[bob blackwell]

Looks like fun! Have a great trip and beware hydroplaning in the heavy rain.................that was the end of my last 968...............sad day. Here is to fair weather and a trailing wind. Good luck, Bob Blackwell.

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[rxter]

Yesterday was simply amazing. Too many beautiful things to keep in one head. At one point Mike said "I'm all amazinged out".



Along the San Miguel



   



Arches:



   



Glyphs (thanks Brian what a neat spot)



   



Snacks:



   





Headed home today. We are both tired and it is a very melancholy day for me.

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[rxter]

Well the trip is over. I am convinced that my backside looks like a 993 seat.



My new friend - Fr8 Train:



   



And the world's largest boat ramp.



   



And finally, back in the garage, you can see how the road wrap did its job. We peel that nasty skin off and underneath is a lovely 968.



   





A few stats:



Days on the Road: 7

Miles Covered: 2907

Seat time: 50

Average MPH: 59

Best average over 80 minutes: 87.3 on the way home on 15 south

Fastest speed: 111 (no need to break my personal best on this run)

Elevation change 95,000 feet up, and 95,000 feet back down - that's like driving from RSBarn to Lincoln Field straight up and down, or, like getting taking off and landing in a commercial jet roughly 3 times.

Gallons consumed: 117

Best Mileage 30.6 mpg - freeway runs in AZ and CA - mind you this was averaging 87 mph, not poking along at 65 with the Camrys

Worst Mileage 20.2 - included the hard run through the Apache National Forest

Problems with the car 0

Amazing sites Still compiling - but enough to last a lifetime







About the Car:



Wow. Zero problems. A couple of niggles. We developed a bit of a suspension squeak in the left rear towards the end and my brakes are about shot. Oh, and the windshield wiper squirters are a bit of a joke, so we made lots of quick pit stops to clean the windscreen. We rode in complete comfort, splitting the top down to covered motoring about 50/50. This is not a quiet car, but it is just such a pleasure to drive. I never felt fatigued or sick of it. There was always that next opportunity to punch the gas. Flat, responsive, composed at 110 on a 2-lane back road or at 30 around a serious bend.





About the Trip:



Enough sites and memories to last a lifetime. Mike is 16 and it's not likely that he'll want to do something like this with the old man again. However, today we start teaching him how to drive stick in the RX8 (clutch is a bit more forgiving than the 968 and there's a lot less torque so we'll start with that car), so maybe I can convince him to head up the coast next year - and he can drive. I'll be compiling a video montage over the next few weeks (we have something like 1300 pic and video files to go through) and I'll post the final cut youtube link here.



I hope you all enjoyed my attempts at catching odd and unique shots of our car. I've enjoyed sharing this with you.



Thanks again to Bob Blackwell, ColoradoCab, and BVA for their insights and suggestions for the trip. Bon voyage!



http://www.youtube.c...h?v=qesdc6-8Udk

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[DaveN]

Sound (and looks) like you had a blast. I hope my trip goes as well next month when I go the CA to see Bob and get my SC installed for the trip home. It's only 3500 Km but I'm sure my @ss will look a bit like the seat as well. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Langley968]

Thanks for the thread. I followed it with interest. Since I am toying with the idea of going down to Flagstaff in September for ESCAPE 2011, this thread helps in getting motivated for the possiblity of taking a "long" drive south...

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[jeff968]

Rxter, another question about the plastic wrap, do you want the car freshly waxed or does that make it harder for the wrap to grab the car? The trip looked fun.

Jeff

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[rxter]

The stuff will NOT stick to wax. OK to wash and wax, just skip waxing the front end. And use 70% IPA and a clean rag to wipe down all areas before you cover it - that removes any wax residue. The painter's tape helps keep the edges down if you find an area that did not adhere well. Take a roll with you.

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