How far will you go for parts?

Seattle to Fresno for a project that wasn't what I expected, didn't buy it, came home with a glass shell instead, that I never used. Good road trip though.

 

A one day drive is about my limit, unless it was for a car that I really wanted. I've purchased parts from Europe on occasion if I really needed them bad enough to pay the high shipping too!

 

Drove from Milwaukee, WI to somewhere in PA to pick up a torn apart Hemi motor for my Plymouth coupe. The coupe is now in Hungary, and the Hemi is in NC...neither of them came to pick up their parts, they had them shipped. Cowards!

 

I just drove to Missouri for a set of heads,....just a short 10 hours there and back.

I'd drive acoss four or five states without thinking twice for a decent body or frame.

 

furthest drove was almost 400 miles for a car and some parts. planning a trip to arkansas on nov 5th for another car which puts us around 447 one way.

 

Couple weeks ago, i drove from Lawrence, KS to an hour past Detroit, picked up a Clutchflite transmission, turned around and headed back.

1680 miles
29 straight hours behind the wheel.

I've got decades of long distance driving under my belt but I'm too old to be doing that crap anymore, lol....

-rick

 

Wow! Some of you guys really travel far for stuff.

I drove 20 hours round trip in one day from Fort Collins, Colorado to Portales, New Mexico to buy every single part of a 392 Hemi Chrysler engine but the block. I know, not having a block is a big deal. I found the parts in a Craig's List add under "Garage Sales." When I got there, I met the nicest family. The engine parts where laying on the lawn next to baby cloths, housewares and toys. They said that they discovered the parts in the basement of their house when they bought it. It was a neighbor that told them what the parts were and that he had no interest in them.

Then a few months later I found a block! I drove 18 hours round trip from Fort Collins to Albuquerque, New Mexico in one day to get it. New Mexico is a lucky place for me!

On each trip, I had planned to pull over to the side of the road early on the way back to take a nap. But I was so damn excited about my discoveries, I couldn't sleep!

I still pinch myself when I walk by that 392.

David

 

WOW that would really frost your balls

 

Me and two buddies just drove 4hrs. to look at and buy a '51 chevy car powerglide shifting linkage setup for my wagon...while looking around the guys shop, my buddy Dave spots an old tin toy, "panama pile driver" it's cool like and was in really good shape and complete. I never saw something like it ever and $50 bucks later it's in the truck going home with us.

 

A friend and I were talking about this a few weeks back, more just about miles traveled going to swapmeets . I figured between Pomona and long beach I go around 15 times a year, plus Turlock and phoenix as well as the local san Diego swaps and a few smaller model t/a club swaps I do about 5000 miles a year just going to swap meets. I'd never thought about it before but it's about $1500 a year in gas just going to swap meets, plus food, etc........
Plus I do on average one big trip a year to pick something up, last year it was up to pauls place in Washington, year before it was east of Scottsdale, a few years back it was baldwin mi. Before that northern Oregon, in early December, in a 64 chevy truck with no heat or wipers to pick up a model a body, at the time it was miserable wiping snow off the windshield with my hand a I drove down the road but it makes for a good memory.

 

I've been known to go all the way for hot rod parts.

 

I flew 14,500 mi and then drove countless hours to pick up a Weiand blower end plate and a few other things I had stashed at a mates place. I also got to visit Hershey and bought some stuff to take home.

went arse about to get there, but I would have to say that is the longest I have ever traveled to get parts.

 

What did you find in Baldwin to make it worth the trip?

 

Me and my dad went from Hebron, In to Greenwood De 12 hours one way for a 30 model a pickup. Left thursday after work/school and got home saturday afternoon. It was a quick trip and a fun one, i'll definitely do it again.

Got home, had no room in the garage, so now we have a model a truck in our basement

 

I'll be going this weekend to Coffeyville, KS to pick up a 34' 3w body to bring back home to MI which is about a 2000 mile round trip.

If the body was lets say a 4000 mile round trip would I do it?......of course I would why not? Beats a day of work, a bad day in the garage or sittin on your arse.

 

2700 miles round trip in 48 hours for a '28 Ford Tudor Sedan body & frame. A road trip with my brother and a friend while I was home on leave from Afghanistan. We went non-stop except for a couple of sit-down meals. My brother had gas that was just killing us. We were in New Mexico in the middle of the night with temps in the high 30s and the windows down. We stopped for gas in a one-horse town in the middle of the night. Nothing was open but thankfully we were able to pay at the pump. My brother had to take a dump really bad. Bathrooms were locked up. He ended up getting a broken down cardboard box out of their recycle bin and squatting over it. He just closed up the box and put it back in the recycle bin. It occurred to us later on that someone would see that box and wonder why it wasn't broken down...then break it down. I ended up selling the Tudor when I realized I was in over my head, but the memories...ah, the memories

 

not quite as far as some others on here but last fall drove 6 hrs 1 way from peoria il. to auburn in. for a new GM 2.8 v-6 for my OT Fiero GT. bought it off E bay for a super price and thought I could drive it cheaper than a freight charge but didnt realize exactly how far it was! 12 + hours driving is a looooooong trip in my rattly old gas suckin van by myself .

 

my dad bought a 66 suburban, he'd been looking for a decent driver for awhile and couldn't find anything local. he found the 66 online and figured it would be rusty being from up north, but had his brother make the drive from kalamazoo to go look at it, it had california plates. guy had bought it out of the bay area a few years back as a 60k mile original. we flew out and drove it home.

 

it depends on the price, what the item,items are i went to just above detriot over the summer to get a 60 t-bird convert parts car and some extra parts from another hamber

and i sent my gf's brother in law almost to canada (w.i) to pick up a 57 fairlane 500 4 door parts car from another hamber

and i drove something like 9 hours 1 way to bristol tenn to pic up a rusted junk pile o/t car and back home in one day

 

That's what I would have figured also

 

I did a 1500 mile round trip from Chicago to Hot Springs Arkansas for some parts for an old Chevelle wagon I had. The parts were s**t but the trip was a blast. Sometimes it just turns out to be a cool road trip.

 

Just got home from a 6 days round trip (1600 mile - 2600 kilometers one way) trip from home here in Alberta to Morris Illinois.

Why ? I bought a brand new TCI 35-40 Ford chassis from the Hot Rod Barn.

Made the deal on e-bay, got it for a small bit more than 1/2 of what it would cost to buy here at home.

After finding shipping it even over to Great Falls Montana and going down to get it was going to cost big bucks we hitched the trailer up and hit the road.

The guys threw on a free of charge set of rubber to keep it a roller (the owner wanted to keep his wheels and tires) and loaded it up for us.

We had an awesome trip there and back, no snow at all and arrived back home after seeing parts of the country we had never seen before.

That included crossing the Misssissippi river which was nice to see.

Crossing the border proved painless with only a small charge for taxes on the purchase.

Even with the cost of the trip (which came in thousands of dollars less than shipping) I saved a bundle compared to what it would cost to buy the chassis here locally ($11,000 plus taxes)

The road trip was great, the chassis will be the cats meow under my 36 humpback and I would not hesitate to go again tomorrow.

Here are a few pics.

 

I'd like to get some doors in California for my F1. Anyone got a boat?

 

No where near as far as you guys - I once drove 6 hours one way to pick up a free 454 with TH400 for a '79 ElCamino I built 20+ years ago.

Lately I find myself giving more away to folks who drive great distances.

The rear axle, wiper assembly and transmission crossmember I have for sale is a freebee to anyone who proves (drivers license or registration) they drove over 3 hours one way to pick them up.
In this day and age I cut a break for those who drive that far, never mind the time spent but who knows what could happen on the road.

 

To the end of the world.

 

dont remember how many miles we drove or really how long it took,but a couple yrs ago my son and i left our house about 25 miles away from huntsville al and drove all the way to south fl. you could see cuba from where we were.lol well almost, but you could see the ocean and the guy we we to get our parts said he didnt think we could have gone much farther south.we went after a fiberglass frontend for a 74 nova.he was selling it for 500. plus shipping.so we borrowed a new dodge hemi p.u. and headed out to save on shipping and have some fun too. that trip cost me almost 1200. and i could have had a brand new one shipped to the house for 899. tax and shipping.oh yea the guy gave us the front end after he seen how far we came.so since we saved 500. we then procedded to buy all kinds of shit.we stopped at a junk yard that had all kinda of old cars and i went to spending money.lol.

 

Did a roundabout trip this July for engines, axles and other parts. Left from Mississauga, Ontario, through New York State, Pennsylvania state, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Ontario. Then Ontario to Indianapolis, Indiana and back to pick up something I didn't have room in the trailer for. 5700 km in all. Did the whole trip in about 131 hours. Drove 89 of those hours. Of the 42 hours that I wasn't driving, only got to sleep for 20.
Most importantly for me though, my kid sister (who had just got her license the day before we left) came along with me. We both saw some amazing scenery, had a chance to hang out together, and she learned what a real road trip is like. I'd do that trip again in a heartbeat.

 

Some of you guys are nuts. Most Ive went is 9 hours round trip.

 

Bought a rollback from a guy in Maine, and got my T from a gentleman in Pittsburgh. The pickup is part of the fun, my buddy rode to Maine, and my wife went to Pittsburgh..... and didn't complain once!

 

Short day trip 260 round trip in my '42 to fetch some parts. Lowriders Art Gallery and I took a day off and scoped this yard out on Monday. We both found a few pieces and I went back alone today. Pulled the gauge set, the column and the drop. I pretty sure it won't be the last trip.