VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 '54 210 visits 7 states

What a sweet ride!

Starting from Bradford, Ontario in our 1954 210 the first stop was Hershey, PA. We managed to get some picture of the parade of magnificent automobiles as they were leaving the show car field late Saturday afternoon (there were many Chevrolets and other GM products represented).

Heading southwest on into Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia where we were to go into the Shenandoah National Park at Front Royal, VA. The 107 mile drive along Skyline Drive was wonderful with the trees in full brilliant fall colors. For those of you who may not know, that drive along Skyline Drive is never straight nor is it ever flat. An interesting drive on bias-ply BFG rubber.

From Waynesboro we traveled on to the Blue Ridge Parkway and into Roanoke, VA. Shortly after entering North Carolina, we were treated to live music from a four-piece bluegrass band. There was plenty of flat foot stepping while the music was playing.

Our farthest point southwest on the Parkway was Asheville, NC where we parked outside of the Biltmore House while we checked out a few of the 43 bathrooms located in the main building. You can check it out for yourself by clicking on the link.

Biltmore House

Just west of Bristol, Tennessee, I had an itchy turn signal finger. I wondered if my 210 could hold the banked corners on the Bristol Motor Speedway? I thought better of it and figured the Interstate was more than enough excitement for both of us (did I mention the bias-ply BFG rubber?).

We were a day too early for Bridge Day at the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, WV. They close the bridge down for a day once a year and allow individuals to jump the almost 900 feet down to the river with parachutes. I'm not sure why anyone would want to jump off of a perfectly good bridge?

Of course the trip would not have been complete without touring Bradford, PA just just south of the New York state boarder. Some 2,100 miles and 7 days of touring in our 210 was a lot of fun. The only complaint about the many early morning starts were heard from my travel companions.

Sounds like a very good trip. It always interesting to hear about someone taking a trip in a VINTAGE CHEVROLET. We will be doing some of the same next week in our 45,000 mile 74 Nova. We will be in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South carrolina. We will be participating in the AACA Founders Tour while in South Carolina. I'm a believer that Chevrolets were built to drive.

Last month we participated in the VCCA Eastern Early Six Cylinder Tour with our 54 BelAir Sedan.

Mike,
Was wondering how your trip went. I remeber you planning it last Summer. Now the old girl is broken in. How was the gas and oil milage? Its not the bias tires, just a tall narrow car on a too soft suspension. The 1953 and 1954's always felt that way for some reason.

Gene,

The trip went very well.

I had the car greased the day before the trip and the grease seemed to really tighten up the front end and the steering was crisp for the first 800 miles on twisty winding road. For the next 1,200 miles, the front would lurch occasionally left or right and require a small correction with the steering wheel.

We were in the hills for most of the trip. There was a time or two when I had to use full throttle to maintain 40 mph up an incline. Other times I chose to use "L" low gear on one or two descents rather than risk brake fade but in spite of that the car averaged 18 mpg(US) with three people and theirs luggage.

I added about 4 1/2 qts of oil to the 235 PG engine for the trip. I expected no better or no worse for the work I asked this engine to do.

As far as my comment about bias-ply tires - that just my ignorance showing. I know the '54 was the tallest car on the market in the day; I guess being tall makes it feel like a narrow car when driving (but I didn't put that together until you mentioned it).