Sunday, May 12
Grand Junction, CO to Denver, CO

“A Rocky Mountain High”

A glorious morning in beautiful Grand Junction, CO. Up at 6:00 AM to go buy June Hot Rod Magazine since I am tired of telling people I don’t know name of color of SLEPE 63. Walk out to car — Dennis is finishing up valve cover gasket replacement. No more soiled loins for SLEPE 63. Much confusion as to how many washers go on which bolt. Finally figure it out. SLEPE 63 idles bad. I blame it on altitude. I see power brake vacuum hose setting on intake. Hook up. At least part of altitude sickness is cured.

Clean up car. Dennis heads for driver’s meeting — won’t he be impressed with organizational structure. Time to go. Will Hanzel comes over to remind us if we want photo ops, we must stay with others. Tells Callaway guys the same. We bow our heads like shamed puppies and agree to stay together. Jim Savas wants us and five others for special photos during drive through scenic pass. We are thrilled. Blast-off three minutes early.

Stop for gas — Tour goes ahead. We start trying to catch up. Black dot appears in our mirror — it is ’53 Studebaker Hawk which ran 200+ at Bonneville with the air conditioner on! Local in Dodge complete with hood scoop the size of Rhode Island pulls up along side of Hawk — Bubba not aware of consequences of his action. Hawk flies off into the sunrise. Challenger is not one. Catch Tour at Greenwood, CO — Tour inundates town — clogging all streets and gas stations. I eat ice cream, Hostess Cup Cakes and drink Diet Coke. Dennis does ice cream and regular Coke. We are ready to ride. Great diet. Hope we don’t find weigh scale.

Savas offers us primo opportunity — Dennis, Jet mega-babe blond and SLEPE 63 in staged shoot in next pass. How can we say no! Blond in car — I am out. Small consolation. I would have done same to Dennis. With much clutch slippage Dennis and blond hit road. I get ride in Impala SS wagon blond got out of. Some trade for both of us. Find SLEPE 63, Dennis and blond on side of road. SLEPE 63 hot and bothered. Or is it Dennis — we can’t tell from distance. We stop on shoulder and walk back as semi’s drive by, sandblasting our legs. Dennis says it is SLEPE 63 who is hot, although he is bothered by it. They blast off for more photos.

See SLEPE 63, Dennis, and blond at top of divide — 13,000+ feet. SLEPE 63 has gone weak in the knees. Dennis has not. Blond wants out. I feel wanted again. We swap seats. SLEPE 63 generates about twelve total horsepower at this elevation. We are about to enter mile long tunnel through mountain. If SLEPE 63 dies we probably will also. SLEPE 63 lives. We do, too.

All down hill from here! Finally make Denver — drive forever to Englewood suburb for party and hotel. We wash car. Dry car. Polish car. We are so cool. Others borrow hose and bucket. MOM is wanted this Mothers® Day.

Savas shows up — suggests we get over to party ASAP. Locals are pulling their cars into our spaces and won’t listen to reason. Smelly clutch and all (especially clean SLEPE 63) we blast off for party across street.

Prowler backs in next to us. Big crowd. Dennis and I threaten Bubbas who brush up or lean against SLEPE 63.

Meet many people. Answer paint question with magazine I purchased this morning. Lighten load by giving away samples and T-Shirts. Twenty seven people say they have a Nova just like SLEPE 63. Dream on.

See local Mothers® reps Ron Fraker, wife, her mother, and David Spaulding, who works with Ron. Make small talk. We need clutch. David to pick up from our valued customer Automotive Performance Wholesale (nee Kenz and Leslie) tomorrow morning and bring to us. We are happy.

Party over. We put SLEPE 63 to bed and decide to eat dinner. Go back to party site, Gunther Toody’s, where we are told food is free with “I am God” Power Tour bracelet. Good food — best waitress we have ever had. She is great — I can see glowing letter of praise to her boss coming. Manager named Ed comes over — tells us free food ended two hours ago. We remind him three employees who greeted us, waited on us, and spoke with us knew nothing of it. Too bad says Ed. Pay up. We decide Ed is more like Mr. Ed, a real horse’s patoot. I get names of all involved for one glowing letter, and another which must be mailed in asbestos envelope. Decide to use receipt for dinner as leverage to drive Callaway Corvette, since they (Super Shops) sponsored dinner.

Back to hotel. Pooped out. Agree to meet Dennis at 6:00 AM to try to adjust SLEPE 63’s clutch so we can make it to Goodland to replace.

Next stop — Goodland, KS — where they shut town down in celebration of someone outside their gene pool stopping.

Story and photos by,

Forrest Tosie
Mothers® Polishes•Waxes•Cleaners