Hot Rods Trust miles-how do you handle?

Question. I finally have my Desoto back on the ground from doing the disc brakes, interior and a myriad of small things. I have let it run for long periods of time at my house and have zero mechanical issues, doesn't overheat, runs great, etc. I have been driving it around my neighborhood for about 25 miles. The Golden cruise here in CO is this Saturday and I want to take it but hesitant about the distance (about 25 miles each way). How do you guys handle "trust" miles after doing so much work on a car? Do you go for it? Thanks for the insight.

 

Grab your tools and go

 

With the confidence that since I built the car, I can also fix it. Or maybe that should be called stupidity, not confidence.

Anyways....do Drag Week a few times, a 25 mile jaunt is nothing. Nothing at all.

 

Well that's one hell of a cool looking cruiser man. Good job !

I always pick a low traffic, and high friends available day to iron out my stuff. Preferably a highway run first, for speed gyrations and safety tracking issues to show themselves....wind thru the grille always helps cooling. Once that passes with no issues.....a good city run....near my home base, with a full tank of gas....always breaks the ice to smithereens for me. Good brakes, start and stop, ignition, carburetion, etc.....always seem to be tested in traffic. After that, you're golden. If in doubt, add towing to your policy......

Sounds like you are more then ready for your 25 miler, two way adventure....no biggie really. Good luck with everything. That Desoto is way cool.

 

From my prospective you have enough miles to feel confident to drive your car 50 miles,if it just sits in the driveway it's just a piece of static art.

Drive the car to the show with the attitude that nothing is going to go wrong but take a few tools just in case. HRP

 

You've driven it around a few miles and all seems well. So, go for it. Take the less traveled roads so as to avoid Interstates and expressways. Enjoy the ride. Take some general tools you might need and a cell phone. Have fun.

 

I always go with an attitude of what's the worse thing that can happen...Something fails I can either fix it on the road of tow it. Sure it can be a pain in the ass but no big deal either way. Just enjoy the car.

 

Just get in it and GO! Oh, join AAA and get the extended mileage towing option.

 

And travel with other car folks.Plus its more fun.

 

Hi. Go for it. I picked up my Chevy coupe in my avitar last September and drove it daily to get the feel for how it was running. Made 1 car show & then took in on our AACA chapter fall 2 day tour covering just under 200 miles with no problems.
Then about 2 weeks later around Thanksgiving the old 216 engine thrashed coming down my driveway from the mailbox. Stuff happens.
It has taken forever getting another engine & doing a total rebuild as my mechanic is beyond slow but does great work. It is supposed to be back on the road next week. He is trailering it to muffler shop today to get new pipes & mufflers and when he gets it back he just has to run in the new cam & lifters and take care of 2 minor brake issues (flex hoses & stuck parking brake lever) & I get it back.
I have been beside myself all year awaiting getting it back and missed many shows, tours & car events around the area. At least I should not miss much of anything in the future & I am really raring to go as there are many area events that I can participate in with the AACA, VCCA, Inliners & the HAMB as I am a member of all.

Good luck with the car & TAKE THE CRUISE.
Jimmie

 

As long as you feel confident in the brake system to stop you in an emergency, take a few tools to help you get going again just in case. The more you drive it, the more confident you'll feel.

We were heading back from steel in motion this past May and I had a complete brake failure in the Mercury. No pedal, approaching a stop light at 45-50 mph. I was able to skirt by traffic dodging the ditch and using the parking brake which was of very little use. Finally stopped in a gas station lot after about 150 yards of white knuckling it. In other words, go over the braking system thoroughly (sounds like you have). I had severed a rear line due to a poorly routed exhaust pipe rubbing it. A dual reservoir master cylinder would have been helped in my case!

 

I just put my ass in the seat and go for it.

Let me tell you a story. in about '76 I had a friend in Kansas who had a '64 Galaxie. It was a 352 car and to say it had been rode hard and put up wet would be an understatement. His brakes were shot so he came by my place and we went through them as well as shocks and one different front tire.

When we were done he said, I'm going to Calif. because I have never seen the ocean. I said, "That's a long run in that old POS." He said, "no farther than I would drive it in the next year just going to and from work." The next morning he showed up at my house with his wife and kids and asked if I wanted to go along. Next time I saw him was 2 weeks later, sun burnt, and grinning. he brought me a jar of sand from the beach @ San Francisco. His wife said, " we had the best time, and we thought we would bring you a little bit of home." The car was on its last legs for damned sure, but they had the adventure of a lifetime.

 

Yes! I was traveling with some of the Assorted Nuts crew and SCHarleyride pulled a McGyver and I was back on the road, full pedal, in 15 minutes. I'm still geeking on it.

 

Take it around the block for a test run. Bring it home and check for leaks or anything else that might be a problem. Throw some tools in the trunk, take a cell phone and go have fun. Thats how I did with my avatar 20+ years ago and I have driven it 40,000 miles since with only one trip home on a trailer (multiple tire problems).

 

Are you serious? Go for it man ,at 50 miles its just gettin warmed up! I would go it alone just to prove a point.(everybody's got a cell phone anywhoo!)

 

Would you trust it driving around the block for 50 miles? I'm guessing yes. Cut the apron string and enjoy.

 

What they all said. After driving driving mine around town a couple times, I did a 150 mile round trip to show it off to my brother. The next month a 500 mile round trip to a Buick Club National. It never let me down.

Nice car , by the way.

Ben

 

Break-downs go with the territory, and life would be boring if you never had to push.

 

Gotta laugh actually, 25 miles is nothing.

I have been using this old motorcycle for transportation for a couple of years. Not HAMB friendly I know but I just thought of his. I put brakes on the bike right after I got it and told the wife I was going to go out and bed em and test the bike to see how it is going to act. So I took off around town for a bit then filled the tank and headed out. I called home a while later and the wife says, "Where are you I have been worried." I said *Topeka, the brakes work fine. Oh hey, did you know that there are tools in this tool bag?" She said, "Dummy (LOL), bring some donuts when you come home."

*Raytown to Topeka about 80 miles give or take.

 

Confidence in your car is something you acquire by driving it, I finished my roadster earlier this year and for its first show was LSRU about 600 miles away. I only had clocked 300 miles on it before I made the trip. It made it down there with only a few hiccups along the way, but lost the trans in Austin and had to get it towed back. When I got it back home I was talking to one of my older hot rodding buddys telling him how I felt defeated b/c I had to tow it back, His reply was
"Introduce me to a hot rodder who's never broke down and I'll introduce you to some one who doesn't drive his shit" (same person).

Get out there, have fun, and make some memories!

 

AAA and a cell phone, if you are really conservative, wife, girlfriend or buddy in a chase car. You can't win unless you play the game!!!!!!!!!!

 

25 miles? Hike up your stockings there sweetcakes and go! Where I live, that wouldn't get ya half way across town.

 

Where are you coming from? I'm 5 minutes away from the strip if theres issues.
This sat would be a good try for it at Golden. The "official" cruises are over and it should be lighter traffic and cooler than say June or July (which will test your cooling system like no other)
Grab tools and your cell phone and go for it... Gotta try it out sometime.

As my old buddy always said before chopping into a project "God hates a coward."

 

As mentioned, confidence comes from driving. Just take tools and go for it. I recently got my car running again after a few months of being parked, misc. changes, and previous issues. First trip was probably 5 miles or so, then 80, then 1500 all within the first week.

 

It idles and runs fine, and has 25 miles in town. Get in it and drive it, that's what you built it for. Depending on the job, I will do anywhere from a driveway start and run to a 3-5 mile test drive. beyond that, I load some tools and fluids and hit the road.

 

I've asked myself the same thing... my Ford is scheduled to hit the road in spring of 2015. I'll go around the 'hood with it, take it down the causeway to the beach and back a few times, park it, go shopping and drive home. Since I'm going through everything on the car myself and have good people helping me, confidence is high it will bear no big surprises on the road. I will take along tools, floor jack and a buddy for the maiden voyage.

 

Thanks guys, appreciate all the comments. I am going to load tools and fluids and make the trip. Worst case is AAA is a phone call away.

 

AAA. just incase I cannot fix it on the road.
I like to head out on a road I know I can pull over and do work.
Not on a freeway with no sholder or a highways with guard rails on the sides and no shoulder.
backing down the highway to flip a bitch in traffic sucks and is super unsafe. give yourself and exit and extra time.
bring water for you and the car!
enjoy.

 

Columbus took a chance!

 

A set of sockets,open end wrenches,screw drivers,lug wrench,jack,spare tire,2 cans of oil. Go have a good time