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Thread: Bob's Ocean Trip

  1. #1

    Bob's Ocean Trip

    Bob’s Trip to the Ocean






    The trip to Mount Rainer was so much fun we thought it would be nice to take Bob (AKA Big Old Buick) to the ocean and let him feel the sand between the ribs on his radial tires.

    This would be quite an undertaking as the two lane mountain roads were for the most part taken at a leisurely pace while the roads leading to the coast are multi lane freeways.

    Driving along at a slow pace, even uphill in 80 plus degrees, didn’t faze Bob at all but we wondered how he would do traveling at a much faster pace.

    I carefully prepared for the trip as if we were travelers crossing the uncharted wilderness for the first time. I drive Bob quite often as I use it on some of my sales calls so I knew it was reliable, however when your close to home the tow bills won’t be too extreme.

    What to pack took care of itself as I had a small bag of parts left over from normal maintenance work like radiator hoses, points and condenser as well as a rotor that I purchased last time Bob plugged his fuel line and I thought it was something more serious. I also loaded the tools that I carry with me in the cars so I can repair everything except a major breakdown.

    The morning of the trip I pulled Bob over to the hose for his usual bath and toweled him dry which left him looking fresh and ready to travel.

    Climbing into the car we could detect the faint odor of “old car” which seems to last much longer than the “new car” smell. My wife always complains about that smell but for me it brings back memories of all my dad’s old cars. When I was much younger I used to play at driving the cars parked in the yard and they all had that same smell. In any case the smell was soon gone, or we became accustomed to it.

    Turning the key on and stepping on the gas pedal stirred Bob to life and away we went. Placing the Dynaflow lever in low gear we pulled out into traffic then shifted into drive at about 20 miles per hour. I have always done that and find it works best for fuel mileage and helps merge into today’s highways better. I read a recent article in one of the magazines I subscribe to that says doing this will wear out the transmission as the gear is real light duty. I had to smile as the person is very smart but has obviously never had a Dynaflow apart. The factory recommends low gear at speeds up to 40 miles per hour but cautions against “jackrabbit” starts as it will affect fuel mileage.

    Entering the freeway we let Bob set the pace until we noticed he preferred a speed that was above the legal limit. An article about a 1941 Desoto in the last issue of Auto Restorer said that it was comfortable at about 48 miles per hour but Buick has always been a good road car and freeway speeds are no problem.

    Cruising along with traffic in the fast lane we ate up the miles at a steady pace and were soon out of range of our oldies station. The only other stations that would come in were all politics so off went the radio and we enjoyed the sound of the wind whistling past the side windows. At 65 miles per hour we could still hold a conversation and while not as quite as our new car it was much more interesting.

    Just before reaching the ocean we ran into a small rain storm so I turned the knob for the wipers and they began a steady swipe to clear the windshield.

    Bob has delay wipers just like the new cars except they work in conjunction with the gas pedal, push down the pedal and the wipers slow or stop.

    The sun soon broke through and we had great weather for the rest of the day.

    We pulled into Ocean Shores and followed the road that led onto the beach where we took a few pictures of Bob.


    Bob on the Beach

    We then drove down to the north jetty where there is normally some action from the waves breaking on the rocks flinging spray high into the air but today the tide was too far out and the waves were wimpy.


    North Jetty Area

    After walking around and enjoying the sights and smells as well as the sounds of the waves breaking on shore we worked up an appetite. This is a familiar state for me as I can work one up in a hurry so we stopped at Shilo Inn for a lunch of clam chowder, fresh baked bread, Tillamok cheese wedges, and slices of fresh Washington apples.


    Bob Resting While We Eat Lunch

    Leaving Ocean Shores we stopped at a gas station to take care of Bob’s drinking problem. He would like to stop but so far has been unsuccessful. We had traveled 128 miles and we used 9.6 gallons of gas which figures out to 13.3 miles per gallon for the first leg of the trip.

    Pulling away from the station we spotted another old car on a trailer. I tried to explain that it was probably just sick but Bob didn’t seem to buy it.


    Bob and Sick Car

    As we got closer to home I found myself thinking “at least the tow bill won’t be as high if we break down” but Bob just ate up the miles like it was a good thing.

    Arriving back home we stopped to fill the tank again even though the needle still showed we had a 1/2 tank left and it took another 7.3 gallons. We covered a total of 240 miles on this trip and used 16.9 gallons of regular unleaded which works out to 14.2 miles per gallon. That isn’t too bad as we traveled at 65 to 70 miles per hour for the complete distance.

    With the trip to the mountain we had put a little over 500 miles on the last oil change with only a half quart of oil used.

    Once again I would like to point out the advantages of owning a 4 door as they are perfect “drivers” and not so valuable that they need to stay inside a temperature controlled garage.

    I love the high value cars also but they are enjoyed in a completely different manner and driving them in the rain or on the beach would be a clean up disaster.
    Last edited by Jim Carmichael; 08-06-2007 at 08:26 PM.
    Jim Carmichael 55 Buick Special & 65 Buick Riviera GS

  2. #2
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    trippin' in BOB

    thats a great story Jim, and its what owning and driving an old car is all about. As i listen to the guys writing in on how to modify these 'OLD' Buicks, I,m thinking , 'HEY these were the best cars there were in the day!' And you just proved it by writing this story. My uncle Bill, who was an exec in a large company, was the only one in our extended family who could afford a Buick. Most of the family had chevy's, fords, and more upscale, Pontiacs, and we had a Dodge!
    when i was in hi school, with 3 buddies, driving my first car ['30' model A,] to light smudge pots at 2 AM in the morning in a freezing so-cal winter [its relative in so-cal] with broken window rollers. and getting into the growers warm n toasty 53 roadmaster to ride out to the groves.the Buick's new V8 smooth as silk.What an impression, and then 12 years later, after a navy stint, i bought that very same car!

  3. #3
    Great story! Glad you were able to include us on your satisfying trip.
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  4. #4
    That must have been great buying a car you knew about since it was brand new. I'm glad to hear you guys enjoyed my story as I always worry they are too long for the forum.
    Jim Carmichael 55 Buick Special & 65 Buick Riviera GS

  5. #5
    Hey Jim,
    Another fantastic story about you and Bob.Maybe one of these days I'll venture farther than my usual 25 mile radius.Thanks for sharing.
    iddie

  6. #6
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    Jim, great writing!

    I was having the same feeling cruising along the freeway in my '53 the other day--until I got home and the radiator blew three holes and I found out the core is junk and it will cost almost 500 dollars to have recored. Now the mellow feelings are a little more subdued. It's amazing how much cars changed from '53 to '65...the same problem in either of my other cars would have been much easier!
    1953 Special Riviera 45R
    1965 Skylark Hardtop 300-4V
    1965 Mustang (in the family since 1968)
    1965 Corvair Monza Convertible
    1965 Dodge Dart 170 Wagon
    1974 Pontiac Firebird Esprit

  7. #7
    Sorry to hear about your radiator but with a few dollars spent you will be back cruising and with more confidence as you will know there is one more system that is as good as new. By using Bob on a regular basis it helps me note what may need attention and I can stay on top of it.

    On the other hand if my 2006 Chevrolet was to break down I wouldn't even know what to look at!
    Jim Carmichael 55 Buick Special & 65 Buick Riviera GS

  8. #8
    Thanks Jim, You should write a book and I only want a third of the proceeds for suggesting it!!!!!!!!!!Another great story and it sounds like Bob is haveing a ball Can't wait for the next one Have a great summer!! Bill

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