cross continent adventure

[phaetn]

Make is safe: first off tires (that tiny contact patch affects everything!); then brakes -- making it go is secondary to making it stop; lastly, steering -- on a long journey you want to make sure it's solid and alignment is decent. Also make sure something isn't about to collapse because of rust (e.g. shock towers, floor pan). Make sure fuel lines are good. Most of the rest can get fixed if you have a breakdown, as long as the engine doesn't seize.

For any long trip I make sure to have lots of fluids (engine oil, diff oil (80/90EP, pre-mixed coolant, DOT3 brake fluid), plus a full spare gasket set. Last year I had a head gasket fail -- easy enough to fix, but not if you don't have the required bits and they're not locally available. I tend to bring many spare parts that I have on hand waiting for future services, but I don't like to be stranded for a few days waiting for stuff. I also bring a low jacking lift, jackstands, a full, full toolkit plus torque wrenches, breaker bar, etc. My car also has a fire extinguisher mounted to the transmission tunnel in the passenger footwell area so it's within easy reach. If you're travelling south of the border varied vendors can ship stuff to a shop quickly if need be if you have a breakdown.

AriK just drove from Montreal (Laval) to Wisconson and back for FFO in his '79 and was fine. 1800 mile round trip. But he really knows his car. (He did have some exhaust work done when there). He drove mainly on the Canadian side to Sarnia, then took a ferry across Lake Michigan.

Last year I drove Ottawa to Detroit (1000 miles round trip) in my '74 and AriK a bit more since he starts further east. The year before 4uall (in an '80) and I drove Ottawa to Pittsburgh (1100 miles round trip), plus AriK a few more miles. That time 4uall lost a wiper and had a nail in a tire; AriK had oil pool in the spark plug holes due to a leaking cam cover. These cars can really go if you look after them, but it's best to know them already so you know what to look/listen for. Mine purrs on the highway - at about 3800k rpm at 70mph and it really pulls up to and beyond 80mph (about 4,400 rpm). Mine breathes well with a bigger carb, exhaust, etc so it's happy to just cruise -- much happier than in stop and go downtown traffic. Yours may have a different diff than mine (did they switch in mid '78?) so gearing may be altered.

On the other hand, my water pump had a catastrophic failure two days ago in town; main seal blew and it was only two years old. Totally didn't see it coming and the only fix was a new pump. Luckily 4uall had a spare on hand or I would have been off the road for days. Glad it didn't happen two weeks ago when I was driving to Montreal and back or it would have meant a tow truck. On about the same day 4uall's 1980 FI started spraying fuel all over the engine as a hose cracked; lucky he didn't have an engine fire. Meanwhile, Spiderdan's 1968 just had its clutch let go with no warning (I saw it apart and four of the six springs in the clutch pack were shot - though I suspect once one or two go the rest go, too). Bad luck comes in threes so maybe we got rid of the Spider bad luck in Ottawa for you.

Who owns the car you're buying? We might know it...

If you discover you desperately need spare parts when you arrive in Ottawa I might have some on hand or 4uall might. We also know a guy that knows a guy that has everything Fiat and can fix almost anything. PM me and I will let you know my cell phone number so you can text me if need be.

Addendum: just read your other post. Is the car a carbed '79? If so it may be totally plugged with anti-pollution equipment. When you get safely back home start looking at getting rid of that stuff if it hasn't been removed already, assuming it will still allow it to pass BC emmissions laws. All that stuff really hampers performance.

Before your huge trip just make a few test runs on the highway. Sometimes stuff only turns up when things are hot after running for a while at speed (e.g. dragging rear brake, axle seals that only leak when diff oil gets really heated). The car can be rock-solid reliable around town if that is what it was used to with the previous owner and issues only creep up when going balls-to-the-wall for hours. Don't ask me how I know. AriK's pooling oil from FFO 2015 is a case in point: He had driven it for years around town with no issue -- it only turned up after an eight hour highway drive. Ask the P.O. if he drove it to slightly beyond local events like Montebello (about an hour away on the highway). Lots of us from Ottawa make that trip for a big Italian car festival every September.

On your trip check fluid levels often to see what gets used up.

Have a blast!! Get in touch when you're in town!

Cheers,
phaetn

[dinghyguy]

Yes, car is a carbed '79, but the PO changed the intake manifold to a single plane, and put on a brand new carb, so no pollution control issues I hope.

My cousin who took possession of the car for me (and had one years ago that he and his pregnant wife drove fro Vancouver to Ottawa) has driven the car on the highway, and taken it to his mechanic for a checkout. So some of the advice is being followed!

re electric fuel pump, given that it has a mechanical pump (I think) I don't understand the reason to change. Please explain.

Also, does anyone know if all the 79's have wiring to the rear fender for a retractable antenna? The current antenna does not collapse and the car cover does not fit.....so was thinking of adding a power antenna.

thanks and plese keep the suggestions and comments coming

Oh and all going well we might even see the eclipse!

[phaetn]

Cool news on the carb/intake!

Would you consider a rubber antenna? I put that on my car (it's on the passenger side fender) and it's easy to unscrew plus easily bends out of the way if I am putting on a car cover. It's flex is also a rough speed indicator when at highway speeds.

I replied to your PM by e-mail. Give me shout when you're in town.

Cheers,
phaetn

[weengra]

After a long and lovely reverie about driving my 128 Sedan from Portland to Wisconsin last June, I woke the F up and had it shipped. No regrets!

[zachmac]

Ignore the naysayers and make the drive. Like you said, for the adventure. Worst case you have a breakdown and have to have it shipped from there and fly home; provided of course you check out the safety related items first: brakes, steering, etc. I've had some of the greatest (and worst) trips of my life flying in to drive unkown cars home long distance. In every case though I got memories and stories. So far I always actually made it home, but a couple of times just barely.

On the other hand I burnt up two cylinders in a 59 bugeye sprite I owned trying to drive it from Illinois to my next assignment in Connecticut in the Navy. I left with just enough time to make it before being AWOL if I drove straight through. Managed to limp into Hartford on two cylinders before I had to have it towed the last thirty miles. Two month later a young Ensign gave me $200 more than I had paid for it before I burned up the pistons! Oh to be young, dumb and carefree again!

[nelsonj]

I think we need an update on this thread - is the cross continent adventure still a "go"? If yes, when does it start? (Or has it already started). How about a daily update and pictures? I think everyone hear wishes you "God speed" and wants to hear about it!

Thanks.

[dinghyguy]

Hi all,

Yes the adventure is still on, three orders of assorted items waiting just across the border at the UPS store, 1/2 hour from the start including water pump and hoses, fuel filter, ignition parts, relay kits, brake bits, and sun visors(needed for 6 days of going west eclipse or no eclipse).
Tools packed, jumper cables, sockets, wrenches, pliars, tape, wire, etc.
After the parts pick up will stop at a napa or equal and get some consumables like oil, coolant, brake fluid etc.
Also have 45 donated "one way cassetttes" ie the previous owner never wants them back so if I don't like them in the trash they go.
Cooler, cell phone, gps, camera, all ready to go.
Repair manual in the car along with some various bits and pieces from the PO.
Car has been checked by a mechanic who pronounced it ok, but with some niggling items like pilot bearing noise but nothing to stop liftoff
My cousin who has had the car for the lst two weeks has been driving it in various condiditons and pronounced it hot inside (no surprise) and needing some minor repairs. Thus the idea of the "rolling restoration and Eclipe tour"

day 1 install sun visors
day 2 clean grounds and figure out what is needed to install headlight relay kit
day 3 install headlight relays
day 4 remove interior door cards and lube window mechanism (one squeaks horribly apparently)
day 5 install windshield wiper motor relay kit
day 6 install new radio antenna (no wait, this should be day 1, duh)
day 7 watch eclipse and enjoy new headlight brightness.
day 8 arrive home refreshed and tanned.

thanks to the hospitality on this forum we have offers to meet fiats in Ottawa, plus offer to stay outside of Chicago. Looking at routes, thinking maybe 80 across to salt lake then up to seattle to make sure we see the eclipse. Anything anyone thinks we must see on that route, particularly from Cleveland to salt lake?

cheers

[nelsonj]

Thanks for the update. As for places to see, why don't you hop up to the 90 in South Dakota? Many more things to see than 80. You can head through the Bad Lands, see Mt. Rushmore, and you can check out the herds of Buffalo (and very cool rocks and narrow tunnels) in Custer State Park (Custer State Park is a must if you go this way). Wall Drug is a fun stop, and there is a nuclear missile silo you can tour (look into but not go into) along the way. You can cruise through Sturgis (a Meca for Harley's, but FIATs always seem welcome with that crew), and Deadwood is kind of neat (in the Blackhills). If you continue to WY, Devil's Tower (from Close Encounters fame) is also a great site. Yellowstone (my favorite national park) is doable if you take a more Northern route to Seattle.

If you go the 80, the Agate Fossil bed in Nebraska is interesting (a bit out of the way).

Bottom line: Take the 90 instead of the 80! The 90 is a much cooler drive.

And as you noted, make sure the wipers work and you have good blades. You never know when you'll drive through a storm cell.

Please post pics and updates - sounds like a lot of fun.

Peace.
Out.

[nelsonj]

Ok - has the adventure begun? Seems like you should be on the road by now. Day 1 has the highest probability of "action", if you know what I mean.

Peace and God Speed.

[dinghyguy]

Hi All,

this is the post I didn't sent last night....

Rolling Restoration and Eclipse Tour

Day 0 - August 13 - Sunday morning 6 am, time to get up collect my friend Mike and go to the airport to fly ¾ of the way across the continent to Ottawa to pick up a 38 year old Fiat I bought sight unseen and drive it back to Vancouver, via Kent Ohio, Denver and all the point in between.

Cousin Rick lives in Ottawa and is a bit of a car nut, with an old 240Z and a Volvo 1800 as well as a case backhoe (but that is another story).

I found Fiat 124 in Ottawa. Unfortunately for my wallet Cousin Rick lives there. Even more unfortunate for my wallet he used to own one in the past and was keen to go look at it. The owner was one of those meticulous people who when asked questions like “When was the timing belt done” responded with “in 2015 at 126,312km”. Thinking if I ask enough questions, I will find a good reason not to buy this car I ask a bunch more, learning that the intake manifold and carb have be upgraded, a rear anti-sway bar has been added along with a new radiator. Eventually Rick finally says “If you don’t buy this car stop looking at cars and BaT!”. I bought the car.

Those of you who are still reading might wonder how I conned my friend Mike to join me on this journey. Well it was easy. I called his house, his wife answered, I asked to speak to the craziest person in the house. There was a pause…..and then she said you must want Mike. I asked him if he was interested in driving a 1979 car back from Ottawa. “Is it a convertible?” he asked. “Yes” I replied. “Ok, I’m in” says Mike. You just need to know the right questions.

Try getting a 38 year old car transferred , insured and plated from the wrong side of the country….well it got done thanks to Rick. So “All we have to do is fly out and drive away”. Yea right, does anyone believe a 38 year old car for sale anywhere but BaT is ready to go? If so I have a bridge you might want to buy.

Yet remarkably Ricks inspections including a once over by his mechanic friend have not found anything major. Items like missing sun visors, squeaky window winders, the notorious weak headlights, broken e brake plastic cover and a noisy pilot bearing seem to be the bigger items. All but the bearing issue can be easily fixed with some parts and a bit of time. So the plan is “to drive away” and do some repairs/upgrade every day as we go, starting with the installation of new sun visors, the “brown wire fix” and relay installations for the headlights. Follow along and see how that goes.

Arrive at car, plan barely holding. Did a safety check and find brake lights don’t work, three hours later they do, contacts cleaned, wired disconnected and reconnected bulbs changed and then for no reason all is well. 10 o’clock at night so stop and we shall see what tomorrow am brings. In the meantime engine sound reasonable and car is already better than when I arrived!

We have also purchased genuine, imitation, fake, Italian driving hats for the journey (mike is “hair challenged” on top).
Tomorrows plan (Monday August 14) is to drive from Ottawa to Ogdenburg NY where our spare parts orders are waiting and then to Kent Ohio to see my son.

Follow our daily post here with updates on the rolling restoration, our breakdowns and our location. Will we get far enough west to be in the band of totality for the eclipse on the 21st? If you see a blue Fiat with two old guys either driving or staring into the engine bay wave and say Hi or give us a beer. Let the adventure begin

Dan (alias Dinghyguy) and Mike

[dinghyguy]

Day 1- BaT Inspired Rolling Restoration and Eclipse Tour

This morning we said goodby to Rick and immediately went for coffee where we met Gian and Dan some of the local Fiat guys. They were kind enough to buy us breakfast…sort of a last supper kind of event perhaps?

After breakfast the real drive started, we crossed the border and headed for the post box where our parts shipments were waiting.

So we now have, new visors, some bits for the door latches, spare distributor parts, spare water pump and cooling hoses, spare fuses, spare alternator belt, spare front rotors pads and caliper rebuild kits, relay kits for the headlights and wipers.
First restoration – we installed the visors.

Then to the store for some oil, coolant, washer fluid, wiper blades. More stuff for the trunk.

Finally we head south west aiming for Kent. Time to see if our CB radio is worth having and play the first of our “one way” tapes. Friends gave us their “vintage” cassettes on the understanding they never come back, so we have a huge bag full of tapes for our cassette player and any that we don’t like will be ditched.

Three stops for gas, and food and we arrive in Kent, about 830 at night. Car ran nicely at 3500 rpm about 110km/hr all day.

Out for dinner with my son about 9pm, when we get to use the dimmest headlights on earth. Yes the brown wire and relay install are next on the list.

Dinner was noice but car does not start, a quick rolling jump start and all is well, a 3 mile ride back to hotel and wouldn’t you know it the car starts fine there. We shall see in the am. But we are on a hill!

Off ot Midwest Bayless tomorrow, thinking that if we go there and work on the car at least we are close to parts.

All for tonight.

Thanks again to Gian and Dan for their hospitality

Dinghyguy and Mike

[spiderdan]

Glad to hear you made it on your 1st leg of your trip, or should I say adventure,
It was great meeting up with you guys for breakfast as you started your journey.
With all the spare parts in your trunk I'm surprised you had room for your "big balls" which are required for a trip like this.
To quote Colonel Blandford Snell
"Adventure is the result of poor planning".

Have fun and be safe Dan & Mike
Fair winds and following seas.

[njoconnor]

Dan, Mike: Thanks for the postings! Sorta inspires musings (for me) of maybe actually doing a "Route 66" in the 72.....(and I'd have a co-driver named Mike, my youngest....hmmmm).

I'd second nelsonj's recc on I-90. Haven't done 80 west of I-35 yet (will do this fall in a trip to Denver...maybe..), but 90's quite scenic once past Chicago and vicinity. I'd further recc two work arounds for Chicago if you decide to take 90. First, and shortest, is to run 80 west to I355, just north of Joliet. Take 355 north to I-90, then 90 West (actually heading northwest) through Wisconsin, then into Minnesota at LaCrosse (if either of you are guitar heads, must stop at Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse....). If nothing else, good beer all across Wisconsin. Second route is 80 to I-39, then north to join 90 in Rockford. Longer, and a 90 degree route, but avoids some construction on 90 just east of the Fox River. However....WI has construction up 90 to Madison (flows pretty good going north), so be careful. Once north of Madison, things are fine.

Good Fiat guy in Madison is Pat Slattery in Verona, WI (just south of Madison): 608-848-6123. PM me if you get stuck in the area, I'm usually checking things a couple times a day.

Good luck, keep posting!

Neil

[AriK]

Hi Dan and Mike,
I know all too well about driving long distances in my Fiat. Although I have not gone cross-country, I have travelled your equivalent distance in the sum of the 3 Fiat Freakouts I have attended since 2015. This last journey from Montreal Qc to Milwaukee Wi this past July was a roadtrip that I embarked upon all alone which took 2 solid days on the road. Yes, I was a brave M/F*r for attempting it but I look back at this highlight of my summer with pride. Just remember, everything takes longer in a Fiat than in a comfy SUV.
Gian followed me the first 200km from Montreal and like you, I had the pleasure of peforming last supper ritual with both Dan and Gian near Hwy 401 and route 416, likely the same place you guys met.
The journeys in Fiat-land generally went well over the years with minor gremlins that can get repaired in a parking lot. My personal belongings get stowed on the back seat while the entire trunk space is reserved for a wide array of tools and Fiat related replacement parts I have acquired over the years.
Be confident, take every day as God gives it to you. Be sure to switch drivers when drowsiness sets in. I have not allowed my eyes to close while behind the wheel but I have discovered that I can fall asleep with my eyes open. Once I discovered this, I was sure to pull over from time to time and take my 20 mins. That's all it takes.
During my trip I was Facebooked by Fiat Club America's Northeast Coast Chapter and I was told to use this personal phone number in the event of a breakdown. The kind gentleman, I don't remember his name, would be able to identify club members near you who can provide you with assistance, advice and maybe parts.
So keep this number handy (203) 241-0761.
Hopefully you won't need to use it but if you do, you can send a thoughtful donation to the club. Thankfully I did not need to use it.
Keep us posted on your journey and progress. I'm definitely following your posts, I know exactly what you are feeling.
Regards,
Ari

[Sscottdvm]

Funny, when I was 24 I was offered the chance to drive a 1966 XKE roadster from Westport, Ct to Colorado Springs, Co for my fathers lawyer. The car was only 12 years old at the time but even then didn't have a great reputation for reliability. Didn't give it a second thought, showed up with an overnight bag a few t- shirts and did the trip over a period of three days. Most fun I've ever had in a car. I do remember it needed an alignment and got rather squirrely over 90 mph. Didn't have a wrench or screwdriver.

Fast forward 40 years and I recently purchased a 1978 spider that I wouldn't trust going more than 20 miles from my home. It fails to start whenever it feels like it, leaving me waiting an hour or two.

I give you an amazing amount of credit undertaking your trip in an unknown 38 year old Fiat.