Okay, having gone through a recent bit of nastiness in my life, I realized that I needed something to help me take my mind off of all of it, and put those problems behind me. Lo and behold, I discovered something that would help me out a lot. A car that I’d been lusting over for some years now was for sale rather cheaply on eBay, so I bought it. Now, I have to go get it (it’s in Denver). Originally I had planned on paying a friend of mine to drive me out there and then I’d follow him back here. However, he’s not going to be able to take off work to do this, so it looks like I’m going to have to take the bus out there to get the thing, and then drive it back solo.
Ideally, nothing will go wrong, but given my luck, something will. So, I’m looking for suggestions from anyone who’s made a similar trip, recommendations for repair shops along the way (if I should need one), and if worse comes to worse, someone who’ll be kind enough to pick me up and run me to the nearest bus station if I have to leave the car some place because it’s either a complete loss, or the repairs will take longer than I can afford to be away from work.
At present, I’m planning on leaving Nashville on the 16th of this month, which will put me in Denver on the following day. I’m going to then try to leave Denver immediately (depends upon how well I sleep on the bus) and head back, stopping somewhere along the way to sleep (it’s a 17 hour drive, and while I could probably do it without stopping, I don’t want to push it in a 35 year old car I don’t have much experience with), hoping to get back home by the 20th.
Oh yeah, am I going to have problems taking tools with me on the bus? I’ve owned a similar car in the past and have a factory service manual for the one I just bought, so if something simple goes wrong, I can fix it if I’ve got my tools, but I don’t know if it’d be okay for me to take them on the bus or not.
Did you consider rental of U-Haul truck lite and a towing dolly? Theoretically you’re not at the mercy of repair shops who may have zero experience with the vehicle in question.
The only restriction I can imagine for a bus line regarding tools would be weight, but YMMV.
Tools shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve ridden on Greyhound three times in the past year and my bags were never checked, even in LA (where one bus’ passengers were being thoroughly checked before being allowed to board) or in El Paso, where security was a bit tight due to it being right across the border from Mexico.
Towing’s not really an option as the car weighs nearly 5000 lbs, so anything that could haul it is going to get about 2 MPG with the car in tow. Also, about the only place that I’d think would have trouble fixing the car would be a dealership, since the car’s a 1969 Chrysler Newport with a 383 and a 727 tranny. The engine and tranny are somewhat common (I think the tranny’s still being produced), so a locally owned shop should have mechanics who are familiar with the ins and outs of everything to be able to get it running. Plus, I’ll be bringing the factory service manual with me, so they’ll have that to refer to if its a total unknown to them. I had a 71 in high school with the same engine and transmission and I put over 1000 miles on it with a blown headgasket (with frequent stops to refill the radiator), so it’ll take something major to put the car completely out of commission, I think.
The only consistent problem with the car that I know if is an oil leak (which I can top up along the way), and there’s a failry common electrical problem that some times occurs with them, but it’s not such that I’d be stranded if it happened.
Good luck! Other than that, I don’t have much to offer. I do know a chick in Tupelo that has a history of taking in stranded travelers, if you should happen to pass that way and blow a fuel pump or somethin’.
Didn’t realize you were dealing with vintage MoPaR, tuckerfan.
I had a '68 Charger, two '72 Furies, and a '77 Fury. Nice cars, but killers on gas mileage. You should make it to a Dopefest and we can yak about cars.
I don’t live near nor have I travelled along your intended route, so I really can’t help much. But I do want to offer my congratulations on a cool find, and best of luck getting that Mopar home without problems.
1968 Dodge Charger, 1972 Plymouth Fury, 1977 Plymouth Fury and 1969 Chrysler Newport. Vehicles from a time when men were men, and cars were solid steel, with no newfangled computerized gizmos that suddenly give out with no explaination. Cars so big and heavy that they can look an SUV or a semi in the eye and say, “Do ya feel lucky, punk?”
Nice pictures, tuckerfan. My '77 was a Grand Fury Brougham. 400 engine with a carburetor to make you crazy-the Carter Thermoquad. It had every power option except one-electric trunk release. Felt like you were sitting in an easy chair that went 100 MPH. At 8 MPG it was better than the '68 Charger-the 383 was refitted with domed pistons, extended lift/duration camshaft, and a 700 CFM Holley. Fast and thirsty. But, at 35 cents per gallon-I didn’t really care.
I don’t know about your budget on this trip, but I’d probably travel light on the bus and buy some cheap supplies when I got there. Stop at Kmart in Denver and buy a basic SAE tool set. Should cost less than $50 and have all you’d likely need. Buy a gallon jug of oil, a can of the proper brake fluid, and the appropriate fan belt(s). If you’re concerned about electrical, get a cheap wiring kit too. Fix-a-flat is a good supply, also some flares and flashlights.
If the car’s radio / 8-track aren’t up to snuff, get a cheap boom box and batteries for the trip. Don’t forget snacks and drinks, and consider some slippers or loafers for comfortable driving. Get a pillow and quilt, in case you’re stranded or just decide to sleep in the back seat.
If you’ve got a large budget, get a portable CB radio with headset for entertainment. Of course, if your budget is that large, bring a date!
Do you have AAA or some other type of emergency service / towing service? I have the AAA 100-mile towing service. It’s around $80 for a year’s membership, but it’s a bargain if you need it even once. You definitely should have a cell phone with you, and if you break down, you can call the 800 AAA number (or whatever service you have) and they’ll send a truck to wherever you are. You’ll get a tow (and a ride) to a repair shop.
You can get a cheaper membership, but you could wind up paying towing charges if you have to be towed more than 20 miles or so.
To me, it’s worth the money to know that I won’t be stranded somewhere on the road trying to figure out how to deal with the situation.
Well, thanks to an unavoidable delay caused by a combination of work and finances, I wasn’t able to leave for my trip when I originally thought. However, I’ve bought my ticket and I head out on Wednesday of this week. I’ve spent the day prepping and packing, and I think I’ve gotten everything, but I just want to run the list past everyone to make sure that I’m as prepared as I can be.
[ul]
[li]Cell phone and car charger[/li][li]Road Atlas and detail maps for Denver[/li][li]Small socket set[/li][li]Duct tape[/li][li]Electrical tape[/li][li]JB Cold Weld[/li][li]Emergency Blankets[/li][li]Fix-A-Flat[/li][li]Adjustable wrench[/li][li]Philips screwdriver[/li][li]Standard screwdriver[/li][li]Imitation Leatherman tool[/li][li]Reading material for the bus trip[/li][li]CD player so I’ll have something to listen to[/li][li]About 5 pounds of trailmix, Pop-Tarts, beef jerky, and a couple of cans of Ensure[/li][li]Two flashlights, plus extra batteries[/li][li]A Tube of RTV silicone gasket maker[/li][li]Hose repair kit[/li][li]Factory Service Manual for the car[/ul][/li]Can anybody think of anything I’m missing?
You might want to run one of the online map utilities showing your planned return route in case there’s some construction or other potential flies awaiting your ointment. Good luck!
I’ve done that at mapquest and didn’t see anything, but I’m not really too worried about road construction. I’m planning on leaving Denver just as soon as I change the oil in the car, get the last of my supplies and drop off a few resumes (so I can take the trip off on my taxes, doncha know), then it’s going to be one long burn (with me drafting behind semis to try and save some gas) back with stops only for gas, the possible divert to Lawrence, and to take a leak. Since I’ll be getting into Denver at about 11:30 AM, I figure I’ll be able to leave town at about 1 PM or so. Which means that I’ll be in the vast wasteland known as Kansas during rush hour, then I’ll be driving late at night, so even if there is construction, it shouldn’t tie up things too badly. At least that’s the plan. I’m betting that the thing dies on me in the middle of some godforesaken patch of interstate at 2 AM, where there’s no cell service and no traffic.
Ah-your comment reminded me: double check the quality of wiper blades, that they aren’t dried and streaky. My last trip across Kansas on I70 was an endless flat gray rainy day.
Derivation of MoPaR would be a plus.
