Rod Harsh, proprietor of Route 66 TV Online and chairman of the Route 66 Committee of Jasper County, Mo., had been diligently looking for the tow-truck inspiration of the character Tow Mater, voiced memorably by Larry the Cable Guy, in the hit animated movie, "Cars." He found it. The good news is the truck (second … Continue reading Inspiration for Mater is found
Category: Vehicles
Pimp your Model T
Road warrior Tim Steil sent me an e-mail with a similar title, so I'm giving him the credit for the name of this post. He sent a link to an entry on Bobby Green's Automotive Addictions and General Tomfoolery blog that shows accessory turn signals for cars of the 1920s and '30s. There are a … Continue reading Pimp your Model T
Don’t try this at home, kids
The fellows at Carpix.net tested a 2007 Ford Shelby Mustang by flooring it for a 9.5-mile stretch of Route 66 from the the ruins of the Roadrunner restaurant to Roy's in Amboy, Calif. Reported average speed was 141 mph. See for yourself: I wouldn't have tried it. The Mother Road out in the Mojave Desert … Continue reading Don’t try this at home, kids
Festival heads to finish line
The Springfield Journal-Register wraps up the final day of the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Ill., with the car judging. There were 980 cars entered into the festival, with 118 awards. Rosendahl said planning for next year's event is already under way and potential improvements are in the works, including more demonstrations … Continue reading Festival heads to finish line
Racing in the streets
One-sixteenth of a mile of downtown Beale Street in the Route 66 town of Kingman, Ariz., will be the site of drag-racing today -- everything from street-legal vehicles to alcohol-fueled monsters, according to the Daily Miner. It's a big deal. The organizer is expecting 10,000 spectators for the event, and proceeds will go toward building … Continue reading Racing in the streets
Route 66 blogger roundup
An anonymous poster on LiveJournal puts up a few black-and-white photographs of the rapidly decaying Shalimar Inn on Route 66 in Gallup, N.M., which probably will see the wrecking ball soon. Jabopper and Fajzha continue their motorcycle tour of Route 66 through Illinois and a part of Missouri. Roger Kramer's Favorite Cycling Tours reports that … Continue reading Route 66 blogger roundup
Video essay of the Route 66 Rendezvous
Wandlbaker posted still photos and short videos from the just-completed Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif. I especially like the footage of the old horse-drawn fire engines.
Route 66 blogger roundup
Zamozo on Unschooling drove from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City on Interstate 40, but made a few offramp stops on old Route 66 that included this exceptional night photograph of the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas. Martin posted a huge number of photographs of Route 66 in Illinois on his MySpace site. Saint's Heart, Sinner's Style … Continue reading Route 66 blogger roundup
Animal sanctuary moving to near Kingman
Keepers of the Wild, a nonprofit animal park and sanctuary that's moving to about 20 miles north of Kingman, Ariz., on Route 66, soon will be opening to the public, reports the Kingman Daily Miner. Keepers of the Wild used to be along U.S. 93, close to Hoover Dam. But owner Jonathan Kraft was landlocked … Continue reading Animal sanctuary moving to near Kingman
Route 66 Rendevous updates
More of the San Bernardino County Sun's coverage of Saturday's events at the Route 66 Rendezvous: A look at the cruising cars. A story about a woman whose 1948 Ford convertible is a connection to her late husband. The car of the day is Russ Fielding's souped-up 1966 Mustang.