Crossing Canada and back following the Lewis and Clark Trail : Jim and Karen Lane and "Miss Pearl White 93"
October, 2017
The idea was hatched in late 2016 and plans seriously got underway earlier in 2017.
Karen and I would drive a car from the Knoxville Area of East Tennessee up to Winnipeg and then turn left heading across Canada all the Way to Victoria then swing back into the USA into Washington State and get serious about following as much of the Lewis and Clark Trail back toward St Louis as we could possibly do.With six cars we both wanted a car that could be top down crossing the Rockies for sure! The choice among the soft tops was between the 91 TC Maserati, 1997 Aston DB7 and the Pearl White over red 93 Allante. The Allante won! I let friends in the Atlanta Club know our intentions and they said that I needed to connect with Cors Verhage in Peachland AB Canada. I emailed Cors and he and Linda offered to host us!
So in mid June we set off for the unknown! Our first night was in Urbana IL after logging over 500 miles. All was well when we bedded the Allante down after dinner. The next morning after cranking it the transmission did not seem to want to shift and the digital Speedo went nuts. Checking fluids brought no surprises and after slowly going around city streets the speedo, tranny and speed on the Garmin were all in synch. The car performed like a champ all the way to our next stop in Minneapolis. Mornings did not seem to agree with Miss Pearl White
.
Seemed to behave more like Pearl Buck! Same routine in each stop: Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, and a side trip to Glacier National Park.
At Glacier, the inside rear-view mirror fell off adding to the excitement. The repair kit resided in Browning MT some 45 minutes away. Browning is the
HQ of the Blackfeet Tribe where the big sign in the center of town states Their Constitution is not our Constitution
.
We left with the NAPA kit and our scalps intact!
In Banff we decided to go upscale a have drinks at the Fairmount Hotel, a classy place. I opted for valet parking and the
attendant asked if he could leave it out in the front as mine was the only Classy Ride
there. Nice tribute to ours cars for sure.
After Banff on the way to Cors home things turned a little uglier and I called the Cadillac Dealer in Vancouver who was not
one bit helpful It led to five more calls in which a guy asked: Does speedo go nuts?
Yep
I answered.
His response, not a tranny issue at all but a Speed Sensor.
In the town in Canada where the Canadian Pacific last golden spike was driven and on their bit Canada Day Holiday we found Gods own auto Parts store LORDCO AUTO PARTS. Yvonne behind the counter was most helpful and found one in a store on the way to Cors home in Peachland. Cors volunteered to pick it up but we made it there on July first before closing.
Cors and Linda proved to be the best hosts in the world. My now really road weary Miss Peal White
looked gloomy alongside Cors 93s Pace Car
and a Pearl White over Neutral that once belonged to the Rocker Tom Petty and Sported a Heartbreaker
vanity plate. After treating us to dinner out and drinks we
enjoyed the rest of the night free of the crazy speedo.
As Linda (the wonderful Lady in Purple) fixed a glorious breakfast Cors reached out to Allante contacts regarding what it would take to get the old sensor out and the new puppy in. Johnny Monzo and others had never changed one. On the passenger side of the transaxle you can just about see it with the right front wheel removed. Getting at it is the real challenge. Seems the car was built around the part!
Cors had 2 electric hydraulic side lifts that brought the car up far enough for one to get under it. Off came the right front wheel and tire.
After a severe struggle the old unit came out but now the tougher part, aligning the bolt thru the bracket in the part and into the transaxle. And all without a net!
Through it all I felt like the kid in the song I held the lantern..while Mommy chopped the wood
Cors neighbor and buddy had the hands of a surgeon... latex gloves and all and got the magic done. Cors tightened it all and we then went on a successful test run.
We were thankful that we did not turn into the house guests from hell
and hosted our hosts to dinner on the Lake that evening to celebrate a first for us all!!
Kudos to Cors and Linda and their great dog Buster.
The car ran exceptionally well with the new speed sensor and repaired mirror. Only issue was a stone that we picked up in Idaho as a souvenir of our trip. That will be redone in NJ by Johnnys Glass Expert.
The car is in the shop now getting the front bumper and air dam repainted after picking up gravel and stones. All in all it will be gussied up for the
October meet in Savannah as long as Savannah has not floated out to sea due to IRMA. Engine bay has been detailed and a few more make her pretty
touches are being added.
So trace the route.. Knoxville, Minneapolis, Winnipeg, Regina (HQ for the Northwest Mounted Police), Saskatoon, Edmonton, Glacier, Calgary, Banff, Peachland, Vancouver, Victoria, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and home. Some 7500 miles and tons of memories.
Go drive your Allante. They love it.. and parts, even in remote Canada are available!
Jim and Karen Lane