an epic journey...advise on how to prepare for one.

Take a couple shorter trips to shake down the car before you leave.

 

As far as RPM's go at 60mph with 3.70 gears and 30" tires you are looking at ~2500 rpm. 3.50's would drop it to ~2350 rpm. If you are doing mostly 2 lane roads you probably won't see 60+ a whole lot.

2.75 = ~1850rpm
3.00 = ~2000rpm
3.25 = ~2200rpm

I wouldn't do less than 3.25's

 

When your in Flagstaff (a cool place but watch out for those damn college students) Hwy 46 is scenic but desolate (except for the weird indians on the side of the road selling jewlery they could kill ya and knowone would ever know) not a good place to break down. Rt.66/I40 from Albequerqe to Flagstaff ****s! Watch out for drunks!

 

Excellent advice. Shake it down and see what you need.

I also never leave home without 2 cans of fix-a-flat and a tire plug kit. You can patch and pump a tire in less time than it takes to dig out the spare and get the car jacked up.... It has saved me more than once, especially in bad weather.

I'd also take a few extra lug nuts, just in case. Zip ties are also as handy as a roll of duct tape. I also pack a blue mechanic lab coat thingy I have, and a Carhart freezer suit when I travel in the winter... makes crawling on the ground a little easier on your traveling clothes. My buddy has a neat little lightweight pad thing that folds up into about a 10" square and secures with velcro for laying on the ground also...

If you guys see something interesting, STOP. Even if you have to track 15 miles to the next exit to turn around. You will be glad you did. I've driven the 40 several times and always try and stop to see things like the continental divide or portions of Route 66... and take pictures. Also, especially with a trailer, just go at your own pace and don't get in a hurry in traffic. Let them go around you if they want... relax and have fun being a two-lane nomad.

 

Damn with all the stuff some of you carry I'm suprised you have room for yourselfs. Who has room for 3 spares in a cpe or roadster? The only way you can be sure of having the needed part if you break down is to bring an extra car just like the one your driving. LOL Great idea of having the parts at home packed and ready to ship out.

 

I can appreciate the "feel" of a real road trip without the gadgets...but those gadgets are just another way to keep out of trouble in an emergency and to provide another part of entertainment for the wife, who is a big movie buff (DVD...which I doubt she will watch much anyway, and it will be in the trailer not the car.) I agree totally that talking, flipping a roadmap around in the car, taking a piss when you want to and not because its "planned", and keeping things pretty spontaneous and unplanned is part of the enjoyment...to a point. I plan in a general sort of way and let life happen, as long as it doesnt hurt anything or anyone or if it doesnt interrupt things a lot. I plan to really enjoy this one. thanks for the advise taken to heart.

 

plan to do JUST THAT...on a couple of 4 day-ers

 

Two part epoxy is small and can be a quick fix to get you out of the middle of nowhere. Long trips on rough roads can stress and crack stuff that has been fine for years. Belts, hoses and bearings are a must on my next long trip.

 

I understand you have air in your car. Great when it works. If it stops working or you don't have air, you can use a spray bottle filled with water. Mist yourself every once in a while. Cheap air, and refreshing, especially when the temps are above 80 out. We used that method last summer, worked great. Pat.

 

Cash, Cashiers checks and a high limit credit card for those "unforseen" emergencies. And a AAA memership card. Other than that it soundes pretty well thought out already. Good luck and I'd say only drive as much as you feel comfortable. I did a similar type trip in 2003 on my HD. Kept it to around 500 miles a day. LA to Milwaukee to Nebraska to LA in13 days 5000 miles round trip.

 

I think it would be a lot more fun to surprise sweetie with a squirt gun instead....

 

http://public.fotki.com/sawzallshop/roadtrip_photos/

10,000 miles

6 weeks..

40 ford, pulling a 1969 15 foot serro scotty,

no air, no heat. no cruise,

to do it again I would want cruise.

we did alot of highway miles..

I had a starter die in WA, and lost a u joint in California (so those are two things I would add)

if you want inspiration:
see this:

http://www.argentinaalaska.com/
I met them in PA one summer, and northern California the following summer..

 

I have driven my roadster from MN to PA and then to CA and back home to MNover 10,000 miles 3 times.
Fix a flat cans and a plugger tool will work fine. Spares take up lots of room.Belts, nouts/bolts ***ortment, fuel filter,duct tape,fuses, wire, ***td connectors,tail and headlight bulbs. I use sythenitic oil so I dont have to do an oil change along the way. If you are a NSRA member carry their "fellow pages" book to call for help if you have a "big" problem. I used it once when I needed a welder. AAA towing card and a cell phone. Relax and enjoy the trip, dont worry alot, you will have fun. I am doing it again this summer, after LA going north thru OR and into WA and then back down to Reno. I carry a laptop so I can keep in touch each night with friends and family on my blog page. The GPS is a great item to carry, yes I can read a map, but driving around LA and the like it is very helpful. I always have a tenative plan for each day, routes and approxamate mileage, then adjust from there. Have fun, I'll honk as I p*** thru OR in June!

 

....now THAT one is truly one of those epic journeys...did those folks have a support vehicle or was what you see was what there was? How long did it take them to go that distance from Argentina to Alaska? Its like the Great Race only North to South....what an impressive accomplishment. makes my journey seem sorta puny...

 

Lots of great advice here. I'll add having a cell phone with service from a reputable national carrier if you don't have it already. The cell phone is of little use if you can't get a signal to make a call. I have Verizon, and when our rental truck ate it in the middle of the desert in NM, I was able to make a call for help.

A power inverter is a good call. If you carry a laptop, you can condense your iPod (an absolute must), DVD player, movie library, navigation, etc into one unit.

Most importantly, have fun and be safe. Savor the scenery and take your time. Our country is so beautiful and offers so many of nature's wonders, to p*** on them in the interest of making time defeats the purpose of the trip. Flagstaff, AZ is one of the nicest places I've ever been. Make sure to go to the Grand Canyon if you've never been

 

I just did it this past summer in my 32 cabriolet from Indiana to the LA Roadster show and back. I had been wanting to do this for over 30 years but kids and work would not let me have that much time off. I am retired now so i have all the time I need. I am not 60 yet but I am 58 so I am pretty close. Four of us went out in four cars and two of us came back. Like someone mentioned before I would recommend an overdrive trans, or taller gears. Gas does get pretty expensive. We payed from a low about $2.60/gal to a high of $3.70/gal. And it is higher now. We tried to make about 500 miles per day and hit the road by 7 AM, that got us done early in the evening to relax, hit the pool, have a drink, and have a nice dinner.
I tried to build my car without too many oddball parts. The mechanical thing that bothered me the most was the quickchange rearend. Parts for it might be hard to find on the road. But it worked fine. One guy wore out a surpentine belt on the road. It slid back and pushed the billet fan off of the alternater pulley. So we took the pulley off, removed the fan, and ran it without the fan untill we could get to a place to fix it. We fixed it but later on the alternater burnt up from getting too hot I suppose. Luckily he had a spare with him. (if you run a chrome one, better think about having a spare).
Flat tires are another worry. Because of my tire combination they are not something you could find on the road. I carried two cans of fix-a-flat and a tire plug kit(I loaned it to someone at the Roadster show that had a flat).
Being that I was in the car by myself, I carried a soft sided cooler beside me full of ice, pop and bottled water. I also used it as an arm rest.
Would I do it again? YOU BET I would do it every year if I could afford it. I had more fun on that trip than I have ever had at any "rod run". It is not about stroking your ego by hauling your car to a show and setting by it all weekend, it is being on the road, getting there is 90 percent of the fun. I can't wait to do it again. I feel sorry for people that live their whole life and never get to experience something like this. I just saw "Wild Hogs" the other night and reminded me of our trip. We didn't run into any trouble or do any stupid things but the adventure of the trip reminded me of ours. If you get as far as Indiana, let me know.

 

Be careful and watch for deer (see picture).

 

Damn that's a good idea! Thanks!!!

Try to plan your gas stops so that you can stretch out and walk around some. Don't just stop when the tank's empty, stop when you need the rest/relaxation/drink/toilet-stop/what-have-you.

Savor the trip, the destinations will still be there!

 

ok...another question arises...State BY State: how do you check where their current road construction projects are so you can plan a route without running into too much of it? in Oregon its the Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT)...

 

A couple of pics of our trip

 

Cab/hiboy...very nice car and very nice shots of your trip.....did you guys have a "support vehicle" following you or was it just you and the car?

 

No support vehicle. Just us and the cars. BTW, the bronze car is from Vermont. He drove the whole way by himself.

 

Two years ago I took a trip on Old 66 through New Mexico. Model A tudor no air, no heat, no radio, 11 gallon original tank. Had a blast. The secondary roads are the best, stay off the interstates. Remember that no matter what the cell phone companies tell you there are still dead spots in this country. My choice is to avoid the chain restaurants, I can eat there when I am at home. All who wander are not lost.

 

A web site www.fhwa.dot.gov will give you links to the DOT sites of every state. These give detailed rundowns of construction projects. I used it on a trip from Minnnesota to Vegas and back a few years ago and saved a couple head aches. Plan to use it on my 2-lane blacktop trip to Springfield Mo and bck this spring.

 

great advise from all the post
I've left some trails of 10-30 all over america. be prepared to have all kinds people say hi at gas stops or pee pee brakes sometimes you'll end up gabbing away with some lowrider hotrodder or kid with a honda for an hour or so.
you probably already read Travels with charly" it's a good road trip book
have fun hope I see you out there.

 

Thanks a lot!!! I just looked it up and it definitely is worth consulting when planning any sort of trip so as to avoid dangers and delays and make the trip less interrupted by "annoyances". Highly recommend it to people like us who take long trips in old cars.

 

no support vehicle,

i think it took them 3 years

they have a book thats available on amazon that I highly recommend..

 

My wife's Grandmother (1900-1997) told us she took a trip in 1912 in a 1912 Studebaker from Anderson, Indiana to Tampa, Florida. Can you imagine that trip. No Interstates then, probably muddy ruts in some places.

 

I didnt read through all the posts yet to see if this was already covered, but your local AAA has things they call "Trip-Tiks", basically maps of your route with the current road construction (get these in the few days before you leave so they will be accurate) and even can tell you spots where the cops have known "speed traps". I always pack too much, if you have a tool and think you wont need it, you soon will and wont have it, so bring it. Zip ties, a 24" Jumper wire for misc wiring mishaps, check lugnuts, tie-rod ends, control-arm/wishbone jam nuts, keep an eye on Tire pressures for good MPG. Though I am a drag racer, I would toss the 3.70's for the road trip. I think around a 3.00ish gear will be a good compromise, but a 2.73 gear will provide super low RPM freeway cruising also. Maybe an extra timing chain? Water pump is always good insurance, but that is available everywhere for your SBC. Gas can, water jug for radiator troubles. FLush your rad before you go. This is often overlooked. An extra ignition box/coil is a good investment and insurance, especially if it is one that is not readily available at a local parts store, like an MSD or such..... I am a former Boyscout and an Army Ranger and I could go on forever, but you will run out of room before my list ends!!! Expect the unexpected, bring odd or hard to source spares/replacement parts, all the tools you can fit, a REAL jack, and have fun and take all the pics you can!!! "Live the Life You Love, and Love the Life You Live"-

James