Long distance driving/traveling with vintage cars

[oldcarfudd]

The Stanleys often referred derisively to IC engines as internal explosive.

[JACK M]

My good friend used to drive a Ford Exploder.

The manual transmission kept it pretty close to home.

[padgett]

I recall early automobuggies being referred to as having explosion engines. Guess "Otto" was not PC during war one.

[TTR]

Didn’t get a chance for extended drive this morning (less than 50 miles ☹️), but on the way back stopped in downtown to snap couple of neat shots.

Here’s one:

 

 

😊 Great news of the day was that the wife has been (secretly) planning for a smaller version of our originally intended (another epic ?) 3+ week/3000+ mile road trip we were supposed to be enjoying right now. 

The currently planned one is only for few days, to-from and around Yosemite, probably less than 1000 miles, but I'm still expecting it to be better and more fun than any car show or stand-around-and-pose gathering could offer.

 

Fingers crossed that the lack of consideration and respect of others by so many stupid individuals out there will not wreak further havoc by giving the CoViD-19 a chance to re-emerge and force closures of public places again. 🤞 

Edited June 21, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[TTR]

We had to scrap our last weeks Yosemite trip, but on Sunday I managed a small (+/-100 miles) local excursion, which included some spirited driving pleasures on Ortega Hwy, and finding ourselves (the Roadster & I) being filmed & briefly featured in some YouTube video about motorcycles on Ortega Hwy that day.

 

I’m now thinking of heading up to ACH tomorrow* for more vintage driving pleasures and scenic pic-nic lunch.
Honk & wave if you see us coming (or going) or stop & say hi if we’re parked at some vista point.

*P.S. It’s 4 am & were just about ready to head out. Should be more fun than two barrels of monkeys, again. 

Edited July 19, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[oldcarfudd]

Last weekend a Horseless Carriage Club group did a reasonably (but not fanatically) socially-distanced two-day tour in Maryland.  We stayed in a hotel that was taking all the precautions.  We went various places for dinner, had a catered box lunch in a churchyard Saturday and a catered hot lunch in an open pavilion where the trailers were parked on Sunday.  There were no scheduled destinations because of the plague, but there were beautiful country roads, some serious hills, and a creek fording.  There were 38 pre-'16 cars including four early Dodge Brothers and four Stanleys.  Other than a local one-day pre-'16 event a month ago, this is the only organized touring I've been able to do this year.

 

Now, does this look like a respite from the COVID blues, or what?

 

 

[TTR]

While not an organized/sanctioned event, our drive today was another great way to spend a half day.

+/-90 miles of sitting on “conveyor belts”, a.k.a Freeways, notwithstanding, the other half of +/-180 miles of the drive, spirited driving on ACH, was just picture perfect experience again, after which I stopped by a friend house to have some ice cream for lunch. 
Now sitting in our backyard garden enjoying a yummy cigar and an “Eldorado Margarita” (my own interpretation/invention of a “Cadillac”). 🙂

 

Will be interesting to see if my hour + onboard video recording footage worked this time.

 

Snack break at 7000 ft. above L.A.

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[TTR]

9 hours ago, oldcarfudd said:

Last weekend a Horseless Carriage Club group did a reasonably (but not fanatically) socially-distanced two-day tour in Maryland.  We stayed in a hotel that was taking all the precautions.  We went various places for dinner, had a catered box lunch in a churchyard Saturday and a catered hot lunch in an open pavilion where the trailers were parked on Sunday.  There were no scheduled destinations because of the plague, but there were beautiful country roads, some serious hills, and a creek fording.  There were 38 pre-'16 cars including four early Dodge Brothers and four Stanleys.  Other than a local one-day pre-'16 event a month ago, this is the only organized touring I've been able to do this year.

 

Now, does this look like a respite from the COVID blues, or what?

 

 

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a great adventure.

Edited July 19, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

On 5/30/2019 at 5:44 PM, TTR said:

Hi, I’m new here but not to antique/classic/vintage vehicles.

I also wish to apologize if any of my content in this topic offends some members/readers here.

 

Actually I’ve been seriously involved with them for over 40 years as an enthusiast/hobbyist/owner (of dozens) and professionally +/-35 years.

More than anything, including rebuilding or restoring them or their components, I’ve always loved driving classic/vintage cars, a lot, and have probably racked up at least 200.000-300.000 miles between all I’ve driven and/or driven in past 4+ decades.

 

I’ve driven 10 or so trips across the continental U.S. and maybe another 10 or more with half that distance in vintage cars from early ‘30s to early ‘70s, although latter I view more like a “modern” cars.

 

When younger (late teens-to-forties), I preferred cruising in large ‘50s/’60s American “land yachts”, but in past ten or so years I’ve gone back to my original, early teen years interests of ‘50s and older sports cars and early Hot Rods, driving them “spiritedly” on scenic, twisty countryside back roads or 2-lane mountain highways, etc. for which my “weapon of choice” has been my ‘32 Plymouth PB Sports Roadster I built to a “period correct*" early-‘50s Hot Rod close to 30 years + tens of thousands of miles ago. 

 

In past few years I’ve also done several long distance leisure road trips with it, including a 15 day/2750 mile (SoCal to Yellowstone and back) vacation with the wife and we’re now preparing for another +/- 3 weeks/3000+ mile trip this summer.

 

So my question is, are there many members here that actually enjoy to drive their early-‘50s or older, especially pre-war cars extensively for private leisure travel, i.e. without participating in some organized antique/classic car event, show or tour, etc. ?

 

*Pretty much every component or technological feature in this car is something that was or would’ve been available in the early ‘50s, incl. 6Volt electrical system, bias-ply tires w/tubes, no creature comforts or power assist of any kind, etc.

Only noticeable deviation from “period correct” might be a pair of (lap-type) seat belts, although those too existed in period and before..

Other “period correct Hot Rod” modifications include ‘52 DeSoto 276, ‘49/‘52 Dodge 3-spd, ‘51 Dodge rear axle, ‘37(?) Plymouth(?) steering gear + wheel, custom-/hand-built (by yours truly) alloy-bucket seats and (hydraulic) telescopic shocks.

What do you do when way out in the yonder and an important part goes bad and you can't run down to NAPA and get another one?  That may be why you like to drive modified's maybe?  I've thought about building such a car myself for long haul driving.  I just like looking at and feeling the old 30s and 40s cars the "way they were."  I don't get a thrill out of driving a modified.

 

[Grimy]

14 minutes ago, Dynaflash8 said:

What do you do when way out in the yonder and an important part goes bad and you can't run down to NAPA and get another one?  That may be why you like to drive modified's maybe?  I've thought about building such a car myself for long haul driving.  I just like looking at and feeling the old 30s and 40s cars the "way they were."  I don't get a thrill out of driving a modified.

In 1997 I "auditioned" retirement (the audition was a success--I retired the following March) by driving my 1936 Pierce 8-cyl sedan with factory OD (2700 rpm at 70 mph) solo in May from Oakland, CA to Cleveland OH in 3 days' driving time to participate in my good friend Roger's daughter's wedding.  Then drove to Detroit where I stashed the car with a Cadillac collector friend for 2-1/2 months, and flew home.  My then-wife and I flew to Detroit, serviced and checked over the car there, drove across the MI Upper Peninsula and across Wisconsin to Superior WI near Duluth MN for the PAS Annual Meet in July.  We then drove home via U.S. 2 thru Dakotas, Montana, Glacier Park, Idaho, along the Columbia River, then south thru central OR to CA.  I had limited vacation time so had to move more quickly than I preferred.  I carried an extra Optima battery, a full complement of spare ignition parts, brushes for generator and starter, fuel pump, and carefully selected tools.  The total trip was about 5,500 miles.

 

On the road, I lost the speedo, had one flat tire, and had to disassemble the carburetor in a hotel parking lot in Bismarck to remove a piece of grit from the carb that had inexplicably got thru a new modern inline filter.  For anything that could not be fixed in a small town within a day or two, I was mentally prepared to find a storage location, take a rental car or the Dirty Dog (Greyhound) to the nearest air carrier airport, and fly home, retrieving the car with my dually and enclosed trailer within a month or two.  I also had my PAS roster with me and a list of some sources of rebuilt, on-the-shelf parts.  Never called AAA.

 

This doesn't work for everyone, but it did work for me.

[Bloo]

40 minutes ago, Dynaflash8 said:

What do you do when way out in the yonder and an important part goes bad and you can't run down to NAPA and get another one?  That may be why you like to drive modified's maybe?  I've thought about building such a car myself for long haul driving.  I just like looking at and feeling the old 30s and 40s cars the "way they were."  I don't get a thrill out of driving a modified.

 

 

You rebuild the stuff you have and really make it right. Don't plan for trouble, plan to NOT have trouble. Drive the car every day and learn its problems. do more sorting and rebuilding of whatever is unreliable. Eventually, you will have confidence. You may need to pack along some extras of things that MIGHT break, but these should be relatively few, unless you have the room and just want to be REALLY sure.

 

Some cars will never be reliable enough for trips no matter how much you do, but those are not normal or common. Most cars just need all the crappy workmanship cleaned up.

 

So many modified cars are full of stuff from the 70s-80s-90s. It is easy to get sucked into the idea that you can just walk in and buy parts, but those 70s-80s-90s drivetrains are antiques now too. I have friend and neighbor who plans to put an 80s GM drivetrain under his old Pontiac so he can get parts to fix it if out of town. He will build a nice car, but is misguided. I have an old truck with a Chevy 283 in it. Basically nothing on it is original. I use it for towing and hauling around car parts. Mostly it sits. A few years ago when the fuel pump failed, nobody had a 283 fuel pump, so I redid the gas lines to use a 350 fuel pump, available everywhere. Guess what? Now the local parts stores don't stock a 350 fuel pump.....

 

I will be driving my bone-stock 36 Pontiac from Washington State to Wisconsin next year for the ETC Flathead Reunion. I was planning to go this year until Covid got loose and everything got canceled.  I drive it everywhere (in good weather). It doesn't break. If it does, I guess I'll have to ship it home. I'm not too worried.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

+1 for what Bloo said.

 

Driving your car is the only way to make it reliable. Period. It doesn't matter what kind of parts it's made out of, it doesn't matter what year it is, if you don't use it, it won't be reliable. There are cars coming out of restoration shops with fresh six-figure restorations and without some shakedown miles (a whole lot of them) the thing still won't be reliable. New parts are no guarantee. A fresh rebuild is no guarantee. Professional installation is no guarantee. Some stuff works, some doesn't, but you won't know until you put it to work. After a certain number of miles, you're probably OK. I figure if a part doesn't fail by 500 miles, it probably won't. 

 

I grow incredibly weary of hearing guys say that they need to modify the cars to "make them reliable" or so they can "buy parts at any NAPA" if they get stranded, but that's just  fear and ignorance talking. Old cars were reliable when they were new, even as far back as the '20s, and if you get the parts right they'll continue to work today. You don't need an alternator that's easy to replace because you're afraid of your generator going bad, you need to understand that a generator can be fixed and that your car will run for a good long time on the battery alone so you're not stranded. Modern water pumps can fail as easily as old ones. Electronic ignitions stop working in a puff of smoke while points will keep working even in failure mode. Any radiator can get a hole in it. Any tire can, too. And not to insult anyone or their cars or workmanship, but I'd much rather drive a car designed and built by a big company full of engineers rather than assembled in some guy's garage using his own ideas. Reliable? Meh. I've seen the work the home guys do. They should be afraid of being stranded, but not because the cars are old. 

 

We just returned from a long road trip and I saw multiple cars stranded on the highway, none of them old cars. Of course, that is surely due to the fact that very few old cars were travelling that road, but it does suggest that a modern car is no a guarantee of reaching your destination. The difference is, I bet I can fix an old car by the side of the road because whatever goes wrong is going to be simple (because the machine is simple).

 

That relatively new Mercedes sitting there dead? LOL!

[F&J]

1 hour ago, Bloo said:

1 hour ago, Dynaflash8 said:

What do you do when way out in the yonder and an important part goes bad and you can't run down to NAPA and get another one?  That may be why you like to drive modified's maybe?  I've thought about building such a car myself for long haul driving.  I just like looking at and feeling the old 30s and 40s cars the "way they were."  I don't get a thrill out of driving a modified.

 

 

You rebuild the stuff you have and really make it right. Don't plan for trouble, plan to NOT have trouble. Drive the car every day and learn its problems. do more sorting and rebuilding of whatever is unreliable. Eventually, you will have confidence. You may need to pack along some extras of things that MIGHT break, but these should be relatively few, unless you have the room and just want to be REALLY sure.

Exactly, Bloo... I use this car as my primary car for 2 years now, due to not being able to afford a newer car now.  I'm single - live alone, so no new Wifey's car to use.  The only other registered vehicle I have is a 66 Chevy camper special 4wd that I only use if I need to carry something. Pic taken yesterday after running errands, then went for an evening ride when the weather cooled off.

 

1955 Olds rocket powered, 37 Buick Roadmaster top shift trans converted to open drive like the old days by using the 51-64 Olds gears and shafts, 1940 Ford brakes up front on a 35 Ford axle that I dropped myself, 55 Olds rear with 3.23 gears, 50 year old 670/15 bias on the front, mounted on wheels I made from 40 Ford centers with 65 VW outer rims, old Coker bias on rear.

 

And,,, No spare tire, no jack or tools, no cell, no triple A, ...and no worries honestly.  I built the entire car,  mixed the lacquer myself with my son, sewed the upholstery, built the engine, did the trans mods, all else except having the glass cut.

 

No I did not ruin a car, here is what I started with: A 5w coupe missing the roof.  I built all the body requirements and roof to make it weather proof, and does have a good heater and defroster in the 40 dash, as well as vacuum wipers, 12v generator, points ignition,,,etc.  I do avoid snowstorms/salt slush by running errands before a snow.

 

   Disclaimer, I really do miss a stock 1932-era car, and I'm trying to finish my 32 6 cyl Nash conv.  The only drivetrain modification was going from a 4:73 rear to a 3:80 rear.  That's because I need to sanely and pleasurably do 50-55 on my roads here.  I tried that with a stock 32 Plymouth 4 cyl conv and it just was not fun hearing and feeling that engine rev too much, steadily.  The Nash is a 7 main bearing engine and won't vibrate like the cheaper bottom of the line Plymouth did, so I'm looking forward to using it as much as the Ford.

 

I live on a busy State road and over the last 10 years, I no longer see any stock prewars on the road, not even weekends if they only go to shows.  Not even a Model A...Where are all those cars now?  I have no idea.

 

[TTR]

14 hours ago, Dynaflash8 said:

What do you do when way out in the yonder and an important part goes bad and you can't run down to NAPA and get another one?  That may be why you like to drive modified's maybe?  I've thought about building such a car myself for long haul driving.  I just like looking at and feeling the old 30s and 40s cars the "way they were."  I don't get a thrill out of driving a modified.

 

Fair and valid question, but with all due respect, if you read up on technical details of my Roadster, look/study them in pictures and think about it, while it obviously is “modified” and has updated running gear technology, all of those components are, on average, 65-70 years old and not many, if any auto parts stores today carry any replacement or service items for them.
The most modern, technologically advanced components or parts in this car are the ‘55 WFCB and the ‘52 overhead valve V8 below it. Most other components are pretty much pre-war technology, which at the time of its build  to this configuration 30+ years ago was very carefully planned process to create something that would be and feel authentic enough to offer me a chance to experience what some American teenager with very limited budged in the early 1950s could’ve accomplished, starting with a 20 some year old (at the time), inexpensive used car and make it run faster and handle better to be more competitive against (at the time) modern European sports cars, etc.

It was something I had dreamed about since my own early teens, growing up in a society where most people didn’t even have a clue of cars like this having existed, led alone having been popular among the youth on the other side of the globe .

 

While my personal experience with vintage cars is only limited to about 4 or so decades, includes perhaps less than 100 examples I’ve owned and several hundred thousand combined miles I’ve driven/traveled with them during those decades, almost all have been quite “stock” (i.e. un-modified) and have provided very “authentic” experiences in their own rights.
I’ve also owned and/or enjoyed driving several un-modified mid-to-late 1930 cars and hope to own 1 or 2  in the future, but unfortunately the few un-modified early ‘30s or older makes/models I have enough personal interest to own, all seem utterly out of my financial reach, at least by several million $$s, each.

 

P.S. I apologize for not providing answers to your initial question sooner (perhaps due to too many adult beverages), but here’s some.

 

First & foremost, I try to rebuild/repair/restore (vintage) cars or their components, whether my clients or my own, to best of my abilities, so that the chances of failures are minimized.

To further prevent unnecessary component failures, I try to keep a record(s) and perform scheduled maintenance, at least on my own cars, regularly and right before any major trips.

 

Also, as I might’ve mentioned somewhere on this thread before, I do carry sufficient amount/variety of service kits or spare parts and tools to perform basic emergency roadside repairs/services on components most commonly known for needing such. Anything beyond those, I carry AAA and other roadside assistance membership cards + a list of friends or acquaintances I can turn to for help or advise, should need arise.

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

7 hours ago, TTR said:

Fair and valid question, but with all due respect, if you read up on technical details of my Roadster, look/study them in pictures and think about it, while it obviously is “modified” and has updated running gear technology, all of those components are, on average, 65-70 years old and not many, if any auto parts stores today carry any replacement or service items for them.
The most modern, technologically advanced components or parts in this car are the ‘55 WFCB and the ‘52 overhead valve V8 below it. Most other components are pretty much pre-war technology, which at the time of its build  to this configuration 30+ years ago was very carefully planned process to create something that would be and feel authentic enough to offer me a chance to experience what some American teenager with very limited budged in the early 1950s could’ve accomplished, starting with a 20 some year old (at the time), inexpensive used car and make it run faster and handle better to be more competitive against (at the time) modern European sports cars, etc.

It was something I had dreamed about since my own early teens, growing up in a society where most people didn’t even have a clue of cars like this having existed, led alone having been popular among the youth on the other side of the globe .

 

While my personal experience with vintage cars is only limited to about 4 or so decades, includes perhaps less than 100 examples I’ve owned and several hundred thousand combined miles I’ve driven/traveled with them during those decades, almost all have been quite “stock” (i.e. un-modified) and have provided very “authentic” experiences in their own rights.
I’ve also owned and/or enjoyed driving several un-modified mid-to-late 1930 cars and hope to own 1 or 2  in the future, but unfortunately the few un-modified early ‘30s or older makes/models I have enough personal interest to own, all seem utterly out of my financial reach, at least by several million $$s, each.

 

 

I enjoyed your writing, and have no problem with your concept either.  But, you only compounded my question.  I've often thought over the past 50 years that I'd like to drive my '39 Buick out to California from Virginia or Florida, using old U.S. routes that remain.  However, I am a terrible mechanic (1) and (2) older one's who even know how to install new points & condensers are getting rare.  If your car has 1950s parts installed you're only a little better than I am if you can't hands-on repair them yourself beside the road.  You can only carry so many parts in the trunk of your car.  Imagine needing a new clutch on an old Buick with torque tube drive.  98% of the mechanics in this country have never seen one.  So we really get back to my original question.  What do you do way off from home with even a simple repair like a new water pump, generator, voltage regulator if you don't have one in the trunk?  Thanks for the great reply.  Earl Beauchamp

[Restorer32]

We thoroughly road test any resto leaving our shop but still we advise our clients to first drive the car around the block.  If nothing breaks/ seizes up/ falls off then drive it 5 miles or so to the ice cream shop. Then 10 miles, then 50 etc.  Matt is 100% correct.  Only driving will bring the gremlins out of their hiding places.

[TTR]

33 minutes ago, Dynaflash8 said:

I enjoyed your writing, and have no problem with your concept either.  But, you only compounded my question.  I've often thought over the past 50 years that I'd like to drive my '39 Buick out to California from Virginia or Florida, using old U.S. routes that remain.  However, I am a terrible mechanic (1) and (2) older one's who even know how to install new points & condensers are getting rare.  If your car has 1950s parts installed you're only a little better than I am if you can't hands-on repair them yourself beside the road.  You can only carry so many parts in the trunk of your car.  Imagine needing a new clutch on an old Buick with torque tube drive.  98% of the mechanics in this country have never seen one.  So we really get back to my original question.  What do you do way off from home with even a simple repair like a new water pump, generator, voltage regulator if you don't have one in the trunk?  Thanks for the great reply.  Earl Beauchamp

Looks like you posted this while I was editing my earlier reply with additional information.

As you can read, I have my own methods and comfort level that suits me, but unfortunately may not be able to offer advise to alleviate your anxieties, concerns or worries of mechanical failures.

 

Believe it or not, but while my anecdotes and stories of driving/traveling with vintage cars may come across as self serving and/or perhaps at times even arrogant, the reason behind them is not to taut my own accomplishments, but rather an attempt to encourage others with old cars that with proper care & planning they can be enjoyed extensively without being afraid..

 

OTOH, we all have our own “comfort levels” and must deal with them accordingly.

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[F&J]

33 minutes ago, Dynaflash8 said:

So we really get back to my original question.  What do you do way off from home with even a simple repair like a new water pump, generator, voltage regulator if you don't have one in the trunk? 

In most all cases water pump failure is just a slight leak, if it's a pressurized system, loosen the cap /add water and go.  On generator/regulator failure, I'd just buy a new battery as it's far cheaper than a long distance tow if it finally ran out of juice.  If really far from home, buy a cheap battery charger too, and charge both the batteries each night where you stay over.  BTW, if a person is stranded on the side of the road with an antique car, you'd be surprised at how quickly somebody will stop to help.  Rarely happens with a modern car. 

 

Carry it further, if you were 1000 miles from home with a more serious issue, if you post on AACA, or a Facebook Vintage Car Group, etc: "help, I'm broken down in S.E.Kansas 39 Pontiac", and then say what is wrong, word travels fast.  It's been done countless times on the HAMB, and the person always gets local help.

33 minutes ago, Dynaflash8 said:

enjoyed your writing, and have no problem with your concept either.  But, you only compounded my question.  I've often thought over the past 50 years that I'd like to drive my '39 Buick out to California from Virginia or Florida, using old U.S. routes that remain.  However

The many old sayings ring true, like "in your last days on Earth, you never regret what you did, but do think of everything you had a chance to do, but never did it.    A pop song by Len of some years back was about that.  One verse was; "And of course you can't become, if you only say what you would have done, So I missed a million miles of fun"

 

Revert back to our teen years when we just grabbed the moment and piled into an old jalopy, skipped school and went to the beach.  Why do so many people lose that zest in adulthood?

 

 "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is the present".... Ever wonder why "now" is called "the Present"?  Each day we still have is "a present", why waste it.

17 minutes ago, TTR said:

Believe it or not, but while my anecdotes and stories of driving/traveling with vintage cars may come across as self serving and/or perhaps at times even arrogant, the reason behind them is not to taut my own accomplishments, but rather an attempt to show others that old cars can be enjoyed extensively and with proper care & planning there’s no reason to be afraid of them.

You have such a great outlook on life, thanks for sharing your adventures.  Rock On!

[TTR]

10 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

We thoroughly road test any resto leaving our shop but still we advise our clients to first drive the car around the block.  If nothing breaks/ seizes up/ falls off then drive it 5 miles or so to the ice cream shop. Then 10 miles, then 50 etc.  Matt is 100% correct.  Only driving will bring the gremlins out of their hiding places.

I’ve always had a rule-of-thumb that any car I’ve performed major repairs or restoration, especially anything mechanical and safety related will be subjected to at least 100-200 miles of various types of road testing, including up to at least 80% of that cars handling/performance capabilities before I hand the keys back to its owner.
 

Even now I‘m finishing up some major tuning related work on a almost 50 year old exotic & rare sports car with less than 14K miles since new and of which +/-70%were accumulated before the current (2nd) owner acquired it nearly 30* years ago, but it will go through same rigorous and mileage inducing testing as any other car trusted to my care.

 

* Think about it, that's less than 150 miles per year (I racked up more than that just in few hours yesterday). What a sad existence for a car, let alone one designed & intended for high speed, long distance leisure travel, a.k.a. Grand Touring. And now she's suffering variety of aliments caused by lack of consistent use and adequate maintenance schedules. I do feel sorry for cars reduced to such life, no matter how fancy or gilded their storage gages, i.e.garages/museums/etc. may be.
 

Edited July 20, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[TTR]

Another great (a half) day vintage drive today with the Roadster.

 

While the attached picture of approximate route map indicates only +/-120, several small detours, etc included, the total mileage ended up somewhere around 150, of which about half was on those dreaded “conveyor belts”, but the other, exhilarating half up in the mountains more than made up for them. 

Just finished a wonderful (takeout) steak & shrimp fajitas lunch and now enjoying lovely dessert of tasty cigar, ice cream & an “Eldorado” in our garden. Life is good !

Only thing to make it better, would be to have more time for similar experiences.

 

P.S. Looks like I need to order new set of tires before the summer is over, as current ones are nearly worn out (in 3 years !!!).

Edited August 9, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

Just a thought but most bodies are only held on by a few bolts, linkages, and wiring. When racing and built for it we could swap an SBC in about 20 minutes in the ASR.

How about two chassis, one restomod and a second show correct. Just swap the body. Or have two bodies, closed coupe with AC for long distance and a roadster for display/fun.

 

Not a new idea sure been around for a long time but was popular in 60s with VW chassis.

 

Or just do like me: AAA Premier with a 250 mile tow included. Tow loop at both ends is good.

 

ps When young and stoopid^H^H^H inexperienced used to take off for a party in the Hamptons and just go. Was living in South Florida. To make matter worse it was usually an old XK of some sort. Pop into 4th OD and just eat the miles.

 

Of course at the time both the Jags and my Split Window were not as old as my current DD. Cars aged differently then.

Edited August 9, 2020 by padgett (see edit history)

[TTR]

@padgett Not sure I follow your train of thought, but if your comment above some how refers to mine before it, I admittedly don’t quite get it, especially the reasoning for “swapping  bodies”*.
 

For me, driving my vintage cars extensively, including long distance, is the fun, regardless of body styles and whether they are n modified or stock form

I do not derive much, if any enjoyment or pleasure from showing them (= my cars) to others at organized gatherings/events/shows/etc.
Only time I usually present cars at shows is on behalf of my clients and only cars that I have restored or done extensive work on.

Other reasons for me to attend any, though very few, shows are either when some good friends insist I join them and I don’t have anything else planned or if I’m available to accept an invite to judge at them, but both over the years/decades have become less and less interesting due to (inevitable ?) presence of politics, which at times is painfully obvious.

 

* I’m not sure if you’re aware but it wasn’t unheard of for some wealthy individuals +/-100 years ago to have two different, “seasonal” bodies for their chassis, one (open) for summer use, other (enclosed) for winter. To “swap bodies“ on vast majority of road cars, especially on post-war production cars is a huge undertaking and usually involves much more than just “few bolts, linkages, and wiring”. While it probably can be done on many or most cars with a separate frame, it will certainly take considerably longer than “about 20 minutes“.

Edited August 10, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

Never mind watching too many reruns of FantomWorks.

[Dynaflash8]

What I did was buy a 1991 Buick Park Avenue with only 3,061 miles on it.  I can drive it anywhere.  If something breaks down almost any shop along the road can fix it.  As for finding parts, most are available or if he is any good he can jury rig a part for Buick Park Avenues all the way to 2005 to temporarily solve the problem.  We took it out for a 50 miles run in the sun (Florida heat) this afternoon.  The 41 Roadmaster is almost all new parts now except the differential, but no A/C.  No doubt on a cross country run one of the wheel bearings or differential bearings would go out 🙂

[TTR]

Since all our long distance road trips/vacations planned for this year got snubbed by the pandemic, we braved a few day, 800+ mile vintage getaway up to Big Sur and managed to stay away from large groups or idiots in general.

Weather was just absolutely phenomenal and the Roadster behaved like she was born to run on PCH.

 

P.S. Photos not in chronological order, but hopefully convey leisures of the experienced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

PCH ?

[TTR]

29 minutes ago, padgett said:

PCH ?

Pacific Coast Highway, also known as California State Route - 1 or Cabrillo Highway.
 

Technically, we got on it in SLO (=San Luis Obispo) and followed it to Big Sur (and back) with couple of short up-&-down jaunts from there, once to Carmel Highlands/Point Lobos (last photo & also considered the “crown” jewel of State Parks in California), once to Pfeiffer State Beach/Parks, etc.

Edited November 27, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

2 minutes ago, TTR said:

Pacific Coast Highway, also known as California State Route - 1.

 PCH ?

 

We have traveled most of the length of the PCH with our '63 Impala & '54 Cadillac convertibles-

Also covered the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway with the '41 Cadillac convertible,

and other vintage cars, driving

Tail of the Dragon

Going to the Sun Road (Glacier National Park)

Columbia River Gorge

Beartooth Highway (Northeast from Yellowstone)

And the great River Road from Lake Itasca in Minnesota all the way to Venice , Louisiana - down-river from New Orleans,

Only did segments of:

Route 66

Lincoln Highway (Times Square to 

"Jefferson" Highway - mostly US-90 Partially replaced by I-10 between the PCH in Santa Monica, California to I-95 at Jacksonville, Florida

 

Wish we could travel this year !

 

[TTR]

7 minutes ago, Marty Roth said:

Wish we could travel this year !

I hear you.
Even this trip was slightly worrisome due to pandemic, but both our jobs this year have been more stressful than usual and with very limited opportunities to adequately decompress, we decided to take the small risk and enjoy the change of scenery for few days.
Hopefully the extra efforts we made to stay clear of the virus will prove adequate and all we got was good memories.

[padgett]

Oy. Attended more meetings of SO. Cal POCI than Florida chapter. Remember heading for Edwards when the radio announced the air had improved to "unhealthy". Original post had PHC. Mine was trying to be gentle about the correction.

[TTR]

3 hours ago, padgett said:

Oy. Attended more meetings of SO. Cal POCI than Florida chapter. Remember heading for Edwards when the radio announced the air had improved to "unhealthy". Original post had PHC. Mine was trying to be gentle about the correction.

OK, thanks.

Edited.

 

As for the "unhealthy" air/weather related, last couple of hours of yesterday's drive, we encountered severe "Santa Ana" winds gusting so strongly at times, I had to work hard to keep the Roadster within one lane and then about an hour until we reached home, some canyon north of I-210 appeared on fire and the smoke was quite intense..., but still...

... the trip overall was very enjoyable and I hope to be able do more similar ones soon.

Edited November 28, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

That was thirtyish years ago. Understand the air quality has improved quite a bit since.

[TTR]

8 minutes ago, padgett said:

That was thirtyish years ago. Understand the air quality has improved quite a bit since.

Yeah, you no longer have to chew the air before inhaling.

[TTR]

Found a couple of other cool shots from this weeks Big Sur trip, including a stop at a full service *station with Premium at $6 per gallon.

 

Although the attendant asked if I wouldn’t mind filling the car myself (which I didn’t mind and proceeded to do).

 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

Premium (93) is $2.059 today in Orlando. Guess the other $4 is location.

[ply33]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Premium (93) is $2.059 today in Orlando. Guess the other $4 is location.

In my part of California regular is about $3/gal. So it is probably only $3 for location. And that section of road is pretty isolated so if you need gas there they really have you by the, well whatevers.

 

I've driven that road a number of times including several times in my '33 Plymouth and I've always made sure I had enough gas in San Luis Obispo (northbound) or Monterey (southbound) to make it through without having to buy someplace in the middle.

 

California 1 from San Simeon to Point Lobos is highly rated for the views, etc. But I found the one time I toured up US101 along the Oregon coast that I like that much more. I guess it is more remote for the LA based movie and image makers so it doesn't get as much press. Thinking about Oregon, I believe that self-service gas stations are not allowed in that state but no station I stopped at in my '33 had a problem with me filling the tank.

[TTR]

Didn’t actually need much fuel at that station, but since wife wanted to stop there for Big Sur Bakery, I decided to take photo-op and fill-up while at it.
OTOH, cost of fuel has NEVER been a concern or determining factor when I’m enjoying my vintage cars. It is what it is, just like cost of quality materials, parts or tools, etc. 

If anything, somewhat glad we weren’t in a 49 year old Ferrari with all her 34 gallon tank capacity needing fill-up. 😳

 

[Larry Schramm]

On 7/20/2020 at 8:32 AM, Restorer32 said:

We thoroughly road test any resto leaving our shop but still we advise our clients to first drive the car around the block.  If nothing breaks/ seizes up/ falls off then drive it 5 miles or so to the ice cream shop. Then 10 miles, then 50 etc.  Matt is 100% correct.  Only driving will bring the gremlins out of their hiding places.

 

Drive it, break it, fix it, repeat.  Eventually the intervals will keep getting longer and longer,and......  This especially applies more the older the car.

 

Also if you do not drive it, who know what will happen.  

 

Ask someone that bought a car from a museum that they wanted to drive.

Edited November 28, 2020 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

On 7/19/2020 at 7:36 AM, oldcarfudd said:

 

 

I love this picture.  Just like driving in the day.  I remember travelling in south Tenn a number of years ago and a county road was a creek bed for maybe about 1/3 of a mile.

[J3Studio]

This thread hangs in there and reminds me that the 1985 just turned 36. Quietly, it's now firmly on the old Corvette side of the old versus new dividing line. I don't think we'll ever take it 6,314 miles again, but I could see over 1,000.

Edited November 29, 2020 by J3Studio (see edit history)