Driving across the country in my 240. Suggestions?

[mrmephistopheles]

I trust my S13. It has 163k miles on it, and I maintain it regularly.
Does anyone have recommendations on what I should do/bring, etc in preparation for and during my 2000+ mile trek?

I'm going to change the oil before & after the trip.

Items that are less than 1 year old:
Water pump
plugs, cap & rotor
belts
clutch, clutch slave & clutch master
brake master
tires
trans & diff gear oil

all brake lines & clutch line are braided stainless.
pads are all above 50%

I plan on bringing a cellphone and box of tools in case of roadside necessity.

For those who don't know, my car is moderately modified and it probably be a bit uncomfortable & loud. (Apex WS + Apex N1 Dual)
I'm prepared for that.

Let me know your suggestions.

[rancid240]

dont forget a cupholder and dont sit on your wallet!

[Kookaburraz]

Bring coolant, radiator stop leak, brake fluid, and oil.

[SilviaDriver]

a spare tire?

[uiuc240]

piece of cake. just change the oil before you drive, get in, start car, turn on stereo, and hit the road. enjoy the ride!

Eric

[Dousan_PG]

bring a spare wheel w/ tire. one that is SAME SIZE as your other ones. better to break down in the middle of nowhere and drive to a shop at normal speed then to use that POS donut the car has. might take more room but those little town shops will cost you an arm and leg for a new tire. if you have a fullsize you can drive to the next big city and get it repaired at a far cheaper cost.

seems you got the list down. make sure you have good maps and a flashlight and dont forget blankets and pillows incase you have car problems and gte stuck freezing in the desert!
also a empty (or full your call there) gas can is a good idea too, you never know.

most of all a camera and tripod and just have a fun safe trip!

[uiuc240]

Dousan, remember that he can't even use the stock donut. He has 5-lugs. He needs either a Z donut, or he better have another 5 lug wheel for a spare.

I would recommend bringing three important (small) things:

1. tool roll/pouch with bare necessities (screwdrivers, pliers, adj. wrench, 10/12/14mm sockets, etc)
2. flashlight
3. zip ties!!!

Eric

[Dousan_PG]

um..duh. that's what i said

bring a spare wheel w/ tire. one that is SAME SIZE as your other ones

i know kevin, i've seen his car. i've met him at meets.

why point out something i clearly stated?
im confused.

[mrmephistopheles]

Yeah, I have a ****ty Z spare (that i'll have to keep inflated, b/c i don't have the inflator can!).
I'm bringing a pretty good complement of tools (about 120pc) from my mechanic job. They'll help me fix most anything that could go wrong. I'll just need parts. Flashlight is already in the car. Zipties is a great idea. I'll throw those in there today.
As far as the donut is concerned, it's important that it clear my brakes. I'd love to get an extra S14 SE wheel, but I haven't had the time or the funds. Regardless, if i should have a tire deflate on me, the spare has to go on the front. I've tried running unequal sized tires on the rear (for about 300 yards), and my differential didn't like it. I might actually bring an extra tire with me (and pay for mounting/balancing), but that depends on how much room i have.
I'd planned on bringing at least one pillow and blanket, but I hadn't thought it'd be used during the trip.. that's good forward thinking. I'll have a small box of extra fluids, but I won't keep a gas can. I know my car quite well, and I almost always run it to .5 gallons left. I'll hedge my bets on the trip and fill up whenever the gas idiot light goes off.
As far as a camera is concerned, I'll have my Sony digital handy (and I'll drop the images to my Sony laptop along the way to keep the memory stick free).
I appreciate everyone's input, and would like to hear more ideas.
It kinda sucks that my car will be so loaded down (tools, luggage, etc) because I wanted to see how fuel efficient it could be.

-Kevin

[Dousan_PG]

oh crap

one more thing, drinking water!!!

yeah its more weight......d'oh! but a very important item!

ill see if i know anyone w/ a wheel they dont need that's 5 lug clearing the brakes is the problem. but i'll see what i can dig up/forward you down here.

[uiuc240]

Originally posted by dousan36
um..duh. that's what i said

i know kevin, i've seen his car. i've met him at meets.

why point out something i clearly stated?
im confused.

you said "same size"...as in DIAMETER. not same bolt pattern.

duh. ;) And what does meeting him have to do with anything? Is he now in your Boroboro club and no one can talk to him? :D

Eric

[Dousan_PG]

man what's your problem?

boroboro club? my car isnt close to boro last time i checked, its pretty damn clean and simple as well as running great.


quit being a nitpicker

[uiuc240]

Dude, Aaron, KIDDING. Relax man. Go smoke a bowl or something. I was just playing around. I know your car is not boro. I was just trying to find some JDM heLla tYte w0rD to use.

Eric

[Dousan_PG]

nah
drugs and drifting arent a good combination


damn


3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy
3 day of no drift make aaron go crazy

[slideways240]

i travel ALOT and while i'm not really worried about breaking down...the best thing you can have in uncharted waters is streets and trips for your laptop. and if you have the GPS for it it's 10x better...you never get lost and always know where the closest hotels/restaurants are with phone numbers.i wouldn't worry bout the car just take plenty of cash and a flashlight.

[Natty]

S14 seats. Your ass is going to make you beg for mercy!
Jeff

[mrmephistopheles]

Hehehe I've had S14 seats for quite awhile now.. I switched to S14 leather about 9 months ago. Thank you, lumbar support!
I'm going to grab some snacks and a small cooler to bring along drinks with. I have one flashlight in the car now, but I'm going to get batteries for another one i have in the house. Grant has been kind enough to lend me his roadside emergency kit (which includes an electrical inflator, hazard triangle, first aid kit, etc.
GPS would be cool, but it's an expensive toy that I can't afford just yet.
I'm trying to Kazaa some streets & trips right now..

[saga240]

aye kevin. heh what else do you need? dunno good luck my friend.. =D dont fall asleep on the road we wanna see yah back here in one piece.. where yah off to anyway?

I have my full sized spare in my backyard if you want to use it.. its like a 14 inch full sized donught.. LOL you can borrow it if you want cuz i really dont care.. (hah remember no car) so just let me know

-james

[mrmephistopheles]

Thanks, James. I appreciate it. My Z spare should suit me fine, though.
So far I've traveled about 1800 miles in about 2 days. MapQuest says it should take me about 30 hours. Well.. It didn't take me that long. ;) Maybe closer to 24 or 26.. :). My S14 seats didn't hurt my back too badly, but MAN, was I stiff. The ride was uneventful, and my car has worked flawlessly. It's even given me some of the best fuel economy I've experienced (31 mpg!!)
No oil burnt, and no cooling problems. I love my S13!

West siiiiiide ------> East siiiiiiiide

Wish me luck in not getting pulled over!

-Kevin

[drift into a curb]

Just stay alert and take frequent breaks if you're tired. Lack of proper rest is the cause of most accidents. Good luck.

[fogleroller]

Originally posted by rancid240
dont sit on your wallet!

Yeah what he said. STAY AWAKE!

Take care man.

[96SEChick]

Originally posted by mrmephistopheles
West siiiiiide ------> East siiiiiiiide
-Kevin

Have you reached your final destination yet? One odd question--why are you having to drive? Would the military not pay for your tickets to get to and from??

Glad your car's running great. Keep in touch the best that you can. I'm proud of you!

http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/navigator/usa.gif

[mrmephistopheles]

I'm in Louisiana right this second.. The military would've paid for me to fly out, but I didn't want to go a year without my car.
-Kevin

[240 2NR]

As a general rule for a trip that long, make sure your spare is actually inflated. I checked mine (after a long drive) and I would have lucked out since it was at nearly full inflation. It got me thinking about it so I checked my gf's and it was down around 8psi. A $2 tire guage and foot pump are some good items to have.

Also one of those mini 50 piece tool sets and a spare quart of oil (probably not a big deal if you run conventional, but most gas stations don't have synthetic and when they do it's like $6)

Otherwise just double check anything that concerns you before you leave. My guess is you shouldn't have much trouble, and if you do it's likely something you wouldn't have prepared for anyway.

[mrmephistopheles]

Well, I'm in NC. Avg MPG for the trip was just over 29, and I experienced no failures. Now I've just got to find more 240 ppl out here. I've already found a Marine here at Cherry Point that has a Silvia face on a coupe.

-Kevin

[mrmephistopheles]

Oh. My car now has 166k on it. :D

[96SEChick]

Originally posted by mrmephistopheles
I'm in Louisiana right this second.. The military would've paid for me to fly out, but I didn't want to go a year without my car.
-Kevin

You're going to be gone for a year? :( What are you going to be doing in NC? Is this the destination for your car?

[mrmephistopheles]

I was reactivated into the Marine Corps, and this is where they want me. I'm still trying to get my orders changed so I can return to MCAS Miramar in San Diego. If so, that means I'll get to go over 170k! I'll keep everyone up to date.