This '31 Plymouth coupe is...
This '31 Plymouth coupe is getting the full Hopperstad treatment, which includes a stretched front end to accommodate the Viper drivetrain that Kerry and crew are installing.
Tuesday morning we stopped back at the AMSOIL Center for coffee and pastries as day three of the tour began. Our destination for the day was Iron Mountain, Michigan, and Randy Hallman Specialty Cars. The drive across the upper part of Wisconsin on Route 2 was beautiful, and we pulled into Randy's shop at about 2 p.m. Randy, his wife Jackie, and the crew were waiting along with some local hot rodders. The food was all set out, and we had a relaxing few hours at the shop enjoying the food and the vehicles on display. By 4 p.m. we made the short drive to our hotel.
The Wednesday morning drive on the tour took us along Route 2 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was a beautiful morning as we traveled along the coastline of Lake Michigan, taking advantage of the many photo opportunities. We reached the Mackinac Bridge in St. Ignace just after noon. The lake was fairly foggy and the huge bridge loomed in the distance as we took photos at the north end before we crossed over on our way to Charlevoix, Michigan.
After checking in at the hotel in Charlevoix we had a little time to explore the quaint lakeside village and the shops in the area. Wednesday evening we were guests at the Ellsworth, Michigan, facilities of Time Machines Unlimited and its sister company Rod Tops. We were greeted by Owner Dave Draper, and Sales Manager and Engineer Chad Draper. Dave has been involved in the automotive industry for many years and has used his vast knowledge of the convertible top business to expand into retractable top manufacturing for the luxury boat industry. Rod Tops manufactures removable convertible tops for '28-34 Ford roadsters. Time Machines Unlimited specializes in complete restoration and fabrication on all types of vintage vehicles. Rod Tops and Time Machines Unlimited will be doing the top and interior work on next year's Road Tour roadster. After our tour of the facilities we were treated to a great meal before heading back to Charlevoix for the evening.
Thursday morning we visited the facilities of Great Lakes Motor Works and Classic Instruments in nearby Boyne City, Michigan. Great Lakes Motor Works is owned by Mike Stowe and originally offered complete restorations on all types of special interest vehicles. Mike's personal collection and interests have expanded, and Great Lakes Motor Works services Mike's fleet exclusively and offers limited service on customer's collector vehicles. Some years ago Mike purchased Classic Instruments and moved the operation to Boyne City. John McLeod has been at Classic Instruments since the original move to Boyne City and recently took over ownership of the company that still operates within the Great Lakes Motor Works complex. Besides its line of gauges for special interest vehicles of all types, Classic Instruments also does restoration and updating of all types of original and one-off gauges.
While in Boyne City we also got a look at an incredible Mopar collection owned by Browney Mascow. We rounded out our morning with a visit to a private collection of racing motorcycles that boggled the mind. The internal combustion hobby is alive and well in Boyne City.
By noon it was time to get to St. Ignace, our destination for the weekend and the site of the famous St. Ignace Car Show. We arrived in St. Ignace at about 2 p.m., and the town was already beginning to fill with all types of street rods, hot rods, collector, and special interest vehicles. Thursday evening the cars gathered at the Kewadin Casino and headed out for a parade through the streets of St. Ignace. After the parade, awards were handed out and a lucky participant won a Classic '34 Hot Rod pedal car provided by Classic Automobilia.
At the AMSOIL Center in Superior,...
At the AMSOIL Center in Superior, Wisconsin, we were given a tour of the production facilities. These enormous metal silos contain the raw materials that go into the production of AMSOIL's many products.
Vice President of Operations...
Vice President of Operations Scott Davis gave us a guided tour of the AMSOIL facilities in Superior. From raw materials to packaged products the wide line of AMSOIL products all comes through the AMSOIL Center.
Director of Advertising Ed...
Director of Advertising Ed Newman and the folks at AMSOIL did a fantastic job of getting the word out to the local street rodding community that the tour would be in town. We were joined by almost 300 street rods and special interest vehicles from the area on Monday evening.
From Superior, Wisconsin,...
From Superior, Wisconsin, our Tuesday travels took us along the coastline of Lake Superior. This area of northern Wisconsin is very picturesque.
Our destination for Tuesday...
Our destination for Tuesday afternoon was Iron Mountain, Michigan, and the shop and showroom of Randy Hallman Specialty Cars. Randy and wife Jackie had the food all ready for us when we arrived and gave us a tour of their facilities. He has been in the specialty vehicle business for 30-plus years and is known for his craftsmanship.
Tuesday morning we gathered...
Tuesday morning we gathered back at the AMSOIL Center for coffee and pastries before continuing. The great folks at AMSOIL are major supporters of the entire Road Tour program, and it is always a special treat to stop and show our appreciation of their commitment to the Road Tour.