Its been cloudy and cold, rainy and snowy here in SW Oklahoma for weeks. Today its cold and windy, but CLEAR! Too cold to lay on the garage floor to work on the car so its time to put on my new Porsche cap (Christmas gift) check the oil (add a pint) and take a short tour.

After the land run and statehood SW Oklahoma was well populated. There were homesteads on most sections and the small towns that grew thru the 40's were hopping especially on the weekends.

Now there are fields of wheat and cotton and acres of grazing land but the homesteads - those that are still standing - look like this:

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This is the previously thriving town of Roosevelt, Oklahoma. Now the owner of a junk yard - "auto recycler " nowadays - owns all the buildings in town. The old schools, which closed in the 90's, are filled with engines and teansmissions.

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Wow, what do people do for work around there?

Here is a historical marker with the Witchita mountains in the background. In the summer of 1833, there was a Kiowa camp/village just to the East. While the braves were off hunting buffalo and raiding the Ute's, the camp was attacked by the Osage, killing all 150 leaving only two children who were taken. One child died later in the summer. Called the Cutthroat Massacre.

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In 130 miles my oil temp never got above 170 F. The OAT was about 40 F. Head temp stays at 300 with a tail wind and 350 with a headwind regardless of the OAT. In the summer my oil runs about 200- 220 F, but the heads are always 325-350.

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Pretty car & cool photo (top one) - should be saved for next years calendar. Creamsicle clone?

Thanks for sharing, nice looking car.

Here's another marker. On December 24, 1924, there was Christmas party in the wood frame, one room school house. A fire started, thought to be from a candle on the tree, and 35 people perished. The single door opened inward and in panic, they couldn't get the door open from the press of all those trying to get to it. It made national headlines and helped pass safety standards of doors in public buildings opening outward. The marker listed names. There were five people with the last name of Coffey. Known as the Babb's Switch School Fire.

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And here's the road home. A stretch of the old Hwy 62, narrow, concrete (ca-dunk, ca-dunk, ca-dunk) no shouldres, old bridges, made for Model A's @ 40 mph.....and 914's @ 75!

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Lots of depressing markers...need a drink when you get home!

Looks like you had a nice drive - thanks for sharing the pics.

You need to "Head East Young Man"!

.... waaaay too flat for any Porsche!

The Cookson Hills in NE-OK will offer some curves for your 914!
... easy day trip on 40 then off on 62 over there & other 2 laners with nice twisties.

There's also a old school station over there on 62 in Sallisaw still selling pure gas - no ethanol corn crap!

I'm curious too...

Great pictures!

I agree. Nice car/photo.

Oil fields, and farming. A lot of it is still reservations.

Thanks for the great pics (especially the top two) and the history lesson. Very cool stuff. Having an interesting backdrop for car pics is a major plus.

While the heart of the Dust Bowl was further north and a bit west, I'd imagine such towns in that area were affected. An amazingly unfortunate combination of events (incorrect farming practices, an epic drought, and that Depression thing) which caused it was initially instigated by certain politicians promising that "rain follows the plow".

Same as it ever was....

That was very cool Thanks for sharing

Brings back memories. I lived in Woodward Oklahoma. My son still lives there and works at Smitty's welding. Lots of GHOST towns all over in NW Oklahoma too.

Cool thread and, tell us more about your car…..?

Nice looking Creamsicle! I do not believe its on the 914 LE Registry...is it?

Can you tell me the VIN...or email it to me?

It's a clone Jeff, & a very nice one @ that. Believe it's a 76 w/ backdated bumpers if I read another one of his posts right. No bumper titties & the front spoiler is aftermarket. No center console either.

Yes its a '76. It was tired when I got it several years ago even tho it had only 89k miles. Originally white with a quick respray and a wrinkled lower right rear fender probably from a blowout.

I took the bumpers, lights, and rubber off and peeled off the sail vinyl which had shrunk anyway, and took it to be sanded and painted. He found the reason for the old respray...lots of parking lot dings on the doors and just a few on the fenders but no real damage. And no rust...really!

And it did have a nice console. But I like the foot room and openness without it. One thing I dislike about modern cars - even my '02 MR-2 with 240 K miles now - is the closed in feel and high doors. I like to hang my elbow out the window on nice days. So a guy in Dallas now has the console and will put it to good use.

Anyway, I like the LE's, so when paint time came, I found some early bumpers with BAD chrome, ditched the AR wheels and found a good set of Mahle's, and went with it. If I had a real LE I couldn't drive it. I have a really nice '86 Carrera that I thought I would drive to 300K miles, but somehow it goes out to dinner and movies with me and my wife and a fun drive now and then.

The engine was tired so I tore it apart and with help from Rimco, Ham rebuilt heads and case decking, and a Raby cam kit, I now have 30K miles on it in the last 18 months.

Somehow, I still need to put the hub covers on and re-install the windshield trim, and since it is an LE Wannabe I haven't quite convinced myself that it would be legitimate to put on an orange PORSCHE decal.

Sometimes I think I should have just stopped with new paint and engine but I sure get a lot of looks and comments at the gas station. I have a lot of fun driving it and I hope the next guy will too someday.

Well, you did a nice job on the LE clone. I did an LE Grasshopper clone once. You know what they say about flattery and imitation. Would still like the VIN please.

VIN 4762903827 built 12/75 so's it won't get misrepresented somewhere down the line.

I thought about a grasshopper or even something like blue or whatever. I saw the photoshopped LE schemes on the forum that looked interesting. I just like orange and my -6 wannabe got a signal orange paint job. (Its still not done.)

I enjoy messing with the rebuild projects but the good condition originals need to stay that way...but who am I to say. My '72 is yellow. It seems that 85% of the 914's came in yellow but this one is in good enough shape that it will stay yellow.

Thanks. Order those side stripes you've done everything else! 914rubber carries them, now on special.