A bad day and a great day......

Yesterday was an awful 'car' day. It could have been a lot worse but it was very frustrating. I suddenly had an engine miss again and I tried to fix it on the road but it wasn't to be. The plug wire which got burned in Lincoln had deteriorated to the point that it wouldn't light the plug. We limped along at 60 or so for a hundred miles or so with Mark and Nancy and Wayne cruising with us to be sure we arrived at the hotel. Also during the drive I noticed my hood ornament 'flame' flopping about so I stopped to check it and it came off in my hand! Glad I checked.....

Despite their denials, I was getting heat from my trip-mates for the initial looks of the motel in Winnemucca but it turned out to be the favorite of the trip, a true step back in time to the 40's and 50's. The rooms have been very well maintained, keeping their originality intact. Scott Shady Court in Winnemucca ...too cool for words.

On the way into town I noticed a hot rod shop at the east end of town and since we planned to leave late I hoped that I'd have time to visit.

This morning I found an auto parts store where I was able to buy one plug wire (who'd a thunk it?) and reattach the flame and we were 'ret-ta-go'!

On the way back, I stopped back at the hot rod shop and peered in the window.....there were three Ed Roth cars sitting there in front of me!!!!!! The Rodar, Mysterion and Druid Princess!!! Now, if you don't follow this stuff it won't mean much but to a car guy it was unbelieveable ..... these milestone cars!!! In Winnemucca!!!! A young guy working there came to the door and invited me in to look around. I was amazed but that was just the beginning of this hidden treasure trove. He pointed to a '32 roadster which in 1944 was the first car to beat a horse in a drag race and setting 1/4 mile as the length universally used for the last 60 years. I was flabbergasted by the history sitting in this garage. Then he said "We have a few more cars in a back building ..... would you like to see them?" "Ummmmm.....YEAH!!!" We walked across a gravel parking lot to a non descript white building, but there was a box truck with "Ohio George Montgomery" on the cab....hmmmmm. When he opened the door, I almost fainted. There, double stacked before me, was Ray Farner's pick up and 'Boot Hill Express', Al Teague's Land Speed Record holder, Boyd Coddington's first roadster, Tony Nancy's 22Jr roadster, Von Dutch's van, Larry Watsons first panel paint job on a '58 T-Bird, two Jungle Jim Lieberman funny cars, Harry Westergarrd's first custom, the 'Big T', Ohio George Mongomery's last gasser, the '60 Ranchero he won that year with less than 10,000 miles on it, The Alexander Bros. Adonnis custom and their '32 Ford 'shop truck', the first 'rat rod' pick up, one of the cars which raced in the first 'legal' drag race in the '40s, a tank lakester and a variety of less famous but equally beautiful cars. I asked if I could return with my camera and some friends and he said "Sure", chuckling at my state of shock. When we all showed up, the care taker, Mike, told us the story of each car. We were in there for about an hour..... I was in 'car guy' heaven. So many of the cars I remember from the magazines I read as a kid, right there in front of me.

We walked back to the main shop and spoke to another employee who asked "Did you get to see this garage?"....WHAT???? MORE?????? He opened the door and there sat the Deora, a custom truck built by the Alexander Bros in the '60s, which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful custom car ever built. Terry made sure I was still breathing and we walked out the door and back to our cars. Our host thanked us for stopping by and gave us some stickers from their shop. I could barely believe what I had seen.

We hit the road and our cars were all running great again. It was an uneventful trip until our group was 'buzzed' by a military jet, not 200 feet above us!!! He roared over us, 'waved' the wings back and forth and then disappeared!! It was exhilarating!!!!!!

We all eventually got to the hotel, had dinner with our newest tourer, Wayne's wife MaryJane, did a bit of gambling and finally are ready to hit the sack.

I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!!!!!!