Ever go on a Road Trip in a Classic Car?

[Falcon Ranchero]

I have yet to do so, but my parents did.

Circa 1975, my dad and his siblings were piled into the back of a burgundy four-door 1968 Mercury Montego and drove from here to Florida. No Pictures of that car but it looked sorta like this

 

And in 1979-ish my mom and one of my aunts were put in the camper cap of a baby-blue 1974 Ford Truck and covered a whole bunch of states. Photos of the truck but no good ones, looked like this kind of but it was lighter blue and different wheels

[Mike 1017]

Our family had a Cabin in Hayward WI on Lac Courte Oreilles. My dad, Uncle George, and Aunt Rose would rotate years. The 1959 Furry was the first car that I can remember. Lack of modern Hi-ways made this an 8-hour trip. This Fury is the same color as my dad's.

 

This Jetstar 88 was so big that my dad put a piece of plywood in the back so that me and my brother could sleep during the trip. This Jetstar is the same color as my dad's

Mike

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yup.

[OldTrucker]

Most of my cars were what are now called classics!

Bought most from the 150-dollar row at the back lot of a car dealership.

 

[1972coronet]

I suppose that my 2004 CVPI qualifies as classic given its age...

My first long drive in that rascal was from western Riverside county to Prescott in February 2023. Total "Gonzo" trip ; left at 2200 hrs. and arrived at... 0600 the next morning (haha). 
Yep, I got turned around. Totally missed the turnoff to AZ 89; instead I started up AZ 93 ! Haha. All I remember is telling myself, Keep an eye open for a two-digit, odd-numbered, state highway.
Yeah... 40 miles outta the way !
Car ran flawlessly the whole way there and back, through the snow and temps in the teens.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Same car, earlier this year - another "Gonzo" trip.
Drove to Alameda (think: east bay of San Francisco, closer to Oakland) for me aunt's funeral & wake. 
T'was a pleasant drive - lots of rain late last year/ early this year provided the Central Valley with plenty of greenery (and, thankfully, no Tule Fog).
I was able to drive an average of 75-85 MPH , which is the old pursuit car's sweet spot for cruising ; turned up an honest-to-God 28 MPG , too.
Again, car ran perfectly. 
Just me and my collection of CD's and black coffee and Marlboro Reds.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat !

[James2]

Not the best pic, but this was my 71 Chevy with the kids and hounds. Cody and I road-tripped from Portage co. to Des Moines, Iowa with a Shovelhead chopper I built and delivered. It was a trip to remember! I gave the truck to Cody eventually and then he passed of suicide in 2020, I think of him and that trip often. 

[LennyB]

No offense Nathan but I can't really say that I would qualify going on a trip in a 68 Montego in 1975 as "going on a road trip in a classic car". At that time it was the family daily driver, not yet a classic car. My family took many "classic cars" on trips back then as it's what you did. 1966 Fury III Wagon, 1968 Ford Torino, 1972 Fury Brougham, we drove all over the north east and down to Florida in these vehicles in the 60's and 70's. And aside from the Torino we could carry a lot of luggage. Much more then in your SUV today.

In the past 20 years I've taken some of my classics on road trips. 1966 Ford Ranchero took up to New England to pick up some Mustang parts. 1964 Valiant & 1968 Torino traveled 4 hours out to PA many times for the Hershey Car Show.

After driving a modern daily driver traveling in a classic is like going through a time warp. Just don't take Frank-N-Furter with you.

[Rob Hall]

I did drive my '87 Mustang GT about 100 miles home from the restoration shop last year.  I did drive it many times on cross country, 2000+ mile trips back in the 90s, but it was a late model car then.  Likewise, took many road trips w/ my folks as a kid in the 70s-80s with cars that were 5-15 years old at the time.   

Not sure I'd take my '87 on a 2000 mile road trip today, though it would probably be fine mechanically.   As far as usuabilty, it doesn't have any cupholders or way to charge my phone currently.   After doing road trips in my late model Cadillac, I don't think I'd want to go very far in an older car without all the modern conveniences.. 

[webestang]

Last time I drove my 88 5.0 vert a long distance was in 2014 from St. Louis to Charlotte, NC for the Mustang's 50th B-Day. She also went to the 35th in 1999 (Charlotte) and the 40th in 2004 (Nashville). Drove great each time and got about 24-26 mpg. 

[Falcon Ranchero]

3 hours ago, LennyB said:

can't really say that I would qualify going on a trip in a 68 Montego in 1975 as "going on a road trip in a classic car"

I guess I kinda meant classic as in the eyes of the present day a 68 Montego is a classic but I know that in 1975 most cars after like 1935 we’re just regular old cars

[Little Timmy]

Lots of fond memories driving all over the 11 western states.

Never had to worry about somebody dinging my car with there door in a rest area parking lot . Nobody ever parked near me.

We had the same effect on campgrounds. We would pull in usually right around sunset, set up camp, and by morning all the campers around us had changed sites or left  in the night.

I loved that car for 12 years, ... who cares about 10 MPG ...

Unless towing something , then it was 4 MPG.  ( but she could still shoot down the road at 80MPH like she wasn't towing anything at all . )

Edited November 25, 2024 by Little Timmy
Picture added

[espo]

7 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

Our family had a Cabin in Hayward WI on Lac Courte Oreilles. My dad, Uncle George, and Aunt Rose would rotate years. The 1959 Furry was the first car that I can remember. Lack of modern Hi-ways made this an 8-hour trip. This Fury is the same color as my dad's.

 

This Jetstar 88 was so big that my dad put a piece of plywood in the back so that me and my brother could sleep during the trip. This Jetstar is the same color as my dad's

Mike

 

 

Your local in Hayward Wi. reminds me of a long-ago experience.  The C&NW Railroad, Chicago and Northwestern RR, had a run north out of Chicago too northern Wisconsin that I have ridden on in the past. This is when the Conductor would walk thru the cars and announce the next train stations. The one I remember the best, I thought it was funny, "Hayward, Hurly and Hell next stop" Interesting history in the area during the early logging days long ago. 

[LennyB]

Classics are basically defined as a vehicle that is more then 25 years old.   But I think I would much rather take a car from the 60’s on a road trip then something from 1999.   
 

About 8 years ago my the transmission went out on my daily driver so I had to resort to using my 1987 T-Bird for work while it was being fixed. I drive @ 100 miles every day. While I thought the car was in good shape and roadworthy I found a lot of issues in those two weeks. On like the third day the car died going over a bridge crossing the Hudson River.   Not getting any fuel, thought the fuel pump died. Turned out the rubber hose on the pump inside the tank failed. Then the alternator went and a number of other small things failed.   After the 2 weeks I got a lot of kinks ironed out.  Put a car that doesn’t get used much into daily use and things are going to fail. But there is a lot less to fail on a 60’s car then a 90’s car.   And a lot easier to fix as well.  

[1930fordpickup]

Went form the first Exit in Michigan to Daytona beach in a white 1966 Cadillac Herse. That was 1987 and 1988. Great ride have a picture of it on the beach someplace. It was a buddys car he sold it to someone in Wisconsin years ago.  

[Falcon Ranchero]

Yeah that’s the real nice thing about 60s and older classics as opposed to late 70s and later as computer stuff had started becoming integrated into newer designs. 
 

As an example of 60s simplicity my Great Uncle has a 1965 Thunderbird that he restored over 30 years ago. A little while after some carb issue caused the bird to catch fire so it was repainted but in terms of the carb, that was the only problem so he either rebuilt it or got a new one and so then the car was all good again. Nowadays the bird likes to get a little hot when idling, the speedometer stopped working, the horn stopped working, the wiper lever became spring loaded and backing out of the garage it sometimes likes to backfire but they’re relatively simple fixes but for the amount of time he drives it he just keeps it as is

Edited November 25, 2024 by Falcon Ranchero

[1930fordpickup]

In the mid 70s our family camper was a 1955 Superior Coach Ford bus. Dad converted it over to a camper. We used that until a nicer 1968 Ford Bus came along. That was in the 80s. Still not classics but the 55 was closest to that. Both buses stayed in Mi, Oh and In while we had them. Almost forgot the 1968 went a few hundred Miles in Canada.a few times. 

[RSchnell]

Used to do a road trip at least once a year. Here's a small sample:

1997-  Drove the entire east coast of FL leaving central FL south to Miami from Miami to Savannah Ga. Drove my '55 Ford Club Sedan

1998-  Central FL to north Alabama in a '58 Ford Ranch Wagon where I delivered it to the buyer. Bought a 359 Peterbilt and drove it back to FL. Drove my '62 Galaxie convert from central FL to Chickasha, OK for the prewar swapmeet that used to be held there.

1999- did 510 miles in Florida on my '59 Harley ending up in Daytona for Bike Week. 

2001- Drove the Model A from central FL to Georgia for a family reunion

2003-Drove my '55 Ford Wagon from central FL to Dearborn, MI for the 100 yr anniversary of Ford. Stopped in TN on my way back and brought back a load of NOS Ford parts.

Any rolling stock that I owned I was able to jump in and go anywhere with no worry regardless of age. I eventually quit doing the road trips as it's just gotten too dam crowded down here and getting worse everyday.

 

[89AKurt]

8 hours ago, James2 said:

Not the best pic, but this was my 71 Chevy with the kids and hounds. Cody and I road-tripped from Portage co. to Des Moines, Iowa with a Shovelhead chopper I built and delivered. It was a trip to remember! I gave the truck to Cody eventually and then he passed of suicide in 2020, I think of him and that trip often. 

Very cool pickup, but I'm biased.

I've been doing short trips, have yet to venture outside the state.

[YellowHound]

Yes - I try to do one big Euro road trip per year.

[Falcon Ranchero]

What i'd like to do one day is find a 1970 Mercury Marquis like the one my grandfather had and drive up through the Ontario parks in the summer with a Jim Croce 8-track playin' as he was my grandfather's favourite '70s singer.

[NOBLNG]

Yes, but they weren’t classics back then. I’ve recently been on road trips in my 2013 MX-5 and my wife’s 2014 Jeep Wrangler….both will be classics one day.😎

[NOBLNG]

10 minutes ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

What i'd like to do one day is find a 1970 Mercury Marquis like the one my grandfather had and drive up through the Ontario parks in the summer with a Jim Croce 8-track playin' as he was my grandfather's favourite '70s singer.

Probably easier to find a ‘70 Marquis than a Jim Croce 8-track.

[slusher]

A 69 Camaro and a 68 Pontiac Catalina…

[Ace-Garageguy]

Having always had interesting "old" cars as a matter of choice, I've driven them all over the place. 

Longest trip was here to AZ in a Geo Metro convertible. Kinda slow on the long climb up to Albuquerque. A round-trip to Texas and back in a '74 Fiat X1/9, later the same trip in a '74 Malibu wagon, then back in a '63 Olds. Up to the Outer Banks in a '69 Fury with a girlfriend, all over the Southeast in a rubber-bumper MG Midget with another girlfriend, etc. Multiple trips to Chattanooga and north Ga. in my '86 XJ6, multiple trips to Savannah and Florida in a '72 Gran Torino, to Sebring for the 1970 12-hour in my '62 Bug before it got the Porsche engine, and lots of 100 milers in my first Porsche, a '58 356 A coupe. Etc.

While most of 'em weren't old enough to be "classics" at the time, they all were well past the age when "normal" people would have wanted...or trusted...them.

Never had AAA or an issue with any of 'em other than having to replace the fuel pump in the Fury. Took a couple of days to get it from the "mainland", an hour to put it in.

Oops...and some minor machine work I did in an actual blacksmith's shop in Texas on the Fiat. Almost forgot.  

Edited November 27, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy
TYPO

[Phirewriter]

I've been to Tulsa, Detroit and Florida in our '41 Ford. Plus a couple of states for various car doings in our '55 T-Bird and '62 Starfire convertible. Only a little overheating issue with the '41 when we got to Texas. That was fixed with some side of the road metal bending to make a duct to move air through the radiator better. After we returned I made really nice pieces painted to match and never had any hot running issues afterwards.

Edited November 28, 2024 by Phirewriter