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Road Trip! Opinions welcome!


Guest 1987

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Howdy!

Ever since I saw the commercial for my car (1950 Chevy), the slogan "The the U-S-A in your Chev-ro-let" has been making me want to do just that.

My wife and I live in Western New York State, and the Beautiful streatch of "5&20" is accessed from the road we live on, about 20 minutes south. The "20" in "5&20" is US20, the longest road in the US (ignoring its breif name change in Yellowstone) and conncects the Atlantic Ocean in Boston to the Pacific Ocean in Newport Oregon. .... follow me here ... the Historic Route 66 begins on Lakeshore in Chicago, and like a mile after it starts, US20 crosses it.

My goal is to take Historic Route 66 from end to end in my 1950 chevy. I would love to hear from some folks that have done this within the last decade or so and get an idea from folks what I am in for. I know at times it puts you on an actual interstate, and that is concerning because I am not doing 75 in this car. I am weary to do 60 for any long period of time. I found an 8 day plan from Chicago to LA. My thought is that I will want to take a more direct and non-stop drive home, again placing me on 70mph roads.

Hearing possible concerns about the car itself would be welcome.

I'd like to keep this thread alive and really know what I am up against. We are hoping to do this in the fall

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I think it is a great idea. I'm restoring a 1942 Continental and we plan on me retiring and hit the road. Up the Blue Ridge Parkway across Pa. and stop for the Lincoln Museum opening in August in Michigan. Rebuilt V-12 overdrive and site seeing routes. I have always believed driving them is the joy of owning them. Lee

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Driving them sure is the best part of owning them! I used to live across the Alley from you (alligator alley, that is) and wish i had a classic there - I'd have driven it all the time! Here, there is still more snow to come, which means salt. And it starts again in november. Blah!

R W: I wanted to start a new thread to have some dialog with other other owners. I have been search and reading quite a bit, but I really wanna have some conversation.

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Jack: Yea there wont be a plan to rush - i think that guid outlines like, how much to drive per day, but if we ended up somewhere neat, we would certainly hang.

West Peterson: What do you mean, not safe? like bad areas, or too much traffic? the latter is a huge concern I have for this trip. I dont want to end up in something equal to like new york city traffic. I went there once in a brand new corolla and felt bad for the car... certainly not keen on doing it with 40 less horsepower, 1,000 more pounds, 2 less gears, and 65 more years!

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I have driven parts of Route 66 in Southern California and Western Arizona. There are stretches with miles of nothing but a two lane road over rolling hills through the desert. I had the misfortune of experiencing a break down once out in that desert. It was 129 degrees in the shade. There was only one place that I could stand in the sun at just the right angle to get a weak cell phone signal while I tried to get roadside service.

I would recommend you find another car owner to do the tour with. You don’t want to be stuck alone on a desolate road in the west. It is a very long walk for help. </SPAN>

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Yikes! that had to be a less than enjoyable day! How long ago was that? is cell coverage better now? I have all summer to get to know my car better. We plan to do this in the fall to avoid extreme temps.

I will look more into the unsafe side of things.

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Guest Old48Truck

Hi. I live further along Route 20 in Albany, and I've thought a trip to the other end (west) of it in my '48 Chevy pickup would be great. Maybe we can start a convoy...

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Yikes! that had to be a less than enjoyable day! How long ago was that? is cell coverage better now? I have all summer to get to know my car better. We plan to do this in the fall to avoid extreme temps.

I will look more into the unsafe side of things.

My break down was about 10 years ago. I was driving a company truck at the time and it broke down because of a clogged diesel fuel filter. I have not been back in that area since. I am not sure if the cell service has improved in the past 10 years out in the desert.

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Hey 48: maybe we can! I'd love to do something like that. On our end, being where we are career/life wise, getting the time is going to be our challenge. I am thinking this fall or next spring/fall. The more the merrier! Be sure to let me know if you ever take 20 my way in the mean time there is some cool stuff along it

Mark: that had to be a nasty day. And it probly has improved since then... It's changed a lot in the past few alone

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Have you ever heard of the "Worlds Longest Garage Sale"?

I goes the 690 miles between Addison, MI and Gadsden, AL down HWY 127.

You can start and stop any where and travel as far as you want daily.

Motels can be difficult on 127 but there are others available on nearby highways & towns.

On a lark I covered about 50 miles one day and went home.

If you are not into garage sales, this is to be avoided.

You must deal with vehicles driving 50 MPH and people running across the street for the other sale.

You will find a lot of junk and some very interesting items.

It runs Thursday to Sunday in August 7th thru the 10th.

To get information, do a google search on WORLDS LONGEST YARD SALE.

It is not Route 66 but you could cover it in the 4 days plus 2 days each way to your home.

The trip I want to take is the Natchez Trace from Natchez MI to Nashville TN

It is a 440 mile 2 lane road restricted to no trucks.

The biggest problems are all food, gas, and motels are off the parkway & you will deal with bicycles.

With luck, it is on my 2015 bucket list.

Best of everything on Route 66 but keep in mind, each state will be 300 to 400 miles across.

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About 15 years ago my Mom, Step Dad, Aunt and Uncle did an 8 week cross country sight seeing road trip including most of 66. Their average age was 68 or so. Even in a modern car my Aunt became almost catatonic crossing the desert and it was months after the trip before the group was once again on friendly terms.

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I have been traveling across the country for over fifty years. In that time there is little that I haven't seen, including about ninety percent of Route 66. While the route is interesting and unique in its way, it is far from the best road if beautiful scenery is your goal. I like it even though I think that it is over hyped. If it is to be your only trip I would choose another route but if you have your heart set on the route do it now because neither you or your old vehicle will like the heat!

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Guest Tusler 49 New Yorker

Maybe some of us could meet up with you when you enter California and run the route for a while...safety in numbers...

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Guest cben09

When crossing the mountains,,DONT hold the throttle wide open,,,

Choose a gear that will allow the engine to work ,,but not overloaded,,and when you stop,

face into the wind and let it idle to cool,,iIf you shut off suddenly the pump stops,,the fan stops and there is lots of built up heat to be expelled,,

If this is a splash engine talk to the old guys,,don't rev it,,don't lug it,,,clean and align

the oil squiters,,whatever they are called,,,I did this in a truckstop yard,with a splash rod

1 ton long wb pickup.//4 speed,,,,,20 Mi,,2 hours and a wwhole tank of gas,,2o gal i think,,

Needles,,,Boron,,,Rabbits Ears Pass are names I recall,,from 1963

Now you guys will be impressed by the prevous generation getting to Cal from Boston in a

Model T,,, Cheers Ben

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Just a month ago I was on Route 66 in NW Arizona, and in California. The Cell Phone coverage is marginal at best. Non Existent much of the time.

While the stretch of 66 I was on was an interesting drive, I don't think that much of the route, especially through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and points further west are worth the hard driving on a very 'secondary' road. Most of the old businesses are gone, the buildings torn down, and it's just an old two lane road..

I've toured on sections of 66, and for the most part it's underwhelming.

GLong

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