427Hotrod

I have to say I've been very surprised by how well a C-1 rides. Not bad at all!

JIM

Frankie the Fink

My 5'6, 120lb daughter whips the '61 around like nobody's business.
Of course, there is a lot to be said for youth !!

Kerrmudgeon

When I brought mine home from Cali it had airshocks on the back, and fat and skinny bias plys. So it rode pretty rough. Regular shocks and stock bias plys improved it a lot, but NOTHING improved it like my BFG radials, or any radials I imagine. I find it very comfortable now, and would drive it back to L.A. anytime.

Black60

My recommendations which worked for me:

Lube the suspension. Seriously!

Radial tires @ 28lbs. Biggest comfort factor.

I put teflon liners between the leaves of my rear springs. Loves to compress and decompress with NO friction. If some previous owner put in lots of leaves - pull them out. You're not headed to a road course or a drag strip.

Decent seats. I mean foam that hasn't been squished for 50 years. Sounds obvious but perhaps it is not.

She rides excellently. I could ride in a wheel barrow but my sweety has a beat up back from 30 years running a flower shop and she was good with it.

Took the '60 from MA to Nashville for the museum reunion in 2009 and back. Rode great. Great time and looking forward to the 2014 caravan.

Our forefathers rode in no-suspension wagons heading west. Many of the women were pregnant. Are we that soft now? I know I am but really you other folks...

jimh_1962

I gave Jack a ride in my 62 about two years ago... It was only about 5 miles so maybe not the best example... Jack, maybe you forgot how smooth the ride was! HAHA!

Also, Jack, I know where there is a ex drag 57 car. Not sure if the owner will sell it or not.

66jack

True..but the SHIFTING/SHIFTER was much to be seen/desired...

Loan me the $$$$ and its mine...

thoyer

Funny, I was reading through this thread and was thinking that my 60 does not ride quite as nice as my 71! I'm sure the independent suspension has something to do with that..................

That being said, I am surprised at how well the 60 does ride. I think it is pretty comfortable.

Tom

Fawndeuce

My '62 has been fully restored, so all the suspension points shocks etc were redone.
That being said the car rides fine on radials on good roads, but of course it doesn't steer or handle like a modern car.
The seats have also been redone with new springs and foam, they are more comfortable that the ones in my C6.
I'm 6'1" so sit high in it though, so over 55 with the top down the wind beats the heck out of me. With the top up I hit the center bow, a car better suited to those of, ahem, more efficiently packaged stature.
I can do about 600 miles a day in it tops, after that my right leg cramps (no cruise) and the noise wears me out.
I seem to have more leg room in it than my '67, and the wheel seems further from me (better).
The '67 drive's more like a modern car though, and I sit in it rather than on it, so far less wind beating on the highway.



Paul

jimh_1962

I got that worked out.

Frankie the Fink

Yeah - well I did an extensive road tour of the Oregon trail last year and those settlers paid a killer price - 1 person dead for every mile of the 6 month trip. If they waited a couple years for the coast-to-coast train they coulda made the trip in 5 days!

Anyway, yes proper lubrication is essential on these cars - the ST-12 indicates 22 lube points in the suspension (24 if you have original U-joints)!

MrPbody

You do know why they were known as settlers…. right?
Have you noticed that many of the original homesteads and farms have an old wagon wheel by the driveway entrance? this is due to the many pioneers wagons breaking off axles due to the rough trail and lack of lubrication. when this happened, many pioneers simply could not handle any more heartache from the trail and simply looked at their broken wagons ….. surveyed the surrounding land …. and said "we'll settle for this".

another short lesson in history by:
Russ

1COOL60

The wife and I usually drive between 3,000 and 5,000 miles per year in our '60. In addition to the local shows we go to Vettes on the Rockies and Eureka Springs almost every year. Going to Vettes on the Rockies is a 7 1/2 or 8 1/2 hour trip each way, depending on which way we go. Eureka Springs is about 5 1/2 hours one way. We have driven from Bowling Green KY to Kansas straight through.

Only complaint, since we don't have A/C, is the wind noise from riding with the windows down.

The car rides fine.
160

SDVette

I've now worked up to 90 minute drives in my '61.. The fun-factor more than makes up for the 'slightly' rough ride. Have to agree with others:

- New seat foam - big help
- Radial tires - big help
- New shocks - big help

And yes, even at highway speeds, I find the 'top down' most comfortable for several reasons: 1) No wind whistle from front top seal (it SCREAMS at 70 MPH!), 2) Don't hit my head on the frame bars (I'm 6' 3")!