Penn State

The following are the accounts of the same trip by the two participants. The one similarity is - both had a great time.

Seeing a spring scrimmage Penn State football game was not the real objective of the day, just the excuse for getting the TR on the road after its hibernation. Those first really nice Spring days are rare and to be treasured. Things that need done around the home and yard can wait. Home Depot is too crowded, gonna get cold again and kill the new flowers anyway.

A short notice word was passed around the week before. Myself along with copilot son, Landon in our TR3 and Dave English, the Webmaster in his trusty TR6 made the trek. The Linglestown McDonalds provided the starting point and with hot coffee, the top came down and my blue hair wig went on!!! It was needed!!!

We waited the required extra 5 minutes to see if any other brave souls showed but.......

Dave and I were off , up Rt. 322 cruising along and allowing to be passed by everything but Miatas. The weather was really great all day. We parked next to the stadium in two spots reserved by a couple of RV buddies who were there for the weekend. Everything is free, parking and admission and if the team repeats last season....we will be paid to go!!

The cars drew many lookers and a lot of stories shared. I told Dave I would baby-sit the cars while he attended the game but I snuck in a nap in the warm sun.

Great day, fun outing, next year we will do again (weather permitting). I plan to contact the other area clubs to make it larger event next year.

At the March 7^th CPTC Board Meeting at the Elephant & Castle, Rich Roenigk offered to organize a trip to the Penn State Blue/White game in the spring. As the March meeting weather was still "a bit chilly", this seemed like a good idea as it should be warmer by the April 24^th game date. Rich offered his friends would provide parking in their RV area. All we needed was our tailgate supplies. Everything else is free! I expected a good turn out of CPTC members as our first run of the season, the Spring Run, was cancelled just 20 days prior because of snow flurries. Besides, who but a group of guys driving 30 year old cars would maintain their Nittany Lion fan loyalty and be optimistic about the upcoming season after last year?

I had the 6 out for a short drive the week before to check it out. After it warmed up, I remembered the low RPM hesitation from last year. Several new breather hoses "resolved" that condition and I was ready to make the drive to Happy Valley. Although the forecast for the 24th was for possible showers, I met Rich at the Front Street McDonalds the next morning anyway. This would be a little test for the 6 and the Lions. To my surprise, only Rich and his son Landon showed up.

Before we left, I had a McD’s for breakfast and offered to help push Rich and the TR3B up the mountain. Rich and Landon donned their windbreaker coats. Rich added his PSU blue wig hair since the top was down on the 3B and there ain’t much there his noggin. He offered to help me put my top down. As it was still in the 60’s, I was fine with the rear window out and the side windows I could roll down. Rich said he needed to stop along the way to get gas. I knew I was good for the trip, although my gauge wasn’t currently working, I still had 180 miles on the trip odometer.

We started up Rt. 322 and got a lot of looks. I wasn’t sure if it was the cars or Rich’s blue hair blowing in the wind with the top down. The sun was shining in the sparsely cloud scattered sky. The temperature was rising nicely. Driving along the Juniata River was especially nice with the leaves beginning to emerge and the vistas from the road along the river. At this stage of spring, the colors of the newly emerging leaves and blooms gives as much or more color variety than what you see from the foliage’s fall display. The variety and subtle pastel shades of green of the shrubs and softwoods, a few oaks scatted in their early leafing attempts, the reds of maple buds pushing out, the white blooms of wild cherry, and my favorite, the flowering redbuds which we first see just above New Bloomfield. The promise of spring with the new growth, the sun warming the ground and new plants sprouting seemed to fit with the optimism of seeing the Lions scrimmage, and my 6 repairs. That’s about when the low RPM hesitation returned. The 6 had warmed and it was doing it again. Like the Lions, maybe it just needs another "little adjustment". Hope springs eternal.

We noted the progress of construction work at the narrows below Lewistown and stopped for gas at the new Milroy exit. It was the first time I had been there since the new road was built. I get another coffee and Rich gets his gas and we are ready to go up the mountain. I expect it will be quite a bit cooler at the top of the mountain and over on the other side in Happy Valley. With Rich again in the lead (in case he needs a push), I notice he is going to pass a tractor trailer at the bottom, just before the re-paving of the mountain narrows it down to one lane. I speed up and get up fairly close to Rich to also get around the truck before the construction. Suddenly Rich realizes he isn’t going to get around the truck before the lane ends. Luckily, I know where the 3B’s small brake lights are. Even then, it is hard to see them in the now bright sun. It’s also good we didn’t have a Lucas moment. We slowed behind the truck, all the way up the mountain. How did these cars survive without the big brake lights - and a third brake light? We get to Beaver Stadium almost without incident – other than my coffee, which is now on my PSU sweatshirt and a missing tail lens reflector. How did we get by without cup holders?

Rich’s friends had a front row parking spot for us. We were cordially welcomed, offered refreshment and the hospitality of the RV group. They had many questions about the cars and several reminiscences of the cars they had at the time. The student population appears to be younger than usual and many were intrigued by the cars - that were older then they were. With the now very warm spring temperatures, it was evident they were having a good time and sporting warm weather attire. It must have been the first ‘spring’ day weather at PSU. This definitely raised Rich’s outlook on things. With his blue wig, you would have through he was one of the students.

Some of us went into the stadium to watch the scrimmage, some basked in the warm sun. The scrimmage was not as eventful as the ride up. Like the 6, there were quite a few spits and sputters from the White team that cause me concern. However, the sights of the season were still able to lift our spirits. In Happy Valley, hope was really springing.

We made the home trip without event, except for the sunburned faces and the recurring low RPM hesitation. Hopefully, I will find the right combination and be able to resolve that last hesitation problem with the 6. From the look of the Lions during the scrimmage, hopefully Joe will find the right combination also and improve their performance for that last 10% improvement. If not, it will be a frustrating driving season and Nittany Lion football season.

I think Rich had a great idea for this trip and look forward to doing it next year – weather permitting. It would be hard to beat the spring atmosphere we had for this trip. Hopefully, the 6 and the Lions are running better this season.

Note the Hair

Rich & Landon

From the stadium
Checking they are okay

The 6 at main campus too

The Lions

What Rich missed