Projects Fly in, Drive home in my late Dads car. Attempting 2000 miles

I'm not counting that as a breakdown. That's just crap gas boiling.

 

yup, pretty common these days....my new slightly-off-topic slant 6 has that problem

 

The next big adventure was winding up and down and up and down finally reaching about 6,000 foot elevation, then winding down and around to the bottom of the salt River canyon, then climbing back out and up to show low with an elevation of about 7500 ft. The car performed flawlessly through all of that.

 

Awesome!

 

Sorry to hear about your dad. My brother just passed away this A M but I am not able to travel back east to help out if needed but I doubt it.
This trip is a great tribute to your dad & the ol vair is really gettin with the program. Great picture that you posted.
Our thoughts & prayers will be with you. Keep you windshield wipers in good condition.

 

Pulling down about 21 miles per gallon so far. That's driving mostly about the speed limit, sometimes 5 over. I've had it up to 80 when I was passing somebody but if I don't look at the speedometer and just drive what it feels like I should be going and then I look down I'm usually doing about 65.

I'm in Socorro New Mexico now, stopped for a little break. Then I'll put in a couple more hour and stop for the night just after dark.

 

I wonder if you can get ethanol free gas? They call it rec 90 around here and its used in boats, etc. I think it wouldn't vapor lock so easily? Hopefully it will be better at lower elevations. Love your thread, I'm following!!!

 

If possible add in an inline electric pump near the tank with switch for the "new" gas it has never seen before if you are in altitude and high temps.

 

Great pictures. Been there with a Semi loaded to 80,000 lbs.

Ben

 

A great start! Have you thought about removing the coil wire at night in the hotel parking lot?

 

What an awesome adventure and tribute to your dad! This is the kind of thing real car guys do.

 

Amen. Just something about driving an old car on a trip like this clears your head and helps you work through stuff. Nothing quite like it that I have found.

 

A definite Kodak moment just showed up in the rearview mirror so I had to stop!

 

Fun little cars to drive. There's a neat old motel in Santa Fe...the King's Rest. They have some carports.

 

you probably don't want to spend the night in Albuquerque

 

Some cool retro motels near Old Town that are quite safe and you can wander a short distance for drinks and food in Old Town. We stayed at the Monterey Motel a couple of times but there are a few hsitoric ones in the area.

 

Loving this thread ... really appreciating the updates as well

 

Great trip sorry Cam couldn’t make it but totally understand about commitments. May your dad Rest In Peace love what your able to do with the car. I’m sure he’s smiling down at you making the cross country in his car.

 

Go Man go !!!

 

Talk about the little car, and guy, that could! A perfect blend of the family spirit... Between a Father and his Son. Perfect... You done good- Keep it going!!!

 

How far did you drive before calling it a day? HRP

 

Been following along and glad to hear the car is fixed and running good. Thanks for taking us along the adventure.

 

"...I got the fuel pump cooled down, and with a couple of attempts at starting with the starting fluid it took off. I carefully left town, prepared for it to stall again but it did not. Seems to be running fine so far.

This should be less of a problem as you get north

If the vapor lock persists, try a fuel filter with a return line.


WIX 33040 - for 5/16" fuel line - return to tank is 1/4" if i I remember correctly

I've had good luck with this filter. It gets mounted up high (near a carb), with the return line to the fuel tank highest. It helps keep some flow through the fuel pump - and any vapor produced goes out the return line.

Russ

 

Take that Ralphie...

Looks like an Ad from the past...perfect!

 

The spirit of " Lee Marvin " ( Ben Rumson ), is very pleased with the intrepid Corvair's performance today!

 

Great journey, thanks for documenting.
If you need anything around Albuquerque message me.

 

Man my heart sunk a little when I saw that pic with the hood and frunk open on the side of the road, but it looks like you're doing great!! Keep the posts coming, love seeing all the great places you're going.

 

Neat.

 

My condolences for the loss of your Dad, no doubt he was proud of you and is riding with you, unseen, in the shotgun seat where Cam would have been, if able.

 

Haha,
old Ben Rumson went to town;
Riding on a pony;
Bought himself a Mormon girl;
And called it matrimony!

Thanks HAMBers for all the well wishes. It means a lot to me. I'm stopped for the night at the Bel Air motel. A quaint old timey place. The car is parked about 4 ft from my motel door so I feel pretty safe about it. I think I will pull the battery cable and the coil wire though.
I drove 507 miles today. Dad's earthly remains rode on the passenger seat in an urn, he is going back to Minnesota as well.
After the salt River canyon, I stopped in Showlow for some gas. I checked the oil and it was getting down close to the ad mark so I decided to put in a half a quart. When I went to pour in the Valvoline VR1, I saw it was a different color than usual. When I looked at the bottle yikes! It was synthetic. I didn't realize that they had given me synthetic when I bought it at Napa. No wonder it was so expensive. So I didn't put any in. Then I saw there was a napa across the street, so I walked over there and exchanged the synthetic oil for regular oil. I also picked up a couple of fuel filters because I forgot the ones that I had bought at my dad's house.

Regarding the vapor lock, you guys have some great suggestions. I did bring an electric fuel pump, some hose, clamps, wire, and a switch. So if it gets to be too much of a nuisance, I can hook that up. But it really wasn't too big of a deal. It would be nice to try some non oxygenated gas. I will if I see any.
Next I stopped in springerville Arizona to check out a vintage monument to the pioneers that was erected in 1928. While I was there I saw some vintage tin behind a fence.
After crossing into New Mexico I stopped at a old time rest area for a quick break.

The next stop was at Pie Town New Mexico on the Continental Divide, elevation 7796 ft. My wife has told me that she is going to engrave on my tombstone "if there was pie, he ate it". So of course I had to stop and get pie. They had a little pie there that said "New Mexico apple pie on it." I like apple pie, so I bought it. Later when I went to eat it I discovered it had lots of peppers mixed in with the apples. It wasn't a very good combination in my opinion, so I mostly just ate the crust.
Then continued on to Socorro New Mexico, stopped for a quick bite to eat, and then continued on for about two more hours to the Bel Air motel.
I guess maybe I should have gone interstate 10 instead of back roads. A bunch of billboards told me that I missed seeing "the thing". I don't know what "the thing" is, but with all of the billboards it must be pretty special.
Driving at night I noticed 3 things: first is that my backup lights were on all the time. Woe to those behind me. Second is that when I'd switch from high beam to low beam and vice versa, sometimes the switch would kind of stick in the middle and it would go dark. I would have to tap up and down on the switch to get light. That was a little bit scary. Also the left rear blinker quit, causing the front blinker just to stay on steady.

I did stop and feel the axles, axle bearings, break backing plates, and drums for heat a few times during the day. It always felt normal temperature, nothing was getting hot. That made me feel good, I don't think I have a wheel bearing going out or anything even though they seem to be a little bit noisy back there.
After I got checked into the motel I changed the bulb in the left rear blinker, but it didn't do any good. Another trip under the dash to the blinker switch, working it back and forth while I sprayed some WD-40 into it solved that problem. And I took the dimmer switch out and soaked it with WD-40 maneuvering it around to get it worked inside. That solved that issue, it operates nice and smoothly now. For the backup lights I just took the bulbs out. I'm going to try and make it up to Castle Rock Colorado tomorrow afternoon to visit a friend there, then up to Parker Colorado and planning to spend the night at my cousin's place there.