My 70 Charger acquisition thread (Cross country road trip ahead).

[smithenhiven]

Hello Charger Fans.

I'm very excited to announce that I'll be the proud owner of one 1970 Dodge Charger R/T here in the very near future.

I've been looking for the right Charger on and off for several years, but put a big push on finding one over the last few months, and finally found it.  It's currently located in British Columbia Canada, and I'm over here in Pittsburgh PA.  I initially thought I'd have the car shipped to me, but the more and more I think about it, I've decided to just fly in and drive it home.  I've already sent the seller a healthy deposit, he considers the car sold, now I just have to wait for my passport to come in (never had a reason to leave the USA until now) so that I can go get it.  Seller says the car is top notch, and he's more than confident the car will make it the almost 3000 miles home.

I'm taking my little brother with me, he's 21, this should be quite the experience for him.  Our plan is to fly out on a Thursday night, get there early Friday morning (it's about a 10 hour flight), and start our journey home over a long 4 day weekend into Monday.  Hopefully we can average around 750 miles per day.  Perhaps we may add more miles and time to our trip depending on what attractions we'd like to see along the way. 

Anyone have any advice for a first time Charger owner, popping their Charger-Cherry on a 3000 mile journey?  I'm wondering what common 440 parts I should take with me just in case (I'm thinking maybe a starter, water pump, thermostat, hoses/clamps, things like that...).

Some of the things I'll buy for the trunk are: a tool kit, extra's of all applicable liquids, jack stands, a mat to lay on in case I have to get under there on the side of the road, fire extinguisher.  I'm sure I'll think of more, or maybe you guys can offer suggestions.

Not sure what to expect at the border crossing either.  I'm guessing it will be rather painless, but perhaps time consuming.  Just gotta show them all my paperwork and they'll confirm it's not stolen, then I'll pay an importation tax/fee and I'll be on my way.

I guess I'll use this thread to update folks on my travels as we head East across the great USA.  The trip will likely be taking place this month, provided my passport comes in timely, and we can book flights around our intended departure plans. 

Oh yeah, and here's some pictures

Jason. 

[Baldwinvette77]

Yes please, vanishing point style, just wrong model 

[BLK 68 R/T]

Beautiful car
Throw in fuel pump,  voltage reg, ballast resistor, oil and water, basic tools on top of what you have so far.

Good luck on you journey

[keepat]

Car looks great! My suggestion would be to plan on taking more time to crossing the country, it's an epic trip with too much to see and maybe the only time you ever get to do it in a Dodge Charger!
Congrats
Pat

[1974dodgecharger]

without pics I bet I can describe your car?

4 tires/rims?
windows?
a body?
engine?

[polywideblock]

   congratulations     beautiful car ,  good luck on the road trip  

     I'll double the ballast resister and voltage regulator  ,I'd also check to see if it has a "mopar orange box" ignition  and if so grab an extra  

  http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/archive/roadside.html      READ THIS    maybe put a copy in your luggage and put straight into glovebox  

[smithenhiven]

  congratulations     beautiful car ,  good luck on the road trip  

     I'll double the ballast resister and voltage regulator  ,I'd also check to see if it has a "mopar orange box" ignition  and if so grab an extra  

  http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/archive/roadside.html      READ THIS    maybe put a copy in your luggage and put straight into glovebox  

I appreciate that link, thank you.

And thanks to everyone else with their recommendations and words of encouragement. 

[70 sublime]

A chunk of wire with alligator clips on both ends and a good wiring harness diagram 

I had a Charger trucked up to Canada last summer and had to have all the paperwork to the boarder crossing point 3 days ahead of time so they had time to do a proper search on the car history

You should ask the US customs people what their rules are long before you get there just to know what to expect

[crj1968]

Hey- cool you found one! Looks great.

Make sure you take lots of pics on your journey home. (would make a good thread)  

That car looks great you should be fine.

Things to bring: A good attitude, which seems you already have.  

Oh and lots of gas money.  

[69rtse4spd]

Keep us posted along the way, &  if you have trouble or just want to stop & say high, by all means do so. Good luck with your trip. . 

[GreenMachine]

1/2" wrench in the console or other means to disconnect the battery quickly. It saved my '70 Charger from burning to the ground on a 1200 mile trip. My alt. wire got smashed between the dist. and the head and shorted. It burned all the way through the dash and back out to the battery.

I'd also have AAA or equivalent, gas can, fuel hose, water can, extensive tool bag with a spool of wire and wiring tools, a few flashlights.

Looking forward to pictures of your journey!

[billssuperbird]

I live in Pittsburgh hope it see you at some car cruises

[70 sublime]

Always fun to get a new toy home

Question

Is the car on the west side of the mountains ??

How long should a person wait to be sure there is no more snow happening (would not want to get stuck in it with summer tires) and no more wet road salt getting all over everything

[1965gp]

Wire, terminals, butt connectors, electrical tape, shrink wrap, floor jack, jack stand(s), radiator hoses, heater hoses, hose clamps, batt cable, fix a flat, jump box with air compressor and light, misc bolts, nuts and washers and as others have said- a positive attitude.


I would probably make a parts run once you get there or see if you can have all of this sent to the  seller ahead of time. Maybe worth changing the oil to VR 1 before you leave.

[41husk]

Keep us posted along the way, &  if you have trouble or just want to stop & say high, by all means do so. Good luck with your trip. . 

Good to visit new friends.

[CRW-FK5]

Sounds like it will be a great road trip.  I'm actually pretty excited for you and your brother.  Enjoy it.

[richard parker]

  right on !! if you get to vancouver and need a hand with anything or suggestions on what to see while your here hit me up

[toocheaptosmoke]

Awesome man!       I agree with waiting until the salt is washed off the roads. 

Not sure how much the car has been driven by its current owner?  I've bought several vehicles over the years that were retired to occasional use and then put them back into DD service.  There's always things that appear when the mileage starts racking up, usually it's not critical, but it could be if not taken care of or noticed.   Axle/pinion seal starts leaking, fuel filter clogging, oil leaks, wheel bearings, etc.  I would give the car a thorough once over before you leave and another a few hundred miles in, hopefully find any small problems before they get worse. 


Additions to supplies:  Rain X, in case wipers die.  Fire extinguisher, just in case...   Fan belt

[RallyeMike]

You should sell tickets to occupy the other two seats!

Have fun.

[smithenhiven]

Hey guys, to answer some questions.

Yes, this car is on the "West" side of the Mountains.  It's actually 'just' outside the USA in the small boarder town of Abbotsford B.C.  That's the main thing I'm trying to research prior to departure, is what route I wanna take through the Rockies.  I'd like to cross them as quickly as possible, and at the lowest elevation as possible.  As I research this more, I'll post my proposed route to see if you guys agree or would offer suggestions otherwise.

The car was driven sparingly by it's previous owner.  I get the impression it was his weekend fair weather car.  He has told me that just about everything mechanical on the car has either been gone over, and/or rebuilt/replaced, and the car is mechanically perfect.  He took it out recently to stretch it's legs, and reported no issues or leaks of any sort.  I do believe the guy, he seems genuinely concerned for the safety of myself and the car knowing my plans to drive it home, I don't think he's just trying to talk it up for the sale.  But I will go over it myself prior to hitting the road.  If anything seems out of spec, I'll either attempt to fix it if I'm able, or make the decision to have it shipped from WA rather than drive it home. 

Thanks for everyone's comments concerns and suggestions. 

[Johnnymopar]

Hey man I'm a 30 minute drive from Abbotsford (when it's not rush hour) if you need anything, be happy to help if I can.  

To answer your questions:
Canada Customs requires 3 days notice before bringing a car up from the States, check with US Customs on their requirement.  

Do not cross the Rockies, or for that matter the Coast or Cascades this time of year.  There will be snow, slush, ice.  The law in BC requires winter tires when heading up country Oct. 1 to March 31.  If you get caught without winter tires on you may be turned back, fined, towed or not covered by insurance.  I've driven to Alberta from Abbotsford many times.  drivebc.ca is the MOT website.  You can see webcam videos of current conditions on our highways and mountain passes.  

Peace man

[XH29N0G]

multimeter or other diagnostic tools

[tan top]

  nice looking 70 !!  sounds like its going to be a good adventure 

[Challenger340]

I will repeat the "stay out of the Rockies" this time of year sentiment, at least here on the Canadian side.
It might be a longer drive, but IMO, better to stay stateside right through to Washington, then just up North into Abbotsford to pickup the Car.
The B.C. Rocky Mountain Passes in March can be a disaster with very poor maintenance(East Kootenays is a joke)
Nice Car !

[smithenhiven]

All my research indicates that I don't have to give advance notice to the boarder authority.  If it were the other way around, the Canadian side would want notice, but not coming into the US.  I simply show up with the car, applicable paperwork, completed border entry import forms, they perform a vehicle check, I pay a fee, and I'm on my way.  Their website claims that if everything is in order, this process should only take about a 1/2 hour, but we all know how slowly the wheels of a government agency spin.

As for crossing the Rockies, perhaps I misspoke a bit.  I have no intention of crossing these mountains in the normal sense of the word.  But to some extent, they are pretty much unavoidable unless I take a huge southern detour.  So I'll be looking for the easiest pass there is.  So far, it looks like my best route would be to instantly go South, from British Columbia into WA state, staying on the west side of the mountains down through Oregon and Idaho, and crossing near Salt Lake City Utah, where it appears the mountains start to flatten.