ChuckDock
Well-Known Member
I used to do a MI to NJ trip a lot years ago, and have ran through some bad snow storms in PA as well...I had a couple of dusters then, and some GM's, but yea, good times in the snow for sure!
Poll - How far away from home do you drive your classic?
- Thread starter ChuckDock
- Start date
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I regularly drove the 70 Dart on day trips to regional shows for several years, regardless of weather, drove it to and from the drag strip frequently, (about 55 miles one way), regularly hot lapped it down the 1/4 mile. I always intended for it to be driven, so I made sure that it was dependable. Longest was in 2005 on the Hot Rod Power Tour, racked up over 5200 miles in 2 weeks, never really worried about it, but a few motels were in sketchy 'hoods. Did a few trips of around 2000 miles with it, never left me stranded.
Jim 270
Active Member
1300 mile road trip last summer. then 2-4hr trips 2-3 times a week till sleep time in October. 12 deg today but the roads are to salty yet a couple of good rain falls and good to go. Can't wait.
DartGTDan
'71 Dart GT Fan
We're planning a ~300 mile trip up to St. Ignace, MI at the end of June. These are all being driven from the Metro-Detroit area.
Sept '18 went over 3700 miles and through 9 states in our '77 Ramcharger
A little over 20 miles round trip every day.
Just after I restored my Scamp I took it on a 900 mile road trip and had no problems. Thinking back I should have replaced the tires as they were 15 years old. They weren’t crusty or badly cracked but over 800 of the miles were on highways so I was lucky I had no tire problems.
It was a short dive today but my Scamp was in another country for about 15 minutes while I picked up some car parts.
It was a short dive today but my Scamp was in another country for about 15 minutes while I picked up some car parts.
j par
Well-hung Member
Drove the 76 Power Wagon from Portland Oregon to Denver Colorado on three 105 Degree Days...
Longst rip, and most fun I ever had, has flying from Missouri to Oakland ,Ca in later 90's, maybe 97?? I bought a 67 Cuda 383 , 4 speed car, the owner restored himself. $6700, and a spare seat of headers an 4 seed to boot. He was a mopar guy, and an engineer with Amoco Oil. He owned a 67 hemi Bel and another 67 cuda he raced on the road tracks there. He had rebuilt the car top to bottom, and had driven it he said, like 10,000 mi. It ran flawless, the entire trip. I got 18 mpg , with the 2:94 gears.
I had no intention to sell it as the BB cuds were hard to find even back then. A guy from not too far away came to look at a 69 Runner I had for sale, with the wife and kids. He spotted my cuda "hide" under a shed. He saw it and actually cried when he told me how many years he had looked for one and dreamed of owning one some day. I told him I would keep the extra parts, pay m $500 and he cold own it. Then he hugged my darn neck and paid me.
Made me feel good.
I had no intention to sell it as the BB cuds were hard to find even back then. A guy from not too far away came to look at a 69 Runner I had for sale, with the wife and kids. He spotted my cuda "hide" under a shed. He saw it and actually cried when he told me how many years he had looked for one and dreamed of owning one some day. I told him I would keep the extra parts, pay m $500 and he cold own it. Then he hugged my darn neck and paid me.
Made me feel good.
I was out in Colorado visiting in the early 90's and browsing the car lots. Another guy pulled in with a '69 barracuda with for sale signs in it. Bought it for 1100 bucks. Drove it just under 1000 miles back home. My cousin rode with me back, she was in Colo visiting cousins herself. I pulled over just east of Omaha, I folded down the rear seat and slept back there, she slept in the bucket seat. I woke up like a baked potato with the sun cooking me through the back window.
You are right, that is fun.
ChuckDock
Well-Known Member
That is impressive and I hope to do the same. Could you list some things you did to make it reliable?
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
Have gone 7 hours one direction in a lil red express and 69 dart multiple times. Have had the current dart 3 hours away in one direction then put a bunch of miles on it while there, then 3 hours home. I’ll take it further but just haven’t planned anything yet.
If I can’t drive them where ever I want then there is no use in me owning them.
If I can’t drive them where ever I want then there is no use in me owning them.
Does it count driving a 50's or 60's or 70's car back in that period!!?? by use old timers!?? They were what we had and drove it where ever we had to go.
Back in Dec, 1941 my dad was stationed at Pearl in the ISMC, he left there a few days before the Japs bombed. He left Ca, for Ga, in a 30's (was it a Buick?) something to marry my mother. Think of the roads, the way a 30's car rode, the speed, the whole thing!!
I also had an uncle that rode a motorcycle to Indy for the 500 from Ga! That was back in the 40's! after the war (one of the big ish ones)
Back in Dec, 1941 my dad was stationed at Pearl in the ISMC, he left there a few days before the Japs bombed. He left Ca, for Ga, in a 30's (was it a Buick?) something to marry my mother. Think of the roads, the way a 30's car rode, the speed, the whole thing!!
I also had an uncle that rode a motorcycle to Indy for the 500 from Ga! That was back in the 40's! after the war (one of the big ish ones)
Basically all regular maintenance things, front end had been completely rebuilt, brakes were all recently done, upgraded the ignition system to Mopar electronic, all new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, etc. Radiator was rebuilt, 3 core, synthetic oils, changed regularly, motor was well built, but not radical, actually fairly mild, 9 to 1 compression and a decent cam, TTI ceramic coated headers, not much else besides new tires.
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If I can’t drive them where ever I want then there is no use in me owning them.[/QUOTE]
ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!!!! I have never owned a trailer, my 70 was on a trailer once, on the way home from the body shop.
ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!!!! I have never owned a trailer, my 70 was on a trailer once, on the way home from the body shop.
Also put in a new Mopar mini starter shortly before leaving for the Power Tour, and a good trans cooler
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
Lots of local car shows up to about 1 to 1.5 hours away. Last year I went to a big car show about 150 miles away. The car ran great, and it was a good show. All 65-72 cars were lumped together, and I got third place. That certainly made the trip worthwhile.
ChuckDock
Well-Known Member
Ok, good deal. Sounds a lot like my car except the front end, which I'm doing now with the off set bushings, and t-bars and all the rest of the front end parts.
Electrical...mine is still original and worries me a bit.
I know this isnt a purist thing, but I was thinking about replacing the alternator and distributor with GM type parts. Then no ballast resistor, no external regulator and a lot less wiring. All for the sake of simplicity and reliability.
ChuckDock
Well-Known Member
Very nice looking cars! The mopars are great, but I've always liked Nova's as well. Had a 74 back in the day and it was a stout and fun car.
Are you guys doing that ride as part of a club, or just local friends making a trip?
The main thing is make it reliable and give yourself peace of mind. I am not familiar with the GM type conversion distributors, but have had plenty of GM vehicles over the years with the HEI system, relatively troublefree. This 1976 Pontiac Ventura has 38,000 original miles on it, bought it in 2011 with 27,325 miles.
DartGTDan
'71 Dart GT Fan
We're all members of the Twisted Axle Car Club (check us out on FaceBook)
heading to St. Ignace, MI for their annual car show. None of us have ever been, but have heard good things about it so we'll give it a try. The green Super Bee was entered in Detroit's Autorama (and got a 2nd place in his class) earlier this month. He was also called out for a "grudge race" by a friend with a Mustang, so he'll be hitting the drag strip too. Everybody in our club drives their car.
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
If I am reading this right, you paid $6,700 for it and sold it for $500??
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