Drop the gauntlet, and Harry Reding of Calgary is sure to take up the challenge.
An off the cuff remark at a Dodge Brothers Club (DBC) meeting in 2012 had Reding and his wife, Debbie, driving their 1929 Dodge Brothers Model DA Roadster from Calgary to Brenham, Texas a year later.
“In 2012 we’d trailered our DA to Detroit, and drove the car from there to Connecticut to take part in the DBC meet. We also drove on to Rhode Island,” says Reding. “That trip rekindled the flame about driving the old car long distances, and at the club meeting, the fellow who was hosting the next year’s event in Texas told us if we drove the car down, he’d pay for the fuel.
“It was a challenge, and I accepted.”
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Fueling up at the U Drop Inn cafe and station on Route 66 in Shamrock, Texas.
Courtesy of Harry Reding, Driving
Let’s start with a little background on the Dodge brothers, Horace and John. In 1900 they founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detroit. The pair turned out automobile engines and other components for the likes of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company and the fledgling Ford Motor Company.
By 1914, the brothers had built their own complete car, the Dodge Model 30. The vehicle bristled with what were then advanced features, including all-metal body, 12-volt electrical system and sliding gear transmission.
Their vehicles proved popular, and Dodge Brothers was second in sales by 1916. Both brothers died in 1920, and the company lost some of its earlier momentum.
The Chrysler Corporation bought the Dodge Brothers Company in 1928 – the same year they launched the Dodge Victory Six.
In 1929, Dodge unveiled the DA Roadster – a car based on the Victory Six, but came standard with rumble seat, six wire wheels and a compartment, accessible by the small door behind the passenger side door, where golf clubs could be stowed. The DA Roadster boasts a 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine, which is paired with a three-speed gearbox.
Reding, president of Reding Instrument Services Ltd., has owned his DA Roadster since 1996.
It had been restored in the mid-1960s, and is cosmetically still the same.
However, Reding performed a complete mechanical restoration, and the couple has since toured extensively in the car.
“The biggest challenge was getting prepared to go to Texas,” Reding says. “We’d be driving a route I’d never traversed, even in a modern car so I had no idea about accommodations or fuel stops, and we were going to be traveling early in the year in an open car with no side curtains.”
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The Dodge takes a breather in a field of wild flowers.
Courtesy of Harry Reding, Driving
To prepare the car, Reding installed a set of new BF Goodrich tires, checked all wheel bearings, changed the fuel filter and blew out the fuel line, cleaned the carburetor, greased the chassis and changed the engine distributor cap, rotor and points.
Two days later, on April 12, 2013, the pair left just after a prairie spring snowstorm had blown through. It was -5C.
Wearing two to four layers of clothing, plus blankets, the Redings pushed on to Great Falls, Montana. Rain and snow dogged them, but Reding says, “Determination, not sanity, set in.”
They traveled through Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and on April 18, Texas. Even then, the temperature was hovering close to 0C. Not until they got to Abilene, Texas, could they start peeling off layers of cold weather driving gear. Finally, they made it to the Dodge Brothers Club meeting spot in Brenham.
The $500 fuel costs were reimbursed, but Reding asked they be donated to the Dodge Brothers Club.
The DBC is helping establish a museum honouring the Dodge brothers, their cars and their company. After attending the various functions, the pair turned around and made their way home – via a completely different route through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana to cross back into Alberta.
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The couple encountered all kinds of weather on their 7,000-km-plus trip.
Courtesy Harry Reding, Driving
The car proved mostly reliable, although Reding did have to perform a few roadside repairs. In total, they covered 7,704 km, and added five new states to their roster. In the car, they’ve now visited 24 states and five provinces, and the odometer reads just over 28,000 miles (45,000 km).
“It’s a great way to travel,” Reding says about touring in the Dodge. “You learn more about yourself, the country and other people. Sure, the unexpected pops up, but there’s always a way out.
“Using the old car brings so much more pleasure than just owning the car.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have an auto related item to share for the column or What’s Next? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca
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