Most comfortable classic to travel cross country.

[Ron H]

just bought 63 Belvedere from a member here in Minnesota and drove it to San Diego to be shipped. I did not expect bench seat to be so comfortable!

When restoring my ’63, with some regret, didn’t make this a friendly freeway rider, ya know 65-75mph riding. The hepped up poly, 3:55’s makes for cruising at 3-grand a bee-itch after a while. Had originally something in the area of 273’s if I remember, and swapped a ’65 Coronet rear with 3:23’s. Installed the 355’s thinking it would afford a little more giddy-up off the start. Bad move; but this swap likely wouldn’t have made much difference for freeway cruising anyway. OD would be nice. Not a friendly do with a PB 727. But not unhappy with the driving comfort (buckets) other than the door armrest digging into my knee as I prefer to set my leg.

 

[Garceau]

Windows all the same when you roll them down, since most our cars has no AC?

that they are

but I thought somewhere I ran across something about the UV reflection properties of a newer set up compared to ours.

I can tell you my 66 will cook you out of there....between all that I mentioned, I forgot the headers and exhaust under my feet. Its getting a little work done to it now, and I will add something to the underside to reflect some of that heat back down.

Although its not a cruiser for highway anyways....not at 75 mph anyways. Too much gear, too loose a converter.

Maybe my next one will be.

 

[Richard Cranium]

 

[Budnicks]

Back in the day, 75-89-ish
I drove my 68 Charger R/T all over the western states
it was my daily driver other then my work trucks/4x4's
or motorcyles
It had several different engines/combos, over 14+ years...
One of the 1st mods, was take off the HP robbing A/C
so I thought young & dumb...
From stock 440 with 3.55:1 to 513cid 2x4bbls with 5.13:1 gears
Cragers all around & N50/15s tucked on the rear
& numerous performance combos in it...
Even had a lil' 318 out of a 68 Satellite I had, with a bunch of bolt-on stuff
manifold carb headers ignition in it for a time,
when building another 440, I needed it to get around...
Not drive my trucks
That lil' 318 embarrassed a few BB muscle cars too...

I didn't think anything negative about driving 1,000 miles on 4.10:1 gears...
Did it many times...
Gas was cheap compared to now, I made a good liven', I liked to get away,
I'd jump in my car & just go, was my joy, back then like many youngsters
a car was freedom...
When I 1st got it (68 Charger R/T) , shortly after, I drove it to Sands Michigan,
Upper Peninsula from Concord Ca. to see my sister when she had her 1st born son,
she was stationed there in the USAF, didn't have any real issues at all...
Got some bad gas on hwy-66 with water in it, I could see the water in the filter...
Tried to drain the tank couldn't get it all out, with what I had on the road...
I couldn't afford to go to a service shop & get it fixed, they'd of gouged me anyway
young kid teenager from Calif out on the open road...
(Sleeping at rest stops or the side of the road in a sleeping bag...
that was before the fags all took over the roadside hwy rest-stops)
It was sputtering badly, a miss when it got below 1/4 of a tank...
I 1st thought... It acted like it had water under the distributor cap...
It was water in the fuel...
I had to buy some additive, water separator stuff (it helped some)
& I had to keep it over 1/4 of a tank the rest of the way back...

I think it was cheaper to drive back then than fly...
2200+ miles each way
I think I had started out with $500-$600,
I had my saving book with me too, just in case, had to take out like a $100 more...
Could you imagine what it'd cost today ?, in fuel alone...

Great car... I loved that car, that was like 1975-ish, I was 16

sorry none of the car
have to get some slides converted to photos, if there's a way to even do that...

Today no way, I'd do it probably...
I was much more willing at a younger age...
At 64, I'm spoiled now, I want the creature comforts...
Like most of us get as we start to age...

 

[chargervert]

Back in the day, 75-89-ish
I drove my 68 Charger R/T all over the western states
it was my daily driver other then my work trucks/4x4's
or motorcyles
It had several different engines/combos, over 14+ years...
One of the 1st mods, was take off the HP robbing A/C
so I thought young & dumb...
From stock 440 with 3.55:1 to 513cid 2x4bbls with 5.13:1 gears
Cragers all around & N50/15s tucked on the rear
& numerous performance combos in it...
Even had a lil' 318 out of a 68 Satellite I had, with a bunch of bolt-on stuff
manifold carb headers ignition in it for a time,
when building another 440, I needed it to get around...
Not drive my trucks
That lil' 318 embarrassed a few BB muscle cars too...

I didn't think anything negative about driving 1,000 miles on 4.10:1 gears...
Did it many times...
Gas was cheap compared to now, I made a good liven', I liked to get away,
I'd jump in my car & just go, was my joy, back then like many youngsters
a car was freedom...
When I 1st got it (68 Charger R/T) , shortly after, I drove it to Sands Michigan,
Upper Peninsula from Concord Ca. to see my sister when she had her 1st born son,
she was stationed there in the USAF, didn't have any real issues at all...
Got some bad gas on hwy-66 with water in it, I could see the water in the filter...
Tried to drain the tank couldn't get it all out, with what I had on the road...
I couldn't afford to go to a service shop & get it fixed, they'd of gouged me anyway
young kid teenager from Calif out on the open road...
(Sleeping at rest stops or the side of the road in a sleeping bag...
that was before the fags all took over the roadside hwy rest-stops)
It was sputtering badly, a miss when it got below 1/4 of a tank...
I 1st thought... It acted like it had water under the distributor cap...
It was water in the fuel...
I had to buy some additive, water separator stuff (it helped some)
& I had to keep it over 1/4 of a tank the rest of the way back...

I think it was cheaper to drive back then than fly...
2200+ miles each way
I think I had started out with $500-$600,
I had my saving book with me too, just in case, had to take out like a $100 more...
Could you imagine what it'd cost today ?, in fuel alone...

Great car... I loved that car, that was like 1975-ish, I was 16
View attachment 1500661 sorry none of the car
have to get some slides converted to photos, if there's a way to even do that...

Today no way, I'd do it probably...
I was much more willing at a younger age...
At 64, I'm spoiled now, I want the creature comforts...
Like most of us get as we start to age...

Weren't you in Star Wars? Luke I am your father!

 

[Budnicks]

Weren't you in Star Wars? Luke I am your father!

I'm his better looking, probably 6"s taller & 60# bigger stunt dbl

 

[dadsbee]

Which ever one I'm driving ..

 

[Photon440]

Back in the day, 75-89-ish
I drove my 68 Charger R/T all over the western states
it was my daily driver other then my work trucks/4x4's
or motorcyles
It had several different engines/combos, over 14+ years...
One of the 1st mods, was take off the HP robbing A/C
so I thought young & dumb...
From stock 440 with 3.55:1 to 513cid 2x4bbls with 5.13:1 gears
Cragers all around & N50/15s tucked on the rear
& numerous performance combos in it...
Even had a lil' 318 out of a 68 Satellite I had, with a bunch of bolt-on stuff
manifold carb headers ignition in it for a time,
when building another 440, I needed it to get around...
Not drive my trucks
That lil' 318 embarrassed a few BB muscle cars too...

I didn't think anything negative about driving 1,000 miles on 4.10:1 gears...
Did it many times...
Gas was cheap compared to now, I made a good liven', I liked to get away,
I'd jump in my car & just go, was my joy, back then like many youngsters
a car was freedom...
When I 1st got it (68 Charger R/T) , shortly after, I drove it to Sands Michigan,
Upper Peninsula from Concord Ca. to see my sister when she had her 1st born son,
she was stationed there in the USAF, didn't have any real issues at all...
Got some bad gas on hwy-66 with water in it, I could see the water in the filter...
Tried to drain the tank couldn't get it all out, with what I had on the road...
I couldn't afford to go to a service shop & get it fixed, they'd of gouged me anyway
young kid teenager from Calif out on the open road...
(Sleeping at rest stops or the side of the road in a sleeping bag...
that was before the fags all took over the roadside hwy rest-stops)
It was sputtering badly, a miss when it got below 1/4 of a tank...
I 1st thought... It acted like it had water under the distributor cap...
It was water in the fuel...
I had to buy some additive, water separator stuff (it helped some)
& I had to keep it over 1/4 of a tank the rest of the way back...

I think it was cheaper to drive back then than fly...
2200+ miles each way
I think I had started out with $500-$600,
I had my saving book with me too, just in case, had to take out like a $100 more...
Could you imagine what it'd cost today ?, in fuel alone...

Great car... I loved that car, that was like 1975-ish, I was 16
View attachment 1500661 sorry none of the car
have to get some slides converted to photos, if there's a way to even do that...

Today no way, I'd do it probably...
I was much more willing at a younger age...
At 64, I'm spoiled now, I want the creature comforts...
Like most of us get as we start to age...

Too bad you weren't close, I have a good slide/film/negative scanner.

 

[64BEL]

In 1983, when I was 20, I drove my '70 GTX from central WI to Santa Clara, CA in April. I lived there and slept on my brother's couch for 4 months, then I drove it back to WI in August. It was my daily driver back then (except in the WI winters). It had a 440 6bbl, 4-speed, 3:54 Dana. On the return trip, I slept in it for several hours one night at a rest stop in Wyoming. The back seat was full of my stuff, so I laid across the front buckets with my feet sticking out the passenger door window. In those days, I had no phone, no GPS, and no money. Just paper maps and enough gas money to get back home. Ahh...to be young and adventurous again.

 

[YY1]

I never took my 70 Super Bee out of state, but it did go a lot of places in FL that were 250 plus mile trips.

Pretty comfortable- bench seat and 3.55 gears.

 

[1963JAM]

Hell, next year my
1999 Dakota SLT 4x4 Magnum V8/5.2ltr ext. cab/7' bed
with just under 61k miles now,
it will be 25 in 2024, it's or I considered a classic now,
it's pretty damn comfy for a pick-em' up
from Tuolumne Co. Ca., been to Emmett, Idaho 600-ish miles each way
& back twice a year for 5 years, visiting a buddy Emmit that's gone now
been to Milwaukee Or. & back twice a year for 5 years, 700+ each way
to go visit my oldest sister Lori
go to Redbluff probably 4 times a year to visit my 2nd oldest sister Candy
275+ miles each way
hell most the miles on my 99 Dakota are going to visit family
View attachment 1500629

seems like;
Everything & Everywhere is 100+ mile away from here...
I wouldn't have it any other way either...

On topic
I'd rather ride in a 70 Sport Fury GT HT S23,
if it had a/c & cruise control, my favorite big car
pass everything except a gas station

View attachment 1500611

I've been back & forth across the nation west to east coast
maybe 15 times over 35+ (of almost 45) years of racing
95 & 98 Power Rams 4x4 3500 5.9ltr 12 valve Cummin turbo
lifted & shortened W/B 4x4s
that was brutal, both had over 350k mile on them when sold...

A few times (5 maybe) in a Class A 37' (?) 252" w/b 320hp Cat/Allison 5 speed
1997 Safari Serengeti (it's now a classic) motorhome,
it was like luxury, like driving your couch down the hwy
Or in 1 ton GM truck/s (a couple were lowered too
&/or an Intermediate 90's Kodiac all towing a 43ft Featherlite 2 car trailer
View attachment 1500637

everyone was using them back then

Hell, when I 1st started traveling/racing 1977-78
I went all up & down the western states with a
1976 Chevy (1500 or 3100 ?) heavy-half step-side short-bed,
brownish mustard colored, lowered a lil', with air-bag assist on the rear
towing a BigTex 19' open trailer, with either my 23 altered or my 67 Camaro...
all my stuff in the back... I bought used & put 90k+ on it no real problems

I had the god d--n POS HEI module or coil 'crap out' on me
3-4 times, in the middle of nowhere

I thought I was in 'the good stuff', it's what I could afford, I was young
I learned fast it wasn't, "the good stuff"
the shorter wheelbase the worse the roads are no matter
if you're towing or not...

I did the AlCan Hwy up thru BC & Yukon terr. into Toke Junction, Ak
& down to Anchorage
1st 2 times in a new 84 & later an 85 Toyota SR5 4x4 pick ups
that was brutal, had all my stuff in the back the 1st time,
a buddy drove with me & my 2 dogs, 1 prego
not the most comfortable trips, makes you appreciate the comfort
or newer cars and even the trucks today (even a 99).

We had a quite fully loaded 68 300 TNT with buckets that you could drive for hours, no problems at all.
I put 66 tracks/ brackets in our Charger, kept adjusting angles distance until the wife felt comfortable. Made the trip to Farmington, on to Detroit for the Charger 50th, then back home.
She said it was one of the most enjoyable rides she went on.
If I ever get this car finished, we want to do another road trip. Age is creeping up can’t lay on the ground in a parts store parking lot in Oklahoma and change a fuel filter in our B350 camper van anymore.
(Our opinion only) we like to drive our cars. You meet so many interesting people along the way. Plus buying an trailer and tow vehicle , would not give us our value.
Our saying is, that if it is on a trailer, it has broken down, stolen or sold to a new owner. Except under the ongoing assembly.
I suggest trying to adjust your seats and do some test drives.
On our trip we would leave about 6am drive to 2pm and get a room usually on State highways, had a wonderful time.
PLEASE under any circumstances do not take this personal.

Love love the 68 300 and it's hide away head lights.