The 2022 edition of the Glidden Tour is being held in New Jersey, and officially begins today, Sunday, September 25, 2022. As has been the case in recent years, the tour is co-sponsored by the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America), the AAA (American Automobile Association) and the VMCCA (Vintage Motor Car Club of America). The NJ Region of the AACA, of which I am a member, has been most active in planning this tour which is centered in and around Princeton, NJ, and features tours of local sites which played a role in the American Revolution.
There is a long history to the Glidden Tours which you can read about here. I will not take up space to reiterate that history, however, the tours started in the very early part of the 20th century as a way to demonstrate the reliability of the then-new horseless carriages. In 1946, the tours were started up again and have been run as annual “revival” events. This year, about 115 cars, all model year 1942 or older, are registered to drive a different route each day from Sunday through Friday of this week. Total mileage for the week will be in the hundreds, and many (if not most) participants have driven in many previous Glidden Tours.
I am honored to have been asked to be one of four official photographers for the event. I stopped at the host hotel yesterday to take some photos of the first cars as they arrived, and I have a specific schedule to follow starting Monday. My plan is to post some photos each day (no text) and conclude the week with a wrap-up story. In the meantime, enjoy the pix!
My inexact science points to the year 2008 when I, along with my driving cohort Larry, took over the planning for our “Sunday morning breakfast drives”. With only a few exceptions, we have stayed with this tried-and-true formula in the ensuing 14 years (I cannot believe that number as I type it). At the same time, L. and I are also always discussing ways to mix it up, and credit goes to him for the combination idea of a weekday drive followed by a midday food stop.
And so we selected Thursday Sep. 15, 2022, for our first-ever such event. Six brave souls (which can also be read as “six guys who are retired or are otherwise available”) showed up. Although the number was small, 3 of the 6 vehicles were new to us. Our destination was the Empire Diner in Monroe, NY, a previous breakfast destination, where we were able to be immediately seated up our noon arrival. The food was great, the service even better, and after our usual kick-the-tires parking lot session (including someone offering cash on-the-spot for Larry’s Chevy), we were headed back home.
Was it a success? It was, yet at the same time, we both recognize that there are still a number of our car buddies for whom any such gathering needs to be on a Saturday or Sunday. As I see it, we can add the weekday lunch idea to our arsenal for occasional deployment as we see fit.
This past Saturday, May 28, 2022, was my 4th time driving a collector car in the Hillsborough NJ Memorial Day parade. I reported on my drives in 2017, 2018, and 2019; in 2020 and 2021, either the parades were cancelled (Covid or weather) or I was unable to participate.
Participation was again sponsored by the NJ Region of the AACA. In all, about 18 cars paraded along the 1.5 mile route. Driving my Alfa this year, I was joined by a lineup that greatly differed from the vehicles in the 2019 edition of the parade. It was a nice change of pace to see some different cars and meet some members who normally don’t join in club events.
There’s always a great turnout of locals lining the streets. One of the best things about the Hillsborough parade is seeing the throngs waving their flags and waving at the drivers. Pointing my camera out the window actually encourages them to wave more fervently.
Parade speed is below 5 m.p.h., and this is when a manual gearbox car is at a disadvantage. There was too much slipping of the clutch required, so I increased my distance between my car and the car in front of me, allowing me to remain in first gear longer.
At the parade’s end, we did something different this year: the collector cars were ushered into a parking lot alongside the Municipal Building, and a mini car show was held. Parade attendees then got a chance to see the vehicles which had cruised past them earlier up close. The Hillsborough parade, with a starting point only 15 minutes from my house, remains on my annual calendar.
On the morning of May 15, 2022, we had our first breakfast drive event of the year, and drive we did! It was the first time since June of last year that we drove a route with a planned destination, and it was the first time since our static Cars & Coffee soiree of August 29, 2021, that we got our little group together. The weekend forecast was not favorable, although threats of actual rain were called off for Sunday morning. Nevertheless, the day dawned foggy and humid, which likely contributed to a light turnout of five vehicles.
We five met at our usual spot in front of the Mahwah Sheraton, and Larry did an excellent job of planning a route north through New York a bit before we dipped back into New Jersey, finally getting on Route 513 South which comprised the majority of the miles driven. Our destination was the same as last June, the Red Hut Diner on Route 46 in Rockaway, NJ.
We sat outside under a tent, although we needed it neither for shade nor water protection. It was quite comfortable outside, and we chatted about our favorite subject as usual: pencil manufacturing the car hobby.
Our waitress did an outstanding job ensuring that coffee cups never ran dry, and since we were the only patrons at the outside tables, they didn’t rush us out of there. Contrary to a forecast which predicted sunnier skies as the day progressed, we began to see dark clouds roll in, which kept the convertible tops of the Alfa, Porsche, and Miata in their raised positions.
It’s difficult to believe that summer is but five weeks away; our hope is to get at least one more event on the calendar before the longest day of the year brings unbearable heat with it. We’ll work on that schedule while we hope for a larger turnout next time.
As I continue to cycle through my photo files in search of automotive adventures which haven’t yet made their way into a blog post , I came across this gem. In October of 2010, we had a breakfast run which for the first and only time included our friend Irv Gordon, driving his Volvo 1800S no less.
Irv informs me he’s ready for breakfast
Irv, for those few who may not be familiar, holds the Guinness World Record for number of miles recorded on a privately-owned passenger car (he eventually surpassed 3 million miles). Many of us employed at Volvo Cars North America (VCNA) got to know Irv professionally, and once you know Irv, it’s difficult not to also know him personally. A large part of Irv’s success was due to his outgoing personality, good-natured warmth, and delight in sharing stories about his beloved Volvo sports car, which he bought new in 1966.
The shadows reveal how early in the morning we gathered on this sunny October Sunday
Driving from his Long Island home to northern Jersey for a one-hour ride to breakfast would be the equivalent for most of us to driving to the corner store for coffee. But join us he did, and I would guess that he knew most of the fellow participants already. The photos reveal just how small the Sunday morning breakfast group was at this time. It was great to have Irv out with us; while he was regularly invited to join subsequent breakfast drives, he was never able to attend another one. His typical excuse? He was on the road, headed to some other event somewhere else in the USA.
Presumably after we’ve eaten, as we’re all smiling
My wife came along on this one and enjoyed its more laid-back pace compared to the one NE1000 rally in which she participated, in 2001. We did this Berkshires/Springfield tour in my 1968 Mustang California Special, and she also appreciated the higher level of comfort than was offered in the MGB which was our ride in ’01.
The accompanying photos reveal a change from 14 years ago compared to today’s tours: in 2008, most of the participating vehicles were truly “older cars”. You’ll see that vehicles from the ’40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s comprise the majority of the iron. Today’s tour vehicles are about 50% from the ‘80s and ‘90s (nothing wrong with that as they meet the AACA ‘twenty-five years or older’ rule), and about 50% modern iron, likely because the aging AACA membership is simply more comfortable driving their 3- or 4-year-old SUV with climate control, cruise control, and Bluetooth phone control.
A highlight of the week was our visit to Tanglewood. Tour participants were allowed to drive onto the grounds, and our cars became an ad hoc car show in the afternoon before the concert. While I was already a member of the National AACA when I signed up for this event, it was here where I met a small gang from Noo Joisy who corralled me into joining their Regional Chapter, where I’ve been a somewhat active member these past dozen years.
A note about the photos: these are a mix of digital and film photos, and could be one of the last times I depended on a film camera for documenting an event. Enjoy the shots!
(Pardon the tardiness of this post while I attended to some other pressing matters.)
After the success of our first Cars & Coffee-type event of 2021, we decided to try it again; we even selected the same Dunkin’ Donuts location in Mahwah NJ. We had an enthusiastic turnout, and as much as this group has always enjoyed the morning cruise along country roads, there is something to be said for planting the car in one spot and devoting 100% of your time to chatting up the crowd.
We’re lined up
and shooting the breeze
The cars ranged from Corvettes (a C1 and C7), BMWs (a 2002tii and a 135 coupe), Porsches, a Nova, a Grand Prix, and your blogger’s Miata. Having arrived at 8am, much of the crowd was still hanging out at 11. Breakfast was top-notch (as good as a bagel and a hot coffee can get), and the late August weather, never predictable, cooperated. We enjoyed ourselves and we will do it again!
Burton’s C1 Corvette
Robert’s C7 Corvette
Ken’s Porsche 911
Richard L’s Porsche 911
Fred’s Pontiac Grand Prix
Richard R’s Miata
A TALE OF TWO BMWs
Both Sal with his 2002 and Art with his 135 were more than generous in offering me a chance to jump behind the wheel for a short spell. I haven’t driven a 2002 in who-knows-how-long, and I’ve never driven a Tii. Sal’s car is somewhat modified in the steering, suspension, and tire departments, although that’s not easy to detect by eye. He has ‘sport’ steering in it, with about a half-turn lock-to-lock (I’m kidding, but not by much). The car started right up, and the throttle response under the mechanical fuel injection was very linear. The 4-speed was easy to shift with a light clutch, and the sweet spot on the road was around 40mph in 3rd gear (not unlike my Alfa). Dashboard ergonomics were German-funky. After 10 minutes, I still never found the windshield wiper control. Visibility with that tall greenhouse is outstanding. Fifty years on, it’s quite easy to understand the revelation that BMW’s little sports sedan brought.
Art’s 2011 135 has just enough connection to the 2002 to see the familial resemblance, but of course, this is a 21st century automobile. All the controls are light, almost too much so, and the 6-speed is a delight to snick through the changes. There may be nothing quite as smooth as an inline-six (except an inline-eight), and BMW’s sixes are known for their sewing-machine precision in sound and performance. Funnily enough, I’m not sure that the dash ergonomics are much of an improvement over the 2002, but that is as much a function of electronics as it is design. For me, the size of this box is perfect, and many of the buff books at the time agreed, citing a 3-series car that had become too bloated. Art sought this out to have a RWD manual tranny ‘sports car’ and he’s got a jewel of one.
The New Jersey Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) has had a long tradition of holding summer tours. A tour, as compared to a rally such as the New England 1000, is conducted under much more relaxed circumstances. Tours typically involve leisurely drives along country roads to visit local attractions. Tour participants have the option to caravan together or to follow their own timetables. Planned stops will include sights like museums, parks, and of course eateries. (Rallies require more spirited driving and may encompass TSD [time, speed, distance] measurements of your ‘performance’ versus your fellow competitors.)
Having never partaken of a NJ Regional tour before, and continuing with my pledge to make up for the lost year of 2020, I signed up for my Region’s summer tour, which was held from July 29 through August 2, 2021. A trend I’ve noticed in recent years with both tours and rallies has been to conduct them as “hub tours” or “hub rallies”, which is to say that participants stay at the same hotel for the duration (the hotel effectively operating as the hub), with daily drives heading out in different directions and returning to the same hub each evening. So it was with this event: the Hampton Inn in Sayre PA (a stone’s throw from the NY border) served as the hub hotel, while our daily drives took us into the Finger Lakes Region of NYS each day.
The weather was outstanding for all but one of the days we were in the area. Unfortunately, the one rainy day occurred on the same day as a planned boat ride on Lake Cayuga, which necessitated the cancellation of our water outing.
There were about 25 people on the tour, mostly Regional members; some folks brought along friends and family members, which was nice to see, and made for an even more diverse group. Of the approximately 12 couples that I counted, 6 drove modern iron, and 6 drove AACA-eligible cars. Excepting the 1930 Ford Model A driven by my friends Dick and Bobbi, the other AACA vehicles were all from the ‘80s and ‘90s, including my 1993 Miata (NOT the newest car on the tour!). A personal thrill was my first ride in a rumble seat, which was offered to me when Dick and Bobbi drove to dinner. (It was easy to get into and less easy to get out of; agility with one’s limbs is a helpful trait when entering and exiting such a conveyance.)
The tour ended on a Monday, and I skipped that morning’s visit to a windshield frame restoration shop as I needed to scoot home a bit early. Would I tour again? Most certainly I would. It’s an additional and wonderfully relaxing way to indulge in the hobby. I would wish for a slightly more varied lineup of activities (not everyone prefers five museum visits in 2.5 days), but having helped organize and having participated in dozens of one-day and multi-day tours, I have great appreciation for the amount of work involved in planning such ventures. The NJ Region put in significant effort to make the event as enjoyable as possible for all.
The Corning Museum of Glass parked this Chevy pickup in its lobby and filled its bed with flowers made of glass; the flowers were available in the gift shop.
This automotive-themed display is from the Corning Glass Museum
A room from the George Eastman House
An engine-powered plane takes off from the Soaring Museum’s runway
This ’30s-era GMC pickup from inside the Soaring museum was used as a tow vehicle to bring gliders up to speed. Its winch held a rope attached to the glider, and there was a mechanism to disconnect the rope from the plane. In the event that failed, the guillotine was deployed to sever the rope!
The group casually known as the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club had its 2nd outing of the post-pandemic year which is 2021 on Sunday, June 6. Since our initial convening was a static Cars & Coffee hangout, we can consider our June event as the first “drive” of the year. As is our long-standing custom, we gathered in the parking lot of the Mahwah Sheraton hotel, and with Google Maps/iPhones/GPS/Waze/paper maps at the ready, we pushed off for our destination. One small change was our earlier-than-usual departure time: 14 people in 11 cars were motoring out of the hotel lot by 8:15 a.m.
Above : Back to our early morning fishing tales
We were headed to the Red Hut Diner on Route 46 in Rockaway NJ, and our planned route encompassed very few turns: Route 287 South to Route 23 North to Route 513 South, then a mile of local roads to Route 46. A nice surprise was picking up our long-time friend Jeff in his BMW Z3, who surprised us by staging himself on Route 513, awaiting our arrival. Good thing we didn’t change the directions from what had been sent out!
The good men and women of the Red Hut Diner were waiting for us; having requested an outdoor table under the tents in the back, the staff obliged us by having a single table ready for us at 9:15. Our server, Lindsay (named after actress Lindsay Wagner she informed us), worked hard to keep the hot coffee flowing our way. The food arrived soon enough, and I heard nary a complaint. My co-defendant Larry and I decided that our inaugural visit to the Red Hut was successful enough that we will put the joint on our regular rotation.
Above : The gang is happy to be back together
De-masked and lacking social distancing, it truly felt like old times again. We enjoy our machinery, but we also have come to learn that we enjoy each other’s company more. Several folks had to take off soon after breakfast ended, but again as is custom, a few die-hards stuck around the parking lot, trying to squeeze in one last comment! We’re back and we hope to get this group out on another Sunday in the not-too-distant future.
Above : Porsche 911 Targa
Above : Corvette C7 coupe
Above: BMW 1-series coupe
Above : Porsche 911 cabriolet
Above : Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
Above: Mazda Miata
Above: Corvette C8 coupe
Above : Mustang convertible
Above: Chevrolet Nova
Above : Corvette C1
Above: Mercedes-Benz SL550
Above: The waitress took care of us, and we took care of the waitress
Just before the pandemic shutdown hit in 2020, I joined the Delaware Valley Miata Club, hoping to connect to an organization that would provide me with an excuse to drive my Mazda Miata a bit more frequently. (Since 2013, when I purchased my 1967 Alfa Romeo, I have put about the same total mileage on the two cars.) The DelVal Miata Club is very active and organizes frequent drives, about two to four a month during our three-season driving year.
Above: L to R are a blue ND, a red NB, and my black NA
Above: the red NB and blue ND compare back ends
Above: the white NA rides with headlights UP
Alas, this was not to be for me in 2020. Looking at my mileage log, I put 178 miles on the convertible in 2020, an all-time low, and the lowest since I did 762 miles in it in 2012. I vowed to myself that 2021 would be different, and it’s gotten off to a good start. I already have used it in several events, and on Sunday May 23, I participated in my first DelVal Miata Club drive.
Above: my black ’93, with frontal jewelry, showing its face at a Miata club event for the first time
The start point was the parking lot of a strip mall in Flemington, all of 6 miles from me, so that was part of the impetus for me to participate. The planned route was to follow NJ Route 519 north, which we would pick up just a few miles west of Flemington, and drive all the way to Route 206 in Newton, about 75 miles away. There were about 25 Miatas of all generations in the lot when I showed up, and many people seemed to know each other, which was no surprise. I made some idle chat with a few folks, and then the driver’s meeting was held. There was little to discuss other than the revelation that the group was so large, we would split in half, with the second wave departing about 15 minutes after the initial bunch pushed off. I was in the first group, and got myself situated somewhere in the middle.
Above: Driver’s meeting in progress
It was great fun to have a string of Miatas as far as I could see in front of me, and almost as many to my rear. I mentioned earlier that there were cars of all generations. I’ll briefly explain that Mazda has so far built four generations, what insiders refer to as NA, NB, NC, and ND (this based on VIN code). My car, an NA, is of the generation built from model year 1990 to 1997. The NB cars look almost identical to the NA ones; the big giveaway are the exposed headlights on the NB (only the NA had retractable headlights). The NC cars have pronounced fender flares, and sit a bit higher compared to previous cars. There was a retractable hardtop option on the NC. The ND styling is probably the biggest departure of the four generations, but it also brought the car back very close in size and weight to the 1990 version. The ND is also available as an RF (Retractable Fastback) which opens the top but leaves the structure around the rear window in place.
Above: this blue RF ( retractable fastback) was striking looking; note the custom wheels
Above: the view from the driver’s seat
Back to our drive – we were motoring along at a good clip, a bit above the posted limit, but not too aggressively so, when we came to our scheduled pit stop, a Quick Check, which gave us a chance to fuel up, use the facilities, and grab a cold drink. Then it was back to the cars and back on the road, continuing north on 519, easy to say but less easy to do when foliage sometimes blocks the road signs. It took us a bit over two hours to reach Route 206, where we turned right, and following the cars immediately in front of me, entered a diner parking lot a short distance ahead. This is where I discovered that everyone was on their own for lunch, as most of the remaining Miatas motored past us, on their way to some other eatery.
Above: Quick Check rest stop in progress
About 14 or 15 of us entered the diner and sat. I got to chat up a bit more with some folks I had not seen earlier, and somehow it came out that I also have an Alfa Romeo at home. “That’s YOUR problem!” one woman good-naturedly teased me. I guess they think that their Japanese sports cars are somehow more reliable than my Italian sports car…. We all ate, we all chatted a bit more, then we all left for home, heading in all different directions. Perhaps it’s because the group is new to me, but this was a bit different compared to my own breakfast driving club or the Alfa club. The primary focus of this Miata club is to drive, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I would have preferred if everyone ate together, but that was not up to me, and logistically that may have not been possible, at least not this time. I’ll certainly join this group on future drives, and I’ll try to befriend some more club members.
Above: there is some beautiful scenery in western Jersey
Above: the Miatas managed to stay together on this lightly-traveled road
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