No more car trouble as Model T makes it to California

Just a few weeks ago, Mike Vaughn and two other volunteers from Nebraska’s Museum of American Speed were spending the night in Greensburg before traversing the roads of Ohio in search of spare parts.

They had strayed quite a bit from the Route 30 corridor, which they planned to take from coast to coast to mark the 100th anniversary of the Model T Ford which they were driving, on loan from the museum.

But, when your car is a century old, those spare parts are more difficult to come by.

The car broke down near Greensburg during the first week of June, delaying the trip as the museum volunteers put in 18-hour days to get it running smoothly.

Undeterred, the trio fixed the car and were back on the road just a couple of days later, and, this week, they completed their nationwide trip, arriving Tuesday in San Francisco.

“We didn’t have any other issues,” Vaughn said while driving through Wyoming on Thursday morning.

This was the Model T’s third cross-country trip, having done it before on the car’s 50th and 75th anniversaries.

Vaughn said he’s not likely to make it to the car’s 125th anniversary, but he sees no reason why it can’t make the trip again.

“It’s simply a matter of going through everything and making sure it’s all right and tight,” he said. “Someone may do it again on the 125th. Won’t be me, though.”

The Model T will go back on display at the museum in Lincoln, Neb.