Road trips: They highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the car.

[1 Wild R/T]

. With the windows up, it was still louder than I like. I don’t mind driving with the windows down for awhile but for 6-8 hours??!

Coral always gives me crap about my stock exhaust, tells me "everyone else's cars sound beefy" but after hours on the road, quiet exhaust is kinda nice...

 

[Dennis H]

No AC after 117 page ac thread?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

No AC after 117 page ac thread?

Hey, it was blowing cold when he left Modesto.... And hopefully that shall continue...

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

I love road trips! It’s what these cars were meant to do.

My car is built to look like what was cruising in the 70s, and I want it to be a turn the key and go anywhere anytime car.

Unfortunately I’ve only had the chance to take mine on 1 road trip, but I take frequent 20 mile drives or around town and in September I’m hoping to go on another. Yes, seats are very important! . Overdrive is nice, you get a good performance rear gear, and don’t have to sacrifice fuel economy. And you can’t forget tunes! After a while road noise gets annoying. I always carry spare fuses, a little bit of wire, tools, spare ignition parts. Good gauges to keep an eye on vitals is important too

 

[gtx6970]

Ive owned my car for nearly 4 years. And have put over 11,000 miles on it in that time. And yes, Its the real deal original hemi auto
So i can honestly say,,,,I drive my car. But Im not 25 anymore either.
Like mentioned earlier. The low back seats leave a lot to be desired on longer trips. And about 4 or 5 hrs round trip is my tops. Seats in the 70 and later cars are a nice upgrade from the earlier cars. Sadly,,,,, wrong on a stock type restoration.

I drove it up thru the back roads in northern AZ a few years back. It was a Nice 6 hr drive in the morning when its cooler. Then about 8 .5 hrs back a few days later. It was brutal in the heat of the day.
I was damn glad to get out of it trust me.

Very mild build engine and trans, 3.54 Dana, Power steering but manual drum brakes. And NO A/C. The car was built to be dependable and so far has been a solid reliable driver. ( knocks on wood )

And believe me the pain is real with a black car in southern Arizona.

I think about some upgrades to disc brakes, upgrade the handling etc etc .
But will say, some sound proofing / heat barrier is a great yet cheap upgrade.

But just bought an enclosed trailer. So not sure what the car will get done to it. Deep down a big part of me ( and said part is growing) Anything over a few hours, I'll trailer it.

 

[ckessel]

Coral always gives me crap about my stock exhaust, tells me "everyone else's cars sound beefy" but after hours on the road, quiet exhaust is kinda nice...

I can relate. In the early 90's, I took my Challenger from Osos to Sacto to visit friends and hit a show at the drag strip. The car had 50 series Flowmasters, their quiet one of the time, with full exhaust to the bumper. Floor was insulated too. Sounded great on the outside. On the inside after 2 hours or so on I-5, heinous. Put some turbo style units in after that. Much better.

 

[Kern Dog]

It may seem like wimping out when changes are made in the name of comfort.
The first time I drove from the Sacramento area to Van Nuys was in 2011. I pulled the 4.10 gear out and put in a 3.23.
That trip wasn't bad. Nothing broke or fell off. Former FBBO member Darius and I were a two car team. He had a F8 green 69 Dart...

It was great comfort to have another car guy around for the trip.
You could worry yourself into not going if you let your mind go that way. Thoughts like damage, breakdowns, theft and other unlikely things will ruin the fun if you let it get into your head. I'll admit, I used to hate leaving the car out of my sight when away from home. At restaurants, I HAD to have a seat within view of the car. Worrying really cut into the fun of it all. I'm not completely over that feeling though. A road trip in THIS car would be different:

It does surprise me that when I am in the ratty car, (Jigsaw) I get more people that want to talk about it. Last year I had Jigsaw on the road to go to a car show and it ran HOT. My tee pee dwelling buddy was driving it, I was in the red car. I just defaulted to replacing the radiator and water pump. It is rock solid reliable around town.
Here was an interesting find: The 383 REALLY responded to a gear change. The car with the 3.23 was a disappointment but with a 3.91, it was great.
I wouldn't subject the wife to ride in this car to Van Nuys though....

This car looks like something from Roadkill. I'd drive it with a car buddy but just couldn't expect Mary to tolerate this for 4 days!

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

It’s not wimping out sacrificing things to make the car where you’d actually enjoy it and get it out more

 

[halfafish]

I planned on driving the car miles away from home and wanted it to do it without breakdowns.

You are singing my song, sir. The wagon is still in shake-down mode, but as I get more miles on it and gradually take it further from home, it gets closer to road trip status. I'm with you, I want it to be a cruiser that can go anywhere. It's all original and I intend to keep it that way, more or less. Since it's a 318 car the balance is far more toward a cruiser and not so much for performance.

So far I've replaced most of the wear items with a few left to go. The stereo got a complete upgrade, it's REALLY nice now. It got new tires and wheels, with perhaps a size upgrade on both in the future. The jury is still out on that one.

On the agenda for this spring which will allow a summer's worth of miles to prove worthy:
Complete factory 4-bbl upgrade with intake, TQ, and exhaust manifolds from a 72 340.
Better SFT cam for a bit more spunk, but mostly torque and mileage.
Dual exhaust.
22" radiator (it's a 19" now).
SM heads
Upgrade the headlights.
New rear leaf springs.
Get the springs on the driver's side of the seat fixed so I can see over the dash.

I'm sure there will be more, but one of my bucket list items is Route 66 from end to end in this car.

 

[Sixpactogo]

Here is my story and some of the reasons why.........
I grew tired of spending time on the computer trying to find gas stations every 100 miles that had the premium unleaded gas. 2012 I jumped through all those hoops to make the trip to the Nationals. I got stiffed at 3 different stops paying for the premium gas and getting the 87 garbage. I couldn't tell but my 6 pack Challenger could. When I got home I sold the Challenger with the intentions of building a B body that could get out of its own way and live on the **** gas that is out there. My wife wanted a Bullitt Charger Clone so we compromised. I bought my 68 Charger and opted for a 6.1 Hemi and 5 speed. She didn't want a manual so went with the 5 speed auto. The Charger already had A/C and I wanted a few other creature comforts so I added Power disc brakes and power windows. I wanted it to look stock so didn't get too far off track. Upgraded to the 15" Magnum 500's and a toned down rump stripe. I don't much care for the "in-your-face" look so opted more for the subtle sneaky look. It was a spendy operation costing 3 times what the Challenger sold for but was well worth the grief and cost. I can now travel between 300 and 400 miles on a tank of gas with the A/C on and the car has provided me with around 15K worry free miles since 2014. There were a few hic-ups early on with brake booster issues, electric fan issues and some minor snags due to my not knowing wtf I was doing but now is a joy to drive and has not tested my walking abilities.
I don't race it but with the Diablo Tune, it has put down a high 12 second pass at Rock Falls Raceway a few years ago on street tires. A tick quicker than my Challenger was so that is good enough for me. Here are a few pics.

 

[66 Sat]

Here is my story and some of the reasons why.........
I grew tired of spending time on the computer trying to find gas stations every 100 miles that had the premium unleaded gas. 2012 I jumped through all those hoops to make the trip to the Nationals. I got stiffed at 3 different stops paying for the premium gas and getting the 87 garbage. I couldn't tell but my 6 pack Challenger could. When I got home I sold the Challenger with the intentions of building a B body that could get out of its own way and live on the **** gas that is out there. My wife wanted a Bullitt Charger Clone so we compromised. I bought my 68 Charger and opted for a 6.1 Hemi and 5 speed. She didn't want a manual so went with the 5 speed auto. The Charger already had A/C and I wanted a few other creature comforts so I added Power disc brakes and power windows. I wanted it to look stock so didn't get too far off track. Upgraded to the 15" Magnum 500's and a toned down rump stripe. I don't much care for the "in-your-face" look so opted more for the subtle sneaky look. It was a spendy operation costing 3 times what the Challenger sold for but was well worth the grief and cost. I can now travel between 300 and 400 miles on a tank of gas with the A/C on and the car has provided me with around 15K worry free miles since 2014. There were a few hic-ups early on with brake booster issues, electric fan issues and some minor snags due to my not knowing wtf I was doing but now is a joy to drive and has not tested my walking abilities.
I don't race it but with the Diablo Tune, it has put down a high 12 second pass at Rock Falls Raceway a few years ago on street tires. A tick quicker than my Challenger was so that is good enough for me. Here are a few pics.

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Now THAT is the right kind of restomod. Awesome.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Here is my story and some of the reasons why.........
I grew tired of spending time on the computer trying to find gas stations every 100 miles that had the premium unleaded gas. 2012 I jumped through all those hoops to make the trip to the Nationals. I got stiffed at 3 different stops paying for the premium gas and getting the 87 garbage. I couldn't tell but my 6 pack Challenger could. When I got home I sold the Challenger with the intentions of building a B body that could get out of its own way and live on the **** gas that is out there. My wife wanted a Bullitt Charger Clone so we compromised. I bought my 68 Charger and opted for a 6.1 Hemi and 5 speed. She didn't want a manual so went with the 5 speed auto. The Charger already had A/C and I wanted a few other creature comforts so I added Power disc brakes and power windows. I wanted it to look stock so didn't get too far off track. Upgraded to the 15" Magnum 500's and a toned down rump stripe. I don't much care for the "in-your-face" look so opted more for the subtle sneaky look. It was a spendy operation costing 3 times what the Challenger sold for but was well worth the grief and cost. I can now travel between 300 and 400 miles on a tank of gas with the A/C on and the car has provided me with around 15K worry free miles since 2014. There were a few hic-ups early on with brake booster issues, electric fan issues and some minor snags due to my not knowing wtf I was doing but now is a joy to drive and has not tested my walking abilities.
I don't race it but with the Diablo Tune, it has put down a high 12 second pass at Rock Falls Raceway a few years ago on street tires. A tick quicker than my Challenger was so that is good enough for me. Here are a few pics.

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Very Nice... I'm helping a buddy right now to put a Gen III Hemi in his Cuda...

 

[Dennis H]

I own 3 modern Hemis. Nice. But nothing compares to the look, thrill and torque of a Big Block V8.
If dressed with EFI and AC they can be reliable. Range a little over 200 for me. Plenty.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

A properly tuned carbureted big block will also get 200 mile range

 

[copper67sat]

My Satellite is a decent highway cruiser and has done well on road trips. 383 auto, 3.23 SG. I kept it close to stock when I restored it in the early 90's. It's no barnstormer, but still fun to drive.

Got it back on the road as a semi-complete car in '92 and drove it over 2500 miles round trip from S FL to the Mopar Nats in Indy in '93. Finished the trim and interior in '94 and made the Indy run again in '95. Only problem I had was in 93 one of the brake calipers was rattling as we pulled into Indy. Tightened the bolts and all was fine.

More recently, the road trips have been shorter. We make a run to Daytona Beach, ~500 miles round trip, for a big car show the last 30+ years. I've had to make roadside repairs a couple of times - nothing serious. Been towed the last 25-30 miles home twice. Both times due to old tires giving up now I change them every 10 years regardless of mileage or looks.

I would like to have another car that's set up more for the street/strip. It would be a lot of fun for local cruising.

 

[HawkRod]

I have driven across country twice. Once in this...

... and once in this:

If you are driving far, then comfort is important, as is reliability. A few thoughts based on my long drives:

• Comfort: Insulate the interior with noise and heat reduction materials.
• Comfort: Working A/C. Yes, tough guys don't need it but it sure is nice when you spend hours in the car everyday sitting on black vinyl seats!
• Comfort: Get a fairly quiet exhaust with no drone at highway speeds. Loud pipes sound cool for the first hour or so. Then they start getting old fast. It's nice to be able to carry on a reasonable conversation with your passenger(s) or hear the radio.
• Comfort: An overdrive lowers RPM, save fuel, and makes the cabin more quiet and comfortable. Highly recommended.
• Reliability: If you are going to drive far, then a properly built and tuned fuel injection system is great. It improves fuel economy and doesn't suffer when you drive from sea level to 14,000 feet. My 70 has FI and it does great with fuel as well as driving manners. The 73 had a Thermoquad. It performed OK, so a regular carb will work. BUT, it didn't get near the fuel economy or smooth reliability of the FI system. It also had some hard starting issues from vapor lock. Again, it worked OK, but no where near as nice as the FI on the 70.
• Reliability: Have your car properly tuned. Lots of high performance parts are great, but they aren't worth s**t if the car is not tuned well. Most important aspects are the carb (or FI) tune, as well as the distributor advance curve. Check, know and understand your distributor advance curve, and make sure it operates well. If you are driving far, then you need vacuum advance too. Make sure all this stuff works and works well together. It'll make the car run cooler, stronger, and with better fuel economy.
• Reliability/ comfort: So many people skimp on their suspension. These cars actually handle quite nicely with a stock suspension IF AND ONLY IF they are in really good condition and set up properly. Adding more caster is important too. Bottom line is spend time with your suspension to make sure it is in perfect operating condition.
• Reliability - Engine cooling: If you engine overheats in stop and go traffic when it is 90* out, you are not ready. Get your car to cool properly. Nothing sucks more than overheating, and there are a LOT of really hot, desolate areas around the country - also busy traffic areas where it sucks to break down. Get a good radiator, a proper fan shroud and fan.
• Comfort: I discovered that my 70 windshield has a leak. When driving in the rain it sucks to have your interior carpet get wet. It is good to verify that your car keeps you and your stuff in the trunk dry.
• Reliability: Make sure your car is "sorted". Make sure everything works like it should. Then test it on longer and longer trips to verify stuff works.
• Emergency stuff: Breakdowns are a possibility. With the 73, I had to address brakes, tires and coil on our trip. I did also have to use a towing service. I have AAA premium, so my 50 mile tow in the middle of nowhere cost me nothing.
  I try to carry smaller spares that are not common anymore. For the 73, I had carb rebuild and tuning parts, electronic ignition box, coil, fan belts, cap, rotor, etc. (This, of course, in addition to a good tool set to carry with you.)
• Take FBBO with you. In both cases, I posted my trips on-line here as they happened. The member support and help is invaluable and greatly appreciated. LOTS of great members here that are willing to help out if you get into a jam when you are driving around the country.

I'm sure there is more stuff I forgot to add, but that's a few. I'll end with the trips I have taken are some of the best times I have ever had. Drive your car and enjoy it!

Wow, look at this post - I am rivaling @Budnicks now!!!

 

[threewood]

I've done two 1400 mile road trips in my 62 Belvedere, 2.73 gears and BBD got about 16mpg. No a/c. It has since been rebuilt with a 4bbl and 3.23 gears and is still great to drive extended trips. The bench seat is like a couch...comfy.

My GTX gets 10.6mpg highway and a long trip would be expensive on gas for sure. It is dead nuts reliable, louder than the Belvedere. I get nervous driving through the desert unless I have a reserve gas can...just in case. I can also run on 88 real gas without issue.

 

[4406bbl]

Here is my story and some of the reasons why.........
I grew tired of spending time on the computer trying to find gas stations every 100 miles that had the premium unleaded gas. 2012 I jumped through all those hoops to make the trip to the Nationals. I got stiffed at 3 different stops paying for the premium gas and getting the 87 garbage. I couldn't tell but my 6 pack Challenger could. When I got home I sold the Challenger with the intentions of building a B body that could get out of its own way and live on the **** gas that is out there. My wife wanted a Bullitt Charger Clone so we compromised. I bought my 68 Charger and opted for a 6.1 Hemi and 5 speed. She didn't want a manual so went with the 5 speed auto. The Charger already had A/C and I wanted a few other creature comforts so I added Power disc brakes and power windows. I wanted it to look stock so didn't get too far off track. Upgraded to the 15" Magnum 500's and a toned down rump stripe. I don't much care for the "in-your-face" look so opted more for the subtle sneaky look. It was a spendy operation costing 3 times what the Challenger sold for but was well worth the grief and cost. I can now travel between 300 and 400 miles on a tank of gas with the A/C on and the car has provided me with around 15K worry free miles since 2014. There were a few hic-ups early on with brake booster issues, electric fan issues and some minor snags due to my not knowing wtf I was doing but now is a joy to drive and has not tested my walking abilities.
I don't race it but with the Diablo Tune, it has put down a high 12 second pass at Rock Falls Raceway a few years ago on street tires. A tick quicker than my Challenger was so that is good enough for me. Here are a few pics.

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Absolute perfection for an enjoyable road car.

 

[Kern Dog]

A properly tuned carbureted big block will also get 200 mile range

The 68-70 B body gas tank is 19 gallons. MY previous goal was 190 miles on a tankful. In 2022, I was pushing 240 and filled up with gas still in the tank.
Score!

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

The 68-70 B body gas tank is 19 gallons. MY previous goal was 190 miles on a tankful. In 2022, I was pushing 240 and filled up with gas still in the tank.
Score!

Fuel economy is actually important, a 2mpg increase can make the difference between making it to the gas station and walking.

Have you seen Chris birdsong talk about making 18-20 with his chargers? I want to believe him, but idk. If it is true, that’s close to a 400 mile range, talk about score!