Drive 1000 mile bringing new old car back home

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aduc73

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I got a deal buying a 318 Duster in Missouri. I'm thinking of buy a plane ticket and drive it back home. Car is good condition, but I never drive 40 year old car that long, its 1000 mile trip, do you think the car can make it in 1 day? I did 1000 mile trip with 99 accord in 1 day before.

Hows 40 years old car respond to such a long trip? Safe to drive old car that far? What do you think?
 
I sold my "Spirit of '76" Dart Sport a few years ago to a guy from Canada.
He flew in & drove it back. The car had 88k on it.
I had driven it from Tulsa to St. Louis & back before he bought it. No problems.
He picked it up & drove it to Canada, no problems. It used a 1/2 qt of oil in the whole trip.
The only thing was, they don't build cars like they did these. I think we are so spoiled to even the basic comforts of modern cars. Things like A/C, reclining seats, & cruise control.
I had a new sound system in it, but couldn't hear it, due to the windows being down in 80 degree temps. The seats will wear on you & I sure missed the cruise control. I would be anywhere from 50mph to 80mph.
The car was a 225 with 4-speed OD & averaged 32mpg on that trip.
It was fun to show my son what cars used to be like though.
 
Can you trust the seller to tell you honestly if the car will make it? How long has he/she owned the car? What's the farthest they've ever driven it. Is there a parts store nearby?

I would ask these questions as well as bring some basic tools and parts. Do a quick evaluation before you set out and visit the parts store if you have to if anything looks questionable. Make sure to check ALL fluids, hoses, steering, electrical etc.

Being an "unknown" car this would be the bare minimum if it was me. Oh, and don't forget your cell phone & charger. Good luck!
 
Where in Missouri? If you need a place to get a couple of things done on it and are close to St. Louis let me know. I would be happy to help out.
 
toplscuda said:
Where in Missouri? If you need a place to get a couple of things done on it and are close to St. Louis let me know. I would be happy to help out.
Click to expand...

There's that FABO Spirit!
 
Always fun to bring home a new project and a 1000 mile road trip is a great way to do it. Car likely will make the miles, or at least can be nursed along, but bring tools and some cash for emergency repairs or towing. Might want to revise that 1 day timeline. At 75 mph, that's over 13 hours of driving and you might find it a little easier on the machinery and less stressful to break up the trip. Personally, I find 500 miles a day is plenty.
 
A few years ago I sold my '70 Challenger 'vert to a guy in Kent, WA. This was a car that could really use a restoration but I had driven it for 4 years. He was trying to figure a way to get it transported reasonably when I told him to fly in and drive it home. He could hardly believe I thought it would make such a trip. The car didn't leak any fluids but it did use oil. I told him I wouldn't be afraid to drive it, just check the oil when he gassed up since I didn't know how much oil it would use driving steady speeds (not much, it turned out).
He flew in on a Tuesday afternoon, said he was going to take a leisurely trip back home, going north, then west. He called about noon on Friday to let me know he made it home with no problems.
Most of my old cars are driven regularly and I am pretty strict with maintenance. So I generally would have no problems taking a long trip with any of them.
As said, it depends on the car. If it's been sitting for quite awhile, I might be leery about taking the trip. If it's been driven regularly I would feel pretty comfortable starting out.
So bring a spare ballest, that way you will never need it. :thumblef:
Good luck,
Dallas
 
Drove my 340 dart home from tucson az to milan oh with little problems. Just take a tool box with ya. That was 20 yrs. Ago and still have it!!
 
had a buddy drive his challenger from detroit to nj. and seeing pics of the car i wouldn't have driven it..lol..

as long as the car is is good working order then go for it.. might want to bring an extra ballast,coil,ecu, oil, hoses etc... and tools..
 
I bought a 67 in Seattle ( about as ffar away as it gets for me ). Cheap flight out required 4 different planes and a entire day.
I got the car early the next morning and went straight to Walmart. Bought Cheese-Its, beef jerky and the nicest most complete roadside service kit they had. I said a short prayer over the kit and tossed it in the trunk. 2854 miles home in 3 and a half days.
i did need some sleep and a couple of good meals. Lots of coffee too.
The car needed nothing but gas.
 
NEVER DROVE THAT FAR IN A CAR I DIDNT KNOW, BUT DID DRIVE a 73 Road Runner home from 50 miles with leaking master cylinder we pulled over three times to fill it up but well worth the $300 bucks
 
go for it, get an extra ballast resistor, ignition control unit , and voltage regulator. some basic hand tools will also be wanted for any trip as well as extra fluids. of course a AAA membership wouldnt hurt either. driving my cuda home over 300 miles i had an electronic control unit let go in the middle of nowhere. luckily i had one in the trunk and had a good trip the rest of the way. those were the days before cell phones too. yeah i was nervous for about 5 minutes. also driving my newly aquired old ramcharger pulling a trailer on a 300 mile trip, i had a trans seal let go.had to carry a case of trans fluid a mile down the highway to nurse it to the truck stop. once there i let it cool and bought every case of fluid on the shelf and made it home.
 
When I picked it an old car years ago I drove it from Los Angeles to Phoenix. About 100 miles into the trip the pucker factor went thru the roof when it started coughing while climbing any grade at all. Can you afford to get stranded with it, and to perhaps pay someone else to fix it? If not, I say either ship it or tow it.....
 
If ya pass through Louisville, Kentucky and need a place to work on it or a place to crash.........let me know..I can PM you my number and directions....

I bought my wifes 64 sight unseen off of ebay, from a guy in Knoxville, Tenn. Looked at the brakes, all the fluid levels, changed the oil and tuned it up, all behind a local autozone and then drove the car back to Louisville....4 1/2 hour trip....with only 100 miles left the carb sucked up dirt, pulled the carb apart at a truck stop, cleaned it out and drove the rest of the way without another problem...
 
Thanks FABO, thanks for all reply and thanks toplscuda for helping offer , I appreciated it!
 
Good luck.. years ago I loaded up my 68 Barracuda with most of my worldly possesions and moved 2000 miles from the prairies of Winnipeg through the Rockies to Vancouver. Slept in the front seat on any side road i found. No clock/watch, no radio. Just me being one with the car and nature. It was a spiritual experience. And let's face it, it makes a great story now!

Grant
 
I don't know, like someone said do you really know the condition of the car. I chose to rent a trailer to pick mine up this weekend and its only 600 miles. Wish I had the time, I would love to pick you up and go get it.
Good luck and Pray a lot. That always helps.
 
In 1979 when my family moved to California me and my Dad drove a 67 cuda from Boston to Riverside, CA in 5 days with no problems at all.

Like what was said above we had no idea when we got to the California desert with out A/C something you well never forget!!
 
Back in February I drove from Macon Georgia to Albuquerque, N.M. (1600 miles, door to door to bring back my old truck. I left here on Friday morning, and returned here on Wednesday. 3484 miles. The old truck has 254,000 miles on it.

Today's interstate system might still leave much to be desired, but it sure makes a round trip across the country and back a not too hairy drive.
Back when your car was new, driving any real distances could have been an issue. Not so much for the car, but for the condition, incomplete roads, facilities, etc. Today it isn't bad at all, it's not to rough on the vehicle, and there are plenty of places to stop, eat, use the toilet, even service the car if needed.
Also, the advent of the cell phone makes things much more safe and less threatening.
 
I drug my dart home 600 miles on a trailer because it's TRUE condition was unknown and I'm glad I did. Later inspection revealed that it was held together with bubble gum and bailing wire!!

My buddy bought a Sport Satellite off of his friend and the 318 threw a timing chain on the 15 minute drive home.
 
did you follow the two guys from Hot Rod on their adventure last month? They flew from LA to arizona, then purchased a 66 buick that hadn't run in thirty years. They then proceeded to drive it home. They left on a tuesday, and got back sunday night. Along the way, they had a plethora of problems, but it was one hell of an adventure.

Do it.
 
In 82 when I got out of the marine corp's I stopped in wichita falls Tx to visit my brother on my way to michigan. I bought a 73 cuda there for 600$ and drove it to my brothers place. Replaced the alternator and then drove it non stop to northern michigan about 1200 miles. Made it with no broblems and wouldn't have known how to fix it if it had broke. Had that car for 13 years then sold it to build a garage that was a misstake I'll never make again.
 
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