1,954 miles, 9 states, 39hrs
03-03-2012, 11:00 AM
#1
1,954 miles, 9 states, 39hrs
So, firstly this will probably be a pretty long post as a warning!, here my outline on the trip and some questions about the car that I will post first.
Some trip facts:
1,954 miles in 39 hrs through 9 states (FL, GA, NC, TN, KT, IN, IL, IO, MN), NC & TN had the best roads by a mile, MN has the worst condition roads, truly awful compared to the tax we pay!
Averaged 24mpg and used just shy of 60 gallons of fuel, not oil and a lot of air (but more on that later).
Local radio is sh*te, there are songs engrained in my brain that I will never loose, considering they all claim to “play the best variety of the last 30 yrs” I find in strange that they keep playing the same crap on a loop.
Oh and did I say the 911 is a phenomenal car!, what a drive and more comfortable that the Range Rover I have that is now for sale.
Issues/questions:
1. Washers didn’t work, found out yesterday on looking that the T piece for the fluid line had come apart, pushed it back together and it works fine. One question though, this looks like some sort of valve, but mine had the innards removed, is this correct?
2. Passenger window screeched when coming down
3. Handbrake needs adjusting
4. Voltmeter instrument backlighting didn’t work the first night but works now, any ideas?
5. Centre console lid needs a firm push to lock, is that nor mal or can it be adjusted?
6. Temp sensor in the center of the dash creaks
7. When driving at all speeds I get a slow rhythmic droning from the back of the car, its not linked to the road conditions, is it the harmonics of the engine?, tires need balancing? Or a wheel bearing?
So on to the trip:
I collected that car from Gil at Domani Motors and firstly have to say that these guys are great, Gil has been really helpful, professional and a genuinely nice bloke. He collected me from my hotel and took me to the dealership, the paperwork, and car were all ready and prepped with a full tank of gas, didn’t the paperwork and left, no meeting 17 staff or trying to sell me various finance or warranty options (Lard Rover and Mercedes take note!). Car looks great, fully detailed, new mats, new brakes…I’s a happy man.
Were off reset all the gauges,
First stop in north FL, time for fluids and some junk food!
First 300 miles thoughts:
• The German gene pool must have developed with much fleshier elbows that the English as the padding on the door armrest feels non existent!, something I get used to and doesn’t bother me by the end if the trip
• Interior plastics and quality is poor for a high end car, again once I drive through the Blue Ridge corners and hear that engine roar I don’t really care for the quality of the indicator stalks as long as they don’t fall off.
• Its loud!
•
• I start getting paranoid at varius stages, sure I can smell coolant or oil (Obviously from other cras), and spend anxious seconds scanning all the gauges, but it is fine
• Engine also seems real slow to turnover, doesn’t help my paranoia
All you need to keep going (I never normally drink this stuff)
In 1,954 miles I never tired of looking at that rear wing
83F nice!, cant wait for the MN summer!
Suns beginning to set and I am well into GA 480 miles
In NC, rain has started to come down, just heading up to the Blue Ridge, it’s around 11.30pm
The drive up to my stop over in Robbinsvilles was scary to say the least, some great roads leading up to the 129, but the rain/storm was torrential some of the worst rain I have driven through and after 14 hrs of driving I need some rest.
The car is all over the road, aquaplaning over standing water, it keeps me awake at least. I stop at the last gas station to tehe hotel and dump some air in the tires to ensure I can set them correctly tomorrow, about 5PSI at a guess.
797 miles get to the hotel at 12.45am. I am wired after the drive and struggle to get to sleep, I have a quick scan on the manual before sleeping for the tire pressures
New day, thank god it’s stopped raining, up and out at 7.30am, I check the car over and more importantly the tire pressure, NS front 36PSI, OS front 28PSI, NS rear 36PSI, OS rear 23 PSI, I am shocked and horrified, no wonder it felt like crap driving in the rain and was so loud, surely the dealer didn’t hand it over like this (I’m pissed I didn’t check before I left the dealer), I then worry I have picked up a puncture.
Find a garage and fill the tires straight away, everything else about the car checks out fine.
Blue Ridge/Tail of the Dragon (Pics say it all)
This car is brilliant, awesome roads (Smooth and grippy) I love it, love it, love it. I want to live hear
Obviously a bad storm last night judging by the branches and downed trees on the route, I don’t like driving over them and having them clatter the underside of the car
TN and KT was great, flowing roads and beautiful scenery, still a long way to go!
ID, IL, IO the drive is getting boring, straight, flat and worsening road, only redeaming feature is that you can let the speed creep up a bit!
Arrived at 12.15am, MN really has the worse roads, and it was snowing, which kept me on my toes for the last hour.
Cant wait for the summer
Some trip facts:
1,954 miles in 39 hrs through 9 states (FL, GA, NC, TN, KT, IN, IL, IO, MN), NC & TN had the best roads by a mile, MN has the worst condition roads, truly awful compared to the tax we pay!
Averaged 24mpg and used just shy of 60 gallons of fuel, not oil and a lot of air (but more on that later).
Local radio is sh*te, there are songs engrained in my brain that I will never loose, considering they all claim to “play the best variety of the last 30 yrs” I find in strange that they keep playing the same crap on a loop.
Oh and did I say the 911 is a phenomenal car!, what a drive and more comfortable that the Range Rover I have that is now for sale.
Issues/questions:
1. Washers didn’t work, found out yesterday on looking that the T piece for the fluid line had come apart, pushed it back together and it works fine. One question though, this looks like some sort of valve, but mine had the innards removed, is this correct?
2. Passenger window screeched when coming down
3. Handbrake needs adjusting
4. Voltmeter instrument backlighting didn’t work the first night but works now, any ideas?
5. Centre console lid needs a firm push to lock, is that nor mal or can it be adjusted?
6. Temp sensor in the center of the dash creaks
7. When driving at all speeds I get a slow rhythmic droning from the back of the car, its not linked to the road conditions, is it the harmonics of the engine?, tires need balancing? Or a wheel bearing?
So on to the trip:
I collected that car from Gil at Domani Motors and firstly have to say that these guys are great, Gil has been really helpful, professional and a genuinely nice bloke. He collected me from my hotel and took me to the dealership, the paperwork, and car were all ready and prepped with a full tank of gas, didn’t the paperwork and left, no meeting 17 staff or trying to sell me various finance or warranty options (Lard Rover and Mercedes take note!). Car looks great, fully detailed, new mats, new brakes…I’s a happy man.
Were off reset all the gauges,
First stop in north FL, time for fluids and some junk food!
First 300 miles thoughts:
• The German gene pool must have developed with much fleshier elbows that the English as the padding on the door armrest feels non existent!, something I get used to and doesn’t bother me by the end if the trip
• Interior plastics and quality is poor for a high end car, again once I drive through the Blue Ridge corners and hear that engine roar I don’t really care for the quality of the indicator stalks as long as they don’t fall off.
• Its loud!
•
• I start getting paranoid at varius stages, sure I can smell coolant or oil (Obviously from other cras), and spend anxious seconds scanning all the gauges, but it is fine
• Engine also seems real slow to turnover, doesn’t help my paranoia
All you need to keep going (I never normally drink this stuff)
In 1,954 miles I never tired of looking at that rear wing
83F nice!, cant wait for the MN summer!
Suns beginning to set and I am well into GA 480 miles
In NC, rain has started to come down, just heading up to the Blue Ridge, it’s around 11.30pm
The drive up to my stop over in Robbinsvilles was scary to say the least, some great roads leading up to the 129, but the rain/storm was torrential some of the worst rain I have driven through and after 14 hrs of driving I need some rest.
The car is all over the road, aquaplaning over standing water, it keeps me awake at least. I stop at the last gas station to tehe hotel and dump some air in the tires to ensure I can set them correctly tomorrow, about 5PSI at a guess.
797 miles get to the hotel at 12.45am. I am wired after the drive and struggle to get to sleep, I have a quick scan on the manual before sleeping for the tire pressures
New day, thank god it’s stopped raining, up and out at 7.30am, I check the car over and more importantly the tire pressure, NS front 36PSI, OS front 28PSI, NS rear 36PSI, OS rear 23 PSI, I am shocked and horrified, no wonder it felt like crap driving in the rain and was so loud, surely the dealer didn’t hand it over like this (I’m pissed I didn’t check before I left the dealer), I then worry I have picked up a puncture.
Find a garage and fill the tires straight away, everything else about the car checks out fine.
Blue Ridge/Tail of the Dragon (Pics say it all)
This car is brilliant, awesome roads (Smooth and grippy) I love it, love it, love it. I want to live hear
Obviously a bad storm last night judging by the branches and downed trees on the route, I don’t like driving over them and having them clatter the underside of the car
TN and KT was great, flowing roads and beautiful scenery, still a long way to go!
ID, IL, IO the drive is getting boring, straight, flat and worsening road, only redeaming feature is that you can let the speed creep up a bit!
Arrived at 12.15am, MN really has the worse roads, and it was snowing, which kept me on my toes for the last hour.
Cant wait for the summer
03-03-2012, 11:38 AM
#5
congrats on your trip. very cool pictorial of your travels. Good thing you didn't get caught in some of that horrible Tornado weather that has moved thru the midwest.
If you're going to do some detailing yourself, inspect the car fully, get a good feel for what fluids/components need changing or fixing. Is the pass window still screaching? you may want to address that before it gets worse. As for the creaks and groans, look into some lube or abrasion
protection for some of that great German Interior Engineering.
If you're going to do some detailing yourself, inspect the car fully, get a good feel for what fluids/components need changing or fixing. Is the pass window still screaching? you may want to address that before it gets worse. As for the creaks and groans, look into some lube or abrasion
protection for some of that great German Interior Engineering.
Trending Topics
03-03-2012, 01:08 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Congrats on the 40 year edition. Very nice car... Thanks for posting pictures of your trip. A lot of us chose to fly and drive ours as well. My trip started in NC and ended in Miami. Crap roads compared to Blue Ridge but really a great way get familiar with a new car. Good luck and enjoy..
03-03-2012, 01:10 PM
#11
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: North Dallas Suburbs
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great pics and write up. I am itching to take mine out of winter storage and take a long trip!!! So for now, I will live vicariously through you. 
Good luck.
Good luck.
03-03-2012, 02:20 PM
#15
What a great post. I appreciate you taking the time to chronicle your trip and share it with us. I just got back from cars and coffee and this capped off my morning. Welcome aboard.