Doug, the best way to boost your confidence is to just do it! I drove my 1953 panel all the way to an event in Kansas City, over 1000 miles from home. I've also driven twice to the homecoming, a mere 10 hours each way. That's what we do. We exchange phone numbers and if someone is in trouble, we do our best to help each other out. That's how we get the most out of these old trucks.
