SLO County friends reach Arctic Ocean after driving 1931 Ford 1,400 miles on gravel highway

Kathe Tanner
·3 min read

Nearly a month ago, two men set out from Cambria on a 7,000-mile journey to the Arctic Ocean, with 1,400 of those miles to be driven in a 1931 Model A Ford town sedan.

Jay Burbank of Cambria and his friend Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina told the Tribune by phone on July 2 that they’d just arrived at their destination, along with Cambria firefighter Tim Murdoch, who’d joined his buddies along the way.

Burbank planned the epic road trip to honor military veterans in the U.S. and Canada, and vets along the way signed the body of the Model A, as hundreds of them had done before.

He drove the slant-window town sedan converted to look like a U.S. Army Air Corps general’s staff car for most of those 1,400 rugged miles on the graveled Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk at the northern edge of the continent, in Canada’s Northwest Territories. He protected the front of the antique vehicle from rock strikes by mounting a large screen on the front.

They made it to Inuvik, Canada, in time to meet their commitment to drive in a celebratory Canada Day parade on July 1, he said, adding that they took advantage of the stopover to complete some repairs, including to the Model A’s water pump.

Jay Burbank stands with his 1931 Model A Ford at the shore of the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyatuk, in the northern Canadian territories, on July 2, 2023, after a 7,000-mile, nearly monthlong drive from Cambria. Burbank organized the trip to honor veterans in the U.S. and Canada, hundreds of whom signed the antique vehicle.
Jay Burbank stands with his 1931 Model A Ford at the shore of the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyatuk, in the northern Canadian territories, on July 2, 2023, after a 7,000-mile, nearly monthlong drive from Cambria. Burbank organized the trip to honor veterans in the U.S. and Canada, hundreds of whom signed the antique vehicle.

“It’s noisier today than it was when we left Inuovik,” Burbank said the following day about the fix-it job on the pump, “but we can work on it again when we get back there,” to the small town about 95 miles to the south.

For the first leg of their journey starting June 10, the pair traveled about 1,600 miles in a Cadillac SUV to arrive at Prince George, British Columbia, on June 14, towing the Model A in a 14-foot car hauler.

For much of the rest of the trip to the remote town of Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean, Burbank and Enxuto each drove one of the cars, although Burbank had the lion’s share of Model A driving duty.

Tuktoyaktuk is about 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle. According to dictionary.com, the Arctic Circle “marks the northernmost point at which the sun appears above the level of the horizon on the winter solstice”

Murdoch joined them for the final leg of the trek. He and Enxuto will leave the convoy at different points on the way home, leaving Burbank to carry on alone as he takes a round-about route back to Cambria.

Jay Burbank of Cambria, at left, and Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina begin loading Friday, June 9, 2023, up for their 7,000-mile roundtrip adventure to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. They’ll do one-fifth of the journey driving Burbank’s 1931 Model A town sedan. That portion of the trip will be on the graveled Dempster Highway.
Jay Burbank of Cambria, at left, and Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina begin loading Friday, June 9, 2023, up for their 7,000-mile roundtrip adventure to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. They’ll do one-fifth of the journey driving Burbank’s 1931 Model A town sedan. That portion of the trip will be on the graveled Dempster Highway.

Trailer carried car and was mount for rootop tent

In addition to carrying the Model A, the car-hauler trailer provided a place to mount a Cascadia Vehicles rooftop tent for camping and room to carry filled fuel cans.

The back-up supplies weren’t optional.

“There are long gaps without gas stations,” explained Burbank, who owns the vehicles.

“The Model A gets about 15 mpg with a 10-gallon tank,” he said, “and the Caddy gets about 15 mpg with a 25-gallon tank.”