scbeast

Hey Rennlisters,

I've been a long time lurker on the boards and am finally getting into a 997.2 GT3. Got my plane ticket and I am planning to pick it up from the The Greek next week!

https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...997-2-gt3.html

Any advice on the drive from Tampa to LA?...I'm thinking maybe two nights for sleep on the ~36 hour drive.

Someone recommended painter tape (no clear bra). I also feel a little uneasy w/o a spare, but I do have AAA and Mastercard

Cheers!

C.J. Ichiban

I drove my RS from Miami to TX a few years back...loved it. Also have done tons of fun road trips (euro delivery GT3, CA to TX, TX to CA over a dozen total long trips)

tips:

GET A RADAR DETECTOR

stay hydrated.

don't drive drowsy- I like to alternate different types of foods to snack on and different drinks. sweetened green tea, red bull (new cranberry flavor is really good), crunchy stuff, gum, sparkling water, etc etc. If you get sleepy, it's better to power nap for 30 mins than to crash off a bridge.

wear comfortable clothes you can layer and that won't chafe while you're driving 900 miles a day or more. I really like lululemon sweats and long sleeve cotton t shirts.

call your bank and explain you will be mastercarding across the country. you don't want to get stuck in alabama with no credit card at 1am.

you will be driving west into the sunsets each day so pick up some sunscreen, wear a hat, and wear sunglasses. you will have approximately 7-10 hours of the sun directly in your face.

Also- I would avoid taking the 10 freeway through southern Texas- without looking the drive on the 20 freeway is much shorter from memory. it rejoins where it needs to. No matter how you slice it, TX will be a long long long leg of your trip. Whatever you do, DO NOT stop for the night in El Paso. tons of car jackings and thefts there. try to make it through into tucson AZ if you have to sleep for an extended period. I used to drive from Dallas to LA twice a year or more and most of the time did it straight through or stopped in NM or AZ for a short sleep depending on what time I'd leave.

Driving through Louisiana is really creepy at night! enjoy that...bring some creepy music to listen to.

kk2

Congrats on the car. Greek has a great ride.

sfo

a wonderful way to get to know your car!

ShootingStar

Roll the windows down, plug your iPod or iPhone in, and enjoy it?

Randy M

I'd bring some ear plugs as well. The tire roar will get to you after a while.

jakermc

I just picked up my 997.1 GT3 from St. Louis 2 weekends ago, drove the 1200 miles to Palm Beach, FL and absolutely loved the drive.

CJ hit most of the high points pretty well. Having made a number of these trips in the past I'll add that I like to pick pre-arrangement my stopping point each night to be in a fun city for the evening as opposed to being in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. There is a great app called Hotel Tonight that allows you to book nicer hotels for a stay that evening at discounted rates. Pull into a city, hit a Starbucks, book a 4 star hotel for $100, check-in when you finish your latte, and explore the city the rest of the night. I prefer to enjoy the sites as opposed to rushing through the trip.

Find out what the music capabilities are for the car in question. Can you plug in your Iphone/music player? If not get a cheap RF modulator or copy some MP3s onto CDs. You don't want to have to rely on the local radio!

Avoid major cities during rush hour.

Big plus of the 997 - the cup holder can securely hold a 8oz can of Red Bull. Major improvement over the 996!

Protocav

Have fun!! I did Texas to San Diego at the beginning of this year and it wasn't bad. C.J Ichiban is right about Texas...it's big, and you don't want to stay in El Paso. I stopped there for gas at night and just felt uneasy. Go another hour west to Las Cruses New Mexico if you find yourself looking for a room at that time. When you are driving through Texas it feels like it goes on forever, and it is very eerie at night. These pictures show a gas station in the middle of nowhere that was open late at night and no one was working. At least the speed limit is 80 for a major portion of it.

I flew out there with a friend who is a good driver that I trust, and we split the driving duties. This was nice because even if i wasn't sleeping, I was resting in the passenger seat. Bring cash, bring music.

I flew with two big rolls of vinyl tape, and we spent 45 minutes covering the entire front of the car before we headed west. Do yourself a favor and do the same. It rained for a portion of the trip, so painters tape may not hold up. The vinyl tape did the trick.

ECS Tuning

Congratulations on the purchase!! Enjoy the drive and take some pictures along the way

adrial

Painters tape will do more damage than good if it rains. The tape will start to come off and beat against the paint.

If it's dry, you should be OK.

drl

ship it

Randy M

Because there's a whole lot of fun and adventure in that lol...

Protocav

Yeah, looking back that probably would have made sense. $1K to ship, or $1K for flight, gas, hotel, not to mention possible damage and mileage. oh well.

jakermc

A couple of experiences from my recent trip. I only recommend one of them.

drl

3000 miles of flat straight wide open roads with bugs, rock chips, boring scenery, bad food and poor accomodations.... I have driven xcountry too many times over the years to be able to find adventure in it now. Driving thru Colorado Idaho Utah Montana...could be fun, but across the Midwest from Florida, ugh. Cost will be a bit more to ship I would think, but thats what i would do.