Death Valley in a Porsche (Long - Pull up a chair)

[Emission]

This past weekend, a small group (about fifteen of us) of BMW and Porsche enthusiasts did a long trek from the Los Angeles basin to Death Valley and back – in one day! Total trip mileage was 789 miles door-to-door. It took me just over 17 hours!

Since I did it in my 1986 930 with 130,000 miles on the clock, I thought a few of you would like to hear about it...

My car is mostly stock, except for a K-27 turbo (running the stock .8 bar of boost). I’ve got the numerated oil temp gauge, and lightly tinted windows to keep the sun damage/temps down. Wheels, suspension, even exhaust are all stock. For better engine cooling, I removed the front fog lamp, and installed an “oil cooler scoop” to give some more breathing to the oil cooler. I also put a dam under the cooler to force the air through the unit. As a last minute addition before this trip, I installed a remote thermometer under the front bumper (with an in-cabin display) to check outside temps.

A week before the drive, I had a valve adjustment done. Plugs, cap, and rotor were also replaced. The oil (Mobil 1 15W-50) was changed. Tires (Yokohama AVS Intermediates) were inflated to 35F/39R. Following the Boy Scouts motto, I loaded the car with about 100 pounds of tools, fire extinguishers (two), cans of inflate-a-flat, duct tape, jack, jack stands, wire, you name it… I could have dropped the engine on the side of the road if need be.

Inside the vehicle, I had a portable GPS (Garmin iQue), radar detector (Passport 8500), two FRS radios, a cell phone, cooler of cold drinks, and a cooler of snacks. It was quite cozy, but comfortable.

Since we were traveling in caravan, and light gravel debris on the roads is common, I put my vinyl/felt bra on the car (it didn’t help – I still lost a fog lamp to a stone). Some of the other guys used painter’s tape.

The group met at 5:00 AM in the San Fernando Valley – about 150 miles southwest of the park entrance. We ate breakfast, handed out maps, discussed radio protocol, and then hit the pavement. Ambient temps were in the mid-50’s and my car was running strong (and very happy). At speeds averaging 80 mph on the highway, my oil temp was sticking at about 175 F.

About two hours into the trip, we began hitting open stretches of two-lane road as we left the main highway for more desolate pavement. Speeds increased to an average of about 100 mph with short bursts of 130 mph or so. There was no traffic, speeds were kept in check by road conditions – nothing else. Ambient temps were now rising to about 75 F., but my oil temps were only a few degrees warmer than before (now reading about 180 F.). You know, one-hundred-mile-an-hour winds keep air-cooled cars happy!

We entered Death Valley from the south, driving up a beautiful valley with snow-capped mountains on each side. The sun was getting higher and outside temps were now in the low 80’s. The roads were flat, straight, and wide open. We pushed our cars faster and faster…

Most of the cars in our group were late-model BMW 3-series (E46). Of the ten vehicles, eight were BMW (both 330i and 325i) followed by two Porsches – a ‘04 996TT, and my ’86 930. We were a fast pack heading across the desert. The slowest vehicle was electronically limited to 130 mph. On one five-mile straight, the 996TT and I put the pedals to the floor. I backed-off at an indicated 165 mph (I was worried my vinyl car bra was going to rip off!) while the other driver (with a clear tape StonGuard bra) kept going. He claimed an indicated 186 on the digital readout. The BMW’s chased from behind in our wake – at a leisurely 150 mph!

Death Valley is about 100 miles long and 40 miles wide. Surrounded by 10,000 ft. peaks on both sides, those mountains plummet down to below sea level in short distances. You climb in the valley, and climb out. Vehicles suffer as they crawl up mile-high passes in 30 minutes. Air is thin, and temps are high. By noon, temps in the valleys were in the high-80’s and the mountain passes were only about 10 degrees cooler. My 930 had been a trooper to this point. At worst, I had seen the oil temp rise to about 195 F. during a long climb. When I noticed it, I had shut the A/C off, and the temps stabilized.

Without an electric fan, forward movement was essential to keeping my oil cool. Unfortunately, as we did the scenic tour of the valley, we were stopping quite a bit for pictures at scenic overlooks. My level of concern grew as I realize my Porsche wasn’t cooling down.

It was March 13 – technically still winter. Death Valley only knows summer. By the time we hit the bottom – Badwater Basin - it was a stagnant 98 F. hell (yes, 282 feet below sea level)! We stopped there just after 2:00 PM. My car had been running nearly non-stop for nearly nine hours.

Parked 30 minutes next to a rock wall towering 1000 feet overhead, and baking in the hot sun, the heat began to take a toll on my Porsche. I climbed in the hot car, started her up, and cranked the A/C on. A glance at the oil temp gauge showed me 210 F. It was a 15-mile drive across the hot basin followed by a 30-mile climb up to 5500 ft. to stop at Dante’s View… it would be a tough climb.

As they had been doing all day, the late-model, normally-aspirated, and water-cooled BMW’s pulled out of the parking lot at full throttle. The OBD computer-laden water-cooled 996TT played along. My classic oil-cooled Turbo was suffering from tremendous heat sink. The entire car was hot, hot, hot… and I struggled to get up to 100 mph with a red-hot intercooler (parked 930’s suffer as their intercoolers quickly absorb heat rising from the engine). Even at speed, my oil temp wasn’t dropping a bit.

Mid-pack in the caravan of sports cars, the 930 and I climbed the huge mountain. I struggled to keep the car out of boost (in a futile attempt to keep the heat down). Thinner air at the high elevations encouraged the turbo to spin – while the same thin air was less effective at removing engine heat. It was a double-slam! Near the top, my oil temp crept above 220 F. as the narrow (and much slower) road forced me into second gear reducing the air forced over the oil cooler. We finally reached the summit. I parked and opened the engine deck lid. Smoke rose from parts that hadn’t seen temperatures like that in a decade. My car was exhausted. I was spent.

[My car wasn’t the only one suffering this late in the day. Two of the BMW’s – both ’04 models – had their A/C automatically shut off in a “failsafe mode” as engine heat raised to high levels. The 996TT sat parked near me at the summit with its electric fans blowing for nearly 30 minutes in an attempt to cool the engine.]

I sat up there enjoying mid-70’s breezes, 5500 feet above the valley floor, for nearly an hour. My car cooled a bit until it was time to head home.

Since we had different destinations, we broke into small groups as we headed out of Death Valley. I followed two BMW 330i’s home.

We stopped for pictures many times over the next two hours. The scenery was breathtaking.

The three of us sprinted across the desert, at speeds of about 100 mph, and climbed out the west end of the park. Temps were still high, and my car was still very hot, but she held in there. During the last long climb, my oil temps bounced off 220 F. again before another descent brought temps in check.

Once out of Death Valley at sunset, the drive home was uneventful. While running in the darkness of night, outside temps dropped into the 50’s again, and my 930 once again saw oil temps of 180 F. The car ran strong across the Los Angeles basin home.

The next morning, the Porsche got one hellava hand wash and shine. She’s resting comfortably in the garage today.

Some interesting statistics from the drive:

Fuel used – 49.648 gallons
Average MPG – 15.749
Oil used - .5 quart
Total miles – 788.8
Top speed (indicated) – 165 mph
Top speed (GPS verified) – 158 mph
Minimum elevation – Est. 250 feet below sea level
Maximum elevation – Est. 6000 feet above sea level
Minimum Temp – 54 F.
Maximum Temp – 99 F.
Trip Time – 17 hours / 5 minutes

[Emission]

I forgot the group shot!

[Beethoven]

Terrific! Thanks for sharing.
Would the temperature issue have been different with a n/a engine? And how much does the tinting help?

[Schrup]

Sounds like a fun trip, I'm glad your 930 stood up to the punishing heat & climbs. Guess they call it Death Valley for a reason.

[Emission]

Originally posted by Beethoven
Terrific! Thanks for sharing.
Would the temperature issue have been different with a n/a engine? And how much does the tinting help?

Tinting only helps the driver stay cool. I ran my A/C when needed, but shut it down on the long grades. I was never uncomfortable during the day.

I think a N/A engine would have been fine (especially with the cooling measures I had taken - scoops, baffles, and no fog lamp). The darn turbo just dumps tons of heat into the engine, and the additional plumbing only makes it that much more difficult to escape. That additional plumbing, and intercooler, also soak up and retain that heat.

[911ctS]

Nice trip!! I think your temps did pretty well for going through Death Valley. Sounds like you had heaps of tools in the car too. Did you take a floor jack as well?

[Jack Olsen]

What were your highest oil temps?

[Jandrews]

One of the best stories and pics I have read on this board. Felt like I was there!


Thanks!

JA

[SilverPoly]

On one five-mile straight, the 996TT and I put the pedals to the floor. I backed-off at an indicated 165 mph

That must have been fun.


Thanks for the pics. That's some nice scenery.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sounds like a blast, thanks for sharing! 15.749 MPG? That's pretty good for a turbo at speeds of 100+. There are no cops out there I assume? Nice 930 btw.

[Emission]

Originally posted by JackOlsen
What were your highest oil temps?

I saw 220 F. - twice.

I took the 930 there in 2002, and I saw 250 F. At that time, I didn't have the scoop or air blocker/dam under the cooler.

[Emission]

Originally posted by onewhippedpuppy
Sounds like a blast, thanks for sharing! 15.749 MPG? That's pretty good for a turbo at speeds of 100+. There are no cops out there I assume? Nice 930 btw.

It is a State Park, so there are Park Rangers - Federal. We saw one Highway Patrol all day - in a Chevy Tahoe. The roads are lightly patrolled more for breakdowns or emergencies than speed.

We were traveling with FRS radios, radar detectors, and one of us had a scanner. Linked together electronically, our caravan was very careful passing motorhomes or tourists. We didn't want to offend anyone as we'd see each other again at the overlook points!

[Jack Olsen]

You said it was 98 ambient? And your speeds were up to 150+?

If that's the case, 220 is not a problem at all, in my opinion.

240 is where you worry. 250 is where you stop and cool down.

[Emission]

Originally posted by JackOlsen
You said it was 98 ambient? And your speeds were up to 150+?

If that's the case, 220 is not a problem at all, in my opinion.

240 is where you worry. 250 is where you stop and cool down.

I agree.

I did 150+ when temps were in the mid-70's (nice and cool). When it was in the 90's+, I never went much over 120 mph - and only for short bursts.

I was very worried about predetonation out there. We only found one pump with "91" - everything else was "87" octane. I had several quarts of TRICK Octane Boost that I kept mixing with the pump gas to keep knocking at bay (the 996TT nearly ran out of gas out there and had to fill on 87 and a couple cans of TRICK).

[Harold_89_911]

I'm glad to hear that your car held up well. Must be a good feeling to know that your 15 year old car was able to hang in there with the other, newer cars. Must have been the valve adjustment, right?

Good job!

[goat]

great trip!
Love the stats on the drive, an altimeter would have been cool, I bet the total elevation climbed would have been very high.

[Emission]

Thanks for the nice comments...

I must add (in case someone is wondering) the Porsche seats are wonderful! I thought I'd be crawling on all fours after climbing out of the car at the end of the 17-hour day. In fact, the perforated leather kept me cool, and the seats were very supportive - my back never protested.

About the altitute - I'd bet we climbed/descended more than 20,000 feet that day!

[howiee]

What a wonderful trip.

I wish my only problem was it being to hot out. I'm still stuck in 25 deg. weather.

Loved the pics. Do you have any more to share?

[Emission]

A few more from my brother.

At speed....



Badwater (-282 feet and 98 F.)



Checking our maps...

[Adam]

Wow, what a trip!

Fantastic write-up and stunning pictures. I know how you felt about the rising temps, when you can't stop and it's not cooling down.

I've BTDT in my 2.7, but not in a place like Death Valley.