Road Test - 2400 Miles in the Z Car

[S30Driver]

Looks like I will be departing the Seattle & pacific NW area on Friday, May 1st. on a 2400 mile trip to Prarie Grove AR in my beloved 280z.  New house is rented and will be ready.

Two vehicles going, the big car is being driven by a friend, pulling a trailer, me in my Z car - just a light load of stuff & my lap top.  Some big stuff already sent ahead by truck.

 

The planned route goes thru Boise, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  Should be able to catch parts of historic Route 66 after Vegas.

Should be in NW AR by Wed or Thurs the following week if all goes according to plan, (stopping in Vegas for a day).

 

Have the Z car fairly well prepped ...

Front end - steering stuff all fairly new, brakes, u-joints done last year.

New plugs, cap, rotor, fresh VR1 oil & filter of course.  Recent tranny & diff redline oil, coolant changed last year.

Plus fresh valve seals & rail FI hoses (Thanks Geoff)

 

Spares & tools

Have an assortment of the common tools with me in the car, spare fan belt, 4 qts of VR1 oil.

In the trailer - my stock wheels & tires, most of the tools, a plastic bin with a new fuel pump, water pump, upper & lower rad hoses, bulbs, tape, etc.

 

Any suguestions most welcome... have I overlooked anything?

Should be an interesting trip, by far the longest I have taken in my 280z (it turns 38 next month)    Wish me luck...

 

[Zup]

May all the powers that Z guide you and keep you safe and sound in your epic trip from the great NW of the US to the great NW of AR in the heartland.

You'll travel through every color in the rainbow and through the most urban of manmade and through the most natural of Nature.

You will see and appreciate how hugely vast and wonderfully magnificent this country is in a seemingly endless series of one mile snapshots.

Ill think of you and your Z as you are in route that week and wish to extend a handshake and a pat on the back when we meet face to face after your arrival.

Best of luck to you Jim in your journey!

You are S30Driver!!

Jim D.

"Zup"

[siteunseen]

I'm jealous, that sounds like a great trip. 

 

Fire extinguisher?  Some fuel line and clamps?

 

Have fun and be safe.

 

Cliff

[gogriz91]

Download Waze to your smartphone, great app for figuring our where the speedtraps are.

[bratliff]

Duct tape!

[zKars]

Fantastic trip!

Best tool other than a cell phone is a great road side protection and towing package and a relaxed route plan that removes all the stress of having to spend a day or two getting something fixed. That way you can just roll with the punches and keep having a good time.

Enjoy the drive!

[Zup]

Hey--get a Hero 3+ camera from www.GoPro.com and couple it with a intervalometer from www.cam-do.com  and set it up on the dash to take a time-lapse of the journey. HD and easy to configure.

Not chicken feed, but not terribly expensive, and you'll have captured this trip of your lifetime for your lifetime.

 

Your not likely to do this again Jim.

[S30Driver]

Wow, I thank all of you for the kind words & ideas.  Looking forward to meeting you Jim D.  (I have something I saved & will give to you that might look really good in your garage)

 

Cliff - I do have a FE behind the driver seat, 18" of FI line.

 

zkars - thinking on upgrading the AAA coverage, traveling with another car - which is good.

 

Will definitely take some pix, and some video at interesting locations ....

[S30Driver]

The Route ....

 

[Zed Head]

Consider bending east to Salt Lake City and coming down through Utah to Vegas.  That stretch of upper Nevada is desolation.

 

On the other hand it will make you intensely grateful for civilization afterward.

[Patcon]

I drove cross country with my wife in maybe 1995. Before we went I did some searching and found a Road & Track article of Americas 10 best roads. I think I hit 4 or 5 of them. We covered 7200 miles in 17 days. I had 4 or 5 days where I covered 900 plus miles. Would love to do it again and take my kids this time...

[Patcon]

We came down through Wyoming and Montrose, Colorado. One of the roads was in New Mexico near where the Andretti's live. Got a ticket in New Mexico on a road like this doing like 80 in 60 with no cars anywhere. What was I gonna hurt the telephone posts or the fence posts????

 

Went on into Texas from West to East. Super flat and nothing to see