Ok so remember the poll questions are just to start the conversation, even when they are lame like this one. What made me think of this one was a couple of things, I would like to get my Elky in good enough shape to take some road trips and what is good enough shape ! As a kid we travel a lot by car, truck camper, travel trailer and then after my parents retired they travel doing antique shows( I went some till I got married). For the most part they never had many problems on the road even knowing they never drove new cars. For the most part is was older Chevy's when I was a kid but remember that 60s cars with 60,000 miles where high mileage for the day. I bet my dad drove over a million miles in his life time, out and back to California from NY when we moved for couple of years in the early 60s, dozens on trips from NY to Florida, many trips up and down the east coast and I don't ever remember being stuck on the side of the road. Of course no super highways back in the day, I remember traveling with my dad a couple years before he died and I was driving on I-95 somewhere in the Carolina's and he would yell at me if I was going over 55 !
Ok so back to the question, so how good of shape does our 40 year car have to be in to run up and down the interstate at 70 or 80 mph? Of course it needs to stop and steer, well as well as a 40+ year old car can, wheel bearing are also very important to keep the wheels from flying off in to the woods. Then there is the engine, tranny, rear end oh yeah and wiring. The question is what could you fix on the side of the road, piston through the block is a no, bent push rod, maybe, slush box not moving in drive or any gear, better call a rollback. I have never seen anyone break a ring and pinon or axle just cruising up the highway.
I started watch roadkill back in the day because they would make on some road side repairs on some very questionable vehicles, today with all the production crews and unlimited budgets it takes some of the reality out of the show. Of course our age thing always enters the conversation any more, can us older folks lay out in a parking lot trying to put a tranny back in? Of course you could buy, rent or lease a new wonder box to cruise down Route 66 but is it the same ? Hope to read some great stories about the time you drove home with a ratchet strap holding you lower ball joint together ! (True story)
Ok so back to the question, so how good of shape does our 40 year car have to be in to run up and down the interstate at 70 or 80 mph? Of course it needs to stop and steer, well as well as a 40+ year old car can, wheel bearing are also very important to keep the wheels from flying off in to the woods. Then there is the engine, tranny, rear end oh yeah and wiring. The question is what could you fix on the side of the road, piston through the block is a no, bent push rod, maybe, slush box not moving in drive or any gear, better call a rollback. I have never seen anyone break a ring and pinon or axle just cruising up the highway.
I started watch roadkill back in the day because they would make on some road side repairs on some very questionable vehicles, today with all the production crews and unlimited budgets it takes some of the reality out of the show. Of course our age thing always enters the conversation any more, can us older folks lay out in a parking lot trying to put a tranny back in? Of course you could buy, rent or lease a new wonder box to cruise down Route 66 but is it the same ? Hope to read some great stories about the time you drove home with a ratchet strap holding you lower ball joint together ! (True story)