Just Wondering? (moved thread)

[Ultrarunner]

The most important items besides tires and brakes are belts and hoses...

Long Distance Summer Driving puts extra stress on hoses as pressure builds for prolong periods of time...

Last summer I drove a 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood from Oakland CA to Seattle... it was a great drive ... I just set the cruise control at 65 and settled in... this car had been in storage for 3 years prior.

I also have taken my 1930 Model A from Oakland to Reno and back without any issues... 45 mph and enjoyed the scenery.

[Deez Nuttz]

I recently drove a 1987 Regal turbo 1000 miles across the U.S. car has 200k on the odometer, not sure how many on the engine or trans. No issues.

Then I also drove my 93 S-10 450 miles, no issues.

Good maintenance goes a long ways.

[PhenomenalWoman]

We drove our van with no problems or breakdowns. We have since relocated and the van is still working like a charm. I don't think we'll be getting rid of it any time in the near six months.

[Katie1]

GREAT!! Hey did you take pic of the trip? Love to see some!! [post them under photrography forum!!!!]

[emailvasally]

not as old as yours, but....

we drove a 91 izuzu impulse with almost 300k miles from va to tx along with a 1994 ford explorer with 160k miles. Get AAA and make sure everything is in good working order (which it sounds like you did).

You should be fine.

[scuba steve]

I drove my '87 Porsche 944 across the country last year with no worries. 105mph and 33mpg - not bad for an engine with 175K miles. I keep up with maintenance and the car just keeps on going.

[PhenomenalWoman]

We have not gotten around to taking pictures yet, as we are just trying to get settled in our new home. Everything has been crazy these past few days. I sure can tell you one thing......Texans are really friendly and welcoming. We Love TEXAS! I may be able to get my sister in-law to post some pictures later. Finally

[NWPAguy]

I drove a 1972 Cadillac from New Jersey to Oregon (3,052 miles) in the end of 2001. The car could very well have been 30 years old at that time, and it had about 76,000 miles when I started the trip. I did the trip in barely more than three days, logging over 1,000 miles on one of the days.

The car never even hiccupped.

I then drove it back to NJ in the end of 2002... same trip length.

The car never even hiccupped.

Of course, then there was the time in 2004 when I drove my then-17-year-old van out on a road trip that was supposed to be about 230 miles... and it blew its water pump along the way. It had 166,000 miles at the time, however. A water pump owes you nothing when it has that many miles on it.

I'd take any vehicle on a cross-country road trip as long as its water pump and radiator were less than 120,000 miles old, its transmission less than 150,000 miles old... and as long as it'd had a tune-up within its last 50,000 miles. Beyond that, if your mechanic says your van is good, it's probably good.

[M3 Mitch]

I drove my 65 GMC half-ton pickup from Atlanta, GA to Idaho Falls, ID, bed full of stuff and towing my old 69 VW bug on a home-made tow-bar, bug also full of stuff. This was 1981 or 1982, back in the days of Tricky Dick's 55 MPH speed limit - truck had/has mega miles on an old 250 CID inline 6. Burned about a case of oil, but, no problems. Drove my 71 Chevy Impala from Idaho Falls to here a couple of times, once had a blowout on an old tire but otherwise no problems.

If a car is in good tune, if your v-belts and radiator hoses are less than 4 years old, if your radiator is clean inside and out, if you check *all* your fluid levels before the trip and during if necessary (and have the correct stuff to add if need be) an older rig can be just as reliable on a long trip as a new one.

At the same time, AAA is good to have on *any* long trip. Or just day-to-day for that matter.

Some older cars, particularly if the engine is getting long in the tooth, may be a bit underpowered for 70-80 MPH cruise on a hot day, climbing hills, etc. But of course you can get off the Interstate and enjoy the "blue" roads, AAA can map this for you if you want, and are a member.

If I were going to take one of my older rigs on a long trip, if the tires were more than 4-5 years old and/or more than about half worn, as a precaution I'd put on a new set before starting off.

But then again I drive 40 miles one way to work in the Scirocco 1982, which has something like 300K miles, I know 110K on the current engine rebuild. And so far only one flatbed trip (paid by AAA anyway)

One advantage of an older rig, something common like a domestic or VW, Toyota, something in that vein, is that *any* honest mechanic can repair it if you have a problem on the road. Some of the newer rigs are not so much harder to work on, as that the "tips and tricks" for handling them are not well known yet (and some probably have not been discovered yet!). But I can find ignition modules, radiator hoses, etc. for the 'rocco in any small town NAPA (at least here in Eastern Washington, I can) (in rust belt country you may not find many wear parts for older rigs as they are locally extinct due to the tin worm)