 Barstow was hot and filled...  Barstow was hot and filled up with even hotter rods. |
 The entrance to the outlet...  The entrance to the outlet mall was a welcome sign. |
 A bevy of Barstow boosters...  A bevy of Barstow boosters was also on display. |
 A couple of Long Haul T-birds...  A couple of Long Haul T-birds kept up their long migration. |
 Head out the highwaywe...  Head out the highwaywe were born, born to be wild. |
 Upon departing Barstow, our...  Upon departing Barstow, our procession received some polite police assistance. |
 We knew we had arrived in...  We knew we had arrived in SoCal when the car show area displayed some lowrider influence as well. |
 This remarkable 41 Studebaker...  This remarkable 41 Studebaker Duallie, built by Dusty Whetzel of Broadway, Virginia, is not only a fully functional tow vehicle
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but also has a truck-load... 
but also has a truck-load of space to carry all the stuff you need for the Power Tour! |
 Hot rods quickly filled the...  Hot rods quickly filled the streets in preparation for the festivities of the finale. |
 Hey dude--nice set of whe...  Hey dude--nice set of wheels. |
 This "Fordillac" combined...  This "Fordillac" combined parts of both a Ford and a Cadillac. |
 Bigger is better for some...  Bigger is better for some members of the Long Haul Gang. |
 Norm Cooper's bomber helmet...  Norm Cooper's bomber helmet came in handy on his intentionally rude ride. |
 Norm Coopers quirky...  Norm Coopers quirky creation captured not only the early spirit of hot rodding, but also the current can-do attitude of the Power Tour. Check out the dilapidated detailing of his rat rod in the photos below. |
 Heres Norms antiqued...  Heres Norms antiqued rig shot during an early phase of the Tour at the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinoishe didnt know what he was in for at this point, but there was no turning back. |
 The flatmotor looked worse...  The flatmotor looked worse than it ran, but it sure did down a lot of quarts of oil on the way. |
 Note Norms gruesome...  Note Norms gruesome grille ornamentsome swallows later got even by applying a few graphics of their own. |
 Can you imagine riding in...  Can you imagine riding in this exposed cockpit all the way across country? Note the fake mouse nest in the footwell. |
 Norm was not entirely without...  Norm was not entirely without creature comfortsit may look like an old heater, but
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inside is a cassette... 
inside is a cassette player. |
 No matter the year or condition,...  No matter the year or condition, every sort of rod is welcome on the Tour... |
including more PT Cruisers... 
including more PT Cruisers than you can shake a stick at. |
 How bout this for official...  How bout this for official transportation of the San Bernardino City Hall? |
 Tired and tanned Tourers gather...  Tired and tanned Tourers gather for one last drivers meeting. Soon to come: the big prizes! |
 Living up to its name, the...  Living up to its name, the iCan folks (including CEO Heidi Van Arnem at left) and GM Mobilitys Gary Talbot, made the Long Haul, and drew attention to both the needs and abilities of people with disabilities. |
 Even this beater made it through,...  Even this beater made it through, with only a bad clutch to contend with, but
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theres still the... 
theres still the return trip to Florida. |
 Heres a happy reunion...  Heres a happy reunion of Rodsters that all made the Long Haul, despite a few snags along the way. |
LIST OF ALL DAYS
We made it. Were tired, dirty, burnt and low on fuel, but were happy, too. We got here more or less in one piece, so were now part of the Long Haul Gang, and damn proud of it. Today, we walk a little taller and stare down those guys in gussied-up trailer queens with a look that says, "Pretty is as pretty does, boy."
No smugness here, though, because experiencing the Long Haul is the Great Equalizer, a trip that can humble even the most hardened hot rodder with blown gaskets, boiled radiators and busted rearends. Were still waiting to hear of all the trials and tribulations, and as the tales of the Tour trickle in, well add them to this Web site, along with the volumes of photos and videos we took, so check back from time to time and see what else surfaces.
Although there were so many remarkable people and cars on this years tour, one Long Hauler in particular stands out in my mind. Norm Cooper of Vassar, Michigan didnt have the cherriest ridefar from it. His intentionally funky Model A is actually a carefully crafted simulation of what old hot rods used to look like, before the advent of show queens (see photos below right). "You wouldnt believe how much work it takes to make a car look like a piece of s---," he laughs.
The body is actually fiberglass, which he traded for a gallon of paint. He created rust spots by throwing sawdust into the primer, and using spatter paint on the new headers and chromed headlights. He shoved some straw in the front suspension a year or more ago, and has left it there since, along with a dead bird in grille. A farmer gave him the old flatmotor, and Norm tied a greasy rag on it for effect, but the corroded air cleaners are gennies. The bird droppings on the engine and cowl are real as well, after he accidentally parked the car under a swallows nest. He liked the guano graphics so much, he decided to leave them alone. In the cockpit, there are some fake dead mice in a nest on the floorboards, and a Mexican blanket serves as seat upholstery (upon which passersby throw spare change to help Norm pay for oil and gas). An old heater box from a Buick conceals a modern cassette player. When the weather is bad, Norm dons a tattered, leather flying helmet, which he says makes a big difference, even though he initially got it just for looks.
Norm Coopers inelegant conveyance captured not only the early spirit of hot rodding on Route 66, but also the current can-do attitude of the Tour. "Before the Power Tour, I had never driven this car more than 60 miles from home," he admitted. "I said, 'Screw it!' and just decided to go for it. I've never had so much fun in my life." Total investment in the car? Under $1000. Value of doing the Power Tour? Priceless.
For your Online Editor--a Power Tour virgin, but now a veteran--it was more demanding and more exhilarating than I ever imagined. A personal word of thanks should go out to my fellow Tourers who lent a hand just when I began to succumb to fatigue and frustration from too many midnight uploads. Now I know why everybody keeps coming back to the Tour. Its the camaraderie of the road, the bonding of fellow travelers under duress. Would I do it again? Well, right now, I just want to sleep in my own bed and not be woken before dawn by a blown Chevy cranking over and the rumble of twin pipes--but gimme a week to think about it.