Indian Nation: Indian Motorcycles and America

A special exhibition at the American Swedish Historical Museum, in Philadelphia, open now until 22 Aug., 2015.

The story of the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company closely mirrors the history and attitudes of 20th century America.  Indian was founded in 1901 by George Hendee, an American bicycle racer and builder, and Carl Oscar Hedstrom, a Swedish immigrant and machinist.  The exhibition at the museum features rare Indians from 1903 to 1953 including a 1903 single engine Indian, a 1911 experimental prototype that Hedstrom and friend, Ben "The Terrible Swede" Swenson, personally worked on, a 1946 power plus with sidecar, a 1947 Chief, plus engines, historic photos, racing memorabilia, and much more.

Charlene and I visited the exhibit yesterday and although small it was well put together and worth seeing.  A great collection of the best motorcycles ever made.  Although the did mention the rebadged Royal Enfield Indians, they did not have one on exhibit.

To see the rest of the pictures I took yesterday, please, visit my Flickr Album - Indian Nation.

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The Lost Week

Ahlanna at the wheel

For the last week and a half we had our great-niece staying with us as she does every summer and, other than for a couple of errands, I didn't get to ride the Bullet very much because we were busy doing other things.  However, Ahlanna and I did enjoy several rides on the MG.

We took several short rides around the Goshen loop and then last Monday we took a real long ride on the Dragon.  We first stopped at Thornbury Farms to get some cookies.  Being a Monday there was no one else there and when paying I noticed a picture of a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang reproduction that I had seen at the Chester County Antique Car Show in May.  I pointed it out to Ahlanna and the girl behind the counter told me that it was their car, her father, the owner of Thornbury Farms, had made it for her and her siblings and that they took it to several shows.  I showed her the picture I had taken of it at Kimberton and we chatted about it for a while.  She said it was built on a 1929 Model T and that it was very popular whenever they showed it.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Kimberton

From there we rode down to the Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery and took some shots of Ahlanna in the car in front of the octagonal school house.  Then we continued on down the way to get on the Dragon.  We had taken the precaution of fueling up the night before at the Wawa on the West Chester Pike and 352 so we didn't need to stop at the Sunoco on Route 1 to fuel up.

(When we fueled up on Sunday night, the tank took 3.520 gallons of Premium for a total of $11.79.  I had to take a picture of the pump because it didn't give me a receipt.  Since the refuel the week before we had put on 86.3 miles on the odo which, at refueling, read 4229 miles.  (This will become important on a later post.)  The mileage on this tank was 24.51 mpg.)

4229 miles on 21 June 2015

We stopped at the Taqueria Guadalajara for some carne asada tacos and horchata that we both enjoyed tremendously.  Instead of staying on the Dragon we veered off to stop at Baldwin's Book Barn.  We took a little break there and then doubled back to Birmingham Rd to catch 926.  On the way back we took Route 3 back to the edge of West Chester to run some errands but came back home via Strasburg/Goshen.  All in all we put almost 100 miles on the car on this ride.  It was the last opportunity that Ahlanna and I had to ride together (although we got two or three shorter rides before that) and she really enjoyed the car and the attention.  There were several instances were I noticed young boys her age who could not figure out where to look, at the car or the girl.  It was great fun for both of us.

On this Monday ride we saw two black Ferraris, a dark colored Tesla, a hot rod, and a late 40s early 50s pickup.  That brings the exotic tally to 17 Teslas, 17 Ferraris, 11 Maseratis, 5 Bentleys, 4 McLarens, 3 Cobras, 2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.  The classic car tally is now three Nash Metropolitans, three 1950s Jags, three 1960's 'Vettes, one MGA, two Hot Rods, one 1950s Chrysler, one 1950s Oldsmobile, one 1950's Plymouth, one Karmann Ghia, one 1950s grocery-getter, one 40s/50s pickup, one Triumph TR4, and one Ford Model A.

On the way for a ride on Wednesday night

Wednesday night

At Thornbury Farms

Birmingham, Lafayette

Birmingham, Lafayette

Snuff Mill

A natural at the wheel

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Fourth Annual Paoli Car Show

Paoli Car Show

Saturday morning, the Paoli Methodist Church put on a car show at the church on Devon Rd.  We had attended this show a couple of years back and we wanted to take the MG to it.  It's a very small show, maybe fifty cars at most but it seemed like a fun thing to do and the last time we went there were some interesting cars.

This time the show did not disappoint either; there were at least six Ferraris in attendance, some really nice looking Model As, and one really cool yellow MGB.  We met a couple who are also members of HCCP, Bob and Pat Bodek, who have a red 1930 Model A hotrod and the yellow MGB.  We chatted with them for quite a while and really enjoyed our conversation.  They were really nice people and I think both of us learned quite a bit from them.  I am looking forward to seeing them at some of these events.  Bob told me that there is a cruise night at the East Goshen Park Famers' Market on the 18th, unfortunately we won't be able to make it this time.

This was a great outing because the show was small but there was still quite a bit of people traffic and it was very relaxed.  They organizers don't collect a registration fee but accept donations for the sponsoring church.  They also had food and music.  Both of us really enjoyed this show.

On the way back home we took a ride through Devon and Wayne and generally took the long way to enjoy the car.

See the rest of the photos from the show in my Flickr Cars Album.

Bob's 1930 Model A Hotrod

Pat's MGB

Two of the six Ferrraris on the field

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Thornbury Founders Day Show

Thornbury Park

On Saturday afternoon Charlene and I took the MG to the Thornbury Founders Day Celebration Show at Thornbury Park.  This was a small invitational show put on by HCCP for about 20 cars.  Jim Mooney had secured and invitation for us from Bill Kinnett so we were able to show Montse there.

The show began at 17:00 so we headed out of the house at about 16:30 to go to the Liberty Station on the West Chester Pike and Winding Rd for a refuel.  When we made the right at Winding Rd there was a green Tesla waiting for the light on the left turn lane.  I'm starting to think that Teslas are as thick as fleas around here.  At the gas station there was a white McLaren fueling up right next to us.  The guy was fueling up and I wanted to take a picture of the car but he looked a little sour faced so I didn't ask.  At the pump the odo read 3854 miles for 160.8 miles since the last fuel up.  The tank took 5.410 gallons at 3.699 a gallon for a total of $23.71 and a mileage of 29.72 mpg.

From there we headed up the Pike for the left at 926.  We followed 926 across 352 and made the left on Tanguy.  We stayed on Tanguy until we reached Cheney University and made the left onto Cheney Rd.   I had planned on taking Thornton off Cheney but I missed the turned and continued on Cheney until we reached Glen Mills Rd.  I made the right but soon found the road blocked.  I turned out that the blockage was part of the Founders Day Celebration, they make people park at outlying lots and ferry them in, so the guy just let us right through.

The Turners 1910 REO

When we got to the park most of the cars from the club were already there so we found a spot and parked.  We pulled out our chairs and set out to join the rest of the club.  We met the Turners (1910 REO) and the Alexanders (late 40s Chevy) and sat with them.  They were really nice and welcoming and we really enjoyed talking to them about car shows, tours, and the car life.  Also got to finally meet Jim Mooney in person, another great guy and very interested in photography so we had a ton of stuff to talk about.


Later on in the afternoon, Jim pointed out that there was an MG parked at the edge of the park.  It wasn't in the show area but evidently they let him in to the park.  We could see it from where we were standing and I could tell right away that it was a replica.  We walked over and took a look at it.  It was a white London Roadster, which I determined before I saw the plaque.  It was in good shape but not as good shape as Montse.  One of the things I noticed is that it had a Pennsylvania Antique plate, this is something that I want to get for Montse so I will have to do some research on that.  I had a huge brain embolism and didn't take a shot of it.  I don't know what I was thinking about but I didn't get a picture and I didn't leave a note with my number.  I would have liked to talked to the owner about the car.

We really enjoyed the picnic, there were some food vendors and we got a roasted pork sandwich form Duffer's that was really good.   We have passed this place quite a few times on 352 but have never stopped.  We are going to put it in as one of our food stops in the rambles.

We didn't stay until the fireworks, leaving early at around 20:30 to avoid darkness and mosquitoes.  It was a great time and we are definitely planning to do more club activities.

We took the same route in reverse and enjoyed the early evening ride.  I could tell that some grubby fingered ankle bitter had put his little mitts all over the hood because I could see sticky hand prints everywhere.  Not a big deal, simple wipe with McGuire's Ultimate Quick Detailer and it was good as new again.

The exotic tally stands at 15 Ferraris, 14 Teslas, 11 Maseratis, 4 Bentleys, 3 Cobras, 3 McLarens,  2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

For the rest of the show photos, see the Thornbury Show Set on Flickr.

Thornbury Park

1960s Excalibur Roadster

Jim Mooney's 1970s Blazer

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Chester County Antique Car Show

Chester County Antique Car Show

Sunday morning, after my short ride to refuel the Bullet, we headed out to Kimberton for the Annual Chester County Antique Car Club Show.

We headed up 252 to Darby Rd and followed that to 30 West.  From there we took the right at 29 to Charlestown Rd and followed that to Coldstream Rd.  There we made a left and continued on to Hare Hill Rd for a right.  The turn at Hare Hill Rd is pretty tight and steep and I was glad to have my newly deflated tires to take that that turn on the hill.  Hare Hill runs to Kimberton Rd, where we made another right, and that runs to the downtown area of Kimberton to the Fair Grounds back entrance.  I should have taken 113 and come in that way because we found that entry to the grounds was limited  but we were able to pull into the overflow area and park under a tree.

Jim Mooney's F100

This is a fairly good size show with a huge showing of Mustangs since it appears to be sponsored or related to a Mustang club.  We saw some cars we have seen before, Pepe's 1940 Buick and Jim Mooney's F-100, but there were several that we hadn't seen anywhere else.  There was an Anglia, a couple of Crosleys, and a  a couple turquoise and and white Nash Metropolitans.

The show was not organized like the HCCP shows, cars were parked as they arrived with what appeared to be minor exceptions.  The older cars, early 1900s were all clustered together by the food trucks and, of course, the Mustangs had their own area.  The show was in an open field with not much shade so we didn't stick around long.  We took some pictures, did a once around the showfield, check out the flea market and got out of Dodge.

Pennsylvania Barn on Coldstream Road

 We headed back on a reverse route except that once we got to 30 we took Old Lincoln Highway to Warren and followed that all the way back to Goshen.  We even took the dirt road portion of Warren between Providence and Goshen.  The ride there and back was very picturesque once off the main roads, mostly rolling hills and wooded country with some open valleys.  Next year I would like to make it to this show at an earlier time and come prepared with some umbrellas for shade.

When we reached 252 on Goshen there was a dark metallic blue Maserati that led us all the way home.  That sure is one nice looking car.

The rest of the show pictures are in my Cars Flickr set.

The exotic tally stands at 15 Ferraris, 13 Teslas, 10 Maseratis, 4 Bentleys, 3 Cobras, 2 McLarens,  2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

Flamin' Anglia

Spirit of Ecstasy

Nash Metropolitan No. 1

Nash Metropolitan No. 2

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HCCP Spring Show at Linvilla Orchards

Montse at HCCP Spring Show

Sunday was the Historical Car Club of Pennsylvania's Spring Show at Linvilla Orchards.  A little while back I'd gotten a call from one of the club guys, Jim Mooney, asking if I would take pictures at the show for the club.  I agreed on the condition that I might not be able to if it conflicted with Carlisle.  We all know the story of Carlisle so that wasn't a problem.

The show was supposed to start at 08:00 but I was a little confused so I left the house a little late.  Because I left late, I took the more direct route out 252 to 1 and then 352 to the orchard.  It didn't take long and when I got there probably there weren't more than twelve cars in the field.  I picked up my registration from Bill Kinett, with whom Jim Mooney hd asked me to check in, and I headed to my spot at the head of Section 17.

MG TF 1800 number 25 of 25

I spent most of the morning wandering around taking pictures and talking to some people.  I saw Pepe with his 1940 Buick, who I had seen at Downingtown the day before, and a couple of other people I had seen at these shows before.  I also talked to a guy who has a MG TF 1800, the limited edition of 25 made at the end of the British Leyland run, that I had seen at one of these shows a couple of years back.  He has an elaborate setup with a picnic basket and he dresses the part in a suit, bow tie, and boater.  I also ran into a friend from work with her husband and their 1980 'Vette which they were not showing but I took some shots of it anyway.

Spotter's Guide Poster

I didn't stay long at the show but I did take a walk through the flea market and I found two MG related things there.  The first was a gold Micro Machines MG, it looks more like a TF but at 75 cents I wasn't passing it up.  The other was a spotters guide poster to the MG T series.  It looks like a vintage late 70s or early 80s poster and in was in fairly good condition with only some water damage on the lower left corner and pin holes in the upper corners.  As lagniappe, there was a MG TC poster on the back so for 10 bucks it was a hell of a deal.  I got a frame from AC Moore and it's now hanging in my garage. 

By 11:30 I'd had enough of being out in the sun, so I got in the MG and headed home.  Before heading back I made a stop at my gun club to see if I could find a couple of my league guys and see what they were up to with the shooting league since I haven't been in a couple of months.  I ran into Joe N and Bobby V and we chatted for awhile in the club house.   I noticed a dark green Tesla in the parking lot and the guys said that it belongs to one of the pistol guys.

Chrysler on the Corner

From there I went back home via Rose Tree/Bishop Hollow because I wanted to snap a shot of the Chrysler on the corner.  On turning the corner at Rose Hill and Sycamore Mills, where the Chrysler is parked, I came upon a red convertible Ferrari going in the opposite direction, we exchanged waves and kept going.  This route is almost as much fun on the MG as it is on the Bullet.  The twists and hills make it interesting and a little technical in some spots.  I got to remember the stop sign on the turn after Crum Creek because I came around and with the notional breaks on the MG there was no way I was going to stop.  Thankfully there was no one at the intersection so I blew right through but it could have been very very ugly.

After I got home Charlene and I took the MG to go to The Thunderbird for lunch, we like this place because it's an old fashioned place with no pretensions and good food.  We went via Malin were we fell behind a black Maserati making a left onto Bryn Mawr.  On the way back we drove a ways down the Pike and then reversed to go home.

The exotic tally stands at 11 Ferraris, 10 Teslas, 8 Maseratis, 3 Cobras, 2 Bentleys, 2, McLarens,  1 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 1 Rolls Royce, 1 DeLorean, and 1 Unknown.

The rest of the photos from the show are posted on my Flickr page in the HCCP 2015 Spring Show album.

MG Midge Mascot

In the Section 17 Padock

Montse

Pepe's 1940 Buick

Micro Machines T series MG

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One Last California Car

In the afternoon of our last day in San Francisco we took a drive out towards the Marin Headlands and on the way there we stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point on the northern end of the bridge.  The day was still warm, probably in the low 70s, but there was quite a bit more haze than there had been in the previous days.

Parked in the lot we found a beautiful old Mustang.  It looked like an older restoration but the car was in great shape and certainly attracted a lot of attention from everyone there.  It even had the old black and gold plates on it.  The passenger compartment was full of over-sized teddy bears and Giants paraphernalia, not sure what that was about but it certainly was interesting.

I will definitely miss California for the rest of this winter but I got New Orleans in sight for early March and soon after that it should be motorcycle season again! 

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Only in California

Last Saturday we went to San Francisco for a short break from the Frozen Hell that is the Northeast.  As soon as we landed in SFO we headed towards Millbrae to hit the In-N-Out and after a delicious lunch of a Double-Double and fries Animal Style we had to find an AT&T store because my cell was acting up. The nearest AT&T store was in downtown Burlingame and after taking care of the cell issue we strolled around the downtown area.

Only in California can you still see classics being used as everyday drivers.  We spotted a soft-top split window and an old bus parked on the street.  I also spotted a gold Studebaker Avanti pulling a U-turn in front of us but was not fast enough on the draw to get a shot of it.

If you want to see the rest of my photos from this trip, please, check out my California album on Flickr.

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Historical Car Club of Pennsylvania Show

At the HCCP Show

On Sunday, the wife and I went to the Historical Car Club of Pennsylvania's show on Sunday at the Delaware County Community College campus.  This is a yearly show at this location and we went to see the show last year but did not have a car to enter.  This year, we entered Montse in the show.

The organizers put her in the VW paddock.  I don't know why, maybe since she was the only replica there that was VW powered they felt that she should be in that paddock.  The show registration form said that there was a class for replica cars and that is what I entered but was not placed there.  The only other replica in the show was a 1936 Mercedes Benz 500K built on a Lincoln Mark II frame and powered by a Cleveland engine.  That car was in the 30s and 40s paddock.  Who knows how they figure this out.

In the VW Paddock

One of the funny things about being the VW paddock was that people kept asking why I was not with the English racing cars.  There was a red 1948 MG TC in that paddock and most people could see the resemblance to that and not to the VWs.  We talked to the owner of the TC and he came down to see Montse and compare her to his car.  He was very knowledgeable about MGs, as should be expected, and he was happy to talk to me about my replica.

MG TC in the British Car Paddock

Heritage? Mercedes Benz 500K

Before I left the show, the owner of the 500K drove down to the VW paddock to talk to me about replica cars.  He is a really nice guy that bought that kit in 1984 and worked on it for 26 years before getting it out on the road.  It sure is a beautiful car.  He told me who the maker was but I didn't recognize it.  One of the guys from the TD Replica Owners Club told me that it may have been a Heritage.  Whatever it is, it sure is awesome.

We really enjoyed the whole experience and are both looking forward to doing it again.  If the Parcae will it, I would love to enter this same show again next year.

Me and my new buddy with his MB 500K in the background.

We left the show at 15:00, an hour before the closing bell, and took a ride out to Valley Forge to enjoy the fall foliage.  It is really starting to look pretty out that way with a lot of the trees already changing color.  Another great ride with beautiful weather to accompany it.  The twists and turn at the Park were just made for this car.   

National Memorial Arch at Valley Forge Park

To see more pics of the HCCP car show, checkout my Flickr page Cars album.

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Random Rides

Baldwin's Book Barn
(taken with my Nikon D7000)

The last month has been very busy with work and travel and not much time for riding.  Since August 14th I've only been able to clock a little over 300 miles on the Bullet.  Some of that was done commuting to work and with just a handful of short rides.

Willistown Quaker Meeting House

On August 14th, I managed a ride out to Baldwin's Book Barn using the Goshen to 926 route with a right turn on Creek Road to Lanape Road/52.  On this run I managed to stop at the Willistown Meeting House and take some pics of the Bullet on an empty parking lot.  This was a nice ride out to the Barn and back on the same route with a stop for gas at the station on the corner of 202 and 926.  There, the gas station attendant, a nice older Indian gentleman, came out to talk to me about the Bullet and to make sure that I understood that they were made in India.  You could tell the level of national pride he took on seeing the Bullet on American roads.  I thoroughly enjoy talking to him about Royal Enfields and his motorcycle experiences in India.

New Seven Inch Light and Visor

Sometime after that ride, I took the Bullet out to Pottstown to have the Kiss Honda folks install a seven inch head light and visor.   They did the work with the usual high level of services and speed.  I also had them adjust the shifter to be a little higher because it was not comfortable to use.  This adjustment has improved the shifting pattern and has definitely reduced the number of false neutrals the Bullet kept insisting on.

The ride out and back to Pottstown was a nice stretch after just commuting to work and definitely enjoyable.  Road surfaces have all been redone which made the ride quite enjoyable  and fun.

New Seven Inch Light and Visor

New Seven Inch Light and Visor

 On September 6th and 7th I took a couple of short rides out on the Goshen-Strasburg loop with some deviations.  The ride on the 6th included a refueling stop at the Wawa on Route 3 and 352 with a return loop out 352 to 926 and the back to Garret Mill and Goshen.  This was an early evening ride that also included a run out Grubbs Mill to Warren and Providence on the outbound leg.  It was a nice even ride and very enjoyable.

The Institutes in Malvern

On the 7th, I took an early ride out Goshen to  Sugartown and Providence for a stop at The Institutes for some photos in their campus.  From there I looped back to Goshen and turned around at the bridge over Ridley Creek for a run to Warren.  This loop out Warren Road was to take the Bullet to my storage facility as I would be leaving the country the next day and I did not want to leave it at home for that time.  I was out in Barcelona attending the events commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the September 11th of 1714 which marks a very important date in Catalan history.  I also took part in the Vote for Independence demonstration held in Barcelona on September 11th.  

The Institutes in Malvern

American Flag Farm on Providence Road

Yesterday I picked the Bullet up from storage and took a short ride on some back roads through Malvern and Paoli.  Today I took the first long ride in quite a while going out Goshen to the 926 loop but leaving 926 at 202 to ride through West Chester and back.  That is the first time I've taken that route, 202 runs into High Street and goes through West Chester where it eventually meets Union Street for the way back.

This was another excellent ride, the weather is starting to turn cold and the leaves are starting to change color.  I had to wear long sleeves under my mesh jacket and use my leather gloves instead of the summer gloves.  It is very enjoyable but Fall will be officially here tomorrow and soon the riding season will come to an end.  I wanted to clock 3,000 miles before having to put the bike away for the winter and I don't know if I will be able to do that.  When I picked the Bullet up from storage it had 1950 miles on the clock.  After today's ride the clock is reading 2008.4 miles.  If the temperatures continue to drop and we have an early Winter, I may not be able to clock the next 992 miles.  Last year I had my last ride on December 27th but things got really bad shortly after that and there was no riding again until April.  This year winter may come earlier and last longer.  Only time will tell.

The next fill up will not be due until 2132 miles.

Viure Lliure - Live Free
Barcelona, Catalunya

With my son and my grandson at the Fossar de les Moreres on 11 Sept 2014
El Born, Barcelona, Catalunya

Castells on the Pla de la Seu on 11 Sept 2014
Tarragona, Catalunya

With my wife and my grandson on 11 Sept 2014
Les Rambles, Barcelona, Catalunya

(See the rest of my Catalunya photos in the Flickr set Catalunya 2014)

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