Tell me in how many ways this is a bad idea

Since I'm living in what seems like a snowbound hell at the moment, I am naturally thinking about summer - specifically, summer vacation. I'm in higher education, so time off is not a major factor; for the very same reason, money is. Much as I'd love to go to Europe, airfares in July and August look ugly already, so I'm considering alternatives.

I've had it in mind for some time now to drive cross-country. The Packard thread posted here earlier got me thinking about doing the cross-country drive in an old American car, preferably pre-1960. I can't seriously entertain the idea of keeping such a car in the long-term - I've got limited space already occupied by my daily and my 74 2002 - but I could probably buy something a few months in advance of the trip, sort it out mechanically, use it, then sell it before the winter.

As noted, budget is limited, but if I know I'm going to sell the car after the trip, I can probably stretch out to maybe seven grand for the car if need be (around five would be more comfortable), figuring most of that can be recouped. I'm not looking for a project, and I'm not looking for perfection, just a reasonably solid and fairly reliable (by appropriate standards) old car to make the trip in. No bodywork, no interior work (beyond serious cleaning). A quick browsing of Craigslist suggests this is not completely impossible.

I'm pretty good mechanically, though most of my experience is on European cars. I don't mind the inherent risks of older cars over longer distances (I once drove my 2002 from NY to SC and back in a long weekend, 14 hours each way, straight through, and I did the BABE Rally back in 2007(?)), but this would be going back a few decades from what I'm used to over a much greater distance than I've covered before.

So this is a bad idea why?

I think its a cool idea. I have travelled cross country twice and it was a great experience. Given that you are going to be spending a great deal of time in a car, I think its important you buy something you like ... wether it be old or new.

I drove it in an S2000 with my wife and would love to do it over in my e30 with the whole family.

If you buy the right car it definitely could be enjoyable. What ever you do buy it in time to use it as your DD for a while. Hopefully anything that wants to fail will do so before the trip.

Why not just take the 2002?

There's LOTS of bad ideas people have done in the past..and lived to tell about it. Why should that stop you ? Even if it was a BAD idea..it sounds GOOD!! Do It !

Basil Exposition wrote: Why not just take the 2002?

That.. Whatever money you would put in another car put into the 2002 and you get to keep it after the trip...

I expected nothing less from the Grassroots Enabling Forum. Anybody got a car they want to sell me?

Basil Exposition wrote: Why not just take the 2002?

As to this point, it's not that I hadn't considered it, but here's the thing: the 2002 is set up more as an autox/backroads sort of car (Bilstein Sports, lowered on H&Rs, big sways, dual Webers, moderately loud exhaust, 4-speed) and as a result I'm not entirely certain that I would be happy covering that many miles in it. And I would not like to ruin an otherwise-happy almost 20-year relationship with the car.

The 2002 should get better MPGs than most any pre1960 car I could think of. But if on a budget, one might consider doing such a trip the oldschool hippie way: VW Bus. Yes, it will take DAYS to cross the Great Continental Divide, but the bonus is no need for hotel/motel expenses.

or any ford/dodge/chevy van from the 60's. at least those have a little more than 30-40hp.

There is a great Scooby Doo appeal of the early 60s Chevy vans.

I am about as far from a hippie as is humanly imaginable. I don't think I could live with myself being mistaken for one.

The 02 gets about 25mpg in ideal conditions. 20mpg is more usual.

I'm really envisioning this as a modern iteration of the Great American Road Trip circa 1958 or so. I'm sure I could do it another way (hell, I could just rent a modern car or use my daily), but the whole thing only began to crystallize when the post war American iron entered the picture.

50s cars that aren't extremely famous/iconic(tri 5 Chevy, 59 Cadillac, etc), or in extremely good condition, often sell for next to nothing, well within your range.

Buy a nicer exhaust for the 2002 and do it. Will be cheaper and more fun to do it with a car that you know and love. Exhaust change is a 2 hr job, max, just put it back when you're done.

I think it's a great idea. For our next real vacation The Wife and I were thinking of flying out west, buying something cheap and driving back. We figured we only get so much time off together and we could take our time if we only had to drive one way.

Do a rough calculation of fuel costs. I think New York City to Los Angeles is 3,154 miles (I think that's the Cannonball mileage assumption) so you could easily cover 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Cars before 1973 pretty much assumed gas cost $0.25 a gallon.

If you get something big enough you could easily sleep in it, even just every other night or something.

David

Whatever you do, budget for a total suspension, brakes and steering refresh. The old cars in this price range are all running around on 30 to 60 year old rubber bushings with blown shocks and knackered steering boxes.

They wander all over the road and terrify you at speeds just above "test drive" levels. They are also usually rolling on 15 year old tires with "lots of tread left" so they must be good, right?

You can very quickly sink a LOT of money into making these "ready to go" low buy in cars safe. What seems just fine on the test drive will turn out to be full of molasses in the brake system and once you replace that with fresh fluid the leaks become apparent... and so on.

I think the first trick to making this viable would have to be finding a car that doesn't need tons of work. I'm all too well aware of the potential problems of old cars, especially those that have been sitting. I need to find something being driven that's had at least some maintenance on the long-term wear items. It may not be possible unless I get lucky.

Fuel costs are certainly a factor as well. I'm assuming most 40s and 50s era cars are going to get me about 15mpg, give or take. If I could eke out 20mpg in pure highway cruising I'd be very happy.

The 2002 would need more than an exhaust change to make it livable over 8-10k miles. In addition to a full exhaust (I'd have to yank the Supersprint header and swap in a manifold) I'd have to seriously consider a 5-speed swap, or at least a higher diff ratio - running at 4k RPM at 75mph gets old after a while. That car is not the sort of cruiser I'm envisioning, at least not in its current configuration.

Maybe a Griswold Family Truckster, or at least the 60s version? Find a late sixties Vista Cruiser and swap in a SBC crate engine... Oldschool cool, with a decent platform (nothing much wrong with the ride/handling characteristics of a Chevelle) and the modern engine would be bulletproof.

As Ditchdigger said, the problem is getting a car that's mechanically solid, as most cars out there look pretty so the owner can drive down to the local car show and show off. As I've had to learn with my mustang, these cars weren't really designed to sustain 70+ for hours on end. Overdrive is all but a must these days, and at highway speeds, they wonder like a toddler at an amusement park. I guess it depends on if you plan to take back roads or major highways. A suspension and steering rebuild with modern materials, along with modern tires and alignment are all a must, unless you want to white knuckle it all the way.

In a pre 1960 car, sticking to the old 2 lane roads is pretty much a given due to the brakes and powertrain, more so or the earlier and more economy oriented cars.

DO IT! A buddy and I did it a few years ago in a 1960 Ford Ranch Wagon… We drove "Route 66" from Texas out to Kingman, up to Vegas, and around thru Page and back. It was an incredible 2 weeks, so much we did it again the next spring with our wives. That time in the 1960 Ranch and added a 1959 2dr Ranch Wagon to make it a 2 car trip. We ate no fast food and no chain motels, tried to take in all the old ways looking thru an old windshield. My wife and I enjoyed it so much I'm building a 1941 Chevrolet to travel the old roads when we retire in a few. [URL=http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/RogueRace/media/WilsoninZion_zps0bf73240.jpg.html][/URL]

An early-mid sixties Ford Falcon would be a winner. Simple and bulletproof, good m.p.g. too. Plus, if you get a wagon you can have woodgrain side panels too!

Some examples I found in 5 minutes, local to me, in the dead of winter.

48 Packard STRAIGHT EIGHT http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/4268622867.html

60 Edsel http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/4320000539.html

55 Packard http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/4295871894.html

I have never heard of GRM telling anyone anything is a "bad idea."

I say AMC Rambler with the seats that fold down flat into a pseudo mattress.