Richardson Expedition on site now!

Jim Benjaminson · March 10, 2006, 01:53:32 AM

Brian - the modifications to the car were basically this - 18" wheels with special half inch thick Goodyear inner tubes (never had a flat on the entire trip), skid plates under the engine/transmission and gas tank, an extra gas tank in the trunk that fed into the regular tank, a removeable upswept exhaust pipe to use when fording streams, the ambulance conversion (eliminating the X brace between the trunk and passenger compartment), no rear seat and the roof rack for carrying spare tires and equipment. Hi compression cylinder head. '41 was the first year for the different gear ratio transmission. When I met with the 3 guys in 1983, I asked Arnold Whitaker (the mechanic on the trip) what he took along for spare parts and more importantly, what he hadn't taken along that he should have! His reply was he should have taken an extra clutch plate. The one thing he took that they didn't need was brake shoes. He said they never drove fast enough or were on the brakes enough to wear out the originals. I was priviledged to get to know all three men before they passed away. In fact, when I was with them, it was the last time in their lives that the 3 of them were together! They all died in 1986 - Whitaker in January, Richardson in July and Van Hee in December.

brucepine · March 09, 2006, 08:12:07 PM

What an incredible test of the durability of Plymouths. I went online to www.abebooks.com and found several used copies of "Adventure South" for sale. $12 - 25 price range. 330 pages with photos. I ordered one.

UPSbusinesscoupe · March 09, 2006, 06:02:32 AM

Brian here! definitly didn't post it, but did enjoy it! It's quite mind boggling to think of what that car endured, and just looking at the beating it took/how it held up. I may have overlooked this in the article, but I am very curious about the exact modifications performed on this car..

I found it interesting how they mentioned needing transmission gears flown in, to me revealing sort of the weakspot in the drivetrain.

POC-Admin · March 07, 2006, 09:23:38 PM

No problem - I am 57 years old and experience brain farts from time to time myself. ;D

Bob · March 07, 2006, 05:22:32 PM

Mark,
Sorry for the wrong name, you get my age the mind wanders:)
Bob

POC-Admin · March 07, 2006, 12:33:40 PM

Bob,

Thanks for the nice comment - but who's Brian? ??? :)

The real thanks is to Jim Benjaminson - he was the person who found the story, the films and he did all the leg-work for the web pages (taken from the published Plymouth Bulletins) I just put it up for the world to see.

Mark Olson
POC-Admin

Bob · March 06, 2006, 05:21:12 PM

Brian,
I want to thank you for posting this story.
I have read it and enjoyed it very much.
It is a story that I have heard about, but was unable to find some literature on it.
Thanks again,
Bob

POC-Admin · March 05, 2006, 06:14:10 PM

If you have never heard about the Richardson Expedition from Detroit to Cape Horn - 1941 - driving in a Plymouth car where there were no roads three guys make a trip most of us would never think about taking.

Read the whole story here -

http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/adventure01.htm

It is from the Bulletin and is very long but very interesting reading. New color photos just added too.