that sounds close to my story.....I made a list of all the things about my 67 coupe that bugged me in high school and starting fixing them. Got mad at the car for about 6 years and just pulled it out. My wife and I are going to drive it through Savahna Ga to the North Carolina coast for our second anniversary in March.
Post pics man! good luck!
That'll be a great drive! Definitely try to detour over to the Blue Ridge Parkway at some point in NC, its spectacular! Totally worth it!
imho, that route on I-40 is the most boring, semi packed, stretch of road rage in this great land.
You can catch US Highway 60 in AZ and take it east to Kentucky and beyond. Sure it might take another day, but you will get to see America.
I drove a '66 GT a code fastback from Portland, OR to Austin TX several years ago (2000). Avoided the interstate highways like the plague & had a blast. A couple of years later I drove a '66 GT-350H from Maryland to TX, again no interstates.
More recently I drove my '66 GT-350 to New Mexico. Only 1500 miles round trip, but it was another great time on America's back roads.
Z. Ray
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'66 GT-350
original drivetrain, sheet-metal, interior, & paint
Holy crap, grueling is the only word that comes to mind. I did much the same thing to get my car over a 3 day period back in the summer of 2002 and I had more fun than I could handle with a truck and trailer and only a 1000mi round trip.
I can't imagine doing what you're doing...best stock up on no-doz.
PS: Watch out for semi tires on the freeway...
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The squirrels in my head have spoken.
Cobra 5.0L & AOD swap, here we come.
Ted
I am currently bringing out of storage a 65 fastback 289. I thought this was going to be a piece of cake but has turned into a real project. I replaced the gas tank,fuel pump had the carb sent off to Pony Carbs for a rebuild. I put in a new water pump and timing chain cover because I couldn't find the exact pump that came out of the car. The radiator was roded and cleaned and new hoses installed. The master cyclinder was replaced along with the front brake flex hoses. Wait, I'am still not done. I replaced the valve cover gaskets and put in a Pertronx ignition along with new wires and plugs. This is not to mention all new fluids and the list goes on. Plan on some setbacks before you start your trip. A good source for parts is American Mustang in Rancho Cordova, Ca. These guys specialize in Vintage Mustang Parts.
Make sure you drain all your fuel and inspect the tank before you pollute your carb.
Sounds like a great trip
Have fun and good luck.
Ed
VBO, I just finished a similar trip in September. I just purchased a 1966 GT Coupe from my cousin in Illinois and drove it home to California via Route 66. My uncle purchased the car new in 1966, and when he passed away 10 years ago my cousin stored the car in her garage, since she did not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission. She kept it in running condition by having friends drive it occasionally, but before attempting a 3,300 mile trip I addressed many of the same issues that you have: suspension, brakes, cooling system, fluids, tires, etc.
I made a vacation out of the trip and spread it out over 12 days, driving only 200-350 miles per day. I took about two hundred pictures and will be posting most of them to photobucket so that I can share them with everyone. In the meantime I've posted a sample of five in my photo album here.
Good luck with your trip. I had good weather the entire way, except for a large thunderstorm in Missouri, and finished the trip without incident. I hope your trip goes as well.
imho, that route on I-40 is the most boring, semi packed, stretch of road rage in this great land.
You can catch US Highway 60 in AZ and take it east to Kentucky and beyond. Sure it might take another day, but you will get to see America.
I drove a '66 GT a code fastback from Portland, OR to Austin TX several years ago (2000). Avoided the interstate highways like the plague & had a blast. A couple of years later I drove a '66 GT-350H from Maryland to TX, again no interstates.
More recently I drove my '66 GT-350 to New Mexico. Only 1500 miles round trip, but it was another great time on America's back roads.
Z. Ray
You're completely right about finding the backroads and I just might if I'm feeling confident. I guess my thought process is that I'm more likely to be inline with local resources on I-40, should there be any mishaps along the way. In college I lived close to Rt 66 in Oklahoma (went to OK State) so I remember those state roads. I'm not sure I wanna be in Nowheresville, AK when the water pump gives up the ghost, ya know. But if the car is running strong, I'd sure like to get off the Interstate!
Ted
I am currently bringing out of storage a 65 fastback 289. I thought this was going to be a piece of cake but has turned into a real project. I replaced the gas tank,fuel pump had the carb sent off to Pony Carbs for a rebuild. I put in a new water pump and timing chain cover because I couldn't find the exact pump that came out of the car. The radiator was roded and cleaned and new hoses installed. The master cyclinder was replaced along with the front brake flex hoses. Wait, I'am still not done. I replaced the valve cover gaskets and put in a Pertronx ignition along with new wires and plugs. This is not to mention all new fluids and the list goes on. Plan on some setbacks before you start your trip. A good source for parts is American Mustang in Rancho Cordova, Ca. These guys specialize in Vintage Mustang Parts.
Make sure you drain all your fuel and inspect the tank before you pollute your carb.
Sounds like a great trip
Have fun and good luck.
Ed
Sounds like you and I are in the same boat! I last time I was in Reno to see the car was Aug 08. I pulled it out, started it for the first time in 4 years and drove it around the block a few times. Luckily for me I made several major repairs/improvements before storage in 2000. The C4 trans has a full rebuild, with less than 5,000 miles. The radiator was a new 3 row from Larrys Mustang (back when they used to be in Fullerton) in 99. I replaced the water pump, distributor, timing set and bought a new 500 CFM Holley in early 2000. That carb probably has 200 miles on it! But, I guess I gotta rebuild it... I'm definitely expecting some setbacks and being that the closest Autozone is 30 miles away, I sure hope I don't have to go back for little stuff like hose clamps and fuel line over and over!
VBO, I just finished a similar trip in September. I just purchased a 1966 GT Coupe from my cousin in Illinois and drove it home to California via Route 66. My uncle purchased the car new in 1966, and when he passed away 10 years ago my cousin stored the car in her garage, since she did not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission. She kept it in running condition by having friends drive it occasionally, but before attempting a 3,300 mile trip I addressed many of the same issues that you have: suspension, brakes, cooling system, fluids, tires, etc.
I made a vacation out of the trip and spread it out over 12 days, driving only 200-350 miles per day. I took about two hundred pictures and will be posting most of them to photobucket so that I can share them with everyone. In the meantime I've posted a sample of five in my photo album here.
Good luck with your trip. I had good weather the entire way, except for a large thunderstorm in Missouri, and finished the trip without incident. I hope your trip goes as well.
Those are GREAT shots of your '66 out on the Mother Road! Pretty inspiring, maybe I do need to stay off I-40 as long as I can! I have a similar photo of my 65 under the Santa Monica Pier sign, as well as in front of the Mustang, OK water tower. Gotta love Mustang/Yukon, OK... home of Garth Brooks!
Did you eat at the Big Texan in Amarillo?
Thanks for sharing that, I'd love to see the rest of your photos! What kind of fuel mileage were you getting?
So what do you all think? Am I missing anything in my plan? Am I nuts? Have any of you guys ever done this before?
I can't wait!!
Ted
Since you're re-doing the brakes, you might want to do the dual master cylinder swap for safety's sake. Instructions can be found here on the forum.
If there was nothing wrong with the rear end when you stored it, I'd leave it alone and not drain the fluid. You can at least leave that for last, in case you run short on time.
Take a few extra fuel filters, just in case.
Do you have AAA there in GA? If so, you might sign up for a membership.
Have fun! Sounds like a great trip.
Frank
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Saddle/Burnt Amber, C-code 4spd, 302 replaced the 289.
VBO, I just finished a similar trip in September. I just purchased a 1966 GT Coupe from my cousin in Illinois and drove it home to California via Route 66. My uncle purchased the car new in 1966, and when he passed away 10 years ago my cousin stored the car in her garage, since she did not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission. She kept it in running condition by having friends drive it occasionally, but before attempting a 3,300 mile trip I addressed many of the same issues that you have: suspension, brakes, cooling system, fluids, tires, etc.
I made a vacation out of the trip and spread it out over 12 days, driving only 200-350 miles per day. I took about two hundred pictures and will be posting most of them to photobucket so that I can share them with everyone. In the meantime I've posted a sample of five in my photo album here.
Good luck with your trip. I had good weather the entire way, except for a large thunderstorm in Missouri, and finished the trip without incident. I hope your trip goes as well.
Phil-
I'm glad to hear you drove the car home after all, and that there were no problems.
Frank
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Saddle/Burnt Amber, C-code 4spd, 302 replaced the 289.
Ted - By stretching the trip out I was able stay off of I-40 most of the time and avoid the 18-wheelers. From west to east, to get a flavor of Historic Route 66, I’d recommend the stretch between Kingman, AZ, and Seligman, AZ. Make sure to stop at the Snow Cap in Seligman. I did eat at The Big Texan in Amarillo, but didn’t try the “free” 72oz steak. I got into town in the evening and the place was jammed so I went back the next morning for breakfast.
Regarding fuel mileage, the car has a 289 A-Code, 3-speed manual with a 3.00:1 rear-end. I got 18.85 mpg, most of the time cruising at from 55-60 mph on Historic 66, with gas prices from $2.439 to $3.459 per gallon for the highest octane I could find (all under $3.00/gallon except for California). Total fuel cost for 3,400 miles was about $520.
Frank - I’m still waiting for the California DMV to approve my October application to register the car with the CA black YOM (Year-Of-Manufacture) plates that I got from you. I’ll post in the Northern California VMFers section as soon as I hear.
Ted, hopefully this is going to be a very worth while trip for you and i hope all goes well. I live in England, and one day hope to visit the states, and my dream would be some sort of road trip in a classic mustang.
Have a good time,
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