Cross Country Drive
02-09-2010, 08:56 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Cross Country Drive
So, my daughter and I flew out to San Diego on Friday and picked up my "new to me" '03 C4S. As advertised, the car was absolutely flawless.
After filling out all the paperwork and CA consumer protection notifications, we, collected our rental car and followed the salesman to Yuma, AZ to take delivery - no CA sales tax that way.
The ride took about 3 1/2 days. The route was not as scenic as we had hoped (snow in northern AZ), but provided a great opportunity to get to know the car and reintroduce myself to my 12 yr old
.
San Diego - Yuma - Tucson - Nothing - Las Cruces - El Paso - Carlsbad - West by God Texas - FOG - Rain - Dallas - Rain - Shreveport (stop at Moffit Porsche to rebalance the tires) - Rain - Vicksburg - Tuscaloosa (Dreamland Ribs) - Birmingham - ATL.
Things I know:
1. My C4S is an absolute DREAM.
2. My C4S is really fast.
3. West Texas gives a new meaning to flat
4. When it rains from Texas to Louisiana, LOTS of mud and dirt gets on the road. That mud and dirt ultimately gets in the crevices of your HRE rims and throws the entire car out of balance.
5. And this might offend some... Next time I do that trip, give me a Cadillac (or BMW).
...and finally, some pics.
After filling out all the paperwork and CA consumer protection notifications, we, collected our rental car and followed the salesman to Yuma, AZ to take delivery - no CA sales tax that way.
The ride took about 3 1/2 days. The route was not as scenic as we had hoped (snow in northern AZ), but provided a great opportunity to get to know the car and reintroduce myself to my 12 yr old
.San Diego - Yuma - Tucson - Nothing - Las Cruces - El Paso - Carlsbad - West by God Texas - FOG - Rain - Dallas - Rain - Shreveport (stop at Moffit Porsche to rebalance the tires) - Rain - Vicksburg - Tuscaloosa (Dreamland Ribs) - Birmingham - ATL.
Things I know:
1. My C4S is an absolute DREAM.
2. My C4S is really fast.
3. West Texas gives a new meaning to flat
4. When it rains from Texas to Louisiana, LOTS of mud and dirt gets on the road. That mud and dirt ultimately gets in the crevices of your HRE rims and throws the entire car out of balance.
5. And this might offend some... Next time I do that trip, give me a Cadillac (or BMW).
...and finally, some pics.
02-09-2010, 09:59 AM
#3
Parts Specialist
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LOL - great pics!
one of the things I tell people is "It aint a Cadilac"
Poeple seem to confuse sports car with luxury car....I have been on 1/2 day trips, they are long enough, but an entire day at the track doesnt seem to bother me (till I get home and can't walk!)
one of the things I tell people is "It aint a Cadilac"
Poeple seem to confuse sports car with luxury car....I have been on 1/2 day trips, they are long enough, but an entire day at the track doesnt seem to bother me (till I get home and can't walk!)
02-09-2010, 10:10 AM
#4
Rocky Mountain High
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Nice! That's the best way to pick up a new Porsche! It's great that you could take your daughter with you - too bad she isn't old enough to have shared in the driving!
Good luck with your registration in Georgia. When I drove my car from California to Indiana, I ran into major headaches with registration. In particular, the two states disagreed over which one should collect sales tax. Ultimately I paid the tax in Indiana, but it took months of phone calls and letters. It might be even more difficult now that California is hurting for revenue...
Good luck with your registration in Georgia. When I drove my car from California to Indiana, I ran into major headaches with registration. In particular, the two states disagreed over which one should collect sales tax. Ultimately I paid the tax in Indiana, but it took months of phone calls and letters. It might be even more difficult now that California is hurting for revenue...
02-09-2010, 10:26 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Yes, the tax thing worried me a little bit, but, the people at the dealership made the transaction really smooth. Evidently, they've done this before. They actually contacted the state, paid the tax and the tags will be mailed to me later. We'll see...
02-09-2010, 10:47 AM
#7
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Nice car! Thanks for the pics. I won't have to yell at you for not posting pics! 
It sounds like a great trip, especially with your daughter as co-pilot. 
It sounds like a great trip, especially with your daughter as co-pilot.
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02-09-2010, 11:54 AM
#9
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
One of the most nerve wracking moments for me was as I left Dallas. After having driven the previous day through West Texas in the fog and rain, the car was absolutely filthy - including the rims.
As I got of Dallas and was able to open the car up a little, the car began to shake beyond belief
at about 75mph. I got out, looked around, saw no obvious problems. The car drove fine at about 70 mph and I made it to Sheveport, where thankfully, there was a Porsche dealer. They were able to get me right in and made the determination that although the driver's side front tire was slightly out of balance. The tech also said that there was some road debris in the rims and he got most of it out.
On I go. I get out of Shreveport, open the car up to 80mph and there's the violent shake again
. I pull over at the next exit, where, luckily, there's a car wash with a high pressure sprayer.
Guys, I cannot tell you the amount of road grime that I washed out of those HRE rims. I guess they just weren't made for that kind of driving. Anyway, got back on the road, opened her up and everything worked well.
As I got of Dallas and was able to open the car up a little, the car began to shake beyond belief
at about 75mph. I got out, looked around, saw no obvious problems. The car drove fine at about 70 mph and I made it to Sheveport, where thankfully, there was a Porsche dealer. They were able to get me right in and made the determination that although the driver's side front tire was slightly out of balance. The tech also said that there was some road debris in the rims and he got most of it out.On I go. I get out of Shreveport, open the car up to 80mph and there's the violent shake again
. I pull over at the next exit, where, luckily, there's a car wash with a high pressure sprayer. Guys, I cannot tell you the amount of road grime that I washed out of those HRE rims. I guess they just weren't made for that kind of driving. Anyway, got back on the road, opened her up and everything worked well.
02-09-2010, 12:02 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
First - welcome and nice car. Next - absolutely agree with you that there are many better cars for long road trips. For many years I have driven a car full of kids and dogs from Houston to El Paso to visit family and back. 735 miles in one day is not very taxing when most of it is west Texas and 80 mph speed limit. A Suburban has been our tool for the job. Now with kids off, it might be my wife's BMW, but the 996 would not be all that pleasant on that drive. On my last drive in December I passed a brand new (paper dealer plate) GT2 in the middle of nowhere. Dang nice, and being broken in right. Cool.
02-09-2010, 12:15 PM
#11
One of the most nerve wracking moments for me was as I left Dallas. After having driven the previous day through West Texas in the fog and rain, the car was absolutely filthy - including the rims.
As I got of Dallas and was able to open the car up a little, the car began to shake beyond belief at about 75mph. I got out, looked around, saw no obvious problems. The car drove fine at about 70 mph and I made it to Sheveport, where thankfully, there was a Porsche dealer. They were able to get me right in and made the determination that although the driver's side front tire was slightly out of balance. The tech also said that there was some road debris in the rims and he got most of it out.
On I go. I get out of Shreveport, open the car up to 80mph and there's the violent shake again. I pull over at the next exit, where, luckily, there's a car wash with a high pressure sprayer.
Guys, I cannot tell you the amount of road grime that I washed out of those HRE rims. I guess they just weren't made for that kind of driving. Anyway, got back on the road, opened her up and everything worked well.
As I got of Dallas and was able to open the car up a little, the car began to shake beyond belief
at about 75mph. I got out, looked around, saw no obvious problems. The car drove fine at about 70 mph and I made it to Sheveport, where thankfully, there was a Porsche dealer. They were able to get me right in and made the determination that although the driver's side front tire was slightly out of balance. The tech also said that there was some road debris in the rims and he got most of it out.On I go. I get out of Shreveport, open the car up to 80mph and there's the violent shake again
. I pull over at the next exit, where, luckily, there's a car wash with a high pressure sprayer. Guys, I cannot tell you the amount of road grime that I washed out of those HRE rims. I guess they just weren't made for that kind of driving. Anyway, got back on the road, opened her up and everything worked well.
HRE, iForge... they use the same barrel.... and they are bad in the rain. There is a hump in the middle of the barrel (for strengthening) and it traps water & dirt.... and will throw the wheel off balance as you drive.
Enjoy the c4s in good health.
02-09-2010, 12:19 PM
#12
Race Director
Re #5: You're crazy. I've driven from CA to mid-west and from mid-west back again many times in cars ranging from '96 Mustang GT, '01 Z28, '02 VW Golf TDi, 02 Boxster, '06 GTO, some rental Oldsmobile, rental Ford pickup, rental Ford Fusion, and an '03 Turbo, and I'll take the Boxster or the Turbo any day.
I've never driven a Caddy across country but lived with one for 30 days while I had a car in the shop and while Caddy is better than a Honda or Toyota rental it is not a car I'd want to cross the country in.
The GTO was a nice cross country car. Big engine.6-speed. Good visibilty. Comfortable seat/driving position, but the Carrera (Turbo) is tops. Boxster not far behind.
Sincerely,
Macster.
I've never driven a Caddy across country but lived with one for 30 days while I had a car in the shop and while Caddy is better than a Honda or Toyota rental it is not a car I'd want to cross the country in.
The GTO was a nice cross country car. Big engine.6-speed. Good visibilty. Comfortable seat/driving position, but the Carrera (Turbo) is tops. Boxster not far behind.
Sincerely,
Macster.
02-09-2010, 01:15 PM
#14
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Re #5: You're crazy. I've driven from CA to mid-west and from mid-west back again many times in cars ranging from '96 Mustang GT, '01 Z28, '02 VW Golf TDi, 02 Boxster, '06 GTO, some rental Oldsmobile, rental Ford pickup, rental Ford Fusion, and an '03 Turbo, and I'll take the Boxster or the Turbo any day.
I've never driven a Caddy across country but lived with one for 30 days while I had a car in the shop and while Caddy is better than a Honda or Toyota rental it is not a car I'd want to cross the country in.
The GTO was a nice cross country car. Big engine.6-speed. Good visibilty. Comfortable seat/driving position, but the Carrera (Turbo) is tops. Boxster not far behind.
Sincerely,
Macster.
I've never driven a Caddy across country but lived with one for 30 days while I had a car in the shop and while Caddy is better than a Honda or Toyota rental it is not a car I'd want to cross the country in.
The GTO was a nice cross country car. Big engine.6-speed. Good visibilty. Comfortable seat/driving position, but the Carrera (Turbo) is tops. Boxster not far behind.
Sincerely,
Macster.
I did the cross-country thing last spring in the C4S (7000+ miles in 2 weeks Montreal-to-SF & back, kinda proud
) and couldn't think of a much better car to do it all with, unless interior space is a factor. A few years ago I drove a rental Cadillac DTS 10-12 hours round-trip and it's great for sleeping...even while you're at the wheel. No thanks. In fact, we pulled repeated 13-hour days on the road and I never even got drowsy or achey, which says a lot for this car.All depends on whether you like to feel & experience the road, or simply ride it. And it's unfortunate much of your trip was boring, flat, & straight - but any canyons or sustained curvy sections make any comfort sacrifice well worth it. But to each their own right?
02-09-2010, 01:42 PM
#15
Three Wheelin'
Nice!
I am 40 and I find that my favorite long distance cruiser (i.e. over 3 hours) is the BMW 5 series with X drive. I have the 'comfort seats' in mine with the adjustable bolsters, thigh support, articulating shoulders, and neck pillows.... Sure footed in any weather, good fuel economy, roomy, fast, handles perfectly.
The Porsche does get a little tiring in that capsule after about 3 hours....Would have to take more breaks I think....
But for the weekend jaunt to the beach, NYC, etc (3 hour radius) the 996 is great.
I did drive a Caddy DTS from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back (Avis rental) and while comfortable, it handled so nervously and was so floaty I hated it :-(
I am 40 and I find that my favorite long distance cruiser (i.e. over 3 hours) is the BMW 5 series with X drive. I have the 'comfort seats' in mine with the adjustable bolsters, thigh support, articulating shoulders, and neck pillows.... Sure footed in any weather, good fuel economy, roomy, fast, handles perfectly.
The Porsche does get a little tiring in that capsule after about 3 hours....Would have to take more breaks I think....
But for the weekend jaunt to the beach, NYC, etc (3 hour radius) the 996 is great.
I did drive a Caddy DTS from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back (Avis rental) and while comfortable, it handled so nervously and was so floaty I hated it :-(