• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Worried about a long road trip with Midget.

Share this page

M

Midget78

Jedi Trainee
Offline
Hello all. Ohio's weather and job market is been the reason for planning to moving down to South Carolina with another family member to see if life is any better (at least I know the weather will be) but Im taking the Midget as its the only thing I really have at this point in life. Its mechanically sound yet Im concerned about the distance from Northeast Ohio to mid South Carolina. Looking at the map I have quite a journey and can see filling the tank often. Any suggestions from those of you who have had long road trips with your car I would appreciate. My thinking is because of speeds, being cautious of over heating, etc. that the trip will take twice as long to avoid beating the car up to much. I just know I dont want to be on the side of the road at any time.
 
You should be OK, just keep your speed reasonable. You're over the summer heat so you should fair a little better. Before you go give your grease maintenance areas a good dose. Top up with oil and coolant. Make sure your transmission has enough fluid. You might want to carry a larger container of oil and maybe a gallon of gas wrapped up in one of the giant ziplock bags just in case. I know that area between the Tennessee and Kentucky border can feel like a no man's land, and there's not a lot of gas stations there. A set of points if you still have the original distributor and extra fuses.

The car will probably perform just fine. It's you folded up in the car that will probably be the bigger issue. From experience take a little longer on your fuel stops and walk around a bit to stretch.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey, and to finding employment in SC.
 
Made many similar excursions, but in an MGB. Carry the spares Jim suggests, some basic tool kit and press on!

Last "overland" I did was from here (west-central Florida) to Geneva-on-the-Lake and back. Only thing I needed was a set of generator brushes (which I didn't pack!) within ten miles of GOTL. Went to the Brit parts place in Mentor and got two sets, R&R'd the genny in the back yard... Return trip was uneventful.
 
I'm jealous. I'd love to take a long haul in mine. I would take a good look at the map and plan to hit as many non-interstate fun roads as possible, make a memorable road trip out of it. I'm already scheming for the 50th thing in Elkhart Lake in 2011. I hope to go up through northern MI, across the Mackinac Bridge, across the upper penn. and down through Wisconsin.
 
Hello, you may also be able to go online and get the name and phone numbers of brit car garages along the route your taking. just in case you need help a quick call may get you the help you need. also some of the members here can PM you with there number so they can help.
 
This makes me think of when I was young and not a care in the world,
I left Fayetteville NC one friday night in a Bugeye with no first or reverse gear, weak brakes, and it ocassional would just stop running when it got tired, but crank up find when it was rested. I drove it all night to Miami Fl. for a long week-end, I slept in the Bugeye trunk. My answer any problems if car broke down..............leave it beside road and hitchhike home (Late 70s)

Car did fine, it coughed one time on I-95 outside of Jacksonville fl. but fired right back up.

Moral to this story.........drive it and don't worry about it. act dumb and young like I was

What parts of SC you gonna plant yourself. I am in the Low country/Grand Strand area
 
Contact Tony Barnhill, he has a nice, comprehensive list of LBCers that you could contact on the way in the event of any problems!!
 
Thanks guys for the feedback and Jim for the tip on the "no mans land" around Kentucky & Tennessee borders. Although Im not a big fan of gas cans in the trunk im going to fill one and take it for backup. I stopped to see if I can get a new spare tire today as my tires are not the best at this point and yikes ($$$). Im actually a bit nervous but if I take it a bit a time Im sure I'll eventually get there staying out of the way of the speed deamons on the interstate.
 
I presume you'll be coming down I-77 thru Charleston WV on down to Charlotte NC or similar? I would suggest staying off the WV turnpike - way too many truckers flying thru the curves. Take US 60 east out of Charleston and hit US 19 near Fayetteville...19 down to Princeton, then US 52 down to just above Fancy Gap...cut over to I-77 and head on south...the truckers aren't as bad south of I-81. And the roads in WV are wonderfully twisty and curvy. This will take twice as long but it's pretty and it should be a hoot in a Midget.
 
I'm a really big fan of an Automobile Association Membership - premium - longer towing. we've used it twice this year and it is about the best insurance I can imagine
 
I once made a trip like that, don't forget a box of nuts and bolts, I had reason to use one inroute.
 
Blue highways and 2 hour between gas stops.
 
Howdy sweendog,

As you may be aware; I moved to the "Up-State, SC" about 1-1/2mo. ago from NE PA. If you like Curvy, Mtn Roads, Great Scenery and Super Climate; You should really consider this part of SC (North West of Greenville).

Relative to getting a job; I suppose that would be determined by "What kind of Job" are you looking for?

As far as driving the Midget; Man, A friend of mine & Myself had a few Beers at a Local Pub & closed it around 2:00am. We were`nt about to go home so; We and His TR4A headed south from NE NJ to Virginia Beach on a whim. It was a simply a great adventure & could care what would happen. We did`nt worry about it. We would "Cross that Bridge" when & If we needed to. We did`nt by the way & both of us were about the age of 19-20 & just a tad bit nuts.

So; "GO FOR IT"!! Have a Great Adventure!!

Best Wishes,

Russ

PS: Don`t forget to carry an extra gal. of coolant with you.
 
Bill M. and I did the trip from Washington State to Missouri last summer. The cars ran basically without a hitch, his a 1275 1969 and mine a 1098 1966 Sprite. When we were planning the trip we figured to drive at 60 mph, (we both have 5 speeds with 3.9 rear ends) and would average 50 mph, drive 10 hours a day with stops for lunch to do about 500 miles a day, It would, we figured take 4 days to do the 2000+ miles. Figure on driving with the top up. The sun will bake you even if you feel comfortable. Be sure to bring or buy plenty of water to drink, as the cockpits get HOT during a full day of driving. Figure on a fuel stop every two+ hours. Maybe bring ear plugs, as that long, that loud may cause damage, depending upon your muffler.

Spare coolant, gasoline, plugs, points, couple of plug wires, maybe a fuel pump and basic tools, AAA+ membership and cell phone, you'll be fine.

I have laid claim to the 21st century record of nearly 1200 in a single day of Spridget driving, from Gillette Wyoming, to Kelso Washington, via I-90 thru Seattle. I know people did more in the 20 century but not in this one.
 
Seattle - Fairbanks - Anchorage

2755 miles in a primrose 1969 MGB-GT back in 1984, man that was a whole lotta gravel road!!

As I remember it was something around 3 to 4 days, but I was a whole lot younger at 25 years than I am now at 50.

Can't believe I went without a spare (anything). :wink:
 
RickB said:
Seattle - Fairbanks - Anchorage

2755 miles in a primrose 1969 MGB-GT back in 1984, man that was a whole lotta gravel road!!

As I remember it was something around 3 to 4 days, but I was a whole lot younger at 25 years than I am now at 50.

Can't believe I went without a spare (anything). :wink:
Click to expand...
Been there, done that, Bro....more times than I can count....last time, my 16 year old daughter drove her newly restored 1972 Karmann Ghia from Fairbanks to Eugene, Oregon by herself, maintaining radio contact - but not visual contact - with me the whole way....in Eugene she declared herself tired & I bought a tow bar & hooked her Ghia up to my pickup for the remainder of our trip.
 
Also, if you have a laptop computer...take it with you. You can often pick up free wi-fi at hotels and coffee shops along the way. This way if you encounter real problems, you can always access the BCF!
I would recommend a stretch break every two hours. Be prepared to just find a spot to pull over, step out,stretch and get your circulation going. My husband and I often find ourselves doing 1600-2000 mile trips in 2 days to pick up cars and this "two hour rule" really seems to help. Especially when you are in a small car with no air!
 
Back
Top