A Body Road Trip Car
Anyone else done this or thought about it? What would you do, or have you done?
Great ideas, if a lil austere.
I used to drive my Barracuda thousands of miles, as a 4-seasons DD, swapping engines twice a year.
But I gotta tell ya, my big-cammed hi-compression 367 summer-engine made way better fuel-economy than the freshened Smog-era 318 ever made.
If I was after economy alone, I would start with the 273, and crank up the pressure to the moon, then install a short period solid lifter cam. I would run the 340 exhaust system, a small-port/small runner single-plain intake , and a tiny spread-bore 4-bbl, with fresh cold air to the airhorn.
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For the trans, I would run the A833od, and with gears, I would set the cruise rpm to in the range of 1800>2000 rpm, but I would run a computerized timing advance system, for the specific purpose of optimizing the cruise-timing. If you don't optimize the timing, then you might as well run a bigger rear gear because it is nearly impossible to adjust the factory type distributor to give the engine the timing that it needs below about 2200 rpm.
The od trans has ratios of
3.09-1.67-1.00-.73od
To run 75=2000 with 27" tires would require a rear gear of 2.94.. If the car comes with 2.76s or so, I would leave them in there for 75=1900
>The splits on that trans are pretty wide
.54-.60-.73, which is why I would run the Cylinder pressure up, otherwise the power will fall of very dramatically between shifts.
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Of course, I would run both power steering and power brakes. Neither of them make trouble, and the P/S pressure can be cranked right down for cruising. P/S allows me to run a tiny steering wheel so I have room for mabelly. and I run a shallow-dish steering wheel to get it away from my chest in the event of an accident. I highly recommend at least a lap/shoulder belt, for the same reason.
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I would start with new hoses and belts, but I would increase the minimum coolant temp while simultaneously reducing the coolant pressure. To pull that off, you need a large fan in a shroud, mounted on a thermostatically controlled clutch, with at least a recovery tank.
>The 4bbl is for passing and climbing;
55 in Third with 2.94s, is 2000rpm and the modest power of the 273 is gonna be a beotch. Going down into Second will result in 55=3360 (again with 2.94s), which ain't too bad, and now the 4bbl is gonna be a big help.
>If there's a7.25 out back, it can stay.
> run 4 same-sized skinny tires that you can pump the pressure up on. If the ride is too harsh, change the shocks and suspension bushings.
> Cruising at 75, I would NOT run any T-bars smaller than the 340 bars; because sudden lane-changes on pumped up skinny tires and soft shocks, can be a lil unnerving, on slanty bars..
> Wind noise at 75 is ridiculous on these old hard-tops, so get a car with sedan doors, install new weatherstrips ....... and bring ear-plugs. Fogetabowd the radio.
> install an auxilliary fuel tank, a spare, a jack etc,
> don't drive where the color of your skin is not welcome. This is the biggest reason I won't go touring anymore; my skin is white, and it's getting harder to find safe places to go to these days. I'm not being racist. This is just reality. I don't care the color of your skin, you can sleep in my freshened-up bed, I'll take the guestroom.
> lessee, what else.....
