History In the 50's, how far did you typically drive your Hot Rod?

I've been following Bass' cross-country trip, and enjoying his reports, but it got me thinking that when I grew up in the Northeast in the 50's and 60's, we were high schoolers without much money. As a result, our hot rods were marginally reliable, and we didn't go very far in them, because no one could afford a tow truck to come get us if we broke down. (No cell phones to call one, anyway.)
Our cars got us back and forth to our buddies' houses (1-2 miles); to the local garage for gas (5-6 miles); and if you had an after-school job or got permission to leave class early for some reason, maybe to school once in a while (10 miles). Oh yes, and then there were the dances. However, we never dated a girl from the next county, because it wasn't worth getting a flat on a dark back road coming home at midnight.
The closest drag strip was 50 miles, which was an all day trip, and if you went to the annual State fair, that was 100 miles, so you left before daylight in order to be back before midnight, and took at least three friends, just in case, to help push.
Was this typical, or were all you guys from Texas, California, and other exotic locales putting thousands of miles on your cars????

 

bttt

 

Most of us drove to Spokane at least once a month for the drags or to cruise Northwest Blvd, and/or Wellesley and Division. About 125 - 130 miles, which included going UP the Lewiston grade on the way out of town and down on the way back. Other destinations were Walla Walla, Tri-Cities, Orofino, Boise and a couple of us even drove to American Falls, ID to visit a buddy that had moved. This was all 1960-1962 and done with warmed-over flatheads, A-bones with early 50s OHV V8s. Certainly drove them as often as possible and nearly everywhere we went. Shoot...you didn't want to NOT be seen in your car....or a buddy's car...on the weekends.

dj

 

Thousands of miles? Nope, always carried some dimes for a pay phone (yes, no cell phones), because I broke down so frequently that my father got used to the late night call (course I was not the best of mechanics, more enthusiasm than skill)