TRI-FIVE NATIONALS QUESTIONABLE. The Tri-Five Nationals are coming in mid-August — SIX WEEKS! My wife just changed jobs and she is not going to be able to go.

Our plan was to drive down on Wednesday and return either late Saturday or sometime Sunday. Well, our plans are shot to hell. There were some things we decided to do differently after our first trip to the Nats.

For starters, we decided to have a golf cart for access around the grounds. The grounds are large, and walking that large an area was going to be impossible, especially given the extreme heat we can expect.

Another concession that my wife basically demanded was installing air conditioning in the 55 Chevy wagon. I know they make 12v compressor systems in the $400-$600 range, but how well these systems actually cool is debateable. The real-world results I’m seeing on YouTube is that they cool, but not nearly enough.

The compressor requires substantial amounts of 12v power. And it really is not rated to offer sufficient cooling on most large vehicles. The truth is that a 12vdc A/C system probably would work better on the 56 Plymouth given its smaller interior size.

I’m left with a decision I need to make very soon — do I order one of these $500 AC kits knowing it isn’t going to cool well enough, or do I forgo spending the money? Those who have installed 12VDC systems say the belt-driven AC is far superior. But the Vintage Air systems run as high as $2500, and are El Mucho complicated to install.

My wife can’t go, so that leaves me with my son as my co-pilot. He’s not a big old car fan, but the idea of the dragstrip appeals to him. I don’t know if he’ll give two shits about sweating his balls off to hang out with other Old Farts in Tri-Fives, either.

So honestly, my initial thoughts were just to cancel the trip. But reality entered the picture.

The company that rents the golf carts ran their fees through my bank account a couple of days ago, which paid for the golf cart use for 3 or 4 days. I don’t know but I assume its non-refundable.

I’ve already paid for admission for two and the car. The only remaining bill that’s not paid is the hotel reservation, which is pricey. I can cancel that right up to that weekend if desired so no problem.

I just don’t know if its going to be as much fun with my son, given his lack of interest in classic cars. Its almost certainly going to hot and humid.

We have the option of not driving the Chevy. Instead, we could take my Dodge Journey and ride in comfort. The problem with that is that we have to use spectator parking, which places us a good distance away from the show area, and a good distance away from the golf carts.

The other issue is that without a Tri-Five in the show, we have no real “home base” to work from. If the car is there, we’ll have the 10×10 tent setup for shade and rest. If we don’t have the Chevy, we won’t have any place to call “home.” Not sure that’s a huge deal, but yeah, its a bit of a pain. If you have to return the golf carts to one place, then that leaves you walking back to your car if you are a spectator. That will suck.

Decisions, decisions.

Since my wife isn’t going, I don’t have the requirement to install AC in the wagon. That leaves me off the hook for that requirement — though I still think its a great idea. The Vintage Air system appears to be the way to go, but that’s a substantial investment. I have enough left in my 401(k) to cover that, though I’m out of time as far as getting it installed. I’m still tempted to try the 12VDC AC system first, would make decent content for YouTube.

But in the end, I think I’m going to have to cancel the trip to the Tri-Five Nationals this year. I may lose the $375 for the golf cart, but I will call them first to see if a refund is possible. I suspect that have a waiting list and my cart can pretty easily be pressed into service with another customer.

I have another task I really need to tackle regarding the Chevy. I need to remove the 2-inch lowering blocks on the rear end. This MAY help prevent the car from dragging the exhaust. Emphasis on “may.” I would rather take it to a shop for this, but this SHOULD be something I can do in my shop, despite the fact I’ve never done it before. This is something I need to do regardless of going to the Tri-Five Nats or not. I’m not really certain that removing the blocks will actually raise the body up much. The leaf springs may need to be replaced.

I haven’t advised my wife of my tentative decision yet. I think I WILL order the 12VDC AC system along with a 200 Amp alternator. I’ll have to get that ordered sooner than later!

TENTATIVE DECISION? I think I’ll skip attending the Tri-Five Nationals. My son will probably be a pain in the ass after 4 days at an event he probably won’t like, dealing with me the entire time. The golf cart would make life much easier, that’s for sure. I dunno .. I’ve got to give it more thought. I may wait until the week before the nationals. Once I get an idea of the weather forecast for the week, I’ll probably make my final go or no-go decision.

PARTS SHIPPING FROM AMAZON. I ordered a number of parts for the Chevy from Amazon earlier today. The list includes:

• new chrome 200Amp Alternator
• new chromed steel valve covers
• attaching hardware and hold downs for valve covers.

Now I almost didn’t spring for the alternator, but figured it won’t be a waste. If, my chance, I try the $500 12v AC system, those systems require a robust charging system that my 110 amp alternator probably wouldn’t keep up with.

The new valve covers I have needed since I got the car 18 months ago. It has chrome plated steel valve covers on it now that aren’t in very good shape. These new ones will be a nice improvement. I bought a couple of different mounting screws as I’m not sure which will look better. I just know the mounting screws I won’t use — the ones I used on my 55 Chevy 40 years ago.

VALVE COVER CHOICE. My first choice of valve cover is the aluminum “Corvette” valve covers for the second generation hads (non-staggered valve cover holes). I had polished the valve covers I had, and after I painted the car, I painted the fins on top white tipped with the maroon that matched the car. I also painted the tops of the “Corvette” lettering in maroon. It made for a very attractive engine.

Why not go with the “Corvette” valve covers again? I’ve since learned that a Chevy small block needs to breathe, and modern SBC’s use a pcv valve to vent from valve cover to the base of the carb, with a vent in the valve cover on the opposite side.

The Corvette valve covers have no vent and no provision for use with a PCV valve. Without the ventilation, you’ll end up with a crankcase full of combustion blowby that can’t escape the crankcase. Older Chevy blocks often used what was called as a road draft tube to vent the crankcase.

Actually, a company that sells repop aluminum Corvette valve covers also can add ports for a PVC valve or vent so you can be retro while keeping the modern PCV setup. I saw on a message board that you can drill a hole in the firewall end of each Corvette valve cover and add a fitting to hook up a PVC, and add a vent on the other side. I think I’m going to cruise eBay for a set of Corvette covers to modify … eventually.

That’s all for now, more to come!