If you could go back in time, what era would you pick and what would you drive?

[MDOTFanFB]

I think I'd need Doc Brown's DeLorean because there are several times I'm interested in.

Same here. I would like to go back to 1980 and see U.S. 10 shields everywhere near the Lodge. Plus go out and drive an incomplete I-69.

[US71]

I'd like to explore the old National Road and the Jefferson Trail as well as US 71 & US 66 original alignments.

[PAHighways]

1) 1940 - drive the original PA turnpike from Irwin to Carlisle with no speed limit

You can do that now.  I see many people who try.

go through the Sideling and Ray's Hill's tunnels

I along with several others did just that back in 2004, just not at highway speed but we were in cars.

[agentsteel53]

1) 1940 - drive the original PA turnpike from Irwin to Carlisle with no speed limit

You can do that now.  I see many people who try.

I think the sharpness of the curves sets a de facto speed limit.  if someone could drive that road averaging, say, 220mph... I would love to see them try.

[PAHighways]

1) 1940 - drive the original PA turnpike from Irwin to Carlisle with no speed limit

You can do that now.  I see many people who try.

I think the sharpness of the curves sets a de facto speed limit.  if someone could drive that road averaging, say, 220mph... I would love to see them try.

Our ex-Governor's Trooper-driven Cadillac got within or just over half that mark numerous times on the Turnpike.

[mightyace]

go through the Sideling and Ray's Hill's tunnels

I along with several others did just that back in 2004, just not at highway speed but we were in cars.

True, but the fantasy is to drive them when they were still in active service not in the state they are now and used in the movie "The Road".

[wytout]

If could pick a time to go back to in CT, I would go back to 1970.

What I'd drive would  not have been built yet, but I'd be waiting in eager anticipation.

And at that point, I'd have no idea that all the roads I'd be waiting to drive (the same ones I wish I could today) would be killed before they ever got built.  Boy, the state highway map in that time period sure had some ambitious "proposed" routes printed all over the state. 

So even tho I couldn't go back and drive them, I could go back and assume I'd be able to some day, instead of being here in the now, saying to myself, why couldn't they have  built it... and knowing I'll never get to see it.

[Mergingtraffic]

If could pick a time to go back to in CT, I would go back to 1970.

What I'd drive would  not have been built yet, but I'd be waiting in eager anticipation.

And at that point, I'd have no idea that all the roads I'd be waiting to drive (the same ones I wish I could today) would be killed before they ever got built.  Boy, the state highway map in that time period sure had some ambitious "proposed" routes printed all over the state. 

So even tho I couldn't go back and drive them, I could go back and assume I'd be able to some day, instead of being here in the now, saying to myself, why couldn't they have  built it... and knowing I'll never get to see it.

I would be waiting for the CT-25 expressway, CT-8 expressway to be complete.  Kinda like when I was waiting for the US-7 Bypass to open up in 2009 and then finally get to drive it. 
Imagine what it was like when 25 and 8 were finally opened.  And then of course, as you mentioned the hundreds of roads that were killed and hopes that were dashed.

[jOnstar]

I would like to jump back to a couple decades (50s, 60s, and 70s) to see the evolution of the interstates in Michigan and Ohio. One big focus area would be when I-94 between Detroit and Port Huron was under construction, and see what it was like driving up US-25.

[Takumi]

First off, I'd go back to early 1940 to see some of Virginia's primary routes in their full-length glory (like VA 49, which went much further north than it does now) as well as the original PA Turnpike. I'd then move forward in 10 year increments (lots of cutouts and white-border signs in 1950, early interstates in 1960, muscle cars in 1970) ultimately ending in early 1980 driving the full-length VA/NC 168 from New Kent County to the Outer Banks. After that, I'd go back to about 1929 to see US 17-1.

For 1940 I'd drive my current car on the Turnpike and some standard car for the time elsewhere (as well as 1950 and 1960). In 1970 and 1980 I'd definitely drive a Mustang, probably a Boss 302.

[formulanone]

I'd probably settle on a Datsun 240Z from the mid-70s, since it was a time just before I was born, construction had not yet gripped Florida (pre-population boom), and the US shields were still in color. I'll settle on a Canon AE-1 or Canon F1 with my old 55mm f/1.8 lens, and lots of Kodachrome, although the digital camera would be nice...I'm not sure power inverters were commercially available yet to constantly recharge the batteries to AC current. I can stock up in a bunch of Vartas, though.

The Datsun would be a fun choice, reliable, handles well, wasn't terribly slow and had decent fuel economy for its time. Of course a Corvette convertible wouldn't be bad second choice, if it's not summertime.

[Takumi]

My favorite Z's were the 300ZX, both the Z31 (80s version) and the Z32 (90s). Continuing my 10-year jumps to 1990, I'd get a brand new Z32 twin-turbo and drive around seeing where cutouts and white-border signs were still plentiful. I would have chosen an Acura NSX but they weren't available in North America until '91.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

I'd go back to the mid-'90s and drive the car I have now, it'd just be much newer and nicer.  I'd go drive every inch of PA and a lot of WV.  Original concrete pavement was still all over PA in the mid '90s as were the forest green button-copy signs.  Oh, and gas was really cheap.