My move from Detroit to LA begins on Monday, when Jason Torchinsky hops into a luxurious 2022 Jeep Wagoneer to tow my 1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle, while I freeze my butt off in a 1966 Ford Mustang whose heater works about as well as the breath from a small cat. Needless to say: I’m excited! Here’s a look at the route we’re taking; we plan to host meetups at some major cities in Indiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nevada, and then eventually in LA. Come say hi!
I’ll be honest and say that my move is an absolute disaster. Nearly a decade in Michigan, a single man with too much space, an obsession with large machines — it all adds up to shit, a whole lot of shit. And I’ve got to get rid of it, pronto.
But packing is really the least of my concerns at this point; I’ve got to run this publication, write the finale for Project Cactus (and help edit the video!), plan the logistics of this move, and then I’ve got to deal with the fact that my tools are buried in a sheet of ice in my garage thanks to a pipe-burst the other day:
Our EIC @davidntracy is about to have all of his tools literally frozen to Michigan. Will he ever actually move? pic.twitter.com/CxurHBbdhM
— The Autopian (@the_autopian) December 20, 2022
On top of that, the city is up my Arse again:
As for Christmas-y things? You can forget about those. I’ll call my family in Germany on Christmas eve, down the box of chocolates my wonderful business partner Beau sent me, and keep plugging away at that Project Cactus Finale until it’s published on the J-man’s birthday. Then I’ll pack all night so that on the 26th, the day Jason Torchinsky and his awesome son Otto show up, we can disembark.
By the way, here’s our route:
We’re headed south to avoid snowy mountain passes, since my brother’s 1966 Ford Mustang has Douglas tires that are horrible on anything that isn’t dry, and the Wagoneer that Jeep graciously lent us is on all-terrains, though perhaps more importantly, it’ll be towing this thing:
I’ve rented a U-Haul trailer for $400; that plus the Golden Eagle should weigh about 7,000 pounds, so I’m excited to see how that boosted straight-six in that Wagoneer handles it.
I’m less excited about driving the Mustang in 15F temperatures and salt-covered roads. The good thing is that I recently had it undercoated out of an abundance of caution:
In preparation for my drive to Los Angeles, I'm having the Mustang undercoated. This thing may see salt on the drive, and I have to make sure it's protected! pic.twitter.com/tHzU3CN0WG
— David Tracy (@davidntracy) December 16, 2022
I’m now going to drain the 15W-40 goop in the crankcase for some 10W-30 Synthetic Blend Shell Rotella, and then hope the play in that passenger’s side control arm bushing doesn’t get out of hand. Else, I may need to borrow one of y’all’s garages.
Anyway, follow our Twitter page to stay up to date on our trip, as well as on meetups we have along the way; expect those to be held in classy locations like Walmart parking lots.
Original Mustang heater plenums were made of cardboard. Replace that with a modern plastic repop n the heater will work better. Safe travels!
That’s the old Route 66 path. Plenty of boring stretches, but NM and AZ are beautiful along the way. And the Cadillac Ranch is just west of Amarillo, TX. Need photos with Jason!
David, I have a garage in Tulsa less than 2 miles off the turnpike, if you need it!
Blizzards are no joke. Strongly consider the recommendation of good snow tires for the Mustang. There is an alternate route from Amarillo TX, through Roswell and Alamogordo (White Sands) NM to Las Cruces, NM. This puts you on I-10 in “warmer” territory. Tucson, Phoenix, Quartzsite, Palm Springs to LA.
This ain’t fool proof, my wife once spent 2 days in a motel in Alamogordo due to a blizzard closing the highway. You gotta watch the weather reports closely.
Safe travels, Russ
If I had to drive that Mustang, I would IMMEDIATELY swap those “tires” for a set of Bridgestone Blizzacks. I had a set on my 2000 BMW 323i, and it drove through snow and ice like a champ.
And, put 50 lb sandbags in the trunk.
Hit me up if you have weather questions. Longtime reader and degreed (if not practicing) meteorologist and the weather looks funky, especially in the desert southwest on the 28th!
To boost the Mustang’s heater operation, consider running a 70/30 mix of antifreeze and then block part of the radiator, to goose the coolant temp during deep subzero highway driving. Watch the temp gauge.
Why isn’t this the subject of a reality TV show?
You’ll be driving through Flagstaff! Not sure if you’re going to stop there, but it would be fun the see you!
Reading the official notice, it appears the arse involved is not yours, but rather that of your landlord. (You couldn’t tell the difference?!?!)
You know what rolls downhill, right?
My move from Detroit to Chicago was a bit of a mess with Latin American planning, a 26-foot box truck and three cars to move, but you make me look like a beginner.
I’m in Las Vegas have a full garage with air tools and pretty much access to any thing
And we met this year in Monterey on Monras Blvd in front of a motel with Jason and the cars you drove
email me? david@autopian.com
Have Beau explain the whole “December to Remember” thing to you. This ain’t it.
My daughter and I were in Indy this summer for a soccer tournament. Visited the Indy 500 track. Worth the time to visit if you haven’t seen.
Cant tell for sure but it looks like you might be passing through my old hangout. Bullhead City Az on SR 163 going into Laughlin NV? Beautiful cruising road.
You sure do love deadlines!
I’m sure, living in the frozen north you already know this but don’t let get-there-itis lead you to departing in bad weather, of which there’s plenty at the moment. I’m a little disappointed you won’t be going down I-90, I could have met you guys, but considering the highway patrol had to rescue 100 people this morning just to the east of me I think your choice of route is wise!
I’ll add to this your mention of the crappy state of the Mustang’s heater, is it the fan’s strength or the capability of the heater core to actually put out heat? I know either one can be a PITA to fix but if you’ve ever had the pleasure of having a windshield ice up while driving on the highway you’ll appreciate the value of a good heater/defroster. You can dress for the cold but not being able to keep your windshield clear is at best an inconvenience, at worst a safety issue.
MAP gas is your friend! -and bring an extra bottle or 2.
Source: first vehicle was a VW camper
Do you mean a MAP gas torch, talk about a last resort! I was thinking more along the line of at least attempting to flush the heater core and maybe bypassing the fan switch and resistor in case those were causing a weak fan. I’m guessing with the short time frame that sourcing a new fan and core, plus dropping the heater box to replace them are non-starters.
Not so much the water, but the state of your garage is giving me anxiety. Perhaps when you leave just spread out some oily rags in the living room and let nature take its course.
David, this is supposed to be your move to L.A., not the “Press On Regardless”. Please remember that discretion is the better part of valor, and delay if safety dictates. Those Douglas tires are crap on winter roads.
Man its not going to be the same driving down Rochester Road and not seeing a Golden Eagle
And what about the lightly-mentioned Autopian Test Car? (in the background behind the Eagle)
Anyone want it?
Is this a test?
JT is supposed to finally be getting me a title for it.
What was the autopian test car? I don’t remember mention of that… Looks like an xB maybe?
First gen xB.
Hey David, based on the latest? Uh. You probably want to delay to Tuesday.
It’s bad. Real bad.
Peak winds now forecast to exceed 60MPH, Indiana has called out the national guard, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are being absolutely hammered, Milwaukee’s completely shut down until Friday. Hell, Amtrak’s cancelling trains all the way through Christmas day. On the route you’re planning to take. Worse, all the way up through Detroit is definitely going to be seeing an extreme flash freeze, and the storm system is intensifying. The models for conditions on Lake Erie have literally broken.
This is no longer looking like a “oh, it’ll just take a day or two to dig out” storm.
Listen to this man, David!
My flight out of California today was canceled, and I couldn’t even book a flight for tomorrow. Supposedly, I’ll be able to get there on Saturday night.
As someone in North Dakota, I’ve been living this system for about a week now. It’s dumped a record amount of snow, has been giving us average negative temperatures in the teens BEFORE windchill…it’s not good. But if you’re locked in DT, pack emergency equipment/rations, take your time, check in with friends, and for the love of God, use discretion.
Everyone’s saying that the weather everywhere is going to suck. Please have the good sense to bag out at a motel/hotel for a couple of days if needed. Winter driving Mustangs on snowy roads can end badly for writers.
https://youtu.be/54Qki2e8jNU
“He didn’t get out of the cockadoodie car!”
Here’s the part I don’t understand… you said you were bringing the J10 as well as the GC and the Eagle… but of those three, wouldn’t the J10 (…the one that RUNS…) be higher in the queue to be moved?
I’m going to be part of a honeymoon in February, and I’m concerned about having someone driving that old Mustang in Feb. The J10 would be safer, in theory.
This should be fun. I hope all the best for you, Jason, and Otto, but hopefully we get one good story out of this.