How Far In One Day?
 

How many highway miles will you drive your Model "A" on an out-of-state adventure in one day?
Maybe a better question is,"How many hours in one day would you drive drive your Model "A" to an out-of-state destination?

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

Are we speaking of secondary highway miles or Interstate highways?



On family trips traveling to the nationals with other members on secondary roads, typically a 250 - 300 mile day (-depending on terrain) is about the maximum if you want to enjoy the scenery without becoming too fatigued. With that said, my wife & I along with another couple drove our Model-Ts (I was in my 1915 them in a '24) a tad over 340 miles in a day along the Blue Ridge & Skyline Pkwy. We drove onto the Pkwy in Blowing Rock, NC at 5 after 7:00AM, ...at just before 9:00PM that evening we stopped at our B&B in Luray, VA. That was too long IMO.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

Depends on if you are asking me, or my wife. When we drove from Orange County to Yosemite years ago, she said it was about all she could take....and that was in our somewhat comfortable Town Sedan. I’m 74 now and have a bad back, so can’t sit as long as I used to.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

When planning most trips, I start out shooting for 200 miles a day, see where the breaks fall, and then adjust from there.

It depends if it is a one-day drive to get to your destination or a multi-day drive. If only one-day trip, you can push it a bit longer, but if you are talking about miles/day of a multi-day trip, you don't want multiple killer days.

It also depends a bit on how smoothly the car rides and the weather. A rough riding car or a car with a lot of engine vibration really fatigues you. The wind noise when riding in my phaeton is more fatiguing than riding in the S/W Town Sedan. Long hot days also fatigue you. In Texas, I like to start in the morning when cool and knock off early enough to relax and cool off some before dinner.

Finally, it depends on your co-pilot's endurance, and how often you all like to stop for comfort breaks, food, junktique shopping, historic markers, and ice cream. In other words, keep the trip fun and not all about how many miles you can race through in a day.

YMMV.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

My biggest day's driving was 700 km (440 miles) on secondary roads while towing a trailer that weighed as much as the car. Very tired that night after spending over 10 hours hanging onto that steering wheel!
What you guys call a highway and what we call a highway may not be the same thing!

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

200 on secondary roads, 400 on freeways. The freeways where we go mostly are 80 mph limit and the traffic goes 90.
I have excessive hp. so I can keep up. I have found that earplugs pretty well take care of the wind noise.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

Hi Pete,
What have you done to your motor for excessive HP?

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

My wife and I will be going to the 64th New England Meet in Newry, Maine next year, and that is about a 360 mile drive one way from Long Island. We are in our 70s, and my wife is the distance limiter. My plan is to go about 240 miles the first day to stay overnight with my daughter in Stow, Ma.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

Several of used to drive from the L.A. area to Las Vegas every year to see Ed Winfield. For me it was 260 miles, all freeway. We had a breakfast stop, a cold drink stop and arrived in North L.V. about 4 p.m. We all had modified engines, estimated from 80-120 HP., and overdrives. IMO, it was not a hard drive, even in my closed-cab pickup.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

I may be more conservative than most people, but I avoid interstate highways in my antique cars. The speeds are too fast and with the trucks and crazy drivers, that is too hard on my nerves. Even with a Model A with good brakes, if you are running stock tires, your life is riding on that limited road contact patch. I am just not going to do it.

Going to Hershey, I have to drive on Rte. 15 some and the interstate around Harrisburg. No fun. Safety in our cars is pretty non-existent. Why run unnecessary risks? Not to say that there are not risks on smaller roads, but you enjoy the ride more. That wasn't your question, I know, but Brent did bring up the type of driving.


All that said, if I was in the west or somewhere the interstates are not that busy, if such a place exists, then I might do it, if I can putt along at 50 mph.


Have fun on your trip.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

I'm also planning on going to the 2020 NE meet. Just checked the GPS and with no interstates it'll be a 299 mile trip. It'll be my longest trek by far. We'll see how it goes.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

The main thing is 4 intake ports.
Then comes a radius lifter cam, 10 to 1 compression, gas ported 2 ring pistons with low tension rings and a computer ignition. There are other things but they are just to help keep it together.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

I will also be going to the 2020 New England Meet in Newry, Maine. 60 mile trip for me. :)


I don't think it's a question of how many miles you drive in a day but how much time you spend behind the wheel. Eight hours is usually enough for me. It all depends where the road takes you as to how many miles you can cover. Avoid the interstate if you can. You don't see much from this busy highways.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

I say a good days drive of around 350 miles is good target if you are on a multi-day tour that you need to get somewhere to (all on secondary roads - no interstate). That's about 2 1/2 to 3 tanks of gas. I did Elkins, WV to Hampstead, NC in one day about 465 miles in the summer heat and it was not fun. I wanted to get home and I was driving by myself - no wife to contend with :)

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

Longest day in mid July 420 miles from Polson, MT to Pendelton, OR, 95 degF in the afternoon across Eastern Washington. Our group had 2 small road sides repairs enroute, total of about an hour. Glad to get to an air conditioned motel.


Mark

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

From my house to Ely Nevada is 420 miles and I have made the drive twice. I couldn't imagine driving any further. That said, I have always answered mileage inquiries by saying "300 miles in a Model A is a long day".

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

[QUOTE=mhsprecher;1802212]I may be more conservative than most people, but I avoid interstate highways in my antique cars. The speeds are too fast and with the trucks and crazy drivers, that is too hard on my nerves.

Safety in our cars is pretty non-existent. Why run unnecessary risks? "QUOTE"

I guess I kinda go along with this too;) Just last week there was a head on crash on a 55 MPH two lane highway near us. A 2019 Impala and a 2013 Ford Taurus. The girl in the Ford was at fault, texting SHE wandered over the center line. The poor guy in the 2019 Impala had to be airlifted to University Hospitals in Iowa City he got hurt real real bad. Of course everyone drives 70+ on that road they pay no attention to the speed limit.

A 45 mile drive one-way to a parade is the most I've ever done in a Model A, and that about wore me out. 40 years ago:eek: My hats off to you guys doing 250 and 300 miles in a day in a Model A Ford. Yikes.

Heck even in a modern car I'm beat after 300 miles of driving with the Kamikazes and NASCAR wanna be's on our local roads around here anymore. Not as much fun as it used to be to drive anywhere. Too many 18 year old girls doing everything but paying attention to the road.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

200-250 in a day no problem do it all the time in Model A, I try to do 200 max in the Model T that’s a full days worth. The Model T club I belong to is 60 miles away, so that’s 120 miles before I even go on their tour witch is usually about 100 miles long.
I always say I do two tours in one day when I go with them.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

I meet a girl hitchhiking one day, asked her... "how far you going?"
She replied..."all the way" :)

But seriously...about 125 miles on Country two lane highways...if you can call them highways.

Re: How Far In One Day?
 

My longest day in a Model A ford was our return trip from the MAFCA NWRM Calgary, Alberta Canada July 15 - 23 2003. We traveled from Cranbrook BC Canada to Port Orchard WA in one day 502 miles (809 KM).