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My dad's latest adventure

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MadRiver

MadRiver

Jedi Knight
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My father, who many of you know is a professional restorer, is five days into his latest adventure. He's participating in the reenactment of the 1909 "ocean to ocean" endurance event in a friend's Model T. They left New York last Sunday and are in Dearborn for a big Model T event. They end up in Seattle in mid-July. I think there are 55 Model Ts doing the drive.

Here's a link: Ocean to Ocean
 
Very neat! A friend of mine took one of his Wintons cross-country a few years back on the centennial anniversary of Winton's first run. His grandfather WAS Alexander Winton. My pal has restored three examples of his granddad's cars.
 
I'm jealous... 1909 was the first full year of model T production. Is he in one made as early as that?

Is it following the original route?

The Henry Ford Museum is a wonderful places, lots of cars as you'd expect and so much else besides. I think they've a better collection of early British steam engines than the Science Museum in London.
 
My mom and her family traveled from central Ohio to Seattle by car in 1917. The car was a 1917 Maxwell; she was 13 years old at the time. Most of the way through the plains, they just followed ruts in the meadows. Had to cross farmland--open the gate, drive through, close the gate, repeat in a mile or so. In the mountains, they sometimes had to climb steep grades in reverse, since the fuel-tank outlet was in the front of the tank, and if the car went up a steep hill, the tilt would move the fuel away from the outlet. Occasionally, they would camp near a town and her father would work a few days to make some money for the trip.

It took them about a month. They stayed in Seattle a couple years and returned to Ohio, also by car.

Good luck to your father with his adventure. Probably not like it was in 1909, but still quite the experience.
 
Sounds like a wonderful experience.

I do feel compelled to mention that the 1909 race was actually won not by a Model T, but by a Shawmut (built in Stoneham, Massachusetts). A Model T was the first across the line, but was later disqualified after it was discovered that the engine had been replaced along the route - a violation of the rules.

https://www.boston.com/news/local/massach...ace_centennial/

Ford still "claimed" the victory though. Bit like the Wright Brothers claiming the first powered flight, when every Kiwi knows the true story:

https://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.html

Still really jealous of your dad though!
 
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