[Mike S]

Now I have the vintage air installed I am going to start going on road trips with the 72 lemans. Goal it to go cross country. Probably going to start with shorter trips 500 mile trips.

How far have you driven you classic?

[Jonsie]

NJ to Dayton and back for the '09 show, man the weather was hot as hell

[dhcarguy]

Farthest I drove my 65 GTO with 3:90 rear and 4 speed was to the Nationals in Pittsburg in 2014. 300 MILES and took 6 hours.

[OG68]

1400 miles round trip to Cool April Nights in Redding from San Diego. Not my GTO but with a '70 SS El Camino. 396/TH400/3:43s. 70-75 on the highway. Power Steering pump failure but I muscled it through the last 300 miles. Yearly trips to Pismo Beach (600 miles RT) for club activities.

Plan to do the same with the GTO.

[Verdoro 68]

geeteeohguy did one last year: https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=866751

[unruhjonny]

my completely brutal opinion is that if you aspire to drive your car cross country;
use it as your go-to daily for a while;
I really believe that stop and go regular city (ect) driving is more vexing to your car than open highway cruises...

So enjoy it locally, and if any issues crop up - that's something which may have shown up during your travels.

And bring a full sized spare, spare points (or spare HEI distributor if that's what you're running), a little oil, and some hand tools - and you should be good.

The first time I left my house WITHOUT excessive tools, I had some anxiety about it, but I never needed the few I did have!

The only time I had any issue on a road trip, was when a hydraulic slave (clutch) when at about 1/3 of the way into the round trip... that sucked, but there was nothing more I could do about it besides bleeding it to ensure the issue wasn't from air (thanks harbor frieght for cheap tools!!).

[72projectbird]

I haven't taken a non LS powered classic on super long trips, but I routinely rack up thousands of miles on my old school powered stuff every year. They're cars, they're ment to be driven. As long as the front end is tight, bearings are good, tires check out, and the engine and trans seem to be healthy, a classic will run hundreds/thousands of miles without a hiccup.

[RFCOLEMAN]

Longest distance trip in modern time was 2,200 miles. 68 GTO conv. No A/C. It was hot but fun. But back inn the 70's and 80's My GTO's were my daily drivers. Vacation and all. Probably 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year.
Have fun.

[Keith Seymore]

Drove my '87 pickup from Livingston MT to Detroit back in 2009; 1600 miles. First time I had seen it in 18 years. Never missed a beat.

K

[kingbuzzo]

Drove to cowtown and Minneapolis a few times in my old TA and my old firebird.

The FB left me stranded with a bad rear bearing and the T/A oil pump started cacking halfway home but made it home anyway.

I wouldn't have done it any different as they were my daily's at the time.

Next time however I will be more prepared and hopefully more roadworthy lol

Good luck!

[indymanjoe]

1400 miles around Michigan couple years ago.no issues.forgot my spare tire.didnt realize it until I was halfway through the UP. didn't tell the wife until we got home lol
I do carry a plug kit and a small air pump.

[400 4spd.]

In 2007 I bought my '72 Grand Prix in Boca Raton, and drove it 825 miles back to N.C. in a tropical storm that chased me up the coast. Not including issues, it took 15 hours total, 4 hours longer than Google Maps said it should. I brought along two spares and everything that could fail related to the cooling system, minus a radiator. Some of those parts were needed.

[carcrazy]

Many years ago I drove my 1967 Ram Air GTO from Youngstown, Ohio to Ft Lauderdale, Fla. and back. 4.33 gears. Never again!

[Goatracer1]

My daily driver when I first got married was a 1965 GTO, 428, 4 speed with a 3.90 rear. I drove it 40 miles each way to work. It was one of the best cars in the snow I ever owned. I drove my 1964 GP to the Gettysburg convention and back from NH. It was one of the hottest weeks of the summer and had no problems. People drove these cars year round when they were new and used. If your car is in good shape there is no reason not to drive it Except some moron my run into it. But that's what insurance is for. Have fun!

[moneypit]

Last year I put about 4000 miles on my 37 in a month. Went from Central Texas to the Outer Banks in NC. From there I went to the 2023 POCI convention in Murfreesboro TN. I then headed back home to Texas. I drove state highways and county roads, no interstates. Fantastic trip, saw a lot of great country, met a lot of nice folks that wanted to check out the car. No problems other than loosing a wheel cover along the way. I say go for it!

[Heybuck]

Driven my '66 Grand Prix just under 60,000 miles since I brought it into Australia. Done many long distance trips of of over 2000 miles and one where we drove it right up the centre of Australia and right down the East coast back to home. That was an 11,000 mile circuit.

Only problems I've ever had in 25 years was a blocked fuel sock (in the tank) and a failing starter both of which still got us home.

Next year I was planning a right round Australia trip in it but that's been put on hold (wifes medical issues) but hopefully 2026 might see us go.

Ian

[Half-Inch Stud]

Bought a 428 68 GTO 3.31:1 sight unseen and drove it from Daytona Beach FL to VF PA...about 19 hours.

Drove my 69 FB 455+060 3.31:1 PA to Adirondaks NY a few times, ...about 4-4-5 hours. Great MPG

Drove my 68 GTO from VF-PA to JST PA, about 4 hours, poor mpg, fuel PSI or flood issues about 3 hours into it on hwy. Cleared up. Suspected HEI overheat or pickup intermittence awhile (forget if there was a Tach).

Busted a water pump on 2-3 upshift while on way to State College from VF-PA, made it fine with major water pump failure (keeps pumping when spinning).

Many 1-hour commutes, no issues.

Fears; overheat in bumper-bumper hwy crawls with elec fan, water pump failure if running large Mech fan and sporting elec kickdown-upshift.

[Mr_GTO]

I can't really count these as classics but maybe....in 1995 I drove my 1986 Mustang LX 5.0 to and from MA to FL and MA to VA where I went to school.

A few years later I drove my 88 Formula 350 700 miles exactly, door to door from my parents house to my college apartment.

Other than the Mustang using oil and the Firebird had a brake caliper lock up on me going over the GW bridge and had an HEI problem heading home both did great. I know they were more modern cars.

I think I'd only take a classic on a long trip if I had a OD trans or really high rear gear. I forgot one....I had inherited my great grandmothers 1969 Buick Wildcat. It was a great car. Loaded! Including buckets, U shaped console shifter, AC/PW/PB. It only had 69K miles on it. I got it in Feb of 1992 I believe. My brother and I went to FL to drive back that and my grandparents Lincoln. The Wildcat did great even on fiberglass tires. In hindsight we should have changed the tires, checked the brakes, coolant, etc. But we go there, changed the oil and hit the road. It did overheat on me when I tried the AC...dumb move. But we drove from Melbourne FL to Taunton MA. It used just a tiny bit of oil. I should have never gotten rid of that car.

[VCho455]

Went from Norfolk VA to San Diego to Coeur D'Alene ID in my 69 GTO. 400 with a t400 and 2.78 rear gears. I did have the transmission fail in Morehead KY. I stopped in Oklahoma and bought a car trailer. I drove to San Diego loaded a pickup on the trailer and headed to Idaho.

[71GP76TA]

in 1998... I drove my daily driver '65 Grand Prix from Reno NV to Kennewick WA and back with no problems.. A heater would've been nice though. Back in 2011.. I bought a '69 Chevelle SS396 in Redondo Beach CA and drove it home to Escalon CA. About 8 years ago.. I drove my SD455 to Reno for HAN.. I have also driven my '66 2+2 and '67 Grand Prix to HAN. I did trailer my '70 T/A there though as 3.55's aren't the most highway friendly on California freeways.