Thread: New Rod roadtrip advise.

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Am looking at purchasing a 29 sedan down in Los Angeles,and if it fits the bill driving it 500 miles home.This is not a finished rod has no roof or side windows but the chassis looks good(from pictures) and has a 383 with 700 trans.One drawback is it only has a 10 gallon tank.Anyone had experience with this type of endeavour and what you learnt.Obviously I will be taking tools and a gas can,but I am sure I will forget something.Thanks Roger

Originally Posted by Blow by

Am looking at purchasing a 29 sedan down in Los Angeles,and if it fits the bill driving it 500 miles home.This is not a finished rod has no roof or side windows but the chassis looks good(from pictures) and has a 383 with 700 trans.One drawback is it only has a 10 gallon tank.Anyone had experience with this type of endeavor and what you learnt.Obviously I will be taking tools and a gas can,but I am sure I will forget something.Thanks Roger

Three more things to take besides tools and a gas can:
- AAA card
- Credit or Debit card with small balance
- Cell phone

It is one thing to drive a car you built yourself 500 miles, but another thing entirely to drive one someone else built that distance. Do yourself a big favor, rent a trailer from U Haul and tow it. If you don't have the truck to tow it, rent that from them too. I've had to do it when my own 27 blew a water pump 250 miles from home and it gets mighty lonely when you are far from home and broken down.

Sellers will tell you the car is fine for the trip (and they may think it is) but we all know how that sometimes ends up. I've driven the 250 miles each way to Daytona probably 8 times and back, and in a hot rod that is like taking your family car cross country.

Don

Yeh I am at two differant minds here about driving it or towing it or even getting it hauled.I have the AAA card and a loving wife will be following with the credit card.Unfortunately I don't have the truck or trailer so would have to rent.Thanks for the input.

Roger,,are you forgetting your roots?? Nah,probably not,,just getting a bit older,like the rest of us.. I am quite sure that if Hugh was up there,the two of you would not give it a second thought to an Auckland -Wellington sized trip in an untried rod..

And,hey,if it fits the bill,show us some road trip piccies will ya??Ta mate..

Yeh Robin you are probably right,actually you are not probably you are right.Damn I just called a kiwi bloke Mickey that can transport it next week for $450.Its a long weekend over here so Lori would like to take advantage eventhough i am meant to work on monday.Bit of a dilemma but I am sure we will figure things out.Have yet to hand over the cash also so am not even sure it will pass the test.The whole goal of this one is for it to be a daily driver 90% of the time as i am tired of seeing the Willys in the garage.Thats the problem of living in a town where snow is the predominant factor.Will keep you informed and thanks all for the advice.Roger
By the way it is May 25th and presently snowing with a couple inches on the ground.

I hope it measures up,Roger..Sounds good..Snow??still? We actually had quite a lot on Egmont for the last week or so,,but in the last couple of weeks,it has rained heavily,and washed it all off again,,Still fairly warm down here..usually well covered by now.

Ok well we just got home from the whirl wind trip to LA to check out the 29.Didn't purchase it yet as I think the price is to high and there are definitely some issues which is to be expected.Like Don had mentioned it is something to drive your own rig many miles but something completely differant to drive someone elses that distance,and after being in that LA traffic I couldn't see me doing it.Even coming home we encountered everything from rain- snow and had another 10" here at the house.Thanks to Randy Ross for offering help if needed down there and at least I can say we had a fun quick trip.

Doesnt look too bad,Roger..Yeah,,I know what ya mean,,it would be pushin it a bit,,to drive a basically untried car back home,,especially if you are still getting a bit of bad weather.. Hope you can come to an arrangement on a price..

Sometimes our heads come out ahead of our hearts. You are being smart to rethink how to get it home. Nice looking tudor though, seems to be pretty well put together, from the pix.

Don

The body on this tudor is amazingly straight for a car that has had no body work done to it.Has dropped tube up front and triangulated 4 bar setup in the rear.Some of the welds were not upto my standards and the rear setup has a few issues that would need work but all in all a pretty good start for the right price.

Roger
Why don't you make the sale contingent on delivery. Let the seller drive it or
trailer it .

Originally Posted by hawk56

Roger
Why don't you make the sale contingent on delivery. Let the seller drive it or
trailer it .

I like that idea Hawk56 and will discuss that with the owner when he gets back from vacation.Thanks.