Hi,
I've been lurking on the list for a few months now, and have really enjoyed
the dialogue. As most of you read Steve (swiftjustice) in Sacramento had a
72RWA for give away. Well I've been rebuilding a 71 for a few months now
and my father in-law has been wanting to have his own car as well. As it
seems to happen with rebuilding you start to gain "extras" well I have an
extra trans and engine for my car. I saw Steve's post and called my father
in-law he said Yeah lets go get it (I was hoping that he would be the voice
of reason here) So I emailed Steve he says "sure it is yours come and get
it". So off we head to Sacramento...ohh by the way we live in Oklahoma
City, it is only a 1600 mile drive one way, besides it is a FREE car you
can't pass that up now can you?
We left on Friday 6/15 at 5am in a 2000 F150 ext. cab and a trailer (4 of
us) hey we like to be close huh? We made it all the way to Barstow by 2am
CDT (12 pacific). Got a room and headed back out at 5am local time, and
headed north on beautiful I-5 this was my first visit anywhere west of
Albuquerque, and it was a good trip. Once we arrived in Sacramento, it was
time to plug in Steve's address into the laptop turn on the GPS and follow
the blue line. It was almost too easy. Steve was great, I mean here are 4
guys from Oklahoma pilling out of a truck after a 29 hour drive. Steve was
gracious and a great guy, I know he was thinking ok...these have to be the
craziest people in the world! We could see it on his face, but he was a
good sport. I know if someone from Cali drove here for a car I'd think the
same. But hey it's a FREE midget! The car was all that we expected it to
be, needs some work paint dents etc...engine, and a little rust on the
A-pillar (but how many out there don't right?) Most of the cars I have seen
in this area have rust on the A's, fender wells, quarter panels etc... not
to say there are none around just not that many. In fact not allot of
Midgets around the OKC area that I've been able to find at all for that
matter. So for a free car it was worth the drive.
Steve hooked us up with a great burger joint called "Squeeze Inn" where the
slogan reads "Weasel the other red meat!", hey with a motto like that it
can't be bad right? Best burger in the state I'm betting, be sure to get
the Squeeze with cheese. We headed back south to Bakersfield around 2:30pm
Saturday down I-99 very scenic lots too look at. Made it into little
Oklahoma (Bakersfield where I'm betting 70% or more of the people there have
ties to Oklahoma from back in the 30's dust bowl) around 8pm or so, not a
room in the town that we could find. So we stopped off at the In and out
burger joint, yet another great place to eat if you like burgers.
With no rooms in Bakersfield it was off to Mojave to find a room. My wife
works as a civ for Tinker AFB here in OKC and flies in to work contract
orders there allot. She says it's a hole in the wall, but it is a guy town
if there ever was one, 2 or 3 hotels a few bars and a pancake house. Lots
of history in this little town from the early days of Space and jet
development. We found a room at motel 6 and turned in at 11. Up at 6 off
on the road by 7, after a good breakfast at "the pancake house" it is next
to Mc Donald's, if you are traveling through the area well worth the stop.
Sign says "hot pancakes and beer" my kind of place!
West on I-40 we pulled into OKC at 9am this morning, had a long but
memorable trip and we are all still talking to one another! Would I do it
again? Not this week but ask me next week, I'm just that nuts about my
cars.
Charlie Shelden
71 Midget
72 Midget
|