Am i crazy (Driving 69 Satellite from Kentucky to Oregon)?

[lemondana]

Something to think about, I haven't seen anyone mention it yet-Is the kickdown linkage intact, hooked up, and look right, has it had a 4 barrel swap? If not-your transmission could be on the way out as we speak. I've seen them go a long time before failure. Have the guy, that looked at it-go back and send you pictures of the throttle bracket and kickdown linkage from several different angles.
I had a friend that was looking at a 72 Swinger recently, it looked really nice. He had someone go inspect it, I had told my friend to have the guy send him pics of the throttle bracket and kickdown. It looked horrible. The inspector noted that the transmission did not act or shift very well. He passed on it. Them damn Chevy mechanics.

 

[Jeremiah]

What you think getting in and out of Oregon will be a problem? Can not comment beyond that.

I don't think you will have trouble traveling out of state. My main concern is weather/salt and lack of rural services while traveling. A lot of smaller establishments have closed or have reduced hours. Around here the parts stores are low on stock too. If you wait until spring you can back come from the Eastern route.

 

[Sam69sat]

Roadkill Road Trip..

Haha. that was funny. Good thing i'm not driving a ford!

Just kidding, i know it stuff like that could and likely would happen with my luck!

 

[Sam69sat]

I don't think you will have trouble traveling out of state. My main concern is weather/salt and lack of rural services while traveling. A lot of smaller establishments have closed or have reduced hours. Around here the parts stores are low on stock too. If you wait until spring you can back come from the Eastern route.

Haha... good thing i live in NE Oregon (very conservative) where Queen Brown's (very liberal governor) dictates don't hold a lot of weight.

Definitely want to keep away from salty roads though so i'll stay south as long as possible and then turn up north or I may just end up waiting a month or two. If i do go ealier i think i'll order a few parts so i''ll have them on hand.

 

[Chargered]

Hey guys/gals,

I'm the proud new owner of a 69 Satellite. Been looking for one for a long time up here in the Northwest but couldn't find any. I ended up locating one down in Kentucky and found fellow car enthusiast who agreed to go look at it for me. I ended up buying it but now i have to get it back to Oregon. Supposedly it starts right up and runs but i'm not sure how road worthy it would be for a 2100 mile trip.

Now i'm weighing my options now on how to get it. First thought is to have it transported but it's kind of spendy for me (around $1700 - $2000?). I'm not totally against it but who doesn't want to save money for the car instead?

The next though was to drive there and haul it back on a trailer. I'm pretty sure it would be a little cheaper but would take quite a bit of time and fuel. I do have relatives nearby so i could spend a week or so before towing it back.

Third thing that crossed my mind is to fly down and drive it back. Flights look really cheap last time i looked. I know this would be by far the most risky but it would also be pretty cool if i made it back without a serious breakdown. Should i try it or do you guys think i'm totally nuts? Any tips on what to check or do to the car before driving it back? It doesn't sound like it's been driven a lot recently and could have been stored for quite a while. Looking forward to any replies.

If its been sitting and not driven for a while, could be some risk. Check over the brakes really well, inspect the radiator, hoses and take it for a long test drive first. Take a lot of tools with you and money in case you break down. Sounds like a fun adventure.

 

[Chargered]

And make sure make you have good insurance set up first and good tow coverage in case you break down. You can always drop the towing coverage the next year.

 

[NJRR]

And make sure make you have good insurance set up first and good tow coverage in case you break down. You can always drop the towing coverage the next year.

Hagerty has good, cheap insurance and they have a good road service package too. I think 125 miles free flatbed towing.

 

[Sam69sat]

Hagerty has good, cheap insurance and they have a good road service package too. I think 125 miles free flatbed towing.

Yep, i have it insured through Hagerty. Can't remember the free tow distance though. I know they mentioned it on the phone. For some reason i thought she said 50 miles but i'm probably wrong. I'll have to call and make sure.

 

[NJRR]

Yep, i have it insured through Hagerty. Can't remember the free tow distance though. I know they mentioned it on the phone. For some reason i thought she said 50 miles but i'm probably wrong. I'll have to call and make sure.

The 125 miles towing is an extra. You have to sign up separately.

 

[Cranky]

5 years ago. I pulled a decent running '69 RoadRunner out of Alabama. Drove my truck from Minnesota. Rented a u-haul car hauler there in Alabama. And towed it back. About 1700 mi. And that was in late summer. I thought about "Fly and drive option" But quickly dismissed due to topics already brought up. To me? No brainer decision.

How did the car do once it was on it's own 4 wheels?

Good words of advice from everyone!

Starting this thread brought up some old memories i'd forgotten about. Back when i was a kid in the 80's my dad bought my mom the ugliest (i though at the time) 69 Dodge Dart 4 door. It ran but not very well. 9 out of 10 times the thing would stall and die at the first intersection my mom came to. She'd have to get out, open the hood, stick something down the carbutetor and then use a screwdriver to arc across the starter solenoid to start it. Haha... god damn that was embarassing! Had to duck down in my seat so no one i know would see me. Now, i wish they still had that old car.

Ugly cars never bothered me....especially if they were Mopars!

 

[Cojohnso1]

How did the car do once it was on it's own 4 wheels?

Ugly cars never bothered me....especially if they were Mopars!

Ok. But I never felt the love. It needed a little more work than I wanted to attempt. Though, it looked decent. I sold a year later. Got my money and travel efforts back. Underneath was rougher than body. Base 383 auto with 3.23:1 under performed. But it ran fine A to B. Like I said. Nothing too exciting. 4 1/2 years ago? A $7500 car in Alabama. 3 1/2 years ago? A $9500 car here in Minnesota. Had I known prices would continue to climb like they have? I may have made a different decision. Lol. Always comes back to that? "Who knew?"

 

[Dennis H]

Drove mine from Gulfport to San Jose last October. Gulf-Stream water to the Redwood Forest. It was exciting.

 

[moparedtn]

Drove this critter from VA to Chicopee,MA once for a NeHOA meet.
The car had no wipers, big dumb L60 tires with no lateral grooves and a woefully
undersized small block radiator in it (it was a 440+6 engine at the time)
with 3.91 gears.
I was much younger then, so the I-95 boogie didn't intimidate me...

Shall I describe how much fun it is to drive that car over the Delaware Bay Bridge
in a driving rainstorm (y'all know about all that open metal grate construction,
right?) without wipers AND tires with zero grip in the rain?
How about hitting a massive backup approaching the GW bridge in NYC at dawn...
and watching the temperature gauge slowly climb to obscene heights?
(Yeah, exit stage right to the lower level lanes, which were open - right through
those orange pylons!).

Damn stupid, making that drive....
And some of the most amazing memories of a road trip a fella could ever ask for.
Yes, both me and the car survived just fine - but it wasn't freaking WINTER, either!

 

[Mark Barnes]

I paid $1000 to get a car from CA to MI last April. It got wet on an open car hauler, but it was WAY worth it.

 

[Krooser]

I was GIVEN an '88 F350 in 2015 and drove it home from LA to WI....had been parked for 11 years... hadd 11 year old gas in the tanks.

 

[pbiggs]

From my own experience of flying one way from VA to CA to buy and drive home 3,000 miles two early Chargers....know this: Don't believe seller claims of "I wouldn't be afraid to get in and drive this car across the country, even with gramma in the back seat". Only a fool should believe it.

But, both Chargers did eventually make it back to VA, but not before new tires, replacing upper control arm bushings, alignment, new radiator and replacing the voltage regulator. One of them dripped gas almost the entire length of I40 from a rotten rubber hose at the fuel sending unit.

That was 35 years ago, and to this day rehashing the adventure is still a source of family amusement and laughter at the audacity displayed by a set of twin 45 year old brothers getting those cars home. One of Chargers is still with me today alive and well.

So, sure why not...but be ready for the unexpected: Save gas receipts, motel bills as a travel log, savor the thumbs up and be sure to keep notes left on the windshield asking if this car is for sale.
May the force be with you.
OH yeah....don't forget phone charger so you can take lots and lots of pictures.
That's for the grandchildren later in life.

Photos above: March 1987
Top: 30 miles from LA departure new radiator installed.
Middle: At sellers LA home trying to figure out why the car doesn't run.
Bottom: A stop in TX looking for source of oil leak.

 

[pbiggs]

And that same car today. Yipee..made it home.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Silly question is why are you buying this car if your afraid to drive it?

 

[Sam69sat]

And that same car today. Yipe..made it home.View attachment 1057053

Cool story and nice car!

 

[Sam69sat]

Silly question is why are you buying this car if your afraid to drive it?

Not afraid, just needed to get feedback and tips for driving a 50 year old car that i don't know a lot about 2000+ miles. Learned a few things from this thread that i hadn't thought about.

Thanks everyone for the advice and stories!