A peaceful winter drive in Minnesota.

[cruiser]

Mopar brethren: Maybe it's been a tough week for you and your family. I hope not, but if it has been, I'd like to offer you some encouragement from way up north. Minnesotans love to share the beauty of our state, and today it was dry and clear enough to take my 1974 Gold Duster on a five hour round trip to northern Minnesota. The view out the window was spectacular. We all love cruising about in our cars, right? So picture this: The Duster is cleaned up and waxed, running like a top. Heading north on I-35, into the Boreal forest with the factory cruise control holding 70 MPH right on the money. Brilliant blue sky and white snow everywhere, with our gorgeous crystal clear sky blue lakes under two feet of ice. The lovely 47 year old slant six engine purring like a kitten, coming right up to 195 degrees and staying there all day long. I'm toasty warm in the cabin, although it's 16 degrees outside, 20 degrees below with the wind chill at the radiator. Nothing like an old school copper and brass radiator feeding a copper heater core to keep everything comfy! Now bending north at Willow River and the sun backlights the leafless Aspen and Birch trees lining the interstate. Time to turn back south and head home, and it's just as beautiful on the way back. Soon, this will be you wherever you live. Life WILL get better, so in the mean time look forward to this and keep supporting and inspiring one another. God Bless, my friends and be well! CRUISER

 

[318willrun]

Very Clean Car !!! Glad you got out and had a nice trip

Mine will stay away until a rain washes the salt away

 

[Scamp Rhonda]

Mopar brethren: Maybe it's been a tough week for you and your family. I hope not, but if it has been, I'd like to offer you some encouragement from way up north. Minnesotans love to share the beauty of our state, and today it was dry and clear enough to take my 1974 Gold Duster on a five hour round trip to northern Minnesota. The view out the window was spectacular. We all love cruising about in our cars, right? So picture this: The Duster is cleaned up and waxed, running like a top. Heading north on I-35, into the Boreal forest with the factory cruise control holding 70 MPH right on the money. Brilliant blue sky and white snow everywhere, with our gorgeous crystal clear sky blue lakes under two feet of ice. The lovely 47 year old slant six engine purring like a kitten, coming right up to 195 degrees and staying there all day long. I'm toasty warm in the cabin, although it's 16 degrees outside, 20 degrees below with the wind chill at the radiator. Nothing like an old school copper and brass radiator feeding a copper heater core to keep everything comfy! Now bending north at Willow River and the sun backlights the leafless Aspen and Birch trees lining the interstate. Time to turn back south and head home, and it's just as beautiful on the way back. Soon, this will be you wherever you live. Life WILL get better, so in the mean time look forward to this and keep supporting and inspiring one another. God Bless, my friends and be well! CRUISER

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Well heck, you can't not like that, lol. We hav a little place by Pine City on the Snake River. Some beautiful scenery up there. Nice you could get out and do some cruisin on gorgeous day in Minnesota. Steve

 

[H22A4]

Very nice pictures and great Duster! You must have felt like a rock star with a big smile cruising around in a classic on a dry, cool winter day.

Well done.

 

[RustyRatRod]

It'snot been a tough week I'd say, but it's been a weird one. I don't feel right somehow. I lack the motivation for anything much. I don't know how to explain it. Thanks for the pictures though. Beautiful shots. I've always thought guys who put their drivers away over winter were sissies anyway. Good for you. A numbers or high end car I might could see....but I think I would even keep driving one of those. Bein in Georgia, maybe that's easy to say. lol That's a very clean car you've got there.

 

[cruiser]

It'snot been a tough week I'd say, but it's been a weird one. I don't feel right somehow. I lack the motivation for anything much. I don't know how to explain it. Thanks for the pictures though. Beautiful shots. I've always thought guys who put their drivers away over winter were sissies anyway. Good for you. A numbers or high end car I might could see....but I think I would even keep driving one of those. Bein in Georgia, maybe that's easy to say. lol That's a very clean car you've got there.

Rusty - thanks for the compliment, and yeah I know how you feel sometime. Can't get motivated for much of anything. When this happens, I usually try to do something for someone I know - you know, the old "random act of kindness" - and that usually pulls me up. Anyhow, there's lots of beautiful scenery in Georgia as well so enjoy it! And yeah, I'm into driving my cars as much as possible, whenever possible. Sounds like you like the Duster, so here are a few more shots of her in better weather, along with my other Mopar ride - my "random act of kindness" to you. Hope this makes you feel better!

 

[cruiser]

Very nice pictures and great Duster! You must have felt like a rock star with a big smile cruising around in a classic on a dry, cool winter day.

Well done.

Thanks. I like your ride, too. Do you live in Vancouver? Amazing scenery up there!

 

[cruiser]

Well heck, you can't not like that, lol. We hav a little place by Pine City on the Snake River. Some beautiful scenery up there. Nice you could get out and do some cruisin on gorgeous day in Minnesota. Steve

Thanks, Steve. It won't be long before you've got your car out for the summer. Maybe you can cruise up to Gordy's Hi Hat in Cloquet for some burgers. Spring is coming!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Rusty - thanks for the compliment, and yeah I know how you feel sometime. Can't get motivated for much of anything. When this happens, I usually try to do something for someone I know - you know, the old "random act of kindness" - and that usually pulls me up. Anyhow, there's lots of beautiful scenery in Georgia as well so enjoy it! And yeah, I'm into driving my cars as much as possible, whenever possible. Sounds like you like the Duster, so here are a few more shots of her in better weather, along with my other Mopar ride - my "random act of kindness" to you. Hope this makes you feel better!

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We've been trying to drive Vixen most everywhere. I have her in the garage right now. It's supposed to rain a few days and she leaks around the wiper seals. But on good days we drive her wherever we're going. And yeah I do like that Duster. Looks like it's in fantastic shape. And what's to say about that Charger? Is that an original Chrysler color? It's purdy.

 

[cruiser]

We've been trying to drive Vixen most everywhere. I have her in the garage right now. It's supposed to rain a few days and she leaks around the wiper seals. But on good days we drive her wherever we're going. And yeah I do like that Duster. Looks like it's in fantastic shape. And what's to say about that Charger? Is that an original Chrysler color? It's purdy.

Sounds like Vixen needs new wiper seals. I put them in my Duster - wasn't too hard. The Charger is Q4 Light Turquoise Metallic. It had to be special ordered on a Charger, as it was mostly for C body Dodges in 1969. But yes, it was an available color offered by Mother Mopar. Go to the "For B Bodies Only" website and type in "Bob's 1969 Charger RT/SE" in the browser for more pix and info on the Charger. Cheers!

 

[grampscamp]

Very nice rides

 

[sireland67]

Looks like a good time, and nice cars.

 

[Slap Stick]

With pics like that you deserve a big ol' "you suck!".
Right nice cars you have and I appreciate the fact you kept the Duster's six.
All these old cars don't have to be fire breathing monsters.

 

[adriver]

Someone likes cruise control.

 

[barbee6043]

Thanks for the beautiful pics of the Mn. land and your cool car!
Watch out, weather girl says its fixing to get real, real cold up your way!!!! Heck it is supposed to be a low of 30 here next Thur!!

 

[cruiser]

With pics like that you deserve a big ol' "you suck!".
Right nice cars you have and I appreciate the fact you kept the Duster's six.
All these old cars don't have to be fire breathing monsters.

Yeah, I'm with you on keeping the slant six. I just love that motor, and can keep up with traffic anywhere with it. Runs like a top once you've got it set up right.

 

[cruiser]

Someone likes cruise control.

I've become addicted to it. If you need more details, put "Bob's Component Resto Part 12: Factory Cruise Control" in the FABO browser above and you can read all about it. BTW, love the reference to the Solidarity movement in Gdansk in your reply.

 

[cruiser]

Thanks for the beautiful pics of the Mn. land and your cool car!
Watch out, weather girl says its fixing to get real, real cold up your way!!!! Heck it is supposed to be a low of 30 here next Thur!!

30 degrees? That's what we call a February heat wave up here in Minnesota. Next Monday the high is -3 degrees below zero, wind chill in the -20s. Here's the weird part: Lots of us up here like to go out for a long hike on really cold days like this. Shows how sick we are! True fact: Several years back, the National Weather Service certified the coldest ever recorded temperature in the state of Minnesota. On 2/2/1996, it was -60 degrees below zero up in Tower, MN, and that was the static air temperature, not including the wind chill. A nearby town recorded a temperature of -64 below zero, but that didn't officially count as the mercury thermometer broke at that point. They have reliable weather records going back to the 1880s here in Minnesota, and that was the coldest day ever. So cold that when you spit, it's a BB when it hits the ground. Ouch!

 

[barbee6043]

^^^ I lived in Missouri for 37 years. I have a coupe fingers that got some frostbite out choring. When it gets too cold, feels like someone continously poking them with a ice pick or sharp knife! Ouch!
I have seen some snow. Just don't to deal with it anymore!

 

[Scamp Rhonda]

^^^ I lived in Missouri for 37 years. I have a coupe fingers that got some frostbite out choring. When it gets too cold, feels like someone continously poking them with a ice pick or sharp knife! Ouch!
I have seen some snow. Just don't to deal with it anymore!

Yep, those frostbitten fingers don't go away. They just keep reminding you of the past.

 

[adriver]

Uff da

 

[cruiser]

Yep, those frostbitten fingers don't go away. They just keep reminding you of the past.

A quick update: Here are a few pix from my cabin in northern Minnesota, shot this afternoon. Note the snow covered abandoned 1966 Chrysler Newport. Outside air temperature: - 11 degrees below zero. Wind chill: - 37 degrees below zero. If the forecast holds up, this Sunday will have the lowest recorded temperature for Valentine's Day in Minnesota since reliable records have been kept (back to the 1880s). Nothing bad (fire ants, scorpions, snakes, etc.) can live up here. The weather is just too cold and it kills everything.

 

[Danny Boy]

Love the St. Christopher!

 

[cruiser]

Love the St. Christopher!

Thanks, Danny. My dad had this stuck in the fabric headliner in his '64 Fury four door sedan, then later in his '67 Fury wagon. My mom gave it to me after he died and now it'll live forever in my Duster.

 

[LocuMob]

Dang, what a nice clean Duster! And the the Charger, and you have a C body as well? I'd drive my cars in the winter, but down at the bottom of the state it's never nice enough for it. That and I don't have any heaters that work, no vacuum to the controls. I have those frostbit fingers, so I need my heat. Hope to see one of your cars in June, if you go.