In South Missouri, we stopped to get gas in Anderson. Many people approach the Brougham at gas stations. A giant, blue, be-finned spacecraft does merit a “howdy,” and everyone seems to smile when they see it. Well, except Prius drivers. But a lot of Prius passengers give me a thumbs up and probably wish they
Missouri—All in the family Read More »
The original schedule called for a straight shot to Tulsa, Oklahoma, but the car was running fine, the day had the sort of sparkle one only finds at the beginning of summer, and I’d had a very tall cup of coffee for breakfast. So we decided to head for Bella Vista, Arkansas, to check another
I just love old Arkansas Read More »
It’s about 8:30. I went to bed at 2:15 and awoke to the alarm at 7. Today will be a long day–Las Vegas is 867 miles away. That’s about 13 hours, if the car continues to run properly. I awoke here at the Hampton Inn to the sounds of little people–very excited about something. When
So my mission of the day: fix the car (again). It’s probably either the voltage regulator or (worse) the generator itself. Maybe both. My friend and fellow Brougham driver Ken Long, of Dallas, kindly researched the best electrical shops in town. Auto Electrical Systems, Inc. said they could take me at 8 am on Tuesday
Unbelievably, the Brougham isn’t charging again. My generator light is on and the needle reads “discharging.” No amount of profanity can adequately sum up my frustration. Let’s recap my charging trouble, shall we? I had the generator rebuilt by Southern Armature in Birmingham, Alabama. Day two of driving the Brougham, I noticed the system wasn’t
At Kansas City Airport, I bid goodbye to Kim (boy I’ll miss her) and waited to pick up my next riders for the trip, Dr. & Mrs. Charles Bugg–Charlie and Bebe to those who know them. The Buggs are the kind of friends you wish you’d had all your life. Charlie founded BioCryst and Bebe
Going to Kansas City Read More »
People who love old cars also have a good appreciation for history. I’m one of the lucky collector car owners who knows the history of my car. In fact, I bought the car from it’s original owner, which is a rare thing. My 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was purchased in the summer of 1958 by
Filling up in corn country with a little help from a local. Fortunately, the drive to Kansas City began to clear. We stopped for some premium with ethanol to put in the classic car. The alcohol isn’t ideal for the Brougham’s rubber seals, but I’ve resigned myself to using it–especially in corn states. I figure
Filling up in Corn Country Read More »
Omaha rose off the plains like a shimmering oasis. We stayed at a fantastic Marriott and spent the morning seeing a few sites. The Lewis & Clark landing seemed particularly appropriate for the western-ho part of Motorpool.com’s road trip. Where Lewis & Clark once stood. Before leaving town, Kim and I swung by the Omaha
The feeling is mutual Read More »
Throughout our time in this friendly North Dakota town, Kim and I developed an annoying joke routine of peppering all our conversation with lines from the 1996 Coen brothers movie, Fargo. “How’s your breakfast?” I asked. “Pretty darn good, ya,” Kim responded in her best impression of Frances McDormand’s character. We were staying at a
