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Tim's Garage

Cross Country Road Trip in A 1969 Dodge Charger R/T - Part 1

Road Trips can take on a whole new meaning in the heat of summer. When searching for new additions to the Surf City Garage Car Collection, about once or twice each year I like to make a "Road Trip" to drive back the new acquisition, just for fun. And by new I mean new to me. More often than not the cars are 40 to 50 years old and on their last leg. Some guys worry about the reliability of their old cars when they drive them down to the donut shop on a nice weekend. For me, the real fun is driving an old car cross country and keeping it running long enough to get home. With today's well traveled roads and the comfort of having a cell phone in your pocket it's really not much of a risk, but it does make for some interesting experiences. I always have a partner on these trips: my wife Pattie. She likes the old cars ok, but I wouldn't call her a car guy. I have always been amazed at her ability to put up with my automotive capers for the last 29 years and I doubt if anything I do that is car related would surprise her anymore.

I had been looking for a light green 69 Charger R/T for about a year. We already had a red Charger in the collection, but I have always liked the light green metallic Chargers with the white vinyl tops. I finally found the perfect car in Longmont, Colorado. The seller sent me pictures and a good description through emails. The car was exactly what I was looking for, an all original Charger that even had the faded remains of the factory paint. After a long conversation with him on the phone, we were off to the airport for the two hour flight into Denver.

With my work schedule being what it is, I have to make these Road Trips without much advance planning. Basically when I find the right car, I go get it regardless of the time of year. I found this Charger in the middle of August during a record breaking heat wave all across the western half of the U.S.

Mapping out my trip, I knew that the biggest challenge would be the Eisenhower Tunnel. For those of you that are not familiar with this little roadside wonder, the Eisenhower Johnson Tunnel is the highest elevation of any public roadway in the world. It cuts through the mountains on Interstate 70 about 60 miles west of Denver Colorado at an incredible 11,158 feet above sea level. The Tunnel is actually two separate tunnels, one east bound and the other west bound. These are not your average tunnels; they are over a mile and a half long. You do not want to have your 40 year old ride die somewhere in the middle of this mile and a half long tube. In the August heat, the side of the road at the tunnel is littered with cars with their hoods up. In fact, the elevation is so extreme that the line of broken down cars start miles before reaching the top of the steep 7 percent grade. Vapor Lock is the main cause of all the stranded motorist. The high elevation, combined with the heat, can cause vapor lock to be so severe it can collapse a fuel tank like a crushed beer can.

We got our first look at the Charger in the late afternoon. The car was exactly as the seller had described. Completely original right down to the faded paint. It was perfect, just what I had been looking for. Like most sellers that I deal with, he was a little hesitant to see me drive the car all the way back to California, especially in the triple digit heat. I assured him that we would be fine and unless a connecting rod came through the side of the block, I should be able to keep it running. The old car actually ran pretty good. It has been my experience that break downs on the road are usually not engine problems but one of hundreds of little things that can get you. All it takes to stop you in a very bad spot is something like a wheel bearing or a water pump failure: things that are easy to fix in your garage, but a nightmare out on the road. But, the Charger had new belts and hoses and the tires were fair, so we paid the man and hit the road.

It's always interesting when you drive an old car for the first time. Every car is different and they all have their little quirks. Sometimes I forget about original Mopar brakes. The first time I hit them a little hard in the afternoon traffic, the Charger changed lanes like a train switching tracks. Luckily there was no one beside me, but it definitely got my attention.

Getting through the Eisenhower Tunnel was our goal for the day. I figured it was a good time to attempt it. By the time we got there it would be early evening, and the temperature would be cooled down to the low 90's. As you start up what seems like a vertical climb, the first thing you notice is how quick the performance of the car can change. Mechanical adjustments on old cars at 5,000 feet are pretty much irrelevant at 11,000 feet. Cars start to show up on the side of the road, even new cars with their hoods up. The Charger is really starting to labor now and the pinging that it developed about a mile back is getting worse. I pulled over and removed the breather from the carburetor because the engine was starving for air. I also had to advance the timing just a bit to help the pinging, although I knew the engine would run hotter. I had no choice. Grabbing a hand full of distributor to advance the timing on a running engine can be fun, but on a running Mopar it's an experience you don't want to do very often. Your arm is about two inches away from a very angry looking rotating fan blade. I know what you're thinking; Why not just shut it off first. This car was barely running now and I am certain I could not have re-started it at this point.

I'm back behind the wheel and have just passed a sign saying that it's only one mile to the tunnel. We must have passed 50 dead cars so far. I was actually feeling pretty good about the old Charger passing up so many younger rides on the side of the road. Finally, the opening to the Tunnel is in sight. The Charger has slowed to about 30 miles per hour and is starting to get very hot.

Tunnel

As we entered the Tunnel and I noticed that there is virtually NO place to pull over in an emergency for the next mile and a half, this started to look like a bad idea. At half way through, it seemed like we had been in there for an hour. Cars are now backing up behind us and the old Charger feels like a roller coaster as it climbs to the top of the track and slows down more and more the closer it gets to the top. I hadn't noticed before, but my grip on the steering wheel was so tight that I thought it might come off in my hands. I can see the end of the Tunnel and although we are at a crawl, it looks like we might just make it. It seems to always happen. Just when you think you are in the clear and your feeling pretty good about yourself, reality hits. The Charger lost all power. We are less than fifty yards from the downhill side and the car dies. There is just enough momentum to roll out of the traffic lane to the side of the road. Although it was a huge relief to get all the way through the tunnel, the feeling of relief was soon replaced with the fact that we were now stranded on the side of the road and it would be dark in about 30 minutes. I remember thinking If I don't figure this out fast it is going to be a very long night.

Coming next month in Part 2.... Isn't it a conflict of interest for a State Trooper to call his brother in-law to tow stranded cars?