VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Meets, Tours & Events National Four Cylinder Tour

If in your travels in the next few days you see an unusual number of 4-cylinder Chevrolets on open trailers and closed trailers with the Chevrolet logo displayed, you are probably seeing the assembledge of the 50 or so lucky participants in this year's National 4-cylinder Meet. Don't delay them as they are on their way to San Juan Pueblo, NM and hale from all 4 directions. The meet opens on June 24 and concludes 27 June. Headquarters is at the OHKAY Casino-Resort. This will be the 12th Annual Meet.

If you are in the vicinity, you will see perhaps the largest gathering of operational Chevrolet 4-cylinders, ranging all the way from 1913 through 1928, in the United States.

The "School is in session" 1928 Touring, now showing 229 miles, will be in attendance.

Watch the G&D and this site for a report of our activities.

I'll be really neat folks....WATCH FOR IT !

Sounds like a fun and educational affair for shure! And pore old Klinkerbelle will be there looking about the same as she did when I went to Ridge Farm Ill. and then drug her to Texas a year ago. I have made some improvements mostly where they don't even show, ( every thing that should move but didn't got a dose of WD-40...and everything that moved but shouldn'got wrapped with duct tape...) so she will be just like the thumbnail by my moniker.......

Well Chatterers, the VCCA 12th National pre '29 tour is in the history books and most of us are probably home.
This rookie couple surely did enjoy the event, and more than just an enjoyable event was getting to meet some of our site members face to face...that was a real pleasure...

We hope to make the next one, Klinkerbelle did just fine, and she is going to get two new tires, her brakes adjusted, an oil change , lube, and a wash and wax for dessert!

Sounds good MrMack-almost as good as a frame off Glad to hear that you had a good time.

Got back on Sunday early evening. The old canopy did just fine a bit slower than most but managed to pass one other vehicle on an upslope. She sure was proud of that!! Never have so many gone so many miles in second gear. The scenery was fantastic as were the vehicles and owners/passengers. As said many times before it is the people, the cars are what gets us together. Everyone should try a tour once to see how much fun you can have "See(ing) the USA in your Chevrolet".

Many participants learned more about their Chevys than they ever knew before. One commented that he learned more in three days than he had in the past four years. Many very knowledgeable people go on tours this year was no exception.

Here is my National Chev 4 Tour Recap
Regards, Ken K

ARRIVING WITH MY 1918 MODEL G
This year, accompanied by my 26 year old son Erik, we had a relaxing 18 hours Sunday drive, towing my 1918 Model G Roadster some 860 miles through the deserts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, arriving and checking into the OHKAY motel by midnight.
OFFICIAL ARRIVAL DAY … MONDAY
The first task Tin the morning was to unload my roadster. I removed the tonneau cover used in transporting, and replaced it with the windshield and top in its raised position. Next the rear mounted spare Houk wire wheel was installed with the proper #4, left side, hub nut.
This year there was a special fenced off, parking area for our Chev 4’s, and there were already about 15 cars that had arrived before me. I parked my Model G red boat-tail roadster next to Pinky’s 1926 Mercury Body red boat-tail roadster, and then Pinky and I took advantage of the morning special $1 breakfast in the OHKAY restaurant.
CHECKS & ADJUSTMENTS
In the afternoon after greeting old friends, I checked for any loose nuts and bolts that might have occurred from the car bouncing on the trailer. Then I made a short 2-mile road test down highway 68 to the gas station to fill-up and demonstrate the roadster was running okay.
One adjustment that I did this year was turning the main jet on the Carter updraft BB1 Carburetor a quarter of a turn in, to lean out the fuel mixture a little, for the 7000 feet altitude of. Santa Fe and Taos. My 1918 Chev 4 engine was running great with lots of torque available for the tours up those mountain grades the next few days.
TOUR TO SONIC DRIVE-IN … 6 MILES
This Monday evening, more than 50 Chevrolet Four Cylinders drove on tour to the Espanola Sonic Drive-In. We all ordered our dinners and drinks from the friendly carhops and had a great time socializing with both old and new Chev 4 friends.
TOUR TO TAOS --107 MILE
My Model G roadster ran great going up the slight grade along the Rio Grande River, passing up Bill Bradford 1927 touring. Our first rest stop was 25 miles up at the Rio Grande Gorge Visitors Center, where my first car trouble began. When I shifted down to first gear upon entering the gravel parking area, my roadster would not move forward because the 490-cone clutch slipped. After much slipping the clutch finally engaged, and I was able to drive it into a parking space.
Several others had more serious problems! John Leight drove his delivery truck into the parking lot with a stream of oil coming from the engine oil pan, since the drain plug was missing. Australian David Perry who was driving the trouble truck was very busy already with breakdowns. Richard Mann’s 1918 big FA roadster acquired a thump deep inside the engine and red tag it for the week. Bob Hensel’s 1926 Fire truck stuck an exhaust valve after getting hot with a blown head gasket or cracked head. Bob was taken back to get his trailer.
I had more trouble with my clutch with all the traffic and signal lights in the downtown center of Taos. I knew if I had to stop on even a slight grade in traffic, the clutch slippage would be too much to get the roadster to move forward. Therefore I had to plan my approach to the red signal light, which turned a fun drive into one that is not so enjoyable.
After parking as a group on the north side of Taos at the Pueblo De Taos, we split up to the visit the sights in the Taos area. Erik and I found a free parking space near the Plaza, and had a splendid lunch in a historical hotel on the main street. We then all met as a group at a Hacienda parking lot outside of town at 3:00.
I use an AC glass bowl fuel filter that is mounted back at the rear tank to protect the vacuum tank and carburetor from the rust in the gas tank. I forgot to clean out this filter when I filled the tank with gas yesterday, so this was a handy place, and I had the time. The filter was just full of rust particles.
From here we drove 50 miles over some mountain roads through the Carson National Forest to Chimayo for dinner. After crossing several busy intersections, we lined up as a group to make sure everyone had made it that far. When I tried to start my engine, the Remy starter did not turn, and my lights did not turn on. Since I noticed my Remy generator had not been charging, I figured the battery must be low on charge. Hopefully there was enough amps to run the ignition system to get back to the motel, so we push started it, and we were off to the mountains.
I like to make a run up on a grade so the roadster gets a little momentum behind it, so it will power over the grades in high gear without lugging too much … but it always seemed I would catch up with a group of slower moving cars ¾ of the way up the hill that would force me to back off the throttle, sometimes brake, and sometimes needed to downshift to second gear.
Then on a particular long grade, it felt like my roadster ran out of fuel from the Stewart Vacuum Tank, because it ran out of engine vacuum. Wayne Marty stop and pulled my roadster with his 1928 coupe to a safe turns off at the top of this grade. I figured the quickest way to get moving again was to prime the vacuum tank with some fuel and crank the engine since the starter was working again. I removed the tank cover to check the internal mechanisms and filled the bottom tank up. It is always hard to install the cover with the float back in the tank, and after several tries, I did it. The engine started right up and we headed to the dinner spot. About 10 miles later, the engine quit again. This time I poured fuel in by just raising the cover up enough to do so - it has a later cover without the priming plug. That gasoline was good enough to get to Rancho de Chimayo in time to eat. After a great Mexican dinner, we headed the 12 miles back to the motel, but about 2 miles before it, my roadster quit on busy Highway 68. We push it off the highway, and I filled up the tank too much, which caused the float to come up! This time I had no luck putting the float back in, so plug up the vacuum line, and drove to the motel just as it was getting dark.
The Maxwell’s 1928 Coupe also had vacuum tank problems causing the engine to run rich sucking fuel directly down the vacuum line. Dave Perry made the repair with a flashlight and super glued the valve seat back into the cover. I was tired and decided to work on my problem in the morning. That night I read over my Chevrolet Service Manual, first edition 1919, and decided to check the tank inlet strainer, the inlet elbow fitting for sealing, and the cover gasket for sucking in air.
TOUR TO LOS ALAMOS … 70 MILES
I skipped breakfast to work on the vacuum tank. First I removed the inlet elbow fitting and found no trash at the tank strainer. Then I added sealant to the elbow fitting threads and tighten it up to align with the steel fuel line. I doubled check the flapper valve, air vent valve, and the vacuum shutoff valve for condition, and re-installed the gasket and cover. I cleaned out the rear fuel filter and topped off the fuel tank with 5 gallons.
The tour to Bandelier National Monument left at 8:00 and my roadster only made it to the 3-mile mark before stopping. So this time I made an even faster pit stop by adding gasoline into the vacuum tank by removing the inlet line and pouring fuel through a small funnel and plastic tube directly into the tank. I was off for about another 10 miles when the engine was again starved for fuel. This was getting old. Richard Mann, who was driving the trouble truck today, agreed to take my roadster back to the motel, and I was able to drive my roadster up on the trouble trailer. We later caught up with the tour at Bandelier, and I road with Pat McGowen in his 1923 roadster the rest of the day.
At Los Alamos we parked the cars all together next to the Bradbury Science Museum and had lunch before visiting this museum that displayed how the National Lab developed the atomic bomb.
I saw a NAPA Parts Store and bought a vacuum gauge. When we got back to the motel, I first checked the vacuum at idle on my vacuum tank inlet, and it was a good 18 inches Hg with no leaks found. This proved to me the vacuum tank was okay and the problem had to be before this tank. Then I remembered I had a non-vented gasoline cap on this car that I always put on loosely. But perhaps it could still seal itself under certain conditions?
Pat observed that air bubbles could be seen inside the glass bowl fuel filter. So off we went up Highway 68 until it starved for fuel and quit. After adding fuel to the tank, to prove if the cap was at fault, the gas cap was removed and replaced with a rag.
Well the engine starved for fuel after another 5 miles. This time we knew the problem had to be between the fuel tank pick-up tube and the fuel filter. I removed the fuel filter and found rust particles plugging the gas tank outlet elbow. I poked a small wire into this gas line, and Pat blew into the tank pushing out the blockage until clean fuel was seen. So the cause of the fuel supply problem was rust plugging up the line before the filter.
TOUR TO SANTA FE … 58 MILES
This tour started later at 9:30, so the traffic would be better for us on the busy traveled Hwy 68 to Santa Fe. This day with Erik along, my 1918 Chev 4 engine performed like it should. We enjoyed another great lunch in historical Sante Fe, before making the drive back.
We stopped for a cold drink at the DQ about 2 miles from the motel. When walking up to my roadster, I noticed my right left tire was a little soft, but wanting to get back to the motel to enjoy my drink, I took the chance that if I drove slowly, we could make it okay. I was wrong! With only one mile to go, I heard the thump- thump and pull right over off the highway. The tube must have had a stem failure, because I could not find any other tube or tire damage. We easily changed the Houk Wire Wheel with the spare, and drove on to the motel. Here it was easy to remove the lock ring and remove the tire and tube. I then installed a new tube in the tire and placed the tire back on the rim. The lock rim snapped right back in place.
The only problem left now to solve was the clutch that was still not engaging correctly. Pat told me he was having the same problem sometimes with his cone clutch, and he fixed it before by hand greasing the transmission square input shaft where the clutch hub drive ring has to slide. It sticks in the disengage position and doesn’t pull in the cone clutch. I greased this square shaft and the clutch now works fine.
PICTURE / SWAPMEET / BANQUET … 11 MILES
This last day, we had a great outdoor breakfast down at the campgrounds to be followed by the Swapmeet back at the motel parking lot. I bought from Walt Davenport the correct Eureka No. 2 Jack for my 1918 Model D5 touring. This jack is about 12 inches retracted and 18 ½ inches extended and is a heavier version of the Eureka No. 1 Jack [10 inches] in the roadster. I inspected a Stewart Vacuum Tank that was dispayed on John Wolf’s tailgate. It was the early Model 122 style that was used on both the Models D and G, with the cover having the desirable priming plug. John said if I needed it, it was mine. Thank much John! The tour ended with a big banquet dinner. Be sure to register early for next year’s tour!

what a great story, felt like I was on that tour with you. Thanks for nice job and writting

Yes Sonny, It was quite an experiance, Ken is a great story teller and it was my pleasure to meet him face to face.....

Hey Ken, I can give you a loan to get a new gas tank that has no rust and I think 90 percent of your problems will be solved. Jim Farris said that maybe we will take up a collection to get you a new gas tank. All kidding aside, It sounds like one heck of alot of fun you had and one trip that you will never forget. Thanks for the story. :) :) :) :)

Donald, maybe you can dig into them deep pockets and come up with a nice little 4-banger for next year's tour, we could have another blast!
I already have a crank with a swivel handle, and a tire pump you can use!
:cool2:

Hey Mackie Wacky, I hope to have a four banger by the next four cylinder tour. It may have a model T engine In It, And U and I could have a little race. If I could get Raymondo to sell me one of his extra cars, Then I would be on the next tour for sure. Sounds like you had a great time touring. :) :)

Donald it sounds good except for the raceing, I like to stay in the back of the pack and watch for obstacles and be close to the beer wagon.

Hey Mackie Wacky, It sounds like you like to sit In your car, While being towed on the trouble trailer. Wow I bet you get good gas milage, Which makes the tour very reasonable. One thing about being at the back of the pack, You get to see where everyone has been.

Mr Mack,

You need to tell everyone what happens when you're in the back of the pack! Remember that F*&D truck that tried to take you on?

Was that what that was that appeared in my rear-view mirrors? I thought it was the beer truck going for another fillup or an angel from hell in a B1 Tank!
Donald, Klinkerbelle, MrsMack and I didn't even get a push up the hill nor get lost one time, we just chugged along seeing all the scenery and enjoying the drive and trying to stay out of the other folks',like Brucie's way!

Hey Mackie Wacky, If by chance, I can not find the four banger car Im looking for by the next tour, Maybe you will have room for me and the wife to ride along with you and your better half? That way If you break down, I can steer the car while you push and push and push. How does that sound.

Donald,
Obviously you don't know Mr. Mack like I do. Besides if the old memory is still working you had a ride last year while the boys pushed. That is a once in a lifetime affair.

I'll bet that was one cool ride too!

You got that right Chipper , I break down it is work on the car till it runs or haul it home, none of this stuff that looks so good in pictures like one riding and 10 "Hosses" pushing!
Donald, you are welcome to ride with us. The directions are written on the back of the front seat:

Buckle up, Shut Up, Hold on, don't puke inside the cabin! and enjoy the flight, or the ride, whichever it may happen to be!

"Mush you Huskies!", you do remember who the Huskies are......don't you-all?

Hey Chipper Dipper, Your memory Is great. Yes I got pushed up the road and back quite a few times at the Northwest meet last july In Victoria Canada. If you guys could of seen Billy Boy Bill Barker huffing and puffing, Well It was a sight to see. It would of been nice to of had a oxygen bottle handy. The four horses who were pushing, Made the clydesdale horses look like minature horses. Besides having the 32 coil going bad, The cork gasket on the fuel pump bowl turned Into a thousand pieces, And plugged the carburetor. As a note, If any one has a cork gasket on the fuel pump, I would highly recommend replacing It with a neopreme one. I bought mine from the filling station, No more problem. Hey Mackie Wacky, I may take you on on a ride In your car at the next tour. One thing though, You do have air conditioning and a radio, and a Ice chest and what goes In It? :cool2: :cool2:

Ken,

Will you be submitting a tour story in to the G&D?

- James

Yes - this is the Chev Review article for the next August G&D. I wrote it the next day Sunday, June 29th, after I got home. It was emailed to Jean Fink the next day to make the dead line for the August issue.
KenK

Cool! Thanks Ken!

Yes Donald we have conditioned air, the windshield rolls up, a cooler (only Ozarka, and Coors) and one of us will even open the door for you!, You will have to bring your own munchies and beef jerkey!

Thanks for the Invite macky, I have the four suitcases and five carry on bags ready to go. Now you do have a room for us to stay at your house until the next tour?

Sure! Donald, We will kill a fat 'possum and hang him out on the porch to age properly. and if the neighbors go to town on Saturday we may even catch one of their fryers for
sunday dinner! Yawl' jest bring anything you want, We have enough hoes and cotton sacks for us and our company! See you soon?

Details of the 2003 National Pre-29 4-cylinder meet have been presented by at least two reports on both the Chevy Chat Site and will be in the G&D. But, as Paul Harvey says, “Now for the rest of the story”.

When the meet was over me and my copilot took the 1928 Touring, secured in a closed trailer, to a storage facility for safe keeping. Now solo in the Motor Home, we headed South and East.

For the first 200 miles or so we played leapfrog with MrMack and two other Texas members traveling home as a group.

We entered the state of Oklahoma by way of world famous Quail, Texas. A few years ago I managed to have dual flats on the right rear of the motor home about 100 yards from the Quail intersection. When I pulled off the road I hit a soft shoulder of sand and immediately buried up to the axle. This was on the 4th of July, a Sunday, at approximately 2:00 PM, the temperature was well over 100 degrees and we were out of service on the cell phone. You don’t even want to hear the rest of that story.

You can tell when you have entered Oklahoma because the pick-up truck in front of you will have a rifle in the rack in the back window.

Our first stop was to visit Mary’s Niece at Lone Wolf. They live on a farm/ranch, in a house built on the highest point for miles around. From the front porch you can see in all directions for miles. In the evening, while visiting on the porch, you can hear the whip-poor-wills in the distance, view wildlife traversing the front yard by shining your flashlight, and at this time of year, see the wheat harvesting teams as they cut and combine the wheat well into the night. This is not a healthy place to visit as the meals include a recently slaughtered beef, (in anticipation of our visit), fried okra, black eye peas, sliced fresh tomatoes and onions, cornbread, ice tea and loads of banana pudding with meringue on top.

After adding a few unwanted pounds to our waist it was on across the state to Sapulpa. (Believe me folks; I’m not making up these names). This stop was for a visit with my older brother. First order of business was to head to the Knotty Pine Bar-be-que where the meat of choice is served on a sheet of waxed paper, with a slice of onion, pickle and hot pepper, and side dishes of cold slaw and baked beans, slice of toasted bread and the never ending full glass of ice tea.

During our visit there, my younger brother arrived from Austell, Georgia. This is the first time the three of us have been together since 1976.

Continuing on, our next destination was Missouri. On the way I observed two different Farmall Cub tractors parked near the fence line and for sale. In one front yard was a 1954, BelAir convertible, red & white, restored and $7.5 K OBO. The convertible would really look good parked next to my HardTop and it is red and white also. In every case there was not room to pull off the narrow road and take a closer look and besides we were running late. You can tell when you have arrived in Missouri, as the TV screen will have a severe weather warning in the lower right corner.

In Branson again to see some more shows. In my opinion Yakov Smirnoff presents the best show. Following close behind are any of the “Music of the __’s”, you fill in the decade. The Shoji Tabuchi show is highly overrated in my opinion.

On to Arkansas and it is easy to tell when you arrive. Now the pickup in front of you has two rifles in the rack. Headed to Mena where I grew up along with my copilot. Neither of us have any close relatives still living so the major purpose of the visit is a trip to the cemetery to pay respects to our parents and to decorate the graves.

Time to head west and we choose I-40 for this purpose. As we near Oklahoma City I-40 either parallels the Old Route 66 or overlays it. Two of the better Route 66 museums are located at Clinton and Elk City Oklahoma. As we travel further west more of the old road is exposed. As you travel you can close your eyes and imagine the old Whiting Brothers signs which were sometimes as long as 50 yards, the Jack Rabbit fuel stops, Stucky’s, where you could pick up a pecan roll, and of course the famous Burma Shave signs.


Headed into the late afternoon sun in a motor home with the large expanse of glass allowing the sun to hit directly on the pilot and copilot is not my idea of fun. If you can’t picture this situation then think of the backseat in a 1961 Impala bubble top and you can relate to the conditions.

After retrieving the trailer and car from the storage yard we head out on the open road for home. One good thing about traveling the route from the Midwest up to the northwest is that you don’t have to waste a lot of time viewing the scenery.

Upon arriving back home it’s a quick unload of the 1928 Touring and placing it back on line in the show building. We then select the 1933 Eagle coupe for our next adventure to the Annual North West Meet in Auburn Washington, which is just days away. It’s just fun following fun.

In reviewing my notes I find I have some omissions. Although I was raised and called Mena Arkansas my home I was actually born at Ink Arkansas. Now that may raise some eyebrows so let me explain. Years ago several people lived in a community in Arkansas without a name or post office. In order to receive mail they needed a post office and in order to have the post office they needed a name. Some of the more active residents drafted a letter to the government requesting the post office. Post haste they received a form from the government to be completed and returned with the suggested name. Back in those days the main means of writing was with a #2 lead pencil, (the ball point pin was not invented until 1945), but since this was a government form, at the place to enter the suggested name was a dotted line and under the line was the notation (write in ink). Being educated folks they followed instructions and wrote in the name “ INK ”. And that’s the truth.

Also while in Mena I picked up a copy of the weekly newspaper the MENA STAR . In the minutes of the city council it was noted that council member Hays had removed and brought to the meeting the “Deer Crossing” sign from out east of town. He made a motion to have the sign moved out to the west side of town as he had been informed three deer had been hit just in the last week at the current location.

Arkansas? Isn't that d2d2's most favorite state in the Union? :eek: :eek:

And can you imagine that us Texicans have to live next door to dem Arkies. Sure puts a tickle in the stern and hard to get too sireous. The whurrl mite bee butter ifin moore folkz wure like um.

Yeah Chipper and Raymundo, MrsMack and I had a very good time at this National Tour, (our first) the only thing I thought was a sad note is that only 60 cars were able to be invited. There are a lot of good folks that we met and enjoyed talking to.

If you don't have any Arkies or Oakies in your family tree, it is pretty sparse (probably has only a few nuts in it). Half of my ancestors were from Arkansas, they lost most of their property during the War Between the States. Then they moved to Oregon county Missouri. The other half were Oakies from Joplin Missouri, that settled in the Cimmaron Strip during one of the great land rushes.