. Their 69 Alpine is very road worthy especially coming across the mountains via interstate in some areas!-Al

 

[DanR]

And I loaded them up with a couple heavy transmissions and bellhousings for the trip back over the mountains Tuesday morning. They had to climb the seven (7) mile Saluda Grade.... Man-O-Man what a climb, DanR

 

[Bill Blue]

We also drove the Orange Alpine to the Western Invasion, then on to Napa Valley. During the thirteen? years we drove it, 113,000 miles, a lot of it being trips of greater than 1,000 miles.

Bill

 

[Shannon Boal]

Toronto?

 

[65sunbeam]

Joe and Kerch also drove their Alpine a long way to the Invasion-from Eastern Pennsylvania!

 

[bobbo]

Any of you southern boys going to try for long distance to Toronto in Sept?

 

[John W]

Really enjoyed looking over the white fastback in the parking lot. Zero doubt that belonged to Bill B. Was SO tempted to try the doors to see if they were unlocked! Long shifter on that thing. Looked like A/C also. Broke my arm (first broken bone ever) about an hour after leaving the hotel. Should have just chilled and spent the day meeting the most unique people in the world. Still haven't quite gotten used to learning that Jim E is no longer with us. It all goes so quickly. Toronto doesn't seem so far away.










o

 

[65sunbeam]

Good to see you again John and sorry about your arm! I did try to talk you into staying with us longer though......

 

[Bill Blue]

Really enjoyed looking over the white fastback in the parking lot. Zero doubt that belonged to Bill B. Was SO tempted to try the doors to see if they were unlocked! Long shifter on that thing. Looked like A/C also. Broke my arm (first broken bone ever) about an hour after leaving the hotel. Should have just chilled and spent the day meeting the most unique people in the world. Still haven't quite gotten used to learning that Jim E is no longer with us. It all goes so quickly. Toronto doesn't seem so far away.










o

John, the long shifter is one of my tweaks. We were both surprised/annoyed at how far forward the shifter is, especially when going into first. So I made the extension. Solved that problem, but created another. I also made a cup holder that sits behind the shifter. The extended knob gets in the way of large drink cups. The solution to all this would be to move the shifter back a couple of inches. Not likely to happen. BTW, the doors are never locked. No A/C.
Bill

 

[DanR]

I was totally surprised to look up and see John W standing there before me....Great to see you again.

Sorry to hear you broke an arm! How did that happen? Hope you heal quickly. Please come by some time.

DanR

 

[nsbluenose]

Any of you southern boys going to try for long distance to Toronto in Sept?

Not a southern boy, more of an eastern (Canada) boy, but I'll be driving my Singer from Nova Scotia, about 1400 miles.

 

[Shannon Boal]

I think Toronto is about 1300-1400 miles from Waldo, but the route for an Alpine is best off the beaten track. Also, total mileage per day is low, in bad conditions we have made as little as 250....350 is pretty fair. And, the next day, you gotta do it again. Most miles in one day was 850+, from Ian's place near Tippecanoe to Waldo... Ralph and I drove that together in about twenty hours.

 

[Bill Blue]

I think Toronto is about 1300-1400 miles from Waldo, but the route for an Alpine is best off the beaten track. Also, total mileage per day is low, in bad conditions we have made as little as 250....350 is pretty fair. And, the next day, you gotta do it again. Most miles in one day was 850+, from Ian's place near Tippecanoe to Waldo... Ralph and I drove that together in about twenty hours.

That is simply crazy. Our biggest day was about half that, driving from the Winona Invasion to home. That is a big day in an Alpine. Generally, when we have 300 miles in for a day, we feel entitled to stop whenever/wherever we please.
Bill

 

[DanR]

What was Shannon's age at that time? Young folks do young things

Us Olde Folks think different because we are older now

A friend and I drove my 409 powered '58 Impala from Amarillo, Texas to Charleston, SC in 21 hrs and 45 minutes back in 1962. Had to report in for the Cuban Missile crisis. Broke all the speed limits along the way, stopping only for fuel and food.

 

[Shannon Boal]

What was Shannon's age at that time? Young folks do young things
Forty-six, good age for driving....no sunburn risk to crown of head, no prostate issues! That Cuban crisis drive was a good one, no interstates to speak of, 24-hour gas hard to find....I am thinking excellent motor for it-(big block vehicles had lower rear-end ratios)

Us Olde Folks think different because we are older now

A friend and I drove my 409 powered '58 Impala from Amarillo, Texas to Charleston, SC in 21 hrs and 45 minutes back in 1962. Had to report in for the Cuban Missile crisis. Broke all the speed limits along the way, stopping only for fuel and food.

 

[nsbluenose]

Make a great movie!

 

[Barry]

What was Shannon's age at that time? Young folks do young things

Us Olde Folks think different because we are older now

A friend and I drove my 409 powered '58 Impala from Amarillo, Texas to Charleston, SC in 21 hrs and 45 minutes back in 1962. Had to report in for the Cuban Missile crisis. Broke all the speed limits along the way, stopping only for fuel and food.

Before the youngsters jump to conclusions about "only" averaging 65 MPH, 1962 was still a two-lane world. Interstate highways were 10 years in the future and even four-lane highways were scarce. On the up side, gas stations still had attendants to check the oil, clean the windsheild and pump your "ethyl" gasoline for 30 cents a gallon.

 

[DanR]

pump your "ethyl" gasoline

How about "Leaded" gasoline

 

[husky drvr]

Before the youngsters jump to conclusions about "only" averaging 65 MPH, 1962 was still a two-lane world. Interstate highways were 10 years in the future and even four-lane highways were scarce. On the up side, gas stations still had attendants to check the oil, clean the windshield and pump your "ethyl" gasoline for 30 cents a gallon.

Impressive in today's world of interstates, as well, if you think about it.