ROAD TRIP! (Pontiac Flathead Reunion)

[Bloo]

Wenatchee WA, day 1:

 

 

 

Highway 28 headed east,

 

 

The old hotel in Odessa, WA:

 

 

Headed south from Odessa on highway 21:

 

 

Downtown Lind, WA:

 

 

Kahlotus, WA:

 

 

Highway 261 headed for Starbuck:

 

 

An interesting looking old building in Starbuck, WA:

 

 

Then on to Pomeroy. WA via Highway 12. Pomeroy is the county seat of Garfield County, WA.

 

 

A couple more pictures from downtown Pomeroy:

 

 

 

And the on to Clarkston, WA, directly across the river from Lewiston, ID where I spent the night. This part of highway 12 follows the path explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took, more or less, when exploring the area we now know as the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[c49er]

Great pictures!

I love SE Washington and the Palouse.

[Bloo]

Day 2, Idaho and western Montana:

 

An old truss bridge leading across the Clearwater river to Kooskia, ID:

 

 

 

Last town for a while, Lowell ID:

 

 

 

This one is for our late friend C Carl:

 

 

And in case anyone doesn't know what I am talking about, Here is his picture from a road trip in his 1927 Cadillac:

 

 

Some beautiful scenery along the Clearwater river, headed for Lolo Pass:

 

 

 

Lolo Pass summit:

 

 

More to come later.....

 

 

[Walt G]

ABSOLUTELY wonderful to see this. Thank you for sharing!  Not only a great looking car ( love the black wall tires too!) but just the way old cars should be used and driven. The moments you shared with us all will be etched in our memories , and I am sure some are thinking like I am "that's the way to do it, that is the way to travel".  The architecture is a real treat.

 

Walt

[Matt Harwood]

Awesome road trip!

[Fossil]

Wonderful to see the Pontiac out on the road. The back grounds for your photos are very good and you car is icing on the cake. I'm just starting to appreciate how having these old cars out on the road brightens so many peoples lives. 

Thanks for making the effort to share your trip. 

[58L-Y8]

Thanks for posting these and taking us along!  Good luck!

[GARY F]

Great pictures. It looks like you were the only one in those towns.

[Bloo]

Later that day, disaster struck. Well... sort of. I continued on through Missoula MT and got on highway 200 headed for Great Falls. Somewhere past Lincoln, a little after dark I came up over a little crest and there was a wall of deer, at least 13 of them. I locked the brakes, spun a couple of times and went over the embankment down into a little gully. It is a miracle the car isn't totaled. The good news is I am fine, with only a small scratch on my knee, and the car is almost fine. I got out, looked for leaks or any serious damage, and really couldn't see much wrong. I got back in and stepped on the starter. It was already running. After a little back and forth, I got it unstuck and managed to drive it up to the highway.

 

It drove fine. It went straight, had good brakes, and basically felt like nothing happened. It was several miles before I could find a streetlight. There is some very minor body damage to the left rear corner, but it looks easy to fix. The gas cap is missing, and... the trunk hinges are broken. I taped the trunk lid down with masking tape and continued on to Great Falls where I spent the night.

 

In the middle of the night it started pouring rain, and I went outside and stretched a tarp over the car. It leaks.

 

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Laughing Coyote]

Looks like a fun time with a little added excitement too.  Just open road and rolling along with vintage iron.  I bet it's a blast.

[Bloo]

Day 3: The next morning, the rain had slowed down but didn't quit. Once I was on the road, it started pouring again. There aren't too many pictures for the next stretch of highway 200 (common route with highway 87) because there was too much rain. By the time I got to Moccasin, MT the rain had stopped. This is the old hotel. I looked all over for the bellhop but I couldn't find him....

 

 

Some other old buildings across the street, and another Pontiac:

 

 

A Chandler in Lewistown, MT. I think it needs a little work:

 

 

On to Jordan!

 

 

And then south on 59 toward Miles City. This is truly a deserted road. You hardly ever see a car. The downside is there are more deer to dodge.

 

 

I spent the night in Miles City.

 

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Walt G]

Perhaps some of you out there that have parts can look over what you have and if Bloo gives us some measurements eventually and perhaps a photo ( of the trunk hinges) with a look at what you have maybe you can supply him with the cap that went missing and  unbroken trunk hinges. Let's help a fellow enthusiast out .

[58L-Y8]

Glad you and the Pontiac didn't suffer any serious damage or injury.  Those old flathead Pontiacs are one tough car!

[STEVE POLLARD]

Great pictures !!

[Bryan G]

Some of those photos, were they b/w, would easily fool someone into thinking they were vintage. This is my kind of trip, though I've yet to rack up that many miles at a time. Your Pontiac was built just for this; you're blessed to have such an experience.

[john hess]

great pictures.... and story.. enjoyed meeting you last week.... John 

[Bloo]

Day 4: From Miles City on, I was back on highway 12, and although it is 2 lanes in many areas, it tends to bypass little towns, not that there are many to bypass in that part of Montana. And then a little more trouble... A few miles west of Baker, MT I pulled off at a wide spot in the road and when I when I was almost stopped, I heard a little "thunk" and suddenly the car was pulling to the right under braking. When I got to Baker, I asked around if anyone had a hoist, thinking maybe some rubber fell out of a leaf spring eye. I wound up at a place called Spiffys, who put it on the hoist. Nothing amiss was found, and no apparent damage to the wooden sills from the accident either. That was a relief. As it turned out, the pistons in the LF wheel cylinder were stuck. I don't know how that happened, as I wasn't on the brakes as hard as when I tried to dodge the deer, and it didn't stick that time. The cylinders had allegedly been rebuilt shortly before the former owner sold me the car. I have changed the brake fluid twice since then. I'll rebuild all of them when I get home.

 

A couple hours later I was unstuck and back on the road. I drove until it was about to get dark, and then spent the night in Hettinger, ND.

 

The only pictures I took were of an old bridge from 1946 over the Powder River, but they did not turn out. Here are some similar but far less blurry ones from the Internet:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Bloo]

Day 5: Here is beautiful downtown Hettinger ND:

 

 

I headed out on highway 12. At some point it crosses into South Dakota. I don't recall seeing a sign.

 

 

I stopped in Morristown, SD. I believe this is on the Standing Rock Reservation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This place had gobs of old cars:

 

 

I spent that night in Aberdeen, SD and in the morning headed south.

 

 

 

 

[STEVE POLLARD]

Bloo - so you started out in Washington, where are you heading to ?

 

 

Steve

[Bloo]

Mineral Point, Wisconsin.

[STEVE POLLARD]

I'm really enjoying the photos !

8 minutes ago, Bloo said:

This place had gobs of old cars:

I just purchased a vintage truck out of S.D....... there is a lot out there for sure !

 

Steve

[Bloo]

Day 6: I left Aberdeen SD and headed south on highway 281.

 

 

I intended to cut over into Iowa on highway 18 and then jog north to highway 9 across the top of Iowa. I lost the South Dakota map in the car somewhere and missed the turn, so I continued south. Here are some pictures from the Fort Randall dam at the southern tip of South Dakota.

 

 

The Pontiac's trunk lid is now held on with tape..

 

 

 

 

From there, on south to Oneill, Nebraska. Here's an old bank building in downtown Oneill:

 

 

Then I headed across Nebraska and Iowa on highway 20.

 

 

Here are some old buildings in Orchard, Nebraska:

 

 

 

A 1940 Chevrolet for sale in Laurel, Nebraska:

 

 

And a museum of windmills in Jackson, Nebraska.

 

 

Highway 20 continues in a straight line east through Iowa. I spent the night in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

 

 

 

 

[Bill Stoneberg]

On 9/12/2021 at 10:48 PM, Bloo said:

This place had gobs of old cars:

I have bought cars from them. Best one was a 1988 Buick 3 seat station wagon.  Valve guide seals to stop it from smoking and I drove it 40,000 miles before selling it.

[robert b]

Great pics and great trip , thanks for sharing your trip and country with us  . Bob

[nick8086]

You were 2 hours away from us.. You could of taken a picture of some Kaisers..

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[Fossil]

Have thoroughly enjoyed your trip. 

Your making good time. What do you think your average speed is so far? 

 

 

[Matt Harwood]

Glad you're OK from the mishap. Let's hear it for malleable old cars! I really admire your "no big deal" attitude. Not sure I could manage to feel the same way. Really enjoying the drive with you!

[Bloo]

Day 7 was a fairly short jaunt from Fort Dodge, Iowa to Mineral Point, Wisconsin via highway 20 and highway 151.

 

 

Odometer now at 46046.4 for a total of 2158.3 miles.

 

 

Beginning of trip:

 

 

Day 8: Other people start to arrive, and an excursion was planned the following day for early arrivals.

 

Day 9: A trip to a pottery studio located in a historic brewery building.

 

 

 

Day 10 was technical sessions and a club meeting

 

Day 11 was a tour 31 miles to New Glarus, Wisconsin, an early Swiss settlement. Today there is a museum featuring several buildings, 3 of which are original.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Bloo]

13 hours ago, Fossil said:

Have thoroughly enjoyed your trip. 

Your making good time. What do you think your average speed is so far?

 

If you mean true average speed I don't know. I intended to track gas and oil mileage, and possibly hours on the road, but lost part of my receipts and notes. I might still find them but I don't hold out much hope. On the open highway I drive 53 MPH, so something less than that.

 

 

[SC38dls]

Bloo, this has been a great trip to follow along. Something I would love to do in the Studebaker and was in the planning stages to do thru New England before the accident.  Are you planning the return trip the same route or will you head further north for new adventures. Looking forward to it no matter what. 

dave s

[Bloo]

On 9/15/2021 at 7:15 AM, SC38DLS said:

Bloo, this has been a great trip to follow along. Something I would love to do in the Studebaker and was in the planning stages to do thru New England before the accident.  Are you planning the return trip the same route or will you head further north for new adventures. Looking forward to it no matter what. 

dave s

 

I am on my way back and am sort of winging it. On other long trips I have tried to figure out what routes are historic slow paced 2-lane highways. Unfortunately, they don't connect well for long distances as much as you might expect. The late C Carl provided some insight into what routes might be good, as did the president of the ETC, the club that hosts this event. We have even had a thread about it here on the forums, and though it had some good information, there was a lot less than you would expect.

 

To answer the question directly, I will be retracing part of it. I'll be only a little further north, and not at all once I am west of Iowa. My goal as always will be to avoid Interstates and certain sections of road that I think would be white knuckle drives in an antique at 53mph, and try to get on old highways that go through the towns rather than around them.

 

One thing I learned driving back from last year's Flathead Reunion in a modern car is that sticking to 2-lane highways doubles my days on the road. That is while driving the posted speed limit. At 53 mph it is bound to be worse.

 

This trip could have been done much faster in a modern car, or a more modern antique capable of freeway speeds. It probably could have been done a day or 2 faster in this car.

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Bloo]

On 9/12/2021 at 3:35 PM, Walt G said:

Perhaps some of you out there that have parts can look over what you have and if Bloo gives us some measurements eventually and perhaps a photo ( of the trunk hinges) with a look at what you have maybe you can supply him with the cap that went missing and  unbroken trunk hinges. Let's help a fellow enthusiast out .

 

I am planning to post want ads for those parts, here and a couple other places tonight when I am at the motel. I also got some leads at the event, and a club member even brought me one hinge, but it is missing the pin. I believe it is the left hinge. I also have a lead in Idaho, and that may affect my route back if he has one or both hinges.

 

The hinges are common to 1936 Pontiac (all), 1936 Chevrolet Master, 1936 Chevrolet Standard, and 1936 Buick 40 series. Maybe some Oldsmobiles too, not sure about that. They are used on sedans with trunk only. Part numbers are 4065201 and 4065202 (right and left). Pictures are below.

 

The gas cap was the locking one with the little flip lid that says "GM" on it. The part number is 985076. I believe those are available in reproduction, but they use a different key blank and cannot be keyed to match the car like mine. Mine had the little flip cover broken off. I am considering going back that way and looking for it. It would probably be like a needle in a haystack, but maybe on a bright day I might see some glimmering chrome. I don't have a picture of the one I lost, but I found one in an old VCCA thread. It is below.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Walt G]

OK fellow collectors, preservationists, historians, parts hoarders, and squirrels in general 🤣 let's all try to help Bloo out now that we know exactly to look for.  Come on everyone - this could be you or me that this happened to - this car is his family, his life's blood that he takes for numerous rides per week ( well being and happiness  comes in many forms) 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Walt G (see edit history)

[ply33]

3 hours ago, Bloo said:

 

I am on my way back and am sort of winging it. On other long trips I have tried to figure out what routes are historic slow paced 2-lane highways. Unfortunately, they don't connect well for long distances as much as you might expect. The late C Carl provided some insight into what routes might be good, as did the president of the ETC, the club that hosts this event. We have even had a thread about it here on the forums, and though it had some good information, there was a lot less than you would expect.

 

To answer the question directly, I will be retracing part of it, but probably only a little further north, and not at all once I am west of Iowa. My goal as always will be to avoid Interstates and certain sections of road that I think would be white knuckle drives in an antique at 53mph, and try to get on old highways that go through the towns rather than around them.

 

One thing I learned driving back from last year's Flathead Reunion in a modern car is that sticking to 2-lane highways doubles my days on the road. That is while driving the posted speed limit. At 53 mph it is bound to be worse.

 

This trip could have been done much faster in a modern car, or a more modern antique capable of freeway speeds. It probably could have been done a day or 2 faster in this car.

 

I have found some websites that allow you to pick a motor scooter when generating a route. The sites I have found are located in Europe. While they have world wide coverage they seem to apply some European assumptions to the routing (like motor scooters are not allowed on freeways). And the output is in kilometers.

 

Anyway, I have sometimes used a computer generated motor scooter route as a quick way to get some non-freeway ideas when trying to get from point A to point B.

 

One such site is Graphhopper: https://graphhopper.com/maps/ (click on the “...” next to the car, foot and bicycle icons to get more routing options then click on the motor scooter icon).

[Bloo]

Day 12: A show at the local High School. Lots of Pontiacs!

 

 

 

This Willys drove through checking us out:

 

 

Someone brought a picture of a 1935 and a 1936 in period, with 1938 license plates. I would love to get a good scan of this. I exchanged information with the guy who had the picture. I hope I can find it.

 

 

Later there was an awards banguet. I did not realize this club even had a long distance award...

 

 

 

[Bloo]

Day 13: Heading out.... The parking lot is almost empty.

 

 

But not quite....

 

 

Odometer says 46177:

 

 

My plan was to go across Iowa on highway 9, as I intended to do on the way had I not missed the turn. After leaving Mineral Point I got a meal in Platteville and intended to head north on highway 81, but it was closed. A local kid at a gas station told me how to get around it by using Wisconsin roads "D" and "A". It was a beautiful drive, no doubt better than the highway.

 

Somewhere along road "A":

 

 

An Amish wagon:

 

 

This was pulled by the slowest horse I have ever seen. He had huge feet, long hair, and looked a little swaybacked. He placed each foot slowly and deliberately like a tortoise. Clop....................................  Clop....................................  Clop.................................... 

 

Road "A" leads to Lanccaster, WI.

 

 

 

From Lancaster, highway 35 leads to Bloomington:

 

 

A 47 Dodge for sale in Patch Grove:

 

 

 

Highway 35 gets common routed with highway 18 about as far as Prairie du Chien, then continues up the east side of the Mississippi River. The northernmost crossing into Iowa is at Lansing, Iowa. The last thing you see before you cross into Iowa is a wildlife conservation area, and it is beautiful. There would be great photo opportunities there if there was anyplace to stop. There isn't. Maybe with a second person in the car...

 

This it the bridge that takes you across the Mississippi into Lansing, Iowa. The picture is from the Iowa side.

 

 

The trains run right on the river's edge:

 

 

Lansing is an old town with a lot of historic buildings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally on Iowa highway 9:

 

 

Waukon, Iowa:

 

 

 

Cresco, Iowa:

 

 

Back on the highway:

 

 

Some windmills:

 

 

Riceville, Iowa:

 

 

Osage, Iowa:

 

 

 

 

I made it as far as Forest City, and spent the night. More to come....

 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Dosmo]

I am envious of the great time you appear to be having on this trip.  At the end of every long day, I would probably pat the car affectionately, saying "Well Done!".

[straight8pontiac]

Bloo, It's been a pleasure following your adventurous road trip. Looking forward to the next chapter. Continued safe travels on your journey home with that wonderful Pontiac.

[EmTee]

x2 -- what a wonderful travelogue!  You're inspiring me to get the road atlas out and begin planning a similar jaunt somewhere in and around the Northeast next year... 

[GARY F]

What a great trip and pictures.