Just back from our New Zealand Annual National Meet. 869 miles in a 28 Essex Coupe, much over dirt roads. Only problem was the windscreen wiper blade blew off in a crosswind & I had to stop & reattach it. I keep my max speed down to 45 mph & I cruise at 40. 6 days of great roads!! 😛

Now that's a major trip, Dave ... and in an Essex. Good on ya'!

In the last half of June this year I drove my newly-acquired 1934 Terraplane from Naples, FL to Bryan, TX, roughly 1,500 miles (an estimate not based on odometer readings or maps). An adventure.

There's nothing like driving a car to find out its secrets. Mine's big secret was that it gets rotten gas mileage: 10 mpg sometimes, 12 sometimes, 15 sometimes, and 20 once. You can bet that fixing the tuneup went to the top of my list of things to do, once I got home.

But it didn't have an engine failure, or a tire failure, a gearbox-related failure, or a fire, or an episode of overheating, or a whole list of things that could have gone wrong.

I thought the Terraplane did right well.

You're a venturesome soul, Robert!

Some thought I was totally insane. Others thought only about half.

But that's what cars are supposed to do - go from Point A to Point B. Hudson Motor Car Company commissioned at least two trans-continental runs in four-cylinder Essex Touring Cars. One east-west, one west-east.

I was equipped to deal with several types of failures, none of which happened, except that the smartest preparation I did was to buy an emergency gas can and carry 2 gallons of gas in the vestibule. Used it four times.

I'm glad I did it, but I'm not interested in doing anything like that again - at least not right now.

Last year I took the 28 Essex Coupe on a similar distance trip in New Zealand's South Island. Biggest problem was that the spring in the driver door latch broke & I had to tie the door closed with string for a week. Also let some smoke out of the brake light circuit but the wire cutters made it possible to continue - who needs brake lights anyhow!! Traveled with a good friend in his 28 Essex Coupe & both cars slowly ground their way over one of NZ's steepest mountain passes but I didn't boil!!!

Sounds like it was a real adventure. Salute !!

1800 miles in the Wasp this summer, what a comfortable ride, and 19.5 MPG (on a new engine)!

My brother,Dale Brintnall, drove his 54 Hornnet Hollywood to the national meet this summer from Massachusetts. Took him 3 weeks, had a couple of break downs but it made the whole trip. Just a very hot ride in the summer with no AC. He took the long distance award also.

Tom Brintnall

Tom, your brother is a brave soul. Good on him!