Series of Fortunate Events
After turning 69 a month ago I began having thoughts of where I had been for 69 years, and where I was going. My memory has changed over the years I find my mind going back in time. Sometimes I can’t remember all the things I did yesterday, but I can remember things that I did when I was a child.
I started to think of all the friends I have had over the years. Many of my friends have passed on; a lot of them left a big hole in my heart. I have lost them forever, at my late age would I be able to fill those holes with new friends. I found one of my answers while attending the Nomad convention in Charlotte, NC. I found that you don’t look for friends; they just come into your life. Friends come in all sizes, ages, religions and genders.
I looked forward to the 1800+ mile round trip to Charlotte to renew old friendships that started back in 1977 at Indianapolis. I would be able to get the speedometer to turn over 5,000 miles on my 1955 Nomad (nick named “Mom’s Mad) that I had finally got back on the road in 2004 for the St Louis Convention after a five year restification. We made a 600 mile first day and stopped in Sevierville, Tennessee to see Floyd Garrett’s Muscle Car museum. That was no easy trip as we detoured the log jam north of Knoxville, TN by taking a scenic winding hilly trip on 441, a side road with great sites but a real test for any driving let alone a Nomad. It also took us one hour to go 4 miles down SR-66 off of I-40 to get to the hotel for the night in the tourist trap! (Anyone remember Gatlinburg?) When a Chicagoan complains about traffic you know it’s BAD!
On the second day I experienced transmission problems 110 miles out and things were not looking good with the car acting up and kicking smoke out the rear! I coasted down the mountains into a parking lot of a store in the very small town of Old Fort while the temperatures were 100 degrees! This was extremely disappointing as I built my ’55 to drive and never be towed. My son Devin had been following the Nomad in his car while his son Myles rode shotgun with grandpa.
Devin made a frantic call to the Hilton to find Rodney and Dale Ann Brockman, fellow Tri Chevy Association members and friends of many years, but they had not arrived yet. Dave Ruhland had overheard the request to find Rodney and asked what the problem was! Devin’s cell phone rang with Dave on the other end asking what he could do to help! Dave had trailered a ‘57 from California and had a trailer available. Without hesitation he and friend Paul Daglish from New Zeland drove the 220 mile round trip from the hotel to rescue the hot and tired Nomaders! Dave would not even accept gas money even after I begged that it was the least I could do for the favor (I bet he would now!). I did finally get Dave and Paul to accept a drink at the Monday night dance. Thanks Dave and Paul, I’ll never forget the favor.
My problems were not over yet. Many people offered advice and help Lenny Hubble steered me to a friends local repair shop. The general opinion was that the trans had just over heated so the filter and fluid were changed while only noticing some metal in the trans pan. We hoped this solved the problem as road testing in the Heat of the day on Wednesday went well. Lenny had filled another hole.
One thing guessed at was that this older gentleman, me, had put the car in the wrong gear at the gas stop in the mountains causing the overheating. I used to have a “memory dog” that would bite me in the rear end and I would remember what I forgot. Unfortunately before I left for the convention I forgot to feed the dog… he died.
There was bad feeling about the 850-mile trip home; that problems would happen again and the car would be left stranded without a good way to get home. I approached Rodney Brockman with a plan to rent a car dolly to tow behind his Suburban just in case we broke down again. Due to the well oiled- U-Haul machine we lucked out again and got a car trailer since none of the car dollys were in working order. Jim Vickery, also a fellow Tri Chevy Association member, was kind enough to take about four boxes of parts and cleaning items I had brought with to help lighten the load since the car was packed full on the way down. Thanks Jim for the simple favor of transporting my goods back to Illinois.
We left in a three-vehicle caravan on Friday, Mom’s Mad, the Brockmans, and my son Devin and his son Myles. The first one hundred miles were fine but as the hills started to roll more and as the heat outside increased the trans started slipping again with the engine revving about 1-1/2 faster than normal. We dropped to the side of the road, watched for trucks and loaded it on the trailer. I did manage to scratch the front passenger wheel well lip on the trailer fender, not a big thing compared to being stranded without a way home though!
The next 750 miles home all I got to see were the tailgate bars from the front seat of my son’s car. Rodney never hesitated once when I asked for help and the only thing he said was “What are friends for!” By the way a nomad on a U-Haul trailer is not always the most stable. Rodney did a great job of keeping things in line despite the “tail wagging the dog” especially on the downhill runs in the mountains. Rodney’s response to Dale Ann when she mentioned the swaying of the trailer in the side view mirror was, “Don’t Look!”. Even through the torrential rain storm we drove though, Rodney & Dale Ann have filled two more holes in my heart of lost friends.
While many unfortunate events did happen during our trip, I count my blessings on how things always took a positive spin and there was always someone there to lend a hand. I guess all my past labor in building friendships has worked. I hope that in the time I have left I will encounter more friends like this, as there is always room for more in my heart. Thank you to all the friends I have made with both Nomad clubs, and the Tri Chevy Association over the 30 years.
Don Tornow
p.s. Good news comes from bad, since the mad got trailed I ended up in Custom “trailered” class and I did not think there was much of a chance. I was pleasantly surprised when I won a 1st in Custom trailered & best paint and body custom trailered. Thanks.
UPDATE
The entire trans was eatting itself up from the inside out and required a full rebuild and upgrade after only 5000 miles. Not real sure just went wrong and why it too 5000 miles for it to show up but the trans had about 7 times excessive end play in the main shaft.
No Driver Error involve in this baby!
