Trip Report

2016 F100 Supernationals Trip Report

As David mentioned in the original F100 post, the F100 Supernationals show is a great resource for gathering ideas and information on the F100 pickup. I’ve been going to the show with my father almost every year since 1998, and it’s been interesting to see the changes in the show and the trucks over the years. I’ve gone from taking pictures of every truck I saw that first year, to focusing mostly on interesting and novel details. I’ll share some of them here.

The Drive

1966 F100

Ready to hit the road!

This was my first year visiting the F100 Supernationals as an F100 owner. Temporarily taking leave of my senses, I decided to drive my 50 year old truck down to the show, approximately 280 miles from home. Ordinarily I can make the drive in 4 hours 45 minutes in a modern car, but I budgeted six hours in the truck. Sure enough, I used every minute of those six hours. Between the original 240ci straight six, 3-on the tree, and differential gearing in the truck, it’s best suited for cruising at 40-50MPH. I was hard pressed on the freeway, but could consistently cruise at 65MPH. This is inadvisable on Kentucky freeways, where the speed limit is 70, and going slower doesn’t win you any friends. Between minimal insulation and bad seals, the interior was not a quiet place for those six hours.

Read More

2015 Pumpkin Run Trip Report

My son behind the wheel of the F100 on the show field.

My son behind the wheel of the F100 on the show field.

The Pumpkin Run Nationals is a classic auto show that’s held in Southern Ohio in October every year. 2015 marked the 40th annual show, and it was the first car show I entered my 66 F100 into. Not because I have any hope of winning an award with the truck, but because of the camaraderie of a bunch of like-minded car nuts all gathered in the same place.

The show typically runs Friday-Sunday, and the 2015 show was held the first weekend of October. If you know anything about Ohio weather, you know that could mean anything from frigid cold to blistering heat. For this show, Ohio decided to give us a variety. I attended the show on Saturday with my wife and kids, and experienced cold and wet coat and mitten weather. On Sunday, David and I checked out the show field after church, and sweated in T-shirts, and I came home with a mild sunburn.

The show is open to all makes and models, with the largest segment being the American Big 3: Ford Country, Bowtie Country, and Mopar Country each get their own dedicated space on the show grounds. I parked my truck squarely in the Ford section, but that doesn’t stop me from checking out everything and appreciating what I see from each manufacturer.
I plan to enter the 2016 Pumpkin Run Nationals, which will be held September 30 – October 2.

I only took a few photos but here’s what caught my eye:

Read More