Hollywood’s problem was not an old car. it was a failure to check it out before the trip. Bad thermostat which he knew was probably going bad is not a reason to give up on the car.
I have had to get rid of my beloved 2002 Sienna due to immigration status change in Mexico. That car will get back to the border and be parked unless my son wants it I bought a 2009 Sienna with around 50,000 miles on it here. I will drive it tot he border when I make my annual trip back. But, if I drive into the USA I will rent a car because with cops doing what they are doing, I am not driving Mexican plates into the interior. Every self-labeled hero cop would have to pull me over to check out my drugs. (sarcasm).
But, the 2002 has 220,000 miles on it, and if allowed, I would drive it as long as I live. And, yes, I would drive it all over the USA as well. Time marches on.
has anyone ever rented a sports car instead of just whatever they give you?
I rented a red Mustang convertible to drive from Las Vegas to Laughlin, NV once. (Only the V6 was available, but whatever.) Was well worth the upcharge. (Given a nice, sunny day in the desert. February in New Jersey, probably not so much.)
I used to travel way too much and chose cars from the Executive Emerald Aisle or got upgrades when I was with Avis. I had a Mustang convertible in LA in January and drove everywhere with the top down, even at night. I had to use the heater, but it was great. I also had a Chrysler Crossfire roadster, a New Beetle convertible, and a variety of Cadillacs.
This was kind of interesting and haven’t run into it before. We rented a Jeep in Orlando for ten days. We only put on about 45 miles plus another 25 from Disney to the airport for a total of 70 miles. When I got home and looked at the return statement, it listed 350 miles driven and had notched up the odometer reading to match. It was unlimited miles so didn’t matter any mileage wise but my thoughts are always that someone decided to use it for a few days on their own. We caught one girl at work years ago using cars on the week ends and falsifying the log sheets so I’m always suspicious.
Then the guy that checked the car in also drove us around to the right terminal for check-in. He said it was a new service. I dunno, I was a little skeptical and neglected to tip him like I think was the whole deal.
Actually as much as I complained about Jeep, the Renegade was a pretty decent little vehicle once you got used to it. It was terribly under powered though with the 2.4 engine and swayed a little in the wind but drove well and was comfortable.
The roadster was produced in 2005, 2006, and 2007. It was a knock-off of the SLK320 (I’m sure you know that @db4690). It was a fun little car; more of a tourer than sports car. The trunk was big (for a car like that) until I put the roof down. Then I could barely fit my roll aboard suitcase and briefcase in the trunk.
I don’t recall what time of the year it was, but LA wa cool and sunny. The weather was almost perfect for top down driving.
Yes, the crossfire I know of was based on the R170 roadster, aka SLK. The R171, the next generation SLK came out around 2004, if my memory is correct
Perhaps that roadster you’re referring to is based on the second generation SLK . . . ?
In any case, neither the 1st or 2nd generation SLK were not particularly comfortable for me to drive. Short wheelbase and stiff suspension aren’t much fun for somebody with a bad back like me
Well, I’m not quite sure if that’s a net positive or net negative
The R170 did have the more reliable engines and transmissions, but they’re kind of dated by now
The R171 had more advanced, but FAR more trouble-prone engines and transmissions. It also had a much more advanced front end. Multi-link suspension and rack and pinion, versus upper and lower control arms and steering gearbox
Believe me when I say the updated front end made a huge difference in handling. But comfort still was terrible, as far as I’m concerned. Handling and comfort are clearly not the same thing.
thanks everyone for their thoughts on this topic. I am leaning to using my car if I take the trip this summer. I was thinking about renting but most of the cars you get do not seem to jump out at me. also if I got to spend a couple hundred for a week, I would rather spend the money on my car than another car. I think if you could cheaply rent dream cars like old trans-am, caddy, or even newer car like a v8 challenger, then I might feel different. the bottom line is I feel confident in the 1997 Thunderbird that I have and I think I would feel more comfortable driving it than anything new. My other thought is that I do not take too many big road trips, so if I do, then I want my thunderbird by my side.
i would like to thank everyone for their input on this topic. as the time is getting closer to taking the trip, I want to use my own car as opposed to rental. my thinking is that I am very comfortable in my car and if I have to spend money, I rather spend it on my car than on a rental. What I am wondering now, is when I take my thunderbird to the mechanic to look over the car, are there any specific things I should ask of him to check or replace before the trip? Usually every year, I just ask to check the car out before I go on trip, and last year was first time the car had problems but I want to make sure I am not missing anything. Any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated.
What year is your T Bird, how many miles on it and what is it’s general condition.
Also, where does your trip take you? If you are going to remote regions in an older vehicle that was not a best seller to start with you may be stuck if you have car trouble. I have taken a 7000 miles trip with a 10 year old Buick with 100,000 miles on it. But we went along well travelled routes and that model Buick was sold in large volume, so part would have been available in case of a breakdown. We only needed one spark plug wire.
f you have any doubt, rent a car. Holiday trips are meant to be enjoyed.
Well its a 97 with 180,000 miles on it, and sounds like not used every day. When my cars had that kind of mileage, they were on the highway every day doing 3000 miles a month. So issues were known and taken care of regularly. On a car not used much, its like a maiden ship voyage without a shakedown cruise.
What to check? Everything. But the things that usually fail are belts, hoses, coolant, battery, alternator, water pump, wheel bearings, tires, electrical, ball joints, etc. Either put it on the road every day or rent.
the car is a 1997 Ford Thunderbird with 180,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. The car is used everyday for a short drive to and from work.
The car is also used for errands and running around. it does not get as much highway driving as it used to and it has not had no problems recently, but I get so many friends telling me the car is too old, that it got me thinking like this. This is my only car and I am confident in it. It just passed inspection recently and gets oil changes every 3,000. The transmission oil was also changed in the last six months. I know that things can go bad on a car due to age, but I hate that many people think that because a car is old, it will break down. I feel like I take good care of car. If there is any issues, I take it to mechanic right away. I am just wondering if running the car on a highway for six or seven hours would do damage to the car.
@Hollywood1974 Driving at legal highway speeds is very easy on a car, unless you are towing a trailer. The 7000 miles trip I took with a 10 year old Buick was with a tent trailer in tow. But I had installed a transmission oil cooler and had the brakes checked out as well.
If you let a competent mechanic check it out, I would have no hesitation taking this trip. Extreme heat (if you’re crossing the Mojave Desert or Bonneville salt Flats) can be hard on a car if the cooling system is partially clogged. This type of thing will not show up in daily driving.
Check all belts, hoses, and make sure the mechanic flushes the coolant if you have not done so already.
The AAA lists flat tires, overheated cars and failed transmissions as the three most common road side emergencies.
Many years ago in my last year of college a German exchange student wanted to tour North America before going home to Germany. I helped him find a cheap car; we located a 2 door 6 cylinder Pontiac with a manual transmission and no extras. He paid $300 or so, since it was 9 years old, but in good shape.
At the end of the summer he called me and said he had a good trip. He covered a total of over 30,000 miles through the USA and Canada and had only a $28 repair on the gearshift. He bought me a steak dinner with good German beer and left with over 1000 pictures to remember his trip.
If you do what we suggest, you should be OK but make sure to carry a cell phone, credit cards, and an AAA membership if possible. Even a rental car can have problems and Hertz does not readily respond to calls from Yellowstone Park.