So, first, as I write this, I realized I didn't take any pictures and I am kicking myself for it.
So here's the run
Day 1 and Day 2 - Omaha, NE to Louisville, KY - 10 hr drive that turned into 12 thanks to St Louis traffic. That place is just a mess. Too much traffic and not enough infrastructure repair IMHO
Delivered a nice little 289 core to Brent, found at a swap meet, and he'll get better use out of it than me. After years of friendship online, got to hang out with him and his family and he even put me to work for a day, which felt less like work than fun. It was a very nice time, and we got a lot of BSing done, along with some significant SBC and 351C work. However, the secondary reason for the trip was to grab that hot rod 396 TFS headed FE for delivery. I was going to Massachusetts, and only 30 minutes or so from Dennis (the new owner and forum member), and it made it a safer and easier ride in my truck versus letting the shippers beat it up.
Day 3 and Day 4 - Louisville, KY to Richmond, VA - Beautiful ride. Went to visit my buddy Danny. One of my closest friends, he was key to the recent CJ reunion and is restoring a very rare 68.5 4.30 geared CJ 4 speed coupe alonf with a concours thoroughbred 390 GT fastback We visited all over the local area talking to car guys, but best part was determining the build for the CJ and then loading all the parts into my truck for me to do over the winter. Originally planned as a BBM headed, RPM intake hyd roller stroker, even though the neat aftermarket stuff is with me, we are going to do a max effort streetable stock looking FE build, iron CJ heads and intake, with only headers looking non-stock. Sort of a "Day 2" look, but with all the modern tricks inside. We ended up loading basically another engine and a half in the truck, around the 396, and off to Mass!
Day 5 - Met Dennis, the new owner of the 396, a great guy and forum member, and it was good to hear someone "without" an accent for a change
As a Massachusetts guy myself, my northeast accent has drifted away until I get a couple drinks in me LOL. We unloaded the 396, BSed a bit, mostly about him tearing up his shoulder and the plans for the engine, but it was about 10 hrs into my day so I got out of town and headed to my hometown
Day 6 - 10 was uneventful, family stuff, although I tried hard to find more FE parts in my hometown area. I just couldn't track anything down. Stayed in a very traditional and old Bed and Breakfast, expected it to be weird, but it was beautiful and incredibly quiet and calm. My quad cab 4x4 diesel didn't really fit in with the Civic and Prius in the yard, but it was a nice place and really relaxing. Normally I stay at an AF reserve base nearby, but they were having an exercise and couldn't fit me in in, even using my "Colonel's voice" LOL
I saw all my family, cruised around the back roads with my uncle in his 51 F1 flathead truck, came up with a game plan for him to get his survivor 70 440-6 4 speed Road Runner going (which is a beauty of a car) and started to run out of things to do so I boogied back to Nebraska, one 12 hr day to Toledo due to traffic, and a 10 hr day, in the hammer lane at 80, with the diesel getting an average of 22.5 MPG over the entire trip of 3000+ miles.
What a great time, two good down days with friends, one with Brent, one with Danny, and then some slow down time in my home town, likely the first time in 23 years to really take time and see the small town again
Like I said, no pics, wish I would have brought my wife, she may have hated the trip but would have taken pictures
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