Good morning,
Need some advice please. Purchasing my first Vette this weekend!! It's a 1975 Stingray with a ZZ4 crate engine. I will be driving it 5 1/2 hours to get her home. Is this engine good for long distances pending mechanically sound? Was just worried about temp of motor on the trip. Thanks in advance!

 

Check the oil, coolant, brake fluid & tranny (if auto) before you hand over the cash. As long as the engine is in good shape there is no reason to worry about this distance. The stock radiator handled the 350 that originally in there so the ZZ4 shouldn't be an issue. That engine is rated at 355hp, so while stout it's not a high hp engine. I wouldn't have any issues with driving it home. Something could happen, but I see new cars waiting for a wrecker too sometimes.

 

I would NOT reccomend driving that vette home unless it is in fantastic shape. And it has nothing to do with the engine. The zz4 is just a small block chevy, one of the most common motors on the road, nothing noteworthy about them and no more or less reliable than another (barring something radical).

But 5 and a half hours in a 43 year old vehicle that presumably you have never seen or driven is pretty risky in my opinion. Again, unless the car has been extremely well maintained. I would reccomend renting a uhaul and trailering it home, alot can go wrong on a car that old, and you don't need to find a brake line leak, dry rotted tires, suspension or drivetrain failure on the highway hundreds of miles from home. Just my opinion.

If you DO decide to go through with driving it back, check EVERYTHING! Check all fluids, do a THOROUGH test drive (as in put some miles on it to check everything). EXAM THE TIRES! Just because they have tread, doesn't mean they are good. Check the dates, old tires can have good looking tread, but be dry rotted or cracked and a blowout on the highway would be bad business. Pay close attention to the color of fluids, if they are dirty and discolored or smell "off", I wouldn't drive it home. That would indicate that the seller didn't take very good care of the car.

 

One thing I didn't see mentioned is to have a look at any rubber fuel lines, filter, etc. Mine had several leaks - had I driven it the 80 miles home a breakdown might have been the least of my worries

 

It's not a daily driver but plan on doing a nice test drive and inspection to the best of my ability. It's a double edge sword because I do not want the expense of renting a trailer but getting left on the side of the road could be costly as well. Really felt like it would be a great way to get familiar with the car. From afar it seems to be well maintained and in good condition. Thank you for your advice!

 

Car seems solid from photos and convo with owner but is not a daily driver due to his health. I will plan on doing a good shakedown on the road and as good of inspection as i can. Thanks!

 

Sure go for it if it's in good mechanical condition. I bought a 66 in 98 and drove it 6 hrs home. My first Vette was a POS 75 I bought in 88 and was my daily driver had to keep quarters handy to keep the water vacuum out of the floorboards.

 

I would tell the owner your plans to drive it 5+ hours home and ask him if he feels the car would be ok. If they are an honest seller, hopefully they would disclose any issues.

 

mobird he seems to be very honest. He ran it 50 miles today and is checking all the fluid levels for me. He hasn't driven it long distances before and was concerned about the temp of engine with a 373 rear. I think with 355hp shouldn't be an issue with temp with auto trans

 

What transmission does it have?

My car has a 3.55 rear with a 4-speed manual and it is around 3,300 RPM at 70 MPH if I remember correctly. No way would I drive it for 5 hours straight at 3,500-4,000 RPM. I like my engine too much, not to mention the gas mileage with a 350 at 4,000 RPM.... seriously you will probably get 8 MPG.

If it has an overdrive transmission you would be ok. Ask him what trans and what RPM it turns at 60 mph.

 

It has the standard automatic trans that came in it with an added shift kit. I believe it's the THM-400

 

I would not do this myself, but if you plan and you are not a mechanic, I would have a mechanic at least look at it before you do. Things like belts, hoses, bearings, tires (Date), fuel lines, etc. can be a real PITA if they break on your first drive. The owner may or may not be aware if any of these issues exist.

For Example: When I bought my C3, it had old tires on it. They looked new, but they were from the 90s and the first time I drove it across town, one of the tires just split wide open. Luckily I was close to home and near a tire shop.

One of my Canadian Students bought a 67 mustang while attending my class in Fort Worth. He actually drove the thing all the way home to Alberta BUT, he is an Engineer who also happens to be a great mechanic. He had 2 breakdowns on the way home but was able to fix it along the way. He also had plenty of time to do the drive.

Whatever you decide, good luck with the trip and the car.

 

Ok I just did a quick search and the TH400 would be at 3,500 RPM at 70 mph.

I would say plan on making that a 7 hour trip and driving at 60 mph or so. That would put you around 3,000 RPM. You will most likely be getting single digit gas mileage, and definitely keep an eye on the temp gauge.

I still think the smart move is to get a uhaul. It really would suck to get stranded. Have you talked to the seller about the tire age?

 

Tires and brakes are 4 years old.

 

Cool

Have you looked how much it would cost to rent a Uhaul car hauler?

Due to the terrible gas mileage that C3 is gonna get on the highway, it really might not be that much more expensive, and you might save yourself a huge headache if you DO run into problems on the road. Things go wrong alot on 40 year old cars in my experience. And from how it sounds (no offense intended) you aren't particularly mechanically inclined, so you would be stuck calling for a tow if something does happen on the road. Then you will be wishing you had a Uhaul haha.

Also, there is the issue of insurance/registration. I've bought plenty of used cars and driven them home without insurance or a plate, but that was for a few miles. You will pass ALOT of highway patrol in 5 and a half hours most likely, so what are the odds that you don't get pulled over at some point for running without a plate, or running with a plate that isn't registered to that vehicle if they do happen to randomly check you. May not be an issue in your area, but the highway patrol around where I live are meticulous and all seem to be out looking for people to ticket.

 

there is a current thread on this forum where somebody wanted to drive from Cincinnati to Miami and didnt get too far before a brake caliper developed a leak sufficient to lose all pedal. Too many things could go wrong.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...incinnati.html

 

 

If you want to gamble, you might want to go to Las Vegas. Why take a chance on something happening to the car or to you?
Rent a trailer and you both get home with out any "adventure." Before a road trip of that duration, you need to get to KNOW the car, able to hear,
smell, feel with your hands and butt what the car is doing.
From the school of bad decisions,
your pal, Tex

 

Drive up, rent u haul drive on trailer in his area. Pick up car and drive home. Zero issues to deal with.

 

My vote is for the u-haul, too. A breakdown is going to cost you way more than the Uhaul rental. By the way, they're really cheap. I rented one last year to bring home a Ford tractor and was pleasantly surprised by the cost.
Duane