ADias

Right. By adventurous I internalized your thoughts re planning or lack thereof.

Thank you for your service!

ForceReconTrojan

I think he is nuts. lol.

I currently have 6 Porsches including 3 I bought used that required PPI's and for various reasons I did not go inspect. EVERY single car even after hours on the phone, pictures and PPI's required work once I got them...some a lot of work.

The most recent was a 911 that I could write a small novel on how not to buy a 911 and trust a PPI. My wife has a 2016 S8 and I daily a tesla so admittedly we're used to a certain comfort level on a longer drive. But we have a house in La Jolla and I totally get the SD weather clouding ones judgement about the rest of the country. My wife would shoot me about 80 miles into the drive to Boston in August/September if the Ac failed or was not working. I also know from owning a 86 it's not like a top flight system is always going to cope well.

Just trying to see what we're working with here and save possible heartache.

ADias

I fully agree as I have experienced the same. A G-series AC at peak performance is OK but will not cope with 90F weather well. Beyond the AC there's a lot of possible deferred maintenance which can cause a lot of headaches or worse. But we will root for the OP and look forward to his trip progress reports.

zsoltsd

My 84 Euro car didn't have AC, so it's really not the end of the world if it's not working. I admit it's not fun when it's 120 out there but 90 degrees is not that bad. I know this because we drive to the Alhambra in Spain in the middle of summer and I lived in Palm Springs where it gets pretty toasty as well.

Anyway, as long as the engine and tranny hold up, which they should if the car's been maintained, that's all that's important.

ForceReconTrojan

Absolutely. Of course Palm Springs 90 and Boston or anywhere on the East Coasts 90 with their humidity is far different.

But that notwithstanding your last sentence is really my concern. You state " if it has been maintained" You also didn't mention a PPI or answer my inquiry. So what exactly do you know about your new purchase that you can feel certain about?

How many miles on the gearbox for instance? clutch....you're asking a car to bring you and your wife across the country safely and I imagine in a reasonable period of time. Again, I was told my clutch had about 5k miles left on it, the PPI said it was fine and I could almost do 1500 miles bringing it home. I'm glad I had it shipped as the clutch was toast and I had the 915 rebuilt...I could not have imagined some of the areas that I would have driven that the 915 in that state would have made enjoyable.

Of course all of this can be fixed but my shop took 3 weeks to get all of my issues addressed.

I wish you the best of luck.

zsoltsd

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I can relate to the tranny problem. On our Euro trip, my 915 quit in Bordeaux on the way back to Germany and we had to get the car towed to a local dealer, cancel our flight, rent a car, drive back and forth to Germany and back to France a couple of times with parts etc... it was interesting to say the least, but it was still a fun trip at the end of the day and it was definitely memorable. I hope this time I will not have those issues, but having said that it is a good idea to have some contacts that you can call if you need to, which is why I started this thread.

Unfortunately so far I only had one person offering the help I was looking for.

jennifer911

Zsoltsd, if you’re anything like me, by the time you leave Albuquerque on Interstate 40 you will be sick and tired of barren, windswept, interstate highways. If so, do yourself a favor and as soon as you cross into Arizona consider taking one of the ‘greatest roads ever’ as an alternative route to Phoenix. Turn south on hwy 191 and head toward Springerville and start the climb to the hamlet of Alpine in the high majestic White mountains, this is the start of the scenic Coronado trail, a 1920s masterpiece of road building. 100 miles of nothing but twisty road. Deep in the bowels of the Federal Highway Administration, statistics are kept of every public road in the nation. The Coronado trail’s most excellent pavement twists and turns itself inside out 500 times, It’s officially America’s most curvaceous road.

The best part, is the nerds at triple A and the Good Sam Club, etc. proclaim it to be a dangerous road, so you will find it free of slowpokes’ and god awful camper trucks. The only place to stay on the route is the rustic but beautiful 1920s Hannagan Meadows Lodge. (Just say Jennifer sent you). Take a day off and hang out with the horses, or hike up into the high peaks. After you are sufficiently rested, carry on south for more great driving. Once you get to a fork in the road named (by a salacious map maker) Three Way, take a right and continue up through Globe and on to Phoenix.

zsoltsd

Hey Jennifer,
Thanks for the great tip. Sounds awesome.

jennifer911

I forgot to add this photo of the road.<br/>

zsoltsd

Nice. This pic reminds me of Hwy 74 from Palm Desert. It's also refered to as "Pines to Palms" highway in California.

ADias

Checking this out, I think that you are suggesting leaving 191 at Salford and taking 70 to Phoenix. Right?

Which road would you suggest to Tucson?

u7t2p7

My $0.02...Arrange for seller to drop car at local shop for inspection prior to arrival. Most will store for up to a week given your circumstances. Safety items are key; tires, brakes, fluids, belts. Naturally let them know your plans. From there I'd drive to Portsmouth, NH or Portland, ME; both cool, foodie towns. Unless you have a burning desire or have never been to Boston, I'd bypass it. That being said lots to do in Boston; all the normal tourist spots, Fenway Park, Little Italy, etc. From there I'd head west to Northampton, MA via Rte 2; kind of like the Berkley of the east. Another option is to continue west to either the Berkshires, summer home of the Boston Symphony and/or North Adams, which houses MOCA, the largest museum of contemporary art in the country. Great roads along Rte 7. From there I'd continue west into NY state and then PA. As you turn south you want to stay west of the Rte 95 corridor. Lots of north-south routes to choose from. You definitely want to find your way to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, the mountains in and around Asheville, NC (another fabulous town to visit) and eventually to the Tail of the Dragon, consistently voted as the "best" enthusiast's road in the country for motorcycles and sports cars. That's where my knowledge ends
While having AC is better than not having AC, it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. Have the shop at least try to charge the system. Hopefully you can get at least 2-3 weeks out of a charge or consider replacing if you have the time prior and the price is right. To help counter the effects of the heat during your drive, I'd recommend starting to drive early every day, such as leaving just before dawn. It's the coolest part of the day, least amount of traffic and as you head south/west the sunrises can be intoxicating. Try and time your excursions for between 12-4 PM. I'd suggest your "big meal from 2-4, ie European style. The restaurants will be less crowded and it's the hottest part of the day. Get back on the road around 4-5 and drive until just after sunset or a bit longer if you're in an area where there is nothing to see. Have a light dinner...rinse and repeat.
These cars are pretty bullet proof and I don't expect you'd have any major issues so long as it's been gone over prior. Once your rough route is decided, re-post and we can help fill in the blanks with respect to indy shops, sights to see and best routes along the way. Enjoy.

zsoltsd

Awesome ideas.
Thanks so much.

salo65

If you can, stop in Las Vegas. If you need help there, Carl's Place is the place to take your car. We'd love to break bread with you and hear all about your adventure!!

Salomon
702-423-2677

zsoltsd

Thanks Salomon, but I don't think we're going through Vegas this time. Maybe on another trip.