Well, here's the deal. I'd love to carry my 1969 4dr Dart Custom behind a moving truck but it's just too damn expensive for me. So, I've got to have my stuff shipped and drive the car cross-country.

What are some common failures I might experience on the way? I'm thinking tires, accessory belts, coil/condenser, hoses, that sort of thing. But any old pros in here know of anything in particular I'd have to worry about between Illinois and Oregon?

I really hate to do this. I just got this car and I barely know it. I've put all new bearings and brakes in, and adjusted the valve lash but that's pretty much it. It's been running just fine but I have noticed that since we've been having colder nights here, it's an absolute cold-blooded bastard in the morning. It misfires for the better part of ten minutes before it will idle smoothly. This a big worry?

Well I've probably said enough here. Thanks in advance to all who reply!

I have made several long distance trips and here is what I recommend:

(1) COmplete tune up. Lube all u-joints and ball joints, change oil and filter, replace cap rotor and plugs, rebuild the carb and check for proper adjustments and vacuum leaks (sounds like you have a misadjusted choke right now or possibly a bown vacuum diaphragm in your choke pulloff). If you can afford it I also recommend having your cooling system and transmisison flushed and get the bands adjusted on your transmission (if it is an automatic). Also, make sure your brakes are all adjusted properly (I am assuming you have four wheel drums).

(2) Next you need to assemble a good emergency tool kit and spare parts stash. I recommend a socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, a flashlight, some disposable gloves, and a old blanket or tarp to lay on if you break down in the mud. Youshould also have a good jack and tire iron as well as one of those 12 volt air compressors to inflate your tires. As far as parts go, I would bring extra belts, hoses, alternator, water pump, at least one good spare tire, ballast resistor, extra oil, antifreeze, and brake fluid (and automatic transmission fluid if necessary), maybe an extra battery. Some other useful items are a jug of water, some non-perishable food, a cheapo CB and antenna from a thirft store in case you break down in the middle of nowhere, a blanket in case you break down where it is cold, hose wrap for when a hose bursts.

Most important though is to get your car in good shape before you leave. A thorough tune up (including valve lash) is the most important thing. Make sure you check your ignition points too.

Good luck!

Reed

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Ordinarily I'd give my standard "well-maintained cars in proper repair don't have "common failures"; neglected cars repaired only when broken and then done with the lowest-quality/lowest-cost parts have only one common failure: EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME." answer. But you just got the car so you don't know much about its history.

You should do as much of the following as you can before you leave:

-New belts
-New radiator and heater hoses, cooling system flush and fill with 50/50 mix of G-05 coolant
-New 180-degree thermostat

-Change oil and filter
-Complete grease job
-Check rear axle oil level (frequently very low!) and top up as necessary

-Inspect tires carefully -- if they are marginal, replace them. BFGoodrich has a new tire out that everyone's raving about and doesn't cost much, called the Traction T/A. I've loved every BFG tire I've ever had.

-Inspect exhaust system carefully (put your hand over the tailpipe while the engine idles...if you can't keep it there because pressure pushes it off, the system is tight enough for safety. If you *can* keep your hand on it and you hear hissing, find and fix the leak before it finds and fixes you!)

-Purchase a can of Mopar manifold heat control valve solvent (do not substitute!) and free up the heat riser, which is almost certainly stuck

Try to use good quality parts. Dayco or Gates or Goodyear belts and hoses, Stant or Robertshaw thermostat, name-brand filter other than Fram.

Spare parts to carry:

-Ballast resistor
-Voltage regulator
-2qts oil
-1qt transmission fluid

Your cold-running problems are not worrisome, just annoying. Your choke system needs adjustment and/or replacement parts, and your carburetor may need cleaning, repair or rebuilding.

I wouldn't worry much about it -- these are simple and reliable cars, as I'm sure you know. The biggest worry on your mind should be not getting the hell out of Illinois fast enough / not getting to Oregon soon enough!

Basically, restore the car before you go!

Seriously, I alwez keep a spare alternator and distributor (the distributor because you just never know when that plastic gear is gonna turn to dust) in my '72 Valiant beater with me as I drive hundreds of miles all over the place. Yes, regulator and resistor, and a bunch of fluids, too, don't forget a couple of jugs of water. I'd highly recommend a a spare oil pressure sender, too. I've had those fail at the worst possible time more than once, shooting pressure oil all over the damn place (and draining the oil as you go). Make sure the freindly representative of your local Idiot Auto Parts sells you the right one for a slant 6, too - it's got the big thread (1/4 pipe? I think), not the 1/8 pipe thread one for a V8 they will try to sell you and say is right.

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Good catch on the oil pressure sender. Best to just toss a new one on at time of oil/filter change. As with all parts, BUY A GOOD BRAND! NAPA Echlin or Standard, not a no-name piece of junk.

As for large thread vs. small thread: Both types have been used on the slant-6; the small-thread type was used with an adaptor bushing, so the large-thread type fits 'em all.

Thanks all for the tips!

Yep, forgot to mention that when I got the car it had an aftermarket oil pressure gauge installed whose sending unit leaked badly. I replaced it with an OEM-type sender (larger thread) and hooked the in-dash idiot light back up; no more leaks but no more gauge either

I had checked the gear oil at the time I did the brakes and bearings; I was pleasantly surprised to find it topped off and uncontaminated

Belts, hoses, fluids and filters... will do. Thermostat, too. Water pumps are pretty cheap, right? I'll probably grab one while I'm at it.

G-05 coolant--am I mistaken, or is this that acidic type of coolant people were worried would eat through hoses and such? Why use this?

I'll definitely have a go at rebuilding the carburetor, choke, etc... before the trip. It should be fun compared to that odd three-barrel Keihin carburetor off a 1983 Honda I did awhile back

Hmm... not sure I can afford to buy a full spare ignition/charging system. But, I'd probably feel different about that broken down in the Rocky Mountains! I'll at least carry a new voltage regulator and ballast resistor. I've been meaning to get a new cap and rotor, and check the plugs/wires and points anyway.

Tires--I think I'll use the (decent) 175/80/R13 tires on there for this trip, and get bigger wheels/tires later after doing a front disc conversion and changing out the rear axle

Good call on the 12V compressor!

Exhaust--I know I need a new muffler at the very least, but I'll definitely try that 'carbon monoxide handshake' trick too

Transmission bands are easy enough to adjust... totally forgot about that one

The suspension does need some attention. I got a sinking feeling when I put the car on the lift to see a very amateur-looking welding job around the passenger side torsion bar mount

That's gonna be a little involved and sadly will have to wait until I get into really building this car into something nice. I'll hit the xerks, check the bushings/balljoints and see about an alignment, though.

Tools, food/water, blankets--check. CB radio's probably wise.

Thanks again everyone. I'll be busy these next few weeks. I'll probably be back in here with more questions for you

PS: Reed--Your signature animation is a riot!

Wow! thats a big list. Did anyone say fuel pump?

I also suggests you take: some extra time to get there, and some emergancy money. I usually take the big tool box on long drives.

It seems like a lean fuel mixture at high speeds for extented time periods is a pretty common mixture for failures. Lean=Heat. This causes strain on the cooling,oil and everything. A good vacuum leak check is in order.
Idling around town, you wouldn't really tune the motor for this type of long highway trip. If you're running a 1bbl holley, it's suggested that it have a #60 or possibly bigger main jet (some say #64 is correct). That kills my city mileage. I use a #56 jet for my low speed daily driving, but the bigger jet might be just the ticket for a long trip at WOT. At least think about it.

I'll trade a little gas for an uneventful trip. Have fun!

_________________
1980 Aspen 225 super six

A few more notes:

The compressor might not do much good, if you don't have a way to fix the tire leak. Might want a can of Flat Fix and a plug repair kit on hand.

Fuses are fairly cheap and don't take up much space, either.

Make sure the wiper blades are in good shape, in case you get into some decent storms.

A small can of hand cleaner and some rags/paper towels are always nice to do a little clean up before climbing back in. Please take a trash bag for all the possible discarded parts and trash; don't leave it lying on the side of the road.

Get some cheap coveralls to wear, in case you have a need to do some crawling around under the car.

Didn't see mention of a fuel filter, but they have given me problems in the past on high mileage hauls.

Might not hurt to have a short pipe nipple, utility knife, and a couple of hose clamps to make an emergency by-pass with the heater hoses, in case the heater core gives up the ghost.

I hope you have all your personal belongings loaded in the U-Haul, because everything we all have listed for you to take on this trip will take up every bit of spare space you have in the car.

Actually, I'm glad you brought up this subject. When my son and I finally get through with rebuilding his Dart Sport, I'll have a better idea of what to include in an emergency road kit for him.

Good luck,
Jerry

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There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

G-05 is not the coolant that eats gaskets and solder joints -- that's Dex-Cool. (Yes, I learnt this the hard way.) Big coolant article is here:

Part 1-

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp ... e_number=1

Part 2-

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp ... e_number=1

G-05 is readily available from Zerex, and possibly Prestone. Be sure NOT to use Dex-Cool or anything that says it's "Dex-Cool compatible".

Carb rebuild and go through the choke system -- not a bad idea. It's not difficult. Post if you run into problems. It will be MUCH easier than any Japanese carb I can think of. While you're at it, and to stave off heat-induced fuel problems, go read the thread "gas boiling in carb"; I wrote up an easy mod that *vastly* reduces bitchy hot and cold starts, vapor lock, etc.

I like the windshield wiper suggestion -- I've tried a bunch of different brands and keep going back to regular normal Anco blades in the yellow box. They work well.

Since I am a headlamp geek (http://www.danielsternlighting.com) I will say: Make sure your lighting system is in good shape especially if you will be driving at night. Remember, the sealed beams last practically forever, but they get dimmer and dimmer with age.

...How about forgo all of the above and get a tow-bar and pull a spare '69 Dart out there with you?

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Pfft, that ain't the way to have fun. If the car's fundamentally sound, none of these extra parts and extra prep will be strictly necessary -- mostly it's a head game!

I wouldn't bother with antifreeze for an emergency item. A couple of gallons of drinking water would work as well (We're talking roadside fix here, not permanent replacement), while being more versatile and cheaper. Why, I hear you can even drink it!