2700 Mile Road Trip in Un-Improved '67 GTO
 

Hi all. Just got back from a Route 66 /Southwest vacation in my old '67 GTO ragtop. Car has the born with 400, carb, and points distributor. I changed the 670 heads to #15's from a '70 455 about 15 years ago, upgrading the studs.
Rebuilt in 1988, re-sealed with a BOP rear main seal in 2011, about 85,000 miles on the rebuilt engine and 255,000 miles on the car. The smoking gun is a 2.56 Safe-T-Track I installed about 15 years ago when I dropped the compression with the 87cc heads.
We had zero running issues. Averaged 20.6 mpg, and most driving was done over 70 mph. We ran 80-85 in AZ where the speed limit was 75 posted.
Total mileage was 2,715, with oil usage being 1/2 quart for the entire trip. Very happy and surprised with that. Last time I did this trip in this car 30 years ago, I used several quarts of oil due to the leaking rope rear seal. The car had a 3.36 gear then, so mpg was less as well.
The only issue we had was having to replace both rear axle bearings in Cortez, Colorado. Coming back from Mesa Verde I noticed a squeak at low speeds, so I jacked it up and it was loose on the driver's side. I had checked them prior to departure, but it is what it is. Luckily, NAPA ordered them, got them the next day, and a local custom shop pressed them on. We drove the 900 miles home without incident.
A couple of surprises: the car always started right up and ran fine, even at 8400 feet elevation.
The 37 year-old top did not leak during two afternoons of long drives through thunderstorms and pouring rain.
And finally, 30 years ago, nobody much cared about this car. This time, we were like rock stars. EVERYBODY loved the GTO, and it got us VIP treatment everywhere we went. My buddy (another retired co-worker) was so impressed at the manners and smoothness of the goat that he is now in the market for a '68-'70 hardtop!
So: original Q-jet carb, original points distributor, no overdrive, and no electrical modifications whatsoever allowed us to take a 2700 mile road trip in style and comfort. And to think, most under 45 think it can't be done with out an LS swap, fuel injection, a tremec OD, and modified suspension. These old cars, when maintained and kept within factory specifications, are IMO more reliable than the newer cars. My '67, which I bought 40 years ago as a used car, has never been off the road or out of service or restored. It now has almost 258,000 miles on the clock. Sorry about the long winded post!!Attachment 612960

Outstanding !

Tim john---

Awesome, that is what they are meant for!

I constantly tell people "These cars were driven MILLIONS of miles all around the country for years and years...There's no reason we can't still do that today."...And like you said people LOVE these old cars.

Glad to see somebody actually driving their car. Many, many years ago I drove my 67 Ram Air GTO from Ohio to Florida and back....quite an experience with 4.33 gears!

Congrats!
That's an awesome adventure.


:)

2:56:1 posi is great fun withthe 400 and Q-JET.

We had what i thought was a 2.54:1 type O posi in a 70 GTO 3-speed stick. Great mpg. We had axle bearing troubles too in 1980s.

I have a running 2.73 12 bolt f'body rear that i want to put 2.56 gears in that i have. sitting around

for a short period of time i ran a 2.73 gear and a wide ratio muncie 4speed behind a P350 that was fun commuting on the Los Angeles 405 freeway never officially checked mileage but it sipped fuel compaired to any other Pontiac i had

You’re my hero today!
I hope to do something similar when I retire. Visit the kids and grandkids around the country in one of my old cars with my wife by my side. She loves old cars as much as I do. No hurry or pressure, just tools and a suitcase.
I was just out in my shop tonight. Pulling the 8.5 with 3.90’s I built for the track and steet out. Putting the original rear with 3.23’s back in.

I also had great enjoyment with a 68 455 GTO with the 2.73:1 posi. Later Converted to 3.31:1 for 1/4 mile. OD would have helped Street use.

When gasoline was cheap and the highway speed limit was 55 MPH, few considered the low numerical gear ratio's GM offered. Didn't want to give up the 0-60 times! But without overdrive and $4.00 a gallon gas, these ratio's give an old Pontiac a chance to drive 75-80 MPH and get decent mileage. 20.6 is just outstanding. My daily driver Jeep Grand Cherokee with a inline 6, port fuel injection and overdrive gets exactly that on the highway and 18 in the city. Enjoy your car driving it whenever you can. I am just starting to drive my 62 Catalina whenever I get the chance. Won't get that gas mileage, that's for sure. The 2X4 AFB's use fuel like a torpedoed tanker.

That’s awesome- thanks for sharing!

Been saying it for decades, it's all we drive :thumbup: I'm of the same thought process and trust these old cars more than anything sitting on a dealer lot. No reason what so ever you can't take these classics and drive thousands of miles without issue so long as you keep the car maintained and in proper working order.

Glad to hear you enjoyed yourselves. My opinion using the classics is what makes these road trips fun, certainly more so than mundane cookie cutter cars. Finally, someone "gets it" Now that's a car guy ;)

The strange truth is that my '67 GTO is the newest car I've ever owned. I own a 2005 pickup truck, but as far as cars go, '67 is the newest. I've had both GTO's for 40+ years now, and they've always been daily driver cars. I may end up getting a cookie cutter Camry or similar now that I'm retired for economy a/c, etc., but I've always used the '67 in particular for long trips due to comfort and good gas mileage. The '65 with tripower and high compression and a 3.36 gear stays parked most of the time.

Congratulations on your awesome road trip. I do not see any reason this can not be done by more of us.
I have found that in life the vast majority of things in life, simple is good. Murphy's Law is real and these over complicated vehicles are at or near the top of the list.
Sure some are better than others as far as reliability but even the "simple" ones today have cylinders that drop off at cruising and alternators that need a computer chip to work because they do the same. All to get a tiny bit better mileage.
Nah, they both can leave you on the side of the road.
Newest car and truck I have are both 2007s and I do not see that changing in the near future. Besides, more important things to spend your money on.
Bet you had a blast.

Awesome road trip! Sounds like a great time!

Good luck too the future car enthusiast that decide to take their well used cars of 2023 on a 2700 mile road trip in 56 years!