Greetings all,

The time has come for me to head out on my summer road trip in my '66 122. I'm driving to Cleveland, OH (and maybe further) from Portland, OR.

Here's a map of my planned stops along the way:

Click here to see the map!

Any suggestions on bits and pieces to bring along?

I just got the engine in the car a few days ago. Engine is basically brand new (Everything inside is new, machine work, etc...) Anything I should look out or do differently because of this?

Any tips for adjusting the carbs to get through the rockies? What about surviving in the heat? (The car doesn't have AC.)

And finally... Any interesting stops along the way you guys suggest? If anyone happens to be near by any of the cities I'm stopping in let me know and we could probably get together for a beer.
--
http://dylans122.blogspot.com

Fantastic trip!! Wall Drug in Wall, SD (near Rapid City) is worth a stop. Do they still give you free ice water? I remember stopping at Wall Drug in 1973 when I crossed the continent in my Volkswagen Squareback (1500 cc, 54 hp, top speed about 72 mph in the morning when the air was dense).

Surviving the heat: not much you can do other than start very early every morning.

Your new engine: I suggest an oil and filter change after about 2000 miles.

If you need some repairs after you leave Detroit, Swedish Engineering in Ann Arbor, MI, does quality work. There are a lot of Volvos in Ann Arbor. Beware that Swedish is pretty expensive.

Have fun!!

Some more ideas:

1. If you are stopping in Cleveland, I recommend the Portuguese restaurant Mallorca in the warehouse district:

http://www.clevelandmallorca.com/contact.htm

2. West of Cleveland, near Sandusky, stop at Sheldon Marsh Nature Preserve. It is one of the few remaining barrier island / wetland complexes left in western Lake Erie.

3. West of Sandusky, the Marblehead Peninsula has unusual limestone geology. The lighthouse at the east end is built on limestone slabs. The middle of the peninsula has a massive quarry that has been mined for 150 years. You can drive to a cemetery and look down on the quarry and see what looks like miniature trucks driving around moving slabs of limestone. It's an amazing gash in the earth's surface. (If you are interested in geological topics.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marblehead,_Ohio

Oh, definitely bring a GPS. Once again, have fun.

I've done several of these, in 1800s, in a '57 PV (in 2007; sorry BB guys for not reporting back), and in a 220. Can't recommend this activity highly enough. Keep off the Interstates as much as you can, and get to know the country. Red lines, not blue ones; (no political inference intended)

Agree about the Mitchell, IA Corn Palace. Give it a miss unless it means something to you. What blew me away was the Little Big Horn battlefield. We arrived there at dusk, and it was a bit eerie. I could almost feel the panic of those troopers as they retreated in twos and threes back up to the knoll, "today sure isn't turning out as we thought it would,..".

Anyway, my advice about the same as you could have found in that VW hippie era classic, "How To Keep Your Volkswagon Alive", by John Muir. He recommends a real good "kit" for long distance traveling, which should mostly cover you for an old Volvo, as well. My kit includes as follows;
1.) a NEW timimg gear (mine is the fiber one), plus maybe a puller
2.) a new, or rebuilt fuel pump, plus an extra phenolic spacer (plus extra
bolts)
3.) a good, or rebuilt distributor, already set up w/ fresh points
4.) 2 fan belts, make sure they are the coreect size beforehand
(been there, done that!!)
5.) a rebuild kit, or extra brushes for your alternator, or generator.
You used to be able to buy alternator rebuild kits for all the common
alternators, w/ diode packs, a bearing or two, etc) are they still
around? Maybe a new voltage regulator?
6.) depending on how well you know your car(and this is the key element here,
otherwise you shouldn't go beyond economical towing distance!), a small
collection of all those clips, carb springs, tappet adjusters, special
doo-dads you won't be able to find out there in "East Overshoes", at 5 PM
on a Sunday afternoon. That has to be your paradigm. however, a h*** of a
lot of things can be found at a local NAPA, or even at a truck stop, but
this isn't a GM pickup, so plan accordingly.
7.) remember Murphy's Law, and if you bring it, you probably won't need it!
There used to be a so-called "Expedition Package" for Land Rovers, a box
which contained all of the possible parts which might keep you from being
stranded in the wilds, way out beyond "East Overshoe". I think you rented
it from a dealer, and only paid for the things you used when you brought
it back. Does anyone know different? Tools, Tube of sealant,
thread-lock, etc.
This all may sound excessive, but it all packs into a box a bit bigger
than a shoe box,and it WILL make the difference between a wonderful
road trip and an ordeal by mechanic and flatbed tow truck!

8.) the canvas, or jute "Death Valley Scotty" water bag to hang off the front
of the car. Tells folks you are a serious traveler, not just going from
Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn!

Best of all, have fun, and make your own good luck!!

"Somebody back East is sayin', "whah don' she write,...?" (Dances w/ Wolves)

Best of luck! My suggestion.. duct tape, baling wire, and
SPARE:
tire
fuel pump
distributor
fan belt

A bit of copper wire.
Some water
Some oil
A loud stereo (you'll need the loud bit if you want to hear it over the engine and the wind unless you've got fancy new rubber door seals and stuff) - and... if the stereo is mounted in the dash, be sure your windshield doesn't leak too bad (caulk) or - put something over it to keep the water out.

So far this year I've done about 7000 miles of that stuff in my $500 122 wagon without much trouble.

This summer the schedule for my 122 wagon started in May:
Colorado to custer wisconsin and back
Colorado to custer wisconsin and back again
(those two are done and she did it twice last year too)
Colorado to Gerald MO. Gerald MO to eastern Michigan. Back to CO
CO to Portland and back.
CO to northern Washington and back.

So far no real problems except I did need to replace one set of points (the bakelite cam follower cracked) and a fan belt on the side of the road. The stereo has been intermittent depending on the rain. So far this year we've consumed about 3 quarts of oil (not bad for a $500 volvo)

Dylan,

Forgot to mention this, but we "discovered" the joys of GPS on our way down to Kansas City to VCOA Midsoomer get together. The technology is really quite fun and can be helpful when nearing metropolitan areas...
--
Kent - too much iron, too little time

I would suggest that you drop down to I-70 from Salt Lake and go thru Western Colorado instead of thru Wyoming. Some of the best scenery ever! Here are some suggested stops/tours. At Fruita,Co take the trip thru the Colorado National monument and back out to I-70. Hard to believe what is there when you can't see it from the road. Stop at the worlds largest hotpool at Glenwood Springs Co. Take a side trip thru Aspen and over to Leadville on Independence Pass. Drop back down to I-70 at Breckenridge. Enjoy the ride past Vail, thru the tunnel at the continental divide, and down hill thru the rockies to Denver. If you haven't seen enough, you could turn off I-5 at Breckenridge, go to the Coors brewery at Golden, continue thru to Rocky Mountain National Park, downhill to Boulder then along the front range to Denver. Living in California and making a similar trip to Illinois occasionally, I can assure you that this is the most scenic area of your trip. The upper midwest is also very nice, just not as dramatic. Enjoy your trip!

What fun!!

Don't worry about adjusting the carbs for altitude. No car has good acceleration at above 4,000 feet, unless it is a turbo. Just do not expect to pass cars on 2 lane roads or go 0-60 in 10 seconds.

Spend a few extra cents for gasoline between the 2 mountain ranges, some of the cheap stuff is all ethanol without cleaners.

The Mitchel corn palace is not worth seeing :)

Change the oil filter before you start the trip, just to get out any metal from the break-in period. Carry a couple of normal wrenches, screwdrivers, and a set of points if your dizzy uses them.

Highway driving is what Volvos do best with the least amount of wear and tear. So check the Rand-McNally for interesting places, take frequent rest stops, and enjoy yourself.

Klaus
--
Why are Volvos so endearing? Its just a car.

I'ver been up to some of the higher French Alps and never had any problems with the carbs. I think unless you're planning on racing you shouldn't have any trouble with day-to-day driving. Gotta love those hairpin turns!

FOr surviving in the heat, make sure the front vent windows open ALL the way, and are not bloacked by mirrors. These give you a better breeze in the face than most modern cars. Also get a small battery-powered fan that you can attach to the dashboard. Being stuck in traffic in 90-degree heat in an Amazon is not fun.

Enjoy your trip. I'm in UK so I know zilch about your route, but it looks fun.

Tom

just get in and go.. fuel pump, fan belt, fluids, duct tape...

Looks like you're headed past Fort Collins not far from Boulder... feel free to stop in for a rest or if you need bits... 970-484-7257, forcefieldmatt@gmail.com

--
-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Dylan,

Yup! That's me! Depending upon timing, I never know where I am going to be and when, stop by. As George said, you will be within 6 miles of me if you come out of Brookings on 14, go to 81 and then across on 34/81 to Howard. 605-480-1345

See ya,
--
Kent - too much iron, too little time

I'm not sure if this is a common problem, but it happened to me twice with a recently rebuilt engine. On two separate occasions, a frost plug under the exhaust manifold popped out. The first time it happened, I was close to home. When I ordered a new one, I also ordered a few extras. (Good thing!) The second time it happened was on I-80 in the middle of Nebraska on my way back to Iowa from Colorado. Fortunately, I still had a couple of spare plugs with me in the center console. I had to hitch a ride for some water and let the engine cool down. After installing the new plug and filling up the system, I had no problems.
Sounds like a fun trip you have planned! Have a good time!

You are a couple hundred miles too far north for me but you'll cross my highway in Topeka (US 75).
Kent Thompson is in Howard, SD, on the way from Brookings back to the Interstate.
You may know him as RKent47.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Not sure what your scheduled dates are, but if I'm home you're welcome to stop in.
I also have a 122, piles of bits, tools, lift, welder, etc and I am about 2.5-3 hours due East of Cleveland (Portville, NY is a bit past Jamestown, NY).

Email me, bgreywolf (at) hot mail (dot) com if you need to head out this way. As long as I am home or can notify the neighbors, there is always a spare bed and cold beverages for a fellow car enthusiast. The more warning I have, the more likely I can arrange something in the event I am still at work. Presently in the Gulf of Mexico until July 20, depending on what is happening with work I may be home from 1-4 weeks.

Ben