I have no money, no spare time and a crap vehicle and all I want to do is do what you do, drive classic cars on back roads while eating burgers, drink beer and stay in old school motels.
That may be your best video yet, and that's saying a lot! I love when you show the inside of the rooms at the vintage hotels. How lucky you are you can tour the country and you're not stuck in some awful office job.
@@TaylorZ2 Thanks! I’m trying to get more footage of individual motels and may even dedicate a video for each one as a review and such in the future. I kinda touched on it briefly in this video more tongue in cheek but may make it a segment in the future showing the ins and outs of various lodging and my thoughts on them.
Aside from all of the great scenery, nostalgia, & car enthusiasm, I admire your “can do” spirit in your life! Not to sound corny, but as the older guy that I am, your parents should be so proud of you! Great son in law material too! 😊
Back in the summer of 72 we drove from Miami to Vallejo, Ca, and back in our 66 Town and Country wagon. We hooked up with Route 66 in Amarillo, and stayed in motels in Tucumcari, Williams, Kingsman, etc.... My older Brother drove his newly purchased ($15.00) 51 International Travelall back with us in tandem. The Travelall had a 13 gallon tank, and problematic vacuum wind shield wipers. The song "Take it Easy" was playing on the radio. Thanks for the video, and the memories!
I love this guy...asian guy with a southern drawl....doesn't get any better than that. Definitely someone you wanna hang with. Keep the videos coming my man!
In July I took off from Southern California headed to Las Vegas. Going across the Mojave desert the temp outside ranged from 118 to 123...arrived in Vegas around 4 pm it was 120. Car did great. No issues. 😊
Enjoyed the trip. My folks had a new 65 Polara sedan. I loved that car. I drove it a lot as a teenager. My dad bought a 66 Polara wagon which had been owned by the local mortuary in Barstow, CA. It was black and the dealer had the top painted white. It was a beauty. My best friend's parents owned a 66 300 which I drove often. These cars were the best handling cars I've driven so far and I'll be 76 y.o. tomorrow. Thanks for the videos. Looking forward to seeing your trip to Maine.
We appreciate your Mopar and road trip interests. It reminds us of crisscrossing the country back in the day in our '66 2-dr Newport. We now have a '68 T&C that we love.
Thanks for your long road trips. I commend you being able to do this. Gives the rest of us something to dream about. Good job on documenting everything you do. We want to see it all. Will be following. Thanks Again!!!👍
Look how nice the interior door panels are designed. When they are in this nice of condition, the design details really show off. The 2 tone upper door panel with brightwork all around, reminds the occupants of the high level of luxury. Even the genuine simulated woodgrain vinyl applique' has aged well. Chrysler hit a high mark in '66.
Awesome car. I remember the ‘60’s cars. That’s when they were made for the long hull. Thanks for sharing. My Father brought a ‘59 Mercury station wagon & would pack & load it up for camping! That would be for 7 people!! One of the largest wagons built ever. My Dad rocked!!!
I was driving from Beale Air Force Base in Northern California to my Mom and Dad's home in Southern Oklahoma. It was in March of 1989. I was driving a 66 Thunderbird, a car that I had bought in California. The last ten or twenty miles West of Albuquerque it started running bad. It would not run below 1500 RPM or so. I made it to a motel and called my Dad, a mechanic. He said the points were closing up. So in the motel parking lot I readjusted the points and made it on to Oklahoma. BTW, that downhill run in the late evening into Albuquerque is a beautiful drive.
I haven't had working A/C in a car for a couple of decades, until this year. I'm with you, A/C greatly improves travel. Imagine having the optional dual A/C unit in that wagon.
Thank you for the excellent video! Great looking car. I live in Northern England and drove 66 with some friends in 1997. Would love to see it again. We had a rental Buick Le Sabre which was lovely & cold & comfortable but the auto box kicked down a gear only after it had thought about what you wanted from it for a while first! Cheers!
Really enjoyed this video. You do a great job of stopping along the way to point out different points of interest. Looking forward to seeing some more like this.
@@hutmgr Thanks for watching and commenting. I will be posting another trip I took in this same car right after I got back to NC. 2000 mile trip to New England. Stay tuned!
@@machpodfan Thanks for commenting. I’m trying to get a good mix of entertainment and education in videos while still enjoying the trip myself! So far it seems people have really liked this video/content. It’s hard to try and figure out the best way to present things to the public.
Incredible car, wonderful trip, great video! I originally clicked just to see what the car was like, I honestly didn't plan on watching the whole video--and I haven't yet, but I fully intend to!
It's getting almost impossible to drive the interstates in the southeast. My '66 300 had the same issues with trying to run hot and the ammeter pulsing. I hear a flex fan, so somebody knew it had cooling issues. Mine also heat soaked badly. I didn't care much for that car. Your car appears to have a different gear lever. Mine was solid chrome. Great video.
am enjoying the video Austin.. I’m at the part when you’re leaving La Cita headed back to rhe Blue Swallow for the night .. I can hear the second seat back squeaking a little in the background which brings back fond familiar memories to me - my grandfather traded our cars (all Mopars) every two years beginning in 1966 and my mom and he always had Plymouths - my grandmother drove a ‘66 New Yorker - Mom had a ‘66 Belvedere II 3 seat 318 powered wagon - later had a ‘68 Fury Sport Suburban Hawaiian Blue - rhe backseat latches on both sides would squeak - I used small swatches of cloth in the attachment points to stop the squeaking - more later
@@kidguzzi_chrisgalardi Thanks! I try to get plenty of time stamps in so people can move around in the video. I may actually add more to this one. But I kept having issues uploading this video. (It literally took 2 days straight) So I posted it before something else happened!
@@ObsoleteAutomotiveJust finished watching the entire 4 hours and it was great. Sort of a Route 66 documentary contained in this one. Having traveled 66 by motorcycle and spending time in Tucumcari and at Blue Swallow I really loved seeing that footage especially. Great long- form video!
@@kidguzzi_chrisgalardi Most viewers seemed to prefer the long videos so I plan to do future videos as such. After this trip back to NC I drove this car to New England on a 2000 mile trip. So basically a grand coast to coast 5000 mile trip was done in this wagon! Video on that coming soon.
My grandfather on my dad's side was a Chrysler man. I remember as a kid my dad buying a used 1966 town and country station wagon. It convinced my dad to not follow in his dad's footsteps. The second time the transmission failed it was 100 miles from home. If you used the blinkers and turned the steering wheel to a certain point, the horn would get stuck on.
A friend has a 66 Chrysler convertible and on a 95 degree day he put the top up and turned on the AC. Went about 15 miles and the car overheated. Besides the extra HP needed to turn the compressor remember that the condenser is super heating the incoming air before it hits the radiator. We all did a Route 66 trip back in 2010 and most of the cars ran hot in the desert. My 81 Corvette ran hot with the AC but did not ever boil over. I've had several sixties thunderbirds and Lincolns that would overheat when using the AC in temps above 95 degrees. Both had original radiators, likely partially stopped up but older cars just don't have the extra cooling capacity that newer cars have. IMHO
A bucket list kinda trip! Very nice '66 wagon. I have a '66 300 convertible, so your adventure was of particular interest to me - especially the alternator and regulator install. My alternator is not charging right now, so I'm going to fix it, just as you did.
12/15/2024 Hey Austin, Another educational and entertaining video! It took me several days to watch it, a little at a time. It did keep me up way to late one night in the early part when I wanted see where you were going to stay that night.😂 I appreciate you showing the motels and how much the rooms cost. I’m cheap so I always look for good values. This video posted posted four months ago from when I’m watching. I don’t know when you made the trip but you’re lucky you didn’t wait until Fall of 2024. You would have had an extra hard time getting through Tennessee and North Carolina after a bunch of I-40 was wiped out by hurricane Hellene. 😢 I’ve had some cars that used a little oil, but not that much. If you get one like that again, try Castrol 20W-50. 15W-40 was designed primarily for diesel engines. I use it in my farm tractors. Happy motoring boys and girls!😊
@@davewinter2688 I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I was supposed to go back out west but the Hurricane put a stop to that. I was without power for a week and had some damage so I had to stay home and tend to that. Hope to get some more trips in the new year!
Just subscribed first time stumbling across one of your videos. What an adventure! So cool. That car is beautiful that styling and the dash with the big steering wheel. I’ve got a 69 F100 and one of my favorite things is the big steering wheel with that horn bar
Thanks for sharing your adventures with everone. I also had a 440 engine, it was in my '70 Cuda. Like yours, mine also got about 10 miles to the gallon, but in 1970 gas here in California was only about 35 cents a gallon. Safe travels.
Chrysler for 66 lost the pudgy front and rear ends of 1965. They got svelt and perky, holding to the tight and professional "straight line design" of Engle's. The 67 lost a little of the interior chrome and detail which makes 1966 a sweet spot. Walking up to one of these with the chrome backed bucket seats really pumps up the performance expectation level.
@@HelpingHand-ic4wt I really like the design and details of this car. The rear end with the ribbed brite finish panel and large tailights… I can look at that all day!
Hey Austin. I actually sat and watched your production. Myself & partner really enjoyed this. Absolutely ADORE your 1966 wagon. Here in Australia we have a 1967 New Yorker 440 & 1968 Imperial LeBaron 440 as well. So that said, no one more than us can appreciate these vehicles. Also - Route 66 was travelled and filmed by myself for my TV show 2010,11,12 & 13 - then again as a Route 66 Special in 2017. Your production has brought back many memories. Sad to learn that Kevin & Nancy no longer own the Blue Swallow Hotel Tucumcari...and perhaps Fran doesn't own her little business any longer next door to the Mid Point Caf'e @ Adrian. I have quite a bit to do with the United States each year Austin, I have my Fletch Detroit Tour every August (about to fly in 2 days) and then filming a road trip afterwards. I always provide classic vehicle content from the USA to my audiences each year. Keep up your great work, it would be awesome to say hi and shake your hand one day. Kindest regards Austin, Fletch - Classic Restos TV Australia.
@@classicrestostv1fletch764 Sounds like you get your kicks on 66 quite often! It’s probably my favorite thing to do. Driving 66… It never gets old. If our paths cross I’m sure we will have plenty to talk about! Thanks for commenting and safe travels!
Thank you for your entertainment on this very long road trip1 I have never watched such a long video of a road trip. Your vehicle did very well. There is a oil use issue. Something to be expected of such a very old engine. Amazing that the auto is in as amazingly good condition as it is for its age!!!! I have watched several different videos of people traveling and seeing the many assorted sights and things to do on this old and very amazing stretch of highway. But never in such detail as this video.
@@steveneckard3649 I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I’m trying to give a good balance of sights, history and random roadside finds and not make it be too boring!
Lovely station wagon! A lot of times when the temp gauge goes up when the instrument lights are on, it's a poor ground to the instrument lights.........so what happens is the instrument lights are grounding thru the temp sender and it makes it go up. This is a problem especially on cars with fiberglass dashboards (like my Studebaker Hawk). Love your videos, great to see a fellow North Carolinian making these long trips in older cars.
Wow! Great video, thank you!! Took me back to the stories my Mom would tell me about her times going through Two Guns, Tucumcari, and points beyond. Really great edit. I have a 66 Newport that I have been working on for years. This was great inspiration for that project. 3000 plus miles. I am nervous to drive my cars for 300, dang. Thanks for the fantastic content, Austin!
Back in the day, people went on vacation by car. I guess somewhere around the 90s, people started flying, and small-town businesses started to die out.
Good day, enjoyed your video log of the journey from California to North Carolina. I met you in Tucumcari at the blue swallow.I agree with the five star review. Glad to see you completed the journey. Keep the aloha shirts alive. Safe travels.
@@scottchambers4119 Aloha! It was a good trip! Then I immediately drove the car another 2000 miles to Maine and back! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for commenting!
Nicely done? I drive older cars by choice. My cars are from the 50’s through the eighties mostly. I have had issues on the road of course but I nearly always made it to my destination in a reasonable time. I keep a comprehensive tool kit and common spares in the trunk. I try to have about 5 or 6 vehicles road ready at any time. During Christmas holidays I made a 4500 mile round trip in my W124 Mercedes. I’ve made countless 1100 mile trips over 30 years in old cars and even old medium to heavy trucks from Manitoba to Southern Ontario in any weather. Preparation and preventative maintenance is key but I have from time to time driven new to me old cars long distance also. I drove a 52 Hudson from Calgary to Winnipeg in sub zero weather this past winter. I purchased it sight unseen, the seller did assure me it was a good running unit. It was fabulous. Sorry for the long spiel, I figure it’s ok after watching most of a 4 hour vid. Thanks.
@@junkorbust9498 Those sound like awesome trips! I also try to keep a good amount of cars road ready… just in case! And always pack proper tools and spare parts for any trip. Generally if the car is maintained properly they’ll make it fine! Heck even the improperly maintained ones have managed to always get me home! Thanks for commenting!
These clamshell bucket seats were new for 1966. The Imperial brochure that year details that these new seats (Crown Coupe & Convert) have a curved, 8 degree kick forward in the seatback to give lumber support. Makes for a good cross country driver :)
@@danclancy6535 Fingers crossed for an easy fix. Once I crack the engine open I’ll see. This car burns more oil than any other I’ve owned but otherwise runs pretty good. How things go… I’ll probably see a sizable ridge in the cylinders and have the do a full rebuild anyway!
I know the 383 4 barrel on the highway in those cars was amazing! The gears would let the car idle at 55 mph. Fuel economy had to be 40, 50 mpg. 440 could be good to feather gas pedal, flat out idle speed. Screwdriver turn up idle for speed.
The Mrs. and I are enjoying this video on a lazy Sunday afternoon. We are only a little over an hour in but will be watching the rest shortly. You do a really good job with these videos, the effort is appreciated. I never thought I would say this in my lifetime but those tater tots look delicious 😃😃.
@@gasser66 I’m glad y’all are enjoying the video! I’ll have another coming soon where I drive this car on a 2000 mile trip to New England right after I got home from this 3000 mile trip!
Well done on the Adventure Sir and congratulations to the Car. From a Mopar Fan and 66” Plymouth Fury owner, I enjoyed the ride. I would say don’t be afraid on chatting about your backstory journey, or even how you got into collecting and selling mopars, while you have your camera rolling out the window or passenger view. It gives the viewers feeling of they are on the journey as well. Keep up the great content.
This is awesome. I have a '66 300 currently. These are some of my favorite cars. It also has working AC. I've actually done route 66 before as well, and in a '66 Newport. It was black without A/C. On our way through Amboy and into Barstow we were MELTING! haha. We drove all the way from Florida, and started in Tulsa OK. Awesome trip. Glad to see many of the stops along the way are still there!!
Back in the 80's, I bought a 1963 Dodge Dart convertible, sight unseen, while at a wedding in Albany, NY. The car was located in Los Angeles. Flew out with a friend to drive it back to NY with a stopover in Minneapolis. Great fun. By the way, we chose to cross the desert at night when it was cooler (this was August). Still, had to run the heater quite a bit to bleed off excess engine heat. No AC, of course. Keep that trick in mind when the temp gauge gets in the red zone.
@@joemartino6976 I drove a 61 Polara from Phoenix to Northern CA. With the heater on while it was close 120 degrees and record temps cause the radiator was trash. They were cooking food on the asphalt on the news.
just finished watching the video .. thoroughly enjoyed watching your adventure .. I have subscribed to your channel - eager to see the New England trip video
@@ObsoleteAutomotive heck no .. love that wagon .. can’t wait to see it ..has a lot of meaning for me as I grew up with these C body wagons - the whitewall tires and disc brake wheel covers made all the difference - I owned a ‘67 T&C at one time in Turbine Bronze metallic (same color designed for the Chrysler turbine cars in ‘63 I think) with the same wheel covers - Elwood Engel was an interesting man - my mom’s first car was a ‘61 or ‘62 Lancer 4 door sedan with Torque Flite but no Airtemp power brakes or steering .. the ‘66 Belvedere II 3 seater I mentioned in a previous comment was our first car with those options .. I think the ‘70 Sport Suburban was my favorite .. I rhink I will get a notice when you post the video
its taking me on and off clicks to get this all watched but im enjoying. I will add that worst hotel you been in still tops the dearborn red roof inn. A outhouse tops the dearborn red roof inn.
I bought a 76 square body farm truck in 86 and drove it until 94 and then finally rebuilt the engine and transmission because the engine started smoking really bad at close to 200,000 hard miles. The truck never left me on the side of the road.
In 2014, a series of suspicious fires destroyed abandoned buildings, including the Tucumcari Motel, Payless Motel, and a house in the 500 block of North Fourth Street. A former Tucumcari Police Department officer and several others have been charged with arson.
Note the stout structure tone it has when the door shuts. Note the fast power windows. (ignore how noisy they are :) ) C body in sedan/wagon form is a pleasant experience.
The high outside heat could also be a factor on your high oil consumption. My 1966 Newport would use more oil in the summer time, and used less oil in the fall and winter.
I have been riding motorcycles for almost 5 decades, commuting six days a week for eight months for the year usually. The heat was the worst thing to put up with on hot days. Here in Western Pennsylvania, went out, would go out, riding with friends on the weekends, even to this day, I do not go out riding my motorcycles if it’s above 85°.. While working, I could stand it for 30 minutes each way commuting because it wasn’t hot. On the way to work in the morning on days when it would be 90° on the way home. I only experienced 100° temperatures here just north of Pittsburgh twice. That is miserable
Pull the heads and send them in for a rebuild and have them put in hardened valve seats for the unleaded gas. Change the trans out for a later model with overdrive. I would even consider a motor-tranny swap to something newer that is more efficient/modern. Add sway bars and quality shocks.
Actually a pretty rare car there in Adrian TX. The painted up/draw-on 69 Thunderbird STANDARD hardtop is hard to find. My favorite body style. Most are the landau with a vinyl top and a blind pillar with no rear side windows.
Next time you come to Tulsa on Route 66 You might stop at Tally's Good Food or The Mother Road Market which has a number of restaurants all under the same roof.
I was nervous for you going over the pass to tehachapi. I've done it many times when I was moving from California to Missouri with my 97 Ford F250 pulling a trailer(once pulling my 69 chevy stepside which my old neighbor couldn't get over because he was a chevy guy and sold me the Chevy!lol) At times I was only going about 25 mph up the hill because it was so steep and didn't want to overheat the engine. The truck drivers understandably were mad and some of them cut me off pretty severely when they passed me up. Why didn't just take highway 80? It's more of a climb, but much more gradual and the temperature is quite cooler. Would have been a lot more miles, but from Williams and especially Vallejo you were already on 80. You have reallly great videos and enjoy all of them! Like that you do all these long distance trips with just bought cars. Did a cross country trip once with my offroad beetle from Chicago to Utah,wyoming, montana where we met up with my inlaws in their baja bug. Did a lot of offroading and somehow made it back, but had to replace the heads after the trip.
man, i've been trying hard to get my '56 Plymouth Savoy ready for a trip like this. its a dream of mine to do a cross country trip in one of my old cars
I have no money, no spare time and a crap vehicle and all I want to do is do what you do, drive classic cars on back roads while eating burgers, drink beer and stay in old school motels.
What an absolutely BEAUTIFUL wagon!
@@landiahillfarm6590 how about the way the air conditioning vents are integrated into that dashboard, quite nice!
Yeah lots of parts in great condition looks like it was garage kept!
That may be your best video yet, and that's saying a lot! I love when you show the inside of the rooms at the vintage hotels. How lucky you are you can tour the country and you're not stuck in some awful office job.
@@TaylorZ2 Thanks! I’m trying to get more footage of individual motels and may even dedicate a video for each one as a review and such in the future. I kinda touched on it briefly in this video more tongue in cheek but may make it a segment in the future showing the ins and outs of various lodging and my thoughts on them.
Love these old wagons, perfect roadtrip cars!
I have a 68 and a 1962 Chrysler wagons. Those drivelines are bulletproof. The torsion bar suspension is superb.
That old Town and Country is really a nice car. I am glad that someone loved it and took care of it.
Aside from all of the great scenery, nostalgia, & car enthusiasm, I admire your “can do” spirit in your life! Not to sound corny, but as the older guy that I am, your parents should be so proud of you! Great son in law material too! 😊
@@gerardnivek4458 Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it. I’m glad you enjoyed the video and my odd ideas of fun.
Great trip. I watched the entire episode over a couple of days. Love the big Chrysler wagon. 👍
Back in the summer of 72 we drove from Miami to Vallejo, Ca, and back in our 66 Town and Country wagon. We hooked up with Route 66 in Amarillo, and stayed in motels in Tucumcari, Williams, Kingsman, etc.... My older Brother drove his newly purchased ($15.00) 51 International Travelall back with us in tandem. The Travelall had a 13 gallon tank, and problematic vacuum wind shield wipers. The song "Take it Easy" was playing on the radio. Thanks for the video, and the memories!
@@jeffersonspace That sounds like quite the trip! I’d love to have seen these places back in the day.
I love this guy...asian guy with a southern drawl....doesn't get any better than that. Definitely someone you wanna hang with. Keep the videos coming my man!
So many things to see out there. Glad there were no major mechanical issues on this trip for you.
Enjoyed your whole trip man. Thanks for taking me.
@@buick7476 There’s some more trips coming up! Stay tuned!
In July I took off from Southern California headed to Las Vegas. Going across the Mojave desert the temp outside ranged from 118 to 123...arrived in Vegas around 4 pm it was 120. Car did great. No issues. 😊
I'm an hour in and loving it. It's a trip I'd love to do some day.
@@harrycallaghan3057 It’s worth doing at at least once in your life!
Enjoyed the trip. My folks had a new 65 Polara sedan. I loved that car. I drove it a lot as a teenager. My dad bought a 66 Polara wagon which had been owned by the local mortuary in Barstow, CA. It was black and the dealer had the top painted white. It was a beauty. My best friend's parents owned a 66 300 which I drove often. These cars were the best handling cars I've driven so far and I'll be 76 y.o. tomorrow. Thanks for the videos. Looking forward to seeing your trip to Maine.
@@edgarpoe4188 These cars drive very well! Very comfy and plenty of go! Thanks for commenting. I’m going to try and get it uploaded as soon as I can!
We appreciate your Mopar and road trip interests. It reminds us of crisscrossing the country back in the day in our '66 2-dr Newport. We now have a '68 T&C that we love.
@@edwardrichardson3878 Nice! I really wanted a wood grained wagon but haven’t found one yet!
OMG,I grew up in one of these.Awesome vacation memories.
OMG my uncle had that exact car, loved it. That dash is so cool.
Thanks for your long road trips. I commend you being able to do this. Gives the rest of us something to dream about. Good job on documenting everything you do. We want to see it all. Will be following. Thanks Again!!!👍
@@MyronBuss Thanks for watching and glad you enjoy the videos!
Great video. I used to own a '66 Newport with a 383. 1966 Charger now!
Gotta love that Chrysler starter at the hotel 27:11 LOL
Thanks for the ride along.
That neon sign at 2:37:35 100% REFRIGERATED AIR 😁
Sweet '66 agree with the other poster, oil consumption could be as simple as valve stem seals...
@@dudewheresmycar908 I have my fingers crossed that it may be something cheap and simple. But usually my luck doesn’t allow for that. 😂
Great video enjoyed it. Thank you Austin
@@440gtxblewbyyoumopar9 Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Look how nice the interior door panels are designed. When they are in this nice of condition, the design details really show off. The 2 tone upper door panel with brightwork all around, reminds the occupants of the high level of luxury. Even the genuine simulated woodgrain vinyl applique' has aged well. Chrysler hit a high mark in '66.
This video was informative and fun to watch and love the road trip Austin! Keep saving the Mopars
@@michaelnewjerseydiecast5535 Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed it.
@@ObsoleteAutomotive you're welcome 🤗
Blue Swallow Motel ceiling - coved ceiling. You can also find coved baseboard, usually in tile.
I love your videos Austin, you inspired me to take my 1967 Volkswagen Beetle to my first 300 miles road trip across Italy i plan to do this fall.
@@sonicdude2389 Now that sounds like an awesome trip. The sights I imagine are beautiful!
Awesome car. I remember the ‘60’s cars. That’s when they were made for the long hull. Thanks for sharing. My Father brought a ‘59 Mercury station wagon & would pack & load it up for camping! That would be for 7 people!! One of the largest wagons built ever. My Dad rocked!!!
@@mars56100 I really like the ‘59 Mercs!
That´s a survivor what an amazing vehicle , well I guess they were built to last , greetings
What an awesome trip! Thanks for taking us along!
Very interesting thoroughly enjoyable, will definately watch and subscribe, thanks for sharing.
@@royrcf Thanks! Glad you liked it!
I was driving from Beale Air Force Base in Northern California to my Mom and Dad's home in Southern Oklahoma. It was in March of 1989. I was driving a 66 Thunderbird, a car that I had bought in California. The last ten or twenty miles West of Albuquerque it started running bad. It would not run below 1500 RPM or so. I made it to a motel and called my Dad, a mechanic. He said the points were closing up. So in the motel parking lot I readjusted the points and made it on to Oklahoma. BTW, that downhill run in the late evening into Albuquerque is a beautiful drive.
'66 T-Bird was one of my all time favorite cars.
I haven't had working A/C in a car for a couple of decades, until this year. I'm with you, A/C greatly improves travel. Imagine having the optional dual A/C unit in that wagon.
@@HelpingHand-ic4wt The rear A/C would be nice! There’s alot of space in this car that it would make sense to have it.
Thank you for the excellent video! Great looking car. I live in Northern England and drove 66 with some friends in 1997. Would love to see it again. We had a rental Buick Le Sabre which was lovely & cold & comfortable but the auto box kicked down a gear only after it had thought about what you wanted from it for a while first!
Cheers!
@@ILikeSarnies I’m sure so much has changed since 1997. A lot is gone sadly but there is still plenty to do and see.
That is not an old car you are driving man. It is a time machine - going back in time on Route 66 !
Really enjoyed this video. You do a great job of stopping along the way to point out different points of interest. Looking forward to seeing some more like this.
@@hutmgr Thanks for watching and commenting. I will be posting another trip I took in this same car right after I got back to NC. 2000 mile trip to New England. Stay tuned!
gorgeous automotive art
Dude, you are The MAN👌👌 Hope to see more like this one, excellent entertainment/education here!
@@machpodfan Thanks for commenting. I’m trying to get a good mix of entertainment and education in videos while still enjoying the trip myself! So far it seems people have really liked this video/content. It’s hard to try and figure out the best way to present things to the public.
@@ObsoleteAutomotive Just being yourself and never losing your cool when the cars or the road act up is great to see!
@@ObsoleteAutomotiveit is a pleasure to see a great car leaping across a great part of the USA. It just looks right.
50s cars seem to get the attention but for me it is the 60s styling that looks best. The dashboard of this car is a work of art.
Incredible car, wonderful trip, great video! I originally clicked just to see what the car was like, I honestly didn't plan on watching the whole video--and I haven't yet, but I fully intend to!
@@omgcool7206 I hope you enjoy the trip!
Wow, 4 hour video. I'll watch half of it tonight and the other half tomorrow morning.❤
@@alanspring8462 Hope you enjoy it! Many folks said they liked the long ones… hopefully that’s the case!
It's getting almost impossible to drive the interstates in the southeast. My '66 300 had the same issues with trying to run hot and the ammeter pulsing. I hear a flex fan, so somebody knew it had cooling issues. Mine also heat soaked badly. I didn't care much for that car. Your car appears to have a different gear lever. Mine was solid chrome. Great video.
am enjoying the video Austin.. I’m at the part when you’re leaving La Cita headed back to rhe Blue Swallow for the night .. I can hear the second seat back squeaking a little in the background which brings back fond familiar memories to me - my grandfather traded our cars (all Mopars) every two years beginning in 1966 and my mom and he always had Plymouths - my grandmother drove a ‘66 New Yorker - Mom had a ‘66 Belvedere II 3 seat 318 powered wagon - later had a ‘68 Fury Sport Suburban Hawaiian Blue - rhe backseat latches on both sides would squeak - I used small swatches of cloth in the attachment points to stop the squeaking - more later
Funny how little things like that can bring back memories. Glad you’re enjoying the video! Thanks for commenting.
Great video Austin. I love watching this stuff. Thanks for documenting the trip and for the extensive timestamp list. 👍🙏🇺🇸
@@kidguzzi_chrisgalardi Thanks! I try to get plenty of time stamps in so people can move around in the video. I may actually add more to this one. But I kept having issues uploading this video. (It literally took 2 days straight) So I posted it before something else happened!
@@ObsoleteAutomotiveJust finished watching the entire 4 hours and it was great. Sort of a Route 66 documentary contained in this one. Having traveled 66 by motorcycle and spending time in Tucumcari and at Blue Swallow I really loved seeing that footage especially. Great long- form video!
@@kidguzzi_chrisgalardi Most viewers seemed to prefer the long videos so I plan to do future videos as such. After this trip back to NC I drove this car to New England on a 2000 mile trip. So basically a grand coast to coast 5000 mile trip was done in this wagon! Video on that coming soon.
@@ObsoleteAutomotive Fantastic! Subscribed to Patreon! Thanks for all the great content 👍
@@kidguzzi_chrisgalardi Thanks a lot! I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
The “washing machine” at the pumps at the Bent Door Station was actually a wringer, used to wring out chamois or other wash rags.
My grandfather on my dad's side was a Chrysler man. I remember as a kid my dad buying a used 1966 town and country station wagon. It convinced my dad to not follow in his dad's footsteps. The second time the transmission failed it was 100 miles from home. If you used the blinkers and turned the steering wheel to a certain point, the horn would get stuck on.
A friend has a 66 Chrysler convertible and on a 95 degree day he put the top up and turned on the AC. Went about 15 miles and the car overheated. Besides the extra HP needed to turn the compressor remember that the condenser is super heating the incoming air before it hits the radiator. We all did a Route 66 trip back in 2010 and most of the cars ran hot in the desert. My 81 Corvette ran hot with the AC but did not ever boil over. I've had several sixties thunderbirds and Lincolns that would overheat when using the AC in temps above 95 degrees. Both had original radiators, likely partially stopped up but older cars just don't have the extra cooling capacity that newer cars have. IMHO
A bucket list kinda trip! Very nice '66 wagon. I have a '66 300 convertible, so your adventure was of particular interest to me - especially the alternator and regulator install. My alternator is not charging right now, so I'm going to fix it, just as you did.
You can test (or have tested) the alternator and voltage regulator to see what’s bad.
12/15/2024 Hey Austin, Another educational and entertaining video! It took me several days to watch it, a little at a time. It did keep me up way to late one night in the early part when I wanted see where you were going to stay that night.😂 I appreciate you showing the motels and how much the rooms cost. I’m cheap so I always look for good values.
This video posted posted four months ago from when I’m watching. I don’t know when you made the trip but you’re lucky you didn’t wait until Fall of 2024. You would have had an extra hard time getting through Tennessee and North Carolina after a bunch of I-40 was wiped out by hurricane Hellene. 😢
I’ve had some cars that used a little oil, but not that much. If you get one like that again, try Castrol 20W-50. 15W-40 was designed primarily for diesel engines. I use it in my farm tractors. Happy motoring boys and girls!😊
@@davewinter2688 I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I was supposed to go back out west but the Hurricane put a stop to that. I was without power for a week and had some damage so I had to stay home and tend to that. Hope to get some more trips in the new year!
Just subscribed first time stumbling across one of your videos. What an adventure! So cool. That car is beautiful that styling and the dash with the big steering wheel. I’ve got a 69 F100 and one of my favorite things is the big steering wheel with that horn bar
Thanks for sharing your adventures with everone. I also had a 440 engine, it was in my '70 Cuda. Like yours, mine also got about 10 miles to the gallon, but in 1970 gas here in California was only about 35 cents a gallon. Safe travels.
Chrysler for 66 lost the pudgy front and rear ends of 1965. They got svelt and perky, holding to the tight and professional "straight line design" of Engle's. The 67 lost a little of the interior chrome and detail which makes 1966 a sweet spot. Walking up to one of these with the chrome backed bucket seats really pumps up the performance expectation level.
@@HelpingHand-ic4wt I really like the design and details of this car. The rear end with the ribbed brite finish panel and large tailights… I can look at that all day!
65 was identical to 66, save for trim changes
Awesome thanks for sharing
Hey Austin. I actually sat and watched your production. Myself & partner really enjoyed this. Absolutely ADORE your 1966 wagon. Here in Australia we have a 1967 New Yorker 440 & 1968 Imperial LeBaron 440 as well. So that said, no one more than us can appreciate these vehicles. Also - Route 66 was travelled and filmed by myself for my TV show 2010,11,12 & 13 - then again as a Route 66 Special in 2017.
Your production has brought back many memories. Sad to learn that Kevin & Nancy no longer own the Blue Swallow Hotel Tucumcari...and perhaps Fran doesn't own her little business any longer next door to the Mid Point Caf'e @ Adrian. I have quite a bit to do with the United States each year Austin, I have my Fletch Detroit Tour every August (about to fly in 2 days) and then filming a road trip afterwards. I always provide classic vehicle content from the USA to my audiences each year. Keep up your great work, it would be awesome to say hi and shake your hand one day.
Kindest regards Austin, Fletch - Classic Restos TV Australia.
@@classicrestostv1fletch764 Sounds like you get your kicks on 66 quite often! It’s probably my favorite thing to do. Driving 66… It never gets old.
If our paths cross I’m sure we will have plenty to talk about! Thanks for commenting and safe travels!
Thank you for your entertainment on this very long road trip1 I have never watched such a long video of a road trip. Your vehicle did very well. There is a oil use issue. Something to be expected of such a very old engine. Amazing that the auto is in as amazingly good condition as it is for its age!!!! I have watched several different videos of people traveling and seeing the many assorted sights and things to do on this old and very amazing stretch of highway. But never in such detail as this video.
@@steveneckard3649 I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I’m trying to give a good balance of sights, history and random roadside finds and not make it be too boring!
Lovely station wagon! A lot of times when the temp gauge goes up when the instrument lights are on, it's a poor ground to the instrument lights.........so what happens is the instrument lights are grounding thru the temp sender and it makes it go up. This is a problem especially on cars with fiberglass dashboards (like my Studebaker Hawk). Love your videos, great to see a fellow North Carolinian making these long trips in older cars.
You seem like a nice person and I salute you on your journey.
Wow! Great video, thank you!! Took me back to the stories my Mom would tell me about her times going through Two Guns, Tucumcari, and points beyond. Really great edit. I have a 66 Newport that I have been working on for years. This was great inspiration for that project. 3000 plus miles. I am nervous to drive my cars for 300, dang. Thanks for the fantastic content, Austin!
@@seandaugherty7504 These cars were made to drive! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Back in the day, people went on vacation by car. I guess somewhere around the 90s, people started flying, and small-town businesses started to die out.
To be honest,, the interstate system really killed those small towns and roadside businesses.
Awesome Video and Congrats on a Beautiful Wagon
It's so sad to see these places go to abandonment but I'm sure it would cost a small fortune in order to bring something like that back
@@izzynutz2000 Just how it goes sometimes. Some places will never be back sadly.
Good day, enjoyed your video log of the journey from California to North Carolina. I met you in Tucumcari at the blue swallow.I agree with the five star review. Glad to see you completed the journey. Keep the aloha shirts alive. Safe travels.
@@scottchambers4119 Aloha! It was a good trip! Then I immediately drove the car another 2000 miles to Maine and back! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for commenting!
Aloha, keep one eye on the road, one eye looking for the tiki bar. Looking forward to our travels crossing again.
@@scottchambers4119 Safe travels!!
15:51 “Riding with the windows down is like opening the oven door”😂😂😂
@@wesleyfromnc No truer statement has been said. 😂
Nicely done? I drive older cars by choice. My cars are from the 50’s through the eighties mostly. I have had issues on the road of course but I nearly always made it to my destination in a reasonable time. I keep a comprehensive tool kit and common spares in the trunk. I try to have about 5 or 6 vehicles road ready at any time. During Christmas holidays I made a 4500 mile round trip in my W124 Mercedes. I’ve made countless 1100 mile trips over 30 years in old cars and even old medium to heavy trucks from Manitoba to Southern Ontario in any weather. Preparation and preventative maintenance is key but I have from time to time driven new to me old cars long distance also. I drove a 52 Hudson from Calgary to Winnipeg in sub zero weather this past winter. I purchased it sight unseen, the seller did assure me it was a good running unit. It was fabulous. Sorry for the long spiel, I figure it’s ok after watching most of a 4 hour vid. Thanks.
@@junkorbust9498 Those sound like awesome trips! I also try to keep a good amount of cars road ready… just in case! And always pack proper tools and spare parts for any trip. Generally if the car is maintained properly they’ll make it fine! Heck even the improperly maintained ones have managed to always get me home! Thanks for commenting!
Enjoy your videos. Great trip.
@@SierraJohn Thanks!
These clamshell bucket seats were new for 1966. The Imperial brochure that year details that these new seats (Crown Coupe & Convert) have a curved, 8 degree kick forward in the seatback to give lumber support. Makes for a good cross country driver :)
Love these videos, great cars and scenery, still working through this one though! :)
Very nice Austin ! I need to make that 66 route run ! Seals causing the oil use sounds right. Lead additive was common back in the day.
@@danclancy6535 Fingers crossed for an easy fix. Once I crack the engine open I’ll see. This car burns more oil than any other I’ve owned but otherwise runs pretty good. How things go… I’ll probably see a sizable ridge in the cylinders and have the do a full rebuild anyway!
sometimes renewing a loose timing chain can reduce oil burn... sometimes.
I know the 383 4 barrel on the highway in those cars was amazing! The gears would let the car idle at 55 mph. Fuel economy had to be 40, 50 mpg. 440 could be good to feather gas pedal, flat out idle speed. Screwdriver turn up idle for speed.
The Mrs. and I are enjoying this video on a lazy Sunday afternoon. We are only a little over an hour in but will be watching the rest shortly. You do a really good job with these videos, the effort is appreciated. I never thought I would say this in my lifetime but those tater tots look delicious 😃😃.
@@gasser66 I’m glad y’all are enjoying the video! I’ll have another coming soon where I drive this car on a 2000 mile trip to New England right after I got home from this 3000 mile trip!
Well done on the Adventure Sir and congratulations to the Car. From a Mopar Fan and 66” Plymouth Fury owner, I enjoyed the ride. I would say don’t be afraid on chatting about your backstory journey, or even how you got into collecting and selling mopars, while you have your camera rolling out the window or passenger view. It gives the viewers feeling of they are on the journey as well. Keep up the great content.
@@Cripkellco Thanks for the comment. I tried to add more personal history and travels into this video which I can do more of in the future.
I'm not saying I'm old, but remember when these cars had no spray paint on them. My trip Southern California to Joplin Missouri 1982. Great memories.
This is awesome. I have a '66 300 currently. These are some of my favorite cars. It also has working AC. I've actually done route 66 before as well, and in a '66 Newport. It was black without A/C. On our way through Amboy and into Barstow we were MELTING! haha. We drove all the way from Florida, and started in Tulsa OK. Awesome trip. Glad to see many of the stops along the way are still there!!
@@junkman7426 I drove my black 57 Plymouth across the country several times. It could be brutal in the summer!
Back in the 80's, I bought a 1963 Dodge Dart convertible, sight unseen, while at a wedding in Albany, NY. The car was located in Los Angeles. Flew out with a friend to drive it back to NY with a stopover in Minneapolis. Great fun. By the way, we chose to cross the desert at night when it was cooler (this was August). Still, had to run the heater quite a bit to bleed off excess engine heat. No AC, of course. Keep that trick in mind when the temp gauge gets in the red zone.
@@joemartino6976 I drove a 61 Polara from Phoenix to Northern CA. With the heater on while it was close 120 degrees and record temps cause the radiator was trash. They were cooking food on the asphalt on the news.
Awesome video. I’d love to drive Route 66 in a classic car.
Took 3 days but, finally finished.
@@Jflux69 I hope you enjoyed the journey. Anything you’d suggest for improvements to future videos?
just finished watching the video .. thoroughly enjoyed watching your adventure .. I have subscribed to your channel - eager to see the New England trip video
@@727100bear so far the New England video is about 6.5 hours long. Is that too long? Haha
@@ObsoleteAutomotive heck no .. love that wagon .. can’t wait to see it ..has a lot of meaning for me as I grew up with these C body wagons - the whitewall tires and disc brake wheel covers made all the difference - I owned a ‘67 T&C at one time in Turbine Bronze metallic (same color designed for the Chrysler turbine cars in ‘63 I think) with the same wheel covers - Elwood Engel was an interesting man - my mom’s first car was a ‘61 or ‘62 Lancer 4 door sedan with Torque Flite but no Airtemp power brakes or steering .. the ‘66 Belvedere II 3 seater I mentioned in a previous comment was our first car with those options .. I think the ‘70 Sport Suburban was my favorite .. I rhink I will get a notice when you post the video
@@727100bear I’m working hard on editing it. I plan to release it this week (hopefully)
its taking me on and off clicks to get this all watched but im enjoying. I will add that worst hotel you been in still tops the dearborn red roof inn. A outhouse tops the dearborn red roof inn.
Good ole 58. Never missed it.
You move very fast doing repairs! That is excellent... like an X Man
@@jerrytaylor8662 Gotta get it done so I can get back to enjoying the trip!
Nice trip bro!
I bought a 76 square body farm truck in 86 and drove it until 94 and then finally rebuilt the engine and transmission because the engine started smoking really bad at close to 200,000 hard miles. The truck never left me on the side of the road.
In 2014, a series of suspicious fires destroyed abandoned buildings, including the Tucumcari Motel, Payless Motel, and a house in the 500 block of North Fourth Street. A former Tucumcari Police Department officer and several others have been charged with arson.
I think my friends the Kidders (Wilma and Dub) may have owned the Midpoint Cafe during the 60s and 70s - my friend Jackie - worked there
Looks like needs new valve seals. Nice ride .
Great video! Congratulations…greetings from 🇧🇷.
@@marioverasalmeida Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed it!
Your car is a beautiful!!!
Note the stout structure tone it has when the door shuts. Note the fast power windows. (ignore how noisy they are :) )
C body in sedan/wagon form is a pleasant experience.
Loved the trip,keep it up Austin.Mike the Greek
@@michaelmihalis9057 Glad you loved the video! Thanks for commenting!
The high outside heat could also be a factor on your high oil consumption. My 1966 Newport would use more oil in the summer time, and used less oil in the fall and winter.
I have been riding motorcycles for almost 5 decades, commuting six days a week for eight months for the year usually. The heat was the worst thing to put up with on hot days. Here in Western Pennsylvania, went out, would go out, riding with friends on the weekends, even to this day, I do not go out riding my motorcycles if it’s above 85°..
While working, I could stand it for 30 minutes each way commuting because it wasn’t hot. On the way to work in the morning on days when it would be 90° on the way home. I only experienced 100° temperatures here just north of Pittsburgh twice.
That is miserable
Locking door with key, many lock-out calls to AAA avoided. A Chrysler feature.
@@HelpingHand-ic4wt It definitely helps prevent being locked out!
Pull the heads and send them in for a rebuild and have them put in hardened valve seats for the unleaded gas. Change the trans out for a later model with overdrive. I would even consider a motor-tranny swap to something newer that is more efficient/modern. Add sway bars and quality shocks.
Actually a pretty rare car there in Adrian TX. The painted up/draw-on 69 Thunderbird STANDARD hardtop is hard to find. My favorite body style. Most are the landau with a vinyl top and a blind pillar with no rear side windows.
Next time you come to Tulsa on Route 66 You might stop at Tally's Good Food or The Mother Road Market which has a number of restaurants all under the same roof.
I was nervous for you going over the pass to tehachapi. I've done it many times when I was moving from California to Missouri with my 97 Ford F250 pulling a trailer(once pulling my 69 chevy stepside which my old neighbor couldn't get over because he was a chevy guy and sold me the Chevy!lol) At times I was only going about 25 mph up the hill because it was so steep and didn't want to overheat the engine. The truck drivers understandably were mad and some of them cut me off pretty severely when they passed me up. Why didn't just take highway 80? It's more of a climb, but much more gradual and the temperature is quite cooler. Would have been a lot more miles, but from Williams and especially Vallejo you were already on 80.
You have reallly great videos and enjoy all of them! Like that you do all these long distance trips with just bought cars. Did a cross country trip once with my offroad beetle from Chicago to Utah,wyoming, montana where we met up with my inlaws in their baja bug. Did a lot of offroading and somehow made it back, but had to replace the heads after the trip.
Very cool wagon 😎
man, i've been trying hard to get my '56 Plymouth Savoy ready for a trip like this. its a dream of mine to do a cross country trip in one of my old cars
@@ReaperRestorations It really doesn’t take much!