Driving Route 66 In a GT-40

The words from the song just kept running through my head:
If you plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway, that's the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

As I sat in the Qantas 747 on the tar-mac at Los Angeles International Airport, I tried to get the song out of my head, but it was especially hard as I was tired after a 15-hour flight from Melbourne, Australia.
If you plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway . . .
Again with the song! I was about to embark on a historic journey along Route 66 in a GT-40. And I knew what I was in for, believing I was more than ready after reading everything I could about the famous highway.

The Grapes of Wrath was compulsory reading for many students. The Joad family struggled across America in the Steinbeck novel after loading their 1920s vehicle with all their belongings. They embarked on their journey west on Route 66 to a better life, leaving the Dustbowl behind. In a few days I was about to take a similar trip.

"Welcome to Los Angeles. Thank you for flying Qantas," interrupted my thoughts. Robert Logan, the owner of Roaring Forties in Australia, had challenged me to a trip of a lifetime. "Why not drive across America in a GT-40?" he asked. For months Robert had been joking about Cobra owners being GT-40 owners-in-waiting. "I'll get you out of that Cobra, mate, and into one of these GT-40s. You'll never look back-unless you're changing lanes," he had warned.

In Australia, it's common knowledge within the kit world that I really get out and drive my Cobra, having recorded 25,600 miles in it in the last 14 months. A 6,000-mile trip while sharing the driving wasn't much of a challenge, I thought. I know most people would jump at the chance, and so did I. I didn't give it a second thought. If Steinbeck's Joad family could do it, so could I.

I had just stepped out into 113-degree heat at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, where I was met by Hershal Byrd-the Roaring Forties GT-40 distributor for America. After assuring him I had smaller bags for my clothing, we were off to check out his car collection, which included his GT-40.

After reading a number of articles in KIT CAR, I knew there was not a lot of room for those unnecessary travel items in a GT-40. I had packed a smaller bag that would allow me to take four changes of clothing, which could be laundered along the way. After packing and re-packing this bag over the next three days as we prepared for the trip, I knew I had room for a few purchases along the way, too.

"Don't worry," they would tell me. "It's a dry heat." And it looked like it was going to be one of those hot, dry days, with the thermometer reading 95 degrees as we left the driveway at 10 a.m. Our aim was to avoid rush hour on day one of our trip. I was thankful for the air conditioning in the GT-40, and I settled down into the passenger seat for the next eight hours as we made our way through the traffic on Route 87-the first of many numbers I would hear over the next few days as I learned the U.S. highway numbering system.

I was surprised at the amount of room in the GT-40 with the two of us, and Robert Logan's words ran through my mind, his assuring me it would be a very comfortable trip. Our first stop was the Petrified Forest just west of Holbrook, Arizona. Hershel had prom-ised we would stop at some key locations along the way, and I was looking forward to the Route 66 museum a few hours away.

It wasn't long before we were off on I-40 through New Mexico, our next stop being Santa Rosa. On this first day I quickly honed my navigation skills and worked out a stop in Clinton, Oklahoma, with a visit to the Route 66 museum. I spent a few hours at the museum and absorbed every piece of information I could. The $3 admission price was a great value and included an audio-guided tour. Some of the remaining empty space was taken up in the GT-40 as I stored my souvenirs.

The next day saw us underway very early and driving through St. Louis to I-64, with Louisville, Kentucky, as our next destination and overnight stay. The occasional gas stop and break at rest areas along the way gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and answer the many questions from onlookers. I was amazed at the interest in the GT-40 and the level of knowledge that many now have since the Ford launch of the new GT. The Federal Highway System provides motorists with outstanding facilities at the rest areas-something not available on Australian highways. Most of them had a variety of information on the area and handy state maps, making the trip more interesting to me. I was now getting the hang of the highway numbering system and not using town or destination names.

We were making good time, which allowed us the occasional diversion onto the old Route 66, which was often visible as we drove along the highway. Many of the old buildings were still standing but had long since gone out of business. They had been left to tell their story to the many vehicles and people who pass them by. I imagined the activity as motorists collected groceries, gas, and other supplies from the busy little stores. I found myself wanting to restore a building on Route 66. Black and white tiled flooring and '50s and '60s music blaring-lost in the '50s. If only these walls could talk. The next day got us as far as Oxford, Ohio, only a few hours short of London, our final destination. We had previously arranged to stay the night with a Roaring Forties customer, Rolf Brunckhorst, trading our accommodations for work on his GT-40. Instead, we drank beer and ate at a local Mexican restaurant, talking cars until late. A little work was done on his GT-40 to ready it for inspection.

Rolf was a local surgeon and had built his GT-40 to a very high standard. He had painted the car himself after attending a PPG seminar for enthusiasts who wanted to do their own preparation and paintwork. Like many kit car builders, he, along with his three sons, had completed nearly all the work on his car. It was a real pleasure meeting with Rolf and his family and absorbing some of their enthusiasm. I know they will be at the London show in 2006 with their new GT-40.