Home again......got home about 5:30PM, 10 hours, stopped for a total of 2 hours, (1 hour at an antique store) It was a good ride, I was cruising at 80 for many miles with a 18 wheeler about a block behind me for the longest time. He finally stopped at a truck stop. I averaged 66 mph for the day (according to the GPS) with top speed of 84.5. The weather today was beautiful, cool and nice, until I hit rain south of Mpls!The trip was a total of 2768 miles, used 180 gallons of gas, a cost of $517.00. Minnesota has the highest gas price of the trip!
It was a really great time, met so many friendly Deuce people! I think I will have to go again next year, maybe in the roadster!

See ya later, got to get back in the shop on the Buick in the morning.

Sunday morning was cooler and much drier, no humidity! Awards were at 11 AM, I came away with "long distance" and "Best Commercial"....wow!! They had homemade trophies, really cool, the commercial was an antique tin truck with a Deuces Limited logo on it, and a metal plaque with "Best Commercial" engraved on it, much nicer that a store bought plaque!
We all left about noon, (7 hot rods) for a scenic drive thru the Texas hills to Norm's place. He is the one I bought the #42 car from. Checked out his projects. He just finished a deuce frame, had another set of rails there, a tudor body, a 4 door, a 5 window, 2 original frames, his 29 with a hemi and his 56 f100 with a big block Ford. He drives a steel roadster with a Hemi. He is a busy guy.
We got to Charlies house about 9 PM, had a good drive home, talked about deuces until midnight. I left this morning about 9:30, drove 9 hours, took a total of 1 hour10 minutes for all breaks, gas, lunch, etc. 560 miles. Tonight I am in KC. Plans are to get an early start about 6:30 and head on home. Hope to beat some traffic around KC. I'm on the south side, so will need to take 435 around the east side.
The car is running great, it is a real joy to drive it. It rides so soft, I think I will take a leaf or two out of the roadster's rear to soften it up before next summer comes.

See ya all soon...........................Dale
Damn, another trip is about over! It will be back to the shop on the Buick project.

What a great day today, about 100 Deuces in the lot, all nice, all drivers. Saw my old friend from Odessa, Tx,Ronnie Smith, have not seen him since we moved away in 1980! Norm is here, I bought the #42 tudor from him, he wants me to stop by his place Sunday afternoon to see a new project...a 4 door! Hmm. Three cars fom Colorado that I knew. Tom Prufer is here in his roadster, he lives here now. Scot Ingram from Austin, he tow bared his blown 3 window behind the 5 window. Rick Love and George Packard from Vintage Air. A really neat flat black roadster pickup...cool.
I brought a bag of key chains and some buckles....sold out!! We just hung out in the lot today, "talked deuces". The delivery has been a great hit...best comments of the whole summer, tons of great comments. Joe is here in Lonnie Besser's blue 3 window, I talked to him for a long time.
There is a dinner tonight. Awards in the morning and over by noon. I will go to Norm's in Austin and then stay with Charlie Sunday night in Willow Park. He has a pickup for sale. Hmmm. I will leave Monday AM and head towards home. I have been invited to stay in OKC with a deuce friend (black chopped tudor)might do that, then KC next night ? There is a "deuce open house" in Joliet, IL on Thursday night, before the Goodguys show, that could be fun and then come on home Friday. So many decisions.

Talk to y'all soon. (this Texan talk is contagious).........................Dale

I left KC at 7:30 headed for Willow Park TX (west of Ft Worth). 560 miles and I made it at 5:30. Straight down 35 at 75 MPH...took a few breaks for gas, lunch and to stretch. I was getting sleepy in the hot afternoon sun. Charlie was waiting for me, and his Aussie friend Greg too. We went out to a cajun cafe for dinner....good!
This morning we left about 9 AM met up with one other deuce, a black sedan, Charlie drives a black 3 window, later about noon another black sedan from OKC caught up with us. We are now the "black deuce club"
We ate lunch in Mineral Spgs, a little home town cafe...awesome food. About 3 PM we took a short side trip to Luckenbach Texas (looking for Willie, Waylon and the boys).....funny thing as we pulled into town (pop 3) my radio jumped from golden oldies to Roadhouse Country!! We had a nice cold beer , took some photos, listened to a couple of guys sing and strum.......fun time. Two Baptist church buses pulled in as we were leaving....???? wonder why? All that is there is a gift store, and a big beer joint! A fun place. Another thing that I can cross off the list...done that!
We arrived at the hotel about 4:30.....about 30 deuces here already, now a bunch more have arrived. I already saw friends from Colorado, and a friend from West Texas that I have not seen since I moved from there 30 years ago...really cool.
Its about time to go eat and have a beer or two....will write more in the morning.

Well I made it to Kansas City about 6 pm, Overland Park to be exact. I left about 8 AM, had a good drive, hit traffic at 494/94 for a few minutes. I made several gas stops, lunch, and a couple of breaks, no reason to kill myself, had plenty of time to get here.
As I arrived here the next exit up was pretty jam packed, I got off at the right exit!!
The mileage is looking better, it ws almost 17 each time. Gas ranged from a high (in MN) of 2.84 to a low of 2.69 in IA, most of the time it was 2.75, high but better. I drove 507 miles, another 500 + tomorrow to get to Willow Park, TX.
When I left it was a chilly 36 when I got here it was probably 80...nice and warm. Weatherunderground.com shows dry any mid 80's for the weekend...good!
No free food yet....got a free hotel room instead....those hotel point clubs pay off!
I'm on the south side of KC so traffic should not be a problem in the morning. I will stay at Charlie's house tomorrow night.

See y'all soon (gotta talk Texan)................................Dale

Woke up this morning to more rain, like they said it would, drove to House on the Rock in the pouring rain, spent 2 hours there and then headed for home. It rained for most all of the way, quite hard, the car leaks so it is really wet inside, will get it in the shop tomorrow and turn on the fans to dry her up. Made it for about 2500 mles, no problems, did burn out a headlight tonight, proably got wet inside and killed the bulb because both beams are gone. This racks up 10,000 miles on the delivery since April......not bad, and 5500 in the roadster, and still have September to go! Plans call for Joliet Good guys the third week of September and MAYBE Kerrville Texas????
I hear the Buick is all painted, going there in the morning to see, exciting!
Time to kick back and go to bed real soon.....(almost) too much fun!!!

Arrived in Madison on Wednesday, drove by the old house. Thursday we antiqued and registered for the show. Friday was a perfect day, warm, not hot at all, clear sky dry, no humidity, spent the day at the fairgrounds. Friday night had dinner with old neighbors, had not seen them for 24 years.
Saturday was cloudy, by 10 AM the rain had started, by noon it was raining hard. We left about 1 PM went to hotel and partied with Langes,Gohmans, and Luckings. Saturday night had dinner with old car friends from here, had not seen them for 24 or more years. He is out of the car hobby and now does large metal art sculptures, really nice pieces.
We all are leaving for home Sunday morning at 8 AM. It is still raining and is to rain all day Sunday...bummer. Will be home Sunday evening.