"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
06/07/2014 at 20:01 • Filed to: Power Tour
18
56|
"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
06/07/2014 at 20:01 • Filed to: Power Tour | 18
| 56 |
Several months ago I got this burr up my butt do the Hot Rod Power Tour with my son and dad in his 1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone. I figured it would be some good guy time. Men doing men things. Looking at cars, eating bar-b-que and sleeping in crap hotels all the while pounding around the countryside is a classic, and notoriously unreliable hot rod from my youth. Seems perfectly reasonable, right? As restorations tend to do, my dad's ran long and the Comet isn't ready. His work schedule also changed and it was looking like it was going be just my boy and I. When it got to that point I talked with my wife and we decided to turn this into a family driving vacation. We polished up my 2003 Evo, got the rear wing refinished and slapped on a new set of rubber due to a nail we found in the sidewall yesterday. Thanks savings, it was good to know you. Regardless, we strapped in the car seats, filled the cooler with juice boxes and gummies and hit the open road.
The three and a half hour journey to Charlotte from Atlanta was as smooth as can be. The kids played roadside bingo and did Mad Libs, "No, fart is not an adjective!", while I drove. Easy breezy. I got to spend some time with the Evo, my wife has been using it as the family hauler and is the coolest soccer mom in northeast Atlanta, and it was great to get reacquainted with the car. Great power and precision, while maintaining enough practicality to allow a 4 year old to enjoy the ride with enough of a DMZ between her and big brother. I love that car.
The parking lot at registrations put most mid sized town car shows to shame. A Plymouth Superbird was parked next to a rat rod, there were three beautiful '57 Chevy's, we were parked next to a early '60s Vette. It was pretty damn incredible. I had to explain to the munchkins that this wasn't the show. We still had to get into the show!
Once we got in and parked I noticed two things. First, the lot was full of an amazing mix of cars. Second, it was damn hot. Roasting. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! see the cars parked near us as the siren song of drag racing was in the air. It was open to anyone and the mix of cars on track was amazing and entertaining. Everything from slicked and caged monsters to grudge matches between classic wagons. Two guys even had a showdown on mobility scooters. It was good fun watching the drags with my boy and picking our favorites as they came up to the line. He tended to go with the flashy paint jobs. He wasn't wrong too often. One thing I learned from watching the races is that Dodge Challengers are not fast cars. Or they don't look fast. The web says 0-60 in 4.4 sec for the R/T, but I don't think the cars I saw were doing that.
While sitting in the stands I noticed there were some cars parked on the other side of the track behind the opposite side grandstands. I figured we would check those out. That is when I realized WE were parked on the back side of the track. Vendors, food and shade were all over there. We made an obligatory run through vendor row and hit the big parking lot. That is where most of these pics came from. I was pleased to see we weren't the only people to bring non 'Merican cars. There were VWs, a couple of Minis, old and new, two STis, a lovely old 240Z and a bunch of others cars that made me feel better about rolling in with an Evo.
As tends to happen when you attend things like these with your kids they end up leading the way. My 4 year old daughter was attracted to this rat rod Bug as it was her size. I though it was pretty cool as well!
This classic Challenger was just missing a Hello Kitty sticker to be the perfect ride.
I will try to post some pics from Sunday as we make our way from Charlotte to Knoxville via some back roads. It should be fun. I've already heard the show and shine guys are nervous that there may be rain! What shall we do?
deltafastback
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 21:56 |
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keep the pictures Coming!
TE71 Xin
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 21:57 |
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Will you be travelling the entire length of the Power Tour?
Skid-Vicious
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:06 |
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The first car looks very similar to the Argentinian Ford Sierra Coupe but with different rear windows.
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:11 |
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Did you get to meet the Roadkill duo?
Josh Welton
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:17 |
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I've Long Hauled 3 times, once in a 4th ten Z28 and twice in my Ram R/T. I'll be going next year in my Buick. Such a good time.
Maxaxle
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:35 |
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I wouldn't call the Pacer a muscle car by any standard.
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Maxaxle
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:35 |
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This isn't patina anymore; it's outright rust.
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Maxaxle
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:36 |
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Why pink!?
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Maxaxle
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:37 |
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Now THIS is a hot rod.
emjayay
> Maxaxle
06/07/2014 at 22:40 |
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Depends on what's under the hood I suppose. V8's fit you know. Plus black, and nice subtle aftermarket hot rod style wheels.
shfd739
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 22:50 |
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Love that youre doing this and taking the family. Hopefully next year we can do the same..
Last year my dad and I did the Hoover AL stop then ran with the group from Hoover to Chattanooga. We took dad's 2012 45th Anniv Camaro SS.
It was car overload I swear. Every time we turned around there was something rare, interesting, fast, loud. It was an awesome time with my dad after nearly losing him to a heart attack back in 2011. Cars are one of the few things that we can talk about and enjoy for hours and to see him having so much fun seeing the type of cars he grew up with and used to build was awesome.
erictehundying
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 23:30 |
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Great pics! Glad to see you getting the kids started off right. Knoxville's my hometown, and I still love it. There are a lot of great roads to drive - feel free to message me if you want some suggestions. Have a great time!
justregisteralready
> f86sabre
06/07/2014 at 23:44 |
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Good read. My family will be joining the tour tomorrow in Knoxville! Did you guys get to see the Roadkill BlaspHemi 55?
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justregisteralready
> Maxaxle
06/07/2014 at 23:45 |
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The '80s.
Nedus
> Maxaxle
06/07/2014 at 23:49 |
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It's surface rust. There's a difference between surface rust (some find it desirable) and rot.
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justregisteralready
> Maxaxle
06/07/2014 at 23:51 |
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Browness is outright rust? I see no holes. Patina is surface rust/aged paint/use/abuse without damage/holes. Outright rust is holes in the metal..
Sam Reavis
>
06/07/2014 at 23:51 |
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They were there... I saw them pulling in around 11:30 and hoofed it to where they were turning around and getting swarmed by fans like me, lol.
Cliff8928
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 00:19 |
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Now with the Orlove-Resistant ride height.
Bosshog1
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 00:36 |
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what stubby antenna is that?
MPA
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 01:17 |
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Great pics! I think next year I'm going to try and do this - hopefully a long haul.
I'd love to do the C&D One Lap of America too.
ForCountry
> Maxaxle
06/08/2014 at 02:02 |
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Rat rod. Hot rods aren't this low. They're higher. Typically metal flake paint jobs.
pip bip - choose Corrour
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 03:21 |
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this i WANT!
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Brede
> Skid-Vicious
06/08/2014 at 05:54 |
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That's a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Wonderful turbo madness from the 80's. 2 liter turbo 200-ish hp. Was never sold in the US. If you've seen a three door body style with different rear windows, it's probably this one(?). That was sold as the XR4i (2,8 V6) in Europe and XR4ti (2,3 turbo?) in the US.
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Brede
> pip bip - choose Corrour
06/08/2014 at 05:55 |
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Me too! Saw one a while back at a local auto parts store. They're getting really rare.
LongbowMkII
> Maxaxle
06/08/2014 at 06:56 |
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why not pink? I think the blown(presumably) v8 takes care of any masculinity issues you may have.
John Norris (AngryDrifter)
> Maxaxle
06/08/2014 at 07:09 |
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304 V8 with a 4 speed manual was an option. Only about 3000 lbs despite all that glass.
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f86sabre
> justregisteralready
06/08/2014 at 07:53 |
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not yet. I will look for it.
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f86sabre
> TE71 Xin
06/08/2014 at 07:53 |
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probably just through WV. We will see.
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f86sabre
> Bosshog1
06/08/2014 at 07:54 |
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stock. I just took off the whip when I had an FM transmitter.
phDiesel
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 08:28 |
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In reference to the comment on Challengers.
A 1970 440-Six Pack was rated at 6.2 to 60.
The modern SRT Variant runs 0-60 in under 4.5 seconds
And the Modern RT probably runs somewhere in the mid to high 5 range.
mr2gud2u
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 08:44 |
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I love to see guys doing this with their kids. Indoctrinate the little gear heads early.
Just Cars for Joe Bryant
> Maxaxle
06/08/2014 at 09:21 |
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Not to these guys, where just slap a coat of clear on it, but otherwise leave it alone is the name of the game:
Jon Geddes
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 09:41 |
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That's awesome, man. Eventually, I'll take my Maverick across the country and follow the Power Tour once I get all of its mods and restoration done.
Axel-Ripper
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 09:46 |
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I'm now even more mad I missed this. I live literally 2 miles away from Zmax, but one of my friends from work asked me if I would run him 2 hours west to pick up an SL600, so I obliged. I wandered into the lot at about 6:15 and most everything was gone. One of these years when it wanders back into the east coast I'll get my truck prepped and go on Tour though.
quarterlifecrisis
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 10:09 |
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Never saw your Evo yesterday, but you've accurately captured the heat. The only other Power Tour stop I've been at that was worse was Indy in 2011...and it was a heat index hovering around the 110s all day. Maybe it wasn't so much heat, as it was blacktop + sun.
Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 10:47 |
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Ooh, the window vent thingy! What are these called again?
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Fluffy6079
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 11:15 |
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I was there yesterday with several family members, including my wife and two-year-old son. It was scorching. My grandfather's car was the black Mercury by the Petty booth. My dad had it built for him in secret, so it was a cool surprise. One thing you are definitely right about: it was hot! Cars and people were both awesome there. Definitely didn't want to go home.
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Maxaxle
> ForCountry
06/08/2014 at 14:56 |
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I know the difference between a rat rod and a hot rod, but I'd argue that anything with that much crazy-but-useful modification also counts as a hot rod.
Susan
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 15:29 |
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Panther pink, needs pink panther, not hello kitty. lol
SharonNeedles
> f86sabre
06/08/2014 at 16:06 |
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Ummmmm... No pictures of the Cyclone? Quit being a tease, the '64s are my second favorite cars, right behind my '65 Cyclone.
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ForCountry
> Maxaxle
06/08/2014 at 16:17 |
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But rat rods usually have custom suspensions that cab raise and lower on the go. And usually have a shitload of useless power. And rusty. Hot rods got dat der chrome and dat der shiny paint. You'ins must hav sum monay.
Haha I like both cars. Where I live. That is our heritage. Mountains of North Carolina. That and Nascar, who has more starting history here than any state. Though I don't watch Nascar all that much. I'm more of a modern Pony car dude with no miles per gallon and too much power that I often use. Oh and I am a HUGE rally advocate
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Maxaxle
> ForCountry
06/08/2014 at 20:23 |
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...And I'm just sitting here in southern California advocating anything that's fast and (relatively) tasteful. That encompasses anything from track-ready tuners to legitimate hot rods to trail-eating off-road trucks.
JonaWerks
> Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns
06/08/2014 at 20:41 |
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swamp coolers
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f86sabre
> justregisteralready
06/08/2014 at 21:42 |
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What will you guys be driving?
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f86sabre
> Susan
06/08/2014 at 21:45 |
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If you are 4, and a girl, it is all about Hello! I'd love to see Pink though.
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Undefeckable
> pip bip - choose Corrour
06/08/2014 at 23:38 |
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ahhh... the Sierra RS Cosworth. I used to have a poster of one of these on my wall when I was a kid. I got the chance to drive one and I felt like Ferris Bueller when he got the keys to that Ferrari.
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ForCountry
> Maxaxle
06/09/2014 at 00:28 |
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I wish there were more turn keys here, besides the shit loads of dragsters. Around here, there are a lot of STi's, Evo's, and there are the Mustangs (I contribute :P), Camaros, lots of chargers, and like no Challengers but one, and it has a 426 badge on and roars like a monster. Guessing it's bored out from a 392 model. Who knows, shit loads of Civics like everywhere. The jacked up trucks, not too many supercars, the occasional Ferrari, Lambo, R8, a single Porsche GT3 RS running around, and thats about it for supercars. Besides the many Corvettes, 900hp street Mustangs (three of those bitches), Supra's and who knows how many Caddi CTS-V's. That's mostly what we got around these parts. Oh and lots of rednecks. I love all cars, except econobox's and I am very open about it. I'll take a clean turbo'd civic that isn't stanced. Soon enough I'll be tearing the streets on an R6. Still debating on getting one new or used.
What is your standpoint on bikes? Personal, excluding the retard riders that squid like hell.
mavisky
> f86sabre
06/09/2014 at 09:02 |
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I'll have to keep an eye out, but I could have sworn I saw your car (or it's twin) running around the Suwanee/Duluth area before.
Autojunkie
> Maxaxle
06/09/2014 at 09:15 |
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I remember this build very fondly. Some dude and his daughter built it together and installed Mopar 360 crate engine (before the HEMI crates were available). This specific car sparked the whole "let's build a Pacer" movement and the reason you see build like the one above today. Muscle car? Not really. Kickass build? Absolutely :D
FailWheelDrive
> f86sabre
06/09/2014 at 09:48 |
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Someone stole my car!!!
I've had mine for 14 years, my dad and I restored it as a father-son project. Mine is as ture of a muscle car as a Pacer can be with a built AMC 401 (~400 hp), dual 3" mandrel bent exhaust with custom headers, T-5 manual with cobra-r gears, AMC 20 rear with 350 gears and limited slip, etc. I can't believe someone ripped it off!
We did the Power Tour for 3 years in a row 07-10. It was a ton of fun, but it looks like someone liked my car a bit too much. I don't know why, but it pisses me off.
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FailWheelDrive
> Autojunkie
06/09/2014 at 09:54 |
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Wrong, they used a 258 with a 4.0L head and fuel injection. They actually built it 3 years after my dad and I built mine. I helped her father with some of their build questions. They got all the credit for making a Pacer "cool". While it was a neat build, they were hardly the first. Mine even has a proper AMC 401 V8, 5-speed manual.
Here's the cars together at the power tour in 07 (and a random 3rd one with a mopar 360).
4 cam torino
> f86sabre
06/09/2014 at 10:51 |
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I'm scratching my head here over the front mounted distributor angled to the driver's side of the car. What is that engine? Double checking, most Fords were straight up and down and big block Chryslers angled the other way. I wanted to chuckle about the Ford engine blue Chrysler engine gut that doesn't seem to be what it is.
In any case. Power Tour is fun no matter what you are driving. Even if it isn't what you wanted to drive. Looks like you are off to a great start to an enjoyable trip. Good luck around the Dells. I freaking hate that area.
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Autojunkie
> FailWheelDrive
06/09/2014 at 11:57 |
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Thanks for the clarification. It was so long ago that I could have sworn it was a 360 they put in there. Still cool.
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Maxaxle
> ForCountry
06/09/2014 at 14:14 |
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Bikes in general: They look fun and all, but they also look suicidal. More gear is generally better in my book.
Heavy bikes: Just plain loud; personally I'd never bother with one. The rider demographics seem evenly split between "flabby old guy" and "young tough-looking guy".
Cruisers: C'mon, just get a cheap car already.
A-to-B bikes (usually cheap BMWs or Hondas): Useful, cheap, and practical. Utterly utilitarian, which is why I'd probably pick one if I had to ride a motorcycle.
Sportbikes: Ridden by by-the-book, legitimate motorcycle enthusiasts, dumbass adrenaline junkies, and jackasses with licenses alike. Tend to get in the way quite a lot because they're the most common.
And then there are mopeds and scooters, which are bascially bikes for people who are scared by anything over 50cc. On a person-by-person basis, these guys block traffic more than any other group and tend to be the most inexperienced and/or clueless.
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ForCountry
> Maxaxle
06/09/2014 at 16:13 |
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One thing wrong
Moped: This is all I drive, too many DUI's
Haha and some teens who are too lazy to get their licenses.
Me? R6, drive it easy, until the back roads.. uhh, gotta blow the soot out of the engine somehow... right? Hahaha
T5Killer
> Josh Welton
06/10/2014 at 11:59 |
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Awesome! I have always wanted to go even since power tour stopped in Albuquerque in '00. Shame they don't do Power tour east and west anymore us West and south west folks have a long way to go even before we get to the tour.