Thank you for all the advise I really appreciate it from you and everyone else that’s helped so far, I will take your advise and get some work done on it after the trip. Tires seem in good condition at the moment but I will look at getting some newer ones soon just to be safe because they are getting up there in age.
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I once took a 7500 mile trip in a 10 year old Buick while towing a tent camper.
We did OK, except we needed to buy one trailer tire; although it had lots of tread, the ozone had weakened it. When parking your trailer for storage outside, cover the tires to avoid this.
Gotta agree. a four hour drive is hardly a long trip. If the car has been used on a daily basis with no problems and the tires look ok, no problem. I have taken cars with many hundreds of thousands of mile on them for 1500 miles one way and 3000 miles a month.
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Just to clarify, I’m not trying to discount VC’s comments on maintenance, particularly the timing belt. All that needs to be done. I wouldn’t postpone a few hundred mile trip in order to get it done, but it is probably overdue.
I’d do it in my '87 without thinking about it - of course I maintain it.
How much have you been driving this thing recently? I’d suspect anyone in OK would be driving 225 miles per week, so you ought to be familiar with how it handles that duty. Highway driving for 3-4 hours will be milder service conditions so other than the advice about the tires (you’ll want good condition tires for the 80 mph driving you’ll be doing) and the timing belt, you should be fine.
80 MPH ? There are few places that have that as the speed limit so doing that one should budget 100 dollars for the speeding ticket.
On many highways in OK, the legal speed limit is 80 mph.
80 MPH is common speed in my area.
I am in Oklahoma and that 80 MPH is only on the Turnpikes as far as I have seen . The Turner Turnpike between Oklahoma City and Tulsa only has 13 miles where 80 is posted.
South Dakota is 80 on the interstates and 65 on the two lanes. With the cars of the 50’s and 60’s the same interstates were all 70 so with modern cars, 80 is not unreasonable.
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I appreciate the advise, it’s a trip for my first worksite as a electricans apprentice. Not as exciting as a honeymoon but it’s my first trip driving out of state so kinda a mixed bag of worry and excitement. I haven’t had any problems with the car other than Cadilitic converter needing to be replaced.
Well take time to take in the country while you are at it. There is no substitute for driving around the country to see how things really are.
I remember after the New Orleans flood, people were transported to Minnesota while the place was rebuilt. One of the kids had never seen a cow before and thought milk came from the store. Everyone needs to get out more.
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I’m going to echo the advice on tires. You say they are only 4-5 years old, but tires that just sit for longer periods of time deteriorate quicker, especially if outdoors.
For this time of year, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the timing belt unless it is the original belt. Timing belts almost (not always though) fail in cold weather, especially in a cold snap. Rubber is more brittle when cold. But I would find out when the belt was last changed and if needed, get it done before the end of fall.
The top timing belt cover is easy to remove. If the timing belt isn’t tight to the cam gear, it should be replaced. They stretch over time so it they aren’t taunt, then they are old.
and dont forget about the spare tire.
“First Job”, I can’t understate the importance the importance of reliability and seriousness because that will be your reference to your “First Real Job”.
As an employer I understand that of course money is an issue but “Great guy but often missed work because …” is a prospect killer.
So use your limited funds to first assure reliable transportation.
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Unless the OP can correct me, I am under the impression that he does not know the service history of this vehicle.
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Absolutely. When I was in college, there was a guy that had never been out of his rural Pennsylvania county until he went to college. Then he had been to two counties. I didn’t know him, but it must have been a big culture shock. Most students were from PA, NJ, and NY, but they came from everywhere, including Europe, South America, and Asia.
In Basic most of us were 20-21 year old Reservists whose deferments had run out after graduation. We had one 17 year old kid though from the hills of Tennessee that had never been away from home. Never owned or used a tooth brush and very gung ho. We tried to calm him down a little so he wouldn’t get himself killed. It was 1970. Always wondered how he made out. Hope they made a truck mechanic or something out of him instead of infantry.
I’m ready to disregard the age and mileage of your car. For a trip of any length the real question is what condition is the car in? My guess is your car is overdue for its second timing belt change, unless it’s been done. Like others have said, how are the tires, how are the brakes, any issues? My only age consideration would be to ask is rust affecting any critical body part. FWIW two years ago I did a 600 mile trip with a Honda a year older with twice as many miles with no problems, but I knew the car inside and out. If you are not comfortable making the judgment yourself, take the advice to bring it to a mechanic letting him know what you plan to do. Just keep in mind that not every mechanical failure can be predicted even with a thorough inspection.
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