HOT ROD POWER TOUR ’22 – 2,000 Miles, Five Days, Four States

The ultimate challenge for any custom truck owner is undoubtedly a multi-state road trip during the hottest month of the year. The pressure put on gaskets and seals after a few hundred miles will find any flaw in your system, ultimately leaving you stranded on the side of the road watching all the other cool cars pass you by. It’s a horrible feeling, and unfortunately, one we are all too familiar with.

So, this year we decided to take the challenge by registering our 1985 Chevy Squarebody for the 2,000-mile Hot Rod Power Tour, which started in Memphis, Tennessee, and ended at Atlanta Motor Speedway five days later. On top of all those obstacles, Mother Nature decided it would be a terrific time to cover these states in a heatwave like one we have never felt, which is the absolute worst nightmare for any classic truck owner. Although, if you build it right no problems should arise, right? That’s what we thought.

Weakest Link

In our case, the weakest link was the one we didn’t see coming. We bolted a perfectly functioning 4L 60 E to the 6L LS engine with no questions on its reliability. It had low miles, it worked completely fine before it was removed, and all the fluid was removed and completely replaced.

Unfortunately, the heat built up after driving a few hundred miles destroyed the rings inside the transmission and left us with only third gear. It was devastating to say the least, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the rest of the trip.

Old Reliable

After a quick 350-mile tow back down south, we parked the pickup and fired up our ’78 Blazer. Old Reliable was ready and able to complete the entire power tour, and we’re proud to say we picked up our long hauler plaques at the end of the trip. It was a crazy and wild week of truck lifestyle fun, and one that we are sure to torture ourselves with again next year. Have you ever gone on a power tour? We’d love to hear about your experience!