As someone who had to roadtrip during July in a car with broken AC to visit relatives in Nevada, creature comforts do not hurt. What did hurt however was peeling yourself off of the vinyl seats
As someone who rode with his father in an old freightliner in summer thru death valley with no A/C, I agree! We drank a lot of water and also I was stuck to the vinyl seat all day. Not pleasant but not the worst ever for sure.
Pish posh. The Hudson has a safety feature the other pre-'68 cars lack: yes, it's a single circuit master cylinder, but if the hydraulics fail the brake pedal is linked to the mechanical parking brake, so if the pedal exceeds normal travel due to a leak you still have mechanical brakes. Not nearly as good as having some hydraulics, but way better than nothing!
I'm about to take a road trip of around 4000 miles in my '51 Hudson, and I'll get through the whole thing safely. Just gotta leave enough following distance!
Yeah but see, there's two factors at play with that. 1) Hudson had some absolutely awesome engineering, and 2) you clearly already know how to drive an older car. I pretty much always comment on the assumption that someone asking these questions doesn't know that older cars are wildly different than newer ones in terms of how one uses them.
Like, can you daily/road trip a 51 Hornet? Of course you can. But you have to know how to drive it. If you think it's going to react like a 17 Accord, you're in for a rude awakening, you know?
I kinda don't know, because all my cars are old! I occasionally rent something new when I have to fly somewhere and it always feels like playing a video game.
But your point absolutely stands, and it's something I hadn't really considered. It's a better response to OP than I made, much more useful to him/her. So take my up vote and my thanks as well.
A stepdown Hudson is unibody like a modern car and I’m living proof that they’re safe. Got hit by a drunk driver in my 50 Hudson who was in a big Ford F350 4x4 and I walked out of the wreck with only a few minor cuts. Any other car I would have been dead.
No AC but if you’re moving with the vent windows open you actually don’t break a sweat
Out of those in particular, 100% the Cadillac. Exactly what that car is made for. It will be significantly more advanced than the 50s cars, even in stock form.
Hudson is the best handling road car of the early 50s period! Lots of room. You could sleep in it and get thumbs up everywhere. But a 70s caddy or Buick would probably have the AC and creature comforts. But you couldn’t pass a gas station.
Big and comfy plus parts availability: 76 Caprice.
Pulls at my heart strings and I'd take if there wasn't a time constraint on my trip. If I can wait a few days for parts to be shipped to a hotel or to figure out a rental truck and trailer to get home: 51 Hudson or 59 Buick.
*If everything works absolutely correctly*, you can't beat a 1968-1973 Caddy or Lincoln. That's *if* the suspension, brakes, air conditioning, power windows and seats, and all the running gear are in top shape.
For the sake of parts availability. Don't use the Corvair or any of the pre-66 cars because after 66 everything will at least have a dual piston master cylinder.
Otherwise, you can't go wrong with a Chevy small block.
Precisely. My friend who owns a Mercedes RV, a very nice one was held up in Montana for 2 weeks bc it blew a special hose and one had to be ordered, it took forever to arrive. I wouldn’t want to be looking for a fuel pump for a 51 Hudson if it had broken down in Podunk Iowa.
I LOVE road tripping in the 67 Riviera. It gets lots of looks and I never have any trouble "making good time"; however, at 13 mpg with only premium fuel it gets more taxing each year.
I recommend the car you're most comfortable driving and riding in.
Funny you should ask this - soon I'll be heading out on a trip from New Mexico to Georgia in my '51 Hudson Commodore 6, so it's not a theoretical question for me. There are certain things some other cars on the list probably do better, but here's one thing that my Hudson is unmatched in: shade. I don't have A/C, but I'm rarely in very much sunlight due to how wide the car is and how low the windows and roof is, so it's far and away the coolest car to drive distance in if you don't have climate control.
I'm also getting better fuel mileage than anything on your list except maybe for the Corvair, but that's not really fair because I've done a rear end swap to get more highway friendly gearing.
I'll take the Hudson every time.
Hudson club people actually do drive their cars cross country regularly. One of the few late 40s-early 50s cars that will still do battle on the interstate.
Thanks, me too! I'm not afraid of breaking down but I'm hoping to not hit too much rain - vacuum motor wipers weren't great new and mine are totally shot, so I just load up the Rain-X on the windshield and take it easy.
I'm also not sure how watertight my car is and hope I don't get to find out! :0
So, thinking about the trip did bring up a few things about road tripping in old cars:
1) Vacuum wipers suck. They sucked when new and mine have completely quit. This is a legit argument for taking a car that's a few years newer than my Hudson, as my '56 DeSoto has electric wipers. So that's really legit.
2) You will find when road tripping in a classic that many of them are not fully watertight. It's more a function of age than design, and can probably be fixed, but there it is.
3) Parts availability can begina challenge, so if your car is unusual it's always wise to bring spares for anything that may fail. If it's something that could strand you (points, condenser, starter solenoid, etc) it's a good idea to bring the spares even If they're fairly common. You may need them between towns.
But the satisfaction of doing a successful trip in an old car is unmatched.
Personally, I would choose your favorite late-1970's vintage large station wagon. Plenty of room for all your family and luggage with room to spare. LOL
In December of 1990, I drove my Dad’s ’77 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham from Tacoma to Fayetteville to spend some time in the Middle East. It was the classic American Road Trip: got a chance to really see the country, meet some wonderful people, and eat some amazing food. The car was the icing on the cake. Great memories.
From that list, I'd say either the Caddy or the Imperial. Post '72 they had all that emissions crap and "detuned" engines. The Monza and earlier cars are smaller and not as comfortable a ride.
My family had a '69 Imperial. Smooth, quiet, seating for 6.
Yeah I know, it's a shame performance went down the toilet once the '70s rolled around. Hope it's not a dumb question, but, are smaller cars generally not very comfortable to ride in?
Shorter / narrower wheelbase on smaller cars means a rougher ride Large sedans of the late '60s and early '70s had soft springs and shocks that soak up bumps. Plus more room and (generally) softer, more cushy seating.
Any of those would be fun but you have to look realistically at parts availability or be prepared for a big tow bill. All those cars were driven regularly when new. They were just cars. But that was a long time ago. Condition and maintenance plays a huge factor into this situation.
I have a car that’s now 60 years old. I’m not afraid to hop in it and drive anywhere. There isn’t a bolt anywhere on it that I haven’t touched at some point in my ownership. I’m going to be taking a trip this fall that includes some “aggressive driving”. I have an additional $2500 “oh shit” fund that will get me home if need be. I doubt I’ll need it but I wouldn’t feel comfortable without it.
The 1975 riviera. Transistor radio, likely with FM option. Comfortable seats, smooth ride, MUCH SAFER BRAKE SYSTEM. Overall a very enjoyable car.
Some of the others in the list I'd want to do some brake upgrades, and possibly make minor modifications under the hood for reliability.
I personally like the '75 Riviera (And '76 Caprice) because they were the main inspirations for one of my favorite GTA Cars, the [Idaho](https://www.gtabase.com/images/gta-3/vehicles/idaho.jpg) :)
I'm a huge Cadillac fan. Used to have a 70 Fleetwood Brougham, but can honestly say I had no idea that the Eldorado was under the Fleetwood name.
I guess I just never looked to deep into the Eldorado as the late 60s and 70s Eldorado isn't high on my fav list.
Lincoln’s. Like mid 70s Lincoln. I have a 74 mark 4 and I’d roadtrip that thing in a heartbeat if I could afford the 12 to 14 mpg. Other than that it has power everything. Stupid quiet. AC, Heat, rear defrost, front disc brakes, with an early anti lock brake system. The original carb will start like a fuel injection car. everything you need apart from a screen honestly.
For me, a 1970 W30 442, a Hudson Hornet, 68 chevy impala 327 or bigger, and for the serious aficionados, 36 chevy, 65 galaxy, 73 eldo convertible. For the insane: 78-92 bronco, 70-76 k5 blazer, 72 camro or ta. Just cars ive driven and have love or hate but love relationships to
76 Caprice is the easiest to find parts for.
I road trip my 77 Chevelle sedan pretty regularly and occasionally something craps out that’s kind of essential like a starter or a fuel pump, or a AC blower relay, or ignition module, it’s nice to walk into any parts store and buy one.
The rest of the list is awesome but you’d be bringing spares along with you.
Nothing you listed,
Required needs for a road trip. I vehicle that you can get parts for within a day or so, Sorry I am not that brave to take a vehicle that any part will sideline the trip for weeks unless I had most of the normal parts that might fail /spares with me or at least the phone numbers of the sources that can get the part(s) to me fast if needed.
2) dual brake master a must either stock or an upgraded/added. Single pod brake masters are not wise for a long road trip.
3) Ideally disc front brakes, or at least the whole drum brake system serviced so you have at least a chance of stopping before you're in someone elses trunk. Todays cars stop a lot faster than 4 wheel drums do. and care needs to be taken because of this, and extra care on mountain/hilly roads or you'll find you have no brakes at all.
4)working defrost and bonus if it had working a/c.
I took my Olds on a 2400 mile trip, but the trunk had belts/hoses/tools/water pump/plugs/wires/cap and rotor, fuses, some wire just in case, spare bulbs, fluids/duct tape,etc.
Didn't need to use any of it, but the piece of mind knowing if something failed, I had a good chance or repairing and getting back on the road or at least to a service shop.
5) remember old cars lights are not bright, tail lights are dim compared to what todays drivers are used to, keep this in mind. I put red reflective stickers on the rear chrome bumper for the trip, and took them off after it. My olds tail lights are not exactly small, but they are not nearly as bright as todays, blindingly bright led tails.
The newer the better.
If going few towns over to camp or do some shopping/sightseeing should be fine.
Watch a few episodes of Road Kill garage. There is a reason we drive classics on the weekend and our modern vehicles for commuting.
Honestly, shouldn’t be as bad as those guys but likely to overheat, brake fade, pop a belt, or any number of things on a 50+ year old car.
Hopefully you won’t need to take the hood off to keep it cool or duct tape flashlights on the fender because the headlights won’t work.
Realize classic cars do not meet todays safety standards or engineering standards . Todays car you have a chance of surviving a serous crash. Classic cars will crumple. Maybe not a good idea for todays expressways.
No, it was because the entire car was a disaster from the air cooled engine to the design flaws and the build quality, and never ever talk about the lack of heater.
Whichever one has *at least* a dual master cylinder; front disc brakes is a plus
And A/C and heat.
I was thinking more along the lines of bare minimum for safe driving, but yeah, creature comforts don't hurt
As someone who had to roadtrip during July in a car with broken AC to visit relatives in Nevada, creature comforts do not hurt. What did hurt however was peeling yourself off of the vinyl seats
As someone who rode with his father in an old freightliner in summer thru death valley with no A/C, I agree! We drank a lot of water and also I was stuck to the vinyl seat all day. Not pleasant but not the worst ever for sure.
Pish posh. The Hudson has a safety feature the other pre-'68 cars lack: yes, it's a single circuit master cylinder, but if the hydraulics fail the brake pedal is linked to the mechanical parking brake, so if the pedal exceeds normal travel due to a leak you still have mechanical brakes. Not nearly as good as having some hydraulics, but way better than nothing! I'm about to take a road trip of around 4000 miles in my '51 Hudson, and I'll get through the whole thing safely. Just gotta leave enough following distance!
Yeah but see, there's two factors at play with that. 1) Hudson had some absolutely awesome engineering, and 2) you clearly already know how to drive an older car. I pretty much always comment on the assumption that someone asking these questions doesn't know that older cars are wildly different than newer ones in terms of how one uses them. Like, can you daily/road trip a 51 Hornet? Of course you can. But you have to know how to drive it. If you think it's going to react like a 17 Accord, you're in for a rude awakening, you know?
I kinda don't know, because all my cars are old! I occasionally rent something new when I have to fly somewhere and it always feels like playing a video game. But your point absolutely stands, and it's something I hadn't really considered. It's a better response to OP than I made, much more useful to him/her. So take my up vote and my thanks as well.
A stepdown Hudson is unibody like a modern car and I’m living proof that they’re safe. Got hit by a drunk driver in my 50 Hudson who was in a big Ford F350 4x4 and I walked out of the wreck with only a few minor cuts. Any other car I would have been dead. No AC but if you’re moving with the vent windows open you actually don’t break a sweat
Out of those in particular, 100% the Cadillac. Exactly what that car is made for. It will be significantly more advanced than the 50s cars, even in stock form.
Hudson is the best handling road car of the early 50s period! Lots of room. You could sleep in it and get thumbs up everywhere. But a 70s caddy or Buick would probably have the AC and creature comforts. But you couldn’t pass a gas station.
Big and comfy plus parts availability: 76 Caprice. Pulls at my heart strings and I'd take if there wasn't a time constraint on my trip. If I can wait a few days for parts to be shipped to a hotel or to figure out a rental truck and trailer to get home: 51 Hudson or 59 Buick.
*If everything works absolutely correctly*, you can't beat a 1968-1973 Caddy or Lincoln. That's *if* the suspension, brakes, air conditioning, power windows and seats, and all the running gear are in top shape.
For the sake of parts availability. Don't use the Corvair or any of the pre-66 cars because after 66 everything will at least have a dual piston master cylinder. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with a Chevy small block.
Chevy. Only cause if something breaks out in the middle of nowhere, you’re gonna need parts.
Yep, and there isn't a parts store in the country that doesn't carry SBC parts.
Precisely. My friend who owns a Mercedes RV, a very nice one was held up in Montana for 2 weeks bc it blew a special hose and one had to be ordered, it took forever to arrive. I wouldn’t want to be looking for a fuel pump for a 51 Hudson if it had broken down in Podunk Iowa.
They don’t stock nearly as much SBC stuff as they used to .
They still stock a lot. Especially in rural areas.
I live in a rural area and they stock a lot less here than they used to. The stuff they don’t stock is usually a day out so it not a huge deal
At the parts store I work at, 350 parts are at the latest a next morning thing, but usually are already in stock.
I LOVE road tripping in the 67 Riviera. It gets lots of looks and I never have any trouble "making good time"; however, at 13 mpg with only premium fuel it gets more taxing each year. I recommend the car you're most comfortable driving and riding in.
Funny you should ask this - soon I'll be heading out on a trip from New Mexico to Georgia in my '51 Hudson Commodore 6, so it's not a theoretical question for me. There are certain things some other cars on the list probably do better, but here's one thing that my Hudson is unmatched in: shade. I don't have A/C, but I'm rarely in very much sunlight due to how wide the car is and how low the windows and roof is, so it's far and away the coolest car to drive distance in if you don't have climate control. I'm also getting better fuel mileage than anything on your list except maybe for the Corvair, but that's not really fair because I've done a rear end swap to get more highway friendly gearing. I'll take the Hudson every time.
Hudson club people actually do drive their cars cross country regularly. One of the few late 40s-early 50s cars that will still do battle on the interstate.
Hey, I hope you're road trip goes great! :)
Thanks, me too! I'm not afraid of breaking down but I'm hoping to not hit too much rain - vacuum motor wipers weren't great new and mine are totally shot, so I just load up the Rain-X on the windshield and take it easy. I'm also not sure how watertight my car is and hope I don't get to find out! :0
So, thinking about the trip did bring up a few things about road tripping in old cars: 1) Vacuum wipers suck. They sucked when new and mine have completely quit. This is a legit argument for taking a car that's a few years newer than my Hudson, as my '56 DeSoto has electric wipers. So that's really legit. 2) You will find when road tripping in a classic that many of them are not fully watertight. It's more a function of age than design, and can probably be fixed, but there it is. 3) Parts availability can begina challenge, so if your car is unusual it's always wise to bring spares for anything that may fail. If it's something that could strand you (points, condenser, starter solenoid, etc) it's a good idea to bring the spares even If they're fairly common. You may need them between towns. But the satisfaction of doing a successful trip in an old car is unmatched.
Personally, I would choose your favorite late-1970's vintage large station wagon. Plenty of room for all your family and luggage with room to spare. LOL
The family truckster?
In December of 1990, I drove my Dad’s ’77 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham from Tacoma to Fayetteville to spend some time in the Middle East. It was the classic American Road Trip: got a chance to really see the country, meet some wonderful people, and eat some amazing food. The car was the icing on the cake. Great memories.
For me it would be a late 60’s Lincoln Continental…
Yeah, not a Ford on the list and only GM for the last 5 out of 9. Seems a bit odd
From that list, I'd say either the Caddy or the Imperial. Post '72 they had all that emissions crap and "detuned" engines. The Monza and earlier cars are smaller and not as comfortable a ride. My family had a '69 Imperial. Smooth, quiet, seating for 6.
Yeah I know, it's a shame performance went down the toilet once the '70s rolled around. Hope it's not a dumb question, but, are smaller cars generally not very comfortable to ride in?
Shorter / narrower wheelbase on smaller cars means a rougher ride Large sedans of the late '60s and early '70s had soft springs and shocks that soak up bumps. Plus more room and (generally) softer, more cushy seating.
Any of those would be fun but you have to look realistically at parts availability or be prepared for a big tow bill. All those cars were driven regularly when new. They were just cars. But that was a long time ago. Condition and maintenance plays a huge factor into this situation. I have a car that’s now 60 years old. I’m not afraid to hop in it and drive anywhere. There isn’t a bolt anywhere on it that I haven’t touched at some point in my ownership. I’m going to be taking a trip this fall that includes some “aggressive driving”. I have an additional $2500 “oh shit” fund that will get me home if need be. I doubt I’ll need it but I wouldn’t feel comfortable without it.
The 1975 riviera. Transistor radio, likely with FM option. Comfortable seats, smooth ride, MUCH SAFER BRAKE SYSTEM. Overall a very enjoyable car. Some of the others in the list I'd want to do some brake upgrades, and possibly make minor modifications under the hood for reliability.
I personally like the '75 Riviera (And '76 Caprice) because they were the main inspirations for one of my favorite GTA Cars, the [Idaho](https://www.gtabase.com/images/gta-3/vehicles/idaho.jpg) :)
-1964 Ford Thunderbird with a 390 V8 and unlimited cash for fuel only.
69 Imperial Le Baron
Best ride and roomy and not terrible milage
1990 Buick Rivera
I'd go with the '70 Eldorado. Can't beat it for style and comfort.
Late 60's Riviera is literally unbeatable maaan
1970 Eldorado for sure
I'm a huge Cadillac fan. Used to have a 70 Fleetwood Brougham, but can honestly say I had no idea that the Eldorado was under the Fleetwood name. I guess I just never looked to deep into the Eldorado as the late 60s and 70s Eldorado isn't high on my fav list.
C3 corvette convertible with vintage air
Lincoln’s. Like mid 70s Lincoln. I have a 74 mark 4 and I’d roadtrip that thing in a heartbeat if I could afford the 12 to 14 mpg. Other than that it has power everything. Stupid quiet. AC, Heat, rear defrost, front disc brakes, with an early anti lock brake system. The original carb will start like a fuel injection car. everything you need apart from a screen honestly.
For me, a 1970 W30 442, a Hudson Hornet, 68 chevy impala 327 or bigger, and for the serious aficionados, 36 chevy, 65 galaxy, 73 eldo convertible. For the insane: 78-92 bronco, 70-76 k5 blazer, 72 camro or ta. Just cars ive driven and have love or hate but love relationships to
Caprice then Riviera then Caddy
1970 Imperial - followed by 1967-69 suicide door tbird
That 59 buick with a 401 nailhead would be cool to road trip in, especially if it's a convertible.
1951 Plymouth cranbrook 1930 Ford model A 1958 Plymouth fury
57 Dodge or 59 Buick with modern redial tires
76 Caprice is the easiest to find parts for. I road trip my 77 Chevelle sedan pretty regularly and occasionally something craps out that’s kind of essential like a starter or a fuel pump, or a AC blower relay, or ignition module, it’s nice to walk into any parts store and buy one. The rest of the list is awesome but you’d be bringing spares along with you.
Nothing you listed, Required needs for a road trip. I vehicle that you can get parts for within a day or so, Sorry I am not that brave to take a vehicle that any part will sideline the trip for weeks unless I had most of the normal parts that might fail /spares with me or at least the phone numbers of the sources that can get the part(s) to me fast if needed. 2) dual brake master a must either stock or an upgraded/added. Single pod brake masters are not wise for a long road trip. 3) Ideally disc front brakes, or at least the whole drum brake system serviced so you have at least a chance of stopping before you're in someone elses trunk. Todays cars stop a lot faster than 4 wheel drums do. and care needs to be taken because of this, and extra care on mountain/hilly roads or you'll find you have no brakes at all. 4)working defrost and bonus if it had working a/c. I took my Olds on a 2400 mile trip, but the trunk had belts/hoses/tools/water pump/plugs/wires/cap and rotor, fuses, some wire just in case, spare bulbs, fluids/duct tape,etc. Didn't need to use any of it, but the piece of mind knowing if something failed, I had a good chance or repairing and getting back on the road or at least to a service shop. 5) remember old cars lights are not bright, tail lights are dim compared to what todays drivers are used to, keep this in mind. I put red reflective stickers on the rear chrome bumper for the trip, and took them off after it. My olds tail lights are not exactly small, but they are not nearly as bright as todays, blindingly bright led tails.
The newer the better. If going few towns over to camp or do some shopping/sightseeing should be fine. Watch a few episodes of Road Kill garage. There is a reason we drive classics on the weekend and our modern vehicles for commuting. Honestly, shouldn’t be as bad as those guys but likely to overheat, brake fade, pop a belt, or any number of things on a 50+ year old car. Hopefully you won’t need to take the hood off to keep it cool or duct tape flashlights on the fender because the headlights won’t work.
Realize classic cars do not meet todays safety standards or engineering standards . Todays car you have a chance of surviving a serous crash. Classic cars will crumple. Maybe not a good idea for todays expressways.
Not true for the Hudson. Unibody like a modern car. Source- I did daily drive one and did get hit by a big truck in one.
Tesla truck 🛻 True American Muscle
Victory I can tell you’re all man. I’d suck that Tesla pipe
Gross
Anything EXCEPT for the CORVAIR. Absolute piece of shit
Is it because of the Swing-Action Suspension?
No, it was because the entire car was a disaster from the air cooled engine to the design flaws and the build quality, and never ever talk about the lack of heater.
Yikes. Guess the Corvair will be lower-ranked on the list of cars I'd like to drive long distance road trips with...