Driving Cross Country in Reverse

[lookin-backtexas]

Of course reverse has always been a favorite gear . . . recall the two guys getting all the publicity when they drove their Model A Ford from New York to LA and back again in reverse in 1930? Here's a mention of it in the "This Day in History" website: 1930 - Charles Creighton and James Hagris completed the drive from New York City to Los Angeles and back to New York City all in reverse gear. The trip took 42 days in their 1929 Ford Model A. I always wondered whether they used the rear view mirror or just looked over their shoulder . . . for 42 days . . . seems like the ultimate "crick in the neck!"

This is from the website - Big Site of Amazing Facts: "In 1930, two men took off from New York City and drove all the way to Los Angeles, almost 3,600 miles away, in a Ford Model A roadster. And they completed the entire trip without turning off the car once! Then they turned around and drove all the way back to New York, again without turning off the car a single time! The entire trip took 42 days. And to make the trip even stranger: The men completed both coast-to-coast journeys by driving their car backwards the entire trip!"

I hadn't heard about them never turning the engine off; guess they took turns driving while the other guy slept! That also brings to mind the issue of filling your car with gas while the engine is running. Now think about this: if it was 7,200 miles round trip over unpaved dirt roads (presumably in those days), and they never turned the engine off, then they must have never changed the oil! Sort of hard to drain the crankcase and refill it with fresh oil while the engine is running. Now since these guys seemed to do everything backward, maybe they just opened the drainplug and let the dirty oil run out while at the same time pouring in fresh oil at the oil filler tube (all this time with the engine still running) - of course you recall what Henry Ford said about oil - one quart of clean oil added to four quarts of dirty oil equals five quarts of dirty oil.

Fred

[29restorod]

I still have the article from the MARC Times, about this reverse trip. My mother saved all of my magazines, from the time I was living at home,(early 60's).

[sidhartha]

Wow! Good thing they used a roadster. Could you imagine doing that in a Tudor. Times have changed. No way you could do that today. You'd get a reckless driving ticket before you got out of town.

[40 Deluxe]

I wonder if they flipped the ring gear over before they left so that they could run in high gear instead of reverse. Does anybody know? It sure seems like the logical way to go about it!

[lookin-backtexas]

Originally Posted by 40 Deluxe

I wonder if they flipped the ring gear over before they left so that they could run in high gear instead of reverse. Does anybody know? It sure seems like the logical way to go about it!

Don't know, sure would make the trip loooong at about 10 miles per hour in reverse. Wonder if any local small town police stopped them as they came through their town and asked what the heck were they doing?

I understand that there were all kinds of publicity stunts pulled during the depression but this one has to take the cake!

I just did the math and going 7,200 miles in 42 days non-stop would average just over 7 miles per hour 24 hours per day even though we know they had to stop to fill up with gas every once in a while. This also gives rise to the question since they drove 24 hours per day, how the heck did they see where they were "backing up" at night? Must have mounted some headlights on the back of the car!

Fred

[Hicktick]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Lester Flatt did a song , Backing to Birmingham , that is a good tune .

I tried to put up a link to the song but , was unable .

[lookin-backtexas]

Originally Posted by Hicktick

Lester Flatt did a song , Backing to Birmingham , that is a good tune .

I tried to put up a link to the song but , was unable .

This un?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg3HEKcsiM4

Fred

[Hicktick]

Thanks Fred , that's the one .

[Brad in Germany]

Thanks for mentioning that event. Here is an original press photo of the two gentlemen and their Roadster upon arrival in New York.

The citation reads as follows: "Across The Continent In Reverse - New York ---- James B. Hargis and Charles Creighton, St. Louis, Mo., youths, return to New York after 'seeing America backwards' on their 7,000 mile trip to Los Angeles and return in reverse gear. 9-8-30."



Note the extra wide rear view mirror (Fred, that may answer your question) and the right rear fender "issue".

Fred, you mention that your information is from the "This Day in History" web site.....but that must not be information for today's date? The photo is dated 9-8-30....so minus 42 days that would make the departure date 29 July 1930....so the web site must not be referencing events that happened on 14 May? ...or there is a date conflict between the two sources.

....an interesting news event. Thanks for providing the details and the "food for thought".

Fordially,
Brad in Maryland

[fordcoupe]

I like the light bar mounted on the back for the lights thanks for sharing

[QGolden]

And no outside rear view mirrors? Talk about a stiff neck!

[lookin-backtexas]

Originally Posted by Brad in Germany

Thanks for mentioning that event. Here is an original press photo of the two gentlemen and their Roadster upon arrival in New York.

The citation reads as follows: "Across The Continent In Reverse - New York ---- James B. Hargis and Charles Creighton, St. Louis, Mo., youths, return to New York after 'seeing America backwards' on their 7,000 mile trip to Los Angeles and return in reverse gear. 9-8-30."



Note the extra wide rear view mirror (Fred, that may answer your question) and the right rear fender "issue".

Fred, you mention that your information is from the "This Day in History" web site.....but that must not be information for today's date? The photo is dated 9-8-30....so minus 42 days that would make the departure date 29 July 1930....so the web site must not be referencing events that happened on 14 May? ...or there is a date conflict between the two sources.

....an interesting news event. Thanks for providing the details and the "food for thought".

Fordially,
Brad in Maryland

Brad:
They completed the trip on September 5, 1930. Here's the link to This Day in History: http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday...days/sep05.htm

Thanks for sharing the photo which answers some of my earlier questions such as lights on the back of the car and the extra wide rear view mirror! Having now seen the car and that it was sponsored by Texaco, wonder if they figured out a way to do "mid-air refueling" enroute. Love the banged up passenger side rear fender - proves they didn't always go where they intended to go in reverse. Now we need to see a photo of the "front" of the car to see if they mounted a tail light/stop light so people following them would know when they were stopping! I'm wondering if they mounted a spare tire on the "front (now back?)" of the car since it was removed from its normal mounting spot on the former rear (now front)? Is everyone as confused and thinking backward as me? Must have had a driver's side fender mounted spare which doesn't show in the photo but you can see where the original spare tire mount was removed.

I would assume after 42 days of sleeping/sitting in that cramped Roadster they were ready to get up and walk around - and take a shower!!!

Lastly, my reverse thinking tells me the odometer must have rolled backward 7,200 miles so the car had that many less miles showing when it finished than when it started the trip - a new way to make a "low mileage" used car!

Fred

[Benson]

I wonder if they reversed the ring gear so they had 1 fwd speed and 3 reverse??

That way they could use 2nd or even 3rd and save on gas when no one was looking.