Last minute preparations

I'm off to the store for extra oil today.  At speeds over 45, my little car tends to "sling" quite a bit of oil from the rear main bearing.  So, we will have to keep an eye on the engine oil level as we travel.  We anticipate traveling at about 42-45 miles per hour for most of the trip.  There will be a group of us, so we will be quite visable to other motorists, especially when we do need to use the interstate highways.  They won't like our slower speed, but it's the best we can do!

John is going to change the oil and make sure that the running boards are nice and tight.  They sure can set up a rattle when they get loose.  That's one thing about these old cars - the nuts and bolts tend to loosen up pretty easily.  Henry Ford recommended changing the oil every 500 miles in the Model A. Times have changed so much, that we don't change it nearly that often.  Oils are much better and we aren't driving over dirt roads.  We will probably need to add a couple of quarts each day, so we think we will wait to change the oil at the end of the 2,500 mile trip.  

I feel good about the shape of the car for this trip.  I installed halogen bulbs in my headlamps and night driving will be much improved with the greater visibility they will give me.  When I first got the car, night driving was positively scarey! Unbeknownst to me, the headlights were pointed skyward, the bulbs were very, very dim, and I couldn't see 20 feet in front of the car when it was moving!  We solved those issues and added the brighter incandescent bulbs quite a while ago, but when we toured recently and I saw just how bright another car's headlamps were, I decided halogens were the way to go.  So, halogens in the front and LED tail lamps.  I also have some extra reflectors on the front and rear of the car, so I'll be seen by others at night, too.  With the LED tail lamps, turn signals were installed.  Front signals are in the cowl accessary lamps and rear signals in the brake lamps.  My goal has been to keep the car as original as possible, but to add basic safety improvements. Therefore, we have seat belts, turn signals, halogen head lamps, an alternator, and LED tail lamps.

I've started packing the area that is normally a rumble seat.  I use it as a trunk; we've taken the seat out.  I drive the car every day and this is where I need to put groceries when running around town.  Into the trunk will be my side curtains, car cover, extra oil, collapsable chairs, battery pack to run the Garmin and recharge cell phones, cooler with drinks, extra jackets, hats, gloves, and probably any last minute items I forgot to put into the suitcase! 

Speaking of suitcase, I'd better get packing!