How far will you go for parts?

Yeah! Guess you know Don?.... I messed up when I bought the limo.....Don had a 35 or 36 3 window with the roof cut off----roof was laying nearby . I called him about it last year, but he said it was gone

 

you don't wanna know... oh wait, you mean like distance?

 

1,560 miles from Potter, WI to Byhalia MS for this car that I bought on eBay for $60



The guy didn't think I was coming, he was kinda shocked when I showed up. Real nice guy though. Ended up buying another one in Minnesota (Brainerd I think, only 860 miles RT) and didn't use much off of this car until recently.

Me and Cliffy went to Oklahoma and back weaving through several states delivering parts for HAMBers, he got a T-bucket and I got this sweet '55 Chevy, which I cut apart to haul home.



Not sure how many miles that was, but well over 2K all together.

This one was a whole car and not for parts, but I drove 1400 miles to Niagara Falls, Canada to get this car, this one I really should have kept.



Me and a friend went, we were supposed to meet the owner on the New York side and they'd bring the car over to us, we were following Mapquest directions and neither of us bothered to read ahead, finding out when we got to the border in Michigan that we took the wrong route, neither of us had passports but they still let us in, luckily.

 

1350 miles for a '54 261 chevy inline bored out to 280ci by General Motors retired machinist, had the engine since '62, worth every mile.

 

interesting... i live in colorado and went to great falls mt. for mt T body...

 

I would like to drive wherever needed to get parts, but it seems that my wheels get wet after 40 miles....

 

Went to the Tampa florida area to buy my wagon and to Iowa to get my F250.

 

To Oklahoma to pick up my 48 Olds and drag it home.

 

Let me see...................does the name Bill ....ring a bell?

 

Tampa Bay to Ohio and back for a 42 Ford hood

 

Rosamond, CA to Birmingham....bought a 61 Unibody from a HAMBer in Pomona, knew it rolled, engine turned (no carb), all the glass was good and the tank had gas, all info from the owner and he was very honest. Moved it from Pomona to my kids place in Rosamond, (her husband is stationed at Edwards AFB) and flew out to get it road worthy. Spent two weeks working a solid 8 hours a day (except the weekends, played tourist) getting it road worthy and drove it back to Birmingham. Did a little sight seeing on the way back as well.

Trip was well worth the money! The Grand Canyon is a "Bucket List" item! Hit as much of RT 66 as I could, the drive from the CA/AZ boarder via Oatman to Kingsman is great!

The trip was not without incident. I had replaced all the fuel system from the tank to the carb but the new fuel pump crapped out in AZ at mile marker 187. AZ troupers are number one in my book. He stopped and spent an hour helping trouble shoot the problem, holding the light and fetching tools. Tucumcari, NM the ingnition switch (new) litterally fell apart in my hand so it got "hot wired" for the rest of the trip!

The Unibody is now in PA living a life of leasure as a shop truck for a high end body shop.

 

Just think Ford blue blood, when you get the 60 wagon, you'll have another adventure to write about. As for me, I'm delivering a car to California in two weeks. Hopefully a smooth trip.

 

drove to Utah for a cherry 29 Tudor body, stopped in vegas on the way back and gambled and got drunk. It was a great trip.

 

I walked all the way across the shop to let the U.P.S. guy in once.

 

it's good to live in sunny California. I bet I've never gone more than 100 miles

 

last summer drove about 6 hrs one way to pick up a new 2.8 v-6 short block for my 85 fiero. super price but a long trip. 2 years ago had a guy from ohio deliver an AMX trunk floor and tailight panel to my house in exchange for one NOS (in the box)70 AMX tailight lense and $50.00 gas money! his idea not mine. only later did I find out what that lense is worth oh well he got what he wanted and so did I.

 

36 hour round trip I hope I never beat it!

 

As a matter of necessity I have to buy from overseas all the time. Damn expensive however by buying direct I cut out the middleman and save $$$$. Ask any Ozzie and they'll confirm how expensive it building a car down under. You can't just do a round trip anywhere as the cars as all cars are imported. Ask our Kiwi, European and UK friends, that's commitment. A lot of good people out there but just as many dodgy ones happy to rip you off because you live on the other side of the world. No comeback or warranty.

 

After reading this thread, I don't feel as crazy as I thought I was after a 500 mile one way trip to get a set of slot mags I wanted a year or two ago. Seems like a short trip after reading some of you guys' stories.

 

to far

 

Its the journey that makes getting the parts that much better, not the destination.

 

I just drove 1700 miles to get some parts for my 32.

Search "Simeone Museum Iron Lords" to see the pics.

 

I drove 1000 miles round trip to drag my 59 Elcamino home. Does not sound too far but the car was torn completely apart and came with enough extra parts (including a second rolling chassis) that I had to make the trip three times to get everything home. Two of the trips were hauling the trailer behind the truck.

Great road trips all three. Met a few Hambers along the way, transported some parts for the same. Went to the Henry Ford Museum which I recommend to anyone, what a place. Had quite a few truckers commenting on the car on the trailer including one guy who wanted to know what the "spaceship" I was hauling was.

I had a bunch of questions from the border guards - especially on the return trip. Had my tools & clothes stolen out of my truck in Toledo OH while I was having a bite to eat & got a bit lost a few times. Still a great bunch of trips to remember.

 

Just finished a1798 mile round trip to pick up a 57 Fairlane 500. Was gone from the house for 35 hours. Nice stress free drive except the construction on 35W in Dallas! Rested when I got tired and put the truck on "tow mode" and the cruise on 70 for the trip. The F-150 and borrowed trailer gave me 15.5 MPG average for the trip. Would have liked to stop and visit a couple of HAMBrs along the way but the health situation with my mother-in-law prevented that, maybe next time.

 

I've gone completely across country for stuff, but that was a long time ago. That was back in the day when solid cars were cheap out west and one could drive around california and see intresting old cars parked on the street and make offers. Okay, maybe I've disclosed my old age.


Now, it seems most stuff is priced about the same in the midwest or out west. And theres so much stuff thats come east theres really not too much reason to travel far unless one is looking for something specific.

 

Parts well parts car or project cars i made a few round trips my starting point was always Minneapolis Mn
went to Jackson New Jersey, Colfax North Carolina, Manchester Connecticut , Breckville Ohio, Lovell Wyoming , Billings Montana
Hot Springs South Dakota, Glidden Iowa, Dickinson North Dakota, Beach North Dakota, Russell Kansas
sure i forgot a few
Then i cheated flew to Los Angles California bought a 76 Chevy pick up went to Long Beach rented a U-haul tow dolly and hauled a Studebaker Hawk back 2,018 miles

I'd have to say they were all adventures for sure never really stipped much to see the country had the pedal to the metal climbing grades and making time

So when you go both ways the cost of gas goes up and traveling expenses, gas was way cheaper then
i talked to myself a lot and listened to the tunes since i was the only driver

Funny what a guy will do for old iron, one thing i will say using the tow dolly was the 1st and last trip with one
after that i pulled a car trailer with 4 wheel brakes and weight distribution hitch and plenty of 3M reflective tape on my trailer, better safe then sorry

there photos of some these trips around the USA on my album

 

3,426 mile round trip Minneapolis to Portland OR.
2,680 mile round trip to Laredo TX.
Took the wife along on a 800 mile round trip to get some 1940 Studebaker stuff.Seemed longer than the 2 mentioned above

 

Jax, Fl to Phila, Pa. for parts car, I much prefer UPS <grin>

 

Squablow? any relation to Squawsnatch?

 

I drove 6,000 miles w/ a truck & trailer to buy a 40 Willys 2 door sedan. When I got there, he handed me an envelope w/ my deposit money & said "Sorry- I sold to someone else for more money". I'm getting pissed off again just typing this!