What do you do when your 59 year old car is 300 miles from home and it wont run? I have always been able to fix it and keep going except this last time.
You start a thread on the HAMB and ask for help. Where are you? Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A good reason not to leave home without the NSRA Fellow Pages. Theres lot of folks willing to help. Gary
From the First post----I have always been able to fix it and keep going except this last time. The car is home and still not running. I am unable to fix so far but the question was --What do YOU do with a car that cant be fixed on the side of the road when you are 300 miles from home?
Option one; Go to the nearest U-Haul and rent a truck and trailer. Option two; Have a good looking girl friend in a skimpy outfit stand by the car at the side of the road.
Depends where I'm at. Had a clutch go out one time. My dad had a friend in that town. I've called friends before to go get my trailer and come get me.
I have had a car or two that got left 300 miles from home. It helps to have friends with trailers, Im sure you are aware of tow costs.
I've never been in that situation with my old Ford Model A.... I ALWAYS make a point to use bailing wire with a Ford part number on it!
the only time I wasn't able to fix it, was when the old truck broke, but I was towing my "race car", so we just got the truck and trailer towed to a storage yard, and drove the "race car" something like 3500 miles...then met up with wife near the end of the trip, she hauled the truck home on the trailer, with her truck. But mostly I fix whatever is broke. what did you do?
make sure myself & ride are in a safe spot away from heavy traffic, etc - if need be get a local tow (AAA), driver may know of a good shop to take it to - search online for local Hot Rod shop and/or high rated repair shop & contact - post a need help thread here - if problem is major, search/contact local towing services - via craigslist might luck out and find a local long haul private flatbed/enclosed trailer towing service - local parts place selling speed equip maybe able to connect you with someone to help - waiting to hear what worked for you
There's not much you can do. Tow it out of immediate danger. Pay the lot fees when you go get the trailer.... truck or truck and tow dolly. Or cough up the dough and have it towed home. What else can you do?
I called AAA and got towed to their lot. Called Enterprise and they came and picked me up and drove me to the rental lot. Went home and got my truck and trailer. Reversed my path.
Thanks guys. Uhaul sounds like a possibility. The tow vehicle made horrible noises for 30 miles and as I could see a small town (population 3000) about 1/2 mile away, it quit running. It was downhill so I coasted right up to a parking spot in a gas station. The next larger town is about 35 miles away. I dont know if Uhaul will deliver that far away.
Years ago, towing my race cars all over the Midwest, credit cards/cash always got me back on road and back home, met many good people/garage/tow service's on the road, when towing a racer back then we had open trailers so people always seem to want to be helpful, from a fan stopping, fellow compe***or, to strangers. I Did not have a cell phone till 1989, a must for any traveler today IMO. In my Hot Rod travels I have been on side of road a few times and again plenty of help was offered, always got car running and drove it home, only one time had to flatbed a car home,(70 miles, not 300) not a cheap date. I guess I was Lucky, no bad experiences on road when broke down ever, never been stranded. The NSRA fellow pages are in my cars, never tried to use it, have heard good stories of help received. I guess my suggestion's are what I do, a few Tools/Parts/Cash/Credit Cards/Cell Phone, with these items you can solve any problem IMO.
never worked for me, rides too low to go up ramps - if you have a 50's car may be too narrow she would not need to hang out with a guy that has a old car that breaks down
Option one. A. Call my insurance (hagerty) and have it towed to a parking lot. B. Call my buddy and have him bring his trailer. C. Be forever in buddies debt ..lol Option two. A. Have car towed to safety B. Rent U-haul Option three A. Have car towed to secure storage lot B. Rent car and drive home C. Arrange loan of a trailer (and truck if needed) D. Go get car. These are arranged from least to most expensive Chappy
Fellow pages. And yes, I was 300 miles from home. A great guy (I wish I could remember his name) in Kankakee, Illinois came to my rescue. Took me to local salvage yards 'til we found an 8" Ford rear. We went to a parts house and got gaskets & rear grease/oil. Back to the side street I coasted into from I-57 when rear started making bad noises. Jacked up rear with his jack and his jack stands. Pulled the axles, replaced pumpkin, reinstalled axles, and I was on my way. On the rounds to find a rear we were close to his shop so we stopped in and he showed me his rear engine digger and other cars. b-t-w; fwiw I was on my way to visit Sherry in Chicago at the time, before we got hitched. I had an antique Ferris wheel seat in the back of Clarence that I was transporting for BobK. He had bought it from a company in Jacksonville, Illinois. I picked it up there and took it to Chicago, where another of his friends picked it up and took it to Bob. He had it restored and made into a porch/yard swing.
If you are solo.... If you can ride in the wrecker. It may be just easier to take a long ride in the wrecker home. That may not be an option if you can't ride or a local wrecker won't do a long distance tow nor one from home. It's going to be costly but in the end it may be easier to pay for a long distance tow. My phone tells me a 300 mile tow is about 1000 bucks. How much to rent a trailer or make two trips? In the end it may be best to tow it.
Like you,most of the time I can repair it enough to get home,the one time it seemed catastrophic and I was on my own and 650 miles from home I had to get the car towed to a service station and with the help of the station owner he helped me find a shop that could repair my original radiator,I was give the use of one bay and his tools and was back on the road 6 hours later. HRP
A breakdown 300 miles from home will be costly, regardless of what your driving. I'd be more concerned about breaking down with my wife's late model then I would be with my coupe. The first thing is to get it and your party to a safe location. Then see if I can determine what is wrong. Seek help from the HAMB to ***ist in getting it fixed. I have fixed a lot of stuff on the road over the years, many times it has been an experience that gives you hope for man kind. See what towing, safe storage, or truck and trailer rental is available at or near the location you are. I have a local guy that would come and get my ride and deliver it to my house, we have done 500 miles before. Not cheap, but I know it will get home, with me present or not. Depending on what we were doing 300 miles from home, I might rent a car and keep going, or ride home with the local tow guy, or haul the thing home myself. Breakdowns can be fun, if you don't let the cir***stances get the best of you. You get to meet a lot of different people, and for the most part, they are good people just trying to help. Gene
Hmm 300 miles from home. Well at that distance I’m probably pretty close to where ever I was going or coming from. I’d probably try to get the car back there. If I was coming going somewhere further than that I’d probably figure out what hamber was the closest and get the car to there spot. Figured out a game plan and wait for @porkn****** to show up. If I had reached the “I don’t know if I can fix this”’point I’d already been on the phone with him a few times and he’s coming my way in the truck
I was coming home from El Mirage one Sunday. On I5 in Kern County about 300 miles from home. Saw Norm Kitchen stopped under an overp***. He had one of those Oldsmobiles that came with a diesel 350. Smog exempt at that time. He had a 455 in it which he had ported to close to the water. So there he was. I gave him a ride home to Los Altos. Next day he had a U Haul and trailer and was home for dinner. My across the street neighbor's Ford F350 with cab over camper died in Mexico. Somehow he got home and rented a Plymouth with a slant 6 in it. Went to San Mateo rents and they installed a temporary trailer hitch and he rented a trailer. Went and got the F350 and drug it home over the G****vine and Pacheo P***. I know the truck weighted more than the Ply
Had many a 300 mile trip with my HAMB friendly vehicles since about 1974.....just never had a break down.......guess I'll have an answer when one does happen....
The Jalopy Journal
