Route 66

I drove it a LOOONG time ago (LAX - CHI) around 1969. RT66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985 after it had been replaced in its entirety by segments of the Interstate Highway System. Parts of it will be hard to find. Other parts of it have vanished completely. Too bad, it would be a fun trip, especially in an old vintage muscle car.

I drive on parts of it here in Missouri all the time.

Joe must have been on a different route 66.

We have done parts and pieces here and there.
Should have enough old maps to piece it together with current maps. Gps will not get you there.

joe smith said:

NOTHING is wrong with that but I had hoped to see some of the original road side attractions and maybe an old town or two.... All I saw were nice farms and some cows....

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Arizona has the old towns, and some in New Mexico.

The part of hwy 40 i travel frequently has a piece of rt66 that runs literally right next to it. They recently spent who-knows how many millions of dollars resurfacing about 20 miles of 66.
I have yet to see a single car on it.

My first long trip on Route 66 started with a plane ride from Cincinnati to Albuquerque. My mom's second cousins lived there and were well up into their 80's and were unable to drive their cars anymore. One had a 4 door Belvedere that I had only seen in a photo or two.

It was running and driving, looked to be in good original shape. She was selling it for $1000 and was happy to let it go to family. So I put together a makeshift tool kit and my mom and I flew out to get it and drive it back sight unseen.

I turned out to be a 318 Poly with pushbutton transmission. 4 door, used and worn but body panels were rust free. There were body damage issues though which comes from a 4'-6" 86 year old nun driving a car without power steering or power brakes.

I checked it for fluid and leaks, checked the lights and made sure what worked and what didn't. We said our goodbyes and started off down Route 66 and then onto I 40 eastbound.

It was cold, the 2 bbl engine just purred along with its 2.76 gears out back. Smooth ride so far. And as I was messing with the vent controls we encountered a dust storm of dried leaves shooting from the floor vents. We pulled over to the side of th hd highway and just laughed. We cranked the windows down and continued on our way sucking the debris out the windows.

Just farther east as we were cresting out of the valley the city lays in it started to sprinkle so I turned the wipers on and almost within a minute the passenger side wiper about popped right off the car. So I pulled over again with it smacking off the A pillar.

With a wrench and a small piece of wire I brought I wedged the wiper base with the arm and tightened the bolt down. Back on our way.

We pulled off where we could and drove on old Route 66 until the section shot us back onto the interstate. Lucille's, Shamrock Gas Station, halfway point, etc. We had fun the first day. Ate in Tucumcari, NM across from the Blue Swallow Inn. Lots of neon, great green chile enchiladas. Driving along the route after dark in an older vehicle is almost magical and took us back in time. Stopped in Oklahoma City for the night and continued on to Cincinnati the next day.

I did the trip in reverse several years later as I was beginning my new life in Arizona. My Mom really enjoyed the trip and the sightseeing. I'm glad she got to see it and happy we were able to do it.

I have done the New Mexico leg since I live here. Did it in my 69 Road Runner convertible with my brother one weekend. It was interesting, I ended up running into dead ends a couple of times, took some back tracking and then jumping onto I-40 to get the next section of the old road. But we took it easy and had a good time.

72redbird said:

I have done the New Mexico leg since I live here. Did it in my 69 Road Runner convertible with my brother one weekend. It was interesting, I ended up running into dead ends a couple of times, took some back tracking and then jumping onto I-40 to get the next section of the old road. But we took it easy and had a good time.

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That is what road trips should be. Some times this look totally different going the opposite direction.

Parts of it are right near my home!

This YouTube channel may help plan your trip. You can watch a 2 hour video of the old road end to end or shorter videos what to see in each state.

Kingman AZ!!!

super-bee_ski said:

Kingman AZ!!!

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Kingman has an annual event which has an old school drag race and car show

themechanic said:

This YouTube channel may help plan your trip. You can watch a 2 hour video of the old road end to end or shorter videos what to see in each state.

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The videos are really good quality. I also liked the one about The Loneliest Highway.

Talk about lonely, head west on 50 from Carson, Fallon, then cut off to a place called Austin, Nevada. Makes 50 look busy! Stayed at
the Castle H and B. Amazing. Take an 18 gallon capacity Coronet and see if YOU can make Vegas.

Lot's of great advice here. Nobody mentioned getting AAA if you don't have it...lol. I've had it for decades and has come in handy many times. Took a trip in August 1969 picking the route up in Chicago to CA with a family friend and his son just before I got my license. Was hotter than blazes - 117 in Needles getting out of an air conditioned '67 Riv was like getting hit by a blast furnace. It was memorable stopping in the towns still going yet for eats and staying in the motels. Remember one section warned of gassing up as we entered the desert "next gas station 100 miles". He occasionally put the hammer down in that Riv going 115-120. Saw a lot of old cars back then running with jugs of water hanging in front of their cars. The guy I was with a good buddy of my dad's, had just retired and had made the trip out there in the late '20's in a model A or something with a buddy - some wild stories he told of that trip back then wish I could remember more. In any case, I've picked up parts of 66 taking trips in recent years and while there are dead stretches, it was just neat thinking about driving along on what once was.