2,379 mile road trip to Mexico and around

[ora masters]

great stuff prof wish i could have been with you and please get some new wheels we do not want to loose you

[5851a]

Now I've got something else for my bucket list, the pictures and video's are fantastic. Keep enjoying life.

[Old Henry]

I don't think the rims were the only cause of the flat tires. My last flat on my last trip was because the inner tube was too big, folded up in the tire and a leak wore in the creases. So, my last effort was to get a small enough tube so that wouldn't happen again. I had my local tire dealer get me a tube and this is what he got:



I was excited to see that it was not too big but I wondered about the "service limited to agricultural" warning. Oh well, have to trust someone so I let him put it in. I now think that it really wasn't made for highway tires and was weak contributing to the cause of the leaks. So, the night I got home I started searching for true 6.00-16 inner tubes with the TR15 stem. (Part of my problem with rust inside the rim has been being sold tubes by Coker with stems too small that let water into the rim. The worst rust was around the stem hole.) The correct size tube with the correct size stem is hard to find. I finally found them at Lucas Classic Tires and ordered three as well as 4 of the liner strips. Got them in Friday and spent hours with the wire wheel, grinder, stripping wheel, sander and rust remover to get the rims smooth to bare metal. Then applied two coats of automotive etching primer followed by 4 coats of gloss epoxy appliance paint. Then took the three rims back to the better tire store (the ones that just rebuilt my engine), installed the liner strips, powdered up the inside of the tires and rims and put the tires back on. The tire pro there said the rims were as smooth as new. We'll see how it goes. Previous paint was just black, not appliance epoxy. Hopefully this will work better. In the mean time, I'll keep my pump charged up.

[34pickup]

This reads like a trip one would have made back in the 50s with the same kind of obstacles to overcome except back then there would be garages with tube tire knowledge and supplies along the way.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, it brought back memories of how it once used to be.
But yeah, buy you a better rim.....and carry a good spare.

p.s. POR15 is a good, hard coating for a rusty surface.

[Capn John]

Just EXCELLENT!! Thanks!! What type of camera are you using?

BEST WISHES!!!

[Old Henry]

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Originally Posted by Capn John

Just EXCELLENT!! Thanks!! What type of camera are you using?

BEST WISHES!!!

Sony DSC-WX350 point and shoot because if its outstanding video capability.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

Prof.
That seems like an endurance test as well as a great trip.
Bruce

Yes. One of the absolute requirements of having an adventure is some kind of risk of the unknown and unforeseeable. That's what makes it an adventure. If I wanted to avoid all risks I'd stay home and watch someone else's adventure on the Travel Channel. I actually find it quite rewarding to be given a puzzle along the way to solve and figure out what to do and always feel fantastic when I'm "On the Road Again".

[V8COOPMAN]

Not that it has anything to do with the condition of that wheel's inner surface, but that wheel is not a '47 Ford wheel. It appears to be a '40 or '41 wheel, which is also 1/2" narrower than a '47 wheel.

Three hundred bucks or so for a set of new, reproduction wheels seems like a very wise investment at this point. Wire-brushing and a little epoxy paint just ain't the long-term answer you're wishing for with that wheel. DD

[bobH]

I wonder what you are seeing that I am missing. Looks like my 47 to me? Same rust and all.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by bobH

I wonder what you are seeing that I am missing. Looks like my 47 to me? Same rust and all.

Hey bobH......Fair question. I'm not able to upload better pictures of the individual wheels, but the pic below shows the early and later wheels in line with each other. The bottom wheel in my picture is the early type, like Craig's wheel. The two vertical surfaces that go down toward the center surface (where the rivets are) BOTH go down at a near 90 degree angle, an easy way to ID the '40-'41 wheel.

If you look at those two surfaces on the top wheel, that same surface on the left side is SLANTED downward and inward toward the surface with the rivets.....NOT nearly vertical as BOTH surfaces are on the early wheel. In my pic, you can also see the 1/2" difference in width on the left. Hope this helps. DD

[ccnelson]

I have been anxiously waiting to see pictures and videos of your trip since you mentioned how far and Where you were going on Ford Barn. Excellent, you have outdone yourself again!!! Just wondering how the new motor preformed and how was the temp and oil pressure? Also what kind of gas mileage did you get? Looking forward to another trip with you. I i lived closer I would ask to ride along. Best Regards, Craig N.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by ccnelson

Just wondering how the new motor preformed and how was the temp and oil pressure? Also what kind of gas mileage did you get? Best Regards, Craig N.

The new motor purred along better than it ever has in the 56 years that we've owned it. The day after I got home I took the mechanic another dozen doughnuts and thanked him again for the wonderful ride.

A lot has been made of my flat tires but I thought many times during the trip, especially when I made the whole trip without a single other mechanical problem, that, of all the problems I might pick to have, the flat tires are the ones I'd pick. Especially since I never had to change a flat - just pumped it up and drove to the tire shop to get fixed. How easy of a problem is that compared to all there could have been?

Temp and oil pressure were always ideal.

I get about 15 mpg at highway speeds.

Thanks for asking.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Sid the Maineiac

Henry, once again you have amazed me with your tenacity and good spirit as you venture forth into the relative unknown !! May God continue to bless you and yours on these journeys !

I do believe that God did bless me and mine on this trip. I keep thinking, "What if the transmission had quit going into 3rd gear just one day earlier? I would have had to drive home in 2nd gear at 30 mph, probably on the shoulders when I could find them, which would have taken another day at least, if the transmission would have lasted in 2nd gear that long." I had a very significant religious event that I was committed to the day after I got home. I would have missed that. I believe God's blessings may well have come in part because of my "secondary agenda" that I had on the trip related to the sign on the side of my car that no one has asked about.

[Thaplumbr]

Always enjoy reading your post and the pictures and videos,and to think I cringed a little this morning about driving my 48 F-1 to church in the rain ....lol

[cmbrucew]

Prof.
I was unable to make out what the decal was. I thought I must have missed the explanation earlier.
Bruce

[Sid the Maineiac]

Please tell us about the sign on your door !! I noticed it immediately but thought that if you wanted us to know, you'd have told us !! Thanks and best regards,Sid

[Old Henry]

I wanted to share something more than just about the car when all of the people came up to talk to me about the car everywhere I stopped. So, I made these magnetic signs for the front doors of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with me singing in it (4th down from the top on the right edge). It was a nice lead in to talk to them about the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and another testament of Jesus Christ - the Book of Mormon. Some were interested in a CD of the choir which I had on hand to give them and some were interested in a Book of Mormon that I also gave them if they wanted it. It made the trip all the more meaningful.

[Talkwrench]

Just loved it, been sitting here watching all the vids too.. Great adventure, great feel.. Hope to see more old Henry!

[Woodie1]

Thanks for letting me go on your trip Henry. The pictures were great & I really admire your pioneer spirit. It's always good to see the Lord has watched over someone in trying times.

[Old Henry]

Just to recap, here are the nine (9) videos in my post in case anyone missed any:

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBI8NwBfN9A

Route 66 into Flagstaff, Arizona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw5K-1z5oXg

Ajo, Arizona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epI5JY41QTY

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTch2MblPI

Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyFJ4ECIX5U

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fipnPAOqQg

Route 66 into Santa Fe, New Mexico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eB1fpdtE8s

Driving through the blizzard north of Cortez, Colorado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LNzzNYqlJo

Arches National Park, Utah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdCSIlKAyZs