Americruise East 2003

A Long Overdue Road Trip

Author: Ron Ceridondo

Readers frequently tell us what a great job they think we have because of all the shows and events we get to go to. But the irony of our jobs is that we seldom have the chance to actually participate in the hobby the way we'd like. With deadlines constantly looming there's never enough time to drive to and from an event, put the various magazines together, then head out on the next assignment. Don't take us wrong, we're not whining, it's just that we'd like to have more time behind a steering wheel than in an airplane seat. So, when we got the chance to join Americruise East 2003 and to cover it for CUSTOM RODDER, we didn't hesitate to say yes.

Put on by Rod & Custom, Street Rodder, Classic Trucks, and CUSTOM RODDER, this year's Americruise was open to pre-'65 rods and customs and to '72-and-older trucks. It was scheduled to kick off in San Antonio, Texas, with Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, the final destination. Nick Licata, also known as the "Web Guy," and I were to fly to San Antonio where the Street Rodder '32 roadster would be waiting for us, having been driven there for the opening of the new Vintage Air facility. Our job was to pick it up on Saturday, August 9, toss our bags in the back, and then to leave the following morning for Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Our goal: 1,800 miles in five days.

Americruise veterans Jack Chisenhall, owner of Vintage Air, and VP Rick Love, deserve an immense amount of credit for making the tour the success it was. Love acts as "Wagon Master," meaning he does everything from keeping the group pointed in the right direction to figuring out the gas stops--he also knows the location of every rest room on the route that crosses five states. Chisenhall plays "cleanup" at the back of the pack, keeping track of stragglers or anyone with problems.

Bright and early Sunday morning Licata and I met at Vintage Air where we were joined by Rod & Custom Editor Jim Rizzo in the Pomona-based SO-CAL roadster, R&C Tech Editor Dan Kahn in his recently completed modified, rod builder Roy Brizio and publisher De Ette Crow in the R&C anniversary roadster, and Tom Medley (who you may remember as the former editor of R&C and creator of the Stroker McGurk cartoons in Hot Rod). Although it was sprinkling at departure time, Medley opted to take the first shift as my passenger and at the appointed hour of 8 a.m., Love led the convoy to begin the 206-mile trip to SO-CAL Speed Shop in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston.

Everyone who has ever driven a rod or custom is sensitive to the smell of trouble, like oil on headers or smoke from wiring, and it wasn't long after we left Vintage Air that Medley and I looked at each other and said simultaneously, "I smell antifreeze." A glance at the temp gauge indicated we didn't have a problem, but as we passed Roger Jackson's '34 Ford, the cloud of steam indicated that he did. By the time we doubled back, a half-dozen cars and trucks had stopped and a diagnosis was made. It seemed the coupe's air conditioning compressor had seized, blew apart, and the resulting shrapnel had taken out the radiator. The coupe would ride on a rollback to the next stop.

When we pulled into SO-CAL, our hosts Brad, Kim, and Bill Lindig and Bruce and Dan Burroughs had lunch prepared. Of course, the real treat was touring the facility. The retail store has an absolutely unbelievable inventory, and the shop is full of drop-dead gorgeous cars, both finished and under construction. We were still munching on hot dogs when Jackson's coupe showed up and was unloaded for repair.

Lake Charles, Louisiana, was the next stop, and Licata decided that he wanted to ride the 162 miles to the Isle of Capri Riverboat Hotel and Casino. This was his first long distance trip in a roadster, and it was during this leg of the journey that the California boy learned about weather in the south--Africa hot with intermittent showers. As soon as a pair of raindrops appeared on the windshield, Licata pulled every piece of foul weather gear found in the Eddie Bauer catalog out of his backpack. The next thing I knew my passenger looked like he was preparing for a hurricane; hat, gloves, goggles, rain gear...he had it all. But much to Licata's chagrin, and my amusement, just as the last bit of Velcro was secured the sun came out with a vengeance. It wasn't long before steam was rising from the asphalt, as well as from my little buddy's forehead. Soon, everything that had been put on was coming off, but once he got the bulk of his clothing up over his head it seemed to get stuck in a big wad. After considerable thrashing and unintelligible, muffled mumbling, Licata extricated himself. Neither of us could talk; he was exhausted and I couldn't stop laughing.

Day two added 425 miles to the odometer. Our first stop was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for lunch and a tour of the USS Kidd, a retired Navy destroyer moored on the Mississippi River. Then we were off to Meridian, Mississippi, for our overnight stay.

Tuesday morning we were bound for Coker Tire in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 292 miles away. Up to that point our '32 hadn't missed a beat, but after stopping for gas, then getting stuck in traffic with temperatures approaching those found in the Serengeti, the small-block began to show signs of vapor lock. A rag dipped in water was used to cool the fuel line enough so I could grab it and pull it away from the radiator hose; problem solved.

After our lunch stop and tour of Coker, it was down the road to Lokar Performance Products 112 miles away in Knoxville. The Walls family pulled out all the stops and put on a real feast for us. Along with giving the group a tour of their impressive facility, they opened up the shop to help make needed repairs. Kahn's roadster was up in the air to replace a broken radius rod bolt, re-hang the exhaust, and fix a trans leak. Danny Zoller's '51 Ford station wagon ended up with the rack-and-pinion on the workbench for repair. The Lokar crew put in overtime and got Kahn on the road that evening, but Zoeller would have to wait until the following day to get a replacement rack.

Wednesday was a pretty straightforward day, 361 miles to Harrisonburg, Virginia. That evening we checked into our motel, and then joined a cruise night sponsored by the Valley Cruisers of Harrisonburg.

By Thursday morning everyone who had trouble along the way had caught up and we were all ready to head to the next stop, POSIES in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania--a relatively short jaunt of 194 miles. After Ken Fenical gave us the guided tour of the place he led us to lunch at a nearby eatery, the Soda Jerk. Then we were on the road again, this time to the Antique Auto Club of America's museum just a few miles down the road.

Considering the number of cars involved, troubles had been few. Roger Jackson's car had a new radiator, every thing that had come loose on Kahn's car had been reattached, Zoller's wagon had a new steering gear and hoses, and our roadster had required bending the fuel line away from the lower radiator hose and jiggling a fuse to get the stoplights working. But, unfortunately, the troubles weren't over. On the way to the museum, Rizzo coasted to the side of the road in the SO-CAL roadster; the 700-R4 had nothing but neutrals. Roughly 80 miles from our destination, it had gone as far as it was going to go. POSIES' crew trailered it back to the shop until a decision on its fate could be made.

Pulling into the hotel Thursday night was not only an accomplishment, but for most of us it meant we'd be staying in the same place for three consecutive nights; it was almost like being home. But there was a down side, too. It meant the trip was over. We'd all spent the better part of a week doing the things most of us love to do; drive a cool car, see the country, and hang out with a bunch of great people. And, while the next few days were to be spent at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds doing the typical stuff, the real fun was getting there. I envied those who would be making the return trip, but deadlines dictated that Nick and I board planes and that the roadster ride home in a truck.

Americruise East was a long haul, but I'm ready to go again, and I'll bet Licata is too. I wonder if he'll leave the rain gear behind next time?