Gonna Be Driving the Car 650 miles!! Advice???

[bluefury]

Road trip....!!!!!

hopefully you got triple aaa if you get introuble along the way i only live a couple miles from 95 call me i live in fredericksburg va . ronny 540/419/8004

I've done this several times..... your gonna love it. You need a basic tool set, A credit card, (or lots of emergency cash), AAA membership is a plus.
In 2000 I bought a 64 Dodge crew cab pickup, sight unseen, in Utah. (I lived in NC at that time). I shipped a basic tool set and the license plate via UPS...then flew to LasVages... Grayhound 150 miles north into Utah. I bought a set of takeoff tires, a gas and water can and set off on the 2200 mile trip home. I traveled secondary highways and drove in daytime only for four days. MAN...... I will never forget that trip...!!!!! The only issue I had was a dead battery at 4 corners,(colo, Utah, NM, Arizona.) I got a jump start from the park ranger and bought a new battery at the first parts store I came to. I photo documented the entire trip and put together a album.

I log about 4-5K a season on my 65 Coronet 500. In July i'm traveling from Alabama to the UP of Michigan in the Coronet via tenn...ky...ill....wisc and down through the lower part of Michigan and back home.... A two week trip and all on the back roads..... Gotta love it.

So don't get nervious...... Look at the trip as an adventure.... take what comes and enjoy it. You'll likely remember the experience for a long time to come.

 

[bluefury]

road trip.....

Guys,

I am totally new at this and admittedly quite apprehensive.

I am driving down to SC tonight to get my 68 Satellite and drive it home about 650 miles back to NJ.

Any advice? I am going to be bringing a ratchet set and screwdrivers, a cooler, and anything else I can think of.

So anyone just chime in and let me know, I would like to draw off the experience in here.

Thanks in advance.

Don:homework:

Have you made the trip yet....? How did it go....?​

 

[watermelon]

flashlight, cash, matches, snacks, and something bigger than a 9mm.

 

[quick63]

All above, good advice...Especially the 9 mm. Tarus Judge for me, Don't leave home without it. Be carefull, have fun....good luck!!

 

[The Satellite Cometh]

WELL I MADE IT!!!!!

Well, I didn't really have time to "enjoy" myself so to speak.

Here goes the Cliff's notes version:
Left work 10pm Thursday
Got home and met with Dad 11pm Thursday
Drove through the night, with bathroom breaks and breakfast
Got to Inman, SC at 11am Friday morning
Got the car, got IN the car and started driving.
Returned back home to NJ 1am Saturday night

The car was flawless. Didn't run hot, ran 93 octane gas (440 with 10:1 compression) and I got about 15mpg on the highway!

I can't believe it. I was blessing myself at every "Welcome to..." sign.

I was awake for 37 hrs straight and THAT I never want to do again. I don't think I have recovered yet.

Brought a small tool bag, a cooler, etc.

Realized at a rest stop that I was also running with no spare tire, thank God we didn't need it.

All in all I am happy with the car. Super solid. Performance, I am not sure about yet. I had an '03 Mustang Cobra that ran low 12's on street tires so it takes a bit to impress me. The car pulled decently on the top end. Doesn't have a posi rear and spins one tire pretty good. 2.73 gears need to go, and a good posi set up with 3.55's are gonna be going in there first.

Car is running manifolds and basic dual exhausts, sounds kind of restricted.

Has a Mopar purple shaft cam in it which I think is for sound only, to me (and this is the first oldie I have owned) there are much better cams out there.

Iron head car too, performance wise I would like to go with some aluminums and roller rockers. Too bad I am outta money.

Well its a story to tell and many don't believe that we did it, but we did.

I was scared to drive the car with manual brakes at first, and let Dad drive but it was too hot for him, so I jumped in and drove it for the last 10 hours....

 

[64SF]

Over the road...

Congratulations! Just did a 1,450 trip from Minneapolis to Central Florida.
Bought a nice original 67 Satellite with a small block with a cam and 4:10 gears....did spend LOTS on gas. Wife went along and only freaked out a couple of times... once in downtown St Louis near the arch...lots of things happening in that area (multiple highways above and below, trains, narrow lanes and crazy drivers) then in Atlanta (I-75 is always under construction). Took two and a half days....it was great. Lots of thumbs ups from drivers and lots of conversations at the gas pumps.

Loved the comments about what to bring....lol. :headbang:

 

[FatJack]

Congratulations!!! The MoPar Gods smiled on you.:VB toast::VB toast:

 

[Phantomcobra]

In 2004 I flew up to Ohio and picked up an 85 Imperial and drove it to Kentucky to see friends and then to Dallas with no problems and 30 mpg. In 2006 I flew to South Carolina and picked up a 1973 Plymouth Valiant 318 and drove it straight through back to Dallas non stop. Again, no problems. If you think about it, the freeway is a lot easier on a car than city so the 1,000 plus I did on both trips was probably better for the cars than the town driving they were doing before.

 

[The Satellite Cometh]

Thats a good point. The car ran beautiful.

Now just need to find a sure grip rear and get started.

 

[plymouth67]

You need gears and WE need pics.! Glad you made it!

 

[The Satellite Cometh]

Ok sure

 

[Meep-Meep]

Things that fail are things that go unserviced or ignored. Does it have rear end oil? Rear axle bearings and front wheel bearings in good shape or at least have plenty of grease? Cooling system up to snuff? U joints? Fuel pump and hose? I'd give it a once over and replace / service any of the above if it's questionable.

 

[Aussie Coronet]

A can of that 'spare tyre in a can' stuff, in case the spare lets go in the middle of nowhere. I have one that i'm yet to need, it's just a little extra back-up, just in case, been lugging it around for 3 years.