Model T crosses finish line

When Tom Carnegie pulled into the parking lot of Albertsons at Trent Avenue and Argonne Road last Saturday, he was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Dozens of people had gathered. They set up a makeshift finish line and brought their old cars and even a John Deere tractor. Someone waved a black and white checkered flag. A handful of them, members of the Spokane Model T Club, even met him in Idaho to escort him back home.

Carnegie and his wife, Susan, climbed out of their 80-year-old Model T Ford, while his friends cheered and clapped. The Spokane Valley residents had just returned after a 9,762 mile odyssey through 48 states that lasted 42 days.

“I made it,” he called out and jokingly collapsed against his car.

This homecoming for Carnegie was a long time coming. He mapped out routes and planned the trip for six years, and he restored a 1926 Model T Ford Coupe to its original showroom luster.

The couple climbed into the car on July 2 and started driving.

Although the trip was relatively peaceful, there were a couple of potholes along the way.

The two were stuck in rush hour traffic in Atlanta in 100-degree heat. The car’s manifold broke, and he borrowed a torch to fix it.

He had three flat tires, but he also never used his fan on his engine or overheated even though much of the trip was through a record setting heat wave.

The two travelers met many other car enthusiasts that traveled along with them, bought them meals and helped with repairs.

He said that he broke a couple of Guinness Book records. He drove the most number of states in a Model T and the most number of miles without a support vehicle.

“We have such a country to be proud of,” said Susan. She noted that there are many beautiful places around the country that she will remember forever.

Carnegie kept a blog on MySpace.com to chronicle his travels and has plans to write a book.

The Carnegies’ friend, Jack Bunton, remarked that the long journey was a true test of the bond Tom and Susan share.

“I think that marriage is going to work,” he joked.