Model T Road Trip

Hi Jamie

I graduated from Cushing Academy, Ashburnham,Ma. class 56'. This year we celebrate our 55 year anniversary.

In 1969 I drove my Model T Ford sedan on a 10 day cruise through out New England. Ever since then I have wanted to drive a model T across our country.

In April we will announce this trip as a fund raiser for the school. I have taken your trips and somewhat condensed and combined the routes to do an approximate 25k mile trip. This will take several years time and in stages as well. One question I have is this: from western Montana, around Glacier National Park, would you recommend heading south down to the Oregon Trail route, or continuing west all the way to Seattle?

Another would be;in what area's will I need to carry gasoline? The car is equipped with a 10 gal. tank at about 16 to 18 MPG. I don't like to drive over 100-120 miles w/o filling up. The car has a duel speed rear axle, and Rocky Mt brakes. When I start the trip a newly rebuilt engine will have been installed. The car is a 1927 Model T runabout roadster. Also, what maps do you recommend?

Any help and assistance you may offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much, CW

===

Hello CW --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for sharing your plans for a Model T tour across the country.

The older roads I follow in Road Trip USA are ideal for the sort of travel you are envisaging -- 25K ! ? That's a lot of driving -- I'm glad to hear you taking your time to plan it, and do it. I don't know much about the mechanic of keeping old cars on the road, but I suspect your will be a mammoth undertaking. I hope I can help!

About your Pacific Northwest tour, I would lean toward doing the "Great Northern" drive along old US2, mainly so you can visit some of the fantastic old (1920s) lodges of Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park areas. I can just see the fund-raising photo opportunities for your classic car at the Paradise Inn and Lake Crescent et al.

About maps, I too have a collection of old atlas books -- which are fun but probably not as useful as a modern, current (GPS?) map set like those in Rand McNally Truckers Road Atlas. I like these because they show the steepness / grade of most roads -- which I would think matters if you're contemplating traveling in an old Ford (even one with Rocky Mt Brakes!).

My Road Trip USA roads are all still major, but sub-Interstate, roads -- and most date from around 1927, so they should all be able to provide enough gas station options to keep you on the road. The sole exception I can think of would the US50 Loneliest Road trek across Utah and Nevada -- I think this road has a gap of 90 miles with "No Services. " Otherwise, I think Road Trip USA should be a good match for your Model T road trip -- let me know when you get close to hitting teh road!

Good luck, and please keep in touch.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA