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Anyone going? Leaving, Thursday am from DE. I have family in Atlanta. Will get to spend some time with, before the start on Monday. Driving my "new" 1984 Delta 88 Coupe. Car has 22,000 miles on it. Hope to see some of you guys. Want to get together pm me
Not this year. Went with my dad five years ago, and glad I did as he is much older now than those five years seem to should h
I should buy a power tour cruiser that's an oldsmobile and take my friends.
DO IT!!
I have a 64 Cutlass convertible that I cant seem to get on the road. Ive owned it since 73 . it has been off road since the early 80s Wanted to do the HRPT in 06 when my son turned 16 . Finally bought a running driving Olds, to do it last year. Now I am hooked.
Last edited by jmcghee; June 6th, 2023 at 07:09 PM.
DO IT!!
I have a 64 Cutlass convertible that I cant seem to get on the road. Ive owned it since 73 . it has been off road since the early 80s Wanted to do the HRPT in 06 when my son turned 16 . Finally bought a running driving Olds, to do it last year. Now I am hooked.
Easy there, Ahhhnold. It won't work this year for me for a lot of reasons. I need to convince my friends to go. They have a lot of requirements. My old man and I had fun in 18. He's not in the shape to do it again.
Originally Posted by Olds64
I've always wanted to do the long haul. I've heard your car needs to be able to idle all day long if you follow the planned route for rural America.
It's not THAT bad, but it can be close. On any given morning, you are leaving a hotel anytime from 6 to about 9:30am with anywhere from 0 to 40 other cars. You'll then join with the other cars from other hotels, but, depending on the roads, and the time, it's a crapshoot to determine how many other cars you are with at any given time. You can run the whole day with normal traffic, or, you can run into a large backup at a choke point, like a left turn at a stop sign at a courthouse square on two lane roads in Podunk, Mississippi.
You will, undoubtedly, run into traffic getting into the venue each day. That's where the lines are. The venues get boring after about the third day, so we stamped our cards, hung out a bit, and left for the hotel, which was more fun anyway.
You do want a rock solid car. It will have to idle a lot, it will have to not overheat doing that and on the highway. It will be hot. It will rain like a **** at least once. I did it in a bone stock 72 Chevy. No issues on the ride. We did not use AC much due to temp concerns. The water pump died later, after the trip. Now that it has all that fixed, it would be much cooler.
Thanks for the advice. I signed up for trip notifications a few years ago (2019/2020?) but COVID happened. I don't even think they did Power Tour that year. Just as well because there's no way any of my projects could make it.
Easy there, Ahhhnold. It won't work this year for me for a lot of reasons. I need to convince my friends to go. They have a lot of requirements. My old man and I had fun in 18. He's not in the shape to do it again.
It's not THAT bad, but it can be close. On any given morning, you are leaving a hotel anytime from 6 to about 9:30am with anywhere from 0 to 40 other cars. You'll then join with the other cars from other hotels, but, depending on the roads, and the time, it's a crapshoot to determine how many other cars you are with at any given time. You can run the whole day with normal traffic, or, you can run into a large backup at a choke point, like a left turn at a stop sign at a courthouse square on two lane roads in Podunk, Mississippi.
You will, undoubtedly, run into traffic getting into the venue each day. That's where the lines are. The venues get boring after about the third day, so we stamped our cards, hung out a bit, and left for the hotel, which was more fun anyway.
You do want a rock solid car. It will have to idle a lot, it will have to not overheat doing that and on the highway. It will be hot. It will rain like a **** at least once. I did it in a bone stock 72 Chevy. No issues on the ride. We did not use AC much due to temp concerns. The water pump died later, after the trip. Now that it has all that fixed, it would be much cooler.
I have done 3 long hauls, without a doubt this is the most accurate description. If your a serious car guy and want to do more with your car than sit in a lawn chair at a car show, this is the event.
I will admit, after the 2nd or 3rd day, I got tired of seeing the same long haul cars. I would look at the local cars ay the one day stop, and then leave to go sightseeing.
My first long haul was the Route 66 tour, I think that was 2001. That was my first trip out west. I did my 2nd and third in 2003 and again in 2005. I’d love to do another someday.
Surprised no one has mentioned car theft at hotels
Originally Posted by Olds64
I heard criminals follow the Power Tour with ill intent. Does Hot Rod provide any extra parking lot security? Definitely a legitimate concern.
I have not done it in five years. I think you can be fine if you follow common sense. Hot Rod does not provide anything at the hotels, they provide the venue. Most cars are not stolen from the venue; they are stolen from hotels and from doing something extra at night, like going to a restaurant in a sketchy area.
I wrote this for the power tour facebook page earlier this year.
A few security tips at hotels:
Don't drive the most expensive thing in the lot. There's a kind of car that is a Power Tour car, and there are kinds that aren't.
Don't stay in a shitty area, at a shitty hotel. Sure, the more expensive hotels are more expensive, but they are for a reason.
Back into a spot, assuming you are RWD. It's harder to scoop a car with a repro rig that way.
You don't need a "kill switch." This is not a permanent thing. Disable the engine, somehow, then reenable it the next day.
Lock the hood down somehow. I like porch swing chain put under latch bolts, then padlocked together.
Try to park up front. If you have a handicapped permit and legitimately need it, use it. Those spots are nice and well lit.
Steering wheel locks, column locks, and the like are a deterrent, but only a deterrent.
Consider a watch rotation with friends. If you do do that, and thieves show up, yelling at them will just get you hurt, so this is the time to think about having guns, and, when it is time to think about having guns, it is time to think about when to use them and when to not. You don't get to shoot someone for stealing property. You do get to shoot them in self defense. You don't get to start a fight then claim self defense, but your claim of them committing Grand Theft Auto would be a defense against you starting a fight. On the other hand, if you saw a flatbed show up and plugged a couple into the radiator to shut them down and wake everyone up, that's much less of a charge to defend against, and how much you information you volunteer afterwards is up to you.
Log chains work to tie cars together, but are a massive pain.
Thinking about this, your car is either an independent target of opportunity like a 67 Corvette that you can disable uniquely, or it's part of a group, like a new Charger that has no steering wheel lock or something. Know which group you are in and plan accordingly. The Dodges get pushed somewhere, so they can be blocked in, but an old Vette that just won't start is going to get flat-bedded, and both of those are planned for differently.
I have not done it in five years. I think you can be fine if you follow common sense. Hot Rod does not provide anything at the hotels, they provide the venue. Most cars are not stolen from the venue; they are stolen from hotels and from doing something extra at night, like going to a restaurant in a sketchy area.
I wrote this for the power tour facebook page earlier this year.
It sucks that you have to plan for things like this, but it’s an unfortunate reality. Definitely think ahead.
I got to Atlanta yesterday. Junkyarding with Nephew today I do not stay at th venue suggested hotel to help detere thieves followng along. Being cheap has nothing to do with it HONEST I back the car up to something . Try to be against a curb also. Crank the wheel all the way over . Use a club. Have good insurance, kill switch. Then let Hagerty worry bout the car
Its been FUN Lost my power brake booster inthe twisties at 70mph thats fun. got to meet Joe P Never posted a pic of this years, . car so here it is 22,000 original swapped the 7.5 for an 8.5 with 3.73 gears 13 mpg in town 18.5 @ 75 mph with ac on. Forget what the trans shop did to the 2004r, besides speedo gear . Shifts sweet Put stiffer springs in the front. Hd gas shocks. Air bags in the back. Does not handle like an 88 anymore.
Its been FUN Lost my power brake booster inthe twisties at 70mph thats fun. got to meet Joe P Never posted a pic of this years, . car so here it is
I too lost power brakes heading into Charlotte. The vacuum module melted the gasket driving to ZMax. Fun rolling downhill into the track and back out. Basically, standing both feet on the brake pedal to just be able to stop. Then neutral to drive to get moving and that caused my shift linkage to fail. That was a fun night and thanks to Joe P for the huge help getting the part and replacing it.
Being a first timer, I only did Wed - Friday to get my feet wet. I loved it and look forward to next year's Power Tour to do the Long Haul.
I broke the 455 in this 2008 Power Tour in the 67 resto mod. All the way from Dallas to Michigan and back. My shifter linkage hung up in Little Rock-me bad one shifter rod fastener came loose-loc tight took care of that. 455 ran great at about 9-10 miles per gallon of premium!!! Without A?C is was a bit tough...Wouldn't do it again without A/C-its the age factor.
If I can remember correctly it was 66 442 rear with a 3:73 gear. At 63 mph with those tires-gear, tach was at 3K rpm . So 60-65 mph is where I felt comfortable on a cruise. Trans was a M-21 with beefed up internals to handle the torque.Cant remember what all was done. I used to run drag radials once in a while. After they get hot I could bust the drivers side motor mount. Not good.
June 6th, 2023, 03:22 PM
