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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 2025 Texas Driving Tour

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Discussion Topic: 2025 Texas Driving Tour

38 coupe

04-09-2025 @ 3:45 AM

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Today is the first day of driving for the 2025 Texas Tour. This year the annual tour is being held as a four day driving tour. A good selection of members and cars arrived yesterday.
If I am successful at attaching pictures from my phone you should see three photos:
1- dropping off tour supplies using a 53 Ford station wagon
2 - my 38 Ford in front of a local barbershop
3 - some of the cars that arrived by yesterday evening for our tour.

I will try to update this daily, but may miss depending on how busy things get for me.

Any other attendees, please feel free to post pictures you took.

38 coupe

04-10-2025 @ 4:38 AM

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Yesterday was a nice first day of our driving tour. We took back roads from Halletsville over to Gonzales, home of the "Come and take it" cannon.
We visited The Gonzales Memorial Museum that has the surprisingly small cannon, it is a small but interesting museum. After the museum was lunch and looking around downtown Gonzales.
The Shiner Brewery was an optional stop on the way back to Halletsville. We ended the day with hanging out under the same tree behind the hotel.

1942deluxe

04-10-2025 @ 5:55 AM

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Neat! Thanks for posting the photos.

40cpe

04-10-2025 @ 8:17 AM

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Thanks for the event coverage. I'll bet there is a story behind that Mercury coupe.

38 coupe

04-12-2025 @ 4:21 AM

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On Thursday we continued our Texas History destinations by touring to Goliad and Cuero.

In Goliad we visited several historic destinations. First was a reconstructed mission from the era when Spain was maintaining a claim to the territory west of the Mississippi watershed, including Texas, Mission Espiritu Santo.
Next we visited Presidio la Bahía, perhaps the finest example around today of a Spansh frontier fort. This was also the location of the massacre of Texian troops during the war for Texas independence from Mexico.
We drove into Goliad to the courthouse square including one of the large live oak trees out front of the courthouse with a historical marker plaque explaining that this tree was used to hang convicted individuals during the era where justice was very swift.
On our way back from Goliad we stopped at the Chisholm Trail Museum in Cuero. This museum explains the origin of the Texas cowboy and focuses on the brief but famous period of time of the cattle drives that happened between the USA Civil War and the arrival of railroads in south Texas.
Thursday concluded with a couple unplanned technical seminars in the parking lot including replacing the wheel bearing on a 53 Mercury.

38 coupe

04-13-2025 @ 10:42 AM

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Friday was our longest day of driving.
We stated out by heading east from Hallettsville, driving to the San Felipe De Austin State Historical Site. This is a museum and re-created buildings for Stephen F. Austin's colony in Texas. Several participants took alternate routes to arrive, but all agreed the place was worth the visit.
Next we drive through the Texas countryside to the small town of Ellinger. Lunch was on your own with the choice between b-b-que and burger / sandwiches. I think all tour participants went for the b-b-que.
Following lunch you had the choice of:
1 - visiting a car collection
or
2 - visiting the Texas Quilt Museum followed by visiting Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites.
Turns out some enterprising tour attendees decided on a third choice - go to everything!
Friday evening concluded with ice cream on the back porch of the hotel, along with a technical session where a carburetor was rebuilt.

38 coupe

04-13-2025 @ 10:56 AM

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Our final day of the tour was Saturday. We visited four "Painted Churches" from the era of Czech and German immigration during the 1870s through 1900s, with a local guide giving us the history of each church and surrounding community. All four churches continue to be active local churches. Our route between the churches included crossing the restored 1885 "Piano Bridge" named for the sound it made when crossing the bridge.
Following the churches was lunch on your own in Schulenburg, with b-b-que again being a popular option.
After lunch the last stop on the tour was at Moravia Store, a 130 year old dance hall and local watering hole.
Saturday evening was our final gathering, with a fajita buffet at the restaurant next to the hotel. Noone went home hungry!

We drive about 500 miles on our tour. The furthest traveled was a couple who came down from Minnesota, and brought a beautiful 1937 standard coupe. The furthest driven was a coupe from Mississippi who drove a very nice 1952 Ford over 500 miles to get to the tour in the first place. I am grateful to everyone who came, had fun, and joined in the 12th National Driving Tour that the Early Ford V8 Club has held (edit: 15th tour, please see correction below; I really should have gotten sleep before posting the update). I got lucky that I could combine it with the 52nd annual Texas Tour. Sometimes things work out in your favor.

This message was edited by 38 coupe on 4-13-25 @ 4:42 PM

38 coupe

04-13-2025 @ 11:54 AM

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The Mercury coupe with no paint left on it does have an interesting story. That car is owned by brothers. Their grandfather was a farmer who needed a new car in 1950. He went to town to get a Ford, and came home with the Mercury. Apparently the 51 models were coming out and the dealer was willing to make a huge discount to get the old model off the lot. Their grandfather, in true frugal farmer style, had the heater removed and a clock installed. He didn't need a heater, but was going to be on time.
The car itself is interesting. The body and interior are un-restored. It has never been repainted. The car has never sat outside, but the factory paint has disappeared. The factory interior is in there, in used condition, along with the seat covers that were installed in the 50s or 60s. I don't remember seeing another 1950 Mercury as plain as this one. There is no trim around the windsheild or rear window. There is no passenger side arm rest. This is the most stripped down 1950 Mercury I remember seeing.
The brothers restored the mechanical parts of the car about five years ago and left everything else the same.

efv8CofAAdmin

04-13-2025 @ 4:36 PM

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Fred,
I hate to correct you.................
But your Tour/Texas Tour was the 15th National Driving Tour.

Congratulations on a great event and your posting the event on the EFV-8C web site.

And as you and your participants have found out, they are great ways to get those Early Ford V-8's out and about.

Web Administrator

38 coupe

04-13-2025 @ 4:44 PM

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Bruce, thank you for catching my mistake. I have edited the previous post to point out my error.
Once again, thank you for the tour in Wisconsin you organized that inspired me to do this one.

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