The Power Tour - There And Back Again
“Hard work always pays off.”
Sometimes you can’t appreciate the smile (last picture in this post) until you’ve seen all the work!
The Hot Rod Power Tour was a short five days in 2021, but what fun as we finally Long Hauled our 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass Convertible. Talk about a nail biter. Despite working hour after hour to “finish up” the Cutlass in time for the big event, when it came time to go, I was vacillating. Is it really ready? Can it make it?
After a lot of “Should we or shouldn’t we?” we made an “11th-hour-decision” to go for it, pulling out of our driveway full of hopes and with plenty of doubts. It was going to be a longer drive — just to get to Norwalk, Ohio and the starting line — than we had taken the car at any point in the years we have owned it.
This post is a short history of how we got there and back again. It only took 20 years!
Take me back (2000)
The Cutlass story begins when our son, Paul, was just turning 16. With the help of our hot rod buddy, Chip, we found the Oldsmobile. It was a rusted relic. Sure, it had potential, but it did not run, had holes in the floor, no bumper, was missing a door handle, and the interior was a mess. Paul saw what it could be, laid down $1900 and we trailered it home.
The first build (2000-2003)
Paul’s plan was to get that car road worthy by his Senior year at high school. That didn’t happen! But with perseverance and quite a few coins he brought it back to life, drove it on his Prom night and declared victory when he motored home from school on the very last day of his senior year in high school.
Then life happened (2003-2013)
Paul has always been a man on the go. Starting his own business, a wedding to the love of his life, letting go of his business to pursue Chick-fil-A, four children, multiple moves . . . and the Cutlass got pushed to the back of the garage. Somewhere in that ten years Paul sold me the car. A few years later I sold it back to him, and then he sold it back to me in 2014 when their family minivan usurped the prized position the Cutlass occupied in the garage. But just before that, we did a valve job to solve the problem of burning oil.
“Minor Modifications” (2013)
Despite rebuilding the engine back in 2000, the Cutlass blew too much smoke out of the tailpipes. We needed a valve job. So in 2013, the heads came off, the machine shop did the work, and Paul and I and a couple of neighbors put it back together.
For many people that would be the end of the story. “And they all motored happily ever after.” Not so! As I mentioned, Paul sold me the car again in 2014. I moved it to our garage in Boca, where valve job behind us, the car ran pretty well and Paul and I enjoyed occasional rides with the grands getting in on the action.
Here we go again (2016)
The Cutlass sat mostly unused for the next two years. We drove it to Daytona Beach for the Turkey Rod Run a couple of times, but that was it. The rag top was a good local cruiser, but not ready for any long haul. Then came the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2016
Shannan and I were at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on the last day of the Hot Rod Power Tour 2016. We drove our `06 Pontiac GTO for the Tour that year. Now it was the last stop and I was wandering among 4,000 cars taking pictures (see the green street rod below) while Shannan was sitting at the main stage. I heard my name called over the loud speaker. I had won an MSD Atomic Electronic Fuel Ignition system. I raced to the stage to be rewarded with a very expensive fuel delivery system.
Of course, I couldn’t just go home and simply install the MSD, I had to begin a second rebuild of the Cutlass: Engine, electrical system, suspension, steering, fuel system, aftermarket AC, wheels and tires.
I had great aspirations of taking the Cutlass on the 2017 Hot Rod Power Tour. My good friend and hot rod buddy Andre suggested that might be a bit idealistic. “These things take a long time, Tommy!” Nevertheless we got after it. But he was right! That MSD set off a series of modifications that would require a full five years to get the car long-haul ready. The pictures below only hint at all the work invested in the rebuild that we finished just in time for the 2021 Hot Rod Power Tour.
Oh, and we bought the octogenarian (2018)
On a trip to North Carolina we saw (and I fell in love with) a 1936 Chevrolet Master Coupe Deluxe. When the owner was finally willing to part with it, we borrowed truck and trailer and made a quick trip back to NC to purchase the car and bring it home.
Downsizing and the move to Arkansas (2019)
In 2019, Shannan and I downsized. This meant putting the Cutlass in storage for a few months as we transitioned to our new home in Boca. Then Lancaster Bible College called me to be their president. The “new home” would become a rental and we moved the Cutlass to Arkansas where I would work off and on for two more years to get it off floor dollies and under its own power.
This is what can happen to cars in storage!
From Boca to Arkansas (2019)
Let’s get it done (Summer 2021)
Re-reading The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) for a project at Lancaster Bible College got me thinking about applying 4DX to the Cutlass. It would be tough, but I was intent of getting the car off floor dollies and onto the highway by the start of the Hot Rod Power Tour. I drew up my plan and got after it.
The final minutes (August 21, 2021)
Despite great efforts I had to ship the car off to Louie’s Hot Rod Garage in order to finish on time (read more about here). Louis did fabulous work. We got the car back on Friday, August 20th. We were supposed to leave on Saturday. I made some final adjustments and we were on the road.
We made it! (August 22, 2021)
It took us a day and half to get from Arkansas to Norwalk, Ohio — our own long haul before the long haul, but we pulled into the hotel after dark, parked it. Declared a small victory and got a little rest before the official Monday start.
Paul and Archer join us for three legs of the Tour
Paul and Archer flew into Dayton, Ohio to join us for two and half days of heat, cool cars, open roads, lots of Hot Wheels for Archer, and so many good times.
A little taste of getting ready to hit the road . . .
Day 5, Champaign, Illinois.
The Hot Rod Power Tour came to an end in Champaign. It was sweet rides, good folks, and great times.
There and back again!
And now you know why there is that sweet smile of satisfaction when we arrived back home in Arkansas. 850 miles to get to Norwalk, Ohio and the start; 753 miles and five days on the Power Tour; and another 650 mile trip from Champaign back to our home, a nice 2250 miles . . . but really a journey twenty years in the making.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
