MTFCA Forum

Michigan or bust.

It's a little over 300 miles from my place to George's at Lake Ozark. I thought there might be a chance of making it in a day if I got an early start, so I was on the road at 6:15 AM.

Daylight brought a pleasant day. Warm but not hot.

Uh-oh. Too much bouncing on a bumpy road wiped out a tail light. I think I'll give up on the trailer lights and install something permanent. The next "event" was when the speedometer died. The bike speedometers are great when they work, but all the trouble I've had with them tells me they're just too delicate for my kind of driving. I spent over an hour fixing the thing. It worked for about fifty miles, then died again. I'm thinking of a modern navigation device.

Crossing the Caney River east of Elgin.

Among the pecan groves east of Chetopa.

Not often, but I have used my Garmin GPS in my T and it has worked. Dean Yoder, of course, is the resident authority on such matters....

A stretch of shady road.

Running late. It was after three when I crossed the state line.
After last year's crawl through Joplin, I knew enough to go around most of the town.

I made it only as far as Springfield, where I dined in style. I'm cutting way down on the restaurant eating this time. I'm here until morning. With no tail lights I won't do any driving after sundown.

Safe travels Steve! Love the photos! Thanks for taking us that want to but cant yet along for the trip. Hope to see you in Mulbury. If your close and need a place to stay, the camper is free rent.

You beat me out the door Steve. I am not planning on leaving until Tuesday. I am heading to Michigan City and hope to stay at a campground on the Dunes. Then I will head east to Detroit on Hwy 12. My big goal is to just get around Chicago.

Happy travels, Steve. Are you still planning to stop by that auction on Labor day?

Happy Trails my highly admired friend!

That’s really neat Steve. Good luck on your trip. Hope all goes well with the weather and no issues!

Safe travels, Steve.

Keith

No taillight? Make sure you have kerosene in your taillight and a match to light it with!

You'd probably make better time, if you didn't stop and take so many pictures!
( Of course I'm joking. Thanks for taking us all along with you.) Safe travels, and I hope to see you Friday at Piquette.

Steve, be safe. I wish I were there with my '21 Touring to follow along.

Bon Voyage and safe travels, Steve. I enjoy your photo documentary. Hope to chat with you at the OCF.

Steve, I didn't know a running board could be used also be used as a smorgasbord.
You take great pictures, keep sending them.

Thanks for sharing the adventures Steve.

From my perspective, in an office here in Houston, you're living the dream.

Thanks for the photos.

Thanks for bringing us along with you, safe travels.

I added OCF to the title, hope you don't mind.

Steve:
Have a safe trip, and hope to see you there. I saw your car parked by the curb coming into Dearborn a year or two ago. I'm going back in luxury. I'm flying Delta, and a Hertz rent a car as soon as I get there.

Steve made to my place in the pouring rain. Hasn’t stopped raining ever since. Steve is inside drying out with several mugs of tea. Then we changed his oil.

Cars look good in the rain

George, are you driving up, too?

Safe travels. How is the car preforming?

Today's exciting adventure started wet and ended wet, with dry in between. I was awakened at 1:30 AM by the Walmart security guard who informed me that the manager wanted me gone. In all my years of traveling, this is the first time I've ever gotten the bum's rush at a Walmart. So I moved to the adjacent Payless parking lot and slept in the car. It wasn't as uncomfortable as you might expect, and didn't keep me awake. But at 5:45AM the rain started. It came down hard for awhile, then eased off and quit after about half an hour. I was parked facing east, and the wind was from the north, so my left side became annoyingly moist. After breakfast there was enough daylight for me to drive, so I sought out the local Best Buy store to look at GPS devices. But Best Buy doesn't open until 10:00 AM. I wasn't about to sit around half the day in Springfield waiting to see something I might or might not buy, so I hit the road. When I got to Camdenton, about thirty miles from George's, I talked to him by phone and learned that more rain was on the way. He was right. By the time I arrived it was in a soaking rain.

Along old 66 south of Lebanon.

At George's we put the front end of the car in out of the rain for an oil change.

Get down and get under.

Ace oil changer at work.


Model T vibrations can do the oddest things.

Trip looks wonderful so far!


"Whether wet or whether dry?
be sharp both of ear and eye!"

Safe travels Steve, look forward to seeing you at Hershey.
Terry GCC5,6. Stop by and show me some more spark plugs!

You are the envy of us all.... Too chicken or due to work schedules, etc.... to drive our vehicles that far. Always an adventure!

I installed permanent LED signals and running lights a couple years ago. One of the best investments of time, to date.

Be safe!

Dennis

Steve’s on the road again. After a big plate of Biscuits/ Gravy he departed here on his way to JeffCity and beyond. Had a little starting difficulty but my hill came in handy. After a couple of pops and putputs was running on all four as he hurtled up my hill at 9:30 AM. Safe travels Steve and Godspeed.

Thank you George C !

If they knew you were coming I'm certain that there are enough T owners on your route that would let you sleep safe & secure in their home or driveway (at your discretion).

As George said, I was on the road again at 9:30 AM with a bigger than usual breakfast under my belt. George's sister is a swell cook.

US 54 headed north toward the capital city. Fog kept the windshield wet, but there was no more rain, and the fog wasn't thick enough to unclarify the view. In Jefferson City the notoriously inadequate Model T brakes saved me. I neglected to maintain plenty of distance, and I had to jump on the brakes when traffic stopped suddenly. I slid to a screeching stop about a foot from the car in front of me. Later the Walmart pharmacy's test machine said my BP was 113/77, so apparently I wasn't as scared as I thought. The reason I stopped in Jeff City was to check out GPS devices at the Best Buy store. I tried out the display models, several Garmins and a TomTom, and did not fall in love. I am not a fan of touch screens, and I found the TomTom especially problematic as it suffered from one of the traits I despise most in modern technology: a tendency to perform random acts of whimsy for no apparent reason. Eventually I may talk myself into a Garmin or the like and learn to operate it, but I'm not ready for that yet. I stopped at a hardware store and bought six feet of eighteen gauge speaker wire. I'll see if I can fix the bike speedometer. Maybe I'll have time to work on it tomorrow.

MO 94 goes east along the bottom lands of the Missouri River, then veers off for a hilly stretch with lots of steep ups and downs and sharp curves, then returns to the bottom lands with long flat stretches and gentle curves.

Turning north near Rhineland you climb through more hills, then north of New Florence you're in farming country again.

Corn, soybeans, and milo rule here.
At Louisana the bridge where I crossed the Mississippi last year is closed now, and I crossed on the new bridge.

Old and new together. The modern bridges of course are models of efficiency and function, but they lack the charm of the old ones.

One more bridge today, over the Illinois River. When the lights are flashing the bridge is up. The lights were not flashing.

Tonight I'm in Jacksonville, about thirty miles west of Springfield. When I arrived this evening I took the car into the Walmart auto shop to air up any tires that needed it. None were seriously down. The car was a hit with all the shop folks. They had me drive it in, of course, but I had to wear safety glasses. It occurred to me today that I'm like Liz Taylor or Princess Di, with people taking my pictures wherever I go. Fortunately, unlike them, I'm not dead yet.

Tomorrow's goal is Lafayette IN.

Logansport is about 40 miles from Lafayette I think. Watch out for crazy drivers/people if you go downtown. I hate to drive through there.

Beautiful countryside! I envy what you do.

Thanks for the update and great photos Steve. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Hi Steve, Wish I were tagging along. How many miles on the new engine now? Thanks for taking us along... be safe and hopefully there will be a few more folks that can accommodate you in some way during your adventure.

Steve, my offer still stands for a nights rest! Im about a days drive to Dearborn in a T.

Steve, exploring in Google Maps, I figure that you went through Winchester (in Scott County) shortly after you crossed the Illinois River. You could have stopped at the Winchester Cemetery to pay your respects to my grandparents and great-grandparents and swung by the Baker Cemetery at the edge of a cornfield to visit more of my ancestors. Lots of McLaughlins around Winchester.

Went with my daughter and her family three years ago to the annual Burgoo in Winchester. They allowed me to stir it for a while. (Kind of a Tom-Sawyer-fence privilege, I suspect).

Regarding using a GPS - I have an old 3.5 inch Garmin Nuvi 1250 that I plan to use - primarily for the speed, distance and direction function. I have a 12 volt battery and will use a USB power cord into a hidden USB port to power it. The small Nuvi's are often on ebay for $20 or less which makes them a cheap solution. If you have only six volts available, there are USB ports that will convert it such as this 6-30 volt adapter from Aircraft Spruce <https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/ ... gIo6fD_BwE>

Right now during "testing phase" I'm using a speedometer app on my iPhone but I need something dedicated to the purpose. Good luck on your journey - we Michiganders look forward to seeing you arrive safely to the OCF.

Your Garmin GPS will work fine on six volts, just use the lighter plug that came with the unit and it will work fine, I transfer mine from my car or truck to the T with no problem, they run on 2.5 volts and the plug takes care of dropping the voltage.

Rick

Dick Lodge...

Please... what is a Burgoo

"annual Burgoo in Winchester"Thanks,

Dave

I think Burgoo is stone soup, if you know the story.

adave wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 01, 2019 1:10 pm

Dick Lodge...

Please... what is a Burgoo

According to Wikipedia: "Burgoo is a spicy stew, similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, often served with cornbread or corn muffins. It is often prepared communally as a social gathering. It is popular as the basis for civic fund-raisers in the American Midwest and South."

My mother's father died in 1913, when my mother was six years old, and every summer after that, my grandmother would pack up my mother and my aunt the day after school let out and take them on the train to Winchester (where my grandmother had grown up and where her family still lived). They would return to St. Louis just before Labor Day (and the start of school). My mother often talked about the burgoo. There was a secret recipe that one family guarded. A dozen or so huge kettles would be lined up over fires in the park the morning before and the ingredients put in. They then simmered for 24 hours and the men in town took shifts so that it would be stirred throughout the day and night. I found out at some point (probably in the 1990s) that the burgoo was still being held, so my wife and I, our kids and my mother drove up to Winchester. Mom said that it was pretty much the way she remembered it from 80 years earlier. It was discontinued about fifteen years ago, I think. A few years ago, a distant cousin in Winchester let me know that it was being revived, so I took my daughter and her family to check it out. That's when the photo I posted above was taken. The 12 kettles are now just one.

This is a four-generations picture probably taken in 1910 or 1911. The little girl in front is my mother, on the left is my grandmother, on the right my great-grandfather (at one time mayor of Winchester) and in back my great-great-grandmother.

I crossed that bridge with my T on the way to Cookeville . There is a Farrie about 11 miles south.

Whatever brand GPS you buy make sure it includes "lifetime maps" else you need to pay for upgrades.

Thanks Dick,

"Community Feed"...sounds much like our New England "Bean Pots". Folks would dig a large hole some Saturday in the fall, build a fire in it, add fuel (more wood) get a large hole filled with hot ashes - still glowing chunks of unburned wood included..scoop away some hot ash, in the void put a large cast iron pot filled with beans..cover the pot with ash and and let it cook overnight. Next day, bright and early, serve some coffee and donuts, visit and chat awhile, then around mid to late morning uncover the pot and serve some hot beans and franks... Fun times...unfortunately, times have changes and few folks are left to mingle. Too many folks want "drive-thru fast food". We've lost a lot to "progress".

As a side note, Winchester is the county seat of Scott County and its population is given as 1,650. When we were at the Burgoo one year, Anja bought a T-shirt that read, "Where the hell is Winchester? Between Riggston and Alsey." Alsey's population is 246 and I can't find a listing for Riggston. Several years later, our daughter wore the T-shirt to school and had to turn it inside out because of the word "hell."

I figure that you went through Winchester (in Scott County)...

Yes, I did. That's where you turn north to take Old 36 through Springfield to Decatur. It's also where I stopped to fix my noisy exhaust last year. I think most of these little wide spots in the road (Winchester, Silverdale, Elgin, Cloverdale, etc.) have interesting histories known only to a dwindling few.


So here's today's exciting episode. I didn't get totally soaked by the rain that hit at about 2:30 AM and lasted for about an hour. The big tarp kept me mostly dry, but I decided not to press my luck, and did the rest of my sleeping in the car with the tarp hanging over the windward side. After breakfast and a cup of tea at the Golden Arches (of course I had to explain that tea does not mean iced tea) I headed east from Jacksonville at 7:45, taking IL 106 and Old US 36 toward Springfield.

Illinois: more corn.

On Jefferson Street in Springfield. Notice anything odd?

When I pulled off in a parking lot to take care of the radiator cap I heard the clunk of something hitting the running board. It was a lucky bit of timing that it happened then instead of out on the road. I believe the music for this is Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On.

Old 36 east of Springfield. US highways and former US highways that parallel interstates aren't totally deserted, but they're pretty close to it.

For some reason I'm thinking of Herb Shriner.

Taking a shortcut. The sign is a joke. Going 35 on this road would probably loosen your teeth and wreck your suspension. But only four miles of it saved me more than ten. That would have been worthwhile if the state highway I was going to hadn't been closed. Three years ago I was going to take IN 47 but it was closed. Last year I was going to take IN 71, but it was closed. Today I was going to take IN 25, but it was closed. Apparently I have a talent for picking unavailable roads. Anyway I arrived in Lafayette unaware of any problems. After chow I rewired my speedometer and got it working. But while I had the hood open I found the fan stuck and its belt off. So that will be something to deal with tomorrow in the daylight.

Thanks again for the report! The destination may be the given reason for a journey. However, the real reason for a journey is the journey itself.
Rest well my friend.

Steve, 25 is actually open. I drive it daily to Lafayette for work. They have been chip sealing and put the signs up to deter traffic. If you had taken it you would have passed though my little town.

Indiana! The land of bad roads and corn! Its goung to be nice weather today Steve. Im heading to Mulbury in a few minutes. See you there. If I see you bidding on fan parts, they will be salty.
Just pulling your leg Steve! If you need something give me a shout. 260- three36- six 555.

Thank you for your story and pictures!!! Bud.

Wasn't Herb Shriner the guy that said he spent the war in a "rear echelon mess kit repair battalion "?

dlmyers wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:32 am

Wasn't Herb Shriner the guy that said he spent the war in a "rear echelon mess kit repair battalion "?

My favorite line on that subject has probably always been Steve Allen's, "During the war, my father served in a British Thermal Unit."

... cooking asbestos pancakes, we might presume ?

Jelf sighting in IN.

Oh, boy, what a day! I had bad luck and good luck. The bad luck began with that stuck fan I mentioned yesterday. The good luck began when I spotted a good fan at the auction. Wrong year, but the right kind and working. They were selling stuff mostly in large piles, and I wasn't abut to buy a whole shelf full of stuff I'd never use. The lucky part is that the guy who did buy the shelf of stuff was willing to sell me the fan for $20. As it turned out, that was all I bought. I did bid on a few small things, but others wanted them more than I did.

I'll start with a few shots of the auction, then I'll get to more of my bad and good luck

On the left is the Form-a-Truck minus its stolen engine.

I don't believe I've seen six of these together before.


Pallets and pallets of parts.

Make a wish.

Tanks a lot.


And now some bad luck. Somebody had mentioned to me that my car had a front axle problem. I assumed they were talking about the missing clip nut. No big deal. I have some spare nuts in the car.


But when I went out to the car I found that this was what they meant. It's bad picture, but i think you can see that the shackle is completely broken and the spring is down on the axle.

I blame this bridge over the tracks south of Romney. I hit a dip that might be better described as a trench. It almost put me through the roof. Of course a second later I hit another one at the other end of the bridge. I think one or both of them together broke the shackle.

The good luck came in three. First, this problem popped up at an auction where there were Model T parts and people. One of those people donated a pair of shackles off one of the front axles he had just bought. It turned out that the perch threads wouldn't hold the nut and the perch was loose in the axle. Another guy happened to have a pair of aftermarket parts to fix that until I can put in a better perch.

I hadn't seen these things before. They wrap around the perch and support a clamp that holds up the wishbone.

Another piece of good luck was the guys who pitched into help put everything together.

The remains of a defunct shackle.

The spare perch/wishbone clamp. I hope I'll never have to use it.

So here I am back in Lafayette posting pictures with McDonald's wi-fi way after closing time. Gotta go. More tomorrow.

Steve, I am glad that I was able to help you out. I think I enjoyed that more than the auction itself.

Heading out tomorrow Steve. I might get caught in the rain as I start, but hope to make it to Indiana Dunes Tuesday night. You are a full day ahead of me because I had to play golf with my son-in-law today. Wednesday AM I head to Detroit from there, but I do not think I will catch you. I was going to take Hwy 12 unless I can meet you somewhere farther south. Better travels ahead.

Sounds so far so good! Gotta love the model T. The way the axle sits under the spring is a built in safety catch. I sometimes worry about some of the speedsters I see , and even a couple I have had, because the way front axles are moved around some of them lose that safety catch. A good friend of mine some years back on an endurance run broke a spring perch. With its "suicide" lowering, the car gave a wild ride. For it, the crank handle caught the car before it dropped far enough to become a disaster. Stock Ts have been known to be driven for years after a shackle or perch broke. One of the Ts I restored many years ago came to me with a broken shackle and bailing wire around the spring and axle. Wear on the top of the axle indicated it had been driven that way for a long time. I am very pleased that all turned out well.

Oh my are you lucky Steve. And to find that broken shackle while you’re at an auction with mountains of parts available not to mention like minds to help. It’s funny how things work loose, break or bind up in a T and how they are discovered before disaster. The fan on my ‘23 has bound up a couple of times on 100 mile trips and the best I could do at the time was to loosen the belt and drive without the fan. As long as I wasn’t trapped in a traffic jam it was fine.

I will bring a right side perch for you look for a red 09 touring in the show car area. Blasted new bushing with a good nut. Yours if you want it I’ll throw it in for the cause! Mark and Phil Eyre dad talked to you at the auction. We will probably only be there Sunday.

Enjoying this ride of yours Steve! Perhaps like others, I just don't know if I could do that and glad you guys that do, show and tell.

ot from above: That Burgoo sounds similar to Bouja (pronounced booya) up in German country to the east of me.

Steve,When you find the red 09 ask for a look at the engine!!!![Good People]!! Bud.

Yes, Mark. I aim to be there Sunday too. I'll see you then.

Today's report:
First thing after breakfast I set about dealing with the fan situation. Looking at the fan in the car and the one I picked up at the auction yesterday, I had my doubts that the replacement, a 1920's item, would fit. As things turned out, it didn't have to.

I had forgotten this, but a 1915 fan has a grease cup that acts as a lock nut. The fan rides on a bolt and the lock nut/grease cup keeps the bolt from turning. In this case the lock nut had come loose, allowing the bolt to turn with the fan until it became tight enough to stop the fan. All I had to do was adjust the bolt, lock it with the grease cup, reinstall the fan, and wash my hands. 145 miles later it's still good.

Next was dealing with the running board gas can that lost its neck and cap, and needed a stopper. The rubber stopper I bought in Missouri worked once. After that it was cracked by the gas and so swollen that it wouldn't fit back in the can.


At the local Menard's I found a real cork that would fit. So far it's doing the job.

With more adjustment of the magnet position and making sure the little computer is properly seated in its bracket to make contact, the speedometer is back to work. The picture is a bit out of focus, but it answers a question I've been asked. Why even have a speedometer? After all, Ford didn't provide one. The answer is that I'm a lousy judge of speed, and without the guidance of a speedometer my speed creeps up and up. I may be cruising at 35 mph, but soon I'm doing 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 or more without realizing it. I don't have the skill and experience to be an engine rebuilder, and hiring it done ain't cheap. I want this engine to outlast me. Do two or three miles an hour matter? I believe they do. If you watch the speedometer and listen to the engine, slowing down only one mile an hour makes enough of a difference that you can hear the change. The faster you go, the harder the engine has to work.

Stopping in a sprinkle north of Marion. It's happened again.

Has anybody else had this happen? I didn't before this trip, but here it is again for the second time in four days. I've made sure it's screwed in tight.

A bit of Indiana road kill.

I left Lafayette about noon and arrived in Auburn at 5:30. That's an hour later than I expected because of Fort Wayne. Getting through town took forever. If I hadn't guessed right on some unmarked turns it would have been worse. I was on one street for three blocks before I saw a sign that confirmed I had guessed right, and that wasn't the only place where navigating through Fort Wayne was a guessing game.

Again, fine dining on the terrace.

Are you staying at the Walmart Hilton in Auburn?

Tomorrow is partly sunny and 73. Its 11:30 now and thunger and lightning. Its coming your way. Not a bad storm but if your feet hang out the side, your socks will get wet!

Hope your sleeping good Steve. More wind than I thought. We are babysitting this to keep those afflickted with cranial rectitus from going toward the pretty lights. I may have to sleep in my truck tonight also.

Steve, as for the radiator cap thing, get one of the rubber gaskets that the vendors sell (I believe they are the same as a plumbing gasket, don't recall just what) and I doubt that you will have any more problems with it. Maybe stop by a big box home improvement store somewhere and find one. I put one on the TT years ago with a MotoMeter and later installed it on the coupe, never had any problems with it coming loose. A plus if you use a MotoMeter in the future, it makes lining up the wings or a dog bone a snap. JMHO. Keep us posted on your journey, when you get to the OCF, be sure to give Dallas a hard time for me. Just kidding. Dave

Good morning Dave! Still here!

Dallas...I'm no electrician, but I'm not sure the power line's supposed to be doing that.

Steve...as always, I'm thoroughly enjoying your reports, especially as I prepare to make a less enjoyable trek into the jaws of the Houston commute.

Thanks to Dallas for the storm warning. Here's how I prepared.

In my cozy nest. Sleeping with the arm rest as a pillow and one foot on the seat isn't as uncomfortable as you might imagine. It sure didn't keep me awake.

I just figured out a way to get weather forecasts for various cities without crashing my browser. Weather for the OCF looks good.

Steve glad your sox stayed dry. I can give you todays forcast tomorrow. Garenteed!

I can’t believe it. You must be a contortionist....

Rob on Dean’s phone

The gasket for the cap is called a Mack Basin washer.

Rick

I use a rubber O ring under my cap. You can take your cap into any hardware store and find one that will fit, and they're cheap.

Did you make it to dearborn yet? Wishing you safe travels.

Steve J isn't the only one that can sleep in a supposedly uncomfortable car! Me about 45 years ago. A double exposure because someone "borrowed" my camera while I slept, but you can get the idea.




Safe journeys my highly respected friend!

Wow! Just wow! What a fabulous place. If you've never been to Auburn and have any interest in classic cars (and I do mean Classic), you have to go. The Gilmore collection may be bigger, but in quality the ACD is its equal.The ACD is a spectacular art deco building stuffed with gorgeous and historic cars. I won't try to show everything, but I can give you a small taste.

Jay from California and his friend Charlie from Long Island are traveling across country in a Model A as part of a group commemorating a 1919 military coast to coast expedition. I didn't ask why not a 1919 car.

One of the first cars you see when entering is this 1930 Duesenberg Model J. Sweet ride would be an understatement.

Across from the Model J is this 1926 Model A.

Wrap it up. I'll take it.

It was the last year for ACD when the factory turned out this 1937 Cord 812.

The showroom is a spectacular setting for spectacular cars.

Jay and Charlie pose for their picture in the showroom.

The cars are not all ACD. This 1930 Packard 745 has a body by Waterhouse.


The McD manager is kicking me out. More later.

Hey Steve, best wishes sounds like quite an adventure, wish I was there. When I received my T it had the same homemade perch to wishbone clamp using pushrod end caps on one end to complete the clamp. -- IV

I’ll bet they were surprised to see you roll up. And out class them a little.

By the way Steve. How’s your new ScatCrank holding up ?

in reading of Steve's adventures brings to mind two guys backed a model a ford from New York to California , as I remember it was a roadster and it took place perhaps sixty years ago, any one remember that? talk about cramped necks.

So much to learn... so little time....I just HAD to ask Mr. (Mrs. ?) Google...ACD - Auburn?

here's what he/she replied...

https://www.acdfestival.org/

Seeing the pictures of people sleeping with their model Ts reminded me of back when I performed my traveling medicine show with the T for many years. These were two to ten day festivals and I used to fold the painted backdrop on the stage to create a tent for shelter. This shows me in the morning waiting for coffee to get hot. You can see part of the backdrop on the left. We sold Lenape Liquid ... and nose flutes.

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted...

1932 Auburn 12-160A coupe, one of four known survivors. At $1545, then reduced to $1105, it was the least expensive of all the twelve cylinder cars sold at the time. Unfortunately, in the depths of the Depression it never sold in sufficient numbers to be profitable.

The dummy in this 1916 Dodge Brothers touring looks almost real.

Heading north out of Auburn I found this old filling station done up in fifties style.
The ding-ding hose works.

A bit of northern Indiana roadside flora.

Fremont Road south of Coldwater, Michigan.

This swell old house at Somerset is now a B&B.

I love this thread!

Super photos of beautiful things....thanks for posting.

Steve, you should write an illustrated book of your travels. Wonderful stuff. We all admire your efforts to keep us in the loop.

When you get home again, the fan issue needs to be investigated. I believe the fan shaft has a step in it. The shaft is wound in until this step registers on the arm. If your fan goes tight before the step bottoms out on the arm, the bushes need to be faced off a bit to allow it to move freely. Once the shaft is tight in the arm, then the greaser becomes a locknut.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

I feel like I've been riding along - feel asleep and when I woke up I see what Steve is looking at. I don't want to be there yet...

Hey Steve. I made it. I am in the parking lot in Scott Coloski's RV.

",,,,,before I was so rudely interrupted..." All whilst you slumbered...
People with a real sense of humor are a true joy.