Long trip (and i mean LONG) this winter... good idea or bad?

Do it Do It DO IT!
I drove a '62 Suburan I bought from a HAMBer, sight unseen, from Joplin, Missouri back home to Atlanta, GA with my 10 year old son. The truck had never been restored. Took three days, on the back roads, with a lot of sight seeing along the way. 1,100 miles.
This summer, we drove from Atlanta to Bonneville--2500 miles, and made it there in two and a half days, which included reasonable stops at a couple junk yards and antique malls along the way, with a solid night's sleep each night.
My wife flew out and met us there...she added a full day to the return trip (it's AMAZING how much time frequent potty stops and getting a cup of coffee in the hotel lobby will add to a trip!).
We hit a couple small diners along the way, but mainly ate sandwiches out of a cooler the whole trip.
-Brad

 

My ex-girlfriend and I decided to do the drive to TN from MI once to look at a '67 Camaro for her. It was her idea, by the way, I was just dumb enough to say yeah, why not? We stopped in Mammoth Caves, Nashville, Knoxville, nowheresville, and the Camaro was a total disappointment. We went back through Bowling Green, KY and into the Kentucky Horse Park, saw an Elvis car somewhere, and had a great time. Got back and asked her to marry me. Been 15 years and 2 kids ago.

Plan your trip by getting in the car with a new road atlas. Stop at the state/provincial lines and get the 'touristy' brochures and pick your route that way. Get there when you get there, turn around and go home if it sucks. No pressure is the best way to go. Drive what SHE wants to drive. Nothing worse than having it all go to hell because you threw a muffler bearing or ran out of turn signal fluid going over Donner Pass. Take beef jerky and marshmallows for that part...

And if you get to a cheap hotel with a waterbed, make sure the heater works on the son of a bitch or you'll wake up stiff as a board. Blue Ribbon Inn, somewhere in Kentucky...

 

How about going straight west to Rocky Mountain House, and try to incorporate the Icefields Parkway into your journey? Beautiful scenery. The trip down the #2 seems a bit bland to me, you know? Not much to see, other than prairie for the first bit. I think I'd wait until spring, though.

You may not have to worry about cold or storms that early in the winter, but one thing to consider is that mild conditions could deliver some freezing rain. Could be dangerous on the #2, and downright deadly in the mountains (if you decide to go that way), especially in an unproven car.

Just something to think about. Sounds adventurous, so for that reason I automatically like it.

 

I don't know if you have a destination in mind, or if your timing is locked down by other considerations.
Perhaps you'd get a bigger bang out of the trip if you delayed it a month and headed to the GNRS in Pomona.

 

I wouldn't go to calgary in the winter. Especially in an old car. Arctic freezing winds, snow, and generally bad weather sitting in the -30's are the norm.

Go to BC. Much nicer drive and better weather.

 

Of course the weather can always be shitty in the passes. Amazing what a bit of altitude will do.

 

1. I would not recommend making the trip with a girlfriend you are not getting along with or is not getting along with you. You are better off with some buddies.

2. If you do make the trip, make sure you bring along all the critical spares (belts, hoses, water pump, fuel pump, cap, etc.) and your tools. Maybe this is an obvious point.

3. This point was made but since money is "tight" don't make the trip if it screws up your job.

 

I'm with RR sounds like Great Fun. But the fun has been turned off at my house also

FF

 

If I didn't ride a bicycle to work here year round I might think there is something to this description

 

Doesn't make much sense, so I'd do it. Nothing fun or interesting ever happens on trips in my Toyota.

But, I'd hit B.C. and drop down, I'd love to do that drive.

 

get some miles on the '53 and feel confident that its broken in and dialed in.

with rain, snow and cold-- why go in the winter? Go now or go in the spring. if you must go in winter-- then you're pretty hard core. the pioneers did it in a wagon-- so you've got more in the Chevy. Just need to be patient and willing...

that said, do it. sounds like a great trip. if you come down all the way to san jose, consider my dialed in garage your own for any work that might need to be done. i'll supply the beer too.

-scott

 

We drove to Vegas straight thru in late november last year. There was some heavy snow at times in parts of Montana. I would save up and take it later so your not rushed and can enjoy the trip more.

 

what can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic.

I've always wanted to make the trip... but somewhere along the line someone told me "the best way to know if she is 'the one' is to take a long trip, and if you don't kill each other then your golden"

I really want to believe those words... but she's pretty wary, she wants to take the trip just as much as I do... she just doesnt want me trying to 'win her back' (we're still good friends, just not dating)

jeeze... 2 years all she wants is attention and romance, I finally offer it to her and she's sceptical? go figure...


But yeah, I'm not so sure I'm going now.. I really want to, and if any of my buddies was game I'd still call it a go. perhaps I'll wait till the spring... get setteled in at work, get used to being single again, little less 'fly by my pants' may make for a lot more fun...


*edit* booms, thanks for the offer! perhaps one day I'll be able to swing by for just the beer... hopefully nothing drastic enough to requie your shop will be required

 

If she don't want to go, leave her home and go by yourself.

 

she's the reason I want to make this trip man.

not to say I wouldn't anyway... but there is no one else alive I'd rather go with

 

I don't know if I'd do a long road with a girl to "win her back". After 3 or 4 days cooped up in a car together, the only reason you want to get closer is to strangel each other. If you're gonna do it to win the girl, you'd better take a dependable vehicle. You won't make any Brownie Points setting on the side of the road, broke down in an old car with her.

 

Did that drive (and more) this summer. Went from Edmonton to LA then San Diego and back - 4100 miles (6700km) Left the old car and daily drivers behind and rented a '07 Pontiac Grand Prix for $700 for 17 days - if anything broke not my problem.
Would not recommend going though Montana in winter, The I-15 gets very curvy, lots of fun in a powerful rented car - not fun in a poorly heated, poorly handling old car.
Wait for spring and grab a buddy My Vote

 

In Oct. 1964 I was 19 and a friend and I took off in my '50 Plymouth (stock) for Baltimore, MD from So. Cal. We made it to Littlerock, AK where we ran out of money, so I sold the car and we rode our thumb the rest of the way.
There is whole big story of that trip but I won't bore you with it other then to say "Man O Man!!! That was living!!!

 

leave the girlfriend at home .............take the trip...........if she wants you back,she will want and respect you more when you return. like others have said ,have the adventure, take the old car,enjoy yourself............life has a tendency to fly by fast

 

Stop and think of it, I guess we do. I'm just not that tuned into late model cars.

-bill

 

Isn't he taking it in january/ febuary (mid winter?)? Last time I was in alberta (edmonton) in january, I nearly froze my ass off.

And if I recall correctly, last year was -30's for several weeks in that time period.

You might be riding your bike to work now, but I doubt it is as much fun in january.

 

Exactly what I was thinking, the memories would be worth it.

 

One of my best road trips was Oklahoma City to Red Deer in 1984 driving a 1977 VW Scirocco. Straight thru just after Christmas. I spun 3 rod and 2 main bearings in Bismark ND on the way back and had to have a buddy's dad tow me home. This was way before cell phones and I was a broke college kid with a Texaco card and a $100 bill in my pocket as emergency money. Do it, and take the oldest coolist car you have so 20 years from now you can look back and tell everyone great stories.

Life is not about how many breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away...

 

Taking the oldie (car) means that you will have people interested in where you're going and what you're up to. If it breaks down, folks will help you out. Just be sure to have enough time and a little reserve $ just in case. You'll never forget a trip like this, take some pics and tell us how it turns out.

 

I believe he said it would be in December. I just took a quick look through some online weather records, and confirmed my recollection that December 2006 was pretty mild. A lot of days were above zero, so he may be fortunate enough to avoid the extreme cold.

Come to think of it, I only remember having to plug in my daily driver a few times over the entire winter. There were a few cold snaps, but overall it was fairly warm. -30 C was definitely not the norm. We did get a LOT of snow though.

Incidentally, I have ridden a bicycle in January. My cutoff was -20 C...

 

That's the way I always head but it's a bitch through the winter - up and over the Parkway through Radium Hot Springs can be a treacherous route and it's often closed due to avalanches or warnings!

I did try the route through Edson/Hinton/Jasper/Valemount/Kamloops and the Coquihalla to Abbotsford to deliver a '33 Ford to the border (for our own Flyrite Jason Kidd!), it was late spring (still snowy/slushy and slick) but lots of fun!

Whatever you choose, enjoy the journey - I've done too many full speed ahead, get there as quick as you can trips without appreciating what there is along the way. And if your plan is to rekindle an old flame at the same time, go for it (the love for a girl beats the love for old cars any day) - if you really want to and don't you will regret that your entire life - please don't ask me how I know...

Steve

 

Take it from one close to 60 years old. Even the fond memory of a bad trip is vastly

superior​

to the regret of one not taken. All you really have at the end, is

memories​

.
I'm about 40 miles North of San Francisco, I spent a month in your

beautiful​

country around 25 years ago. I have never

experienced​

such warm, and

hospital​

people.
If you make the trip, I have plenty of room, meals, tools, what ever you need.

 

hot1947... I can;t get over how cool the poeple on these boards are. Everyone is willing to help everyone else out at a moments notice it seems.

I'm not going to rule this trip out yet, as i still want to go... but she'll take some convincing... and if not this winter, them perhaps in the spring I'll manage to lure some other firend into the '53 and I'll make it down there... who knows?

 

Well if it is not TOO SHORT of notice for her, and you, we are going down I believe the last week of October! Hell-- us, and you guys (yeah we don't know each other) but maybe she will have some one to talk to during the breakdowns (MY WIFE) if there are any?!?!? and we we will be taking our 2 Y/O little girl, so we will be taking it slow!!...JUST A THOUGHT!!!! Ken

 

I appreciate it, but I'm not sure work will let me take off the time so soon

perhaps some day though