driving long distance with the S14

[Beems240sx]

well come next august ill be going to college at Arizona State University and ill be driving my 240 down there from chicago. its a 26 hour drive, 1700 miles. with coilovers. so my question is basically this. how the hell has anyone done this before? on a 3 hour drive my back goes numb haha.

engine prep wise whats the best way for a long trip? obviously an oil and filter change. it has all new fluids and sparkplugs in the SR too. im going to put the boost back to stock so im not tempted to burn through the gas haha

[LOVERboy]

make sure you take some tools with you ... just in case.... and a fix-a-flat .... =)also set your coilover to soft =)

[jeff420]

i always carry tools, an extra set of belts, a spare tire and jack. i have coilovers on my 240 and road trips arent that bad. they used to suck with my s13 seats. now i have s14 seats and its not that bad. just completed an 8 hour trip without complaints.

[ralphsdiorama]

I am from NY and go to school in Boulder, CO. The trip is almost exactly the same being 1700 miles. I have made the trip multiple times. Twice with my sr20 s13 with coils and once with the stock s14. Always bring tools as a precaution but I have never had an issue with my 240s. Good luck!

[Anime_TuneR]

^WORD: set coilovers soft, should be lighter on your back

Buddie of mine drove his '03 G35 6 SPD from here in Dallas, TX all the way up to Atlanta on a 20-22 HR drive I believe? Basically taking I-20 highway the whole time

Other pointers of advise:-Check your spare tire for air and wear-Make sure you maintain constant speed, or else -Pull over for rest breaks and stretch -And beware of stray animals in the dark, freaking bastards pop out of nowhere (Poor bunny didn't see it coming )

Hope this helps

[S14toRPS13]

You should be good. I went from Savannah, GA all the way to Seattle, WA. Pretty much one corner of the country to the other corner. Coilovers and all. Some roads sucks, but I took it easy about 70-80 most the way and didn't have no issues. According to your profile, you're 17. If your back can't handle a road trip, then you're in for some trouble come a few years from now. Like said before. Just make sure you have a nice set of tools with you. I carried my ratchet, sockets and wrenches with me.

[OM3GA]

Check all hoses for any leaks, bring oil. Definitely dont speed.

[mattblancarte]

Hope you have air conditioning.

Make sure to split that up into two days at minimum. Unless you are prepared for an extremely intense psychological challenge, that is.

I've done two 24-hour drives. Once down from WA, and once back. Will never do more than a 12 hour day ever again.

I remember rolling down to Tempe in my 1990 Integra which was all stiff and bouncy for track use. Being a solo-driver wasn't one of the wisest of decisions I've made.

As I was heading east on US-60 in AZ, the sun was just coming up. I had been driving about 21-22 hours at that point, and I was beginning to hallucinate. There were several times where I thought I saw a huge flock of birds in my peripheral vision, only to find out my mind was playing tricks on me when I tried to focus in on them.

What a ridiculous experience that was.

Modified by mattblancarte at 2:35 AM 11/9/2009
Modified by mattblancarte at 2:36 AM 11/9/2009

[LoserCard]

Water ftw! And what everyone else said.

[numbnuts240]

According to your profile, you're 17. If your back can't handle a road trip, then you're in for some trouble come a few years from now.

i made a 3 hour trip in my all stock s14 with the lumbar support to boot and i was stiff, sore, and miserable at the end. then again, at the op's age, my doctor already forewarned me that i will experience arthritis in my knees at an early age.

[breadbox]

Its your driving position tito, its all wrong.

[hilux30]

I did that trip but trailered my SR-S13 from AZ to MI. My advise to you is when you get to the mountains and the elevation try not to boost to hard, overheating is more commen up there. Most likey you will going though the I-40 to flagstaf and then I-17 down to Phoenix (or Tempe to be exact) that intersection is around 7000 feet obove sea level. But the roads are so nice and smooth you will love it. I miss driving my S13 in Phx....

Oh ya dont go over 80MPH, getting a ticket anywhere out of state is not simply just pay and go.... take you time stay a night at a hotel don't over drive and get sleepy. Goodluck

[Dire91]

Check your brake pads and how much you got left. Luckily I caught that I had barely any left before I went on a 4 hour drive down to NJ, the sound of the warning metal tip on the rotor hurts sooo bad. Also look under your car to make sure nothing is dangling, on a trip to Six Flags the plastic underbody protection thing on my friends civic fell off and started to drag on the highway, smelt horrible and there were sparks everywhere. Crawling under a car on the side of the NJ Turnpike is probably the scariest thing I have ever done, I could feel the car shake above me when trucks drove by.

[n00b240]

Ive done Dallas to Miami 3 times. Dallas to Chicago 2 times. Dallas to Denver twice. And Dallas to Mexico at least 5 times. All in my s14

I would advise against prolonged 100 mph driving tho. Something happened for me at that speed, I havent been able to figger it out just yet, but the car is fine a year and a half later. I would bring along a compressor just in case. I like to maintain the constant tire pressure. And gives you a good excuse to take a break

[zenkistic]

get road assistance (like AAA). I would suggest not to do the trip alone. Get many many green teas, energy drinks etc. But, split the trip, use priceline to find motels for sleep and definitely use rest areas/exits if you feel tired. Compile many music cds.

[chukidrifter420]

red bull

[ThuG LyFe]

bring a empty gallon jug or something incase there's no restrooms for miles to come.

i can't wait to do a roadtrip...that's why i want to buy a car out of state and drive back.

[gnvarnadore]

the longest road trip ive ever driven in my S13 was 500 miles about 7 1/2 to 8 hour drive and my s13 is lowered and i had stock seats at the time and only stopped once for gas and to use the restroom. energry drinks are your friend on any road trip as are good tunes to listen to. be sure to bring oil, coolant, belts, a spare tire, flix a flat, tools, little air compressor and you should be good. on a trip that long you most def are going to want to stop for rest.