We've been searching for a Chevy Panel truck for a while and we finally found one on Craigslist in Sherman Oaks, California (CA). A good mate of ours in the US checked it out and bought it for us in May 2017.
It was sitting under a carport in a gravel yard and all dusty. The previous owner didn't have any time to drive it so they were selling it after he had done improvements for holidaying in it, as we say in Australia.
Once we washed and waxed the Chevy, it was a totally different truck! What a find and we were over the moon to have such a lovely truck that drives and runs just like a new one. It's a beautifully restored truck and drives just like a modern car. In Aug 2017 with our Aussie mate Ron, my husband Ian and myself travelled to the US to try to find him a Corvette whilst travelling the iconic Route 66 to the Route 66 Festival in Springfield Missouri (MO).
Starting from our mates place Chris, Dusty & Piper in Palmdale, CA we had just 4 days to get there for the festival in Springfield, MO. We headed off on Monday morning and had only just got 50miles out of Palmdale when the alternator died, so we limped back to our mate’s workshop “The Shop” in Quarts Hill, CA to organize a replacement alternator from Napa. As Ian's a mechanic, he borrowed a few tools and we were on our way again within four hours.
Our first stop was Barstow after the Bottle Ranch on Route 66. Had a nice run through the windy roads out to the old gold mining town of Oatman, Arizona (AZ) then off to Hackberry, Radiator Springs, Winslow AZ, Wigwam motel Holbrook AZ, through Tucumcari to see the Blue Swallow motel.
It looked like we were heading into a bad storm so we brought umbrellas and headed off to Amarillo Texas to stay the night and see out the storm. That evening we went to the Texas steak ranch for dinner and everything is bigger in Texas!
In the morning as we headed off to Springfield, MO we encountered flash flooding warnings. This was due to a huge thunderstorm ahead but luckily it had cleared by the time we got to Shamrock Texas. Whilst in Shamrock, we visited the Do Drop Inn for a coffee and with such friendly staff, it’s just beautiful.
We headed off again, with fine weather ahead and viewed a lot of rusty relics on the way. Next stop was the big MacDonald's Restaurant built in 1957 on a huge bridge that spans the entire highway at Vinita, Oklahoma.
On Thursday we reached Springfield, MO and stayed at our friend’s Bed and Breakfast on Route 66. The next day we were ready to head to the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield MO for the street cruise in the Chevy. We had a ball and everyone was so friendly.
The Chevy was entered into the show on the Sunday. They had over 700 cars and hundreds of motor cycles. As we had driven over 1700 miles getting to the event, we received an award for the furthest distance travelled. I had to get onto the stage to accept the award, deliver an impromptu speech and meet the Mayor, Chief of Police and the event organizers in the process!
We hope to go back again in 2018 and finish the rest of route 66 to Chicago and then return to the West Coast before we ship the Chevy home to Australia.
As the car scene is so huge in the USA, it’s the best place to travel in your old car and we've made lots of new friends along the way. So, if you see us on the road, stop and say G'day!
Interested in the Springfield, MO Route 66 Festival? More details can be found at the following link:
http://www.ozarksontwowheels.com/event/birthplace-of-route-66-festival/
And if you need somewhere to stay in Springfield, MO feel free to contact Mary & Robert Carsten on Ph 417 773 238 to stay at their Bed and Breakfast.
Sept 2018 we will be off on another road trip in the panel before we bring it home.
