800 mile roadtrip

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If all else fails, I'm sure there's some FABO members along your route that can bail ya out !
 
Just set yourself up with the basics and don't overthink it. Newer cars break down, too; and people don't think twice about driving them on long trips. The only difference is that with an older car you have a fighting chance of fixing it yourself on the side of the road. Not so much with newer cars, their issues tend to be with electronics and you're not fixing that on the road.
Remember- back in 1908 they raced from New York to Paris, and they didn't even have gas stations along the route, let alone NAPAs or Autozones.
https://www.ameshistory.org/tribune...nt,began on February 12, 1908 in Times Square.
 
If you have driven this car more than 800 miles with no issues then you should have no issues, why would a road trip be any different than driving around town.


Alan
 
Cuda Al said:
If you have driven this car more than 800 miles with no issues then you should have no issues, why would a road trip be any different than driving around town.


Alan
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The car got me through 2 years of college without much issue. Just my first year of college netted me around 8 grand on the odometer.
 
j par said:
Drove it to Denver from Portland in 2018 and gave it to my son who basically drove the crap out of it and in May drove it back....
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LOL.
I recognize that scenery very well. Good ole I-80 Wyoming, I've downshifted and floored it in those tunnels a few times just hear her sing for fun.
@MCPObr44
I drive from Utah to Louisville Colorado and back almost every year since 2015 (500 mile one way). The only two times I haven't is when I took my Vaquero 1700 instead.
I did take a 1300 mile road trip in it once on our 5th anniversary when it was yellow.
The only time I had an issue is when the alternator seized up on me that caused an electrical feedback and fried the fusible link (which did it's job).
Luckily it happened 10 miles to Morgan so I limped along the side roads running on battery only.
There was only 1 auto parts store in town, a Napa. Asked if they had an alternator for a 1974 Duster... Nope.
Then I asked how about one for a 1985 Dodge Ram W150? "Yep, but it's a 65 amp but not a 40 amp"
Fine by me, I can make it work.
I always travel with a tool box, spools of spare wires, a spool of fusible link wire, plus connectors, crimpers, extra oil, antifreeze and a tune kit for my carb (750 Street Demon) plus carb cleaner (doubles as a good wasp killer).
I have no ballast resistors since I have an MSD 6A system and I do have a spare one too (found it in a junkyard for $50 and it still worked).
I have averaged between 16-17.5 freeway mpg staying at 3000 RPM's which is about 73 mph, depending on grade, cross winds etc. (3.21 rear gear ratio) Pretty good for a medium built 360.
Can't wait until I get overdrive...
I even got her up to over 12,000 ft (going from 4500 ft) elevation at Trail ridge Rd in Rocky Mountain National Park CO. With no issues other that she was running rich.
(By the way this was taken in 2016 when she was yellow)
Grand peak Duster.jpg
 
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Alright well I'm heading out today. If any of you fellas see a clapped out white Valiant on the side of the road between southeast AZ and central California... that'll be me. You don't have to stop unless I've got the "help me" flag up (the hood is open). Or if you see a big guy rolling around in the dirt under the car, banging on something whilst swearing profusely.


In all seriousness, Merry Christmas and thanks for all the advice.
 
880 miles later, and I made it. My hind end is killing me, but I'm alive. I'll try to have some good pictures for you fellas when I get home in a couple of weeks.

Didn't even eat a drop of oil either.
 
Let's not go having a big nut tickling contest just quite yet you're still 880 mi away from home....lol....
 
MCPObr44 said:
Alright well I'm heading out today. If any of you fellas see a clapped out white Valiant on the side of the road between southeast AZ and central California... that'll be me. You don't have to stop unless I've got the "help me" flag up (the hood is open). Or if you see a big guy rolling around in the dirt under the car, banging on something whilst swearing profusely.


In all seriousness, Merry Christmas and thanks for all the advice.
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I assume you are doing the 10? Be advised a lot of construction. Better to bypass downtown and take the 202 west. It will take you to the 10 west of downtown.

Forgot to mention road construction in Buckeye. They are widening the freeway. Kinda no way to bypass.
 
dart4forte said:
I assume you are doing the 10? Be advised a lot of construction. Better to bypass downtown and take the 202 west. It will take you to the 10 west of downtown.

Forgot to mention road construction in Buckeye. They are widening the freeway. Kinda no way to bypass.
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Post #61. He's already there.
 
That's really cool. some people only talk about driving their cars. You really do it. Merry Christmas!
 
Update

I'm on my way home to Arizona, and I've run into an issue. The car surges on acceleration, up hills, after hitting major bumps, and sometimes completely at random. I changed the fuel filter, and I verified the fuel pump is working by watching the fuel filter fill up on running. The symptoms are very much akin to running out of fuel.

It doesn't seem to do it if I keep my speed down.

Any ideas? Maybe some gunk got past the filter and made it into the carb?
 
Classic fuel starvation symptom. Trash and crap from the tank maybe.
 
Fuel pump could be going bad.
I agree with others, fuel delivery.
You may see gas, but not enough to keep up.
 
Before you go any further, get under the car and trace the fuel lines from tank to carb. I had a car do EXACTLY what you describe...a piece of road debris (stick, probably, since the line and area around it had no rock scratches) pinched the metal fuel line. Mine was basically under the driver's seat, but it could be anywhere.

Though...the "surge on major bumps" part kind of throws me...
 
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