We were so tired from yesterday's adventure that we didn't get on the road until 9:30 AM. Our Best Western Suite hotel ($110, pretty steep for Las Vegas) was very comfortable and quiet. Getting the LaSalle ready the next day I enjoyed the usual comments, like: nice Pontiac; or my uncle had one just like it; or is that a French car? Time is definitely marching on, very few people are left who can identify or even remember the LaSalle automobile, let alone the French explorer. But the car is still gorgeous and many wave their approval as they pass by.
The LaSalle ran great yesterday with its new fuel pump and that trend continued today. She has been firing up quickly, even when hot. That's an improvement from the trip we took two years ago where she always threatened to not start every time we stopped for gas. The engine is also running cool even with the fairly warm tail winds we had today. The car is doing little for our carbon balance. She is guzzling gas, the best we get is 10 or 11 mpg. There is a problem with the fuel gauge too. It drops quickly down to a quarter of a tank, but only takes about 11 gallons to fill it up. Bill thought the tank holds about 20 gallons, but confesses he never actually measured the volume. We don't really want to search for the bottom, so we play it safe and fill up about every 120 miles.
Las Vegas looked well preserved with its many historic buildings and storefronts downtown. We thought about eating at the iconic "Spic and Span" bakery, but skipped it due to our late start. We continued N on I-25 and noted the complete lack of truck traffic on this Labor Day. The return to 1-25 greeted us with herds of antelope. The antelope found no deer to play with, but settled for gawking at us and mingling with their horse and cow buddies.
We stopped in Springer for gas. The Alon station and convenience store is the functional hub of this small western town. The well stocked store was a hubbub of activity, everyone was dropping in for their daily dose of caffeine and sugar. Outside, a sheep farming couple at the gas pumps shared stories about her childhood rolling "sheep camp wagon" that looked like a 19th century artifact. Bill offered a few inflated LaSalle stories and we moved on feeling refreshed after this break.
As the LaSalle motored smoothly on US 56 through Clayton, Boise City, Hugoton, Sublette and points east, the terrain blended into the great plains. We relaxed enjoying miles of irrigated flatlands fanned by strong SW winds and punctuated with huge grain elevators every 10 miles or so. The LaSalle had few problems with the wind, she is a heavy and sure footed car. Here, after a few hundred miles down the road, the ultimate old car driving experience happens: the old car becomes new. The slow heavy steering steering with lots of play, the wind noise, engine noise, and pitiful brakes somehow seem to improve hour by hour. It's not magic. It's just that driving your old car enough eventually makes your body forget what a modern car actually feels like. I conclude that these old cars were amazing machines, offering such incredible comfort and utility 75 years ago to the owners of cars like this LaSalle.
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Yes, we finally left NM today. We will definitely
miss it for the next few weeks. |
We did have a little breakdown today. In Sublette, KS, when we stopped for gas the car appeared to be electrically dead. The starter would not crank yet the ammeter was drawing quite a few amps with nothing turned on. Bill disconnected the battery, fearing some kind of internal short circuit, but when he reconnected it, the current draw stopped and the car started right up. What caused this is rather simple, but it took him a while to figure it out. If you can't guess the answer, Bill will reveal it tomorrow.
We finally packed it in in Dodge City staying in a rather clean, $45 Days Inn. Sure, some of the paint was flaking, but the AC and internet worked. Nance and Bill walked to the IHOP for dinner and quietly ended our day. Tomorrow we hope for an earlier start so we can knock off a few more than 344 miles. We do need to do a bit better if we hope to make it to New Hampshire on time for the tour.
Great Racers suggest a cup of diesel in every tank of gas. If there is a diesel hose when you fill up, you might get that amount from the hose without turning on the diesel. It is a job driving an old car on a trip and you are masters of that, but to add a blog with pictures is a really nice contribution to the hobby. Thank you. (I think most cars in that era had an 18 gallon tank.)
ReplyDeleteGreat Racers suggest a cup of diesel in every tank of gas. If there is a diesel hose when you fill up, you might get that amount from the hose without turning on the diesel. It is a job driving an old car on a trip and you are masters of that, but to add a blog with pictures is a really nice contribution to the hobby. Thank you. (I think most cars in that era had an 18 gallon tank.)
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