Contemplating 944 road trip... advice?

[black_falcon]

I've read many road trip threads and always wanted to do one in my 86 n/a. Now the opportunity has arisen, 1600 miles roundtrip from Minnesota to Ohio. I could easily fly but this may be a great way to build a few memories, however I have two concerns that may be dealer breakers.

I've owned my car for 8 years and 30,000 miles, done a few 350 mile trips back in 2003. It's mechanically sound, recent major work includes:

- Shocks / tie rods / sway bar links / alignment - July 10
- Top end rebuild/ new cap / rotor / plugs - Aug 07
- Fuel pump/ DME relay / fuel filter / air filter - Aug 08
- New radiator / fan switch - July 05
- Front wheel bearings - May 07
- New P6000 tires - Sept 04
- Rebuild brake master cylinder / front pads - Dec 04
- Major service (t-belt, water pump, rollers, seals, etc) July 04
- Motor Mounts - Aug 03
- New clutch - Aug 02


The car runs great with 130k - my concern is my last major was 6-7 years/15k ago, although the timing belt has been retensioned 3 times. Plus, I do not having working A/C at the moment. Chances are it wouldn't be a problem, but i'd be rolling the dice nonetheless. My other option would be to drive my mint 97' 540i/6.

Thoughts or suggestions?

[944 Ecology]

Credit card and a cell phone (fully charged), a dme relay jumper... that's all I carried with me on a trip from California to New York.

[John_AZ]

AAA membership. Your blow up spare has rotted. + Fix a FLAT

In addition to a small toolkit.
Spare DME relay (mentioned)
Spare/old reference/speed sensor
Set of plugs
Fuses mix
Tire Guage
VOA meter (cheap)
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher---your fuel hoses are 25 years old.
Set of belts (yea, all)
Spare fuel pump
Gallon of water
Dist cap, rotor & spare coil
Qt of oil
Oil filter
Blanket
Mix of hose clamps and vac hose

Battery Radio---to listen to when parked at wayside (not on car battery)

This is for in state trips.

Out of state add:
Starter & Alternator (used spares)

This all fits behind the seats.

GL
John

[looneybin]

+1000 on AAA and a can of fix-a-flat

[black_falcon]

Would you consider a 7 year old timing belt and non-working A/C a deal breaker?

As mentioned, the belt has been tensioned several times.

[John_AZ]

Pelican sells the cam belt for about $12.
I change the cam belt about every 2 or 3 years---mileage is not considered

Maybe you can answer the Q better. When you pull the engine pan and look up at the front crank pully and bottom of oil pan, do you see drips of oil?

The oil is usually from the front crank seal & "O" ring. This oil will pool on the bottom of the belt covers under the crank pullys. The oil will spray on the cam belt. After time this will damage the cam belt. Do you see drips of oil? The seal and "O" ring is your next fix.

Easy to change the cam belt and use the car. Do it and enjoy the ride.

GL
John

[dangerous]

I just took my 85.5 to CO and back for a break from the heat. It was 12hrs one way, just me and two little dogs. We had a great time. No a/c either and it was 105+ until we got out of the desert. My timing belt is probably 7 years old now too now that I think of it. Only you know how confident you are about the current state of your car. I'd say replace your belt, give it good check and hit the road.

[dangerous]

My return trip took 15 min longer. I stopped to have a chat about unreasonably low speed limits on empty desert highways with a friendly representative of the AZ DPS....again

[dangerous]

Check your tires too. They're 7 years old also. Make sure they aren't dry cracking.

[racer]

7 year old tires, brakepads (fluid too?), and belts? Might want to make sure you have some credit available ON your credit card and lots of free minutes on your phone to pass the time waiting for a tow

On the otherhand, ignorance is bliss.. I say go for it. Eitherway, you'll have some good stories/experiences!

[Aufgeladen944]

Make sure you inspect those tires thoroughly-or have a good mechanic inspect them if you're not familiar with what to look for. You can have tires with plenty of tread that are completely unsafe if they're splitting apart. Also, check the inside edges of them, too, because you might not normally look at them. If there's any question on tires, just get a new set. It's better to get them before you have to.

I'd also carry a decent set of normal tools, and the AAA card is an absolute must. Wasn't there a list of recommended 944 shops out there somewhere, too, so that if there are any problems you have a decent place to go to?

[Grandad#3]

As the old saying goes, "No Guts, No Glory". I don't like to gamble, so I would change the Cam and Balance Belts as they are way overdue. Don't forget to add Black Duct Tape.

Cheers,
Larry

[v2rocket_aka944]

Originally Posted by John_AZ

AAA membership. Your blow up spare has rotted. + Fix a FLAT


Out of state add:
Starter & Alternator (used spares)

This all fits behind the seats.

Do you seriously pack a starter and alternator? Wow...lol

[VINMAN]

Awful lot of paranoia here huh?? Dont you guys trust your cars??

[alfadoc]

I have driven lots of weird old cars daily over the years, mostly Italian and German, with a little English and French for good measure. I have a firm policy: I carry only the factory tool kit and no spares. If the car knows I have faith in it, it won't break. Crazy, but it works. I also keep my stuff maintained.

Back when I lived in Colorado, my Fiat broke it's clutch cable one day when I was up in Coal Creek Canyon. Limped it home 20 miles with no clutch. Last time before that was a fuel pump that gave up the ghost on my Dad's old Mazda pickup. That was about 1993.

[hopps]

Taking my car on a rally this weekend. Rally North America, Virginia to Charleston. Driving up there from Georgia. Best part: No A/C. No worries though, it's about having fun, with or without A/C. I like this thread though, because it helps me with ideas of what to bring. We had planned to pack light. We got a set of wheels from a junkyard car, so we have one full size spare, taking a complete fuse panel, some tools, water, tape (electrical, duct tape, and some weird hose tape) and some fluids. We figure if something big breaks on the car, we'll just tow it home. It's kinda impractical to sit on the side of the road and replace a water pump or something like that. Keep in mind, that everything except the head and bottom of the engine has been replaced in the last year - year and a half. The car runs strong. Just have faith in it.

[black_falcon]

I didn't think seven years was very old for tires. However, I had one of my fuchs refinished last year and the tire tore when they tried to remount it. The first clue their expiration date has probably passed. I'd love to drive the car, post updates and pictures along the way, but buying tires + belts + misc. expenses is a big investment when a plane ticket costs me $45.

Although, I have done worse...

I bought the car in August of 2003 on a whim; no service history, no Porsche experience, no PPI. The car had seen better days at that point and looked rather neglected. Dirty, faded paint, old nearly bald tires, beer can under the seat I changed the oil, tensioned the (god only knows how old) timing belt, removed beer can and set off on a five hour drive to rural Northern Minnesota for college with my fingers crossed. I must be under divine protection from the Porsche gods because the junk heap (now nearly mint) got me through that year with no trouble and hasn't left me stranded, yet.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Belts and tires (and water pump) before going. Change the trans/diff oil as well. Take a phone and a few hundred extra bucks. Some light camping gear and a tent is always good too (KOAs are cheaper than hotels). Have fun.

[v2rocket_aka944]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

Awful lot of paranoia here huh?? Dont you guys trust your cars??

seriously...a few screwdrivers, a crescent wrench, and pliers for just about anything. only when it gets into the hundreds of miles do i consider the whole toolbox...

[John_AZ]

When you cross the street ----do you look both ways?

John