How far have you gone to pick up a new project?

From Cleburne, TX to Pryor, OK- about 6 hours one-way. I'd be willing to go farther for the right item.

 

Denver to Casper Wy. about 300 miles one way to check out a real POS 34 Ford coupe that was really overstated on its shape and "professional" metal work. I returned home empty but got to visit some friends. Turned into just a road trip.
St.Rod, great pic on your gas pump & other toys.

 

From Binghamton, NY to Tularosa, NM and back. I took my family out there with an empty trailer to visit my sister and her family with the intentions on finding a solid project car and I ended upwith a 41 Plymouth Business coupe that was well worth the trip. On the way back through we stopped at the rest area in Texas and my oldest son has been hooked on moving there that trip was 5 yrs ago and still to this day he tells me he is going to move to Texas when he grows up he is 9 yrs old now.

 

iowa to tuscon az last week to get a 64 chevelle
LONG DRIVE but well worth it

 

never over an hour, i always get the my buddy deals, i am a sucker for em

 

Cincinnati to iola ks. for a model t sedan, cincinnati to st.paul mn. for a model a sedan. both worth it for the road trip and project cars.

 

about 3 1/2 hours, form North of Dallas to Austin. Drove it home and didn't realize there was no spare until I got home...

 

Smart Kid

 

1200 miles... Hollywood Florida to Cleveland Ohio. Drove her home. No spare, no jack, and learned the owner drove the car around the block 3 or 4 times in the 3 years he owned it.

she never so much as hic-upped

 

First I wouldn't use a car dolly to go around the block. Seen to many go into a tank slapper and cause the tow vehicle to wreck. I know many have used them successfully, but i still won't

Orange County to Vegas for a 61 F100, up and back same day. 9 hours
Orange County to Phoenix, 3 different times (Dode GLH, 62 Ranchero, 47 Ford COE), all same day 15 hours
Orange County to Visalia, 64 Nova SS, Same day, 10 hours
Orange County to Portland, 27 T Roadster with 72 Mercedes towed up as trade 2000 miles, 36 hours
Orange County to Kentucky, 56 Fairlane, with above Nova as trade, 3 1/2 days , 4160 miles round trip By myself, no other drivers and was only at his joint for about 40 minutes.

 

Went to northern Germany from Milano (around 800+ miles one way) in one afternoon (no speed limits on german highways...) to look at a 70 Challenger . Everything was ready to pick up the car, lots of spares in the car, big bundle of deutsche mark to pay the car. Looked at the Challenger early in the morning, took us 5 minutes to say "no thanks" without even starting or driving the car. The owner was so depressed that we left without even starting the car.....was such a POS....wouldn't even sit inside the car.....and in the evening we were back home.

 

Round trip from Sterling Heights, MI to South Lake Tahoe, CA. 4500+ miles over 5 days. Towed my Daytona back on a tow dolly with no problems. It was a roller with no engine or transmission. Costs to drive out and back $500. Cost for the rust free car? $800. Better than spending $2K or $3K on body work. I got a LOT of digital pictures before making that trip.

Watch the weight of what you're towing. With a full-size car, l might try to find a trailer. I did my towing with my Ford Ranger (24 MPG going and 19 MPG coming back). The car was only 2500 lbs. I'd also use a full-size truck when hauling an Impala.

 

1,121 miles, 18 hrs., one way.

 

reno nv to
las vegas nv
now i know all you east coast guys think that they are the same place but no they are about 425 miles apart .. drove down picked it up slept for 9 hrs and then back.. total of 24 hrs..
i did this back when fuel prices were at there highest (so far) so it cost me almost as much in fuel as it did to buy the car.. (26 chrysler)

 

1700 miles one way from Denton Texas to Brainerd Minnesota. Stayed 2 hours, made the whole trip in 40 hours. Three drivers nonstop road time. Right before the bridge collapse too. A day later and we would have been on it when it fell according to our timeline. =God does love Model A's [].

 

Australia to Victoria Texas and towed my 55 desoto back to Longbeach California to ship home, along with a few parts, dunno how many miles but its a long way...

 

Hmmm...For one of my projects Omaha, NE to Belgrade, NE 4-5hrs round trip every weekend except for about 3 for the past 5 summers...I can tell you it's all been worth it...Heading out tomorow to go pick up a Dodge Bros. Frame and a '26 Willys Whippet body..and most likely a whole trailer load of other random cool shit...

The place we go to is an old farm, started around 1920, and everything they had from 1920 until about 30yrs ago is still there...Tons actual tons of old tools, about 40 old cars (none newer than '72 most older than '41), 30 antique tractors (John Deeres and IH's/Farmalls) And lots of really cool antiques and little trinkets...Plus lots of parts, NOS parts from their repair shop, furniture, implements, on and on and on...Very cool place, every time you go there it's like your stepping back into time...Walking into the blacksmith shop is like jumping back into the 30's...Lots of big hand tools (drill presses, mills, forge, things that were hand crank) switched over to run off a hit n' miss engine...It's gonna be sad when it's turned into another corn field..

 

Mine was from NE Ga to SE Colorado. 3800 round trip. Anything you can go to and back home in one day to me is a short trip. Dollies are for around town. Any further, definitely use a trailer. I agree with others rent one way. Find out who rents them near where you are going. If you decide you want the vehicle, measure it to make sure that it will fit. DO NOT TELL U-Haul what you are going to haul, if it is a beast of a ride. They will not rent to you. Tell them it is a Honda or something like that. Most of the Dual axle trailers will handle the weight. Make sure that your tow rig will first. Take your time.

 

From San Diego to Oakland and back in one day. Drove with some friends who dropped me off in Oakland picked up my car, a 57 chevy that had been in storage for years. The guy I was buying it from had only driven it around the block. Took it to the auto parts store and topped off all the fluids and put in a few new bulbs, filled it full of fuel and said goodbuy to my friends and headed for San Diego. Only had one problem with tires rubbing which I eventually cured with some fender washers from Home Depot. 24 hours after I left the house I pulled the 57 into the driveway. 1000 miles in one day.
Rick

 

delete

 

drove from Charleston SC to the top of NY to get one car and to the top of Penn to get another.. oh and from SC to Oregon to get my wagon.. I never seem to find projects near my house (my model A sedan was the closest at 2 hrs..

 

I leave Idaho in about 30 minutes to drive to Salt lake city, crash over night at family's, then continue on to Santaquin tommorow morning. Load up my new 55, then drive to Logan, Utah to load up the 427 big block I bought, then through Preston Idaho and back up home...going to be a long weekend!!!

 

I've made the trip from here (Bflo. NY) to the bootheel of Mo. a couple times to bring back cars 15-16 hrs. one way and yes I've used a car dolly that far before.

 

drove 4550 miles round trip from louisville ky to portervill cali took 4 days 1400 in fuel but was worth it for a rust free 59 impala

 

I did the Ct to Northern TX run by myself, 1800 odd miles one way. Most of it well above legal speed limits. I only stopped for diesel and a quick bathroom break when needed Here's a couple pics from about an hour after I picked it up, just checking to make sure the straps were still tight.

 

Went about 425 miles one way to pick up my 1959 AJS Model 31 (Brit Bike) project in the middle of New York. Whole way there they were talking on the radio about some huge blizzard heading for Buffalo. I had no idea how close I was to Buffalo so I put the hammer down trying to avoid it. Got there and they told me I wasn't really ever to close but I loaded up an flew back in some pretty heavy snow at times.

 

Cincinnati to Houston which is 1200 miles one and drove it straight thru only stoping for fuel 3 times. It took me 18 Hours, all that for just a frame for my '55 F100. Also It was just an excuse for a mini Vaca.

 

farthest i've gone is utah,,,,flew in and drove home to jersey in a 58 chevy..

 

All local for me: bought my '40 Chevy Special Deluxe coupe from a shop in the 'hood here in Long Beach in 1989; didn't run. Towed by Auto Club. Bought a '67 Dodge Coronet 440 from a buddy here; bought a '51 Studebaker Land Cruiser from a guy on Atlantic and Willow. Both ran.

Bought my '63 Falcon Sprint from a guy in Commerce at, like, 9 at night--looking at it with a flashlight. Bad idea, but it chirped in second.

Bought my '30 Ford Model A Coupe from a tow yard in Whittier. They delivered it. Did not run.

Bought a '60 Comet two-door wagon from an estate sale in Downey. It had sat out behind a farmhouse for years and it needed a tailgate and a side window--both of which I found. Otherwise? Didn't run but totally rustfree. Flatbedded by Auto Club. Wish I still had it. I'd kill to get that thing back.

Then ... had a '51 Ford two-door sedan for about a minute. Local again.

And that was it until I got my '49 Ford Club Coupe from a guy in La Puente--and no, his name wasn't Chewie; but yes, I do hate Rick Dees, thanks for asking.

 

There are a few Australians I know that went to the US to pick up a car. From Melbourne it was about a one way trip of 12,500 miles, then return puts them in the 25,000 mile region.

Doc.