Pig Dilemma

[FineWynsFJ40]

I recently accepted a job offer at Sonoco Packaging in New Albany, IN which is just across the river from Louisville, KY. I live in West Michigan, near Grand Rapids. I graduate in May and start in mid June. Here is my dilemma:

I have a Buick for economy/winter driving and reliability. That needs to go down to IN first and foremost. What I have to figure out is how, once I get housing squared away, to get my 40 and eventually the 55 series down so I can drive the 40 and work on the 55. The 55 is in pieces, the 40 is road worthy and very drivable, but 400 miles at 55 mph is quite a trip.

First off, is anyone in the surrounding region? It'd be nice to develop friends and a network down there. I imagine that I will be busy adjusting to life down there for the first few months, getting to know people and the surrounding area, but after a couple months I will want to resume work. How would you recommend transporting a vehicle that is in pieces 400 miles with all of the parts/pieces, and all of the tools required to work on it? My dad has a pickup truck with a topper on it, which is equipped with trailer wiring harness & brake controller. My 40 just has the standard 4 wire trailer harness I installed on it. Has anyone else gone through this, and what did you do?

Thanks very much, my truck will be worked on a bit over Christmas break and during the weeks I have off between school and work. Hopefully my 55 project will be underway in a year or so and I can begin my build thread! TIA

Brian

 

[cruiser_guy]

Buick sounds big so put the '55 body on the chassis and the doors on and flat tow it. That's how we got our '55 from North Dakota to Vancouver, B.C. for the resto to begin (and that was behind a '60)! 500 miles in a '40 is not that bad. By May it should be just fine, heck we drove the '55 from British Columbia to Central America and that's just a little more than 500 miles.

 

[Southeast Overland]

I flew from SC to the UP of MI, picked up a 55 and drove it all the way back down, 1100 miles. It was a long trip but was pretty fun. I wouldn't do it in Feb again though.

Drive the 40 - take highways and not interstates and have fun.

 

[FineWynsFJ40]

Drive the 40 - take highways and not interstates and have fun.

That's what I was thinking, my best friend/frat bro lives in Indianapolis, which is on the way, so that could be part of the plan. As far as pulling the 55, I have done that already with the Buick, and it did NOT like it!! Of course, hills and terrain were involved, but I would not do that again, as every 20 minutes I had to pull over and let it cool down before trying it again. Come to think of it, when it overheated that may have been why I needed to replace the upper and lower intake gaskets...

Do they let 23 year-olds rent either pickup trucks or a U-Haul truck? I'm thinking drive up, pick my bro up on the way, and then he drive the truck back with parts & flat towing the 55 while I take the 40 loaded with the rest of the parts & tools.

As my 55 sits now, the engine/transmission/transfercase assembly and main body are on the rolling chassis, but nothing else. Steering linkage is hooked up to the steering box, but the wheel & column have been removed. I am making bumpers for it using the welding & tooling lab here at college, and am going to design and make a collapsible tow bar, and weld D-shackle mounts to the front of both the 40 and 55. I need to plan ahead and use the tooling & welding lab as much as I can before I graduate. Any legal issues I need to know about before I proceed?

 

[weeboo]

I'm pretty sure you can rent a vehicle at that age... They may make you buy insurance though

 

[cruiser_guy]

Do they let 23 year-olds rent either pickup trucks or a U-Haul truck?

I thought it was 25 years or older. You may be able to rent it younger at a premium.

 

[PabloCruise]

It seems to me that u-haul and Pigs do not mix!!!

I might consider packing all Pig parts (and maybe your tools) inside Pig and just hiring an auto transporter...

You will have enough adventure getting the 40 there.

 

[zuluzeugma]

Ryder rents to 21 year olds... U-haul and other companies require 25.

How do I know this?

Went to madigras with 12 other guys from my dorm. We rented a Ryder truck, filled it full of our bunk-beds from the dorm and then drove south. Most of the guys were drunk by the time we got there.

 

[FineWynsFJ40]

Ryder rents to 21 year olds... U-haul and other companies require 25.

How do I know this?

Went to madigras with 12 other guys from my dorm. We rented a Ryder truck, filled it full of our bunk-beds from the dorm and then drove south. Most of the guys were drunk by the time we got there.

Nice.