Buying a C10/20 and driving it cross country

[special-K]

Oops! Strike all I said about a round trip,and think about the rest. Note to self: Read the whole post,ya dummy!

Like I said,I've driven several of these trucks (and older) cross-country or at least from the Rocky Mt states,as well as closer but long trips). I never got what I'd call stranded. The only time I towed was when I went out to Flagstaff to retrieve two trucks ('71 SWB K/10 & '69 Blazer) I had bought when I lived out there. They had basically been sitting a couple years,but my (good) friend who was keeping them ran them a little from time to time. Even though they had been sitting,I was familiar with them from before.I went over them,drove them around a few days,hooked the Blazer to the K/10 and headed home. We drove the '71 camper out there,so we had a third option on towing (and free lodging with a kitchen). The K/10 needed some exhaust work,before we left,and I had that done since that was the intended tow vehicle. We had a blast! A nice vacation for my family and an adventure as well. My buddy even let me take his boat up to Lake Powell for a couple days. This was some years ago,so the trucks were younger,but still older survivors that you wouldn't expect to see someone driving cross-country.
Here we are at the muffler shop showing the Blazer and tail end of the camper and a pic of the K/10 in Page,AZ

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

What's with people making their first post on the forum, and then not coming back to chime in? Lots of helpful advice on this thread, but the OP is silent

I was thinking the same thing. He may be broke down on the road some where.

[In The Ten Ring]

Let's hope not.....

I think discretion is the better part of valor in such a case but it would be tempting to just "go for it," buy the truck and chance it. I guess maybe I'm at that point in life where I want to look hard before leaping.

[sublime1996525]

I think it would be a fun experience. I bought my 06 Z06 in TN and drove it back to Utah. Fun time with my dad. Granted this was a new car but I did have a problem in TX with needing to get rear tires. They were shot and I thought I could make it home. I was wrong.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

What's with people making their first post on the forum, and then not coming back to chime in? Lots of helpful advice on this thread, but the OP is silent

Originally Posted by davischevy

I was thinking the same thing. He may be broke down on the road some where.

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Let's hope not.....

I think discretion is the better part of valor in such a case but it would be tempting to just "go for it," buy the truck and chance it. I guess maybe I'm at that point in life where I want to look hard before leaping.

It's only been since yesterday morning. Give him a break. Maybe he's just not yet addicted (Or,busy?)

[Terry Crist]

To me, most people are too darned worried about the "WHAT IF'S" anymore.

What if the tranny goes out?, what if it blows up?, what if it uses too much fuel?

WHAT IF YOU HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN AND IT DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM AT ALL?

The whole idea depends on the truck that the OP buys and only he/she can determine if the vehicle is road worthy. If it is a concern, have a shop check it out. It would be worth the few hundred $ to have that done.

JMHO, for what that's worth.

[filter27e]

OK, sorry it's been a couple of days, but I actually posted that from work on my phone one night (12 hr night shifts) and that night was followed by a couple of hellish ones where I didn't get to check again.

So I think everybody put it together in my absence, but just to elaborate I am currently in Los Angeles for work until January 18th. I did drive my own car out here, and therefore will be driving home again in January, whether it's with a second vehicle or not.

Originally Posted by Mister-B

I think some folks aren't understanding that you are already in an area where you could buy a truck, and would need to drive back either way.

You'd need to buy one that has passed safety inspection and is registered, and is mechanically sound as much as possible. Get the oil changed, and get a quick inspection, if you're not able to do that yourself, since you may not have all your tools. You'll need the truck to have proper towing abilities with a hitch and wiring. (not a ball on a farm bumper). I recently replaced my farm bumper that had a ball on it, and two of the 4 bolts holding the bumper to the frame broke off very easily. Glad I never towed with it.

So, if you are OK with the above, and have money for unexpected problems, it might just be a good experience

I know from reading up in the past, which obviously I'd make sure I understand the rules 100% before even calling someone, but i believe I can put in for a 1 time "drive it home" registration for buying an out of state car. I'm generally pretty capable for all the inspection stuff, any work it needs though I'll need to pay to have it done though because I don't think the apartment complex would take well to me taking apart a C20 next to somebody's Mercedes.

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Drive a 40+ year old truck that I just bought with a 3500-4000lb car behind it for 2500 miles? No way

HOWEVER... if you're willing to try it, and fail in the middle of nowhere... you unhook your car. Go for help and have it shipped home the rest of the way.

The only reason I'd really consider it would be exactly this. I'm going to be towing a perfectly capable car already. Worst case scenario (ok not THE worst) if it completely breaks down, I pull my car off the trailer, arrange to have it shipped.

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

How old are you?
Are you the adventurous sort?
Do you have a good bailbondsman?
Take your camera,take clean undies,take lots of cash,take someone to laugh with you when you want to cry.

Read this ,then decide

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=322870

I'm 30
Yes
Erm... no?
Trying to get my wife to take some time off work to fly out here and drive home with me, but that might actually add to the stress of the journey... not because she stresses me out, but she worries a lot more than I do. AND she'd have a date to be back at work. I don't have such a fixed date.

Read that thread, it was a good read! My own journey is less scenic, I take a more southern route.

At the end of the day, I have a couple of months to inspect a truck, I have a place to park it in the mean time, and I have a cousin in Phoenix who I'm already planning to see on my way back home, who's fully equipped should I need anything done and make it that far.

We'll see how it goes! If I find anything this will be the first place I post I didn't take my real camera with me but I can always do iPhone shots all the way and make a post when I'm done.

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by filter27e

OK, sorry it's been a couple of days, but I actually posted that from work on my phone one night (12 hr night shifts) and that night was followed by a couple of hellish ones where I didn't get to check again.

So I think everybody put it together in my absence, but just to elaborate I am currently in Los Angeles for work until January 18th. I did drive my own car out here, and therefore will be driving home again in January, whether it's with a second vehicle or not.



I know from reading up in the past, which obviously I'd make sure I understand the rules 100% before even calling someone, but i believe I can put in for a 1 time "drive it home" registration for buying an out of state car. I'm generally pretty capable for all the inspection stuff, any work it needs though I'll need to pay to have it done though because I don't think the apartment complex would take well to me taking apart a C20 next to somebody's Mercedes.



The only reason I'd really consider it would be exactly this. I'm going to be towing a perfectly capable car already. Worst case scenario (ok not THE worst) if it completely breaks down, I pull my car off the trailer, arrange to have it shipped.



I'm 30
Yes
Erm... no?
Trying to get my wife to take some time off work to fly out here and drive home with me, but that might actually add to the stress of the journey... not because she stresses me out, but she worries a lot more than I do. AND she'd have a date to be back at work. I don't have such a fixed date.

Read that thread, it was a good read! My own journey is less scenic, I take a more southern route.

At the end of the day, I have a couple of months to inspect a truck, I have a place to park it in the mean time, and I have a cousin in Phoenix who I'm already planning to see on my way back home, who's fully equipped should I need anything done and make it that far.

We'll see how it goes! If I find anything this will be the first place I post I didn't take my real camera with me but I can always do iPhone shots all the way and make a post when I'm done.

I'd leave the girl home in this scenario. Trust me

I was more saying to get one that's registered, because it would be more likely to be road worthy. Not sure what the rules are for driving a non registered vehicle cross country.

I think this all sounds like a potentially awesome journey. Go for it!

[filter27e]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

I'd leave the girl home in this scenario. Trust me

I was more saying to get one that's registered, because it would be more likely to be road worthy. Not sure what the rules are for driving a non registered vehicle cross country.

I think this all sounds like a potentially awesome journey. Go for it!

Yeah my wife's original offer to fly out and ride home with me stood with me just driving my regular car, and the more I thought about it the more I could picture that going terribly wrong...

Checked into my DMV's requirements for a temporary registration for a drive home, and it stands as I can apply for a 3 day trip permit to drive an unregistered vehicle home, and the wording is a little sketchy but I think that I'm supposed to be just driving it and not hauling anything since it hasn't been inspected. It's also mostly worthless because it's valid 3 days from the date on the bill of sale so I'd have to talk somebody into post dating it, and THEN still make the drive in 3 days. blah. I wonder how everybody else has dealt with this issue?

Probably would wind up just shipping it.

[alsriv2]

I bought my 69 GMC out from a farm hand out in Nebraska 8 years ago. Fairly low miles truck that I got cheap on Ebay. Flew out there to inspect it, and knew I had a good one. Went home, bought all the parts needed to put a new brake system in, and flew back out with my brother a couple weeks later (had lots of airline miles from work). We spent 3 days installing new brakes, new rear tires and generally going over it. Hit the road and made it to Maryland 3 days later. The only problem we encountered was the carb fuel filter clogged every 100 miles like clockwork and we lost the fuel pump on the west side of St. Louis. But I was carrying a spare, so no issue.
Would I ever do that adventure again? Probably not, but it is a great load of memories my brother and I will never forget.

[1968k10blue]

There was an episode of roadkill, a motor trend YouTube series that they towed a prius with an older gremlin, the front tire blew up on the gremlin and sent both card into a ditch. Although I would love to see this journey happen, I also want you to know of some uncommon risks, especially when towing a more expensive car behind you. I also went on a hundred mile round trip, and had a wheel fall off 3/4 of the way home. Good luck to you of you try, I know I would!

[MARKDTN]

Sounds like fun to me. You have a while to make sure whatever you get is roadworthy. I would have new tires and make sure the brakes are good. Check out the u-joints and front end. Other than that, a lot CAN happen-but hopefully not. If you are towing another car, you will have something to get to the next town if it breaks down, but you will put more stress on the drivetrain.

Are you not going home on any Holidays until then? Bring the wife out for Christmas and have her drive the "good" car back?

[filter27e]

Originally Posted by 1968k10blue

There was an episode of roadkill, a motor trend YouTube series that they towed a prius with an older gremlin, the front tire blew up on the gremlin and sent both card into a ditch. Although I would love to see this journey happen, I also want you to know of some uncommon risks, especially when towing a more expensive car behind you. I also went on a hundred mile round trip, and had a wheel fall off 3/4 of the way home. Good luck to you of you try, I know I would!

If I do wind up buying a truck out here, the plan will come down to if driving it is physically possible, and if it is than desire to have an adventure vs a guarantee. In initial quotes I got it would cost me $1200 or so to ship it, which at first I thought was insane because my car used about $330 in gas to get out here, but towing a trailer in an old V8... I wouldn't be shocked if I got 7-9mpg. That suddenly turns into $1200 in gas.

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

Sounds like fun to me. You have a while to make sure whatever you get is roadworthy. I would have new tires and make sure the brakes are good. Check out the u-joints and front end. Other than that, a lot CAN happen-but hopefully not. If you are towing another car, you will have something to get to the next town if it breaks down, but you will put more stress on the drivetrain.

Are you not going home on any Holidays until then? Bring the wife out for Christmas and have her drive the "good" car back?

That part gets tricky. My wife just started a new job (which is why she didn't come out here with me) so the odds of her getting the holidays off aren't that great. I could get enough time off to go home around the holidays, but my son lives in yet another state, and his birthday is a couple weeks before xmas, so that will probably be my one trip out around the holidays.

[downbytheriver]

No pucker factor like having never driven one of these old trucks, and then 5 minutes later being on a major interstate in one

The water outlet cracked 110 miles from home. Hagerty tows from 125 miles out. Talk about some luck

[special-K]

Is there a way to get a temporary VA tag from out there and drive it back on that?

[Alex V.]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

I've bought cars and drove them home (1200 miles in a '51 Buick and 1400 miles in a '40 ford sedan) but some think I'm a little bit crazy

Nah, I say a role model!

[Ol rusty]

I wouldn't be afraid to drive the truck across country but drive it while towing your car sounds like a sketchy proposition to me. Fuel would be a huge expense. Trailered my 69 c10 back from Vegas with my 2013 powerstroke and I averaged 13 mpg. A gas truck with I assume a three speed tranny towing a car at highway speeds would gulp down some fuel. So once again if you do it make sure to bring a credit card with a high limit. But it would be an adventure for sure.

[lil hoodlum]

Any updates?

[filter27e]

Nothing yet, except I did find out that it would be legally possible to drive it home if I bought it right before I go home in January.

In California, when you sell a car with regular plates, the plates go with the vehicle. Original owner fills out a form and buyer has 10 days to register it. So now I could in theory go back to adventure planning. Either way I won't be getting one until close to time to go home.

[WIDESIDE72]

About 10 yrs back my brother needed a way to get his shop air compressor and tools fron here in Tx to Virginia. I found him an original paint copper/white 80k mile 71 Cheyenne Super lwb 400/400 am fm factory cruise bedside tool box dealer installed air shocks w compressor for $3000. (I didnt have the $ at the time or i would have bought it!) We installed a better front bumper, new belts hoses,shocks, tires, changed fluids and got all lights working. I gave him an old school aluminum camper shell i had and he took off with a truck load of tools, spare water pump, alt, carb, fuel pump and starter. He never had a problem! (It was being driven 1-2 times a week when sold.). Averaged 10 mpg. Sold it in Va $14k(!)

[zicc1835]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

About 10 yrs back my brother needed a way to get his shop air compressor and tools fron here in Tx to Virginia. I found him an original paint copper/white 80k mile 71 Cheyenne Super lwb 400/400 am fm factory cruise bedside tool box dealer installed air shocks w compressor for $3000. (I didnt have the $ at the time or i would have bought it!) We installed a better front bumper, new belts hoses,shocks, tires, changed fluids and got all lights working. I gave him an old school aluminum camper shell i had and he took off with a truck load of tools, spare water pump, alt, carb, fuel pump and starter. He never had a problem! (It was being driven 1-2 times a week when sold.). Averaged 10 mpg. Sold it in Va $14k(!)

Nice

[Drewski23]

i live in st louis...i saw a truck online that i liked in north carolina at a dealership. Drove out there with a buddy and stopped right before we got in the smokies because it was so late and i had never driven through before. Next day we still had a few hours to drive to the dealership but i got there around 1.

I told the salesman i was visiting family and just happened to see this truck. Drove it around and it ran good but the suspension was shot..There was also antifreeze leaking which got worse after i drove it around pretty good. He tried saying it was coming from the thermostat even though the area around thermostat was bone dry. this ensued.. He finally agreed it was coming from the intake manifold gasket and agreed to fix it but they couldn't do it that day because the only shop in town had closed.

So i spend yet another night in a bare bones motel 6 somewhere outside of taylorsville. Next day around 1 they have it done and i purchase the truck and drive it back 700 miles to st louis without any problem! leaking a little oil from the seal but hey its 45 years old.

It was a fun trip but ended up costing me around 500 bucks there and back..gas in my mustang to get there, food and drinks for me and my friend for 3 days...two bed hotel rooms for two nights, then gassing up the mustang and truck on the way back. My friend had never driven a stick either..he learned to drive one real quick in a parking lot across from the dealership once we got there.

i could have gone by myself and paid less for everything if i had towed it but i wouldnt want to be towing anything through the smokies at night while its storming..just make sure you consider everything before you go

[DGulliver]

Go for it, you'll be glad you did. I've driven all manner old cars and trucks across this country every which way, and it was always an adventure.

It sounds like you'd have time to find a truck, get a good hitch on and get it roadworthy in time to make the drive, why not? Fuel mileage? Please. What would you have done in 1975 if this was your truck? Hopped in and took off is what. You'll have time to put some miles on it first, do the belts/hoses/fluids/brakes, wheel bearings.. maybe carry a spare alternator, fuel pump and filters and hit the road! I'm 50 and would do it in a minute, these kind of experiences are what life is all about.

[filter27e]

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I was talking to my mom about my dad's old truck today and decided to throw the story in to reminisce a little.

He bought the truck when he had a low paying job and got it for around $500-600... somewhere around 1992-93. It was a 1970 C20 with a long stepside, original 307 (I could be wrong, but pretty sure it wasn't the 400), 4-speed on the floor. Medium blue and from what I remember it looked like original paint. Had a couple of rust spots but really the body wasn't that bad.

In 1997 he got a better job and decided he needed a new car, so he traded in both his car, and for reasons I still don't understand, the C20 on a 1997 S10. The dealership gave him $500 for the C20

So yeah I've been looking for another stepside 3/4 with a v8 and a 4 on the floor ever since then but it's kinda like looking for a unicorn.

I was mad at him at the time just because I liked the truck, not realizing it was a fairly rare combo, because I turned 16 2 years later and was figuring that would be my first truck. BUT if it makes anybody feel any better, when I turned 16 I wrecked the S10