Hot Rods Driving an old car cross country in the winter-how crazy am I?

here is a little nyc driving story. out of state plates
back in the 90's there was a bunch of car jacking in the city. the thieves would "bump" into the back of your car and when you got out they took your car. a good friend of mine, a really good stock car driver and absolute lunatic [if you lit his short fuse] was driving in the city one evening with his wife and another couple when he was bumped at a light. he pulled his suburban forward but was bumped again. the guy in his back seat tells him that this could be a car jacking, he replies "ohh yeah?"
fuse lit
"hold on"
pulls lever into four wheel drive........ light turns green he steps on the gas, gets to the middle of the intersection hits the brakes and throws it into reverse. the "car jacker" had stepped on the gas also but did not have time to react. class 1 receiver hitch meets import car bumper/grill/hood and the gaspedal wasn't lifted till the rear of the truck met windshield. when he pulled away the car was a steamy pile of junk.

 

Just give it a good cleaning when you get back.

 

Got to see the car up close and personal at B'ville, nice job. As far as driving it to NYC, most uninformed folks think us hot rodders are nuts anyway so go for it. Just make sure you have lots of warm blankets and such in case you hit a storm and are forced to spend a few hours stuck in traffic and can't exit. Wash the undercarriage just like you would do when getting home from the real salt. By the way, I too was a mentor for my son's robotics club when he went to high school. Great experience ALL around. We even planted some seeds of future hot rodding in a few kids. ENJOY!!!

 

NYC weather in early March is a crap shoot, so is anywhere else along the way on Route 80. Driving in Manhattan is a nightmare with snow on the roads, so be warned! But it sounds like a good adventure and I'm sure it will go just fine.

 

Spray the entire undercarriage, and wheels wells with "Fluid Film", chainsaw bar oil or some type of oil rust spray. Install big mud flaps, when you back to dry sunshine pressure wash the entire underside and all wheel wells etc.
The oil spray will repel any salt, sand, grime if you have to drive through any, even wet salty roads are way worse then just snow, just snow is only water.... This ain't hard to do, with a undercoating gun or a large tipped elcheapo paint spray gun too....

 

Five pages, almost 100 posts, and no one has called shotgun yet? Sure, you're crazy, sounds like a fun trip. I'd love to ride along.

 

I'm glad you asked "How crazy am I?" instead of "Am I crazy?"

 

Not too crazy. Hope your team comes in First!

 

Be sure to have a solid Plan B. If you get stuck a couple of hundred miles out, particularly due to weather, how will you get the robot to the venue? Will there be an alternative form of transportation available? Will there be other coaches to handle your duties until you can get there? As much as I want to say 'go for it,' your primary responsibility is to the students.

 

Hero

 

Seriously, I wouldn't expose that neat '57 to the elements that can be March weather on this side of the country. Not when other options are easily at hand. April or May, hell yea go for it. The salt is relentless, and then some. Blizzard of '93 was the second week of March, btw. It was a bitch. I know you're famous for drivin' 'em, and this isn't what you probably want to hear. JMO & good luck if you go for it.

 

The St. Patricks Day blizzard of 1993... the only one I've seen that came with thunder and lightning.

 

So are you packing yet? As most people that live where they use the salt and brine on the roads can attest too. It isn't a ONE TIME use that affects a vehicle! It's the continuous daily use that gets the rust worms to hatching! So a one time trip and a good scrubbing when you get home and all will be well! Besides who knows could be a non issue never know! We were predicted to have 3 to 8 inches of snow last week and barley got a dusting! Be prepared as well as you can and ENJOY THE RIDE! Joe

 

I do have a plan B, if the suburban dies and can't be fixed in a day, I can put it in a storage locker and rent a minivan. Also the schedule has an extra day or so built in, the team is planning to go sightseeing the day after they travel, so I plan to arrive at the same time as them, but if I'm late, I'll miss out on a day of sightseeing. Plus the first day of the competition is all about getting the robots working, passing inspection, and a few practice matches. There have been times when a team's robot never got there, and other teams donated parts and helped the team build a robot in a day and compete with it. It's kind of a different world than we're used to...

 

Do it....But swing by and pick me up!

 

Sounds like you've got things covered Jim. Good luck, trip & competition both.
If this is what I'm thinking, will it be televised at some point?

 

There should be a webcast....some times there is, some times there isn't. It won't make TV.

 

That sounds almost as crazy as driving an altered wheelbase race car across the country.....I say go for it, the quality of cars you build, the last thing I'd be worried about is breaking down and it can be washed! What's the point if you don't drive them. If I was closer I'd be the official co-pilot for the trip in a heartbeat!

 

I'll echo the sentiments of those on here who have said to go for it. I would be a bit more hesitant to say so since you have a time obligation, but your truck is a solid mechanical specimen and you're very knowledgeable, so in the event an issue arose, you'd know what to do. Since you're coming from southern AZ, you can improve your chances of decent weather, or at least passable weather, by staying south as long as you can and cutting up north once you're on the east coast. I've made this drive before. Took I-40 east through Memphis and started to cut back up North from there, ultimately getting on I-95 and taking that all the way up to NYC.

 

WV and PA are very scenic especially if you do I70, I78. If you can do it during the day it is worth it.

 

I was thinking I-10 to I-20 to I-30 to I-40 then head north on 81. Weather permitting.

 

I'm just off Rt81 outside of Winchester VA, a full shop if you need it and a burger & fries if you don't.

 

I think we have already established that with the drag week thread!

 

Pack all the tools you can fit, jumper cables, 2 cans of Fix A Flat, a length of tow cable, your AAA card and a cell phone.
Have at it!

 

I think you should definitely make the trip. With all of the things you've pulled off, this should be just another trip to the store.
I guess the real question is, are they willing to put off the competition a few months so you can hit TROG on the way back?

Have a save and fun trip, and I hope the kids do well.

 

I-70 and I-78 are gorgeous out there, but I'd rather run west more southernly when I have an agenda and cut up north for only as long as I'd have to. From driving to Michigan for the Autorama every year in early March, I've realized that snow and ice can come out of nowhere regardless of what a forecast says. If you want to take that drive back out west, go for it

 

for inspiration, pick up and read Sean Wilsey' book MORE CURIOUS, he has a short story in it about his trip driving a 1961 chevy pickup from Marfa Texas to New York city. the truck was not restored, was worn out, and he didn't bring any tools. good story. the rancher he bought it from told him not to drive faster than 50 mph so he tried to keep to back roads but the guy that was riding with him needed to be back in Washington D.C. unexpectedly so he jumped on I40. I40 at the time was being redone so it was only one lane, but he stayed at his 50 mph, holding up traffic for miles. because it is a popular route for truckers he estimated he slowed the US economy down by millions of dollars.
his truck.

 

Expect the unexpected, and whatever the worse can be, if you can handle that, then all is good.
This could be a trip that is easy and smooth sailing or the "Ride from Hell", you can handle it, and there will be HAMBERS on the way.
Get yourself as ready and prepared as possible, and "Go For It, drove to work today, in blinding snow, it almost hypnotizes you when it hits your headlights, a 500 mile drive like that would be tiring, but a 30 mile drive not so bad.
Let the National Weather Service be your friend, and don't take big chances, if the weather turns ugly.
A GPS when running at night in a snow storm is a good friend, you can see every intersection and roadway long before you can actually see them, this I know.
Good luck, and keep the thread alive, as you travel, and of course take pics....

 

Hey, you can wear your new Drag Week jacket too!

 

As long as you have a good mechanic and driver along, why not?
Cover the inside of windows while in parking garage, if there is anything inside. I found this out the hard way in Denver. They got my tools and all my black clothing.