What old car to take touring?

Shooting the breeze with a neighbor, he's looking for a retirement  travel adventure next summer. But  wants to take back roads in an old car. 
     He has some mechanical ability but would prefer something reliable enough that it's not a constant wrenching fight.  
    My first thought was find a decently restored Ford model A  but that's too slow with a 50 mph top speed it's more comfortable cruising in the 30 mph range.   Newer than 32 doesn't appeal to him. 
     He saw a 1948 Buick woodie  and liked it, both for the size ( they are big people ) and comfort. 
   I'm guessing that could cruise at around 50 ? But I doubt there is a easy supply of parts like Fords. 
   That's the only post war car he'd consider.  I managed to talk him out of his first thought,  a Ford Model T woodie.  He was originally drawn to my MGTD but they simple don't fit in it.  
   Am I wrong about parts for Buick's?  Is there are car like that with a ready supply of parts so if a water pump or generator etc failed they could overnight it and be on their way?  
     

Cadillac.  Nothing will be more relaxing to. cruise. Probably sorted ,  it will be reliable enough to not worry.

I always see late 30s Chevies on all those foreign adventure rallies (like Peking-Paris). Admittedly, they've probably had tens of thousands of dollars of rally prep thrown at them, but that old stovebolt six ought to still have parts available. Even a '37 doesn't have a really wide passenger compartment if they're big folks though.  A 50s or 60s car makes more sense to me for cruising America, or an old body on modern running gear. 

Edit: A late 30s flathead Ford would be another one I would think has a ready supply of parts.

My buddy has a '37 Chevy Sedan Delivery on "modern" TBI 350 Chevy running gear. That would do the trick.

Anything pre-32 is going to need regular attention.  Granted, it should be easy to fix, but it will need to be fixed. And parts won't be over the counter. 

I recall being stuck in Panhandle, Texas waiting for parts to overnight from MA to fix my Corvair's packed-in wheel bearing.  If something breaks down after 5:01 pm Pacific time on a Friday, they'll be taking an impromptu 4 day vacation wherever it happens. 

What car did he incessantly draw pictures of as a kid? If he is a man of means, then that's the answer right there.

Any time I drive a 107 chassis Mercedes (450SL, usually) I have Visions of going on a genteel road tour while wearing a funny looking hat and stringback gloves.

Reliability wise, they are from Mercedes' era when they were as reliable as gravity.  They might drool a bit of oil, and they have no sporting aspirations whatsoever, but they were great cars.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Any time I drive a 107 chassis Mercedes (450SL, usually) I have Visions of going on a genteel road tour while wearing a funny looking hat and stringback gloves.

 

Reliability wise, they are from Mercedes' era when they were as reliable as gravity.  They might drool a bit of oil, and they have no sporting aspirations whatsoever, but they were great cars.

W116 too. 

If he wants to do this next summer he needs to break out the check book and buy the nicest car he can by Christmas and then spend the winter making sure everything is up to snuff for traveling. Try a few weekend trips beforehand to make sure the car is good and to be sure his romantic idea of a long trip in an old car is as nice as he thinks it will be. A three-on-the-tree and clutch, manual steering and brakes might not be the nice leisurely cruise he's expecting.

Just where is their confluence of discomfort and adventure?

My expedition is a big comfy thing going down the road and gobbling miles, but my Bugeye, even a 30 mile round trip is a big adventure.

For some, the answer could be MGB. For others, 1960s Cadillac, for others, a mg t series...  Endless possibilities.

Give my Bugeye an overdrive and a road trip would be a massive adventure. But one that might require chiropractic adjustments afterwards.

Currently, you're not that likely to get parts for anything overnighted. You'll want a drivetrain that was produced in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions to improve the likelihood of parts being available locally upon the route. 

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

Currently, you're not that likely to get parts for anything overnighted. You'll want a drivetrain that was produced in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions to improve the likelihood of parts being available locally upon the route. 

 

 

Which usually means 1960's GM products. 

I like how the original spec is for "nothing newer than '32, like this 1948..."

A 1932 automobile is 90 years old. Mechanic work will be part of the adventure and spares should be carried on board as they will not be readily available. It's not an old car, it's an antique.

Peter Egan did a cross country road trip in a T or A in the early 90s or so, it would be worth hunting down his stories about it. That was 30 years ago. 

edit: Model A Odyssey, Mar/Apr 1988. 

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

Currently, you're not that likely to get parts for anything overnighted. You'll want a drivetrain that was produced in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions to improve the likelihood of parts being available locally upon the route. 

 

 

If you have drivetrain failures on a road trip, you don't need overnighted parts, you need plane tickets and a car hauling service.

Ignition points. Belts. Hoses.  Fuel filters.  Alternators.  That is what can fail for you in such a way that you can get yourself mobile again.

Frankly, the simple fact that this person is asking the question and doesn't already have the car just screams that he has no idea what he's getting into.

Fuel pump. Brake hydraulics (assuming the car is new enough). Wheel bearings. Stuff that lives in carbs. Radiator hoses. Water pump. 

On his trip, Egan blew a head gasket, the water pump pulley exploded, the starter packed it in, the carb inhaled a screw, the generator burned out and the carb float leaked and sank. They also adjusted the valves at least twice. This is on a car that was professionally and completely rebuilt the winter before and which was 43 years newer than an A is today. He blamed the water pump pulley on a cheap repro but that's going to be the state of any A by this point.

Packard.

Reliable, quiet, very well built and better parts support than just about anthing short of a Ford.

I also question of somebody that doesn't want something newer than a 32 would even break 50 miles an hour even if you gave them a C8 Vette. When you go to take a vintage vehicle on such an endeavor, it's not about the pace. 

DeadSkunk (Warren) said:

I always see late 30s Chevies on all those foreign adventure rallies (like Peking-Paris). Admittedly, they've probably had tens of thousands of dollars of rally prep thrown at them, but that old stovebolt six ought to still have parts available.

Yesterday I was leafing through a car mag from a few years ago and there was an article about one of these.  Just went back to skim it - '39 Chevy coupe, stovebolt six, prepped for Peking-Paris.  Cost was cited as "north of £150k."  Yes that's £.

I'd look at an older BMC sedan for something reliable and roomy. Starting with an MG Magnette or a an Austin Westminster or some such.

And don't discount being able to get old car parts if something goes agley en route. We were on the way to a California destination for Canada in our 1965 Jensen CV8 when we had an electrical gremlin - it has stopped charging properly. 

We managed to find a motel for overnight and in the morning I removed the regulator and plodded across a field to a car parts store (the CV8 was, IIRC the first British car to have an alternator fitted but it still had a separate regulator on the firewall).   They had an old time partsman there who just looked at the part and said "1958 DeSoto?"  They had one on the shelf!

Sadly, that sort of partsman is probably history and if the part number has changed five times since the car was produced, you'll be out of luck.

1957 Chevy Nomad .....or 1957  Chevy 4 door wagon , 

Cheap parts , anyone can fix them , a wagon gives you enough room to put your junk , or take a nap :)

Yeah put an alternator on it and a few newer updated parts......

In reply to NorseDave :

That would be "well prepped" for that kind of money. Out of my league.

Wait- how is the answer NOT jaguar?

Recommended oil change intervals on cars in the 1930's was every 500 miles.  So, even if absolutely NOTHING goes wrong, there are 6 oil changes for a cross country trip!

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

He's not into hiking. 

SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:

Recommended oil change intervals on cars in the 1930's was every 500 miles.  So, even if absolutely NOTHING goes wrong, there are 6 oil changes for a cross country trip!

But with a modern full flow  spin on oil filter and modern oil would you still need to change it at 500 miles ?