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If you are tired of reading about
Tulsarama by now, go ahead and hit the - Delete - key, because I just got home
yesterday, and I, like everyone else who got home ahead of me, want to share my
experiences.
I think I win First Prize for
Last One To Get Home, except for maybe some of our overseas friends who are
touring the country first.
First I want to say that
Tulsarama, despite of (or maybe because of) the condition of Miss Belvedere, was
everything I hoped it would be, and then some. I would've done a couple of
things different than they did, but not many, and not the big things. Even
Coddington's presence helped, even if I don't care for the man personally.
I only occasionally got to check email on the way home in motels that had
computers available to guests for a few minutes. So I don't know what
eveyone has said, but I know the tone has been very upbeat from attendees, and
probably Eeyoreish (is that a word?) from non-attendees who are now jealous and
wished they had gone.
I learned a few things on this
trip:
-
A good trailer goes a long way. Literally.
I thank God no bad things happened to Mr. Finzzz the whole trip! It was
4500 miles when we got home.
-
There seems to be a law Down Under that says men must all
have Buddy Repperton sideburns. Everyone I met from south of the Equator
was aweseome. Loved finally meeting Glenn Barrett and his lovely lady
Michelle (Thanks again for the MoPar brand Breakfast Oil - the most unique and
wonderful souvenir from this trip!!!).
-
Neil Vedder talks in real life just like his emails.
He doesn't mean to put some people out when he types, and I've learned to
appreciate it more. When you talk to him you can just see the
parentheses and quote marks in his conversation, which is kind of cool because
he's not doing it on purpose, it's just how it comes out!
-
Seven '57 Furys in one place at one time, and what, 15
'56-58s altogether??? Even the old-timers were saying that's more than
ever before, except maybe for when they left the factory. More than
Hershey or Carlisle, more than GFS meets . . . and how many Mopar fin cars the
whole week? Hundreds, for sure!
-
It pays to get there early. I got there Tuesday
afternoon, and a small contingent of us walked to the vault early Wednesday in
time to see them - unannounced - lift the lid to the vault and we all got
those early photos and cool, if cheesy, media
interviews.
- Clive from England
hates to be called "Cleeve". But he's a good sport about it. So
many great people were there. Some were less vocal than others, but
usually had great stories about their cars. Collin from England (I
think), with whom I watched the unveiling, was one. Andrew Sharpe was
another. He's from Australia, bought a '61 Windsor in Washington, had it
shipped to San Francisco, and is still now driving all around the country in
it!
-
Good timing has its rewards. I was fortunate enough
to be interviewed a few times, and I understand the footage they showed at the
unveiling of me will probably be contained in the documentary DVD they put
out, according to Charlie the videographer. Also, I'm told Mr. Finzzz
will be appearing in a feature in Mopar Collector's Guide in a few months
along with their coverage of this event.
- Good people are
everywhere. We ran out of gas once during the whole trip (we came close
several times). Of all places to have it happen, it was one mile out of
Greensburg, KS. According to my Atlas, Greensburg is home to the World's
Largest Hand-Dug Well. We didn't know it when we coasted to a stop, but
it's the same Greensburg, KS that was 90% destroyed by a tornado in May.
Despite the only buildings up were city hall and a bar, and FEMA warnings, the
gentleman with the only surviving gas station filled us up. He lost his
wife and brother to the tornado. The well is still there - at least the
hole is.
-
You can find Mopar parts in the strangest places. I
found a nice Mopar polishing cloth and tin for next to nothing in the front
window of an insurance company in Wray, CO. And I found the same 1957
Tulsa commemarative coin that Steve (he who had signed the Belvedere's tire in
1957 that we all met) had at a 90 year old's antique shop in Winfield,
KS.
-
You never know who you will meet when staring at a '57 Fury
convertible. One night in the Doubletree parking garage, I was drooling
over Dale Frahm's car with a couple of strangers. After a bit, we
introduced each other. It was Kevin Casey! Kevin is from Texas,
and about 10 years ago I sold him a factory red/white '58 Belvedere with
factory black/white interior - a true Christine! He bought it sight
unseen for -back then- a nice profit for me. Of course today it's about
10% what the same car would sell for.
-
When necessary, you can drive a long way. I was
fortunate enough to have my father and wife drive home with me. Dad and
I took turns driving (he's the one who ran out of gas, not me!!)Unfortunately,
while in Wyoming my dad wrenched his back and could barely walk - with the
help of a broom I packed that he used as a cane - much less drive. So
while dad very slowly swept the parking lot of every gas station we stopped to
go to the bathroom at, I drove most of the way home.
-
The West's worst roads are in Utah and Oklahoma. We
joked (non-politically correctly) that Utah must repair their roads with a
bunch of Indians using a can of tar and a case of beer, and Oklahoma imported
those same Utes to fix their roads. Whenever we hit a bad patch that's
who we blamed it on. Sorry if this offends anyone. The roads in
those two states are BAAAAD.
-
In life, you mostly regret the big things you didn't do and
should've. I may never meet most of you people I met face-to-face in
Tulsa ever again, since I am so far removed from the big shows and
events. But this once-in-a-lifetime trip for me was so worth it.
Thank you to Roger Van Hoy for giving up his Doubletree reservation to
me. Thank you to Marv Raguse, John Paxos, and other knowledgeable
'57 Fury people, from whom I finally was able to get a realistic evaluation on
how accurately I restored Mr. Finzzz. Thank you to Dave Stragand, the
center of all things Forward Look, and his lovely wife Juley. NO
REGRETS!!!
Mark
mjh
'57 Fury - Mr.
Finzzz
Sutherlin, OR
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