snafu7x7

I'm in a position where I've got to pick up and move in a few weeks and unfortunately I don't have the luxury (or money) to ship the car so I'm going to have to drive it about 600 miles. I plan to take it easy and stop every couple hours but the reality is it is an old car and things tend to break on old cars, especially when you least want them to. In preparation for this I want to make sure I've got what I need to fix anything that might go wrong. I also want to do any work I can now that will help me avoid trouble on the road.

The Good:

-engine was rebuilt 5-6 years ago, only 5-6000 miles on it since
-brand new carb, intake manifold, fuel filter, air filter and brand new high effic aluminum radiator
-plugs and cables were all replaced 3 years ago, battery is about a year old

The Bad:

-the wiring needs to be redone, it works but it's original and there are shorts in it, last time I drove at night the lights would go off and on when you hit a bump (hoping I can track that down?)
-the temperature guage isn't working, I think it's a wiring thing as well but I haven't been able to figure it out for the life of me. Is there anyway I might be able to run a temp gauge somehow for now? It's a new rad and it seems to be doing an excellent job, but I hate not knowing the engine temp

What should I do? What to pack? Hoses, belts, cables, tools, whatever you can think of guys, i look forward to your suggestions

fastbackford351

You can run a mechanical temp gauge without much problem so that'll give you piece of mind. As far as what to carry? If it'll fit in the car and there is the remotest possibility that you may need it, carry it. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Change your oil, check your fluids, belts & hoses, cap & plugs before you go and those shouldn't be a problem for 600 miles. When was the last time you checked your wheel bearings? It's a lot easier to check those in your garage than it is to change them on the side of a busy interstate.

Having taken several cross country road trips in, uhm, less than mechanically sound cars, a few things I have learned to have on hand:

A good jack w/ stands & wheel chocks, spare tire, solenoid (w/ a good jumper wire), coil, distributor box (duraspark II in my case), full assortment of tools, test light & volt meter, a good mat to lay on for parking lot/roadside repairs, rain gear, flashlight, hand cleaner & a couple gallons of water, fire extinguisher (for crappy wiring mishaps), electrical fittings, electrical tape, lawn chair & umbrella and pretty much anything you have ever had to use on your car short of a cherry picker.

Rain-X your windows before you leave because classic Mustangs suck in the rain. The rain-x anti fog keeps your windows clear if you get caught in the rain with no AC. A well stocked cooler with ice, water and some rags to keep you cool in case you have no AC.


Then put her on the road and see what she'll do! Road trippin' in a classic Mustang is a hoot. Don't beat the snot out of her, find a good cruising speed and stay in her wheel house and don't try to keep up with cars that are 50 years newer than she is.

fastbackford351

Oh, and another thing that I learned the hard way, have a spare throttle return spring. You can field expediate a lot of stuff but a broken spring is a bitch.

snafu7x7

Great suggestions man, much obliged for the help!

CyprusMustang

Don't forget your phone broke down once and left my phone at home. I had plenty of tools but didn't help that day.

CPTCO

Make sure you take a few gallons of water. Thermostats stick, belts and hoses break. You can have a spare belt, and radiator hoses for less than fifty bucks. A ratchet and screwdriver and you could change both of those. Make sure you have jumper cables, of course, or even better, a charged booster. Various sized fuses, wire pliers, extra wire. And plus one on getting the wheel bearings packed. Might change the U joints on the drive line, that's a cheap fix.

fastbackford351

Oh yeah, u-joints...good one.

LynnBob Mustang

Here is a little inspiration from a girl who did a 10,000 + mile road trip in her '65 fastback.
http://calamityjaneroadtrip.blogspot...me-to-end.html
All this was stuffed in her fastback for the 7 week trip.


Lynn

LynnBob Mustang

No, It doesn't need to be a reality, ever.

A properly maintained old car will be just as reliable as a newer one.

You could have the same problems with a improperly taken care of newer car and it could fail just as bad if not worse then the old one.

Take care of what needs to be done as far as maintenance, good tires, front end and all brakes are 100% OK with all newer parts and proper alignment, new belts & hoses before you even go, and then have a few common break down parts like belts, hoses, oil, water, etc. a little commonsense, and some tools you will be OK.

600 miles isn't plaything, just ask Kelly with her 10K+ mile trip in her '65 fastback that I posted above. She just did a 4K+ trip last month to a car show of some kind out west in her car.

Lynn

boogerschnot

I allways have a 12 inch piece of rubber fuel hose in my tool box too. and some vacuum caps. A couple of big and small hose clamps just in case.

Electrical tape!