If you bought a car out of your state....

[anmracing]

would you risk driving back home??? I was just wondering how many of you would buy a car that is over 500 miles from home and drive back.

Personally, I feel I would... Of course I would have to look at it and check it out very carefully, but if it checked out in my semi-not so-professional opinoin, I would do it......

Anyone else out there willing to "cowboy up" and drive a car they don't know?????

 

[Ron 73]

Thats a tuff one.. driving a rare car would be a gamble, I think if the car checked out as far as checking the oil, water, temp making sure everything's ok, belts tight, tires (spare included) ect.. making sure things all check out yes, i would.. A car valued up there im not sure if the jewels could handle the pressure.. MHO


I should add, yes i would have done this when i was younger, now, i would seriously consider it, but im not totally sure..

 

[306Doba]

I know quite a few people from Saskatchewan who buy cars on the west coast and drive them back. That drive is about 1800 Kilometers (about 1120 miles) and includes going all the way through the Rocky Mountains. They usually do it in one shot too, 20+ hours of driving.

 

[greenmonsta79]

No, you get stranded and you rack up even more in hotels, trying to fix it on the side of the road, it's a mess I have never done it when I have ever bought a car out of state it was ALWAYS trailered back even if the seller said it was a great driver.

 

[Bruzilla]

I flew from southern Maryland to northern New Hampshire to pick up a car and drove it back home. I've also had a car trailored down from Massachusettes but that was a car the owner told me wasn't safe for the road.

 

[BuckNeccid]

Bout a year ago I bought a 77 Z-28 that had been parked so long the steering wheel had gotten that slimy sticky feel to it, and it had a distinct musty smell crossed with the smell of a dirty diaper. It ran, the GF was with me with the Cherokee, so we took off. Made it to about 100 miles from home when the radiator blew. 20 miles up the road to the next town and an Advance, bought a radiator and a few tools, and we were back on the road. It was fun, an experience the GF had never had and some memorable good times.

"Behold the turtle, he only makes progress when he sticks his neck out"

 

[marlabuck]

:ufo:Yes for sure...we bought this 1965 Galaxie 500 from a guy in Tucson,AZ...I flew down and drove back home to Washington state...it was August and 110 degrees out...not a bit of trouble and I had fun...it was a cool adventure...Marla

 

[anmracing]

That's some awesome stories of past experiences. I never have done it, the farthest for us has been across town... 40 miles maybe. LOL! I'm considering it and just wanted to read some thoughts on it. I'm adventurous enough to try it.

Any more of you adventurer's out there? It's fun to read these and I bet it brings back some fond memories.

 

[Jonnyuma]

It kinda depends on how keen your sense of adventure is and whether you're looking for a journey or just to get the thing home. Money-wise its about a wash. I once bought an old IH Scout that was in a different state. I showed up, drug it out of a swamp, bought some used tires, a used battery, changed the fluids and drove er home. I was looking THROUGH the steering wheel by the time I got into the driveway...yeah, she had some rust issues. I figured the worst case would be renting a truck and a tow-dolly if I couldn't ftx whatever broke on the way home.....nothing did. That old Scout was my daily driver (about 60 mi a day) for 2 years. It's a story my wife and I still look back on and laugh about.

 

[GTX.JCW]

To drive or not...

We agonized for a while about driving the GTX home to San Diego from Texas, but in the end we had it shipped.

Good thing! After we got it home, we found the tires, which looked good with tread and no cracks, were date coded 1973!!!! Not to mention the bent drive shaft and a few other assorted issues that have since been cleared up.

The tires most likely would have given up in the middle of nowhere Arizona (Murphys Law) and I would have had to pay an arm and a leg for new tires!

Just drivin' and enjoying it now....


Jeff

 

[djais1801]

I trailered mine home, which was bout 200 miles..only reason being w/391 gears..didn't want that strain on her...if she had 355's or 323's I would've

 

[djais1801]

:ufo:Yes for sure...we bought this 1965 Galaxie 500 from a guy in Tucson,AZ...I flew down and drove back home to Washington state...it was August and 110 degrees out...not a bit of trouble and I had fun...it was a cool adventure...Marla

love those galaxie/fairlane bodies...I passed on a 66 fairlane 4spd to get my 71 Satty..

 

[Budnicks]

I would drive it home if "I thought it was road worthy", good tires, brakes, engine, trans, no leaks, licensed, it haven't been sitting too long & especially if I had a support vehicle, with tools following me back, otherwise I would just bring a trailer or rent a trailer 1 way when I got to the destination, were the car was, it really is a crap shoot if you don't know the car... Done it many, many, many times in my youth, but the cars were not as old then either...LOL... Hell I drove a couple of my cars that didn't fit on a transporter a 68 Charger R/T 440 auto 3.91:1 geared project, from Palmer, Alaska up to Yukon territory thru Tok Junction, then down the Alcan Hwy to I-5 in Washington all the way to Concord, California something like 2500+ miles, in the summer of 1985 "I think it was", but I knew the car very well & had many spare parts, like a spare battery, hoses, water pump, belts, alternator, points, condenser, cap, rotor, wires & even 2 spare tires & tools all in the huge trunk, & also my girl friend at the time followed me in my 1966 Power Wagan also 440 equipped 6" lifted with 36" D/C Swamper's & 4.30:1 gears all the way, {both were gas hoggs & cost a ton of cash at the time} the Power Wagon was loaded with a bunch of my personal belongings, tool boxes, spare fuel jugs & my 2 dogs, with the female dog just about ready to deliver 8 puppies at any day {thankfully she delivered the puppies all fine, 2 days after we got back to Concord}, if something happened, I figured we could always flat tow either vehicle to the next town at least, sometime more than 100+ miles apart or more between towns...

 

[65belv]

Drive 'em home

Drove one car from Albuqurque, New Mexico and another from Detroit, Michigan back home to Washington state. by the time you get home, you have a working knowledge of your 'new' old car and it makes for a great trip.

 

[bluefury]

Road trip......

would you risk driving back home??? I was just wondering how many of you would buy a car that is over 500 miles from home and drive back.

Anyone else out there willing to "cowboy up" and drive a car they don't know?????

I have done that several times, always with positive results.The furthest was 2200 miles from Utah to North Carolina in a 64 Dodge D200 crew cab 12 years ago. I drove back roads in daylight only, took 4 days and I photo documented the trip. I put new tires on the truck before I left Utah and bought a new battery in Colorado. It was a trip of a lifetime and I will always cherish the memory. I still drive the truck on a regular basis.

My 65 Coronet 500 convertible was transported to Alabama from Long Island NY, arriving on a Wednesday evening. Saturday Morning I drove the car to Daytona Beach for the Turkey run, 1200 miles round trip with no mishaps at all.

I once flew from Michigan to Texas and picked up a 69 Cadillac Coupe DeVille and a 1950 Cadillac sedan. I towed the 50 with the 69, no problems.

Just don't get in a hurry, do your homework, stay off the interstates and make it a journey you will remember for a long time.
OH..... AAA gold is a good idea.

 

[Jonnyuma]

That D-200 is sweet. I had a '64 D-200 Uteline (stepside for you non-truck guys) but had to leave it behind when I left AZ. It was the only one like it I've ever seen. If it was as nice as yours I would have tried harder to figure out a way to keep it.

 

[anmracing]

Awesome pix!! Thanks for sharing the memories with us! It looks like it was a blast!!

 

[1966satellite]

I bought my 66 satellite in New Jersey and had it shipped back to Illinois for about what it would have cost me for gas to drive it back ($300). I'm glad I shipped it because it wouldn't have made the drive. Tranny was leaking and needed brake work.

 

[Sonny Black]

$300. ? from N J. to IL.?...wow that is very reasonable.

 

[72Fourspeed]

You bet !!!!!

Did a truck trade 8 years ago. Drove my 95 Ram Diesel down to San Antonio & traded it & some cash for a 98 Ram Diesel. Had a good time,saw the Alamo(real one & John Wayne movie set)& a lot of neat scenery. Of course diesel was $ 1.39 then. Great road trip,but take help & a co-pilot.