Thoughts on the power tour.
June 17th, 2018, 02:26 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,258
Thoughts on the power tour.
It is too damn hot to do anything this afternoon, so I will ramble about the hot rod power tour to my friends here.
I had intended to take my dad on the power tour before he got too old, and I checked destinations to hopefully find something between Evansville and Orlando where we two are. Bowling Green KY to Concord NC via a loop through the south seemed good enough. He has back surgery scheduled soon and could not walk more than a few hundred yards at a time before needing to sit, but we figured we could handle it.
I do own a 442, but it is still a project car that would be an adventure making it across town, not the country, so I took my granddad's Monte Carlo, which he ordered new in 72 and is very original since. Both my dad and I know the car, its history, and its first owner well. I spent the past few weeks working on the car. I got new tires, changed oil, lubed all 12 fittings, drained and refilled the transmission with new ATF, removed my aftermarket temp gauge as the stock one is accurate and flushed and filled the radiator, added oil and refrigerant to the AC, replaced the radio's speakers, installed a newer battery, and topped off the diff, power steering and brake fluids.
I took way too much stuff. I brought a bunch of every fluid the car could take, belts, hoses, spares of all ignition parts, AC gauges/hoses, tool bag, a hammer and board to reinstall any wheel covers. Umbrellas, ponchos, two very nice folding chairs, a floor jack, lots of paper towels, and just enough drinks. I needed the chairs, the drinks, and 2 quarts oil and 1 quart antifreeze.
Car did very well. It blew out 1 quart of oil over 1000 miles, then another over the 600 home due to all the coasting I did down the mountains (pushed past the rings and out the pipes during engine braking). Used one quart coolant. It put up with the summer days, but we ran very little AC due to engine temp concerns. Cruising at 50 was 200, 60 was 210, and 70 about 220 degrees. I need to have the radiator rodded out. No breakdowns, and started great every time. Need to do valve cover seals.
The Hot Rod Power Tour is a glorious uncoordinated mess. The instructions for the turn by turn route were atrocious and looked like they had been written by two retired women. "Turn right on Jackass Rd by the Waffle House." Never mind that Jackass Road is a local name and it's actually SC-23 on maps, nor that you haven't mentioned we are actually IN South Carolina now or what town this is. I spent an hour each night, on top of the work I had already done before, highlighting maps and making sense of the next day's route. Plus, my dad wanted to be driving instructor, and tell me how to drive, not be driving navigator, and tell me where to drive, nor is he awesome with phone gps apps.
The Tour itself is an amazing collection of driving jaunts with old and new muscle cars stretched out over miles. You roll along in a tumbleweed of cars, some stopping, some starting, all headed to the same place with the same (general) route. The only problem is some of the towns and turns are not set up to receive the traffic and only two towns had cops out helping. This results in boring periods of backup at best, and dangerous rear end collisions in blind spots at worst (this did happen).
Each night is at a different venue, normally a race track, with a large parking lot. The vendors would assemble, and there would be a cruise in car show. Everyone on the long haul would get their badge punched to say you were there. There would often be very large backups. Our modus operandi was to park (we either did the Gold Club parking that I had paid for, or handicap parking, as my dad has a permit for his back, whichever was best.) I set up our chairs, and got him set up with a bourbon, then went to get our badges punched. We'd hang out for a couple hours, then go find the hotel (handicap parking there, too, both for convenience for him, and security for the car.)
I used up some Hilton points and got us nice hotels, both for us and for the car's security. Each night was a 60 car car show at the hotel. The hilton hotels were pretty tame, with only a couple burnouts, but the budget joints had massive burnout parties until the wee hours.
The next day, we would pack up and do it again. We typically left late, and got to the venue late, and did not spend much time there. This made it very safe for us, as the multiple wrecks that happened this year were very early each day, when people are racing there. I was driving a 46 year old all original car with a 73 year old father with a bad back, so I was not partying, nor driving like an idiot. As the Tour went on, I spent more time altering the route to avoid little town backups and bad left turns; the last day was all US highways and was very low stress.
Crowd management is a very good skill to have, both during driving, and during the venues. The last day, I knew where to get the Long Hauler plaque earlier, and was one of the first couple hundred to get it, then we snuck out so we could leave at 5am the next morning to drive back.
The show is overwhelmingly Chevrolet. There were modern Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, and Corvettes. The old cars were all Chevelles, Novas, Corvettes, Camaros and Chevy and GMC trucks. We saw about ten first generation Monte Carlos, and I saw the occasional 80s H/O or 442, and a few Cutlasses and 442s and a couple Vista Cruisers. There was some random stuff in there too, as well.
Individual people were wonderful to talk to. There were very many fine Americans in the tour. However, the atmosphere degraded whatever class many people allegedly had, and it was like being in a carnival of the worst NASCAR fans at times. While I have no issue with working class people, and live and work among them, I do have an issue with lack of class and crudity and sheer noisy obnoxiousness that that sometimes brings. I expect drag racing at a dragstrip; I do not expect to have to park my car strategically to avoid the impromptu burnout row right in front of it. People seemed bound and determined to show the world they were having a good time by the sheer amount of hollering they could do, and noise their car could make.
People drove very hard on the Tour, and often had cars they "got running last week." I knew my car, and did everything I could think of to it first to avoid problems. Other people drove hard, dragged hard, burned out hard, and broke stuff, and seemed to be cool with the experience of the pain in the butt a broken car is thousands of miles from home. Writing "Plan C" on your rear window is an acceptable way of saying you are on your third vehicle for the event.
I highly recommend the Power Tour for any car guy to do the long haul on. I believe old cars can make it with enough wisdom, care, and periodic maintenance. However, there can be wrecks, things can break, and one car got stolen. I would book your own (nice) hotels immediately when they release the cities in March of that year, and I would have a good route, lots of maps, a good navigator, and I would hang way back and start late and get to the venue late for safety. I think it is more fun in an old car, yet probably more comfortable, safer, and less stress in a new car. Be prepared for huge amounts of people and cars and be prepared to sit for half an hour in backups at times. It's unlike anything I have ever seen; I may do it again some day.
I'll post some pictures later.
I had intended to take my dad on the power tour before he got too old, and I checked destinations to hopefully find something between Evansville and Orlando where we two are. Bowling Green KY to Concord NC via a loop through the south seemed good enough. He has back surgery scheduled soon and could not walk more than a few hundred yards at a time before needing to sit, but we figured we could handle it.
I do own a 442, but it is still a project car that would be an adventure making it across town, not the country, so I took my granddad's Monte Carlo, which he ordered new in 72 and is very original since. Both my dad and I know the car, its history, and its first owner well. I spent the past few weeks working on the car. I got new tires, changed oil, lubed all 12 fittings, drained and refilled the transmission with new ATF, removed my aftermarket temp gauge as the stock one is accurate and flushed and filled the radiator, added oil and refrigerant to the AC, replaced the radio's speakers, installed a newer battery, and topped off the diff, power steering and brake fluids.
I took way too much stuff. I brought a bunch of every fluid the car could take, belts, hoses, spares of all ignition parts, AC gauges/hoses, tool bag, a hammer and board to reinstall any wheel covers. Umbrellas, ponchos, two very nice folding chairs, a floor jack, lots of paper towels, and just enough drinks. I needed the chairs, the drinks, and 2 quarts oil and 1 quart antifreeze.
Car did very well. It blew out 1 quart of oil over 1000 miles, then another over the 600 home due to all the coasting I did down the mountains (pushed past the rings and out the pipes during engine braking). Used one quart coolant. It put up with the summer days, but we ran very little AC due to engine temp concerns. Cruising at 50 was 200, 60 was 210, and 70 about 220 degrees. I need to have the radiator rodded out. No breakdowns, and started great every time. Need to do valve cover seals.
The Hot Rod Power Tour is a glorious uncoordinated mess. The instructions for the turn by turn route were atrocious and looked like they had been written by two retired women. "Turn right on Jackass Rd by the Waffle House." Never mind that Jackass Road is a local name and it's actually SC-23 on maps, nor that you haven't mentioned we are actually IN South Carolina now or what town this is. I spent an hour each night, on top of the work I had already done before, highlighting maps and making sense of the next day's route. Plus, my dad wanted to be driving instructor, and tell me how to drive, not be driving navigator, and tell me where to drive, nor is he awesome with phone gps apps.
The Tour itself is an amazing collection of driving jaunts with old and new muscle cars stretched out over miles. You roll along in a tumbleweed of cars, some stopping, some starting, all headed to the same place with the same (general) route. The only problem is some of the towns and turns are not set up to receive the traffic and only two towns had cops out helping. This results in boring periods of backup at best, and dangerous rear end collisions in blind spots at worst (this did happen).
Each night is at a different venue, normally a race track, with a large parking lot. The vendors would assemble, and there would be a cruise in car show. Everyone on the long haul would get their badge punched to say you were there. There would often be very large backups. Our modus operandi was to park (we either did the Gold Club parking that I had paid for, or handicap parking, as my dad has a permit for his back, whichever was best.) I set up our chairs, and got him set up with a bourbon, then went to get our badges punched. We'd hang out for a couple hours, then go find the hotel (handicap parking there, too, both for convenience for him, and security for the car.)
I used up some Hilton points and got us nice hotels, both for us and for the car's security. Each night was a 60 car car show at the hotel. The hilton hotels were pretty tame, with only a couple burnouts, but the budget joints had massive burnout parties until the wee hours.
The next day, we would pack up and do it again. We typically left late, and got to the venue late, and did not spend much time there. This made it very safe for us, as the multiple wrecks that happened this year were very early each day, when people are racing there. I was driving a 46 year old all original car with a 73 year old father with a bad back, so I was not partying, nor driving like an idiot. As the Tour went on, I spent more time altering the route to avoid little town backups and bad left turns; the last day was all US highways and was very low stress.
Crowd management is a very good skill to have, both during driving, and during the venues. The last day, I knew where to get the Long Hauler plaque earlier, and was one of the first couple hundred to get it, then we snuck out so we could leave at 5am the next morning to drive back.
The show is overwhelmingly Chevrolet. There were modern Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, and Corvettes. The old cars were all Chevelles, Novas, Corvettes, Camaros and Chevy and GMC trucks. We saw about ten first generation Monte Carlos, and I saw the occasional 80s H/O or 442, and a few Cutlasses and 442s and a couple Vista Cruisers. There was some random stuff in there too, as well.
Individual people were wonderful to talk to. There were very many fine Americans in the tour. However, the atmosphere degraded whatever class many people allegedly had, and it was like being in a carnival of the worst NASCAR fans at times. While I have no issue with working class people, and live and work among them, I do have an issue with lack of class and crudity and sheer noisy obnoxiousness that that sometimes brings. I expect drag racing at a dragstrip; I do not expect to have to park my car strategically to avoid the impromptu burnout row right in front of it. People seemed bound and determined to show the world they were having a good time by the sheer amount of hollering they could do, and noise their car could make.
People drove very hard on the Tour, and often had cars they "got running last week." I knew my car, and did everything I could think of to it first to avoid problems. Other people drove hard, dragged hard, burned out hard, and broke stuff, and seemed to be cool with the experience of the pain in the butt a broken car is thousands of miles from home. Writing "Plan C" on your rear window is an acceptable way of saying you are on your third vehicle for the event.
I highly recommend the Power Tour for any car guy to do the long haul on. I believe old cars can make it with enough wisdom, care, and periodic maintenance. However, there can be wrecks, things can break, and one car got stolen. I would book your own (nice) hotels immediately when they release the cities in March of that year, and I would have a good route, lots of maps, a good navigator, and I would hang way back and start late and get to the venue late for safety. I think it is more fun in an old car, yet probably more comfortable, safer, and less stress in a new car. Be prepared for huge amounts of people and cars and be prepared to sit for half an hour in backups at times. It's unlike anything I have ever seen; I may do it again some day.
I'll post some pictures later.
June 18th, 2018, 02:02 PM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 331
Sounds like you are describing the old Car Craft Street Machine Nationals back in the late 70's, early 80's. I went the first four or five years, first in Indy then Springfield Il. Heck of an experience, we even camped out one year with the local car club. Great fun, you brought back some great memories.
Tim
Tim
June 19th, 2018, 07:13 PM
#3
Gearhead
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 431
I've done the PT half a dozen times over the years. Yes, it's basically a rolling circus and there's no telling what 4-wheeled creation you might see. I think every one who considers themselves to be a true car guy or car gal needs to do it at least once. What is irritating, though, is that you would think it would be a well-oiled machine by now, but no, it's still a train wreck. I think 2013 was my last one, and the small towns didn't know we were coming. They ran out of food and fuel. One burg had a 4-way stop, and the local cop was sitting there. Did he help with traffic? Nope, just sat there while 3000 cars had to stop for that stop sign. A fairgrounds with only one entrance and cars backed up for miles? Yep. It's a complete cluster mist of the time, but I don't regret any of it.
June 20th, 2018, 07:41 AM
#4
I was at the final stop of the very first Power Tour in Norwalk, Ohio in 1995. When I saw the group of about 40 cars roll in I vowed that I was going to do it the following year. At that time, the Tour followed the same route California, to Ohio every year.
So in 1996 my Dad and I (in two cars) drove out to Nebraska and met the group Mid-Tour and spent the second half of the week with them. It was crazy even then because they wanted everyone to stay in one big pack. There was the official Tour pace vehicle that they didn't want you to pass.
They coined the phrase "slinky effect" that week whereby..... say the lead vehicle is travelling along at 60 mph. Maybe the 30th place car slows down 5 mph. This causes the 60th place car to have to slam on the brakes to avoid a chain reaction wreck. Then once they get going again, the 100th place car would have to go 100 mph to catch back up.
Two years later in '98 they did another Tour down the east coast from Boston, MA to Florida. Dad and I went the Long Haul on that one. By that time the organizers got smart and suggested traveling in smaller groups and stopping to help each other if necessary. It was Fall and the weather was beautiful and not quite as hot once we got to the deep South.
Those two Tours were some of THE MOST fun I've had in any of my cars. The size was more manageable. It was still a travelling circus, but not quite a three ring circus. I've not been able to go on any others since due to job and family responsibilities. But my older son and I are planning to go on the Long Haul in a couple of years as he graduates high school before going off to college.
So in 1996 my Dad and I (in two cars) drove out to Nebraska and met the group Mid-Tour and spent the second half of the week with them. It was crazy even then because they wanted everyone to stay in one big pack. There was the official Tour pace vehicle that they didn't want you to pass.
They coined the phrase "slinky effect" that week whereby..... say the lead vehicle is travelling along at 60 mph. Maybe the 30th place car slows down 5 mph. This causes the 60th place car to have to slam on the brakes to avoid a chain reaction wreck. Then once they get going again, the 100th place car would have to go 100 mph to catch back up.
Two years later in '98 they did another Tour down the east coast from Boston, MA to Florida. Dad and I went the Long Haul on that one. By that time the organizers got smart and suggested traveling in smaller groups and stopping to help each other if necessary. It was Fall and the weather was beautiful and not quite as hot once we got to the deep South.
Those two Tours were some of THE MOST fun I've had in any of my cars. The size was more manageable. It was still a travelling circus, but not quite a three ring circus. I've not been able to go on any others since due to job and family responsibilities. But my older son and I are planning to go on the Long Haul in a couple of years as he graduates high school before going off to college.
Last edited by Local Hero; June 20th, 2018 at 07:44 AM.
June 21st, 2018, 05:44 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 634
Power tour experience.
Had a great time with my daughter in my 68 cutlass convertible.
pros:
lots of old cars
lots of nice people
great back road cruising
cool mornings for top down action
car ran great
drag strip and autocross action at some venues
Burnout action on road and after hours
cons:
traffic at left turns
heat made us put the top up by 11:00am
venue traffic (easy to solve, no one seemed to care)
no drag strip, autocross, or burnout action because I was afraid to break car so far from home.
In other comments, I agree directions are poor. A combination of directions and GPS/maps were necessary for us to navigate. I didn't notice overly loud or obnoxious people. On the contrary, everyone we met were very nice. We left at about 7am every day to beat the head and traffic jams. I thought this worked out well.
Bottom line - I'll do it again someday. I recommend it
Had a great time with my daughter in my 68 cutlass convertible.
pros:
lots of old cars
lots of nice people
great back road cruising
cool mornings for top down action
car ran great
drag strip and autocross action at some venues
Burnout action on road and after hours
cons:
traffic at left turns
heat made us put the top up by 11:00am
venue traffic (easy to solve, no one seemed to care)
no drag strip, autocross, or burnout action because I was afraid to break car so far from home.
In other comments, I agree directions are poor. A combination of directions and GPS/maps were necessary for us to navigate. I didn't notice overly loud or obnoxious people. On the contrary, everyone we met were very nice. We left at about 7am every day to beat the head and traffic jams. I thought this worked out well.
Bottom line - I'll do it again someday. I recommend it
June 22nd, 2018, 06:36 PM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,258
I believe the thing was under new management this year, or this was the new team's third year. They did many things that could have been better, but it was fun. Here are pictures which are either Olds, funny/impressive, or my car.
June 25th, 2018, 05:18 AM
#12
same but different
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Central Missouri
Posts: 2,861
That is nice write up of your experience. I'll agree with this being a dream for any car guy to participate in. I can understand some of the frustration that comes from...the people factor. You expressed that well and countered with good planning.
What I think is really special, you got to enjoy it with it your Dad.
Thanks for sharing the story and photos.
What I think is really special, you got to enjoy it with it your Dad.
Thanks for sharing the story and photos.
June 25th, 2018, 07:10 PM
#17
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,258
So my old man, he's in the picture, he's getting back surgery Wed. So walking around was doable, but needed to be Worth It. He likes the Chrysler 300s (that one is a G), so I saw it as we were debating which way to head, and mentioned I think that's a Chrysler 300 over there, so he wanted to head that way first.
July 3rd, 2018, 04:49 PM
#20
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 634
Thanks so much for posting your pictures. You caught (at the end of the set just before the AMC you posted) my daughter and I in my 68 convertible.
We did the long haul and seem to be mostly invisible in all the on-line photos.
Thanks again.
Had a great time. Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you.
We did the long haul and seem to be mostly invisible in all the on-line photos.
Thanks again.
Had a great time. Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you.
July 4th, 2018, 10:12 PM
#21
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,258
Would've been nice to meet you too. I was also looking for a colleague. I did get passed by another colleague on the way in to Birmingham, so that was good.
Most of those pictures are not mine; I have enjoyed browsing the HRPT facebook feed and grabbing Olds pics for us here.
Most of those pictures are not mine; I have enjoyed browsing the HRPT facebook feed and grabbing Olds pics for us here.
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