Crazy 1400 mi road trip this weekend to highest pts in SC, GA & KY.Take 993 or BMW?
07-28-2010, 10:46 PM
#33
Race Director
I haven't a clue what this is supposed to mean.
However, I know two things for sure:
1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
However, I know two things for sure:
1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
07-28-2010, 10:47 PM
#34
I haven't a clue what this is supposed to mean.
However, I know two things for sure:
1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
However, I know two things for sure:
1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
07-28-2010, 11:32 PM
#35
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I haven't a clue what this is supposed to mean.
However, I know two things for sure:
1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
However, I know two things for sure:
1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
Damn, dude. Are you serious? Are you this upset over this thread or my post? Not that I have to qualify my decision or dignify your lashing out response with my own response but I will anyway. I don't want to leave for my vacation that I've really been looking forward to for a couple weeks now with this unresolved issue hanging over my head.
I wasn't sure which car to take so I thought I'd post my minor quandary here on my beloved Rennlist forum. Instead of a moderate response I get your tongue lashing and venom. That's cool on the a boy racer forums I guess but it seems out of place here.
I have a fairly sore back which has plagued me for years and I've decided to take the more comfortable car (BMW) with it's heated seats for when it starts hurting, and it's always hurting after driving for a few hours. I don't relish the thought of driving for 13+ hours at a stretch in the 993 now as it's not near as comfortable as my other car. It's mostly highway miles and the BMW rules under those conditions.
It also has the XM radio which I've decided is key to my enjoyment of the 25+ hours of driving. I don't listen to CD's or books on tape. I find them boring compared to the variety on XM. I listen to talk radio and the comedy channels which stimulates my mind and help keep me away when driving late at night.
Also, the roads on the east coast pretty much suck so driving that many miles is easier on my body in the sedan. And, I have my backpack, sleeping bag, tent, briefcase from work that day, suitcase, etc and I'd like to be able to lock it all up in that big BMW trunk when I stop at night. It doesn't fit in the hood of my 993 that easily if at all.
How does that translate to: I should sell my car? I would say WTF to that! Things have been really tough for me lately so replying so angrily doesn't really make for a friendly Rennlist situation. You don't know me. You have no idea the stresses I'm under right now. You don't know my personal situation. To judge someone here by saying:
"1. You knew that 99% of people in this forum would say 993.
2. You knew before you made this thread that you were taking the Bimmer
Why bother asking the question knowing you are going to do the exact opposite of what everybody says.
And don't dare try to blame it on "the potential for bottoming out"
Why the heck would I risk my 993 on some shi**y roads in the back country of Kentucky or South Carolina when I don't have to? That seems like common sense to me. If I have to sell the car in 6 mos or a yr, I'd rather not mess it up with more road chips from the trucks on Rt 81 and try to keep the mileage under 90k if possible. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate my car and enjoy driving it when I do.
I love driving it around town and short day trips to Philly or Baltimore. Taking it on a 1400 mile trip sounded kind of good 2 nights ago but now with my back feeling the way it does and the other variables in play, I'm leaving it home. That makes me a dick? Ok... I guess so.
Like I said before...
My secondary purpose for my post was to announce that I was hoping to meet up with a Rennlister or two on one of my 2 trips, but I'm not sure I understand how me not taking the 993 to get there to see them makes my situation lame?
Sadly,
Steve
Last edited by Steve 96C4S; 07-29-2010 at 07:44 AM.
07-29-2010, 02:38 AM
#36
Drifting
Steve:
Have a good trip. Now that you've decided on the car with more ground clearance, drive that thing right to the top of those summits.
It's interesting how subjective comfort is. I can drive my 993 for 10 hours straight with no problems; it fits me like a glove. But a few weeks ago I drove a friend's ML 350, and my back was hurting after 20 minutes.
Have a good trip. Now that you've decided on the car with more ground clearance, drive that thing right to the top of those summits.
It's interesting how subjective comfort is. I can drive my 993 for 10 hours straight with no problems; it fits me like a glove. But a few weeks ago I drove a friend's ML 350, and my back was hurting after 20 minutes.
07-29-2010, 07:13 AM
#37
Things have changed and almost every road, even the narrowest goat paths are paved where I ride in the north of Italy (Passo Maniva is not to mention one).
As much as I missed my 993 because it is relatively new to me, motorcycles rule in the Alps because you can pass those obstacles known as cars, even on narrow single lane roads.
As much as I missed my 993 because it is relatively new to me, motorcycles rule in the Alps because you can pass those obstacles known as cars, even on narrow single lane roads.
07-29-2010, 09:04 AM
#38
Rennlist Member
This year I didn't ride any non paved roads over there, but I was o ly in Italy for a partial day. You can immediately tell when you cross from Switzerlard to Italy, though. In Switzerland, the roads are great and any railings are well kept or painted. Power Poole are even painted green to blend in with the natural surroundings. As soon as you cross into Italy, roads are in much worse condition and everything on the side of the road seems to be rusted and in disrepair. Italy is still my favorite country over there.
Italy is still my favourite as well, for the roads, the scenery, the food and wine and above all, the people.
OP: Sorry for the temporary hijiack Steve, but you did bring up what vehicle to take...thats an easy one when the roads are twisty
and "bagging peaks".
07-29-2010, 09:28 AM
#39
I've made those same observations. Another I've made are that the mountain roads are far more interesting on the Italian side than in bordering countries.
Italy is still my favourite as well, for the roads, the scenery, the food and wine and above all, the people.
OP: Sorry for the temporary hijiack Steve, but you did bring up what vehicle to take...thats an easy one when the roads are twisty and "bagging peaks".
Italy is still my favourite as well, for the roads, the scenery, the food and wine and above all, the people.
OP: Sorry for the temporary hijiack Steve, but you did bring up what vehicle to take...thats an easy one when the roads are twisty
and "bagging peaks".I agree - the food and lifestyle in Italy are the best!!
As far as taking the thread off topic, the drama llama had made it's appearance, so I don't feel bad about it.
08-01-2010, 04:14 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I'm back. Great trip! As much as I love my 993 I'm glad I took the other car. The first 3 hours leaving Washington DC at 4pm on Thursday was bumper to bumper gridlock traffic on the I 495 beltway and 1-95. It was horrid to the point I was sooo glad didn't have to keep shifting up 3 feet, stop, up 5 more feet, stop, etc for hours and hours after a long day at work. Maddening.
Made it to the 3 high points safely and just to reiterate, the road to the top of Kentucky's high point was rutted with massive potholes. I was driving about 2 miles an hour a lot just to get up it. It's a mining road and I guess they just don't care about maintaining it much. I didn't want to walk up the long road, as other highpointers mostly all describe driving to (near) the high point, miles up the road. Again, the BMW was perfect for this. A large 4X4 truck would have been better.
On a Porsche note (yes, there is some minute Porsche content on this post), I was emailed by a gent that said he lived and worked in SC so i stopped in on him on the way down. We were going to hike Sassafras Mtn together the next day but I go there a day early and he couldn't get away that day. He has a 95 993 but buys and sells 928 parts as his business. Great guy, wish we had more time to talk, Mark.
Cool color scheme
Was driving by the BMW museum in SC so I had to stop in even though I was late to do Sassafras Mountain...
The Z8's always been one of my faves of all time, BMW-wise. I can't believe how well they've held their value over the years...
Retro is a good thing...
The only way to travel...if you're small
Really small.
They don't build V8's like this anymore...
Reminds me of the car from the animated movie "Cars"
One of my other favorites. My Ex Wife's dad had a 4 door version of this in silver/black. I think it was called the 3.0S
Art
Another car I'd love to have some version of... The gent I met from Bimmerboard in Georgia has an 88 M3 with 46K mi in Red in addition to his 740i.
Nice 8 minute movie showing how they build BMW's
History
Nice diversion. Back to the trip. The top of SC. Sassafras Mtn.
North Carolina from the High Pt of SC
The survey marker... and I'm gone -
No more watch shots
)
A few hours later, the top of Georgia. Stunning in comparison
Top of Georgia
The Survey Marker is behind this door that the Park Ranger opened for us as he was leaving for the day... it's locked!
My friend from bimmerboard. His car is one of 225 Imola Red ones for 2001.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate
I stumbled upon this old place built in 1895 yesterday morning in Asheville, SC. If you haven't been, you really must go! A bachelor built this for himself.
The History of America's Largest Home
Building Biltmore was, at the time, one of the largest undertakings in the history of American residential architecture and the results were astounding. Over a six-year period, an entire community of craftsmen worked to build the country's premier home. The estate boasted its own brick factory, woodworking shop, and a three-mile railway spur for transporting materials to the site.
The celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled the house on three châteaux built in 16th-century France. It would feature 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The basement alone would house a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, bowling alley, servants' quarters, kitchens, and more. The grounds of the 125,000-acre estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of New York's Central Park and the father of American landscape architecture.
He owned all this land to the mountain. Crazy money.
Finally, the highest point in KY. Took a long time to find it. Scarily bad road to get there.
It was foggy and raining a bit. Not much to look at at the high point but Hwy 160 was made for driving a Porsche 993. I have to tell ya, the 740i Sport in manual mode is amazing on the twisties. It was a dream to drive this big boat of a car in manual mode. I never put it in Steptronic mode in town here in DC, only the mountains. You really need it for the massive mountains where you'd be constantly breaking.
When you travel solo, this is the best you can get with a camera. I had to take the pics by myself.
Cool bug on the top of KY.
This was the rare good part of this road. I would not have wanted to take my 993 up here. I guess I could have left it at the bottom and walked the whole thing, but it was honestly a little creepy being the only one around for miles in the middle of Harlan County (isn't that where they filmed Deliverance?). I was happy to drive up in my car instead.
In the end, XM Radio made the trip for me (should have put XM in my 993 years ago when I was more flush with money). I listened to FM and limited AM radio one day just to see what I would have experienced in the 993, radio-wise. Mostly country stations, religious channels, weak rock channels and bad reception in the mountains particularly. I spent 12-15 hours a day driving. Having my XL Stars Too, Grateful Dead channel, Jam On, CNN and Uncensored Comedy channels helped me get through a really sore back experience and utter boredom. I put the heated seats on and it really eased my back pain. I absolutely made the right choice. I'll save the 993 for shorter trips under 4 hours each way.
I've added on another state for my Thanksgiving trip. Now it's going to be Mississippi (the new addition), Alabama, and Florida's high point.
I look forward to meeting other Rennlisters on these trips in the future even though I'm not driving my 993 to see them. Meeting up with folks made the trip so much more interesting and connected.
Made it to the 3 high points safely and just to reiterate, the road to the top of Kentucky's high point was rutted with massive potholes. I was driving about 2 miles an hour a lot just to get up it. It's a mining road and I guess they just don't care about maintaining it much. I didn't want to walk up the long road, as other highpointers mostly all describe driving to (near) the high point, miles up the road. Again, the BMW was perfect for this. A large 4X4 truck would have been better.
On a Porsche note (yes, there is some minute Porsche content on this post), I was emailed by a gent that said he lived and worked in SC so i stopped in on him on the way down. We were going to hike Sassafras Mtn together the next day but I go there a day early and he couldn't get away that day. He has a 95 993 but buys and sells 928 parts as his business. Great guy, wish we had more time to talk, Mark.
Cool color scheme
Was driving by the BMW museum in SC so I had to stop in even though I was late to do Sassafras Mountain...
The Z8's always been one of my faves of all time, BMW-wise. I can't believe how well they've held their value over the years...
Retro is a good thing...
The only way to travel...if you're small
Really small.
They don't build V8's like this anymore...
Reminds me of the car from the animated movie "Cars"
One of my other favorites. My Ex Wife's dad had a 4 door version of this in silver/black. I think it was called the 3.0S
Art
Another car I'd love to have some version of... The gent I met from Bimmerboard in Georgia has an 88 M3 with 46K mi in Red in addition to his 740i.
Nice 8 minute movie showing how they build BMW's
History
Nice diversion. Back to the trip. The top of SC. Sassafras Mtn.
North Carolina from the High Pt of SC
The survey marker... and I'm gone -
No more watch shots
)A few hours later, the top of Georgia. Stunning in comparison
Top of Georgia
The Survey Marker is behind this door that the Park Ranger opened for us as he was leaving for the day... it's locked!
My friend from bimmerboard. His car is one of 225 Imola Red ones for 2001.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate
I stumbled upon this old place built in 1895 yesterday morning in Asheville, SC. If you haven't been, you really must go! A bachelor built this for himself.
The History of America's Largest Home
Building Biltmore was, at the time, one of the largest undertakings in the history of American residential architecture and the results were astounding. Over a six-year period, an entire community of craftsmen worked to build the country's premier home. The estate boasted its own brick factory, woodworking shop, and a three-mile railway spur for transporting materials to the site.
The celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled the house on three châteaux built in 16th-century France. It would feature 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The basement alone would house a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, bowling alley, servants' quarters, kitchens, and more. The grounds of the 125,000-acre estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of New York's Central Park and the father of American landscape architecture.
He owned all this land to the mountain. Crazy money.
Finally, the highest point in KY. Took a long time to find it. Scarily bad road to get there.
It was foggy and raining a bit. Not much to look at at the high point but Hwy 160 was made for driving a Porsche 993. I have to tell ya, the 740i Sport in manual mode is amazing on the twisties. It was a dream to drive this big boat of a car in manual mode. I never put it in Steptronic mode in town here in DC, only the mountains. You really need it for the massive mountains where you'd be constantly breaking.
When you travel solo, this is the best you can get with a camera. I had to take the pics by myself.
Cool bug on the top of KY.
This was the rare good part of this road. I would not have wanted to take my 993 up here. I guess I could have left it at the bottom and walked the whole thing, but it was honestly a little creepy being the only one around for miles in the middle of Harlan County (isn't that where they filmed Deliverance?). I was happy to drive up in my car instead.
In the end, XM Radio made the trip for me (should have put XM in my 993 years ago when I was more flush with money). I listened to FM and limited AM radio one day just to see what I would have experienced in the 993, radio-wise. Mostly country stations, religious channels, weak rock channels and bad reception in the mountains particularly. I spent 12-15 hours a day driving. Having my XL Stars Too, Grateful Dead channel, Jam On, CNN and Uncensored Comedy channels helped me get through a really sore back experience and utter boredom. I put the heated seats on and it really eased my back pain. I absolutely made the right choice. I'll save the 993 for shorter trips under 4 hours each way.
I've added on another state for my Thanksgiving trip. Now it's going to be Mississippi (the new addition), Alabama, and Florida's high point.
I look forward to meeting other Rennlisters on these trips in the future even though I'm not driving my 993 to see them. Meeting up with folks made the trip so much more interesting and connected.
Last edited by Steve 96C4S; 08-01-2010 at 04:35 PM.
08-01-2010, 05:30 PM
#41
Burning Brakes
Looks like you had a good time at the BMW Zentrum. Even though this is a Porsche forum I believe many posters here are 'serious car people' and would love the experience if ever in the Spartanburg/Greer SC area. My wife and I really enjoyed it too at the last BMW homecoming event two years ago.
08-02-2010, 10:37 PM
#43
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Thanks guys. I enjoyed my trip so much, I'm planning yet another one for either Sept 4th weekend, a long weekend, or next June 4th weekend. The highest point in Illinois is only open 4 weekends a year, private property, Charles Mound.
Highest pt in each state:
Iowa, Hawkeye Point 1670 ft,
Charles Mound IL. 1235 ft
Missouri - Taum Sauk Mtn 1772 ft - Ozark Highlands
Arkansas, Magazine Mtn, 2753 ft, Ozark Forest, highest pt in the Ozarks
Driskill Mtn, 535 ft
1500 miles, 26 hours of pure driving.
Fly into Sioux City Iowa, fly out of Louisiana somewhere.
One way rental car drop off.
5 high points at one fell swoop over 3-4 days.)
sr
Highest pt in each state:
Iowa, Hawkeye Point 1670 ft,
Charles Mound IL. 1235 ft
Missouri - Taum Sauk Mtn 1772 ft - Ozark Highlands
Arkansas, Magazine Mtn, 2753 ft, Ozark Forest, highest pt in the Ozarks
Driskill Mtn, 535 ft
1500 miles, 26 hours of pure driving.
Fly into Sioux City Iowa, fly out of Louisiana somewhere.
One way rental car drop off.
5 high points at one fell swoop over 3-4 days.
)sr
08-02-2010, 11:24 PM
#44
Drifting
Cool pics Steve- seems like an awesome getaway. We drive from Nashville to the Outer Banks of NC each year and you've inspired me to book a room at the Biltmore for our drive there!
08-02-2010, 11:47 PM
#45
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Here's the Biltmore Inn (The hotel on the property of The Biltmore Estate)
So much nicer
Makes my room look like hell in comparison
