2004 Hot Rod Power Tour, Page 1
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                      The 2004 Hot Rod Power Tour was amazing and beyond  
                     explanation, only to say that it was gear head NIRVANA!             
    
  
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The Trip

We started in our home town of Wichita Falls by meeting up with our travel buddies at the A & W stop.  Five Hot Rods and two support vehicles in all.  One of the cars in our party (a Mustang GT) was wrecked on the way to the meeting place.  They ended up driving the second support vehicle.  Everyone was jazzed about the trip ahead as we pulled out of town early Saturday morning.

We drove to Decatur and ate at the famous "Yesterday's Diner", what a cool 1950's nostalgia style diner!  They make the best Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches around.  The girls really like Elvis, just ask them about him.  After lunch I had to top off with gas on the way out, I got 8 MPG with my new big block that was not quite broken in yet (I had 500 miles on the new drive train at the start of the trip.)  We hit the road again and on the way to Arlington to start the Hot Rod Power Tour. 

We arrived in Arlington and the "Ball Park" home of the Texas Rangers.  Getting to the location of the Power Tour was a mess (because of so many people) but we found parking spots and got registered for the event.  I was number 4753, which equals a bunch of cars.  We took in all the sights and drooled over all the cool Hot Rods (at least I did.)  Jim and Dave thought I was funny, they were Power Tour veterans and so I guess the "Rookie" was a sight to see.  We were treated to a ba-zillion bags full of free stuff (and heavy catalogs, ask Jim about carrying them) and a great catered Mexican dinner.  I think I drank five glasses of lemonade, I was parched from the heat.  On the main stage we saw Johnny Rutherford the retired Indy car driver, Ray Fluger the owner of Flowmaster, and Jim and Kevin McClelland.  We ended the day by going to spend the night in South Lake with Chris, Cheryl and Wil.  Wil helped me wax up the Chevelle before turning in for bed.

Sunday morning we gathered at the Fairfield Inn just on the other side of the Interstate from Six Flags Over Texas.  We met more great folks at the hotel that morning.  Check out the home made "Mopar Altered Wheelbase" supercar!  We watched the Power Tour lead vehicles drive by and we took great pics.  Toni bagged a t-shirt that was thrown from the Year One '67 Chevelle as they drove by us (she took it from me from over my head, SNAG!)  We then saddled up and headed for Paul's Valley OK.  We drove along Texas 114 and turned just past the Texas Motor Speedway and hit I-35 north.  The people along side the road and atop over passes along the route were cheering us on as we drove by them all.  We saw Cheryl and Wil with a big checkered flag standing on an over pass.  I was having the time of my life but it was hard to drive and pay attention to all the sights.

    
   
                                                
   
The Cover Craft lunch stop at Paul's Valley OK was really special.  The lunch was great, there was lots of free stuff and the
Cover Craft people were super.  I ordered another new car cover from them, I was very impressed!!!  At this time it was
getting hot outside and Toni jumped in the Suburban and rode with the girls (Kassy and Carol.)  Dave spotted a cool street rod,
and yes it has a Hemi in it.

    
   
   

Not long after leaving the lunch stop we found an O'Reily's Auto Parts store and we stopped to get some small parts.  Valvoline racing oil is hard to find on the road.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, a whole string of Hot Rods decided to follow our lead and they pulled in behind us.  The guys in the parts store got a little freaked out but they thought it was really cool to see so many fine rides in the parking lot.

  

Back on the road to get to Tulsa.  The drive to Tulsa was great along I-44.  While cruising through the Arbuckle mountains
Scott, Jim, Dave and I, kicked it up a notch and had a blast buzzing down the highway.  I was jamming to "Interstate Love Song" by STP!  I love my 2-amp, 10-speaker stereo in my Chevelle for moments like these.  It was totally appropriate.  During this stretch of road I discovered it was difficult to take pictures and drive at the same time.  I almost took out a street rod, sorry man!  He waved at me and understood it was all in fun, at least he was paying attention.  There was a dude in a Ford Fairmont wagon that was blasting by everyone on I-44 (he later ran 10's at the strip in St Louis with LS1 power and a 'glide) and you should have seen his nitrous bottles bouncing around in the back of his car, YIKES!

   
    

It was really amazing to see Hot Rods in front, and to the rear as far as the eye could see.  Check out the pics of my rearview mirror!

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