The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1940 Chevy "A 870-Mile Drive. Am I Nuts?"

I recently inherited the 1940 Chevy my Dad and I restored in the early '80s. He told me over Thanksgiving that it was time for me to have it while my son is still around. He has a trailer and a tow vehicle and offered to bring it over in the spring, from Hurricane, UT to Colorado Springs, CO. But I keep coming back to the idea of driving it home. I've mapped out a route that will keep me off the interstates that adds up to 870 miles. I plan to take four days.

Day 1: Hurricane, UT to Zion National Park to Lake Powel to Monument Valley & camp for the night.
Day 2: Monument Valley to Four Corners National Monument to Mesa Verde National Park & camp for the night.
Day 3: Mesa Verde to Durango, CO to Pagosa Springs, CO to Great Sand Dunes National Park & camp for the night.
Day 4: Great Sand dunes National park to Buena Vista, CO to Woodland Park, CO to Pikes Peak to Colorado Springs.

There is at least one pass that is 10,800 feet and Pikes Peak is 14,110 feet but we could skip that. The '40 is a 216 CID w/ a three speed and has 4500 miles on it since the restoration.

So, I asked: Am I nuts? Is that a bad idea? Has anyone else done a trip like this?

Also I'm a little concerned about gas consumption since most of this route is in the boonies. I plan to carry extra cans of gas and oil, and water for the radiator, etc. I would plan to do this early next June so the passes would be clear of snow but not too hot in the desert.

Any advice would be appreciated.
THANKS

Edited by Peggy M August 2024. I just wanted to add the images that Bob provided on page two, where he did a later update. I figured some of you might like to see what he was after. This has been a fun DITY story.

And of course, an old truck (red at that) and a happy dog.

I think it sounds like a great idea!! I wonder if there are any Stovebolters close to you who would go along for a fun trip/moral and mechanical support?

Hey, I'm unemployed for now, if still when you are ready to go i would be willing to go along or drive a support vehicle. That sounds like a heck of a cool trip.

I am familiar with much of that area and I think you and the '40 could do it. My concern would be the added weight of supplies for the trip and Pikes Peak.A few extra parts would be a good idea and I would not hold yourself to 4 days. Allow extra time.It sure would be a beautiful drive that time of year!

We had a couple well into their 80s who drove a stock original 1930 Chevy coupe from Ohio to the SFT (Southern Fall Tour) this October in southern Kansas. No guts no glory.

Sounds like a great adventure. You will end up with some great memories. Go for it.
Larry

Your trip sounds like fun to me.

I don't know how familiar your are with carbureted engines. You need to be aware that altitudes affect them. Wolf Creek Pass will be a challenge. You will lose a lot of power. They also tend to overheat at altitude. However, it will make it. Plenty of vehicles did it in their day. Take your time and have fun.

You might consider saving the Pikes Peak climb for another time since it's in your back yard.

Do it! Take your camera. Take lots of pictures.

If you do it and break something, you might feel like you made a bad choice at first, but you'll get over that.

If you trailer it home , you will have no cool stories to tell and no matter what you think, you will probably never have the chance again.

So sometime mid June, I expect to see pictures and hear stories about a trip some of us only dream about.

Sounds like a blast to me!

Go for it, just be prepared for the unexpected!!! And make sure those brakes are adjusted and the parking (real emergency!)brake works well. What great stories you will have. Wish I could come along. I drove my unrestored stock '49 from central FL to NC 20 years ago...500+ miles and 12 hours...never missed a lick! Wish I still had that one, but have my '40 now. Best of luck, and keep us all posted!

It sounds like a fun trip. The pass won't be bad, and you'll have lots of time to look around after you shift down!

Get a premium AAA card, a few Jerry cans, service the brakes, tuneup and plan the route. Carry a gps and a means for contacting members that are in the area. Cletis is a pro at driving long distances in an old truck, has done several trips over the years. Builder has managed a few seat of your pants drives through the years and may be of some help on what to carry.

i live south of durango, colo. If you want I can give you my phone number in case you have bad things happen.i can help. good luck lug

That sounds like an awesome trip, especially if you can do it with your son. Plenty of memories for both of you. My best trips were with my dad and my sons..........

Sounds good, I'd do it in a heartbeat!

Some extra gas will probably be needed. I've driven old trucks through most of those places. First my 52 1 ton back in 2004 and later a 61 one ton ford with a Detroit. No real issues with either, nothing that couldn't be fixed in a few hours at the most.

The most important thing I did to make for a successful trip was not to plan any stops down to the hour or even day. You'll have a lot more fun and less stress if you plan your stops but don't put a time or day on them, keep it as low key as you can, you'll get there when you can. Sure you might make them all as you want to but not having to worry about it makes a difference.

Grigg

Do it! I drove my 49 Sub from Wisconsin to Kansas City for the Stovebolt reunion. Round trip of over 800 miles. Planned my route for back roads and took my time. I saw many thumbs up and spoken compliments. At every stop and small town gas station people wanted to talk. My trip was over mostly flat ground so I can't offer any advice on mountain driving except to go for it. Cletis drives his Sub all over the country and any advice from him would be good. It would be an unforgettable trip.
Go for it.


Weeds

I have driven my '51 Suburban many times throughout the mountains of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. Just watch your gears and don't depend too much on your brakes. I never had any problems getting up the hill, but then I never went much over 6000 ft. (Mt. Mitchell)

For many years this was my only vehicle, so I thought nothing of taking a 1000 mile vacation trip. The glory days were when the speed limit was 55. Interstate travel is now a little more problematic, but not out of the question.

Kurt

I haven't been following this Bob cuz it weren't my truck nor my back yard but I think I
will relay my experience with old trucks and trips. I took a quick look at the comments
this morning and I gotta go along with the other guys.

Last year in September my buddy Pete and I were gonna drive our trucks, his '52 and my
'50, out to the Stovebolt reunion in KC from Chicago. I didn't get mine back together in
time but Peter rabbit, being the go-getter he is, had his all ready to go by September. I
gotta admit, I had some doubts about hitting the road with a freshly rebuilt stock truck
and 216 babbitt pounder but off we went Wednesday Morning with the sun at our backs.
Not wanting to take the interstate we took the old state highways that you would have
used back in the day thru all the small towns and 500 miles later on Thursday night we
were having dinner with the Stovebolt bunch. Over the next couple of days we probably
put another couple hundred miles on her driving around KC to tour Jim Carters and
Classic Part and just sight seeing in general.
The trip back was just as uneventful and we both have a 1,000 mile plus trip a across the
country to talk about.

We'd planed on doing it again this year with both trucks but once again, Graham was
dragging his feet. However, at the end of September I did get mine back together and
since then have put over 1,500 miles on it with out incident much of that were trips a 100
or so miles from the barn. I really wouldn't have any qualms about driving it on a long
trip, that is as long as I didn't have to try and stay up with traffic.
If your truck only has 4,500 miles on it since it was rebuilt, then it just getting broke in
and it should be a fun trip.

I've been talking about driving Bluebelle up to Alaska ever since I read about someone
else doing it as a fund raiser, but that idea sprouted a few years ago when I was much
younger and I'm much older now and 1,000 miles at a crack are about as fur as I want to
venture from home.

The suggestion about joining a national auto club is a capital idea. My buddy's
back up was his son in-law who has a car hauler. Me? Well I'm still looking into what to
do if I had to have her hauled home from KC.

Denny G

I'd take it on a couple test runs first to check for leaks, tires brakes etc etc. And have some spares on board, ie. fuel pump, coil, fan belt etc. Plus the AAA towing card and a cell phone.
Have fun and good luck

Back in the day many of these old girls made trips like this as this was all they had. As mentioned before they will over heat at altitudes. Have plenty of water with you and dont get in a hurry.

Sounds like a great trip ! Man, your back is gonna be sore after all those hours in the '40 seat *g* Have fun !

Yes, do it. It sounds like a dream trip.

If the fan on your 216 is as flat as the one on my '48, you might have overheating on the passes like stated above. So, you might want to camp at the base of a pass and go up very early in the morning with cooler conditions.

You probably have been through the route many times before and maybe have seen the view from the RV park at Goulding's Trading Post in Monument Valley. It is one of our favorites. You can tent camp up the hill away from the big rigs. The following shows Easter morning, 2009.

WOW!
Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement! It's good to hear your stories and It's good to know that it's not an unreasonable thing to try.

Fried Green T'mater & Lugnut123: Thanks for the offers of help, I'll get back to you as the time gets closer and the plans firm up.

Cletis: Yes, I am familiar with carbureted engines and the effect that altitude has one them, that was one of my big concerns but is sounds like if I take it slow (and I probably don't have much of a choice about that ) I should be OK. BTW the altitude has the same effect on people, moved here from sea level and it took a year to not wheeze running up stairs.

GMONIZ: Thanks for the link, another inspiring story and great pictures! Yes, I plan to carry a GPS, probably two. The AAA card is a good idea but I may just have Dad follow w/ his trailer as a support vehicle, we'll see.

JiMerit: Great idea but I don't know that I'll get a chance for any test runs. Dad drives it once or twice a month and the day after Thanksgiving my Son & Daughter & washed it up, gassed it up, & aired up the tires and drove it to the In-n-Out Burger in Washington/St. George for lunch w/ my Wife, who had been shopping w/ her Mom, and then over the he in-laws and gave each of them a ride and then back to Hurricane. Total distance about 45 or 50 miles and it ran great! No leaks that I could see but I plan on carrying extra fluids of all kinds just in case. I do plan on doing a tune-up, oil change, and adjusting the breaks before I start. Thanks for suggesting a spare coil, I was thinking belts, hoses, plugs, & fuel pump but not a coil and the 40 is all 6 volt so finding a 6 volt one in Mexican Hat, UT could be a problem.

Anyone else have any suggestions on what spares to carry?

Grigg: Yes, It would be best if this could be an open ended trip but I will be lucky to get the time off for the trip at all. Four day's driving back plus a day to get there and a day to prep the truck that's six days, even over a weekend it will be a push. And I know I probably shouldn't over plan it but I'm an engineer, what can I say, I've already done an Excel spreadsheet w/ the times, distances, expected lay over times, speed, anticipated fuel usage etc., obviously I've been an engineer for too long

Wally: Thanks for the shot from Goulding's, Beautiful!

To all who said take pictures I will and after reading the blog that GMONIZ linked to I might blog or tweet or facebook the trip as we go.

Thanks again to all I'll post again as the plans develop.
Bob

General spare parts I like to have on hand include what's on your list, plus a spare vacuum advance and starter switch.

Might want to carry a small spool of electrical wire for general repair plus tape and maybe some alligator clips in case you need to jump the ignition switch. A chain is always nice to have. Don't forget the jack, and check the air in the spare.

I'd also carry a tool box with the usual assortment of screwdrivers, wrenches and sockets and a flashlight. I also like to carry a probe light that I can use to static time the ignition.

Hope to see pictures!

Good luck,

Kurt

On the top of my list would be a spare fan belt, hoses, and several gallons of coolant and some oil.

My list would include:

Current road service card
Fresh tuneup
Brake/tire inspection (including spare)
Can of flat tire repair. (I don't like these, but they beat being stuck on the road.)
Flashlight w/fresh batteries
Rags
Hand cleaner
Blanket to lay down on the ground tf you have to work under it on a dirt road.
Fan Belt
Extra gas/water/oil
Socket set/wrenches/screwdriver/pry bar/hammer/knife etc.
Coil
Light bulbs (tail and dash lights)
Wd40/kroil or equivalent.
Jack and jack handle and lug wrench.
Booster battery/tire pump or battery cables.
Hoses
Road flares
Extra key.
Shop manual
Note pad and pen/pencil.
Parts house phone numbers.
Some extra cushions for your tush.
Wire w/clips
Electrical and duct tape.
Magnet (to find that nut that you dropped)

yes you are nuts, but that is plus in my book. Sane people don't have much fun. I took my 53 from sandiego to kalispell montana with the complete driveline (350 V8, auto transmission, and rearend )out of an impala of some vintage (my dad wanted an engine to build for his pickup) And pretty much all my belongings I could cram in there. It looked an awful lot like the Clampetts (how do you spell that?) It weighed 5700 pounds with a nearly empty gas tank and my wife not in it. (the guy at the scales said, "You're loaded!") didn't miss a beat. Although the clutch smoked for a while when trying to take off on a couple of those hills. Then about ten years later I took it from there to Seattle where it presently resides. Maybe not nuts, "ADVENTUROUS" might be a better term. It doesn't carry all the stigma of insanity, but has all the fun.

I just brought my '52 6400 home from Pagosa Springs with the Pass all hard packed snow. Mandatory chains on the commercial rigs. Just adds to the adventure pulling 8,000 lbs of truck and trailer with a 6,000 lb 4x4 pick up...

Anyway, ditch the GPS and use a good 'ol fashioned map. Once you're on US 160, there aren't many ways to get lost. I'm a retired OTR driver and I just looked at my atlas for where I wanted to end up and drove. It was great, except for the 70 miles of desolate highway 10 from La Junta to Walsenburg that was all ice.

Allowing 4 days to go 870 miles is only 215 per day. That should be an easy run. On my way home I stopped at midnight in Colby, KS and left there at 5:30 am the next morning. I had the cruise set at 58 mph to let the trans shift into overdrive. I made it all the way home from there, 813 miles in 16 hours.

I drive a '47 inline Chevy six and frequently take 100-500 mile trips. I plan ahead, change my oil and check my coolant PH and replace the fuel filter. No trouble in many years. Just keep the speeds commensurate with the engine speeds not to exceed the factory recommended RPM's. Mine is geared to run at 2790 RPM at 60 MPH.
Normbc9

Keep piling spare parts in the truck for "just in case" will fill up the truck.

Don't over work the truck and it should be fine. Maybe an extra belt, water/ coolant, and maybe a can of gas. Maybe a spare set of points. A few basic hand tools.

I drive my 58 everywhere and don't carry any thing other than spare tire, jack and lug wrench. Other than the price of fuel, wouldn't bother me to take it on a 1,000 mile trip at all.

Go for it, and no matter what happens on the trip, just accept it as part of the adventure. You'll be able to handle anything that comes at you, and the worst that could happen is you'd have to finish the trip on a trailer. If you have the time and the bux, go for it now, as the chance may not present itslef again in your lifetime and you'll miss out. Don't go through life thinking "woulda, coulda, shoulda"!
Tramp

When i go on a long trip i worry about getting back and mine has been completely redone but things happen. one thing i have worked out in my head is how too get it back home without paying an arm and a leg. i am thinking i would go too U-haul and rent a truck and a dolly. the small ones rent for 19.95 a day and gas. i don't know what the dollies rent for but it would be a lot cheaper than a tow. Good luck. have fun.

Do It!!
Have fun with it, but be safe.

When i bought my 53 i had to drive it 100 miles, the conversation with the previous owner went something like this "your going to drive this home!?" me: Of course. PO "well i hope you brought strong chains" Me: nope. The uncertainty made it a very exciting drive

Go for it! worst case (if the truck doesn't make it) is you call your dad and take him up on the trailer offer, and when you get it home you and your son fix it and the cycle s starts again so when you pass I it on to him he has memories.

You'll notice that all of the replies are on the positive side of things. Just goes to show you that insanity isn't a rare occurence among most of the folks that have anything to do with these old trucks. Have fun, and know that there are a lot of us that are jealous of your chance to take a trip like this. Hope to see some pictures.
Tramp

I seen somthing. If yiou go to the sand dunes. You travel way past the turn off to Salida/ Ponchs pass. Headed the back way into the springsI think you can turn off in Del Nort go to Center colo. then head up the gun barrel highway to ponchs pass and to da springs. It will save you a few miles. ( I heard there were wild women up thata way). When are u gonna make up your mind?? I got a pickup and a trailor if you need help. lugknut

Go for it

Keep us informed.

John

I think we scared him off!

Driving it home is a great way to add fun and memories to your stovebolt truck. Here's my two cents on the topic. Drive your 216 at a slow enough speed for the engine to just purr along - without very high rpm's. Stop and get gas when your tank has over a half tank full and you see a gas station. Save the gas in the gas can for an unavoidable emergency. Join the Inliners Club and they give you a booklet with the names and contact information of members all around the country. If you have problems and cannot find a local bolter, the local Inliners are friendly, helpful folks who will know about local parts and repairs for stovebolts. We did a two week tour a couple of years ago and visited many of the same places you are going in Utah and Arizona, driving our 1954 Chevy 1/2 ton 235, pulling a small vintage travel trailer. Driving a new truck with almost no chance of a mechanical problem isn't half as much fun completing your trip in a stovebolt.