Yesterday was our last day on the PowerTour. We cruised from Harrisburg, PA to Englishtown, NJ.  Yesterday was another day of great weather - sunny and upper 80's (we hit some rain on the way home, but that was okay with us, as it did not affect the show or racing). 

Tom and I started the day by loading up the PT Cruiser and heading to Panera Bread for breakfast.  Tom was trying to find a Panera Bread since we first started the PowerTour.  Lucky for Tom, Panera Bread was located directly across from the Hampton Inn that we stayed at. 

After breakfast, we made a quick detour to stop in at CJ Pony Parts and say hello.  Everyone at CJ was great, and we were given a quick tour of the facility.  We even got to see the Mustangs that they were in the process of building.  If I'm not mistaken, the one Mustang had Red Rust Encapsulator and Underhood Black being used on it.

Back on the road, Tom and I continued on to Englishtown, NJ.  Today's drive was only 234 miles, so that was a welcome drive compared to yesterday's 350 miles.  Shortly after 1:00pm, we pulled into the Racetrack.  Englishtown was a great facility, and the fact that they allowed everyone that was part of the PowerTour to make drag passes, made it even better.

We saw everything running the quarter mile - Corvettes, Mustangs, 'Cudas, Novas, pick-ups, Vipers, Cobras, and much more. One of the coolest cars racing was a dark green Nova.  This car was definitely a "sleeper".  It looked stock and slightly ratty from the outside, but it ran consistant 10-second passes.  

The racing continued until a little after 4:00pm. After the racing wrapped up, Tom and I made one last pass through the cars on display, and then we packed it up. 

I made it home at approximately 9:00pm last night.  Both Tom and I were exhausted, but a little sad that our trip had come to a close.  The PowerTour is something that exceeded my expectations.  During the 'Tour, you get to experience first-hand how close-knit individuals in our hobby are.  If someone experienced an issue along the way, others were willing to lend a hand, give the person the parts needed for the repair, offer a tow, etc.....

Once next year's 'Tour is announced, I'll definitely be signing up (maybe I can even talk my wife into coming along...). 

The title says it all......we're back in PA!  Today, we traveled from Roanoke, VA to Harrisburg, PA.  The cruise was over 350 miles, so we were on the road for quite some time.  Todays weather was overcast and drizzling, then clear and sunny, then overcast, we hit pouring rain in W. VA, and then back to partly sunny in PA. 

Tom and I left at 8:15am this morning, so we could fill up the PT Cruiser and meet up with the cruise.  At the gas station, we ran into the GTO and the Camaro from the other day.  It was good to see the Camaro back on the road.....a faulty coil caused the breakdown. 

Once we started the cruise, we spent a majority of the morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The views were again spectacular.  A highlight of the drive was seeing Otters Peak (see pic). 

Along the parkway, we stopped at several overviews.  During these stops, we got to see a lot of awesome cars.  Many owners proudly showed us the results they achieved with Eastwood products.  A prime example was this super-nice pearl orange '65 Mustang that the owner (Jeff) used the Eastwood Fender Roller on after the car was painted.  The fender roller saved Jeff from spending money on different tires and paint.  Jeff's testimonial on this product can be found on www.eastwood.com 

After the Parkway, we continued to make our way north.  Along the way, Tom and I saw a foot bridge over the James River.  We couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop and walk the bridge.

For lunch, we stopped at Pizza Hut.  While eating lunch, we were sitting next to a very nice couple from Tennessee that was on the PowerTour with their two grandsons.  We shared stories and had a great time talking. 

Back on the road, we continued north.  In W. VA, we encountered a downpour....I hope the Tour cruisers that were in cars without wipers and roofs made it through okay.  Earlier, we had talked to a gentleman in a Cobra that didn't have a roof or wipers. 

Once we got to PA, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  We were able to put the top back down and keep it down the rest of the ride.  In PA, we experienced a slowdown due to construction.  This construction lasted for several miles.  After we made it through the construction, the ride went smooth.  The cruise took us through Gettysburg and downtown Harrisburg.

As we pulled into the FarmShow Complex, Tom and I both stated how the show seemed much smaller today.  I think the weather scared some participants away and others that showed up, seemed to leave early.  Even some of the vendors were gone by 6:00pm.  Although the show was smaller, there were some really neat rides on display.  Kenny Wayne Shepherd has been driving his Extreme General Lee on the Power Tour.  Kenny Wayne Shepherd was nice enough to sign Danielle's (from Eastwood Customer Service) CD.  Here is a picture of Tom getting the CD signed.

Tomorrow, Tom and I are heading to Englishtown, NJ.  This should be a lot of fun as the cars are able to run the quarter mile.  I can't wait!!

Today was another great day.  Tom and I had a blast as we traveled from Columbia, SC to Roanoke, VA.  The weather was great, we got to see some great vehicles, we met tons of nice people, and we saw some of the best scenery in the USA.  Todays leg was over 300 miles.  We were on the road from 8:30am to 5:00pm.  We experienced some traffic, but all in all, the trip was smooth.

On Route 21, we saw a salvage yard called Precious Metals.  This yard had tons of older vehicles.....we had to stop.  The owner was nice enough to allow us to walk around.  Be sure to check out the pictures (there are a lot of VW pics, because of my interest in air-cooled VWs).  In this yard, we saw a '48 Hudson, a Judge, a Mach I, a ton of old VWs, and much more.  Walking though this yard was definitely a highlight of my day.  I'm used to PA cars, many of the vehicles in this yard were super solid compared to what I am used to working on in PA.  I could have spent all day walking around in this yard, but we had to continue on.

Along the way, tons of people were sitting out in front of their homes, businesses, or on the sidewalks.  Everyone would wave as you drove by....this was definitely neat.  When we approached this one group, there must have been at least 20 people sitting out in a front yard.  We decided to pull over and say hi.  This group was very hospitable and loved cars.  Many were already existing Eastwood customers and shared their experiences of what they used Eastwood products on with us.  They even fed us lunch......Thanks again, lunch was great!!!  Tom and I had a blast talking to our new friends, but after about 20 minutes, we had to head on.

Next, we came across a cycle shop that had a row of custom choppers sitting outside.  We had to pull over and check them out.  These bikes were definitely works of art.  Tom and I tried to trade the PT for two bikes, but that didn't work.....maybe next year... :)

One town that the cruise took us through was Mayberry.  This was a neat town to see......we even got to see Barney Fife. 

After Mayberry, we moved on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tom had been looking forward to this drive all week.  As much as he kept telling me how neat of an area this was, you really had to see it for yourself.  We pulled over at several lookouts and it was simply breathtaking.  The views were incredible and the drive was nice and peaceful. 

At approximately 5:00pm, we pulled into the Salem Civic Center.  Today was definitely better than the last two days.  Many locals showed up with their vehicles and made this a great day.  There was something for everyone.  Yesterday, we spoke to a gentleman named Bryan that was driving a '24 T-Bucket on the tour.  Today, we saw Bryan again, and he let Tom sit in the T-Bucket.  It was a tight fit, but Tom squeezed in (thanks again Bryan, you made Tom's day!). 

We checked out all of the cars, until they started to break up and leave.  Tomorrow, we will be heading up to Harrisburg, PA.  Tomorrow's trip is almost 350 miles, so we will be on the road for most of the day.  We can't wait to get back on the road.

We have added 44 new pictures from the Colonial Center in SC.  These pictures are listed under the Power Tour Pictures.

Todays turnout was great. There had to have been close to 2000 cars.  The Camaro prototype was on display...be sure to check out the picture.

Tomorrow morning we will be heading out bright and early for VA.  Once we check into our hotel, we will give an update.

We just arrived in Columbia, SC.  Todays leg left from Perry, GA and ended in Columbia, SC. The PowerTour is definitely something that car buffs need to experience.  You get to see a ton of awesome cars and trucks, meet all sorts of people that are tied by their love of cars, and you get to see some of the best scenery in the US.

At 8:00am, Tom and I packed up the PT, grabbed a quick bite to eat, checked out of the hotel, and made our way over to the the fairgrounds for the kickoff of today's journey.  So we could get some good pictures and video, we found a spot off of the on-ramp where all of the cars were entering the highway.  Be sure to check out the pictures in the PowerTour Pictures section (my luggage arrived at 5:00am this morning). 

Todays weather was perfect for cruising with the top down.....sunny blue skies and upper 80's.  The PowerTour leg kicks off with the lead vehicle heading the pack.  After the lead vehicle blasts by, the rest of the cars begin to start rolling out.  Depending on when the cars leave, you run into groups of cars along the trip.  The tour isn't one long chain, but rather many groups of cars that are all heading to the destination.  Some cars are just cruising, while others are trying to make the destination in the shortest amount of time. At just about every gas station or restaurant, you are sure to see a group of cruisers pulled over. 

On the tour, you encounter a huge variety of vehicles - Corvettes, Mustangs, Trans Ams, Chevelles, Camaros, GTOs, Cudas, Novas, Challengers, Corvairs, pick-ups, street rods, etc.....Along the way, there are inevitably some break downs. Tom and I pulled over to help a gentleman from PA, with a convertible camaro that died in traffic. Tom, myself, and two gentlemen in a GTO convertible helped to get the Camaro pushed off the road and into a parking lot.  After the car was in the parking lot, several cruisers that had tow vehicles following offered to tow the Camaro. This is what you experience all day.....people that are willing to lend a hand and help others out. 

As we cruised through the different towns, people were all over the place watching the cruise go by.  At one traffic light, we pulled over in front a technical school where the teachers and students were outside enjoying the cruise.  The teacher instantly recognized Eastwood and thanked us for pulling over to say hi.

At 3:45pm, we finally pulled into our hotel parking lot.  Afer checking in, we were notified that a package had arrived for us. Here's Tom with our package.

Our Eastwood signs for our vehicle arrived (thanks Jack!!).  They look great on the PT Cruiser. Here I am next to our logo'd PT.

Next, we'll be heading out to the Colonial Center to check out the Cruise night. 

Tomorrow, we are off to VA.

After a 2 hour flight, Tom and I arrived in Perry, GA.  The weather is sunny and upper 80's.  When we went to get our baggage, Tom's luggage was there, but mine (and 5 other passengers) was no where to be found.  After putting in a claim, I learned that the plane was overweight and our luggage got switched to another flight. My luggge is supposed to be delivered to our hotel by midnight tonight....we'll see. Did I mention that my digital camera and camcorder is in my luggage?

After the luggage issue, Tom and I went to pick up our ride. We are driving a black PT Cruiser convertible turbo.  It isn't a big-block, but it has some pep.  From the airport, we had a 100 mile drive to the hotel. 

On the way over, we saw a handful of Power Tour cruisers. Once we checked in, we went over to the Perry County fairgrounds (we were only a mile away).  We picked up our registration items and then began to check out the cars (there was something for everyone....we even saw a VW Bug street rod and a '35 Ford 2-door).  When we talked to attendees, we heard a lot of positive feedback about our products and also answered some product related tech questions.  YearOne was displaying several vehicles that they used Eastwood products on during the restorations.  I'll be sure to get some pictures posted tomorrow (once I get my camera back).

Tomorrow, we are off to The Colonial Center in Columbia, SC.

Tom and I are heading out to GA bright and early Monday morning.  To make our vehicle stand out from the crowd, we are having magnetic Eastwood signs made for the side of our car.  These signs were supposed to be in today, but unfortunately, due to machinery malfunctions, they are no where to be found. Hopefully they will be ready tomorrow, if not they will be shipped to our hotel.  As a last resort, we could always use Eastwood stickers and Peter K's hat to make our vehicle stand out (for those of you unfamiliar with Peter K. check out our forum at http:forum.eastwoodco.com). 

For those of you who don't know Eastwood's Tom K. and Nick C., we thought it'd be a good idea to introduce this pair.  They will be your eyes and ears for the Power Tour.

Here is a picture of the man, the myth, the legend - Tom K.......actually, that is legendary pinstriper Steve Kafka (left) and Eastwood's Tom K. (right) at Eastwood's Spring Carlisle booth.  Steve striped the chrome air cleaner lid for Tom's '35 Ford rod.

Tom is Eastwood's B2B Sales Manager.  He currently owns a '35 Ford street rod. In the past, Tom used to drag race a Bradley GT VW based kit car.......let's hope that lead foot doesn't come back and get him in trouble.

Nick is Eastwood's E-Commerce Marketing Manager.  He currently owns a '77 Corvette and six air-cooled VW Bugs.  Nick started working on VWs when he was 12 years old and has learned how to work on cars by "trial and error"......can you say lots of "Errors"? 

Although the Power Tour is over a week away, we are busy getting ready.  Our Graphics Department is currently creating Eastwood signs for the sides of our ride.  We have also recruited help from our Call Center and Marketing department to get  Eastwood Catalogs ready for us to take on the tour.

It's official......we just received our registration confirmation!  Our flight has been booked and our hotel rooms reserved.  Tom K. (aka - TBucketTom) and Nick C. will be joining the Power Tour in Perry, GA.  We will be participating from Perry, GA to Englishtown, NJ.  Be sure to check back for daily updates from the road.  We will be posting pictures and updates on what we saw, experienced, encountered and more.  If you can't participate on the Power Tour, this is your opportunity to follow along with the action.