Monday, August 21, 2017

On the Road to Reno, Day 2

Not a whole to talk about this day.  Woke up in Las Vegas, made a couple of stops to get a new fuel filter as the one on the car was looking a little too orange for my taste.  Grabbed some water and some gasoline, and headed north on US 95 out of Las Vegas.  

Sand dunes along US 95 north of Las Vegas

A very exciting dry lake bed

Dust devils dancing in the distance

Last year when I drove this route, there was a lot of traffic heading north.  It made things difficult then due to many folks like to drive 10 - 15 mph below the speed limit and I can't stand being in a line.  However, I was also trailering the Mustang, so it made passing quite an adventure.  This year it's just me and the Mustang, and not many vehicles headed north.  Lots of cars and trucks headed south though.  I just set my cruise control (my foot on the accelerator pedal) to about 5 mph above the posted speed limit and just took it easy.  It's approximately 200 miles between Las Vegas and Tonopah, so I just kicked back, roasted my left arm in the sunshine, and pushed on northwards.

I made it to Tonopah, NV without any problems.  Stopped for gas and lunch, and made some phone calls to my wife, my Mom, and my high school track coach who I wanted to see the following weekend.  However, due to his wife recently passing away, he had other family members coming over for the weekend and would not be free.  I was upset to hear of the passing of his wife as she was a very classy lady, and always a pleasure to be around.  They were married for 54 years, and I could hear how upset he was.  We talked about other people we know, and then we ended our phone call.  RIP Elaine...you are missed.

I continued onward towards Hawthorne, NV, home of the Hawthorne Army Depot with its 2000 + bunkers for the storage of ammunition.  Along the way, I ran across some insulated wire that was laying across both lanes of traffic.  I looked behind me and saw the wire following along.  All I could think about was that getting wrapped up in the driveshaft and causing all kinds of problems.  I pulled over and tried to pull it free, but it was stuck on part of the suspension on the passenger side.  I pulled some diagonal cutters from the trunk and snipped the wire close to the bumper; the rest sprung free and I was able to remove it without having to get under the car.

I could see some rain clouds forming in the distance, and they appeared to be inline with US 95.  At first I was a bit annoyed of having to drive through the rain, but remembered all the rain we've had in southern Arizona for the last month.  Since I have to drive 1/2 mile on a dirt road, along with parking in the dirt, there was a lot of dried mud on the underside of the Mustang.  I figured I could give it a good cleaning with a pressure washer when I got to Carson City.  Now the rain rolled in and it was a great opportunity to have the majority of the mud and dirt washed off the underside without me having to do it with a hose.  It's all good!

Rain clouds headed my way

This will be fun

Before arriving in Hawthorne, I had to drive through the two small towns of Mina and Luning.  Remember, if you're hauling explosives, you are not allowed to park.

Warning sign while entering Mina, NV

And another one in Luning, NV

I stopped in Hawthorne for gasoline and a shake from McDonald's.  I chatted a bit with the driver of a Dodge pickup who had been following behind me since Tonopah and then hit the road for the last stretch to Carson City.  I skirted around Walker Lake, which had a higher water level than it did in 2016.  I turned west near Schurz, NV and took little farm roads for a shorter ride to Carson City.  Made it to my father-in-law's house in good order.  I traveled 1007 miles from my house in Arizona to home base destination.  The last part of the trip I was averaging 17 - 18 mpg, which I was pleased with.  I visited with my father-in-law for awhile, and then he left to join his family at a cabin near Lake Tahoe.  I unpacked the car, went out to get something to eat, and drank a nice tall beer.  A great way to end two days on the road with minimal problem.  I planned on a good night's sleep to get up early, clean the interior and exterior of the Mustang, and hit Hot August Nights on Day One.


Sunday, August 20, 2017

Hot August Nights 2017 - On the Road to Reno

This year I decided to drive my 65 Mustang to Reno.  According to Mapquest, it was approximately 950 miles from our house to my father in law's home in Minden, NV.  I was making the trip alone and it's been quite awhile since I've attempted a trip this long in the Mustang.  I packed along a tool bag full of tools, and another bag containing a spare parts consisting of an alternator, mechanical fuel pump, a dual point distributor with a Pertronix ignition system installed, and the distributor plate with points and condenser, distributor cap, rotor, two radiator hoses, one fan belt, an assortment of electrical connectors, a roll of wire, 5 quarts of oil, and two gallons of water.  I also packed two buckets full of cleaning supplies to do a real good cleaning of the car once I arrived in Nevada and got ready for the show.  My wife was a bit apprehensive about me driving the Mustang.  She sees me many times under the hood or under the car working on this or that, replacing worn out/broken parts, upgrading components, experimenting, etc.  She was also concerned about the heat affecting me due to having no AC in the Mustang.  I promised her to stay in touch, packed along a tow strap and an AAA card  :)  My main concern was gas mileage - around town I get 12-13 miles per gallon and don't do a whole lot of just highway driving.  I have a 289 with a dual quad manifold with a Holley 600 cfm as the primary carb, and a Holley 390 cfm as the secondary carb.  I'm also running a 4 speed Toploader and have a 3.55 Traction Lock rearend.  All in all, not a good combination for fuel economy.

Anyways, it was time to hit the road.

65 Mustang parked next to last year's tow vehicle

My planned route was to drive through Tucson, Phoenix, Wickenburg, Kingman and then Las Vegas the first day.  On the second day, it was Las Vegas and then up US 95 through Amargosa, Beatty, Tonopah, Hawthorne, and then west to Carson City/Minden.

We have been getting a lot of rain here in southeastern Arizona, and everything has turned nice and green. 

 This is the east side of the Mule Mountains outside of Bisbee.

St David, AZ - about 45 minutes southeast of Tucson

I topped of the gas tank in Tucson to start keeping track of the mileage.  Between Tucson and Phoenix is Picacho Peak - site of the westernmost battle of the Civil War between uniformed elements of the Union and Confederate Armies.

Picacho Peak, AZ

 One of my concerns about making this trip is the desert heat.  Before switching over to an electric fuel pump, I had issues with vapor lock and fuel percolation in the carburetor.  I believe the ultimate issue there was the aftermarket mechanical fuel pump.  Most likely a weak spring not allowing good pressure to the carb.  I went with a Carter electric fuel pump.  It's external, mounted between the fuel tank and rear axle.  I've read that there could be issues with heat on these as opposed to an internal fuel pump.  More on this later.

Between Tucson and Phoenix, I checked the temperature online and it indicated that it was 100* at my location.  This is what my TEMP gauge looked like:


When I arrived in Phoenix, it felt a bit hotter outside, so I checked the temperature again - it was 105* outside and my TEMP gauge looked like this:


I'll keep an eye on the TEMP gauge for the remainder of my trip, but it appears overheating won't be a major issue for me unless I lose coolant or my thermostat doesn't open.  One less thing to worry about.

When I arrived in Wickenburg, AZ, I stopped to fill up the tank.  On this leg, with running speeds anywhere from 70 to 80 mph, I averaged almost 17 miles per gallon.  It was somewhere between 16.8 and 16.9 mpg.  While getting gas, and older gentleman came up to me and told me how he use to have a Mustang just like mine.  Except his was a coupe, green in color, and had a six cylinder engine.  I think the only thing his car had in common with mine was they are/were Mustangs.

I left Wickenburg and headed towards Kingman and ran into the only breakdown I experienced on the road during this trip.  I was moving along at about 70 - 75 mph headed up a long hill when suddenly the engine started bucking and then died.  I coasted to the side of the road and then tried to restart the engine with no luck.  I opened the hood and hit the throttle on the primary carburetor with no gas coming out.  I then visually checked the clear fuel filter and noticed it was empty.  Back inside, I put the ignition switch to ACC but did not hear the fuel pump kick on.  Checked the fuse, and swapped in a new one with no change.  Got out my "road" blanket (an old Army green wool blanket) and checked the fuel pump to make sure both wires were still attached...they were.  I then reached up and grabbed the fuel pump...it was HOT!  I figured it needed a cool down, so I took out my bottle of glass cleaner, switched out the cleaner with water and sprayed the fuel pump.  At first the water sizzled when it hit the pump, and then cooled it down where the water just ran off of it.  Got back inside, turned the key ON and heard the pump start up.  Put everything away and got back on the road with no more issues.  When I told this story later on in Reno, Kelly H made the comment, "That what I love about these old cars.  You can fix them on the side of the road with a spray bottle of water!"

I arrived in Kingman and tanked up.  17+ mpg on the latest stretch.  I did a bit of cruising around Kingman as I know it's a major stop on Route 66 in Arizona.  Took some pictures and then headed up US Highway 93 towards the Hoover Dam and then Las Vegas, which was my stop for the night.

 
Side of the Hotel Beale in Kingman, AZ

AT&SF Locomotive in Kingman

My perverted mind found this funny...Kingman, AZ

I left Kingman and headed north on US 93.  Lots of miles of a whole lot of nothing to really look at.  By this point, I still had not turned on any music in my car.  I was monitoring the various squeaks and rumbles of my car as I was driving, and noticing how smooth everything was running.  The exhaust had a nice tone to it, and the engine was just humming along.  Gauges were nice and steady.  I was definitely pleased how things were going.

Last view of the desert before entering the mountains surrounding the Hoover Dam

I made it into Nevada, and decided to take some pictures of the Hoover Dam.  I went through the security checkpoint, where there was an older man and a younger lady manning the post.  The man told me that he and the lady had a bet on what year my car is.  He told me he figured it was a 66, and she thought it was a 68.  I told them to give me the money because they were both incorrect - it's a 65.  That got a good laugh from the three of us, and they waved me through.  I parked in the parking lot and walked up the walkway that leads to the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and it's great view of the Hoover Dam.

I made it to Nevada!

Hoover Dam from the Memorial Bridge

Parked away from the general flow of automobile and foot traffic

After leaving the Hoover Dam area, I headed into Las Vegas.  I had a reservation for The California Hotel and Casino with its covered parking.  Didn't have to worry about leaving my car exposed to the desert sun.  It was still hot as Hades in the parking area.  I checked in, got something to eat and called it a day.  One bizarre thing about The California - it's Hawaiian themed.  Why it's not called The Hawaii....any guesses?

Hot August Nights 2017

Here is my post for Hot August Nights 2017.  Unlike last year, I did not do a daily post of my trip through Arizona, Nevada, and California due to my laptop that suddenly developed a case of the slows when the anti-virus was updated.  It would take over five minutes just to upload one picture, and I had quite a few.  So I will break this down three parts, with the last part of the trip home being the shortest section.

So sit back and enjoy the ride.  This one will have lots of pictures of cars that caught my "lens" while walking around various venues at Hot August Nights.