Hot Rod Power Tour

G

GRWeldon

5th Gear Poster
Joined
Oct 5, 2023
Messages
380
Location
Alabama
Country flag
I'm wondering if anybody here has been? This year it was in June in my general area but I wasn't able to make it. From the videos I have seen there were a few newer-ish cars but mostly 70s and older. I wonder if a mid 90s stock Thunderbird would get any spectator comments...

If you have been on one, tell us what it was like.
 
I haven't been on it in probably 15 years. It doesn't really matter what you drive. Last time I took my '91 Crown Vic. One year I attended in an old completely clapped out '93 SuperCoupe. You'll see people driving anything from T-Buckets to rental mini-vans. Also, keep in mind that a mid 90's stock Thunderbird is A) 30-ish years old and B) very rarely seen amongst the sea of SUV's on the road these days. Don't worry about what other people comment on your car and just have fun.

I don't know if I would want to do the Long Haul alone. I've only gone with a friend or group of friends (multiple cars).

I should also add, it will ruin local car shows for you for the year. The quantity and quality of some of the cars on the tour is absolutely astounding. You'll walk around a local car show wondering why you bothered showing up for this crap that doesn't deserve to be in your presence (the cars, not the people) :)
 
Cool! Thanks for the reply. My wife would be going with me but she doesn't wrench on anything.

I'm thinking about trying to get my 94 5-speed SC in shape to make the trip ne t year, maybe participate in the road/slalom course. I think an SC would do well...
 
I did it a few years ago with my son. We did it in my 2001 F150 that I had just swapped in a 393” Windsor motor. The truck really didn’t get much attention, I think most people didn’t know that it didn’t come that way so they thought it was just any old F150, but it was still fun! We did do the long haul, mostly to prove the truck would make it, but if I were to do it again, I would probably only do 2 or 3 days. I was expecting new cars at every event, but the overwhelming majority of cars were the same, so by the 3rd day, you had already seen everything, and you can only wander around in the heat looking at the same cars for so long. Also it would be much more fun if you had a group of people/cars to do it, that way you could hang out together, go out to eat afterwards, etc. If we could get a few MN12 guys to go, I would do it again. If you are going to do it, make sure to pack folding chairs, a tent to get out of the sun, a cooler full of drinks and snacks, and make sure your AC is working! I’m usually a windows down kind of guy, but after walking around in 90+ degree weather in the hot sun, having AC that will freeze your ass off is a welcome reprieve!14367CFD-8D11-439F-8B52-4EA5765296A6.jpeg
 
RaceCougar...those are great shots. When were they taken? I work on my cars in the Alabama summer...it was 96 yesterday with a heat index of 103. I was drenched when I was finished for the day but that's summer in Alabama. I don't really like it but I'm used to it I suppose.

Do they go to the same cities every year or do they change it up?
 
They change the cities every year. I think they used to always start where the last one ended, but I don’t know if they do that anymore.
 
GRWeldon said:
RaceCougar...those are great shots. When were they taken? I work on my cars in the Alabama summer...it was 96 yesterday with a heat index of 103. I was drenched when I was finished for the day but that's summer in Alabama. I don't really like it but I'm used to it I suppose.

Do they go to the same cities every year or do they change it up?
Click to expand...
Those three photos were from '17, but we've gone a number of times. IIRC, the first year a group of us went was in '12.

The route and cities change each year.
 
I agree with the above comments. Doing all five days can be A LOT even for a hardcore car guy. Your wife might not appreciate that. Best bet might be to pair up with another couple that your wife gets along with really well so the wives can do their own thing if they want and maybe just plan on doing the first couple stops and playing it by ear after that. You won't get a nasty call from the Power Tour director if you don't show up at a stop.

The cool thing about Power Tour is you can do whatever you want. Want to just go to the first day and go home? Okay. Want to take their mapped out route? Okay. Want to take your own route? That's fine too. Want to skip a day so you can meet up with friends somewhere else and catch up at the next stop? Go for it. Want to just check in first thing and explore the city it is in rather than hanging out at the show all day? Cool.

The last time I went, it started in Cleveland and went to Kalamazoo. One of my buddies from school flew in from NY. We left Grand Rapids, drove to Cleveland, met up with our other friends from South Carolina and walked the show. Normally I can go Grand Rapids to Cleveland in four hours flat so Cleveland to KZoo should be about 3.5 hours. It wound up taking about 7. I get it, they take you through smaller towns and generally stay off of major interstates. People will line up along the route and just plop down chairs and watch cars go by all day. When we got to the lunch stop at Toledo they were out of food. No big deal. The drive took so long that by the time we got to KZoo the show was already closing down. Also the fairground there is one way in and out so just getting in took about 45 minutes. I was pretty salty for a while after that, but I got over it. I can't imagine the amount of logistical planning needed to pull off an event like this.

If you are into cars, I think it is worth trying out at least once if only for a stop or two. I don't think you will regret going. You will probably be the only SuperCoupe there too which is cool.
 
KevinVarnes said:
I agree with the above comments. Doing all five days can be A LOT even for a hardcore car guy. Your wife might not appreciate that. Best bet might be to pair up with another couple that your wife gets along with really well so the wives can do their own thing if they want and maybe just plan on doing the first couple stops and playing it by ear after that. You won't get a nasty call from the Power Tour director if you don't show up at a stop.

The cool thing about Power Tour is you can do whatever you want. Want to just go to the first day and go home? Okay. Want to take their mapped out route? Okay. Want to take your own route? That's fine too. Want to skip a day so you can meet up with friends somewhere else and catch up at the next stop? Go for it. Want to just check in first thing and explore the city it is in rather than hanging out at the show all day? Cool.

The last time I went, it started in Cleveland and went to Kalamazoo. One of my buddies from school flew in from NY. We left Grand Rapids, drove to Cleveland, met up with our other friends from South Carolina and walked the show. Normally I can go Grand Rapids to Cleveland in four hours flat so Cleveland to KZoo should be about 3.5 hours. It wound up taking about 7. I get it, they take you through smaller towns and generally stay off of major interstates. People will line up along the route and just plop down chairs and watch cars go by all day. When we got to the lunch stop at Toledo they were out of food. No big deal. The drive took so long that by the time we got to KZoo the show was already closing down. Also the fairground there is one way in and out so just getting in took about 45 minutes. I was pretty salty for a while after that, but I got over it. I can't imagine the amount of logistical planning needed to pull off an event like this.

If you are into cars, I think it is worth trying out at least once if only for a stop or two. I don't think you will regret going. You will probably be the only SuperCoupe there too which is cool.
Click to expand...
That's interesting about the cities the last time you went. I'm originally from Jackson County, Michigan. I have connections in Grand Rapids, Cleveland AND Kalamazoo! My mom still lives in Jackson. I visit several times a year. It's a 12-hour drive most times from central Alabama. I would have really enjoyed the route you described above. Do you remember what year it was? The one last month would have been perfect for me as well, Georgia and Florida. Oh well, maybe next year. I might even have the SC on the road by then but that's another story.
 
I've been on a Long Hauler on 4 separate Hot Rod Power Tours over the years. I've always cruised with at least one other MN12 guy, but groups are definitely more fun than solo. Often, it is more about the other activities, than the show itself.

One year, Chris Wise had all of 50 miles on his then brand-new engine combo when we started heading over 600 miles to the starting city. We wrenched on one of our cars (mostly his) every day, which made for long days and awesome stories.

Sometimes you find videos on YouTube of your group after you get home.

Go to about 5:50
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Back
Top