FROM COAST TO COAST IN A CENTURY-OLD CAR
A road trip in a vintage vehicle adds an extra layer of excitement to the adventure
Road trip: Two words that capture the imagination of any driving enthusiast.
For the most part, modern vehicles require only gassing up and checking tire air pressure before proceeding on an adventure. For some, that’s just too boring. They’d rather slow down and drive an old car, simply because a road trip of any considerable distance in a vintage vehicle adds an extra layer of excitement to the adventure.
That’s what author Tom Cotter did, but he took it to the extreme, driving clear across America in a century-old Ford Model T. He documented the journey in his new book, Ford Model T Coast to Coast: A Slow Drive Across a Fast Country.
“The slow road is rapidly becoming an endangered species,” he writes in the introduction to the 224-page hardcover book published by Motorbooks. “In our hurried world, most folks opt for the fast, direct route rather than travelling the slow, winding roads.
“That’s too bad, because the fast roads bypass all that is unique about America.
“And soon, I’m afraid, driverless cars may be making most of the decisions for us.”
Cotter is perhaps best known for his Barn Find series of books, where he writes about discovering long-neglected antique automobiles and motorcycles in dusty and dark garages and storage sheds.
But, long on his bucket list had been driving a Model T Ford across the country, something he knew he couldn’t accomplish on his own.
“I’ve been an old-car enthusiast since elementary school,” he writes, “and, even though I’ve never owned a Model T Ford, the car’s history, ruggedness, and simplicity have always intrigued me. I thought a coast-to-coast adventure in a century-old vehicle would be one of the milestone events of my life.”
In 2016, Cotter met another enthusiast who shared his passion for driving a Model T on a cross-country journey. Dave Coleman owns a diverse range of vintage cars, from Ford Falcons to Porsches. The two began plotting their 3,700-mile journey that would follow as much of the original route of the Lincoln Highway as possible.
First, they needed a car. While Coleman does own Model Ts, it was a 1926 Model T Roadster he’d given to his friend, Nathan Edwards, that was chosen for the adventure.
When Coleman gave the car to Edwards, it was a project in waiting. Over a period of five years, the pair worked on the Model T, transforming into a period hot rod. The engine, good for about 20 horsepower when stock, was modified with an aftermarket Rajo overhead-valve conversion cylinder head and several other changes that bumped output to 40 hp.
To handle that increase, Kevlar transmission bands were installed, along with much better brakes. they added hydraulic Wilwood discs up front and drums at the rear, instead of the original Ford transmission drum brake.
Other changes included a chopped top, a lowered ride height, and no fenders. Edwards was glad to let Cotter and Coleman use his Model T for a weekslong drive, and they dubbed his car “Something Special.”
They set off by dipping the tires of Something Special into the Atlantic Ocean at New Jersey’s Liberty State Park, a moment captured on camera by Michael Alan Ross.
Photographer Ross followed the pair everywhere, documenting the entire journey and taking colour images of the people they met and the places they stopped.
Ford Model T Coast to Coast is separated into four chapters, noted by the time zones they crossed.
Each chapter is broken into smaller sections, detailing the road and its denizens, and Cotter routinely refers to the amount of fuel used by Something Special and their distance travelled to date.
Cotter includes several interesting sidebars, illustrated with archival black-and-white photos that help fill in some history regarding everything from the creation of the Lincoln Highway to the record-setting speed attempts at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
His book is a great reminder that we’re living in a busy world, and it’s important to slow down occasionally and appreciate what we might otherwise ignore in our haste to simply make it to the next destination.
Oh, and the car? It makes the entire trip without a single major mechanical breakdown, but you’ll want to read the book for all of the fine details.