VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Meets, Tours & Events National Pre-29 Meet

Seams like I just returned from a tour (Three Main Bearing) and am loading up for another tour.

This time we are headed to Cody Wyoming. This is the Annual National 4-cylinder (Pre-29) Tour.

Understand that slightly more that 50 registrations were allowed with expectations of some canceling as the date draws near.

Looking forward to seeing some of the regular contributors to the Chevy Chat that will be attending the tour.

Again, I am taking the camera and hope to post a few select pictures here when I return.

Hi Ray
Yes - I just finished loading up my '18 Model G for the 4CT on the trailer this evening and got this red/black roadster all strapped down before it got dark. I hope to be able to take off to Cody early Saturday morning - have a safe trip.
KenK

Don't forget your camera too...

Yea.....that way you both will be able to take pics of each other taking pics of each other. LOL (funny yes, but not to intersting however)

From all 4 directions they came, with their toys, to attend the 13th Annual National Four Cylinder Tour, located at Cody Wyoming. Based on registrations there were 58 families represented with almost as many vintage Chevrolets.

The first day is an unofficial day that has expanded over the years in importance. This is the day to renew friendships and catch up on all the news since the last National tour. The attendees fall into two major groups, those who have motor homes as a tow vehicle and reside at the RV Park, and those who use others means of towing and stay in the Meet motel. For the RVers it means a potluck and gathering around the picnic tables to catch up on the news.

The Official First Day activities are built around a Pot Luck Bar B Q. This year it was held around the pool area in the center of the motel complex. This is where the two groups (RVers & Motel Dwellers) get together the first time for abundant good food and friendship. At this gathering we pick up our tour packet and for the first time confirm what the next few days hold.

The first day of touring took us about 34 miles SE to the town of Meeteese. This is a small laid back town that contains some outstanding museums that tell the local history of Charles J Belden, a noted photographer, and has on display in one museum the largest grizzly ever taken in the lower 48 states. We gather at the local RV Park at noon for a very good Bar B Q catered by one of the local firms. After lunch we return by an alternate route that makes the days run about 110 miles. After an evening meal on our own we travel a few miles to the Cody Night Rodeo.

After a good rest from such an active day we depart on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway to Dead Indian Pass. Although not a very lengthy tour the shortness is compensated by a severe climb up to Dead Indian Pass. At this point we are at 8060, a climb of some 3000 feet, in a very short distance. We were threatened with a decent on the far side with the resultant climb back to the top from the opposite side. Better judgment prevailed and we returned back to Cody by the way we arrived, a total distance of only 65 miles.

The afternoon was one of two days we could spend in The Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The Center is actually 5 museums co-located. Even the two ½ days allotted to this activity leaves you wishing you had more time to linger in your most popular museum. I spent my time in the Cody Firearm Arms Museum where some 3000 weapons of all types are on display.

Our next adventure took us out west to the Buffalo Bill Dam. We spent some time at the Information Center and then continued on with the tour going farther west. And then, our first encounter this tour of the “Natural Earth Surfaced Road”. After several miles of this type surface we were stopped by a bunch of “Bandits”. They ask a series of questions about our origin, destination, and why. When they were satisfied they stamped our passports and allowed us to continue the journey.

The total for today, including the natural earth surface was approximately 46 miles. The afternoon was devoted to the second ½ day at the museums.

Friday morning is always a big treat. This is when we start the day with the “Sullivan Breakfast”. Herb and his crew have always produced an outstanding breakfast under many varying conditions. From someplace come all the requirements to make an egg, sausage, pancake, coffee and juice breakfast for all you are up at that time. Herb and his workers are to be commended.

After an excellent breakfast we were off to the Picture Shoot. Some years this activity has produced considerable pain, however this shoot probably went off with the most precision of any. This was offset by my evaluation of the worst quality picture in the 13 years of the tour.

Careful inspection of the 5th vehicle from the left, in the back row, will reveal a bugle in the rear window gun rack.

The afternoon was consumed by an, on again, off again, persistent shower, as we conducted a swap meet and ended the day with a seminar.

We all look forward to the banquet held the last night of the tour. We were not disappointed with either the quality or quantity of the buffet. It was held in the famous Irma Hotel.

The way the Chat site is established I must break my report into two portions in order to provide the pictures.

To the thrill of all the connoisseurs of Chevrolet early cars, Pinky obliged by bringing his 1914 L Light Six Touring. For an automobile this old it was remarkable as to the reliability of the car. Other than over tightened brakes it did very well.

It is always depressing to break camp and head home. The only thing that makes it tenable is the anxiety of meeting next year on 21-24 June at Sioux Falls South Dakota.

After one day of hard driving and a stop we finally reach the Columbia River Gorge and feast our eyes on beautiful Mount Hood. Home is just a few miles away.

For the last 12 years (I missed the very first National 4-cylinder tour because I was the head judge at the NW Meet that year) I have always taken a picture, blown it up to 20/30 and framed it. These pictures tell a story by themselves. Here is this year’s effort.

Nice tour, very nice pics, thanks for sharing.

My 4CTour Report - sorry film is still in camera!

ARRIVED WITH MY 1918 MODEL G
The first part of my trip gave me a relaxing 16 hours Saturday drive, until it got dark. Then the last 2 hours turned into a nervy nighttime drive with on-coming bright truck lights and single lane construction traffic. I had towed my Scripps-Booth Roadster 865 miles through the deserts of California, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming, and tired, I stay the night at Rock Springs.
EARLY ARRIVAL DAY - SUNDAY
My Mapquest directions calculated the shortest way to Cody from the south was by the way of Rock Springs, Lander, Riverton, and Thermopolis. This was a nice drive through the countryside, and I drove these 285 miles in about 6 hours arriving at the Big Bear Motel on the west side of Cody at 10 AM Sunday Morning.
After checking in at the motel, I unloaded my 1918 Model G roadster and parked it on the gravel lot right in front of my room. The only other Chev 4’s that were parked there were the 1916 490 roadster of Tom Meleo and the 1922 490 roadster of Jim Farris, who I figured were out checking the tour route in Tom’s truck.
Thanks to Pat McGowen I had a new fuel tank and a repro 490 oil pump installed this year. I also had replaced the front crank pulley, made a Link-Belt fan belt, in-stalled a larger capacity vacuum tank, repaired a badly leaky radiator by plugging off two of the flat tubes, and replace a poor wheel hub nut with s NOS one. I sure felt my car was prepared for this 13th Annual Chev 4 Tour.
OFFICIAL ARRIVAL DAY … MONDAY
For my morning walk, I went into Cody down U.S. 14-16-20 to check out Webster Chevrolet who has been in business in 1937. I also spotted the NAPA parts dealer on Beck St. in town, just in case I would need something.
On the way back from my 6-mile walk, I stopped at the campgrounds where the motor home owners were stay-ing to see who had arrived early.
CHECKS & ADJUSTMENTS
In the afternoon after more 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 road test down U.S. 14-16-20 to the gas station to fill-up and demonstrate the roadster was run-ning okay. The Cody Rodeo large parking lot just west of the motel made a great off the highway testing area.
One adjustment that I did was to turn the main jet on the Carter updraft BB1 Carburetor a half of a turn in, to lean out the fuel mixture a little, for the 8000 feet altitude of some of the passes in this area. My 1918 Chev 4 en-gine was running great with lots of torque available for the tours up those mountain grades the next few days.
Carmine Palazzo was driving his 1922 490 in town, when it began to freewheel. Upon inspection of the drive train, Carmine found the 6 part number 843 Std. 5/16 inch, fine thread, bolts that fastens the #763 Clutch Hub Drive Ring to the #41645 Clutch Hub, all had fallen out. The funny thing is I found two 5/16 inch, fine thread, bolts, that had drilled heads and were still lock wired together as a pair, out in the motel parking lot earlier that morning. Luckily, Carmine was put in touch with the Cody nut and bolt man, who even drilled the bolt heads for lock wire that Carmine tied all the 6 bolts together.
This got me thinking, that I have not checked these 6 bolts tightness on my roadster, since the last time I had to remove the clutch and transmission - over two years ago. I found only one bolt tight, four bolts slightly loose at about ½ turn back, and the last one really loose at about six turns back. No locking wire was used on my bolts.
ANNUAL POT LUCK BARBECUE
This Monday evening barbecue was held on the grass in the center of the motel. We all had a great time eating and socializing with both old and new Chev 4 friends.
TUESDAY TOUR TO MEETEESE--109 MILE
When I started my Model G roadster to get in line to head out of the motel parking lot, I heard a strange grinding noise coming from the clutch area that went away when I disengaged the cone clutch. The noise would come right back when the clutch was engaged.
Well by now I was the only car left in the parking lot, except Bob Hensel who was driving the trouble truck this morning. I told Bob to go ahead, and I would try and fix my roadster’s problem and catch up with the group later. Bob invited me to ride along with him, and this sounded better then me crawling underneath my car to work on it? Besides this would give us a chance to Chev 4 chat. Bob has not yet fixed his 1926 Fire truck since it stuck an exhaust valve after getting hot with a cracked head on last year Santa Fe tour.
Our first customer was Carmine in his 1922 490 who was working under the hood of his touring car in downtown Cody. It seems water pump shaft was starting to make noise, with Carmine finding the ball check valve in the water pump grease fitting was stuck closed. The pump had been rebuilt some 700 miles ago, so the shaft was not getting any new grease to it after installation. Carmine was able to free up the check valve, get some grease into the shaft and bushing, and off we all went.
About 5 miles out of Cody we saw Pinky Randall pouring water on his 1914 Model L Light Six touring car left rear brake band’s new lining that had gotten so hot it caught on fire. So after the band was adjusted for more clearance between the drum and the lining, we pro-ceeded on. Then several miles up the road, we found Pinky was adjusting the clearance to the right brake band that had also gotten hot.
The next car we found pulled to the side of the road was Dennis and Jean Fink in their 1928 Landau Sedan. It seems Dennis had put on a newly rebuilt water pump that didn’t have enough shaft to bushing clearance and had frozen up, and burned the water pump belt. Dennis tried to drive his car with the belt removed, but the en-gine got hot in a few miles so it was put on the trouble trailer for the trip into the small historical town of Meeteese, [still has wooden sidewalks] today’s destina-tion and lunch spot. Dennis borrowed a fan belt from Jack Robertson and put back on his old leaky water pump he had kept as a spare and was mobile again.
On the way back to Cody in the afternoon, taking the long way back driving through the farmlands along the Graybull River, I rode in the backseat of the 1928 touring of Jim and Val Schoffstoll.
When I got back to the motel, I changed into a work tee shirt and climbed under my roadster clutch and found one of those 5/16 inch bolts was sticking two threads out of the clutch hub hitting the brass #H-409 Clutch Collar on every shaft revolution. Pat McGowen had a 5/16-lock washer in his washer collection, and it was used to space this long bolt back so it would not be hit upon. This time I took the car out on a 5-mile road test to be sure every thing was working okay.
That evening we all visited the famous Cody Daily Night Rodeo that was within a short walking distance from the motel. I rode with Don and Shirley King 1927 Imperial Sedan after the rodeo back to the motel.
TOUR TO DEAD INDIAN PASS … 66 MILES
The tradition first day tour is usually the most strenuous tour of the week. However this year that tour was held this day. The tour traveling up the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, with its 7% grades, to the summit of 8060 feet at Dead Indian Pass lookout. While my road-ster was running strong up the first big grade in high gear, it appears the vacuum tank was running out of vac-uum or leaking out, because the engine would cut out and when slow down, it would restart and take off again for another few miles. Several times, the vacuum tank had to be filled manually. This would get my roadster another 4-5 miles. Pat and Debbie McGowen followed behind me all day in their 1923 roadster, pointed out the carburetor was running very rich from the black smoke Pat observed. Well my roadster was cheered on when it finally reached the summit parking area … even it was late and the last car up to the top. Pinky and his 1914 Light Six didn’t make it up to the Dead Indian Pass be-cause of an overheated radiator.
To see how the vacuum tank suction valve per-formed going downhill on this fine mountain road, I dis-connected the vacuum line and connected it with a vac-uum gauge mounted under the dash. The vacuum tank was then filled to its top with gasoline. Except for hav-ing to stop about 6 times to refill the vacuum tank, Pat reported that it was no longer running rich and the little afterburning poping from the exhaust was about right.
After visiting the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s great collections, I took off the vacuum tank top to in-spect the vacuum valve seat. It was still tight, so the valve seat wasn’t the problem. All I could do was work this valve against the seat, trying to make a good seal. I installed the vacuum gauge into the tank priming plug port, and the vacuum tank now builds up vacuum, sucks up the fuel, and then block the vacuum when full.
TOUR TO BUFFALO BILL DAM … 47 MILES
The tour headed west into Shoshone Canyon that leads to the east entrance to Yellowstone Park. Keeping an eye on the vacuum gauge, everything was going find for the first 25 miles. Then when traveling on a dirt road for the last 7 miles, the vacuum tank quit pumping gaso-line mysteriously? So I just removed a bottle of gasoline from the rear fuel tank and poured it into the priming fill hole to top off the vacuum tank. This procedure was re-peated several times for the 20-mile trip back to the motel. When I parked my roadster, before turning off the engine, I put my thumb over the air vent hole on the vacuum tank. Guess what … that caused the tank vacuum to build up and start sucking fuel from the tank. Now I had transferred the ”˜U’ shape vent tube from the air vent port to the priming/fill port so I could hook up the vac-uum hose to the gauge, so it is possible that a little dirt got on this just gravity drop valve seat? Removed the tank top and rotated the valve on its seat to clean up the mating parts. After everything was back together, the road test around the rodeo parking lot showed on the vacuum gauge that now the tank was working correctly.
PICTURE / SWAPMEET / BANQUET … 12 MILES
This was Friday and the last Chev 4 Tour day. It started will the annual “Sullivan’s Breakfast” that is tra-ditionally put on at the campgrounds, but this year it was set up on the green lawn in the center of our motel.
We were then handed directions to the picture loca-tion on the very east end of Cody, and were informed that we should put the tops down on the open cars that would be position up front. This year the lining up of all the cars went fairly well [a rain storm was coming in our direction] by placing the bigger and taller vehicles in the back first and placing the open cars in front of them.
Back at the motel, between the rainy periods, I loaded the Model G roadster up on my trailer and strap it down. I didn’t find anything I needed at the Chev 4 swapmeet, but there was a good selection of parts.
The Tour came to an enjoyable end with the banquet dinner held in the big back room at the historical Irma Hotel that was built in 1902 by Buffalo Bill. Pinky [1st place] and myself [2nd place] were awarded poster size copies of the Kent-Moore T-201 Chev 4 Operation Chart for its Main Bearing Aligning and Boring Machine for having the most mechanical car problems this week.
Be sure to register early for next year tour at Sioux City, South Dakota.