21 August 2013

Former Marines Take On a Mission in a Model A

From the Anchorage Daily News:

Under any circumstances, this would be a classic, crazy road trip.

Former Marine Leonard "Lenny" Cestaro will be leaving Thursday to drive this 1930 Ford Model A 5-window coupe from Anchorage to Arizona with friend Aaron Showalter to raise money for a paralyzed fellow Marine who is trying to use an exoskeleton to walk again and remain on active duty. The vehicle, which gets 10 miles a gallon, "hits its sweet spot between 70 and 80 mph," said Cestano, an East High School alumnus, who clarified that that would not really happen on the drive south.
ERIK HILL — Anchorage Daily News

Former Marines Lenny Cestaro and Aaron Showalter leave Anchorage at 5 a.m. Thursday morning to drive a hot-rod, Ford Model A 5-window coupe to Arizona. It's a rig to behold and one Cestaro spoke of with love and laughter Tuesday, the specs rolling off his tongue like military designations: 292 Ford Y-block engine from a 1956 Ford F-100, a 1958 2-speed Fordomatic transmission ("And there's a reason why they stopped producin' 'em," Cestaro says), two three-barrrel Holley carburetors. The "Rat" is a low-slung road warrior "custom fabricated through trial and error" that hits its sweet spot between 70 and 80 mph.

Cestaro, a federal firearms instructor, and Showalter, a certified diesel mechanic, are having fun, but fun isn't why they're strapping in for 3600 miles and change. They're on a mission.

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2 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

Bet that's gonna eat some gas though.

Rev. Paul said...

Yep. 4,000 miles each way X 10mpg @ $4/gallon = $3,200 in gas money. Ouch!