Months of planning finally came to a close. Our 55 stude commander hard top named HONEYBUG was in top condition since Jeanne and I restored it from a bare frame in our garage. It took 2 + years and some more debugging to get the perfection we wanted.. I installed air conditioning and an upgraded radiator and cooling fan and removed the ever troublesome generator and regulator and installed a 6 volt alternator. So, on June 11, 2007 we got in the car for a 7 day journey to the international S D C meet in South Bend Indiana (approximately 2200 miles.)
Along the way we encountered a few surprises and this is a rundown of some of them.
Day 1 6/11 was going great until coming into Kingman, Az., we started to lose power, vapor lock, but I knew my trusty, but recently noisy electric fuel pump would fix this, so I flipped the switch on and it smoothed out for a short time, and then began stumbling again. Fortunately we limped to our motel as the thing died. Near the motel was a small auto repair shop and the next day I took HONEYBUG there and asked if I could get a new 6 volt electric fuel pump .I totally expected the chances were slim to none we could find one but after a few phone calls to my amazement they found one and a half hour later we had it, and in another hour we had it installed. After leaving a sum of $ 172.00 we were on our way.
Day 2 6 / 12 the rest of the day was uneventful; Honey Bug was humming right along with the new pump.
Day 3 6 / 13 No problems today, looking good.
Day 4 6 / 14 on the road again, all good until approaching Weatherford, Oklahoma. It was a rainy day. Then we started losing power, I turned on the pump but no help, we noted the smell of gas at which time we pulled into a gas station to check it out. I observed that the power steering belt had eaten through the rubber gas line to the mechanical fuel pump. They suggested a Chevrolet dealer across the highway might help. Boy was that an experience to remember. They treated us like royalty, everyone in the place came out to see Honey Bug. Their mechanic got a new hose went to NAPA for a 90 degree fitting and installed It in good time. The dealer was Wheeler Chevrolet and before we left Mr.Wheeler personally gave us his home phone number if we ever wanted to sell HONEYBUG. When we went to pay the bill we were told that it was such a pleasure to see and work on HONEYBUG that there was no charge. We can’t say enough good things about the kind of people we met in Oklahoma.
Day 5 6 / 15 All went well.
Day 6 6 / 16 Also went well.
Day 7 6 / 17 All went well until we passed the toll booth off of I 80 in South Bend City limits. The car started to stumble and died three miles from the hotel. We tried everything to get started but with the hard cranking starter we killed the battery. AAA time, it was steaming hot, no shade and over an hour the tow truck got there. He towed us to his home base and we waited for them to see what was wrong. About a half hour later I got in the car and it started. We asked them to give us a quick battery charge which they did and we went to the Holiday Inn at last. After driving the car the next day when we pulled into the parking structure we noted gas running under the car, not a good thing. We found that when they had installed the new fuel pump they moved the gas line where on a sharp turn the tire would vibrate the line and the new hose split at the fitting to the gas line. This required a nearby station to reroute the line to avoid any wheel contact... Another $ 100.00 or so, oh well its only money which we are rapidly running out of.
The week at the International SDC meet went well, a great event, but there was the trip home to do yet
All during the trip when you stop the car you had to say a Hail Mary, that the starter would turn over and start the car before the battery went dead especially when it was hot. This was a best quality new battery and the starter was tested good ?? Everything from the starter to the battery was NEW.
Day 8 6 / 23 Time to hit the road for Home, Brea, California. Rain in the Midwest was now getting bad
Day 9 6 / 24 No problems with car but left elbow swollen hot and very tender ?
Day 10 6 / 25 Elbow very sore, infection.. With CHF and an artificial mitral valve, and newly installed pacemaker and using coumadin the doctors say infections can be deadly. So we went to the Hillcrest Medical Center ER in Tulsa OK. for help. After a few hours, blood draws, xrays and antibiotic IV we were on our way. We again encountered friendly and prompt attention in Oklahoma . The nurses and doctors were great and as we left they followed us out to see HONEYBUG and loved it . Dr. Kennedye, a great guy was a “gear head “
The rain was coming down in buckets but we were still cruising along well. In Oklahoma City we stopped for gas, raining heavy with huge lightning strikes. Turning the key the starter barely turned over and after many tries the battery went dead. Using a 12 volt jumper box I had carried. I hit the starter lead to crank the starter, no luck, the small leads started to smoke and there was not enough power to provide ignition... At this time I observed that the # 1 cable from the battery to ground had melted the lead battery connector. This could be a cause of starting problems. AAA time again, about 1 hour later the tow arrived, he used his 12 volt leads to try and start us. It did not work; there was not enough power for the ignition. No one had any idea who might charge a 6 volt battery. I asked him to locate a NAPA parts store and there was one a few miles away so I asked him to carry the car to that location and wait till I found if the battery and cable were available. Luck was with us they had the same 6 volt battery I had and a #1 cable. With the help of the store people we installed the fully charged battery and cable after paying the $ 120.00. Harrah HONEYBUG started we are on our way again. If we had not arrived by 9 PM at our Shamrock, TX motel, we were obligated to pay the $ 95 charge anyway, fortunately we arrived in time.. We made all of our motel reservations on line with our laptop computer.
Day 11 6 / 26 Back on the road again, feeling good, maybe we are out of the woods. Pulled into a gas station in Amarillo, TX and filled up. On pulling out there was no defined driveway, only undefined curbs, we heard a loud crunch and HONEYBUG sounded like a Harley. We went over a curb and tore the exhaust pipe loose from the exhaust manifold, stripped the holding bolts. We found a muffler shop but waited an hour for them to get to our car, when they did they tried to fix the problem but they didn’t have the right SAE bolts to fit the manifold two hours later they sent out for the bolts and completed the job. After leaving $ 70.00 there. we were again on our way.
Day12 6 / 27 went smoothly, no problems.
Day 13 6 /28 We decided to stay over night in Laughlin NE. The room was our cheapest of the trip $ 35.00 but the slots got another $ 50 or so.
Day 14 6 / 29 Heading down the final stretch we added a can of r 134a to the AC to boost the cold temperature in the air conditioner. Cost $ 30.00. Temperatures in the 100+ range we cruised home at 1:30 PM.
The moral of this story is if you are dedicated to a journey like this, be prepared for the unforeseen cost and anguish you may encounter. Try to keep your cool and think clearly about your situation. We hit pretty close to our financial cost before leaving. Having to leave a black cat (Buster) and a 12 yr. old, 110 pound yellow lab (Cody) in the care of a home sitter was another expense. Total costs were $ 4608.00 which was for registration activities, housing, food, gas, tolls, repairs ( $ 457.00 ) and pet sitting. The bills for the ER visit haven’t arrived yet but I would guess $300 to $500 copay. Would we do it again, NO, but at 78 years old we have some good memories to keep us sane. We did win a first prize trophy for HONEYBUG, so that’s all we could hope for and we are thrilled about that.
Happy Studebakering friends, see you down the road. HERB & JEANNE ERTEL BREA, CA.