  |
||
|
|
||
| Articles: Little Axe Car Show Fling It Around Turns Member Contributions |
Full Versions of Most Graphics In This Issue Are Available by Clicking on the Graphic |
Information: Editorial Coming Events |
| Where is Little Axe?
I don't think the answer would win a million dollars but it is
just 25 minutes down Highway #9 and on the shore if Lake Thunderbird
and most of all they have a car show/fair. Here it was the middle of October and not much going on. So off I go to see the hot rod set. The organizer promised to have a Foreign Class just for me and was enthusiastic about it. I met Delmer who slipped the Scorpion out of its stall; we dusted off and drove away on the cool cloudy morning. 25 minutes brought us to the edge of the lake where we were ushered into a parking show area by a big friendly Larry. |
 |
 Overall winner '53 Packard |
We were surrounded by large lumbering beasts. Plum, yellow, red and orange colors with metal flake finishes and shines to see into for miles. V8's of all types each bigger and more powerful than the next attached to the ground by tires as wide as they are tall. The throaty grumbling of new arrivals sporting hot cams filled the air playing a duet with the square dance music over by the food tent. The field filled with about 50 cars and Delmer and I did our best to choose the best in each class. We soon fell in with the only other sports car that was a hot off-the-press Cobra replica owned by a former 124 Spider owner, Trent. Delmer received many good comments on the Lancia which many had never seen before. I got the "I had one of those" visitors and usually a story.
|
 Trent's Cobra |
|
On October 28th and 29th the Roamin' Chariots
met in Eureka Springs, Arkansas to test their mettle and cars
on the twisties in the Ozarks. Pete Angel, Delmer Teet,
Mike Greer, Danny and Mary-Lou DeWalt, Kent Elder, John Houchin
and Ron Conlon all met at lunchtime to fortify ourselves to the
task ahead. We then drove about 130 miles in a big loop
and then had dinner. The next morning we packed up
and headed homeward. That is the short version. Each
participant has sent the following impressions of the event: Submitted by Mike Greer: It was a brisk, late October morning when we left to meet up with some of the other cars. Pete Angel had his '68 spider parked in front of my house and he had to scrape the frost off the windshield before we left in the dark Autumn morning. Once we connected with three of the other intrepid Fiat/Lancia enthusiasts, from the Oklahoma City area, we headed out for our final destination Eureka Springs, to meet a few more Fiats and Lancias coming in from around Kansas City. Eureka Springs is a small Victorian community nestled in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. It is known for it's fine dinning, romantic atmosphere, and beautiful scenery, and for the wonderful twisty mountain roads that surround it. We met at the Edelweiss motel, where most of us were spending the night, right around 1:00 p.m. After everyone received a map of the route we would take and a few last minute details were worked out, everyone got their cars ready for the upcoming cruise through the wooded hills of the Ozarks. We had all driven quite a distance already that morning, but were anxious to see what the route ahead of us would hold. But first things first and lunch was a high priority at this time. After topping off our tanks we topped off the tanks of the cars and were ready to roll.
When we arrived back at the Edelweiss motel, most of us were almost speechless. The driving experience was really beyond words and pictures just don't do the roads justice. You can't capture in words or on film the exhilaration; the beauty of the hills and valleys and the adrenaline rush of spirited driving, the bond you get with your car from a ride like this is just beyond description. Will we do this again next year? You bet we will, we must.
|
|
To all those who missed the trip
to Eureka Springs: I really hope to have the opportunity to
do this again next year. I truly enjoyed the company and the
drive. It was great to meet some new people and to put faces
to names I'd heard of. Every meeting I get to go to with this
group allows me another opportunity to learn even more about
these great cars. This was the first chance I've taken to really
drive my X. I think the car could handle a lot more than I was
giving it, but I didn't have much left to give it. |
This is what you missed. The weather was perfect |
  Ron ConlonWhere driving becomes an aerobic sport. < Pete in my mirrors
It is 5:00am and dark and frosty. There are two Fiats waiting outside my door. The Scorpion and X1/9 are eager to start the 5-6 hour drive to the tour and so am I. The interstate is quiet and we make good time to Tulsa where we meet up with Pete Angel and Mike Greer in their spiders. I bravely loosen the latches and open up the top since the sun is up now but this proves to be early as the frost is still on the fields and I start to get chills at 75 mph. So I get under the top at the next tollbooth and turn on the heater with Mike telling me it is still 37 degrees. I see them coming from the left and across the median two dogs nose to tail and running hard. They are timed for me and I slow down as they disappear into the ditch and come out directly in front of me. Pete is the expert on deer but two dogs is a new challenge. The first gets by and the second is headed for me and turns back just in time. I was glad I did not hit it but it seemed almost destined and in slow motion. The others tailing me also avoided the unwanted contact. My life did not pass before my eyes but the dog sure did!
The tour was a sweet journey of about 130 miles on a twisty highway loop through the Ozarks. The better stretches were 50 mph and the turns from 25 mph up. The trip kit suggested a 37 mph average for the loop. We completed it in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I tested, on one straight-away, my 4th gear. I saw the middle of the yellow line above 5k on the tachometer. That is close enough to the ton for me and the car was still pulling strong as I slowed for the next bend. Passing was all but impossible but the few slow drivers succumbed to my polite but insistent pressure and pulled off. Cars and drivers had a bit of a workout. What fun was had! 4 Spiders, 2 Scorpions and 1 X1/9 equals 7 big grins. We dined Italian. The trip home on Sunday was via the interstate and Rte. 66. It too was kept enjoyable with several stops to refresh and stretch. The 700 mile trip was without car trouble and a testament to preventative maintenance. All the cars performed flawlessly and mine has never run as well. I think I blew some carbon out the tail on the twisties. |
| Submitted by Kent
Elder: It was with heavy heart that I started my trek Saturday morning for Eureaka Springs Arkansas. I felt like a traitor as I drove my trusty Fiat down the long road to the Springs. I did intend to have fun but also I wanted to get some photos of my Spider taken to send to a potential buyer. As I finally got off of the interstate and headed down highway 39 towards the Arkansas state line I hit the first of the twisting, windy roads that I would come to know over the next day and a half. As I started pushing my little Spider a little harder through each turn my mood lightened and I almost started to enjoy the trip. By the time I made my first wrong turn in Barryville I was really getting excited about meeting the rest of the gang. I continued south on 221 beyond Barryville untill I literally ran out of road into an opening in the forrest! I turned around and expedited my pace back to Barryville and on west on 62 to get to Eureka Springs. I didn't want to miss the tour through this country full of twisty roads as I had missed the tour at MOFLO by being late! As I got to the Edlewiess Inn and found no Fiats my heart sank. I had missed yet another fine tour by not leaving on time. I inquired at the desk for a room and found no vacancies but the receptionist located a room at the Trails Inn next door. I asked how long ago the Fiat club had left and she said that they had just only left and thought that they were on their way to Jalepenos Mexican resturant. Hope sprang eternal as I hopped in my Spider and made my way down 62 in the noon day traffic. I was relieved to see a half dozen mixed Fiat/Lancias parked at the resturant. I went in and said my hellos and listened to the conversations and began to fill with anticipatory enthusiasm of the up coming road trip. We fueled up in Barryville and with Ron in the lead began our long trek. All Spider tops were down and (some) heaters blowing as we wound around the back country roads. The beautiful sound of Italian machines in front and behind me (Pete's twin carbs sucking wind) was like music in my ears. We attacked every turn with vigor and tamed that well laid out road course without any incidents. By the end of the run I was starting to get a bit cold but my heart had lightened and I was now happy. Whether I end up selling my Spider or not it is trips like this and meeting great people that makes me proud to be a part of FLU! Thanks for everything guys. |
||
|
Allen Loftland Version: Slept Late, went to church, mowed the
lawn and wept. Next year I will be there : |
||
|
Delmer Says: First annual trip to Arkansas: The trip to Eureka Springs was a lot of fun. The route selected by Mike Greer was fabulous. The weather could not have been better. It was hard to get up and down the streets in Eureka Springs because of the traffic, but when we left town and got on the road it seemed like we were the only ones out there. The route Mike planned for us had one curve after another, after another, after another. All of the cars handled and ran outstanding. The Scorpion is a dream to drive on crooked
roads. I wish there were some like that around here. I will
have to do it again next year. |
Editorial
There really is no winter down time in Oklahoma but I expect things to be a bit quieter until February. This will be a good time for local sections to meet together. There are still several members in the OK City and Norman area that would benefit from meeting each other. This promotes the club but also makes us realize that we have a support group with similar interests who are willing to help keep the cars running well. Csaba will be back in the west and working for Vick Auto Sports as soon as visa applications are settled. He has always been a great help and will be even more now. We welcome him back.
Events
Back to Newsletters
We
then turned west on state route 16, where it didn't seem like
there was a straightaway for the entire 35 miles. There was very
little traffic this fine fall afternoon so we were able to put
the cars through their paces at speeds that were exhilarating
to say the least. Just outside of St. Paul we turned north onto
state route 23, the Pig Trail National Scenic Byway and started
the 47 mile leg back to Eureka Springs, again taking the turns,
of which there were many, at a spirited pace. 
In
all we drove the 138-mile trip in a little over two hours, not
counting the stops for photographing the cars and the beautiful
fall colors. We had made significant changes in elevation on
several occasions and at times had splendid views of the valleys
a thousand or more feet below. What a wonderful ride this was.
The
evening was spent smiling mostly, and trying to somehow convey
to the other participants our feelings about the previous two
and a half hours. We went out for a nice Italian dinner in the
historic district of Eureka Springs and returned to the motel
for more Fiat talk. When we finally retired for the night we
were all exhausted from the days drives.
We pulled
into the Eureka Springs area and got a taste of twisty roads
and vistas. The day warmed and the muted colors on the trees
added to the scenes. Mike and a raspy exhaust were ahead of
me and Pete followed with a set of snarfy dual carburetors.
I enjoyed the symphony. We lunched at a Tex-Mex restaurant where
we met with Kent and Danny and then prepped our cars for the
tour. 