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A few of us are planning a big driving trip next year down Route 66. I've done and will be doing things to my C1 to get ready for this, but this old man isn't sure he's up to the task of driving 300+ miles per day every day for 10 days. The longest trip I've taken in this car is probably 100 miles.
Seats are being redone with new foam & new carpeting. Replacing my 3.70 with a 3.36. Front end alignment, tires balanced, etc. Installing a hardtop.
What do you think? Anyone taken a long trip like this in a C1 and survived?
wmf62 did a 10,000 mile journey in his '62 with a gal on board too.
Its been done. I've done a 3 hour stint in my stock '61....prob 2/3 of your projected daily driving distance. The only thing I sorta missed was cruise control and A/C; driving/riding were just fine. I did have to take my wallet out of my left rear pocket to keep my hip from aching.
That was about it....you'll do fine...
One problem with these cars is, if you have the trunk packed for a long trip, and you have a flat, getting to the spare tire is a PITA. Carry some Fix-A-Flat and a folded up blue tarp in case you have to unload the trunk alongside a road somewhere. Fire extinguisher is a must but don't get too obsessed with a bunch of spare parts and tools.
You'll drive yourself nuts trying to decide when 'enough is enough'.
Make sure your classic car insurance is up to snuff and if they offer any 'trip delay' coverage if something should happen. Take proper anti-theft precautions and that's about it.
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; 08-01-2015 at 08:02 AM.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (track prepared))
2019 C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared)
Many times. I think the new seat foam and only 300 miles a day will make it a much more pleasant trip than when I've driven them 700-800 miles a day. C1s are such simple, reliable cars; especially when they're as well-maintained as yours sounds. You are running radials, right? I hope it doesn't leak too badly!
Anyone taken a long trip like this in a C1 and survived?
When I re-located from the east coast to the left coast several years ago, I drove my '60 solo across the country and lived to tell the tale. Off road mufflers and 4.11 gears were sub-optimal for the trip and I've since installed 3.55 gears. With the 3.55 gears my bride and I drove from left coast to Steamboat Springs and survived. Both trips were a lot of fun.
When I inherited my '54 due to my Dad's passing, some friends, my son, and I drove it from Georgia to the left coast. (If you are counting, yes, we had more people than would fit in the '54..... there were other vehicles in the convey). This trip, like the ones I've taken with my '60, was an absolute blast.
At a rest area in Wyoming:
Bottom line:
1. C1s are more comfortable on long trips than conventional wisdom would lead you to believe.
2. It's just an old Shev-a-lay. Make sure everything is in good condition. If you do, it will get you there and get you home.
Jim
Last edited by jim lockwood; 08-01-2015 at 07:46 AM.
Doubt you'll see much rain on Rt 66, you might. The hardtop will help with leaking. Wouldn't hurt to double check your cowl vent gasket, forward upper door jamb hinge gutters/sealant, door weatherstrip, make sure there is dum-dum behind the fender spear studs and under the last two rearward top fender windsplit studs and gaskets around the wiper bezels. Some blue quick-release painter's tape is handy if you find your top header drips....looks funky but a wet crotch when driving is no fun either.
Keep in touch via the Internet or friends via phone calls. Nearby forum members can bail you out of a jamb - even some damn sticky ones. John McGraw did this for one of our forum's long distance drivers on a REALLY weird problem in record time....
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; 08-01-2015 at 07:49 AM.
Did a 1600 trip in five days in June. To agree with Frankie, my billfold was kept out of pocket, and I had recently installed cruise control. THAT alone made it totally possible. At speed, there is one area where rain likes to come in; I tend to put a strip of 1" black electrical tape along the seam where the top meets the windshield if it looks like rain.
Several years ago my wife and I drove our '61 from central Minnesota to Springfield, Ill. It was in July and I longed for AC. Then I remembered that back in the 1950s I went on summer vacations with my parents and had no AC either. We survived.
As others have said these old Corvettes are quite reliable if maintained properly. I had no problems at all on the Springfield trip and I don't recall taking any spare parts along, only a few tools.
I would leave the hardtop at home, I would want to put the top down on such a beautiful drive. Even if you get into rain, carry some tape to put across the windshield to minimize water coming in.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C1 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C2 of Year
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
The longest trip I've taken in the 61 is to Carlisle, Pa. from Cape Cod, Mass. It's a 1,000 mile round trip. It was a long drive in that car but it performed well and I enjoyed it. Of course, I drive the Z06 to Carlisle now. It's alot more comfortable. I did Route 66 back in 2000 in a C4. It's a trip everyone should take at least once. Enjoy it.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (track prepared))
2019 C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared)
Yeah, cruise is a good idea. the heel on my right foot sure got sore after about 5-6 hours from trying to hold the gas pedal steady on my trips, but only 300 miles/day might solve that.
In 2001 my wife decided she wanted to see the country because she 's never left Ca. I grew up in mid state NY so I told her lets do it in our 55 Corvette pulling the 1937 tear drop trailer then stay at KOA camp sights sleeping in the trailer. She was a little apprehensive thinking about that so I said if you don't like we'll take Motels , but it turned out she loved it . (We went back to the 50's) At each KOA she added state stickers to the rear of the trailer lid. She even made dinner in the kitchen area. At most stops people were more interested in the trailer then the Corvette. 55 has larger wider seats then other C1's so she was ok driving long distances .The 55 ran great doing 75MPH most times, never missed a beat .All in all the trip went good putting 10.000 miles on the 55. We toke the cost going to NY and 66 coming back. We had only the soft top so when the weather was good we put it down, if it rained we carried bath towels . We have so many war stories to tell about the trip and people we met, still glad we did it. Black and white was our trip to NY , other pic. are other trips. I like showing these to make people realize old Corvettes can do and go anywhere a new Corvette can, even tow a camper.
I drive my 60 Vette, bias ply tires and all, from Georgia to upstate New York on a fairly regular basis, 1058 miles each way, stop only for fuel, takes about 16 to 17 hours each way.
I am over 70 years old and have no problem with the comfort level. I just returned to Georgia.
Although not a C1, my wife & I put 5,800 miles in 3 weeks (Route 66) on our '65 2 years ago. Was a blast. Car trouble?? Overpacked tools/parts for a lot of possible breakdown issues...none...burned 1 quart of oil. Did this b/4 replacing windshield & weatherstripping...bring a towel & duct tape .
I had redone the seats with new foam & leather. Made the drive that much more enjoyable.
Mine's a convertible, left the hardtop home giving us a lot more room for packing. We started out with a # of soft luggage bags, packed to the gills. Two days into the trip, we realized that top or pair of shorts or shoes (wife...) we wanted to wear the next morning was in which bag??? Decided it just made more sense to take all the clothes/stuff out if the bags & use the storage area as a closet. Evenly divided...2/3 Mary's & 1/3 Jim's. Really worked out well. Stopped at the nearest post office and shipped all the bags home.
Mary's sisters had a bet I'd be dropping her off at the St. Louis airport, crying "uncle" on this trip. They lost. Mary really enjoyed the trip. We made a point of looking for our nightly lodging after 4 pm each day. We found doing that eliminated driving at night, getting sometimes simple, sometimes nice meals, refreshing ourselves. We tended to look for the Hampton Inns. They seemed to be a cut above. We would then plan out the next day's itinerary. Most big chains provide a hot breakfast. That really helps getting you started for the next day's drive/points of interest.
You will have a blast & make lasting memories.
Lastly,you WILL reaquaint yourself with your spouse/significant other. These cars are small. If you aren't friends startng out, you WILL be by the end of the trip
When we travel we find 300 miles is a pretty good distance. You are able to get landed in time to to find a place to stay and check out the area if you like. Also enough time to get refreshed for the next day.
Radial tires along with gas shocks work great for improving the ride. Adding a cruise control will help creature comfort over the long
haul. A few easily replaceable spare parts and tools would be good to bring along.
Wow, you guys are truly an inspiration! Can't wait to go. We've been planning this for two years and working on the car to get it ready. I've replaced all the weatherstripping and will install new weatherstripping on the hardtop. Cruise control sounds like a great idea, I use it all the time in my truck. Can anyone recommend a good one? Where does the control mount?
I installed an Audiovox CCS100 cruise control unit earlier this year. Very simple install. Unfortunately they do not make the units anymore, so you'll have to find one on Ebay, Craigslist, or a similar source. I got mine through Craigslist. Not wanting to drill any holes in my dash to mount the control, I ran the harness alongside the trans tunnel (under the carpet) and exposed the control through the carpet seam between the seats. I can simply tuck it under the carpet if desired.
08-01-2015, 07:18 AM
Long Trip in a C1
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