JimM
Jul 20th, 06, 10:04 PM
Don't know that I'm worthy, but it's been suggested that if someone were to do a breif writeup on our experiences along with a few good pics, it just might be able to be printed.
Here are my impressions of a week I'll never forget. Please feel free to suggest any improvements you can think of. We do need to keep it short though or some editor will cot out the good stuff, if it gets that far.
“The Run to the Rockies”
Around Christmas, two of our moderators at Team Camaro, Jim Knudsen and Dan Boyle, started discussing plans to get together during the summer vacation season. They made the mistake of telling me, and “The Run to the Rockies” was born.
Menholt Chevrolet of Billings Montana agreed to host a car show on Saturday, July 8 with Team Camaro members as special guests. We booked a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn, and Team Camaro’s first ever get together was on.
Team Camaro is an internet forum interested in the First Generation Camaro. You can find us at http://www.camaros.net (http://www.camaros.net/). We help each other with problems, find parts and cars, and generally share our passion for the automobile hobby and firstgen Camaros. Since this is all electronic, few of us know each other for real, just as text boxes on a computer screen. Our plan was to change that.
On the 5th and 6th of July, 17 Team Camaro members, many with their wives, saddled up their FirstGens and hit the road for Billings. I came from Yorkville, Illinois, Jim Knudesn from Brainerd, MN. Don Dabbs set out from West Texas in the 69 Z/28 he purchased new. Dan Boyle led a large contingent from Washington State. Mike Kelsy didn’t want to drive alone, so he set out from the Bay area in his pro touring 68 to drive 840 miles north to hook up with Dan B in Seattle.
By far the best story is Mark Winters, of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Mark had been working on a Pro Touring build of a 69 RS/SS vert for a year. He vowed she would be done in time and would roll on schedule. Three weeks before, his new 406 small block scattered shortly after breakin. Somehow, Mark got a new Dart 427 small block built and in the car. He even got a new ragtop on it, though the side glass stayed home in B.C. At 2 AM in the early hours of July 6, Mark got her fired, checked for leaks, declared her done, and hit the sack. 2 hours later the alarm went off, and he and his wife Sandra, along with buddy Herb in his 67 Beaumont, set sail for Billings. They caught up with Dan and the others that night in Missoula, Montana.
By 6 PM July 7, all the long distance runners were in the back parking lot at the Hampton. 17 Camaros, mostly FirstGen’s, a few late models, and one lonely thirdGen driven by CamaroKim and her hubby. Only one arrived on a trailer. The burgers were on the grille, cold beverages flowing, and a major car wash going on as 30 some Camaro nuts bench raced, got to know each other, and prepped for Saturday’s car show.
Saturday it was hot. The 17 long distance Camaros, 13 local Team Camaro members, and another 19 local Billings cars and their owners baked on the blacktop and admired the cars. At trophy time, Mark took both “Best of show – Drivers award” and “Best of Show, Sponsors award.” On top of simply wanting to be here bad enough to make it happen no matter what, he’d built himself one fine ride, and the trophy’s were well deserved. Saturday night was another bench racing session and BBQ, followed by a lil cruise up to the rim north of Billings.
Sunday was the big day, and what we really came for. Thirteen Camaros lined up for a drive into the mountains. First stop was a town called Red Lodge, where we had an early lunch, did a lil shopping, and took some photo’s. At noon sharp, we saddled up to run the Beartooth Highway. This day was about to turn into one we’d never forget. At the first overlook at 9500 feet, Dan said his car was smoking bad and loading up. Mark did a lil surgery on the Edelbrock carb and got the mixture leaned out a bit. At 12,700 feet, we made it to the top for some more photo’s, then continued down the other side.
As we were passing a little side of the road store and campground called “The Top of the World” (first sign of civilization we’d seen since leaving Red Lodge) Jim Knudsen’s 69 RS gave a big black pop thru the tail pipeds and quit. Mark and I got her going again, and purchased a lilttle electric fuel pump from the store’s proprietor just in case. Not a mile later, pop, and she quit again, this time in the middle of a curve on a narrow mountain road. Mark and I go back under the hood, 5 minutes later she’s running again and off we go. After 2 more unscheduled stops, we finally got her fixed right.
From the beartooth, we took the Chief Joseph scenic highway for more beautiful views and photo ops, then on to Cody for dinner at Irma’s. Back to Billings from Cody was a 2 hour run. It had taken us 10 hours to get from Billings to Cody.
After one last parking lot bench racing session, we said our goodbyes to our new friends and hit the sack. In the morning, we scattered to head home, and we all made it on schedule. Other than the troubles with Jim K’s car on the mountain, we all made it without a hitch. My 68 SS clone vert and I covered 3023 miles that week, and made over 30 new friends.
I can’t wait till we do this again!
Jim Mellema
Here are my impressions of a week I'll never forget. Please feel free to suggest any improvements you can think of. We do need to keep it short though or some editor will cot out the good stuff, if it gets that far.
“The Run to the Rockies”
Around Christmas, two of our moderators at Team Camaro, Jim Knudsen and Dan Boyle, started discussing plans to get together during the summer vacation season. They made the mistake of telling me, and “The Run to the Rockies” was born.
Menholt Chevrolet of Billings Montana agreed to host a car show on Saturday, July 8 with Team Camaro members as special guests. We booked a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn, and Team Camaro’s first ever get together was on.
Team Camaro is an internet forum interested in the First Generation Camaro. You can find us at http://www.camaros.net (http://www.camaros.net/). We help each other with problems, find parts and cars, and generally share our passion for the automobile hobby and firstgen Camaros. Since this is all electronic, few of us know each other for real, just as text boxes on a computer screen. Our plan was to change that.
On the 5th and 6th of July, 17 Team Camaro members, many with their wives, saddled up their FirstGens and hit the road for Billings. I came from Yorkville, Illinois, Jim Knudesn from Brainerd, MN. Don Dabbs set out from West Texas in the 69 Z/28 he purchased new. Dan Boyle led a large contingent from Washington State. Mike Kelsy didn’t want to drive alone, so he set out from the Bay area in his pro touring 68 to drive 840 miles north to hook up with Dan B in Seattle.
By far the best story is Mark Winters, of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Mark had been working on a Pro Touring build of a 69 RS/SS vert for a year. He vowed she would be done in time and would roll on schedule. Three weeks before, his new 406 small block scattered shortly after breakin. Somehow, Mark got a new Dart 427 small block built and in the car. He even got a new ragtop on it, though the side glass stayed home in B.C. At 2 AM in the early hours of July 6, Mark got her fired, checked for leaks, declared her done, and hit the sack. 2 hours later the alarm went off, and he and his wife Sandra, along with buddy Herb in his 67 Beaumont, set sail for Billings. They caught up with Dan and the others that night in Missoula, Montana.
By 6 PM July 7, all the long distance runners were in the back parking lot at the Hampton. 17 Camaros, mostly FirstGen’s, a few late models, and one lonely thirdGen driven by CamaroKim and her hubby. Only one arrived on a trailer. The burgers were on the grille, cold beverages flowing, and a major car wash going on as 30 some Camaro nuts bench raced, got to know each other, and prepped for Saturday’s car show.
Saturday it was hot. The 17 long distance Camaros, 13 local Team Camaro members, and another 19 local Billings cars and their owners baked on the blacktop and admired the cars. At trophy time, Mark took both “Best of show – Drivers award” and “Best of Show, Sponsors award.” On top of simply wanting to be here bad enough to make it happen no matter what, he’d built himself one fine ride, and the trophy’s were well deserved. Saturday night was another bench racing session and BBQ, followed by a lil cruise up to the rim north of Billings.
Sunday was the big day, and what we really came for. Thirteen Camaros lined up for a drive into the mountains. First stop was a town called Red Lodge, where we had an early lunch, did a lil shopping, and took some photo’s. At noon sharp, we saddled up to run the Beartooth Highway. This day was about to turn into one we’d never forget. At the first overlook at 9500 feet, Dan said his car was smoking bad and loading up. Mark did a lil surgery on the Edelbrock carb and got the mixture leaned out a bit. At 12,700 feet, we made it to the top for some more photo’s, then continued down the other side.
As we were passing a little side of the road store and campground called “The Top of the World” (first sign of civilization we’d seen since leaving Red Lodge) Jim Knudsen’s 69 RS gave a big black pop thru the tail pipeds and quit. Mark and I got her going again, and purchased a lilttle electric fuel pump from the store’s proprietor just in case. Not a mile later, pop, and she quit again, this time in the middle of a curve on a narrow mountain road. Mark and I go back under the hood, 5 minutes later she’s running again and off we go. After 2 more unscheduled stops, we finally got her fixed right.
From the beartooth, we took the Chief Joseph scenic highway for more beautiful views and photo ops, then on to Cody for dinner at Irma’s. Back to Billings from Cody was a 2 hour run. It had taken us 10 hours to get from Billings to Cody.
After one last parking lot bench racing session, we said our goodbyes to our new friends and hit the sack. In the morning, we scattered to head home, and we all made it on schedule. Other than the troubles with Jim K’s car on the mountain, we all made it without a hitch. My 68 SS clone vert and I covered 3023 miles that week, and made over 30 new friends.
I can’t wait till we do this again!
Jim Mellema