Road Trip Advice 1987 GT

[Star827]

Hello,

I am currently in the middle of a dilemma and I could once again use some advice from people with more experience. I recently bought my 1987 GT about two months ago and I am trying to decide if I should take it on a long road trip (about 800 miles through the desert) or if I should take a newer car. The 87' GT only has 19,000 miles on it and is in super good condition. However, over the last two months I have had to replace a few of the old plastic parts like the window motor gear plugs and driver side door handle. This hasn't been a super big deal because a lot of those things were very easy to replace and didn't interfere with the drivability of the car, but it does make me nervous that I may run into larger issues while I am driving cross country. A family member offered to let me use their much newer vehicle to make the drive and leave my car at home to just be used around town. The problem I am running into is that I really want to drive my car but I don't want to make a bad decision that eventually leads to either breaking down in the middle of the desert or decreasing the lifespan of my mustang. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience driving their older mustang long-distance and if there are any common problems I should look out for or if it would just be better to use the newer vehicle. Thanks!

 

[General karthief]

'newer' does not mean it will not break down. I'd take my mustang, (if it was together) I don't know how much you've driven your stang or if it actually has only 19k on it, tires, rubber bits, fluids all come into play, the 'newer' car may be the safer bet.

 

[limp]

Have you prepped the car for the trip? new engine oil and filter, Check or replace the rear end fluid. Transmission fluid?? What about your coolant? If its original you need to flush and replace...
Are your radiator and heater hoses original? I wouldnt trust them......
PLugs, plug wires, dist cap and rotor??

 

[Fri Guy]

Back in the day my Fox Body was my daily driver and I took it on long trips, car had over 150K miles on it. Just do with "limp" mentioned and would also replace the serpentine belt. Drive the car as often as you can before the trip because if something is going to happen it will hopefully happen when you're daily driving it. Make sure you have a good spare tire and a jack. Some fuses and a small bag of tools. I'd basically treat the car as any other vehicles that you were planning on taking on a trip.

 

[vindieseljetta]

Take the newer car, peace of mind

 

[hoopty5.0]

I used to, and am about to start again with taking my fox on longer trips in the heat. There are two things that always save my bacon - prep and tools.

Prep - test everything as well as you can. Will it stay cool in traffic? You mentioned desert. Flush the cooling system, check for leaks, etc. Make sure everything is up to the task.

Tools - Bring everything and anything you can reasonably fit in a tool bag and enough fix-it crap to make Macgyver jealous. Tapes, zip ties, baling wire, spare parts, and one of every hand tool you can manage. Also, electrical connectors, splices, and sections of wire. Ill also sneak in a 4-way and a small jack.

Finally, drive like you need it to last. I have to remind myself of that from time to time when I'm hundreds of miles from home and someone needs to know I'm quicker.

 

[General karthief]

Take the newer car, peace of mind

Yeah, then you can blend in with the thousands of commuters driving down the road in their anonymous road going tin cans oblivious of the world outside their climate controlled cocoon listening to computer generated music and looking at their phone for the latest update on JayZ or Kardashian fakery from Instabrainfreeze or fakebook.
Or drive a piece of history, taking chances and living your own adventure like a star on the latest RoadKill episode.
You got a AAA card right?I
Excuse me a minute, I have to pour another cup of coffee

 

[Mustang5L5]

Not enough info into the condition of the mustang. 19K miles doesn't really tell us much. Is it an original serpentine belt? Original tires? new fluids? In great mechanical condition?

I would be more comfortable driving a new car that far, vs an 30 year old car but doesn't mean it can't be done.

 

[alutwon]

The 302 is a great engine, but if you're dead set on taking an antique cross country check it all, especially the TFI module.
Also, I have a rule about letting other people drive my 30 year old mustang, so assuming you're trading cars with your relative, do you trust them with your car?

 

[Star827]

Hey everyone! Thank you all for your helpful tips and advice. To answer some of your questions, the mustang is in great mechanical condition and almost all of the parts are original except for the ones I have replaced. The first owner only drove it for a few years and then kept it in a garage for the next 30. I have driven the car every day since I got it and have not had any problems with overheating even with driving it in 100+ degree weather. I got the tires replaced just a few days ago and I checked over the engine components and topped off all the fluids today. Everything looks pretty good so I think I will be taking the Mustang. I know the route I'm going to be driving really well so I am planning on making a lot of stops to give the car and myself a break and I have a list of all the Ford dealerships along the way just in case I end up needing a tow. I also had my dad who has 40 years of experience working on engines take a look at the car and he said it looked good to him. He also gave me a tool box to take with me and some tips on how to fix things like the radiator hose if it springs a leak so I'm feeling pretty confident. Thanks again for all your help! It is great to hear from other people who have more experience with Fox Body Mustangs.

 

[General karthief]

Skip the dealerships, they likely will not know how to fix anything that old and will charge exorbitant fees, independent shops are a better bet, but if it really only has 19k on it you're probably be ok.

 

[nickyb]

road trip essentials: belt,hoses,bailing wire,fuses,fluids,tape,and tools.
I keep the belt and hoses I change out for new ones in with the spare tire .
your car being that original a crap shoot it would be. mind you I have daily driven my 93 for fifteen years this July.
, shes got a couple of hundred thousand miles on her and runs like new,passes smog also.
good luck on your trip.

 

[Olivethefet]

If it was me. I'd have the tool box with some easy to change parts as listed above. Water for you and the car. Snaks. Let people know where I was going to be so they could check in. You know desert and all. I did a similar trip in a 76 Bronco years ago, but on the east coast. I had to open and clean the carb a dozen times on the side of the road. It had a really nasty gas tank. A brake line blew out. That was a scary hour long drive with no brakes. You'll probably be fine. Just be prepared. Have fun!!

 

[Star827]

Skip the dealerships, they likely will not know how to fix anything that old and will charge exorbitant fees, independent shops are a better bet, but if it really only has 19k on it you're probably be ok.

Ok thanks that is good to know.

 

[Star827]

road trip essentials: belt,hoses,bailing wire,fuses,fluids,tape,and tools.
I keep the belt and hoses I change out for new ones in with the spare tire .
your car being that original a crap shoot it would be. mind you I have daily driven my 93 for fifteen years this July.
, shes got a couple of hundred thousand miles on her and runs like new,passes smog also.
good luck on your trip.

That is a great idea to have those on hand. For the belt and the hoses do you use ones made specially for the make and model of your vehicle or is it possible to use general ones from an auto parts store?

 

[KRUISR]

I'm digging mine out of winter storage this weekend and hopefully making the 300 mile trip home with it. Good luck on your trip.

I agree with the basic tools mentioned above and would definitely recommend having AAA and a charged cellphone.

 

[Fri Guy]

That is a great idea to have those on hand. For the belt and the hoses do you use ones made specially for the make and model of your vehicle or is it possible to use general ones from an auto parts store?

Quality hoses and belts from your local auto parts store are good to go. I've used them for the 20+ years of owning my Fox Body.

 

[hoopty5.0]

Not sure if it was mentioned, but a spare TFI module ***AND*** the tool to remove it would be good.

 

[nickyb]

y

That is a great idea to have those on hand. For the belt and the hoses do you use ones made specially for the make and model of your vehicle or is it possible to use general ones from an auto parts store?

yes a good belt and hoses can be had locally,i like to put the new ones on my car and carry the old but still good ones .
as far as a tfi and coil well its cheap insurance, and the tool I use for the tfi is a socket I ground down to fit inside to get to the bolts that hold it.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Have a good AAA or classic car insurance policy that includes towing.

At 800 miles, i would bring a full size spare tire with me.