Insane Road trip, DC to Seattle in January in a '69 911
 

Ok,
So, the Navy in it's infinite wisdom has reassigned me from the Pentagon to USS Nimitz, a year early. Washington, DC to Bremerton, WA, and I have to report by the end of January. Due to complicated circumstances, I am now driving my TDI Jetta on the way to WA (MN is nice and warm this time of year) and my 911 will be my primary transportation from the end of December to the middle of January.

The 911 needs some love ahead of the trip, and I'll have about two weeks to get busy and get on the road. Short list of what needs done:

New transmission (Thanks Tom)
swingarm bushings
springplate bushings
rear wheel bearings
rebuild both halfshafts (boots, grease, clamps, etc...)
create a way to mount a 901 with a 915 bar (want to use standard mounts)
pay someone to repair my rusted out heat exchangers
mini brake job (exchange fluid, new pads, brake lines, turn rotors)
repair the tiny but extremely annoying fuel leak in the tunnel
get a desperately needed alignment

I would love to ship the car, but it costs about $400 more, and it leaves me without a car at an annoying time. Anyway, it leaves me driving my 911 across the country in the dead of winter.

On the up side, the heater will just about cook me out of the car. I'm curious how it will do at the temperatures I'm experiencing at the moment... (down to 3 degrees tonight)

My planned route is pretty much I-70 all the way to Denver, pause to enjoy some time with friends, and hopefully meet Grady, then on to the great North Woods, probably via Portland, OR.

So, what are your thoughts, recommendations, etc...?

Estimated departure, 12 Jan. Work on the car can start around 27 Dec.

This is going to be fun! :)

Cheers!
Dan

That will be exciting. I don't think the temps will be a problem for the car and they certainly travel well.

Grady gave me some great advice. Don't work on the car the night before you leave. Give yourself some time to shake down all of those repairs before taking off.

If you can't do that, and you'll have a car when you arrive in Seattle, maybe just ship it right before you leave DC.

Anyone have any thoughts on oil? (makers of the "ultimate motor oil thread" please control yourselves)

Dead of winter, sustained cold temperatures, way cold start-ups, all that good stuff.

As an aside... I've read all I can stand of that damn thread. Is there any motor oil you can buy from your FLAPS that is acceptable anymore?

Dan, mid-to-late January weather will be a crapshoot. Getting over the Cascades (let alone the Rockies) that time of year w/o running into serious snow and ice will be hit of miss. Bear in mind that we don't use road salt here in Oregon, and therefore I-84 in the Columbia Gorge is often a very long skating rink during the winter.

Not trying to dissuade you, just sayin'...

I learned to drive while living in Denver in my first car, a 1971 VW bug. I've dealt with some CO winters in that poor old bug. it was great!

So long as the major mechanical parts stay good, it should be alright.

I'm also taking chains, and considering snow tires.

-Dan

Dan - Look at this as an adventure. It looks like you are being responsible about getting your '69 in shape.

Weather can be a crapshoot the whole way....I'd watch 10 day forecast and look at optional routes. If you do I-70, SLC, Boise, etc. you have it pretty good from the Rockies to the Cascades with about a 40 mile stretch of mountains on I-84 in Oregon. Used studded tires can be found cheap on Craigslist. If you can't make it over the last pass on I-90 (Snoquailmie), we always have a spare room.....

Thax for your service to our country, my step-son was on the Nimitz back in the early '90's. Gluck.

Bob is wise. Snow tires would make your 911 a TANK in the snow. Just like a Beetle only funner. I had a '69 bug with four studded snow, in Idaho Falls. It was a BLAST to drive.

And frankly, in my humble perspective, 911's are among the absolute MOST reliable vehicles. I would not hesitate to travel distance with one that is in good mechanical order, with appropriate parts and tools.

If you want to make a V-shaped trip, I can offer a 50/50 chance of really warm weather in New Orleans. And depending on the pass-through day(s), a nice beverage too!

Shawn

Oh, does this trip have possibilities....move over Girt, there's a new hero in town!

Go Dan, go!

Nice one Dan. I drove cross country in an 86. I'd love to try it in an early car. Hats off to you sir.

I remember seeing something in the papers about "global warming" so you should be fine as far as weather.

+1 on proper winter tires. They'll turn some white knuckled stress into a what, was that black ice on the road...?

Regarding oil, my owner's manual (1987 911), shows 10w30 as good for about -10F to 65F, while 5w30 is for -25F to 32F. From personal experience living in areas that can get really cold (-40F), if you can't plug your vehicle in overnight (pretty much EVERY 911), don't let it sit for the whole night in zero range temps. It might not start again in the am. I'd consider trying to find one of those magnetic oil sump heaters to use if the temps go really low. It might not help the carbs to their job, but if it does fire up, your oil shouldn't be a solid block of molasses. Either that, or you'll have some nights when you don't get a lot of sleep.

As well, plan for the worst. ensure you have cold weather protection clothing, and maybe a really good sleeping bag or two. Hypothermia is a real concern and kinda sneaks up on you so you don't notice it until it's too late. Getting to WA alive is likely the prime goal. Same thing with CO gas with your heater going all day long. Yes, you plan on getting your rusty HEs welded up, but are you sure they're going to be 100%? Pick up an inexpensive battery powered CO detector from Home Depot or something. Cheap insurance.

But most of all, good luck on your adventure! :)

You could take the southern route through the gulf states, TX, AZ, then go up I-5 from LA to Seattle. It's a little bit longer, but you avoid most of the cold weather and snow.

I'm going the central route because I have some very good friends in Denver who I haven't seen in about 5 years. It also used to be home. :)

It would also be cool to say "hi!" to Grady Clay while I'm in the neighborhood.

Right now I'm in St. Cloud MN (in my TDI) enroute to Miles City, MT, tonight's stop. It's warm here: one degree. :)

I'm not going to go the north route in the 911 because of the vast amounts of nothing that I'm about to drive into. The car has been perfectly reliable to this point, it's never left me standing since it got its new motor more than a year ago. However, there are better and worse places to find yourself broken down, and somewhere between Fargo and Bismark (in January) is among the worst places I can imagine.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of nothing in Kansas and Eastern CO too....

Anyway... still planning. Right now, up here on the north route, it's been sunny and dry ever since I left PA. If I could time the 911 drive right, then maybe I can catch such good weather again! ;)

Thanks for all the words of wisdom. Keep your cold weather tips coming!

-Dan

Until you get to Oregon. Grant's pass can be a bit of a crap shoot that time of year.

Take some pictures of the trip. I'd love to see your progress and cheer when you make it!

It's a great trip.

I'd put a new alternator in it, only major thing I did back in 03.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/116053-54-hours-69-e.html

+1, no need to push it. I'm a transplant to the North West from the South. One thing that I have yet to get used to is how the weather can be nice and sunny, say 45 degrees at the base of the mountain, and a zero visibility blizzard on top of the pass! When I first relocated I almost wiped out my M3 and I was only driving about 10 mph. I swear my LSD did me in, it pulled me around and I spun 180 and went down the mountain backwards (counter steering did not work) - luckily it was a long straight and no cars were near, I slid and finally stopped (not a scratch) .....

I'd hate to see a vintage 911 totaled (and you possibly injured or worse). One year I traveled from Denver to Gillette, WY in January. I froze while driving a new rental car (Chrysler Cirrus I think) because it was so cold the heat would not work (my giant down jacket and Meindl boots saved me here). I passed maybe 2-3 cars the whole way - if the car had broke down I would have died.

Best Wishes for the trip, the weather West of the Rockies is so brutal at times....

I spent 3 years in Bremerton aboard the Carl Vinson in the late '80s, early '90s. Good times!

You will enjoy have your 911 there. Lot's of great drives. I was in a '76 MG Midget in those days. Enjoy your trip!!

I'd take I40 to I5 and then turn north. Round trip bus fare, rental car, from Albuquerque to denver and return.

I've driven most routes from Denver to Seattle, sometimes in the dead of winter, and I wouldn't advise anyone absent something in a 4runner/Cayenne class.