Report; November 13^th.
Edit by Dirk.

When we woke up, the sun was shining already. That means a beautiful day to drive.
That is much better than the cold weather of yesterday.
To Memphis are about 220 miles, and that will be too much for this day. So it will be a surprise we will sleep next night.
Because Dirk’s co-driver has her own car now, he put the route on the windshield.

the route for today

During the day we found a nice pick nick place in the sun, were Dirk had a quick tire change.

picknick place

At 5 o’ clock PM we arrived after 170 miles in Oakland, about 15 miles before Memphis.
We are curious to see what will happen tomorrow in Memphis; because of the legend Elvis is still alive.

Elvis here we come

Today Coker Tire put a nice article about our visit of last Monday on their blog.
Please visit: blog.cokertire.com.

Report November 12^th.
Edit by Dirk.

When I came to the Model T this morning, I saw a flat tire at the backside.
The first thing I thought was; the best place on earth to have a flat tire with the Model T is of course near Coker Tires in Chattanooga.

start of the day

the best place to have a flat tire

This is our first flat tire after almost 18.000 miles through the USA and Canada.
No problem for Coker Tires; in their garage they put a new tube into the tire.

repairing tire  1

repairing tire 2

The repaired tire and his big brother, the tire of the Thomas Flyer, together.

Tire and tire

This was a nice start of this day and we drove about 150 miles up to Memphis, while it was freezing.

Report November 11th.
Edit by Dirk.

Today we bring a visit to the Coker Tires Company in Chattanooga.
Coker Tires is the number one supplier of tires for classic cars in the world.
And they put our Model T on rubber during our world tour.
When we enter the office our names are on the notice board at the reception

welcome to Coker Tires

We were warmly welcomed by the owner of the company; Corky Coker.

meeting with Corky Coker

We got a tour to see his beautiful collection of classic cars and motorcycles.

Thomas Flyer, winner of the Great Race 1908

Trudy saw a nice house trailer, but Dirk told her that the Model T cannot climb steep hills while towing this.

instead of the roof tent

collection 1

collection 2

collection 3

Corky Coker has also a beautiful collection of classic motor cycles.
It looks like they are standing in a show-case.

motorcycles

Unfortunately there is no Model T in the collection, but Dirk knows how to solve this.

Model T in the collection 1

Model T in the collection 2

Very soon Corky Coker will start his own television program about barn finds.
Some of them are in his garage.

Barnfinds

They also have their own restoration workshop; make rims and wooden spokes for all kinds of classic cars.

work shop

rims shop

wooden spokes

At the end of this impressive meeting with the Coker Tires Company, Corky and Dirk go for a ride in the Model T.

going for a ride

good bye and save travel

Report November 9th & 10th.
Edit by Trudy.

Before we left this morning Dirk has to do some office work.

Dirk’s office

After the Model T and the Land Rover were started, we went to the Mc Donald’s in Paris, were we have an appointment with Sam Humphries from Lexington.
But unfortunately we missed him so we went to our next appointment with Jason Dotson, who owns a car shop in Paris; The Dotson Brothers.
We were warmly welcomed with coffee and nice home made apple pie.
We made some pictures in front of the shop which they printed and gave us.
They also gave a donation for SOS-children’s villages.

Dotson Brothers

From here we continued our trip from Paris to London through the Daniel Boone Forrest with rather steep and long hills.

November 10^th.

Because we missed them yesterday morning in Paris, Sam en Eleanor Humphries came to visit us in London to bring us a nice Kentucky licence plate and a home made wooden spark plug for Model T, to use as a decoration in the Christmas tree.

Sam Humphries in London

We had to do a long trip today; about 220 miles to Chattanooga, were we have an appointment tomorrow with Coker Tires, the company that sponsored the tires for our Model T during our world tour.
We arrived 5.30 PM in Chattanooga and the last 80 miles we drove on Highway 27.
The Model T has the wind in the back and in the overdrive Trudy spotted the speed at 60 miles p/h.

Report November 8th
Edit by Trudy.

Today we drove from Springfield to Paris. It was a beautiful trip.
In the morning there was ice on the roof of the Land Rover.
In Fayetteville we met Greg Houk who has a Jeep Pars shop in the village.
He picked up some T-shirts with the name of his shop and gave them to us.

meeting with Greg Houk

The tour goes through the hills and we cross the Ohio River, the border between Ohio and Kentucky.
We cross the Kentucky bridge and drive into Kentucky; again a new state for us.

welcome to Kentucky

Sometimes we have a discussion about the direction we have to take, but we decided to go the same way.

which direction

Looking to the trees you see that it is also autumn in Kentucky.

autumn in Kentucky

Report November 7th.
Edit by Trudy.

In the morning we go back to Jack and Maryline Putnam’s house, because our Model T had spend the night in their garage between Jack’s beautiful Model T’s.
Jack tells Dirk about the restoration of his 1911 Runabout.

Jack and Dirk

TT-truck

On the Model T’s are several special parts.

very special dyno-starter

also a starter

Dirk saw some old chairs and asked Jack if these are for a new Model T project.

new project

After visiting the garage we drink coffee and Maryline gave us a plate with home made cookies.

depart

We continue our tour on secondary roads. The wind is rather cold but the sun is shining and the Model T likes this kind of typical Dutch weather.

cold outside

Dirk has to do a little bit maintenance when we have a coffee stop.

maintenance on te road

In Urbana we visited the Model T part shop of Gaslight Auto Parts.
Dirk need some new spark plugs and gets them for free as a donation for our tour.

sparkplugs from Gaslight Auto Parts

Because the fuel in the spare can is rather old, we think from Texas last May, Dirk put it in the fuel tank.

spare fuel

So we ended up the day with a nice low-standing sun and old fuel.

Report November 6th
Edit by Dirk.

Tonight we are invited at the monthly club meeting of the Model T Ford Club of Northwest Ohio in Bluffton.
A lot of member visited this meeting to listen to presentation of Dirk about the stories of our world tour.

presentation 1

presentation 2

This meeting was in the garage of our host Jack Putnam between his beautiful Model T’s.

Jack’s garage

Jack’s wife Maryline had made delicious cakes.

Maryline’s cakes

On behalf of the club, Jack gives Dirk after the presentation a cheque to support the work of SOS-children’s villages.

donation

Rick Lindner, a member of the club, passed round with his cap, which came back well filled.

Rick and his filled cap

There were of course a lot of questions about the modifications on our Model T and Dirk tried to explain everything.

Dirk’s explanation

At the end of this very successful meeting we made a picture with all the visitors of this meeting around the Model T.

all around the Model T

Report Monday November 4th
Edit by Dirk

Today we have an invitation from the HenryFordMuseum in Detroit to visit the GreenfieldVillage to make pictures and video takes with our Model T.
Along Highway 94 we go to the museum. We had frost last night and it was rather cold in the morning, so Dirk has wrapped himself up.

Gate Greenfield Village

At the museum we are warmly welcomed by Melissa Foster and Jim Johnson.

Melissa and Jim

We got a private tour through the village and we took beautiful pictures near several building from the beginning of the Ford Company.

Henry Ford’s first factory

In this barn Henry Ford build his first car in 1896; the Quadricycle.

Barn

Quardicycle

We continued our tour and visited the house were Henry Ford was born in 1863 and several other objects of interest.

Birth-place Henry Ford

Bill board

Wooden watertower

There is also a garage full with Model T and Model A’s.
It is always special to see a garage like this with only vintage Fords.

Fordgarage

At the end of this very special tour Dirk gave an interview to Melissa about our world tour in front of the Sweepstakes from 1901. This was de race car with witch Henry Ford earned his money to start his Ford Motor Company.

interview with Melissa

Reports October 17 & 18.

October 17th.
Edit by Sjaak.

Today we fly back to Holland.
Jannie brings us to the airport of Detroit, where we say good bye.

saying good bye to Jannie 1 

saying good bye to Jannie 2

This is the last report made by Sjaak and Coby as the support crew during the world tour through the USA and Canada.
We hope that you have enjoyed our reports.

Best wishes,
Sjaak Regter en Coby de Wit.

October 18th.
Edit by Dirk Regter

After a good flight from Detroit to Amsterdam, our son Dirk-jan and our daughter Rozemarijn picks us up from the airport Schiphol.

welcome at Schiphol, Amsterdam

We say good bye to Sjaak and Coby, our support crew of the last 4 weeks.

saying good bye to our crew

When we arrive at home in Edam, we first want to see our new grandson Simon.

Simon, Dirk and Dirk-jan 

Simon, Trudy and Inge

We stay in Edam till the first of November and than we go back to Detroit, where we continue our trip to Houston.
Until that time there will be no new reports on our website.
After the first of November you can follow our travel adventures again.
Have a nice time.

Trudy en Dirk from Edam, Holland.

cheese market Edam

bridge Edam

Report October 15 and 16th.
Edit by Sjaak.

Today we bring a visit to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.
We visited the Greenfield Village with houses and buildings from the end of 1800 and the beginning of 1900.
You can see how people lived during that time and the technical development in that area.
Several Model T’s drove in the street in which you can make a drive as a passenger.
Trudy sends some postcards to Holland at a post office from the 20th

at the post office

Model T’s in the street

In the car museum there are of course a lot of old and newer Fords but also beautiful cars from other marks.
There is also a lot of attention to the technical development from the end of 1800 and the beginning of 1900.
Big steam locomotives for example.
We had a nice and very impressive day at the museum.

museum-1909 Model T

in the museum 1

in the museum 2

October 16th.
Edit by Sjaak

Today we make the preparing for our trip back home to Holland tomorrow.
Dirk and Trudy also go back to Holland for two weeks to see their new grandchild “Simon”.
We can park the Model T and the Land Rover at Jannie and Paul’s house for these two weeks.