Club president finished his journey. Car went 1,144 miles.

[89ARIES]

The car made the 1,144 mile journey with ALMOST no problems. I had a great time and spent two days driving with my brother through Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Central Coast, Paso Robles, 100 degree temps in May, steep mountain freeway, etc. I will update you all with some great photos of the K car crossing the Oakland Bay Bridge and parked in front of the state capitol. I saw 8 1980s K cars in different places all over California. There were plenty of old cars in Sacramento surprisingly. More than back home. I even saw rare GM products like Chevette and Pontiac J2000. Anyways, here is what went wrong with the car (minor but annoying nonetheless)

The Bad:

1. I had the oil checked, but I guess I did not check it properly. We still don't know what happened. The engine began to overheat in Sacramento and it was found to be bonedry. Luckily, I was already eyeing the gauge in heavy traffic in 102 degrees. The needle began to move rapidly to the H. I immediate thought was "headgasket" and I pulled over immediately. We added just one quart of oil to see what would happen and if maybe we had a huge leak. Turns out I had no leak as the car ran perfect with no sign of problems (almost) the rest of the trip. The temperature stayed perfect and the car has continued to run really good (almost). Absolutely no change on the sound or performance of the motor (thank the Lord for sparing my car)

2. The battery died in Santa Barbara as we headed home last night from San Francisco. I already was expecting the battery to go out as it was almost seven years old. Somebody jumpstarted us and we got home okay.

3. The bad thermostat they used for K cars. My thermostat, and I know yours also, always like to fluctuate up to the 3/4ths mark and then come down again. That makes me uncomfortable which was my saving grace in Sacramento when I ran out of oil. I am going to replace my thermostat with a heavy duty one my club member suggested that keeps the engine at a steady temp without those wild fluctuations. I will let you guys know how it turns out.

4. Battery swap: My brother and I swapped out my battery today. It took us two hours and was hard to move. It was also badly corroded.

5. Car started lugging a lot at idle today (day after the trip) for almost no apparent reason. Then, it went away. This lugging seems remotely related to item number 6.

6. For a year, my car has had check engine light on all year with constant codes of 31,37,25, and 23. The car started stalling and I was getting random surges of power while driving and sometimes idling. Then, I had the throttle body rebuilt which temporarily fixed the problem. Now, the same codes and symtpoms have come back as that mechanic did not fix the root of the problem. That surge might have transmitted itself into really bad lugging today. Also, on the whole 1,140 mile journey, I got those surges of power. Could the lugging at idle be because I was driving the car after just jumpstarting it? I just took off and did not let it run for any length of time. Also, it had been sitting overnight.

7. HOW DO I FIX MY CAR? I have a real electrical problem and I think it is more than I can handle.

PLUS:

1. Car got 28 miles per gallon. The family van got 12mpg
2. Car never stalled and ran smoothly with plently of power on the highway nonstop. No fluid leaks.

QUESTION: What should I do to make the car ready for the next roadtrip, if I should take one. I have thought seriously about driving the car to Utah in August and to San Francisco once again in July. Can the car make it? Short of being able to work on my car, I have done the best I can. I did work on changing my battery today. My whole family is against me taking the car on a roadtrip again. Also, we are planning to go to Utah in August. What would I do if I broke down in Utah?

I really want to take my car on another long roadtrip. I have this urge to challenge the road with an old car that could quit at anytime. Everybody at the office would laugh at me if I told them about my trip. But, unlike them, I had the courage to take a 20 year old economy car on a 1,144 mile drive. I say HA to them and their weird perfect smooth computerized electronic bubble cars. However, the one thing that might change my mind is what if I was stranded in Utah? Forget it, I will do it. Just watch. Pictures to follow of the California roadtrip I just completed.

[88 aries]

hey guy, you should make a trip to wisconsin and come to our mopar show next year. its lots of fun there and people are quite friendly one guy last year said that he once had a 84 reliant that gave him no trouble, my k-car turned heads

[rev84600]

well i may be crazy but ill never own and drive a car i wouldn't be comfortable driving coast to coast in Canada my current 1984 dodge 600 included
i carry a full tool kit and fix whatever quits then hit the road again.
I even did this once in my old 65 MGB GT went Halifax to Vancover in Jan. 1989 just for kicks and on a bet
i don't regularly have that time now but i think of my cars the same and the 600 is a whole lot more predictable than that old MG ever was