BUCKET TOUR 1_2009
This is the Home Page for our Bucket List tour. Literally circling the USA, we start here and go to all the events and locations listed below. Thanks to Doug Cooper, Alan Johnson, and the crew at Johnsons Rod Shop.
The idea of the Bucket tour is that my brothere Harry and I would travel around the USA, while towing 3 cars in a 50 foot long trailer for excitement and challenge.
A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die as in the recent movie. This was our bucket list.
Doug Cooper, along with rod builder, Alan Johnson, were introducing their new line of Perfection Hotrod Parts and we would go to several shows to set up the displays, along with the cars.
We carried the 1932 Ford B400 that won the Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama, A new 1932 Ford Roadster, and a 1934 Ford Coupe built by Alan Johnson,
We started with Louisville, Kentucky and the 40th NSRA Street Rod Nationals at the EXpo Center.
- Louisville Expo Center Exhibit Hall
- Feature cars in the Atrium
- Louisville Friday
- Louisville Saturday
- Louisville Sunday
We also ran into old pal Andy Brizio, "the Rodfather" on the left. We had not seen him since the nineties when he was appearing at many of the Goodguys events. We first met him at the 1972 NSRA Nationals, the second one ever produced in Memphis, He drove to this event with a group of roadsters from California. He showed us pictures of his roadster covered in salt from Bonneville. Andy and his group would be going to Bonneville, as we were, and we would see him there.
On to Bonneville Salt Flats, Our friend, Bob Johnson, was trying for a world's record in c Gas Modified Sport with his "Worlds fastest Cadillac" and we got to Bonneville as he was going through some trying times to get the record and into the 200 mile club.
Here is the coverage of Bonneville and after a couple of spin outs and days waiting for a return run, Bob set the record at 247 miles per hour and is officially in the 200 mile per hour club. We also unloded the cars for a photo shoot at the Nugget Casino in Wendover.
We left Bonneville and headed west through Reno and ove the pass into California. Our next stop was Laguna Sega Golf Ranch for The Concorso Italiano featuring Italian cars, Beutiful women and our little cars sitting at the Barret Jackson Insurance display.
The same weekend in Monterey there were 4 Car Auctions, Pebble Beach Concours, Motorcycle auction, Spectacular scenery. We will add coverage of the auctions in the next couple of days.
Some spectacular scenery here in the Monterey peninsula.
- Monterey Photos around the Monterey area and the aterfront and fishermans wharf. Brother Harry wanted to join the Mariachi band.
- Big Sur The most spectacular of all we saw on the coast.
- 17 Mile Drive Beautiful drive from Monterey to Carmel.
After A great weekend in Monterey, we moved on and back up the coast to Pleasanton, CA for the Goodguys West Coast Nationals.
While we were in the Pleasanton area, we went up to Danville and visited the Blackhawk Car Collection. This is a very first class collection and the setting for the cars is first class. THe building itself is awesome.
Following the Blackhawk, we went to the Arlen Ness Motorcycle showroom and museum. ANother beautiful building and a great collection of motorcycles.
Just north of San Francisco, we went to the Muir National Forest and saw 240 acres of spectacular trees. Redwoods of immense proportions and a moving experience. These trees date back to just after Christ at around 700 A.D. We enjoyed this with Bill and Carol Bradford, who were also driving another rig with cars from back east.
We left the area for a final stop in Los Angeles and a photoshoot for a major magazine featuring Alan Johnson's 1932 Ford Roadster. The lighting was good for the photographer because he could use his flash, but we couldn't so the photos are a little dark, but you get to see inside the workings of a major magazine photo studio. THis is a historic building where many famous cars have been photographed.
Heading home, we are really tired, but it was an experience I shall never forget.
Thanks to Doug Cooper for making it happen and trusting us with his valuable cargo.
As we left California, we stopped at a little restaurant to get a bite to eat. As we walked back to the truck, we were in front of the little town bank and 3 guys dressed in black ninja suits and wearing black ski masks came running out of the bank. We were less than 20 feet from them as they got to their car. They were toting bags of money and carrying weapons. We thought about making a citizens arrest, but I had left the blackjack in the truck. Exciting way to end an exciting trip.
Hope you enjoyed the journey with us.
