Road Trip to Alaska-Coffee Table Book Finally Done-thanks Cody Cole!

[taxspeaker]

I will be driving my unrestored 1970 Plymouth Superbird from Jeffersonville, Indiana to Fairbanks, Alaska and back from June 23, 2015 until July 14, 2015. Plan is 600 miles daily with 6-9 extra days for trouble, pictures, golf or whatever and to avoid mountains where possible. Mechanical planning has begun and will continue with all input appreciated. Vacation days are already set aside and barring health or major mechanical issues all systems are now go.

The Bird is a 440-4 with automatic and 3:54 gears in 8 ¾ rear. Transmission is freshly rebuilt, engine runs smoothly and rear end has never had any issues. Car has 40,000 miles on it original. On a mechanic scale of 1-10 (1 being the best) I would be a 3 with decent skills in most things but expert in none and I will be alone for the majority of the trip.

Part 1 Electronics
We started with a 6 hour planning session on electronics. My biggest fear is the 45 year old wiring, so decision 1 is to only drive during the daytime, decision 2 that nothing will be plugged into the lighter or wiring harness. The wiring harness has never been molested. Combine that with our desire for both time lapse and live video and here is what we have come up with. My son owns a laser cutter/3d printing company and is designing and making the needed items below.

First he has developed and is now making a first fabrication of a clear Lucite type clamshell case that will mount on the rear wing in a manner that is wrapped in microfiber wherever it touches the wing. The case will be removable every night for safety and to transfer the day's pictures (estimated at 8,200 daily) to a portable hard drive. The design will also allow me to replace the clear front with the 3-4 extras I will carry with me and will be designed as aerodynamically as possible. Inside the sealed case will be a Go-Pro camera set to take a picture every 5 seconds. It will have the extended battery for an estimated 3-4 hour battery life. Mounted in the top of the case will be a solar power unit that will trickle charge the battery through some wiring connection he designed as well (he is also our company's IT guy). Every night I will unhook the camera box, remove the Micro SD memory cards and either download or replace. The card will hold approximately 12 hours of pictures taken every 5 seconds so will not need replacing during the day. We expect to have 10 of these cards in case 1 goes bad or I do not have the ability to transfer to a hard drive. Since I hope to be able to write a short note every night I want to be able to upload some of these pictures nightly where possible.

Second we have found a desktop solar panel in a soft case that will charge my cell phone and 1 other device as needed. The cell phone can be unplugged from the charger if I need the USB port for other things since the cell has a long life battery. I do not plan on taking a GPS just maps. Board members tell me if you think I am nuts and I will reconsider, but I do not want to plug anything in to the lighter. What we are planning with the other charging port is to run a second GoPro camera that will record every minute of the day. The solar panel will provide enough power in full sun to keep the battery topped off and in lesser sun will recharge it fast enough that we can make a full day. I will have to change the Micro SD cards every 3-4 hours and transfer the contents to a hard drive every night, but since I plan on stopping for gas every 100-150 miles that should be doable.

Third I am going to also carry a hand held CB radio that will run off of 9 AA batteries.

Fourth all gauges in the Bird work but the fuel gauge is and always has been flaky. I replaced it a couple of years ago when I replaced the 45 year old fuel tank but it is never right. I definitely need suggestions here from members. I also am going to replace the OEM type of battery with a modern top quality one before the trip. I changed over to electronic ignition about 5 years ago so the ignition and distributor is good. I have not replaced the starter that I can remember but have no problems with it or headlights or other lights/electrical. I don't really care about music and the AM radio works and is original so I will leave it alone and carry a pocket AM/FM/weather radio.

So at the end of Part 1 on electrical I am asking you guys for suggestions here on electrical stuff.

Needed electrical issues:
1.   New battery for car
2.   Fix fuel gauge if possible
3.   Assemble GoPro system and solar power systems (have the 2 GoPro cameras and dash solar charger system, need  
       camera solar panel)
4.   4 sets extra AA batteries for hand held CB (have the CB)
5.   Electrical kit: fuses, tape, crimpers, connectors, 20' of 12 and 14 gauge wire
6.   Replace plugs and plug wires prior to trip
7.   Fix loose radio antenna
8.   Portable 1 TB USB hard drive for data transfer
9.   10 64GB Micro USB cards

Next Up: Cooling and brakes

[Ghoste]

This is gonna be good. 

[1970Moparmann]

This is very cool!   To go from selling the car a few years ago to a drive of a life time is very cool!

If you never had any gremlins with the wiring, you should be okay?

If I were you, I would buy some spare parts-

- fuel pump
- alternator
-  starter relay
- ballast
- voltage regulator

Check your wheel bearings, axle seals, brake cylinders.  Maybe an aluminum radiator for the trip.

[JB400]

Grabbing my popcorn early

[held1823]

This is gonna be good. 

WAY good

[Bob T]

Excellent plan for a trip of a life time road trip. Very cool thing to mark on the calendar.

I'd definitely consider an after market heavy duty finned voltage regulator, or a few spares of the stock type, I've had three go bad in different cars.
And spare ecu's , plug boots and wires , coil, usual fan belts , cable ties
As the other guys said above for mechanical, I'd also do the driveshaft crosses too.

Also do a few current tests with an in line ammeter multi meter so you know what your load drawn will be in relation to the cigarette lighter power supply. I made a portable plug in stereo ( modified Sony) and it only draws 3Amps maxed out. I run it with my radar detector on a double adaptor out of the lighter and have never had a problem. The wiring and fuse is rated at 10A anyway so I think you won't have any problems running devices for nav or charger appliances.

Great idea with the motion lapse pictures.

[nvrbdn]

what a trip. major brave here to take an old car on that trip.   


   like said, plenty of spare parts. there will be large stretches with nothing out there.

[stripedelete]

Sounds like fun.

I drove a 2nd across the country 30 years ago.   600 miles per day will be brutal.

Take a pup tent and sleeping bag.

[taxspeaker]

Thanks-suggestions noted. Space will be somewhat of an issue, but I think the ideas to take a spare coil, ECU and voltage regulator will be taken because they are small in size, hard to find and commonly bad.

We are having our cooling/brakes planning session tonight and hope to put that summary up tomorrow night. Driveline after that.

I will be taking a sleeping bag and hoping not to use it, but physical needs planning comes after the car.
Thanks-keep the ideas coming as the lunacy builds.

[1970Moparmann]

Bob, are you doing this with your son?   

[SBBob]

This should be FUN!  In 1999 I drove from Seattle to Talladega and back in 2 weeks (7,500 miles) and all went really good. HAVE FUN and enjoy all the looks you will be getting.

[hemi68charger]

Personally, and this comes from DIRECT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, is to take out the cluster, send the frame with the amp gauge with it and ship it to Shannon at http://www.redlinegaugeworks.com/

Do the amp to volt conversion like I have done on all my Mopars since that imfamous day in which my former C500 almost went up in flames because its amp gauge shorted out.......

You have plenty of time to do this...... You can call me if you wish and I can tell you what I've done. That, for me, would be the biggest "Peace of mind".....

Troy

[Bob T]

Good point Troy  its #1 electrical system flaw, totally forgot to mention it, have bridged out mine & altered wiring when I got it.

[taxspeaker]

Thanks-on the gauges will those guys do the amp to voltmeter change out? I have seen other posts on the board about this but have never attempted it.

I am hoping my son will go with me, but he may only go for part of the trip. He has a young baby and I don't want to play the once in a lifetime card even though it is a once in a lifetime thing. I'm going either way and wife has no interest but doesn't seem to mind too much.
Bob

[tan top]

This is gonna be good. 

WAY good

sounds like a awesome adventure       

[wingcar]

Road trip to Alaska...............you are in for one of the best trips of your life.
I did the Alaska Highway, then the full circle of the state in my motorhome.....loved it!
As others have said, there are areas were you will not see another car for some time........enjoy!

[taxspeaker]

Here is the view that will show from the GoPro mounted just in front of the wing (on the wing)

[Mopar Nut]

 

[pandamarie]

A friend of mine just did calif to Alaska and back in a model T speedster towing a tear drop trailer he made, his wife and him did 1800 miles through Alaska, you will be surprised how much help the people of Alaska will be when you need it and they love seeing any old cars from the early 70s on back.
Enjoy the trip, it will be a great adventure.
Plan on doing a cross country trip in my 40 Packard 180 in the next year or two, just waiting to switch it over to radial wide whites, hate changing tube type tires.

[RECHRGD]

Be sure and check out the distances between gas stops.  These old 440's don't have much range with a 19 gallon tank.  You don't want to get stranded out in the middle of Alaska with some amorous moose giving you the eye....

[gtx6970]

IMO, loose the 3.54 rear diff and install a solid 2.76

I would love to do something like this someday . But I will take longer then 2 weeks to do it,,,, I want to actually visit some of the places I see along the way.

[taxspeaker]

Troy-good suggestion on the gauges I am going to call redline and send off whatever they tell me to send.

Bill-you rebuilt my heater core/box a couple of years ago so part of your work is going to Alaska!

[hemi68charger]

Troy-good suggestion on the gauges I am going to call redline and send off whatever they tell me to send.

Bill-you rebuilt my heater core/box a couple of years ago so part of your work is going to Alaska!

Good deal......... I'll let you know what I did... But, you will eventually have to connect the black and red leads going to the amp gauge... They can either face your gauge with a volt scale or the original amp scale. I choose the original look. You can tell if things are discharging, the needle still goes the other way....... When I joined my two leads, I made sure there was a good connection ( via a small nut/bolt/lockwasher ). Then I took a part of a heater hose, cut a slit in it and inserted the connection into it. The hose acts as an insulator from grounding and chaffing......... May be grude, but heck, it works great........

[gtx6970]

Troy-good suggestion on the gauges I am going to call redline and send off whatever they tell me to send.

Bill-you rebuilt my heater core/box a couple of years ago so part of your work is going to Alaska!

Good deal, I was wondering if your ever got the car done.

Wish I was riding shotgun. We have family in Anchorage

[Arnie Cunningham]

Sounds like a great trip.
You will be traveling in places where replacement parts will be hard to find.  I had the benefit of remaining in the States on my 3000 mile trip so I wasn't too worried about finding something if I needed it.

The wiring issues mentioned earlier would be my first concern.  Either bypass the amp meter or convert to volts as already mentioned.  We did the "mad" conversion on mine.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=265125
We put in a couple of extra fusible links as well.

Odd as it may sound at first, I would take an extra master cylinder.

A good jack with the correct size lug nut socket.  If you have reproduction lug nuts they may be a different size than stock.

Fluids, basic tools, duct tape, wire, cord etc. and a fire extinguisher.

Hoses and belts.

A test run of 500 miles would be good.  Problems don't seem to show up until after the car has been at full operating temperature for a couple of hours.  A run like that will uncover any seal, leak, heat related issues.

I will add more as I think of things,
Brennan