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Forums » Classic Cars » Driving 1000 miles in a classic

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  Jan. 7, 2009 2:15 p.m. rconlon Reader

  My 1979 Fiat 2000 is driven as a regular driver in all weather but snow/ice. I have driven it over the last ten years on many occasions over 1000 miles on a weekend to attend club shows and gatherings and expect to keep this up. This is what this car has survived for. It is a low cost older sportscar and its real value is using and enjoying it even though this might end in its ultimate demise.

  My wish list when I bought it:

  Older European sports car ie. cool;

  Convertible;

  Power to cruise the interstate;

  Cost/upkeep same as a newer commuter car.

  I could not be more pleased with my selection.

  Cheers Ron

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  Jan. 7, 2009 3:31 p.m. Leo Basile New Reader

  Id drive around the world in my Morgan...With the windscreen folded.

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  Jan. 7, 2009 4:08 p.m. bikesnrovers New Reader

  Did a drive of about 1300 miles in my '65 Land Rover... ear plugs are required! I may have not been the most comfortable but it was one of the most memorable trips I have made in a long time. Just the looks and thumbs-up I got was well worth it.

  My want is to take the Landy to Yellow Knife in the NWT or just to travel north from Wisconsin and keep going until the roads run out.

  I would also love to do a tour of Utah in it, a tour of the Badlands/Blackhills, and a tour of the "high road" - all the roads I can take that are just this side of the Canadian border.

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  Jan. 7, 2009 4:21 p.m. KaptKaos Reader

  bikesnrovers said:to travel north from Wisconsin and keep going until the roads run out.

  Lake Superior?

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  Jan. 8, 2009 5:28 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

  I did numerous long travels in my Fiat 124. My aging body, however, doth protest much on the quality (or lack of) of the seats. I've found the Mini is a quite comfortable replacement, though I did kick out the park bench seats it came with for something more modern. The wife and I were both surprised how we did not feel nearly as beaten to death after several hours in the Mini vs the Fiat. Rubber cones FTW!

  I drove halfway across the country and back in my 1965 F100. Smooth ride, but lots of wind noise, and the lack of cruise control with something with such a heavy throttle return spring grew tiresome. I have no fear of taking marathon trips in pretty much anything but some vehicles are more pleasurable than others. The quality of the roads used is just as important as the vehicle.

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  Jan. 8, 2009 8:27 a.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor

  I made a Louisiana-Phoenix run several times in MGBs. In the summertime. Pretty comfortable, actually, if you go fast enough.

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  Jan. 8, 2009 8:32 a.m. bikesnrovers New Reader

  OK, so there is a little puddle in the way... Just a bit of a detour through Grand Maris, MN to stop at "The Worlds Greatest Donuts." And they really are!

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  Jan. 8, 2009 8:35 a.m. aeronca65t Reader

  I took ~A 1000 Mile Drive~ in one day to get my classic and tow it home.

  But I was driving my minivan.

  I drove my MGB 400 miles in one weekend last Summer.....kinda sore afterwards.

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  Jan. 8, 2009 8:44 a.m. devine10 New Reader

  My Dad & I drive our 74 MGB from Boston to Prince Edward Island each year for their "British Car Days Across The Bridge" weekend. It's about 600 miles each way. It's not a bad ride in the good weather, we usually do the trip in about 13 hours or so. The only dull part of the ride (in my opinion) is parts of New Brunswick, but on the plus side the roads there are nice, and we usually get a lot of smiles and waves on the ride up (and back).

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  Jan. 8, 2009 10:31 a.m. rconlon Reader

  I would suggest that Dwight is feeling "beatup" from the noise and wind of a convertible or old truck as compared to the sedan. I have an eye for a vintage coupe with modern A/C when the time comes. My longest one-day run was from Colorado to Oklahoma (about 800 miles) and another time to Detroit and back in same same weekend. I found that ear plugs and sipping water made a big difference to my fatigue factor. Cheers Ron

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  Jan. 8, 2009 12:56 p.m. wspohn New Reader

  I've done 1000 mile plus runs in MGAs, MGC, and other British cars, but I wouldn't do it in the TR-3 I used to own with Brooklands screens, and I wouldn't do it in my Lamborghini (couldn't afford the gas, for one thing).

  I've done 1100 miles in one day from Lake Tahoe to Vancouver BC in one day in a Jensen Interceptor - great touring cars!

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  Jan. 8, 2009 1:33 p.m. Joe Gearin Associate Publisher

  Just about a year ago I picked up my TR-6 in Rye NH, and drove it all the way back to the CMS/ GRM headquarters here outside of Daytona. The trip took 3 days and started in a massive ice storm. Through it all the Triumph was comfortable, and fun. (O/D is a great thing!) I did the last leg of the trip (Richmond to Daytona) with the top down. A TR-6 is not boring on the interstate with the top down at 70 mph!

  When I first was hired by GRM 6 1/2 years ago I had to delay my starting day by a month or so. I let Tim/ Margie know I needed to fly out to Denver to pick up my 73 240z, and drive it back to FLA, stopping in Indianapolis to catch the Indy 500. They completely understood.....gotta love working for car enthusiasts!

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  Jan. 9, 2009 9:42 a.m. Ian F Reader

  Tough to say... While I want to say "you bet!", I'll reserve judgement until I get the throttle and brakes sorted out in my Spit 6. A stereo would be nice too. Drive-train-wise, the car has all the makings to be a good hwy cruiser: torquey I6 + O/D trans + GT6 3.27 rear gearing = 70 mph at not much above idle.

  As mentioned in other threads, our Volvo 1800ES makes for a great hwy car, although a stereo in that car would be nice as well.
  

  If there's one modern convienence I'd like, it would have to be cruise-control... I'm afriad I've become spoiled there since I use it almost every day in the d/d.

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  Jan. 10, 2009 8:14 a.m. RX_MG None

  My MG is used when ever possible for our trips.This summers vacation to Manitoulin Island was 1600 km & then off to Sudbury Ont for my daughters wedding at the end of Aug 1200 km. The car also did the Glen in Sept for the Sat & then a time attack day on the Sun at Toronto Motorsport Park.To finish the year off before storage it ran 3 auto cross events with the RX7 club in Toronto.The total for last summer was 10,722km.

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  Jan. 10, 2009 9:55 a.m. André Rousseau Reader

  I think once I get some new seat foam into the car it will be more enjoyable.

  The run back from the Glen wore me out :)

  I was surprised, my milage was down in 08 compared to 07. I did do a few longer trips, but as a club we did less events.

  09 should be better.

  I think LD wise, my limit would be the Glen. Its far enough.

  A.

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  Jan. 10, 2009 10:20 a.m. mptreb New Reader

  I've done 1000+ mile trip in one day, in my MGB.

  With the top down, in June, with no overdrive.

  Two days later, I picked up a friend and drove 750+ with camping gear for three weeks -- again in the B, top down. We went across Kansas and into the Rockies -- it was 90+ at noon and below freezing at midnight.

  When my wife and I got our Fiat 124, we took it 450 miles in a day -- top down, in the summer. Having 5th gear is nice.

  Also, the seats were shot when we bought the car, and a local guy was parting out a Miata to build a Locost. So, it has comfy tan leather Miata seats, which help.

  Matt

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  Jan. 11, 2009 6:45 a.m. impster Reader

  Now that we are in our mid 50s, the road trips tend to be a bit shorter. However, we did take off from Maine in our TR8 this summer, drove the rural roads to North Carolina including most of the Blue Ridge Parkway, competed in the Carolina Trophy, and returned home. 3000 miles more or less. The wedge was a reasonably comfortable ride although driving through hurrican Ike on the way down kept us busy trying to stem the water leaks at the top of the windshield!

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  Jan. 11, 2009 7:20 p.m. T_Rocco New Reader

  My wife and I drove my '88 Yugo GVL to my 25th High School class reunion. The trip was 1000 mile each way. Not a classic by most folks standards but arguable my favorite car I've ever owned. I dragged it out from behind my neighbor's shed a month or so before the trip. It needed a clutch and I changed the timing belt, hoses and fluids,and touched up the brakes. The only problem we had was a small leak in the fuel pump diaphram, a few miles from our destination, which did not result in a break down just a smelly reduction in MPG. With no replacement outside of mailorder I had to do a "battle short" repair. I'm not sure where the pump came from but it had a strange dual diaphram design(one to pump fuel and another which appears to keep the oil in the block...) so I was able to flip them and put the small hole against the oil and the intact side pumped without fail. I don't want to sound boastful but I was the only one of a class of 500 with a Yugo... fortune just seems to smile on some and not others. Total time for the trip four days: one day up, one day for the reunion, and two days back. With only 112,000 miles on the odometer I'd hop in and drive it anywhere. Not a bad drive even with four gears, it is a bit of a high rever on the interstate but capable. Regards, Tony

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  Jan. 19, 2009 12:16 a.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Since I tend to use all of my cars prety frequently I do 1000 mile jaunts a lot. Like Joe, I have bought a lot of cars from far away and then driven them home including a 67 Beetle, a 69 alfa spider, a Ferrari Daytona, the Bentley Brooklands, a 914 1.7, tons of 911's and the Mercedes 380SL. Also logged many long trips in Fiat's, a 1974 MGB and a TR3 in the 80's. If the cars are well cared for they do it fine, after all they are built for it. :)

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  Jan. 25, 2009 4:16 p.m. Don_Roger New Reader

  I've driven my MkI MR2 to the Glen from Ottawa ON the last 3 or 4 years. Always in company with at least one MGB and twice with an '88 Alfa as well. We usually take all the back roads; making a two day trip of it and camping in tents on our overnight stops, and at the Glen. Unless its pouring with rain, I leave the T-tops stored. I feel that the MR2 is a very comfortable and involving car to drive all day.

  Geezer

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  Jan. 25, 2009 5:40 p.m. André Rousseau Reader

  The scenic run from Ottawa to the Glen is nice eh. I did it going there last summer, but took the highway back.

  That was less then enjoyable. I was bored out of my mind...

  Next time its the nice route both ways.

  A.

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  Jan. 26, 2009 10:42 a.m. rconlon Reader

  I believe it is important to take the extra time on the scenic route. I arrive in better shape and the car as well. I will often combine interstate with secondary roads.

  Cheers Ron

 

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