Every car guy has wondered whether an old car that sat for decades could really make a long trip home. A Tucson man named Travis, who posts as @theetravisb, and his father found out. They bought an untouched 1958 Chevy Bel Air at an estate auction, got it running and drove it about 1,100 miles home.
“Hasn’t ran in 30 years. Last registered in 96,” Travis says at the start, as the car rolls out from under a carport.
Under A Carport Since The ’90s
Because the doors are locked and there is no key, a locksmith opens it. The tires won’t hold air either, so the pair fit trailer tires, the only ones in the right size at the local Walmart.
Once it is in a friend’s shop, Travis looks it over. Service stickers show an oil change in 1995 at 49,544 miles, while the odometer reads 49,674.
In his view, the car has never been restored. “This is original paint,” he says at 12:57, pointing to the red primer under the green.
Waking Up The 1958 Chevy Bel Air
Travis and his father think it has a 283 V8 and a two-speed Powerglide. First, they hot-wire it, clean the points and pour fuel into the carburetor, and the engine fires briefly.
On a second trip, his father works through a ring of 62 old GM keys until one fits: No. 22. After that comes a new fuel pump, a rebuilt carburetor, new points and plugs, generator springs, a brake rebuild and a new driveshaft carrier bearing.
“Moving under its own power for the first time in 30 years,” Travis says at 1:37:53.
His father bought the key set from a man he met through ham radio, he says. Along the way, the new fuel pump needs longer bolts and different fittings, which turns a quick job into half a day.
They also replace the carrier bearing, which Travis says was torched. If they hadn’t, he says, they would have had to fix it at a rest stop.
The Drive To Tucson
After a run through a car wash, the Bel Air sets off for Arizona through Oklahoma City, Amarillo and Santa Rosa, New Mexico, where the pair stop at a Route 66 auto museum.
Early on, Travis records 12 to 13.6 mpg, but later he sees 14.5 to 14.8 mpg. By the end, they say it used about two and a half quarts of oil, and they never had to stop for a roadside repair.
Before leaving, he puts new points and a condenser in, because worn points can act differently under load on the highway. By the end, Travis says his father noticed the lifter noise had quieted a lot.
What To Do Before Driving An Old Car A Long Way
Their checklist is a good one for any car that has sat for years:
- Replace the tires first, because old rubber won’t hold air or survive the highway.
- Go through the fuel system, from the pump to the carburetor, before trusting it.
- Rebuild the brakes rather than hoping they’ll be fine.
- Check hidden wear items, like a driveshaft carrier bearing, before you leave town.
Where It Stands
Today, the 1958 Chevy Bel Air is home in Tucson and running. Still, the fuel gauge doesn’t read correctly, and Travis wants to wet-sand and buff the roof to bring back more of the original paint.
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