Story by Paul & Marilyn Duncan (taken from The Enchantment Flyer May-June 2025); Photos by Mark Wing.
Fourteen Tin Lizzies with 6 Model T cars and 1 TT arrived in Grants, New Mexico on May 23 to start a 3-day tour. Vaughn Rockafellow and Dave Ferro organized this spring tour to revisit a previous tour held in 2010. The tour hotel was the Best Western Sure Stay where there was excellent trailer parking and we were close to Walmart, Denny’s and several gas stations. Participants in this tour included Tin Lizzie members, Andy Andrews & Carolyn Ridley and Jackie Dalmatian; Larry & Lorna Azevedo and new dog Buster, Paul Beck, Paul & Marilyn Duncan, Dave Ferro, Art Gebeau, Fran Gurule, Vaughn Rockafellow, Vern & Pat Willan and Mark Wing.
We gathered in the Gazebo for our first evening hospitality event. The next morning Larry, Lorna and Buster left back to Corrales to care for Lorna’s knee. The First Day we drove out of Grants on NM 53 heading west and passed up and over the Continental Divide (7,800 ft) toward El Morro National Monument. After about 20 miles of driving, we arrived at the turnoff to El Calderon Trailhead and pulled into the parking lot.
Paul Duncan had noted that his Moto-Meter’s red line indicated overheating. He opened the hood and saw that his fan belt had slipped off. The bolt on the eccentric fan belt tightener had loosened. The fan belt was slipped back on, and the bolt was securely tightened. That solved the overheating problem for the Duncans. Mark Wing was also having problems when he realized that his ignition switch was very hot. Apparently, while running on magneto a lot of current was being drawn and overheated the switch. Switching to run the T on battery cleared the problem for the rest of the day. That evening, he changed out his I-Timer and had no further problems for the rest of the tour.
At El Morro most of us walked the trail to view the rock inscriptions. Paul Beck, however, took a wrong turn and hiked all the way up to the Pueblo on top of the cliff! We had a picnic lunch in the shade and gave the Rangers rides in the T’s. On the way back to Grants, we stopped at the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano. Most of the group hiked to the ice cave in the mouth of one of the lava tubes. Vern & Pat Willan returned to Albuquerque to get medical attention for Pat’s hip
We started the Second Day of driving with 4 Model T cars, a TT and the trouble truck/trailer. Paul Beck’s TT could average about 20/mph while our T cars comfortably speed along averaging 30 mph. Paul Beck left an hour ahead of us on Day 2 and we all met at the BLM El Malpais National Conservation Area (NCA) Visitor Center on NM 117. In the NCA parking lot we left Paul Beck’s TT and he drove the trouble truck/trailer. Vaughn who had driven Paul Beck’s truck to the NCA joined Art in Mark’s touring. Fran rode with Dave. Andy, Carolyn and Jackie shared a “very cozy” front seat in Andy’s Coupe. Paul and Marilyn were in their Roadster Pickup with the ice chest and other driver’s extra gear.
Next, we headed to the nearby Sandstone Bluffs Overlook in El Malpais National Monument. From the overlook we had an amazing view to the Zuni Mountains and several Malpais lava flows. The Zuni Sandstone cliffs are 100-150 feet high and have been eroded into many shapes. Further south on NM 117, we turned off to the La Ventana Natural Arch. We all made the short hike to view the sandstone cliff and picturesque natural arch and then drove on to the “Narrows” picnic area for lunch.
Finally, we returned to Grants and headed to the New Mexico Mining Museum where Art gave us a personal tour including the exhibits and underground uranium mine reconstruction. He shared many personal stories about his long career in Grants uranium mining. Sunday, those remaining packed up and returned to Albuquerque. Dave, Mark and Fran stopped at Art’s home in Milan. Dave purchased a speedster, and Mark found a new lift for his shop!
