We are finally home......long....

[MAD6Gun]

Got in last night at 10PM.  Been a long week. Got the car unloaded and put in the garage next to my Bonne. The deconstruction will begin soon. For those that don;t know. Me and my brother Chris left last Sunday after noon for Sacramento CA to pick up a parts car to restore my 1970 Pontiac Bonneville. I borrowed a 16ft car trailer from a friend of mine loaded dads sold sidecar on and headed for the west coast.

 First stop, Des Moines IA. Where RJ got us a hotel room. Thanks again RJ. Got up early and again headed west. We decided to try and make Salt Lake City UT. We did. Got in late. Over a 1000 miles. Chris got a great pic of the moon over the mountains going into Salt Lake. ( I will have him post it later). After breakfast we headed out again. We had to stop at the Bonneville salt flats to snap some pics. Here is a shot of my truck on the Salt. 

We made it to Sacramento on Tuesday night around 6PM. (no thanks to Donner pass. Jeez what a lousy highway).  The next morning Mike Hann came up from LA to get the Sidecar rig. After transferring it to his truck we said out goodbyes and he went home. Drove over to the Company that had the car for me. Loaded it onto the trailer and headed for Fresno CA to meet up with Bill Emery (F106). Had a great dinner with him,his lovely wife and 3 yo son. Would have liked to stay and talk all night but we had a long way to go in the morning. Took us six hours to get out of CA. Mostly due to there law that vehicles pulling trailers cant go over 55. That sucked. I went 60 anyway. Also had to stop in the Desert to fix a broken tie down strap. Made it across the desert no problem. Then some more mountains.  Truck didn't like it bit did it. At one long grade I saw that the coolant temp went up a little. Turning off the A/C cured that. Going across New Mexico we stopped off of highway 40 on the famed route 66 for fuel.

  Got across Arizona and stopped in Winslow for the night. (NO we didn't go stand on a corner). Was hot but had a nice breeze. "but it was a dry heat ". (heard that before huh,LOL) The next day we made Oklahoma City. Didn't see much. Got there in the dark,left in the dark. Left yesterday morning at 6AM out time and made in home at 10PM out time last night. It has been a LONG week. Total miles 4847. 

Gas- A little less than $900.00
Hotels- Don't even want to look.
Seeing some of the most beautiful  scenery this country has to offer.. PRICELESS. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Let's see the car you bought 

[MAD6Gun]

Hey Joe. You can see it on the trailer behind my truck. Not much to look at. But it will do nicely in repairing the rust on this one.

[MAD6Gun]

Here you go Joe. A pic of the car.


A nice shot of the moon in Utah..

I think this car was a little to close.

One of Chris's shots of Bonneville..

[Joe Hummer]

Hey Mark,

Good to hear from you yesterday just sorry you couldn't stop off for a while but we understand. 

Glad you had a good trip. 

Joe

[Highbinder]

Sounds like you had a fun trip Mark...even if you couldn't do it on your Valks...I was at a local bike nite and car show last night and saw one of those cars there, I even  remarked to Tracy what a nice car they were in their day...that one on the trailer has a long way to go...oh yea..that one's for parts...how about some before and after pic's of the other one.?....

[solo1]

Mark has had this car a long time, he's the second owner. Unfortunately, it's an Indiana car and keeps rusting, especially under the vinyl top.
Here's an article from Pontiac High Performance Magazine that appeared  about 1984 after Mark partially restored the Bonney.  A nice spread.

Unfortunately the Bonneville is an Indiana car and keeps rusting especially under the vinyl top.  Mark brought the California car back to replace the rusted body.  He wants to do a frame up restoration using the California body and frame.

While the Bonneville is not a "wanted" car, it is unusual, not many left.

[solo1]

Here's a pic after Mark and Chris came home with the California car.  Lots of work to be done.

[R J]

That should keep him busy for a day or two..............

Did one frame off restoration, never again.................

39 Chevy Coupe, drove it a year and then made it into a street rod.

350 crate, Camaro sub frame, TH350 tranny, 400 wasn't on the market yet, and a 57 Olds J2 rear end.

Took it on several Power Tours and a couple of Good Guys shows.

In a bike/auto show it got a People's Choice trophy here at home.

9 months, almost to the day, woke up to the back garage totally engulfed in flames.    

Lost the Coupe, son's immaculate Mustang 500, 86 Honda SEi Gold Wing, 5 Race bikes, kids rode them when they were at home, you know before going steady & marriage, and numerous tools, tool box, 40 years of Motor pictures & too much other stuff to mention.     Insurance came through very well, AFTER the Fire Marshal's report, even paid on the un-insured Race bikes.

Fire Marshal's investigative team went over the remains with a fine tooth comb. They said a squirrel bit into a hot wire & caused the fire.   Myself, I really don't go along with the squirrel thing, but it definitely was an electrical fire.