My brother drove our 67 Barracuda convertible 700 miles in one day from Oregon to central California, then the next day we drove 400 miles to LA, and back 2 days later.
I have taken my 67 fastback on the California Melee twice. This is a 3-day, 900-odd mile tour of northern CA's twistiest back roads. I also did the Motherlode 400 in that car, which is a 2-day tour that crosses the Sierra summit 7 times.
These cars are rugged and simple, hence reliable. So long as you drive them regularly, road trips are no problem. If you only drive them once a month, in summer, on Sundays, well, you might uncover some weak points. For example, on the Motherlode, a guy had entered a beautifully restored, all-original equipment big-block 68 Charger. But he couldn't finish -- it overheated on the climbs, the brakes faded on the downhills, and the body roll in the twisties made his wife carsick.
Museum cars, show cars and 100-point concours cars make lousy road cars. Daily drivers make good road cars. It's the familiarity you only get by daily interaction that allows you to anticipate and prevent problems from turning into trip killers.
I have taken my 67 fastback on the California Melee twice. This is a 3-day, 900-odd mile tour of northern CA's twistiest back roads. I also did the Motherlode 400 in that car, which is a 2-day tour that crosses the Sierra summit 7 times.
These cars are rugged and simple, hence reliable. So long as you drive them regularly, road trips are no problem. If you only drive them once a month, in summer, on Sundays, well, you might uncover some weak points. For example, on the Motherlode, a guy had entered a beautifully restored, all-original equipment big-block 68 Charger. But he couldn't finish -- it overheated on the climbs, the brakes faded on the downhills, and the body roll in the twisties made his wife carsick.
Museum cars, show cars and 100-point concours cars make lousy road cars. Daily drivers make good road cars. It's the familiarity you only get by daily interaction that allows you to anticipate and prevent problems from turning into trip killers.
