Road Trip

Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.
– CONFUCIUS

While discussing spring break plans, freshman Cash Nab pitched an idea to six of his friends. He suggested a road trip from his home in Fleming, Colo., to McPherson College in a 1915 Model T, 1926 Model T, and 1928 Model A Sports Coupe. The trip was a way to get all his pre-war automobiles in one spot but turned into an epic adventure for Cash and his friends – Thomas Tencer, Ian Foster, Sean Whetstone, Edwin Buiter, Hannah Simmons, and Nathan Drouin.

“I still had doubts about it the week before we left,” Nab said. “The best part about the trip was the end of each day sitting around talking about everything that happened and planning for the next day.”

When they arrived in Colorado, the students spent a few days getting the cars running and preparing them for the trip. Ultimately, they decided to trailer the 1915 T because it would not run in high gear. The three-day trip covered 500 miles through every kind of weather. The drivers averaged 10 hours each day at an average speed of 27-35 miles per hour. Days were spent enjoying the beautiful scenery of back roads in Colorado and Kansas and at night camping under the stars.

A highlight for the group was returning to McPherson and an impromptu parade down Main Street, honking horns to celebrate their journey while people stopped and waved.

“We decided every year at spring break to do a pre-war auto tour,” Nab said. “Probably not as long as this one, but it’s nice to get the cars out and drive them a bit.”

From Nab’s Travel Log

Day 1

“Finished”: Had a late start but for the first day, it was not horrible. The 1926 T drove exceptionally well the whole day. The A, however, enjoyed the side of the road more. Made it a bit over 120 miles usually going 27 mph.

Day 2

“Beats Walkin’”: We left Burlington, Colo., around 8:30 a.m. after the cars were oiled and checked over. The T ran great again, but at the end of the day, about five miles from our stop, it had some issues with carb adjustment and random sputtering. The issues are hopefully resolved. We made it to Lake Scott State Park where we are camping in tents with a campfire supper.

Day 3

“We Made It!”: Once all fueled up, we got on the road and headed east. Had lunch at a nice little diner off the road and had many people curious about our adventures, and almost every car that passed had their phone out for a video! This trip was amazing, and rest assured, these cars will be going on more trips like this.