Projects Drive it, or ship it?

I've just recently moved to Michigan from NYC and need to get my car(s) out here. It's a 9-ish hour drive mostly on I-80. I've never shipped a car before and I don't know much about pricing or even who I'd trust with it. On one hand I swing a flight back, a night at a motel, gas, and food and make a trip out of it or get it shipped to my door. The car is pretty reliable (knock on wood) so I'm not worried about it making the trip, I'm trying to determine what's more cost-effective. It's a '56 Chevy 210 with a 350/350, it's got 3.90 gears that aren't exactly ideal for the trip but I can comfortably maintain 60-65mph.

 

Hell, I thought it was a lightweight fad T! Drive it like a new car.

It was a new car when I was driving my '32 to High School...and NOW, it's got that updated 350/350...Bolt on some TALL rear wheels/tires for the trip back. (improve the gearing...)
If that was my '54 Ford Coupe, I wouldn't let it out of my sight! Drive it, man. And keep an eye on it.

 

that would be a long trip on 3.90 gears. I would rent a truck and trailer and tow it before I would ship it.

 

Fly and drive man, take your time on the drive and enjoy it

 

It's great to have options, but for me, I'd drive it.
Don't see any point having a cool old ride, and not using it.
If you do drive it, chances are, it'll be a road trip to remember, even at only nine hours.

 

Fly back, bolt on some taller rear tires and drive home. Sleep in the back. Or in the dirt beside the car.

 

Nine hours, pfft. That's just around the corner. I drove mine 3800 miles in 5 days, from Orlando, FL to Portland, OR. Check out the road trip thread here:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/fly-in-drive-home-or-3800-miles-in-a-hotrod.696444/

 

I drove a 65 Malibu with 4:56 gears and G-60-14 tires from Pa to Denver and back.
What is your question?
Edit.. Forgot to say it had a 327 and 2-4's and it was in 1978

 

1, Do a thorough preflight of the whole car- fluids, brakes, steering, hoses & belts, everything.
2. Then put it on jackstands and spend an hour underneath it with a handful of wrenches and check & tighten all the fasteners.
3. Assemble a toolkit including a spare tire, jack and fluids.
4. DRIVE IT to Michigan.

Unless of course it's a trailer queen...

 

Nobody will treat it as well as you will, drive carefully straight thru if it's only 9 hours. Will get damaged or worse yet stolen from a motel.

 

Nine hours? It takes me longer than that to get out of the state that I am in, sometimes.

That's a ride to LA.

Why aren't you on the road yet? Times a tickin'.

 

Stay off of I-80, and spend a couple days enjoying the trip and the car. In the past few years I've driven a bone stock 1956 New Yorker on a half-dozen 1500+ mile trips, with nary a thought of not driving it.

If it's a driver, drive it.

 

Hell nine hours is a day trip right! I drive my 390 geared 2 four Muncie 455 powered Olds that far quite a bit. Keep it around 2500rpm and it's smooth sailing. Do a good pretrip inspection and have a nice cool trip! Joe

 

3.90's are nothing........I drove my 27 with 4.30 gears 5 hours each way to Daytona a few times. You forget that a lot of cars in the 60's were running those and deeper gears right off the assembly line.

We just drove a Mustang my Son bought, from Philadelphia to Florida and it has 3.73 gears in it........20 hour trip non stop.

Jump in that baby and hit the road !

 

At the cost of gas...Drive and enjoy.

 

P.S. I'm planning on driving my Olds that far one way in May, to the Steel In Motion drags in South Carolina. Hell if an Olds can do I know a SBC can do it hands down! ENJOY the drive! Joe

 

I drive my Falcon, with 5.13's. 3.90's are nothing!

 

might consider weather conditions for a driving trip

 

Drive it and enjoy the car/trip. Never mind what's more cost effective.

Agree with Slopok on not wanting to park it at a Motel overnight. I'd drive straight through.

When I'm doing an all day drive, I leave early so I can arrive before nightfall. I wait until I'm good and hungry before fueling up the stomach. I'd leave at 5:00 AM and drive a good 3 hours, then stop for fuel and a good breakfast. That leaves you looking at 6 hours to go come 9:00AM.

 

You asked, so here's my two cents. I don't need an reason for a road trip, and you have a reason. My cars are insured. But I don't take chances I park at the Hotel lobby and ask them to keep an eye on it. being in a hurry isn't much fun. Try not to drive interstates .That way if you would have a problem it would be safer, than along side a Interstate. I don't like driving at night. For One you cant enjoy the sights and second its safer during the day. The reason we build them is to drive as much as we can. Keep in mine I live in the south and that may be different. And have a friends cell number, If I need help. Good Luck. RON...

 

Gasoline is almost free right now, too!

 

I like camping. You get to keep a closer eye on it and look and sit by it while you cook, drink beer, have a fire. Then cuddle up basically next to it. But that's me. If I had to move four cars though I might have em shipped. But four road trips sound better.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Why would you need to stop for the night on a 9 hour trip? Takes me about that long to get to the Bay area and I have done it many times in my driving career. But I wouldn't care to drive my nice ride over salt slush, ever.

 

As long as you don't have snow, I would pack about 5 sandwiches, a canteen of water and I would drive straight through. I have never had any problems at motels with any of my cars so that doesn't bother me to stay overnight either. That's an easy drive at 60 or 65 mph and like everyone said, gas is cheap right now so this is a great chance to have a wonderful drive in your car. I've done many trips like this, unless your real old and have lost some nerve like me these days.

 

Drive it! Drove a 62 Cad from Tampa to Cleveland, non stop

 

What he said , Me I'd wait a couple of months for the weather to get nice & drive it back on a weekend .... not on the interstate ...enjoy the ride ... rode trip ya !! that's what the car was for wasn't it ?

 

Wait until Spring.

 

Ok so you guys talked me into it! I wasn't crazy about the idea of handing my car over to a stranger anyway to be honest. I was checking the map and if I stay off the interstate then the trip will be 15 hours give or take which is a bit longer but will definitely be easier on the car. I like the idea of camping out for the night so I can be close to the car and save some cash. And 37Hotrod, I read through your trip and it looked like a fun time despite the problems you faced.

 

Have a safe trip.