Highway cruising speeds of 50's cars.

Ok,there were a few sections of good highway, in one part of the country, in 1954.

Get out on some old two lane county roads, you'll see what most highways were like back then.

 

My 55 Lincoln is comfortable even at 80 mph. I drive it frequently on my 20 mile commute up I-30 and have no trouble keeping in traffic.

I have made a few upgrades like a dual m/c (with the stock drums), a modern replacement carburetor in place of the "teapot" carb, and a THM 350 trans.

None the less, while I have a lot of confidence in the car being able to make a long trip, it always sticks in my mind that if I have something like a water pump go south, I will be stuck for days and pay a lot to get the parts as close to "right now" as possible.

That aside, you could take the $600, $700, $900, or $1,200 that you would spend for shipping and use it as if it is "travel insurance". (I am thinking closer to the $1,200 figure, it is a hearse, and will take a lot of space on a trailer....)

I would probably take the risk in a good running car.

 

Been driving TX and S-CA freeways since 1995 with my daily drivers without overdrive and 3.55 rears. Thousands of miles. Typical speed about 65-70mph and 2500-3000 rpm.
Stock drum brakes and master cylinder are not a problem, if you drive safely and keep a good distance between the cars in front.
Engine timing, brakes, wheel alignment and balancing is important and just basically get everything adjusted and lubed as accurately to manual specs as possible.
Also use good motor oil at the recommended SAE grade and one grade higher for older worn engines during the summer.
If your transmission has brass parts, use only GL-4 rated gear oil.
Also de-scale and de-rust your cooling system, if this hasn't been done in many years.

I recommend a few shorter freeway trips before you go on longer stretches.
On the freeway you will find out all the things (big and small) about your ride that still need adjusting, tightening, tweaking and fixing, including fasteners and door and hood adjustments, wipers etc.
It's quiet a different task setting up an older car safely for longer distance freeway trips versus cruising short trips around town every now and then.
You can get away with a lot of stuff for years in city driving, which will give a lot of troubles and can get dangerous very quickly on the freeways.

 

I've been known to bomb along at 70 on the two-lane country roads if they're straight and relatively level - and did it in that same old Pontiac when I drove it, too. I don't mean the numbered state roads, either - some of them didn't even have yellow lines painted down the middle.

But I doubt that the NYS Thruway was the only interstate operating anywhere in 1954, although the boom really was just starting then. Been too long since I looked at the history thing in one of the rest areas to remember the details - it may have been entirely completed in 1954, from NYC to Buffalo anyhow.

 

By converting from kilometers to miles, it seems that I'm used to cruise somewhere around 75mph with my '55 Ford Country Wagon (stock 312 Y block & manual 3 speed transmission)

 

My 1956 Ford with a 292 would cruise quite well at 70 MPH...........from gas station to gas station! (Actually about 12 MPG).

Like others have mentioned, go over everything. We used to a box in the trunk with points, condenser, rotor, distributer cap, at least one of each belt, and at least one of each radiator hose; and sufficient tools to change any of the these items.

I would really want to check the tires, and would continue to monitor tire temperature each time I stopped.

Jon.

 

you have class my man

 

CO based logistics company I've used charges .75/mile for open transport, inop and oversize included. 890 miles from Tucson to Austin equals $667.

 

My ol 48 dodge wants to run about 55 and never had a problem out of it.

 

My '50 Chev has the original 216, 3spd, and 4.11's in the rear. Anything over 55 and it's telling me nooooo! I have a early 50's Pontiac torque tube rear I'm planning on swapping in this year with some 3.6something gears so should be a little easier on the highway.

 

Yuppers plus a few extras wouldn't hurt.

Oil and filter change
new fuel filter plus carry an extra fuel filter or two.
New belts and hoses
Pack the front wheels and check the brakes over closely.
Check the suspension over and give it a good grease job.
I'd change the fluid in the trans and rear end on an unknown car before taking off.
make sure that the tires are up to a road trip of that magnitude.

Don't worry about setting speed records for crossing the southwest US, Alex already holds those. drive 55-60 and enjoy the trip. The Cad is up to a lot faster pace if the bearings and other internals in the engine are in good shape but a car that old may have been sitting for long periods of time and the bearings might not take serious speed while they will be ok at lower speeds.

 

The biggest difference in those older cars and the modern ones, ISN'T what speeds they were capable of running, but how long (miles) they would run those speeds before they needed overhaul.

In 1964, when I was in the Navy I drove a '57 Chevy Bel Air, 265,stick, 3.70 rear end, from my home in Missouri to Long Beach, CA, where I was home ported at 70mph or a lttle more, whenever I wasn't refueling myself or the car. But I digress.

In the 30's, 40's and 50's, it was not uncommon to do a overhaul at 50,000 miles.
The combination of less effective lubricants, less precise manufacturing and much lower gearing lead to a lot of wear.

Ray

 

that sounds like my kind of road trip. Just think of all the rubbernecker's that will be checking you out. Take a few days off with breakdown time allowed and have a blast.

 

I never watch the speedo in an old car. It's been said on here and it's right, they all have a sweet spot (usually 55-60) and thats what you should pay attention to, not what the speedo says. You can do 70 or 80 all day long, but that motor won't be around for very many days to tell about it. Even with 3.26 gears in my chevy, I can't do much over 60 or im in the 3500 to 4000 range. Never had a 50's car that liked anything more than 60. The best way to save an old car is to pull out the stock, low gears and send em to the scrap yard.

 

What kind of 50s cars did you have, Crosleys? Metropolitans? Criminy, a good Model A will do 50 for miles on end. My stock 25 T would run 45 all day long

 

100 mph was easy.....back in 1956 farm states allowed license's for 14 year olds. On a trip between the Dakotas and Southern Illinois, I was driving my moms 55 Buick Super Riviera on the Kansas Turnpike. The speed limit was 80 mph...! As I doing 80, cars kept passing by. My mom could not see the speedometer from the passengers seat as I slowly eased it up to keep up with traffic.(now traffic was not very heavy, you know, a car every now and then) I was doing 100 mph..! We were only on the Turnpike far about 70 miles or so.

I had been doing over a 100 mph before(a differnet time at night in my home state) when I passed a cop handing out a ticket along side the road...he came after me and stoped me, but only gave me a warning because he had no idea how fast I was going (before radar, besides he was standing outside his car). Yes, I was young and foolish.

 

I guess I'll chime in...

My dad would always like to brag that his '57 Chevy (with a 6 banger) would run 75 MPH all day long .....

My Uncle Mike bought two new Lincolns every year (one for him one for my Aunt) and a new Edsel or Mercury for his older kids to drive.

I remember his '60 Lincoln with the 430 engine. He lived in Shawano, WI. Six of us would climb into that beast and we'd head to Wausau for a Friday night Fish Fry... on two lane WI 29 he'd peg the needle at about 120 then fall asleep at the wheel!!! My Aunt Ann would have to poke him to wake him up!!!

Mike's problem was caused by the three beers and three brandy's he drank before we headed out... On the way home (30 miles) we'd make three tavern stops... nothing unusual about that either. Just the way it was.

 

I say check it out then go for it. There is nothing better than cruising an old 50's car. Besides, if something drastic happens and it kills you at least when you get to the pearly gates you can tell them you were in a hearse hahahahaha!

 

TIRES look close at all of them If they show ANY signs of dry rot replace them before cruzin at any highway speed. I had tires on my custom that were only 8 years old and looked new but after I read on the Hamb about guys crashing there cars during a blowout from dry rot tires I checked mine and yes a crack all around next to the inner bead.Off they came with new ones installed before I took my next road trip. Man this HAMB is great, could of saved my car from problems later.

 

Your 56 weighed about what 3,500lbs., that's what a V-6 powered Honda Accord weighs. Cars are heavier now than then. New Chargers are weighing over 5,000 lbs. or right around what a '57 Caddy 4 door weighed.

 

just go......the car will let you know what speed it likes...just don't beat it up by thinking it will keep up with newer cars...it might do it for a short while but then it will certainly let you know that it is a senior car.....take it easy and it will go anywhere you want to go.

 

Gotta 52 ford customline with the stock flathead, 3 speed, rear end and drums on all 4 corners. It goes down the freeway at 65/70 mph all day long. You'll find out quick what speed your cars comfortable at. Good luck!

 

I don't know where the idea comes from that these older cars won't go fast. My Dad drove a 57 chev sedan delivery with a 235 6cyl and three speed up and down Interstate 94 between La Crosse and Milwaukee at 75 to 80 mph all the time. He had the speeding tickets to prove it. One time when I was with him he wanted to see if it would get to 120, and it did. Mom's 55 6 stick would hit 80 pretty easily.

 

I've driven my '56 Cadillac from Montreal,Canada to Las Vegas,NV this spring. My average speed was 70mph. No problems here. That was a 6000 mile round trip. Buick,Oldses and Cadillacs of the 50s are perfect highway cruisers.

 

I lived in that period of time and always get a laugh about people thinking the old cars couldn't make it over 70. Running 80 on the highway was only when women were in the car. I was 16 and drove across the country in a 56 chevy and have a ticket for proof of 95+ reckless driving.
If you can afford the gas, they will fly.
Grandma used to say, I can ride as fast as you can drive, son.

 

Mine is Comfortable at 55 /60.. theres more pedal for more.. But it starts to want to wander a bit.. I dont like that feeling..

 

When I was 15 I started driving the family 47 Dodge home from family get togethers etc. [when Pops wasnt in the best condition to drive]. Used to sneak it up over 70 but he could tell when I did cuz the speedo was one of the kind that changed background colors, and it would have a red tint. Drove it a lot over 70, and the fastest I ever got it was 95! Them little flattys used to get a second wind at about 75???? that was around 1955, I had no idea that it might be overtaxing the engine gggg
that ol Dodge was a dependable car.

my first car was a model A and it would do 65 on the flat but going down Cajon Pass it was buzzin at 75.

 

You suppose the original poster made it on his trip since January?

 

No doubt true... but this is one of the most un-funny tales I've heard in awhile, all our loving parents aside. Sad to say, people still do this - not lifting even a little thru construction zones full of uneven pavement, shifting lanes, slow moving vehicles, etc. - despite threats of double speeding fines, and so on. The very reason we have construction zones today is that so many workers have been killed in the past, and are still being killed today by reckless drivers. Real life isn't a smack the mole game or a slapstick movie, afterall. I like to drive fast, too, just ask my friends. But poor SA (situational awareness) isn't the best way to go thru life and is often not all that humorous. Off the soap box, back into the crowd. Gary

 

Assuming that it can only go 50 miles per hour, it wouldn't take you that much longer to get there than it would in a modern car.

Tucson, AZ to Austin, Tx = 900 miles

900 miles / 70 miles per hour = 13 hours

900 miles / 50 miles per hour = 18 hours

It would take you 5 hours longer, but you would still get there.

If it goes 60 miles per hour, you're only 2.5 hours slower.

Relax. Enjoy the ride. The fast cars will be in the fast lane and no one will care if you're only going 50 in the slow lane - especially if you're wearing a tux and zombie make up in an antique hearse!

Hang one of these out the back door:

http://shop.twistedgrins.com/fake-arm-hand-prop/