The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk how far have you driven your 'bolt?

I am getting itchy to make the first road trip out of town with my truck. It have the stock 216 but I dont want to come back home on a tow truck.

Whats the furthest you have driven your unrebuilt stock engine?

I drove mine on and off the trailer, then I had a 261 done up and put in.

I drove my old GMC to Denver and back with a crack in the water jacket and about 15 gallons water in the bed. As much fun as this one is to drive, I still miss that old slow thing.

In 1973 I bought my '51 Suburban in Winston Salem NC and drove it to Raleigh with a rod knocking so loud it was hard to carry on a conversation in the cab. This would have been about a 100 miles.

I put the 235 from my '53 Chevy in her, and I have taken numerous 500 to a 1000 mile trips since. Had a couple of flat tires, have run out of gas and had a voltage regulator go out, but never been towed, and never had to take a cab home.

Yet......

Kurt

The 248 in my burb was rebuilt in '85. Last year I drove it to Phoenix and back, 2222 miles; to South Bend and back, 2400 some miles; to El Reno and back, 600 miles; to Kansas City and back, 1300 some miles and the Lone Star Loop 1000. In all I put almost 11,000 miles on her.

I have a crack in a water jacket that a friend is planning to attempt to stitch back together. You are giving me hope on making my first "road" trip.

In 1980 my wife followed me from central California to Nashville Tennessee in our 59 Burb, towing a Datsun 510 station wagon. I was driving a 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood and towing a 3-axle backhoe trailer with a gross weight of over 10,000 Lbs. with all our household goods on it. The car/trailer combo weighed out at 16,700 Lbs. when we got an over-wide permit at the Arizona border. They didn't weigh the Burb, but it was loaded to the gills also. The Burb had a 1970 307 V-8, a SM 420 4 speed, and a 3/4 ton Dana type 60 rear end from a late-60's GMC in it. I got 5 MPG with the Caddy and the Burb got 10 MPG for over 2500 miles.
Jerry

I drove my 50 3/4-ton with original 216 approx 330 miles from Sullivan, IL to Fond du Lac, WI in May 2010. That was a long, hot day with lots of stops for oil, but no breakdowns.
I would do it again! If I still had the truck. Sadly I sold it in May 2011 after I lost my job - but I wish I hadn't.
Don't be afraid to take a few basic precautions and Do It.

I drove my un rebuilt 216 20,000 over three years. That was in my '50 1 ton.

I drove my '49 Poncho 2000 miles on a camping road trip one summer. The engine had never been out of that car!

So far I've put about 3000 miles on the 235 in my '49 panel. It had sat for about 40 years before I started it. I'm going to do the rings now though.

I've driven "Lucille" about 1000 miles since 2007 when I bought her from a local guy here in Greenville, SC. I still don't really trust her to go on any lengthy trips yet. Probably the furthest single trip I've taken is to drive her over to Achipmunk's place! About 30 miles from where I live and only on the back roads! Maybe one day she'll be fully grown and I won't have to worry so much.
Alvin, Pam and I will be there for the Southern Stovebolters Fifth Anual Reunion!

We drive our '49 216 all summer and think nothing of driving it 60-70 miles from home. I make sure fluids are at proper levels when I fill with gas and do maintenance as needed. I have the same confidence in it as I do my 2001 Silverado. Don

When I bought my '56 3105 panel in 1971, I loaded it full of beer, friends, etc and took off for Carolina Beach on the pre-interstate 2-lanes, just as soon as I got the clutch unstuck and and gas in the tank! After that I drove it everywhere including Canada, Mexico, and California. I parked it in 1984 when the need for an engine became severe.

Like Kurt_51carryall years later, I bought my '71 C10 in Winston Salem. I had no engine trouble, but it was everything I could do to keep it in the road with the the "wore-slam-out" steering box. I am oh-so-glad that I didn't have to stop in a hurry either. I drove this one about 100 miles home.

Last, my '69 panel was purchased in Charlotte NC, about 10 miles on the SC side of the Speedway. I drove this one home, too. The problem this time was the air kept getting out of the old, dry rotted tires. My wife and I got almost as good as a NASCAR pit crew, changing tires along the road, but otherwise it was uneventful, mostly. From where I bought it to home was about 175 miles.

The 1969 and the 1971 are street drivable and the 1956 has the engine out.

Driven the '37 with a stock 216 on a highway 180 mile round trip with ambient temperatures at about 95+ degrees and dew point about 60 degrees. The morning drive was pleasant but by the return in the afternoon we were really glad to see the garage door. Normal engine heat and noise added to the other factors, plus wind, wind noise etc. made for a memorable and fun experience. The wife was a good sport...but she did ask if we could add A/C.

I'd do again, but in cooler, less windy weather.

I bought my 58 3600 last fall, got her certified just about a month before the snow ussually starts to fly. I took her up and down and around the neighbourhood. I am replacing all things rubber this winter. This spring I hope to built up some faith and take her a little further. It apparently had the motor and trans rebuilt but I don't know when.

I had a '60 1/2 ton, 235, 4 on the floor, drove that thing everywhere! I put over 100k on it in about five years, never let me down, sold it for what I paid for it.
Tom

1951 4400 still on the original low pressure 235. Daily driver and have been on a few 300+ mile trips. Never needed a tow, although it died in the middle of a downtown Seattle intersection the other week. Had to push her to the side and wait about 5 min before it would start again. Nothing plugs, wires etc didn't take care of.

I have done a few 400-500 mile trips with my 1959 1/2ton. Runs good no ptoblems, will take a few more I hope.

I did an 8,000 mile trip in 28 days with my 52 1 ton. It had a 235 with about 5 or 6 years on a rebuild. No real problems and had a lot of fun.

I'd never been more than 30 miles or so from home prior to leaving for that trip even though I drove it every day for a few years in there.

Grigg

On one trip, we drove our 54 Chevy half ton from the Los Angeles, Ca area to Glacier Park in Montana and over to the section of the park in Canada. Over 3000 miles pulling a Kenskill teardrop trailer. On another trip we drove the 54 and teardop to Yellowstone Park and back to the LA area. The last trip was from LA to Zion Park in Utah and a big loop all around Utah to all the National parks and monuments ending up at the north rim of the Grand Canyon and back home. The 54 has the original 235 in it. Just drove up north of San Francisco a few months ago. We added a 1955 three speed overdrive so we could drive a little faster. The key to driving a Bolt long distances is to rebuild, or at least inspect, all the major systems: engine, trans, rear end, brakes, tires, radiator, etc. We keep spare parts under the seat such as water pump, fuel pump, coil, etc. in case we have a problem in the middle of nowhere. In reasonable weather, a Bolt in good condition doesn't have a distance limitation.