Aussie pensioner Rod Wade is preparing to set out for a second time in a bid to set a new world record for driving a pre-war car from New York to California against the clock.
Wade's previous Ocean 2 Ocean attempt was only a month ago and came to an end after crank failure outside Amarillo, 1500 miles into the 3000-mile epic.
Now Wade and co-driver Michael Flanders will set out again on 22 November in their 1930 Ford Model A, starting at Staten Island and aiming to arrive at Venice Fishing Pier fewer than 60 hours later.
Prior to the start of the challenge, Wade will fill a bottle with water from the Atlantic Ocean that will then be poured into the Pacific Ocean upon arrival at Venice Beach, Los Angeles to stop the clock. The drive pays homage to H Nelson Jackson and Sewall K Crocker, the first to drive coast-to-coast across America 110 years ago.
The pair will be supported by a 1988 Plymouth retired police car that will act as a media vehicle. The police car will carry parts and spares as well as New Jersey garage owner and photographer Ricardo Da Cruz, Pennsylvania engine builder Ora Landis and the team’s media manager Andrea Seed from England.
Wade said: “We were devastated when the previous attempt failed but it did two things – taught us a few lessons that have helped us plan the second attempt and made us more determined than ever to get the record set!”
