How far would you drive your stock truck to a destination? Would you trust your vehicle to make a 1᠁2᠁.3᠁..4+ hour trip somewhere? My truck being a 52. Stock drivetrain, fairly new carb, exhaust, is a 4 speed with the fastest being 35-40 mph. She runs well and I’ve had no issues since I’ve owned it which has only been 2 months of driving and 3 months not᠁ due to Winter being stored. I have some property about an hour and a half (75 miles) from where I live and I’d love to take it up there but doing 35-40 will turn into a 4 hour + ride and then again will she even make it? I’d have to go back roads as the speed limits are 30-40’ish. Farthest I’ve gone so far was a 40 mile round trip in the city. I’m wondering if anyone else has had the urge to take their vehicle out but not sure if it would make the trip for a few hours or more.
My 54 I have taken with a 51 rear axle 411 gears 310 miles one way took about 6 hours .if your truck is a 1/2 ton it should be able to go the speed limit .I was going 55 miles per hour and had to move over to the left to let traffic by when someone comes up from behind .As long as the truck is maintained and you have went over everything it should be dependable , and if anything does go wrong you have a better chance of fixing on the road than a new vehicle.
Yikes KEVINSKI!! In most states, if not all, slow traffic is supposed to keep to the right. It might even be illegal to pass on right, but sometimes we have to when a slow vehicle hogs the lefthand lane.
1957 Chevy 3200 Daily Driver PS, A/C, Tilt column, Rebuilt 350, Rebuilt TH350, Reupholstered Bench Seat, sound proof/insulated, LED headlights/taillights/backup lights/interior courtesy lights. Follow in the DITY
The furthest I’ve driven my ‘50 half ton is 150 miles round trip for a couple of reasons. The truck is all original, and both me and the truck feel comfortable at 45 mph. At that speed it takes me 1.5 hours to get 70 miles, and that’s as far as my backside will allow me to go! The old bench seat has been nicely recovered but still is the most uncomfortable automobile seat I’ve ever sat on! My body just can’t stand driving for more than 70 miles at a time. By the time I complete the round trip I’m really glad to get home, take a hot shower, and relax! These old trucks weren’t built with comfort in mind. They were used for work. The second reason I hesitate to drive it far has been the fear of breaking down. It will not only take the fun out of your trip, it will also cause plenty of frustration and will definitely put a hole in your wallet. Before any trip, I’ve always done my best to make sure everything was buttoned up and in good working order, but there have been several trips when something went wrong and I was stranded on the side of the road or stuck in the spot where I last parked it. So the bottom line is even if your truck is in pristine, totally restored shape, your body will be the limiting factor in determining how far you will comfortably drive it. One last thought ᠁᠁. I never start a road trip without two things: a good tool kit and AAA roadside assistance. Trust me! LOL 😆
Chuck 1950 Chevy 1/2 ton (all original) 1951 Chevy 1/2 ton (future streetrod) 1941 Chevy coupe 1938 Chevy coupe streetrod
I drove my '57 Fire Engine 1450 miles one way in three days to go to a truck show, then drove it home 6 days later. Cruising speed was about 65 mph on the interstates at 6 mpg...
You all have me beat - I drove mine 15 miles away from my house this past summer for a car show, furthest away I've been in years. I normally stay within 5-6 miles of my house. I used to work with an older gentleman that had a stock '54 when he was young, and said he drove it from Montana to South Florida when he was in the military. That's a long trip at 50 mph with your foot on the floor...
-Patrick 1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 / 4-speed / 4:11 / Commercial Red
Everyone has their own level of confidence when it comes to taking long trips. There are many variables. -Have you done everything to your truck to make it road worthy? -Do you know what "road worthy" actually entails? -Are you capable of troubleshooting and making necessary repairs on the road? Do you have AAA if not capable? -It really boils down to confidence, preparedness, and knowing ones limitations. It ain't for everyone. If it were, everyone would be doing it.
In the past, I have driven a bone stock '52 3100 to Illinois from Virginia Beach and back on two separate trips. That's 900 miles one way, and I drove it straight through except for a 20 minute power nap or two. I ran that 216 powered truck at 55-60 MPH on the interstate. Some would describe the engine/road noise as loud. Well so was a Grand Funk Railroad concert, and I enjoyed that noise as well. On my final trip back from Illinois, I made it to North Carolina when the headlights got dim. I parked it on a hill and waited until morning to see why it wasn't charging. I started with the generator, and reached in with a fingernail and pulled the brushes off of the commutator and let the springs snap the brushes back onto the commutator. I pushed the truck down the hill, popped the clutch and it started right up and showed a charge. Down the road I went. If I hadn't known how generator brushes worked, I would have been in a pickle. I have a Chevrolet Truck Repair Manual and I read it like some read the Bible. Everything is in there. You just need to study it.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
We've made two longish trips in our '51 3600. Both to Luckenbach TX. A 600 mile one way drive for us. Total miles each trip was in the 1400 mile range. On the 1st trip in '17 we were running the factory 4.57 gears with a T5 transmission. This combo made 60 to 65 mph speeds common on flat ground. Any hill or headwind and the old 85 hp, 216 required a downshift to 4th with speeds in the 50ish mph range. The only issue that trip was we missed a turn while looking for our hotel after dark and I realized just how dim our stock 6 volt headlights were. A couple relays fixed that issue when we made it back home.
On the second trip in 2018 I'd changed the rear gears from the stock 4.57 ratio to a set of 4.10s. We couldn't run any faster since the engine was still the stock 85 hp 216, but the slower engine speed did quiet things down a bit. That trip I noticed a front brake dragging and did a roadside adjustment, all good after that.
Prep work for the above trips was just making sure the truck was in normal daily driver shape. We did carry a pretty heavy travel tool box (50 lbs or so) along with a spare and a 5 gallon can of gas, gallon of 15w40 diesel rated oil, gallon of 50/50 mix coolant, and a qt of brake fluid. There's always an extra set of points and condenser in the glove box.
Images of the road show in Texas Hill Country below. My Brides luggage along with tools and other necessities are in the black box. My old bed liner coated Samsonite suitcase was tied in with a piece of poly hay string, worked fine. We're old hands at traveling light, that helps.
That's about it.
Good Luck on your adventures! Just do it!
Added in edit; Just reread Spotbiltxo's comments about the firm stock seat. Mine are likely firmer than stock. Based on a few online diy videos I put 1/2" mesh wire on the springs and tied the springs to it in order to unitize things, preventing sag. On top of that is a layer of short nap carpet. Huge mistake on my part when I redid them. Should have used foam. The seat looks good and sits fine for the 1st hour. Then it's NO fun. We've resorted to carrying two 1" thick, dense foam cushions and shamelessly sit on them when on the road. I highly recommend this little addition if you're traveling with stock seats.
Used to haul chickens from Iowa to South Dakota in a 1949 3800 twice a week or about 800 miles. Never spent a minute on the side of the road which was then gravel and not pavement. Could have used a better heater in January and February.
sambo42xa, fact is your truck should be quite capable of running 55 plus mph if it's in average good condition. What does average good condition mean? The brake drums have been pulled to verify shoes and wheel cylinders are good and they do work as designed. Steering, if you hit a bump it's no big deal. You don't have to fight to go straight down the road. The engine starts every time with no drama, no strange noises or smoke. Truck never overheats and coolant hoses have been replaced in the last 20 years. Tires are less than 10 years old, better is less than 5 years old.
If I had a truck that clicked all the boxes above, on a good road I'd drive at 50mph a bit, no issues then 55, then 60.
Watch the gauges, stop if oil pressure drops or it starts overheating.
sambo42xa With cell phones and friends that understand you can go a long ways . Have put on about 9000 miles just local since 2018. My wrecker guy is almost always available 100 mile radius from home so if I blow just call him.
I'll bet those chickens were even colder than you were Evan.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
Sambo42xa, In 2015 I drove my mostly stock '51 3100 from AZ to Kansas City, one way 1200 miles to a truck show. I did it in 2 1/2 days, driving only during daylight since my stock truck only has the one tail light and no signal lights (other drivers have to see my hand signals, even if they don't know what they mean). I drove 55-57 mph, tried to stay off the interstate highways and freeways, but that was not always possible. Brief moments of 65mph were attained in order to change lanes on the freeway interchanges (some of the KC freeways dump you into the fast left lane). I learned that you, indeed, have intermittent wipers with the stock vacuum wipers (heading into the wind at highway speed during a rainstorm the wipers quit due to nearly wide open throttle--you just let up on the accelerator momentarily to let the wipers clear the windshield).
The return trip was just as fun, except I started to have flat tires. Coker radials, as all radials apparently, have an aluminized label on the inside. When paired with the radial inner tubes that come with the tires you end up with a tube leak after heating up the tires. I had the tires for two years prior with no problems but never ran them all day before.
I came back with a nice trophy. Not the kind for a pretty truck (my 25 year old paint job was nowhere near nice enough to compete with the other trucks, besides there were these big ugly Texas grasshoppers stuck all over the front. I didn't even bother to wash it for the show). I came back with the trophy for "Longest driven" out of the other 250 trucks.
I checked out my truck as best I knew how (compression, had done recent brake work, maintenance, ect.). I carried some extra parts such as water pump and a set of tools. One shouldn't be surprised, as back then people traveled those distances all the time with similar cars and trucks.
Kent
Last edited by Lightholder's Dad; 03/09/20223:47 AM.
sambo42xa, fact is your truck should be quite capable of running 55 plus mph if it's in average good condition. What does average good condition mean? The brake drums have been pulled to verify shoes and wheel cylinders are good and they do work as designed. Steering, if you hit a bump it's no big deal. You don't have to fight to go straight down the road. The engine starts every time with no drama, no strange noises or smoke. Truck never overheats and coolant hoses have been replaced in the last 20 years. Tires are less than 10 years old, better is less than 5 years old.
If I had a truck that clicked all the boxes above, on a good road I'd drive at 50mph a bit, no issues then 55, then 60.
Watch the gauges, stop if oil pressure drops or it starts overheating.
That's what I'd do.
Good Luck!
RonR
I wish the truck capable of reaching 55, let alone 50. I have it to the floor and she does 40-43’ish. Besides that, it is in “average good condition” as you pointed out.
A couple or three things I'd check. First on the list just because it's easy, with the key off put a brick on the gas pedal (or a stick wedged between the seat and gas pedal) so the pedal is on the floor. Then pull the air cleaner and look down the carburetor throat and see if the butterfly plate is totally vertical. That tells if you're getting full throttle. Check the timing, points and condenser, use the search function to see how. Change the fuel filter. Check the fuel pump to see if it's up to specs. See the copy and paste below.
Re: Fuel pressure test
"Hotrod Lincoln Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) I've always used the rule of thumb "pumps a pint of fuel or more into a catch container at idle speed in 30 seconds". If the engine won't idle for half a minute on the gas in the float bowl, it has other problems. I've got my steel pot and flak jacket on, so let's go ahead and cue up the "Don't have an open fuel line on a running engine" crowd- - - -I know they're just waiting to pile on! LOL Jerry"
If you don't find any problems that need correcting after all the above, I'd start another thread and seek help from the smart folks on the site.
How far would I drive my original truck......anywhere I wanted to go!! I had a 50 1/2 ton and figured if I could stop and start it all around town everyday and put 100's or 1000's of miles on it in short trips it certainly could run smooth for any distance I wanted to go. Never took it on a LOOOOONG trip but many 50 to 100 miles trips regularly and it never had a problem. It was original except for the tires.
....note: after a couple years of running it HARD up and down I-85 at 55-60 mph a rod finally started "pecking". Pulled it out and put in a used 235 and kept trucking till I traded it to my brother. It was good one indeed!
My wife drove my mostly stock 59 Suburban with a 307 V8 and an SM420 on a 2500+ mile trip from California to Tennessee. It was towing a Datsun 510 station wagon. Both vehicles were loaded to the roof with everything we owned when we escaped from the People's Republic. She was following me as I drove a 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood and towed an 18 foot 3 axle backhoe trailer. The Caddy/trailer combo weighed 16,700 pounds. It got 5 MPG, and the Burb got 10. Drive 100 miles, gas up, "rinse and repeat!" It took nearly a week to get back to Tennessee.
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
When we were moving from north of Houston to Fredericksburg Tx (250 miles one way) five years ago I drove my mostly stock (has a '67 Camaro 3.55 rear end) 1952 GMC 152 flatbed four round trips loaded in the bed and dragging a 6x10 trailer and one more one way without the trailer at the end. Total of about 2250 miles in less than 3 weeks. Poor little 228 engine had one hill on US 281 (250 foot elevation gain in a little over a mile and a half) that it started up at 60+ MPH and was doing 37 at the crest. But it never missed a beat.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
I'll share my story. Bought the '65 C20 in April 2015, and the PO told me he had rebuilt the rear end, so I didn't mess with that, just changed the gear oil. I did replace the unreliable Edelbrock/Carter AFB carburetor to a 1968 Q-Jet, replaced the plugged 2-row radiator with a new 3-row, water pump, driveshaft, and swapped in front disc brakes. Rebuilt the Saginaw 3-speed with BWOD, and this was done by June 2016 before taking it on it's first 1000+ mile camping trip. We clocked 1,300 miles that trip. Crossed over the CA/NV state lines 5 times on that trip. Fast forward to 2017, I was getting married and the truck needed to make the trip to Texas and back. I did not trust the engine, mainly the heads. I had a spare set laying around, so they went to the machine shop, and while they were being done, I resealed the engine, replaced the camshaft with an old school 300hp/327 grind, and while it was down, I also installed a new fuel pump, and new hoses. Too many little events happened that kept me from working on the truck on a daily basis after work, and it got down to crunch time. Once it was all buttoned-up and the cam was broke-in, I test drove it around town for roughly an hour over the course of a couple days, and fixed any leaks that may have showed up, and adjusted things that needed adjusted. I changed the oil, checked the coolant level and brake fluid level, loaded it up and the real road test was leaving here on a Saturday afternoon around 15:30 and arriving in Holbrook, AZ around 02:00. Luckily there were no issues. No oil burned or leaked, no coolant loss, nothing failed. Back on the road at 08:00 to pick-up my wife to be in Albuquerque, NM and she rode with me the rest of the way to her hometown, and we got there around 02:30 Monday morning. Long drives, bad seat, no power steering, unfamiliar roads and driving speeds I would not normally drive the old truck, but with the overdrive it could do it and stay under or at 3,000 rpms depending on the traffic we were cruising with. We did the whole trip without any issues except needing to replace the rear bumper bolts to make sure the bumper stayed attached to the frame.
I believe your truck will do fine as long as you make sure it is roadworthy.
Shane
Shane's Toys... 2007 Forester XT Limited (2nd Owner) 1991 Cherokee Laredo (2nd Owner) 1981 Chevy 3/4 Ton Fleetside 8,600 Camper Special (3rd Owner) 1965 Chevy 3/4 Ton Fleetside (3rd Owner)
moparguy I see your bride there on the back,I have my tailboard fixed like a porch swing seat so you can lean back,then put your feet on a little 2-step ladder. Put some wooden dowel in the bed edge rollso you have a solid handle. Wife uses couch cushions back there for parades,we made our local paper that way .
Mrs. Wally and I took our '51 Chevy and its 216 with a U-Haul full of household stuff the 1250 miles from Seattle to Laramie WY. We camped 4 nights to save money. This was in 1966 and we thought nothing of it.
I once saw an AD with Alaska plates on I-90 in Montana. He might have taken the ferry down, though. Also, did a member here drive his AD to AK? Am I remembering it was a memorial to the fellow's son but I might be wrong.
Last edited by Wally / Montana; 03/12/20223:11 PM.
33 Years. Now with a '61 261, 848 head, Rochester Monojet carb, SM420 4-speed, 4.10 rear, dual reservoir MC, Bendix up front, 235/85R16 tires, 12-volt w/alternator, electric wipers and a modern radio in the glove box.
My 54 is far from stock. 235, t5 trans, nova rear 2.73 end, A/c but I never use it. But I have driven to KC 8 times 1200 miles round trip and Stovebolt HQ 2 times also 1200 miles round trip.
Ron, The Computer Greek I love therefore I am. 1954 3100 Chevy truck In the Gallery 2017 Buick Encore See more pix 1960 MGA Roadster Sold 7/18/2017
I ran into a guy a few years back in Delta Junction, AK who had driven a 40's Dodge military ambulance up from the Lower 48. Granted it's not an AD, but shows that just about anything is possible.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
One of my father's cousins bought a retired Nashville Tennessee city bus in the late 1950's, packed up his family and everything they could load into it, and drove to Anchorage Alaska. Back then, most of the Alcan highway was a poorly maintained gravel road. He spent the rest of his life there, working as a civilian electrician on the DEW line radar sites that watched for nuclear bombers. In the mid-1980's we met his widow and one of his sons when we visited Alaska. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
The furthest destination I've driven my stock 1939 Chevrolet 3/4 ton JD stake truck was 160 miles. It'll do 50-55 comfortably. I use the interstates for long distances. If others want to pass they got the left lane to do so. My daughter and I will be driving it 480 miles one way to the 60th Anniversary meet of the VCCA this summer in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She knows there will be no power steering, power brakes and the only AC is the cowl vent and crank out windshield. I figure it'll be 2 days there and 2 days back. I'm a little apprehensive about that long grade on I-75 in Florence/Covington, Kentucky after crossing the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio. In the past I've had truckers and motorhomes come along side me, toot their horns, and get in behind me and keep others off my tail. Are any of you Stovebolters attending this meet?
I moved from Oregon, IL to River Falls, WI 335 miles in my all original 46 with low geared original 4 speed trans. I transported by trailer the first and only time in 2013 to Tennessee. Now a major drive will be through the mountains from Crossville to the April 2 Chattanooga Cruise; I rebuilt the entire 75 year old brake system for navigating the mountains.
1 1/2 years ago I would have said no further than I was willing to walk back, but when my truck rolls out this spring I’ll be comfortable roaming the nearby countryside.
Age 68 is not too late to start hot rodding , right?
I think we need to ask how far our backsides and backs can stand it. I returned to Seattle from a 4,000 mile, six-week trip to AZ and So. CA and aside from being cold, I'm still sore after 10 days. That was driving my AD with camper, by the way.
1951 3800 1-ton "Earning its keep from the get-go" In the DITY Gallery 1962 261 (w/cam, Fenton headers, 2 carbs, MSD ign.), SM420 & Brown-Lipe 6231A 3spd aux. trans, stock axles & brakes. Owned since 1971.
I think we need to ask how far our backsides and backs can stand it. I returned to Seattle from a 4,000 mile, six-week trip to AZ and So. CA and aside from being cold, I'm still sore after 10 days. That was driving my AD with camper, by the way.
Tommy, good point! I made the mistake of "not" modernizing the '51's seat while restoring it. Actually made it a bit firmer than stock since I laid 1/2" chicken wire on the springs and then tied each spring to the wire, unitizing things. It's great for the first hour, then NO fun at all.
Recently picked up a couple of 1.5" thick black dense foam pads for longish trips. So far a great improvement.
Our trip miles per day goal had been a max of 400, we may be able to add to that now when needed. But likely not, regardless of miles traveled daily the pads will make for a better day.
I'm with Tommy -- With a well-maintained truck, the question isn't how far, it's how long *you* can stand to be in it. I go annually to the TriState show in Winchester, VA (with the ODSS). It's about 110 miles and a 3-hour trip depending on Fredericksburg traffic. By the time I get to Winchester, I am ready to get OUT of the truck.
~ John
"We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are"
1948 International Farmall Super A 1949 Chevrolet 3804 In the Legacy Gallery | In the Gallery Forum 1973 IH 1310 Dump 2001 International/AmTran RE3000 "Skoolie" 2014 Ford E-350 4x4 (Quigley)
At my age the “How Far” is directly related to the capacity of my bladder and the urgency to empty said bladder.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
