Let's get this trip started!
In our last update, I mailed $15,000 off into the void, theoretically buying a broken 981 Porsche Cayman on the opposite side of the country. What could go wrong?
[$15,000 Porsche: Are we stupid or the smartest bargain hunters you know?]
Everything, of course! But optimism has never been a problem for me. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been focused on gathering intel: information about the car’s actual condition, potential problems, parts supply, inevitable repairs and, ultimately, my odds of success.
Time for an update on my progress.
My first order of business? I needed to make sure I actually owned the car. Yeah, seriously. The title wasn’t even in my name when I wrote the last update. Normally I wouldn’t worry too much about getting the title transferred, but this was a relatively expensive purchase and it was far away, so I figured I should get my ducks in a row and spend 15 minutes at the tag office.
Title transferred, it was on to the next obstacle: storage. Maybe it wasn’t obvious from the photos, but my Cayman was basically street parked. That’s less than ideal for a few days, but three months? During the rainy season? In a busy city? Yeah, no thanks.
I didn’t want this story to end with the wheels disappearing, hail damage, vandalism or any of the other dangers that can happen when you leave a nice car in a seemingly abandoned condition.
So I started asking friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends for help. My pitch was simple: “Can I stash a car at your place and give you little to nothing in return?” After a few days of striking out, I got a lead, and then a phone number, and then an offer: The Porsche would live in a spare garage just outside the city for a few months, and I’d bring a bottle of wine for the owner when I picked it up.
Thank you, Kim, for the hospitality. And thank you, Andy Reid, for making the connection. Mitch, my Seattle-based friend who brokered the deal, drove the car an hour on the highway to drop it off at Kim’s garage.
Now that the car was safely tucked away, I turned my attention toward fixing it. I ended the last update with a call for help and an admission that I really didn’t have much information to work with, hoping Porsche experts would come out of the woodwork with parts, advice and diagrams. And they did–kind of.
I can’t name names, but, through a few sources, I learned that the internals of this 981 Cayman six-speed really are a black box officially, and Porsche diagrams never materialized in my inbox despite a few promising leads. I’ll be flying blind when I tear it apart.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t get help, however. My first call was to LN Engineering, longtime friends of GRM and the source of plenty of advice for our Boxster S project car over on Classic Motorsports.
LN Engineering didn’t have any transmission parts, sadly, but it did send its well wishes and a care package: The car is now parked next to a case of oil and LN’s spin-on oil filter adapter, along with an oil analysis kit and a magnetic drain plug. Why change the engine oil when the transmission is broken? Simple: I’ll be putting 4000 miles on the car, and I have no idea when it was last changed. Consider this cheap insurance to keep it healthy.
As I sifted through the emails and Facebook messages offering tips, one name kept coming up: Matt at Guard Transmission in Fort Collins, Colorado. The company builds sequential transmissions for all sorts of Porsches, and it’s intimately familiar with what the gearboxes look like inside.
So I gave Matt a call and ended up spending more than an hour on the phone learning about Porsche transmissions. First I asked if it was possible that the retaining pin for the fifth- and sixth-gear shift fork had just fallen out, turning my six-speed into a four-speed. “Oh, totally,” he replied, “that’s a common issue.”
Apparently this issue is so common that Porsche had an underpublicized service campaign to fix broken cars. Sadly, though, it wasn’t something documented at the dealership level: Bad transmissions came out of cars, then good transmissions were installed in their place.
Back to that black box of a transmission, at least there was good news: Matt said that–assuming that retaining pin was the issue–only incredibly bad luck could cause further damage to the car by continuing to drive it with only four speeds.
Matt didn’t have service diagrams, but what about parts? There was good news on that front, too. Guard Transmission has tons of 981 internals on the shelf, but that’s not all: Many of the internals of our Porsche transmission can be purchased at the dealership–just, well, not the Porsche dealership.
Matt told me that my transmission was full of parts that could be sourced from just about any Audi dealership, but the cross-references and part numbers are closely held secrets that only a few in the Porsche world might be willing to share.
I’d learned plenty on that phone call, but I asked for one more piece of advice: “Is this a stupid idea, and do you think we’ll make it?” I could hear Matt’s smile over the phone as he replied, “I think it’s a great idea because I lived my life that way for many years before I settled down, and I absolutely think you’re going to make it!”
Thank you, Matt, for being so generous with your time and your expertise.
So here’s where things stood after my weeks of research: I still didn’t have internal diagrams or repair procedures. I had some educated guesses that the car could drive around without doing any further damage. I also had the realization that rebuilding this transmission would be far easier in my home shop–with machine tools and unlimited time–rather than in my buddy’s basement on a tight schedule with basic hand tools. Tearing the car apart before driving it home was starting to sound like a very bad idea.
Plus, I had Mitch’s feedback that the car was remarkably comfortable in fourth gear: “I’d drive it all day like this!”
Challenge accepted. No more research, scheming or shopping. It’s time to grab my wife, hop on a plane and drive from Seattle to Florida in fourth gear. Follow our journey in the comments below.
Let's get this trip started!
Oh, this is gonna be good.
And good luck!
In for updates!
3000 miles on a broken transmission. Woof. Good luck!
Not sure your route but if you need help near Omaha, You have my number.
Should be a fun time.
In reply to bmw88rider :
The default route Google Maps gives goes right through Omaha!
From a random Google search to a cayman forum post.
Awesome! Ive been excited for this one. Good luck Tom and Nicole!
Drive along the Columbia river for a bit if you can, and about any part of Montana is amazing. You guys are going to O.D. on beautiful scenery.
It's like the hong norr CTS V but on a grander scale
You could get the transmission rebuilt in Fort Collins on the way...
Awesome! In to follow!
So we actually flew in last night. This morning's mission? Pick up the Cayman!
The Porsche was stored about an hour from Mitch's house, so we took his auction-purchased Caravan up there:
The weather is pretty stereotypical Seattle: cold and rainy. 
We made a quick pit stop on the way to buy a bottle of wine--I figured that's probably what Porsche enthusiasts like, right? I'm not sure if they shop at QFC supermarket, but whatever, at least it's wine:
This should hopefully be reasonable payment for three months of indoor car storage:
What Audi uses that transmission? That sounds like the source of the Audi part numbers.
Meanwhile:
After an hour of driving, we pulled up to the garage. Just a reminder: I've never seen this car before. 
Then the door opened and I'll admit my heart skipped a beat... IT'S REAL!!
The Cayman fired right up despite sitting for three months without a battery tender, and then I drove it an hour back to Mitch's house without issue. This car is good. Shockingly good. And it's also perfectly drivable in fourth gear--it turns about 3800 rpm at 70 mph.
In reply to Noddaz :
It's an 01E transmission, the six speed version of which was used behind 2.7ts and 4.2 V8s. Some 3.0s also had them, but many had a lighter duty replacement (01X?)
And, well, now we're caught up to real life. We're going to spend a few days in Seattle visiting friends and sightseeing, and along the way I'll poke and prod the Porsche a bit more and get it ready for the big trip. Then sometime towards the end of the week the big journey begins.
BullManUGA said:3000 miles on a broken transmission. Woof. Good luck!
He's not using the broken parts :)
daaaaang. She looks pretty!
Stock 1990 Miata spins at 3622 at 70 and it'll do that for decades. What's an extra 140 rpm?
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Our man, AAZCD-Jon in Oklahoma has a ton of Boxter spares and a ton of Boxter knowledge!
Okay, time to let the Cayman cool off and go sightseeing. Mitch is a car guy and there are three of us, so we're taking his WRX instead of the van. 
5 gears?! Now that's just showing off...
Super excited to follow along! That said, the radar detector seems a little unnecessary? ;)
This is great. Good luck.
I've been itching to do a fly-and-drive recently. I know the car I want to hunt down. Just need various things to align...
John Welsh said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
Our man, AAZCD-Jon in Oklahoma has a ton of Boxter spares and a ton of Boxter knowledge!
I've got a spare 986 S transmission still in the car. When I saw this topic come up this morning, I checked with a friend that has a 6 speed 987 transmission. Pretty sure the 981s are not compatible.
Now I need to work out a relay to get the wheels and Hoosiers home.
G Box here in the Denver area can also rebuild the transmission for you. I have a guards diff in my 996 and it's great. If you end up staying in Ft Collins, drop me a line, I'm just down the road in Denver
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
The 01E was long gone by 2014. Replaced by 01X around 2006, which was itself replaced around 2010.
Epic road trip! Have fun, see some sights. We live in a beautiful country!!!
Tom Suddard said:And it's also perfectly drivable in fourth gear--it turns about 3800 rpm at 70 mph.
That's not too far off of the rpm my Honda Fit turns at highway speeds. Definitely doable, but not ideal in my case.
Also interested in more info on the audi crossover. Particularly if there's a way to interchange ring and pinions to a different final drive ratio.
FWIW that indicated 69(nice) mph is probably 67 in the real world. So a true 70mph is probably more like 4000rpm. You might not pass a ton of gas stations but assuming it still has the stock exhaust it should be pretty tolerable to drive.
Should NC be on the itinerary, help is here
Playing tourist and pretending I'm not about to drive a broken car to Florida....
In reply to Tom Suddard :
It's not broken. It is gear challenged.
Pro Tip: Earplugs! Even if you're playing the radio and talking. You'll like them and after multiple hours, you'll love them.
Echoing DocWyte but further north - if you're stuck in Fort Collins, I'm down in Longmont and happy to host you both.
Next stop: Amazon Spheres
Colin Wood said:Tom Suddard said:And it's also perfectly drivable in fourth gear--it turns about 3800 rpm at 70 mph.
That's not too far off of the rpm my Honda Fit turns at highway speeds. Definitely doable, but not ideal in my case.
Just like driving a Miata.........Miatas are reliable though.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
The 01E was long gone by 2014. Replaced by 01X around 2006, which was itself replaced around 2010.
Did Porsche get the same changes?
I will admit that at the price my brain went to older models. I know the Boxsters and 968s had 01Es, 944s had 016s. Similar transmissions inside. At least for the front engine cars, same internally as the Audi front and all wheel drive transmissions aside from the input shaft. Same goofy failure prone shift mechanism, too.
Now to do some digging, because I am curious. I know the post-01X Audi transmissions put the differential very far forward in the case to get the engine back, the clutch is actually behind the diff. Are the later Boxsters and Caymans (Caymen?) like that?
Nicole and I had a meeting to discuss our route home:
And of course a photo op in front of the logo:
In reply to AAZCD-Jon (Forum Supporter) :
Would you happen to have a Boxster with a bad transmission that could be opened up?
You know....for science.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Normal layout. Ebay is good for providing photos:
In reply to dps214 :
Definitely not an 01X or 02X. I wonder if Porsche decided to just start rolling their own.
Edit: unless that thing on the rear case is not a shift arm, and only exists as a weight for shift feel. Which is truly weird if true, but space constraints make for strange engineering solutions.
My memory is foggy but I believe that is just a weird mass damper-y type thing.
Off the wall idea.... what about just installing taller tires on the rear to lower the rpms for the trip?
Pete. (l33t FS) said:AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
The 01E was long gone by 2014. Replaced by 01X around 2006, which was itself replaced around 2010.
Did Porsche get the same changes?
I will admit that at the price my brain went to older models.
Now to do some digging, because I am curious. I know the post-01X Audi transmissions put the differential very far forward in the case to get the engine back, the clutch is actually behind the diff. Are the later Boxsters and Caymans (Caymen?) like that?
And I apologize for my potentially incorrect response, because when I saw "01E" my brain went to Audi and I completely forgot this is a Porsche thread. Maybe Brand P did not dump the 01E when Audi did.
In reply to dps214 and Pete. :
bell and diff look very similar to 01X, trans case is a bit different.
What part of town are you staying in, Tom? How long will you be in Seattle? The weather is going to be a lot nicer starting on Wednesday.
I live just north of Ballard. A great thing to see is the Ballard locks, and the Chinook salmon are running right now. You can see them going up the fish ladder and there is a viewing room so you can get a really good look at the fish. There are also seals and sea lions hunting the salmon, and boats going through the locks. It's a cool and very Seattle experience.
Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Off the wall idea.... what about just installing taller tires on the rear to lower the rpms for the trip?
The traction control driver nannies will go berzerk if it's more than a little mismatch between front and rear. Would have to upsize all four tires im relatively similar proportions.
In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :
It's rwd. Why would it care about the fronts?
In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :
Stability control cares
ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Off the wall idea.... what about just installing taller tires on the rear to lower the rpms for the trip?
The traction control driver nannies will go berzerk if it's more than a little mismatch between front and rear. Would have to upsize all four tires im relatively similar proportions.
That's never been my experience with these cars specifically. That said, there isn't really enough room in the fenders for tires big enough to make a real difference. Pretty sure some noise canceling headphones are cheaper than a pair of tires plus mounting and balancing, if the situation is that desperate.
RacerBoy75 said:What part of town are you staying in, Tom? How long will you be in Seattle? The weather is going to be a lot nicer starting on Wednesday.
I live just north of Ballard. A great thing to see is the Ballard locks, and the Chinook salmon are running right now. You can see them going up the fish ladder and there is a viewing room so you can get a really good look at the fish. There are also seals and sea lions hunting the salmon, and boats going through the locks. It's a cool and very Seattle experience.
Wish I would've known. I was just there and ate some awesome tacos at place called Gracia down the street. Will take note for next year if I come this way.
Is NC Part of your Route Home
Glad to offer a night of rest and a decent meal, should you venture toward Charlotte
Good Luck and stay safe
What's the likely cause of the retaining pin on the 5/6 gear shift fork "falling out"? How accessible is it to replace the pin (or put back)?
What's the over/under on how many times you accidentally attempt to shift into 5th? I suspect around ten.
This is my X5 in fifth gear, the first motor went 210 miles like this.
Nice looking P car! Cayman are my favorite Porsche....Following.
What are the rpms at 65 mph? I get that it can go for days at 3800 rpm for days, but should it? After sitting around that long I think I would be inclined to accept it might take a tad longer to get home and really baby it along the way.
But that's me! Looking forward to the remainder of the adventure.
RacerBoy75 said:What part of town are you staying in, Tom? How long will you be in Seattle? The weather is going to be a lot nicer starting on Wednesday.
I live just north of Ballard. A great thing to see is the Ballard locks, and the Chinook salmon are running right now. You can see them going up the fish ladder and there is a viewing room so you can get a really good look at the fish. There are also seals and sea lions hunting the salmon, and boats going through the locks. It's a cool and very Seattle experience.
We're staying in Renton, but we've been to the Ballard locks! Super cool stuff, and made me glad I'm not a salmon.
The bigger tires idea is an interesting one, but I'm not going to do it for a few reasons:
First, 3800 rpm really doesn't scare me. As Keith said, early Miatas are geared similarly with way more primitive engine design/machining/control. We drove one home from Massachusetts to Florida a few years ago with no issues.
Second, the car has a seemingly new set of Michelins on it, and they won't fit inside with us. Putting the wrong rear tires on means trashing $600 worth of correct tires.
Breakfast time!
Welcome to the NW.
Lots of fun stuff to look at before you roll out of town in the screaming porsche.
I used to think that was high rpm on the hwy but I just went from Tacoma to Portland and back this last weekend in the e30 that was singing along at 3500 in 5th and pulled down 34mpg. I'd imagine the p car is much quieter inside.
I thought you were supposed to keep your porsche above 3800 rpms.... because under 3800 it's just a good-looking camry and the IMS bearing fails.
I am just south of you in Vancouver if you need any help on the road and/or want to visit. My old neighbor in Kelso has a Durametric as well if you need scanning/coding.
I was thinking of shipping the two good tires on to Florida... but, thinking about it, my old '91 Civic Si cruised at 4000 rpms.
Tom Suddard said:Breakfast time!
I thought you wrote, Breakfast Anytime...
Geez guys he's not running it banging on the limiter for 2k miles. It's running in a normal operating range. Change the oil and send it. It's a semi dry sumped engine with like an 9 quart oil capacity. A splash oiled briggs runs at 3600 rpm for hundreds of hours in a generator.
I'd be more worried about whatever has destroyed 5th gear spreading then the engine.
Back home, and Nicole took her first drive in the Cayman. Her review? "It's a car!" We're going to try and put some miles on it in Seattle to see if it explodes before we leave.
Also in the Seattle Area, so it would be fantastic to know if you are doing any meet ups!! I have a 2017 911 manual if you want to do a comparison.
A great local car place you should visit is https://theshopclubs.com/seattle/ it has a multitude of cool cars with a bar and resturant attached as well.
If you are heading south through Tacoma, a great visit stop would be the LeMay Auto Museum, https://www.americascarmuseum.org/
Also Griots is located in Tacoma as well, they are fun to visit too.
Next stop: A cat cafe!
As far as a meet up goes, let me see what our schedule looks like. It's tough fitting everything in on a trip like this!
This is an eclectic store....
In reply to Tom Suddard :
I'm about 2 miles from there! Great store
Next stop on the tourism train: Tesla test drives!
Two things
1. What was breakfast? It looks interesting.
2. All this talk about 70 mph at 3800 RPM. Set the cruise a 60 and take it easy.
In reply to MyMiatas :
My Quantum did about 400k miles with its long stroke 5cyl running those revs most of the time.
Back inna day, people ran big block A-bodies with 4.11 gears and no overdrive.
They be fine.
Now... what is the RPM in top gear at, oh, 140-150mph?
In reply to LifeIsStout :
So do I! I'm right by Swanson's Nursery (Blue Ridge neighborhood). Where do you live?
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Do you envision a magnetic drain plug with a split pin clinging to it?
If you take 55 or 20 through MS and need a hand holler. We have tools, food and great wines. I'd post my wine fridge in the bar section but no one needs to see that :).
I know you said you are leaving by the end of the week, but this is worth staying an extra day for. I've missed it two years in a row now.
Also, did Fl to Cali and back in the S2000 and it was spinning at 4500-5000 the whole way. You'll be fine!
Slippery said:I know you said you are leaving by the end of the week, but this is worth staying an extra day for. I've missed it two years in a row now.
I'll be there with my v8car and wagon. Always an impressive turnout.
When I got out of the Army I drove my non overdrive 64 Spitfire from Ft Polk back to eastern Ohio on the Freeway. Aside from the noise it performed like a champ, you should be good.
The Tesla dealership was nice enough to let us steal the car overnight, so we immediately put 200 miles on it going for a hike. It's so weird seeing snow in late June. It's weirder doing it from the back seat of a free Model Y Performance.
We made it back to Seattle at about 11pm, which was perfect timing because the Supercharger we visited gets way cheaper from 11pm-4am. I guess it doesn't matter that much since Elon was paying for it either way, but it was still cool to see it happen. We spent about 15 minutes at the station to bring the car from 20-69% (nice), then hit the road home.
The hike was amazing, but I'm even more impressed by the Tesla if I'm honest. If you told me a decade ago that I'd just happen to end up in an EV and do a surprise 200 mile trip without even filling the battery first (we picked the car up at about 80%), I wouldn't have believed it. But here we are, and the fact we did it in an EV was a total non-issue. Plus, it drove itself... mostly. We had one moment where all five of us were screaming as it tried to drive us over a median full of poles.
RacerBoy75 said:In reply to LifeIsStout :
So do I! I'm right by Swanson's Nursery (Blue Ridge neighborhood). Where do you live?
I'm over at Northgate, about 1/4 mile from the light rail station, but I go over to Swanson's all the time
We had one moment where all five of us were screaming as it tried to drive us over a median full of poles
You must have accidentally enabled the Molotov-Ribbentrop package.
Tesla is back at the mothership! And we're back in the Cayman for a trip to breakfast at a "North Seattle Icon"
We're visiting a friend from college. A decade ago Garen drove the world's most stanced/trashed BMW Z3. Today he's a middle school teacher showing us around Seattle.
Rivian van! Rivian van!
Tom Suddard said:Rivian van! Rivian van!
I'd probably cause a scene if I saw one out in the wild.
Fish!
And a street-parked Cayman:
Tom Suddard said:
This should hopefully be reasonable payment for three months of indoor car storage:
Solid wine choice...bonus points for gifting something from outside the PNW. A little young, but it'll open up with some decanting. I'd have probably gone with the Domaine Serene Pinot, but hard to argue with a good NAPA cab.
In reply to Andy Hollis :
A little young? It's an infant! Heck for me that's to young for white wine! I like whites in the 5-8 year range and reds in the 8-15 year range.
But alas most of my wine knowledge is of old world wines. I find far too much variation in quality among US wines from oh no to incredible and I do not know US wine makers and vineyards well enough.
If any wine minded people find themselves near me holler. I'm close to acquiring more than I may consume in my lifetime.
This is such a fun story to follow
Pete. (l33t FS) said:We had one moment where all five of us were screaming as it tried to drive us over a median full of poles
You must have accidentally enabled the Molotov-Ribbentrop package.
You owe me a keyboard, sir.
Colin Wood said:Tom Suddard said:Rivian van! Rivian van!
I'd probably cause a scene if I saw one out in the wild.
My brother just said the same yesterday but they are EVERYWHERE here, rarely see the MB/Dodge versions. They even buried one in my yard last winter
Sorry for the lack of updates--vacation mode has been engaged and I've nearly forgotten we're about to nurse a broken Porsche cross country.
But we did put about 100 miles on the car yesterday, and it's a champ! No issues so far.
Saw a city:
Ate too much food again:
Then did another hike just outside of town, at Twin Falls state park:
Tom, if you get the chance before you head out, you should try a little Seattle Teriyaki. It's kinda a thing around here, and they are all over the place (some better than others). But tasty and filling, nothing fancy.
Okay, I should probably get the car ready for our drive home. Here's Mitch's garage:
And here's what it looks like with a Cayman in it:
First step? A quick inspection. Overall, this seems like a nicely maintained Porsche with no issues. Fluids are full, tires are good, and the OEM tow hook and spare tire goo are even in the frunk. The biggest bit of deferred maintenance is a cracked windshield, which will have to wait until we get to Florida. The car is filthy, but in great shape otherwise.
Okay, time to put it up in the air and keep poking around. The news is good here, too--no horrors underneath, and the worst issue I found is a missing clip holding the air dam on.
Okay, it's time for an oil change. LN Engineering kindly sent me a care package to do an oil change and analysis, which seems like a good idea before driving 3000 miles at 3800 rpm. Their kit includes their spin-on oil filter adapter, too, which should eliminate a failure point and make future oil changes easier. Neat!
You can read more about it here:
https://lnengineering.com/products/diy-bundles-kits/porsche-oil-change-kits.html
He hasn't even started driving it home and it's already got fresh zip ties holding a body part on and it's being modified.
ONE OF US! ONE OF US!
I did the exact same zip-tie fix in the exact same location on my 986 Boxster. Good to know Porsche hasn't fixed that particular weak point yet. 
Zip tyes and duct tape will get you home
Good Luck
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Don't let Porsche see that zip tie, they'll void the warranty. Not because of the zip tie, but because the ragged tail is hanging down, just waiting to snag anything under the car. Plus, it adds wind resistance.
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Andy Hollis :
A little young? It's an infant! Heck for me that's to young for white wine! I like whites in the 5-8 year range and reds in the 8-15 year range.
You're not wrong...but it's pretty hard to find anything with bottle age at a grocery store. Occasionally, I can find a few extra years by removing all the bottles in the row and looking at the back. :)
Most of mine have been cellared personally, though I've had great luck with SommSelect, where they talk some winemaker out of some back vintage library wine and put it up for sale.
COVID made a pretty good dent in our cellar. :)
Oh, and Tom...that thing you wanted me to snag. The red one. Gotcha covered, in case you want to stop in Texas on your way back. Or I can ship it...your call.
Andy Hollis said:Oh, and Tom...that thing you wanted me to snag. The red one. Gotcha covered, in case you want to stop in Texas on your way back. Or I can ship it...your call.
Thank you, thank you! We'll cover the red thing in this thread when the time comes....
For now, though: The Porsche! Kept getting distracted, but eventually I drained the oil, swapped the filter, and pulled it back out of the garage:
I also glued the shifter back together, so there's no more missing gear pattern!
I brought my OBDEleven dongle to reset the service interval, but found out it doesn't support Porsches (only VW, Audi, Bentley, etc.) I'll need to find a new bluetooth app, or just live with the oil life being wrong until we get home.
Tom Suddard said:
Heh...my 987.1 has quite a few zip ties holding bits on. Mostly the front plate and the front grill bit as I took a retread in the face in the mid-west on one of my trips across country. Zip ties on Porsches is kinda cool to me.
Ok, it's time to put a downpipe on a Subaru!
When do we get to learn if a pin comes out the trans drain hole
In reply to bumpsteer :
When we get to Florida. I'd rather do the drive with Schrödinger's transmission than know what's inside.
Wow it actually still has that little air dam thing? Mine has been missing since I got the car. Makes no appreciable difference from what I can tell and it's comically expensive. The little flap just behind it recently started falling off and is now held on by some tape.
Tom Suddard said:Ok, it's time to put a downpipe on a Subaru!
'Cus, installing a Subaru down pipe is a critical step in prepping a broken Porsche for a cross country trip!
Of course it is! That's what friends are for, right?
Mitch also said "did I tell you about the stripped spring compressor I have?" Then walked me to his storage room. This is sitting in the corner:
I screamed an obscenity and walked away--I'll install downpipes all day, but he's on his own here.
Tom Suddard said:
I know a bomb when I see one.
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:Tom Suddard said:
I know a bomb when I see one.
So what exactly is the procedure here? Another set of spring compressors and cut off the bad ones?
In reply to WonkoTheSane :
I'd probably just torch the spring apart and throw it all in the scrap bin (he already bought a new spring and doesn't have a torch/vise/etc.)
A second set of spring compressors would work, too. But it would be fun to try and warranty these with the spring still attached.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Charles and his dad are awesome to deal with. I also got to meet Lake Speed Jr and learn more about oil too. I'm considering driven oil when I get my next high performance daily driver.
In reply to Andy Hollis :
I buy wines I know I will like and keep them several years. I also inherited bottles from my father in law that I will never be able to replace. I find the geology, wine making and different regions all very interesting. My favorite grapes are Nebbiolo, Pinot, Chardonnay and some blends. My favorites wines are Brunello, Burgundy (both), a Bandol rose and certain champagnes. I am a dry wine person but I don't do leathery and over tannic.
It sounds like our next wine trip will be the Alsace. I'm looking forward to learning about Reislings.
Tom Suddard said:In reply to WonkoTheSane :
I'd probably just torch the spring apart and throw it all in the scrap bin (he already bought a new spring and doesn't have a torch/vise/etc.)
A second set of spring compressors would work, too. But it would be fun to try and warranty these with the spring still attached.
I'd be worried that cutting the spring with a torch would cause the non-annealed portion to spring out when cut, but I guess if you cut it in the middle it couldn't go too far?
Keith Tanner said:He hasn't even started driving it home and it's already got fresh zip ties holding a body part on and it's being modified.
ONE OF US! ONE OF US!
Not to be too hyperbolic, and not to make Tim out to be god, but isn't tommy the Jesus and Keith, Andy, Rennie, Tom Prescott, Carl, etc are the apostles? Figuratively speaking of course. For our particular weird religion.
I've been around here too long.
That's either very sweet or horrifying. Thank you.
For the spring compressors, I'd definitely use another set to hold the spring while cutting the failed one apart (or compress it far enough to just remove the failed one from the spring). The slightly concerning part in my mind is that I have an identical set of those spring compressors in the garage (albeit in a functional state).
Just heat the spring , don't cut it, and it will collapse. Do that until there's little , or no tension left.
A final adventure in the Seattle area: driving Mitch's van out to a scenic hike near Mount Saint Helens!
DeadSkunk (Warren) said:Just heat the spring , don't cut it, and it will collapse. Do that until there's little , or no tension left.
Or a cutoff disk in an angle grinder. Have done that.
Have torched too, but it takes enough time with oxyacetylene that most home shops are not equipped for it. Anything that can make the spring red will kill it, at least, before you go for the angle grinder.
Sand pit + HiPo rifle...POW-BOING!!!!!
"Hey look a mountain."
"It's a volcano!!"
Hey....
So this is a fun thread....when are you guys gonna hit the road?
Rog
In reply to boulder_dweeb :
Taking predictions? Page 12!
Yes, I'm feeling like I cheated myself by driving my new GR86 from Colorado to Florida in a total of 3 days, with one of those days spent in Colorado. I think they are doing it totally correct!
We hit the road in the morning. Currently trying to figure out if it's a good idea to try and hit the car's 141 mph fourth gear top speed at Bonneville.
Sorry for all the vacation photos, but you all are basically family so we figured why not share the whole trip. I think you'll like our next detour in a few days... it involves my race gear.
Tom Suddard said:Currently trying to figure out if it's a good idea to try and hit the car's 141 mph fourth gear top speed at Bonneville.
Not if you don't want salt in every crevice you cannot clean out.
Alright, without further ado, it's time to hit the road in the Porsche! We were surprised at how much stuff fit in it, but smaller soft-sided bags were definitely the way to go as opposed to hard-sided suitcases.
Next stop: Twin Falls, Idaho!
Tom Suddard said:We hit the road in the morning. Currently trying to figure out if it's a good idea to try and hit the car's 141 mph fourth gear top speed at Bonneville.
Sorry for all the vacation photos, but you all are basically family so we figured why not share the whole trip. I think you'll like our next detour in a few days... it involves my race gear.
I've been enjoying the vacation photos!
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
That is some impressive packing! And you are so right about soft collapsible containers. Anyone that has done hiking or camping frequently knows this is true. I wonder how much a C6 or C7 Vette can hold?
Just stopped for a few minutes at a rest area. So far, so good! Cruise control is set to 75 mph and the car is averaging 24.5 mpg going through the mountains.
83 miles down, 3000 more to go!
But wait ✋️ you said next stop Twin Falls, Idaho. 
My wife is from Twin. The wind blows all the time.
preach said:Tom Suddard said:Currently trying to figure out if it's a good idea to try and hit the car's 141 mph fourth gear top speed at Bonneville.
Not if you don't want salt in every crevice you cannot clean out.
Can confirm.
But there's a lot of Nevada and Utah in that area...
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Nicole Suddard :
That is some impressive packing! And you are so right about soft collapsible containers. Anyone that has done hiking or camping frequently knows this is true.
Or spending a week in a McLaren on One Lap. Tom is experienced with frunk-stuffing.
240 miles down and cruising right along. We're crossing the Oregon border as I type this.
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Andy Hollis :
I buy wines I know I will like and keep them several years. I also inherited bottles from my father in law that I will never be able to replace. I find the geology, wine making and different regions all very interesting. My favorite grapes are Nebbiolo, Pinot, Chardonnay and some blends. My favorites wines are Brunello, Burgundy (both), a Bandol rose and certain champagnes. I am a dry wine person but I don't do leathery and over tannic.
It sounds like our next wine trip will be the Alsace. I'm looking forward to learning about Reislings.
I'm a Riesling fan. Anything near the Mosel River. But prefer IceWines
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Nicole Suddard :
That is some impressive packing! And you are so right about soft collapsible containers. Anyone that has done hiking or camping frequently knows this is true. I wonder how much a C6 or C7 Vette can hold?
Not nearly as much in the front.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Nicole Suddard :
That is some impressive packing! And you are so right about soft collapsible containers. Anyone that has done hiking or camping frequently knows this is true. I wonder how much a C6 or C7 Vette can hold?
Not nearly as much in the front.
That's because it's business in the front.
Going to the wrong side of Idaho for me but Recon1342 is from Twin Falls
Heyyyyy, we're in Idaho!
Tom Suddard said:The biggest bit of deferred maintenance is a cracked windshield, which will have to wait until we get to Florida.
When the time comes, please share some details on the windshield replacement.
I bought my Cayman from a dealership in Pennsylvania because I was looking for a specific color combo, and I picked up a stone chip on the way home to Connecticut. I didn't want to put in an insurance claim immediately after buying the car, and then I was hesitant to have it replaced with an aftermarket windshield because the antenna is built into the glass, so I've just kind of been dealing with it. It's not as bad as yours, but I would really like to have it replaced.
Please let us know who you use for the replacement and whether it's OEM or aftermarket glass. Thanks.
Aaaand time! Greetings from Twin Falls. It's time to grab some food, get some sleep, and repeat the process tomorrow.
I'm tempted to turn around and head back to Seattle, though: After all that test driving, Mitch just told us he made a decision on which Tesla to purchase, and is the proud owner of a new Model S Plaid. I know this isn't related to our trip at all at this point, but it's a cool enough car I had to share. Maybe he'd trade for a broken Cayman....
In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :
I had a crack in my 911 (991.1). Had the Porsche dealer replace it with a factory windshield. Took 2/3 weeks to get it from Germany. I had the same concerns you have and told my insurance company I wanted Porsche to replace it. Erie insurance agreed and paid all but the deductible.
Good morning from Twin Falls, and greetings from the land of 85?! Octane fuel. 
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Ah, you folks are so spoiled out east.
Keith Tanner said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
Ah, you folks are so spoiled out east.
Isn't the logic that you don't need as much octane to prevent detonation at higher elevations? Since the air is less dense, it makes for a richer mixture, right?
good morning from Jackpot, NV!
Where is the GRM sticker on that Cayman??!!
Where is the next stop?? I'll call hq and have one shipped overnight! 
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:Keith Tanner said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
Ah, you folks are so spoiled out east.
Isn't the logic that you don't need as much octane to prevent detonation at higher elevations? Since the air is less dense, it makes for a richer mixture, right?
The richer mixture only applies to certain types of carburetor. The altitude has an effect like lower compression, which makes it less prone to detonation. But then there are turbochargers.
Roughly speaking, gas gets crappier as you go west. We used to see this when tuning turbo cars across the country, Jeremy would tweak the maps depending on the state.
Hey look, salt flats!
We didn't drive on them, though. We kept hearing horror stories about just how much salt would saturate the car, plus I don't have any safety gear with me. Driving on them at highway speeds just felt like it would be an injustice.
I attended a few events at Bonneville in the late 90's. I pressure washed the underside of my truck after each event but I still found large deposits of salt for years afterward. Never again.
If you rent a car at the SLC airport, there are specific exclusions about driving on the salt.
I might have ignored that.
Interestingly, the self-service car wash was caked with washed off salt before I even got there...
Slippery said:Where is the GRM sticker on that Cayman??!!
Where is the next stop?? I'll call hq and have one shipped overnight!
Good point! Andy, you mind if we detour through Austin to grab a few GRM stickers?
Tom Suddard said:Good point! Andy, you mind if we detour through Austin to grab a few GRM stickers?
Heh...I was going to tag that thing with the leftovers from OLOA...
You should go eat or grab a drink at the Salt Flats Cafe on Skyhawk Dr. In Wendover, if it's open. If those walls could talk. It's a neat place, ans pretty good Mexican food.
And theres always Carmen's Black and White. Bar in West Wendover. But I don't know if that's open currently. Another "sacred" spot for racers.
Safe travels!
Stopped in Salt Lake City for some coffee and gas, and saw the big temple (sort of)
Cool looking phone windshield mount. Would you share the details on it?
Tom Suddard said:Aaaand time! Greetings from Twin Falls. It's time to grab some food, get some sleep, and repeat the process tomorrow.
I'm tempted to turn around and head back to Seattle, though: After all that test driving, Mitch just told us he made a decision on which Tesla to purchase, and is the proud owner of a new Model S Plaid. I know this isn't related to our trip at all at this point, but it's a cool enough car I had to share. Maybe he'd trade for a broken Cayman....
I feel like 633 miles isn't far enough out of the range of that spring. I may have done another hour just for safety.
If you're passing through Austin and happen to need to attend to service items on the Cayman, I offer the use of my 2 post lift, tools, and air-conditioned shop near Bastrop. Hopefully, the Porsche will continue to hum happily all the way home, though.
Nicole Suddard said:
Stopped in Salt Lake City for some coffee and gas, and saw the big temple (sort of)
Interesting story about the seismic retrofit that is a big part of the renovation. Link.
I hadn't heard about it from my colleagues in SLC - not surprised as construction work on the churches is usually highly secretive.
Turn East, See the Maroon Bells near Aspen. or, just go South, even if you don't get out of the car the drive through Zion is pretty impressive.
Admittedly we almost drove past this because we were in a hurry to get to dinner in Moab, but we decided we at least had to go in for the photo op.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
Tomorrow you should burn a day and do some day hiking IMO. You never know when you will be there again and the red sand arches are amazing. There so many amazing rock formations in that part of the country. You sure won't see anything like them in FL.
When you head out of Moab, take the canyon road Route 128 east instead of i70 if you are heading through Denver. It's beautiful and ends up at I70 anyways.
EDIT: My guess is you are heading for I40 though. If so run the Tail on your way through TN.
If you run the Dragon, dinner is our treat in Charlotte
Let is know
I'm expecting that the most dramatic part of this trip is going to be that it's drama free bit if that turns out not to be the case in the greater New Mexico area and you need help hit me up.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
We would, but the trade off of spending so much time with our friends in Washington was that we're taking less time for recreation on the drive home. We're already back on the road - our stopping point for tonight is in Mesa Verde.
Dang! I missed a chance to try to say, "Hi," before you hit SLC. Oh well.
Nicole Suddard said:In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
We would, but the trade off of spending so much time with our friends in Washington was that we're taking less time for recreation on the drive home. We're already back on the road - our stopping point for tonight is in Mesa Verde.
Oh man, I would have routed you over the La Sals to get there instead of down 191. Then you could have driven the million dollar highway on the scary side.
I'm waving approximately south to say hi. So close.
Greetings from Mesa Verde, CO!
We would have loved to spend more time in Utah, but we've got things planned in Austin and needed to keep banking miles. When we were planning this trip, we realized we could either see all of the sights or all of our friends, but couldn't really do both without being gone for a month. We chose our friends, but will definitely be back to Moab to do some proper adventuring.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Got bugs?
triumph7 said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
Got bugs?
When I bought mine my wife and I left San Diego and the first stop was to see my uncle in Moab. The Cayman was an epic bug slayer even by then. By the time we got to Pittsburgh to see my parents you could not tell the front plate was from California. Our trip was also in June.
Another plug for the Million Dollar Highway (550 between Durango and Ouray in SW Colorado). You won't make any time on it due to the Winnebago factor in the summer, but it's truly one of America's most spectacular highways. Plan on it for your next trip in the area. Only ones I've been on that can compare are going to the sun in glacier and Beartooth going northeast out of Yellowstone.
In reply to Jim Pettengill :
Jim, The key is sunrise drive. Done it 3 times at 6-7am and it's really nice. Now after 9, forget about it.
Tom Suddard said:Greetings from Mesa Verde, CO!
You may have to divert more power to the shields.
Jim Pettengill said:Only ones I've been on that can compare are going to the sun in glacier and Beartooth going northeast out of Yellowstone.
Glad you say that, will be hitting both of those in the next week.
In reply to Slippery :
You have to make reservations to drive in the park? Is it that crowded?
Back on the road! Next stop, Albuquerque, then Roswell for lunch!
Nicole Suddard said:Back on the road! Next stop, Albuquerque, then Roswell for lunch!
Make sure to turn left.
preach said:triumph7 said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
Got bugs?
When I bought mine my wife and I left San Diego and the first stop was to see my uncle in Moab. The Cayman was an epic bug slayer even by then. By the time we got to Pittsburgh to see my parents you could not tell the front plate was from California. Our trip was also in June.
There's a bug I've only...met...in Utah. I don't know what it looks like, but it's fairly large and has yellow guts. We call them Mormon bugs because of their state affiliation.
Tom Suddard said:
I finally looked it up, but between this and the other similar pic, I was like "are they doing ~650 miles on a single tank??" Unless you have extra cans plumbed into the regular tank, Cannonball-style, I'm assuming not.
25+ mpg running 65-70mph in 4th gear is impressive.
the nav just had us on unpaved county roads for about a mile... that was interesting
RALLY PORSCHE!
NorseDave said:Tom Suddard said:
I finally looked it up, but between this and the other similar pic, I was like "are they doing ~650 miles on a single tank??" Unless you have extra cans plumbed into the regular tank, Cannonball-style, I'm assuming not.
25+ mpg running 65-70mph in 4th gear is impressive.
That's probably only 24.5 real world mpg. It's rated 29 so I'd say that seems about right.
Keith Tanner said:There's a bug I've only...met...in Utah. I don't know what it looks like, but it's fairly large and has yellow guts. We call them Mormon bugs because of their state affiliation.
Years ago a buddy of ours switched from his Yamaha to a Harley; naturally he decided he needed an open face helmet to complete the look.
On his second ride he took a so called Mormon bug to the teeth...............it was the last time he ever wore an open face helmet.
Note he said the taste even worse than you'd imagine.
Slippery said:Glad you say that, will be hitting both of those in the next week.
We went to Glacier in late June 2019 and Going to the Sun Road was still snowed in. We ended up renting bikes and biking it, which turned out to be even more spectacular.
Nicole Suddard said:
the nav just had us on unpaved county roads for about a mile... that was interesting
More OLOA flashbacks for Tom...Waze did that to us in OK on the way to Hallett. I cringed. Tom floored it.
In hindsight, I shoulda sent you guys down the Moki Dugway...you were right there.
TRoglodyte said:RALLY PORSCHE!
No, no, the proper term is "safari". It's classier.
Pro tip for road trip packing in a small car: put clothes and other soft/fluffy items in a vacuum bag! Suck all the air out and presto! Lots more room!
Also bring a small reversible air compressor for re-packing duties.
I'll be at the junkyard near Austin airport tomorrow if yall want to say "hi"/need any parts
Nicole Suddard said:
the nav just had us on unpaved county roads for about a mile... that was interesting
Luckily, Porsche has a rally heritage.
calteg said:I'll be at the junkyard near Austin airport tomorrow if yall want to say "hi"/need any partsWrenc
Wrench-A-Part on 71?
Love that place....but they've been scarce on EF's and DA's lately.
we appear to have encountered a film crew
Nicole Suddard said:
we appear to have encountered a film crew
GRM ups their video production!
Gone in 60 Seconds
Ok this is getting rediculous. What is this, fuel for Model Ts?
After being reminded of all the different fuel types and the huge gaps between stations in the west, I can't help but wonder if this is a pretty complicated solution to fueling cars. Or maybe I've spent too much time over in the EV thread.
Rather than constantly deliver three different types of oil to all of these little stations in the middle of nowhere, it does seem easier to just pipe in one kind of electricity.
<foreshadowing>
It would be sort of interesting to do a trip like this side by side in a gas car and an electric car to see how the infrastructure really compares....
</foreshadowing>
Photo from our lunch stop in Albuquerque:
And a shot from the road:
How many times have you tried to hit fifth gear so far?
In reply to thatsnowinnebago :
Twice. Once on the first day to test, and again last night after dinner. We're trying not to make that mistake...
Temp check! We're rolling into Roswell, NM. Outside temperature is 110.2 degrees. 
"But its a dry heat!" Still like being in an oven.
how buzzy is it in the cab?
It's actually not too bad. Our biggest issue is tire noise, not engine noise.
We stopped at a tractor supply and did some shopping. A fire extinguisher just in case hot oil comes out of the transmission, windshield washer fluid, and a compressor. Remember when I checked that the car's OEM flat tire repair kit was present before we left Seattle? I woke up in the middle of the night with the realization that I didn't find the compressor. So until now, we've been driving with zero ability to fix a flat tire.
I don't think the flat tire repair kit includes a compressor.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
That trip won't be as bad as Eisenhowers cross country trip that led to the interstate highway system but there will be challenges.
Getting 3 kinds of fuel to a station is easier than you'd think too.
Tom Suddard said:I woke up in the middle of the night with the realization that I didn't find the compressor.
Greetings from Roswell, NM, earthlings!
The city is currently ramping up for their annual UFO festival this weekend. We only stuck around long enough to grab some coffee and souvenirs. Onward to Lubbock, TX!
Tom Suddard said:Temp check! We're rolling into Roswell, NM. Outside temperature is 110.2 degrees.
If it is any consolation, HAL says it is 73F outside, and I have the heater going. Heated seats, too.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
If you love calzones or pizza by the slice, One Guy from Italy is your place in Lubbock. It is one of the best calzones you will ever have. It's across the street from my alma mater. The manager of the place worked there as a student when I was there too. The staff working there is all younger than the restaurant. If you don't go, it's your loss :p.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
I love both of those things! Thanks for the recommendation, we might just have to check that out!
Tom Suddard said:After being reminded of all the different fuel types and the huge gaps between stations in the west, I can't help but wonder if this is a pretty complicated solution to fueling cars. Or maybe I've spent too much time over in the EV thread.
Rather than constantly deliver three different types of oil to all of these little stations in the middle of nowhere, it does seem easier to just pipe in one kind of electricity.
<foreshadowing>
It would be sort of interesting to do a trip like this side by side in a gas car and an electric car to see how the infrastructure really compares....
</foreshadowing>
But many of us out here in the West drive cars that will run on poo gas so we don't care what kind of octane rating there is or really what it costs..............we just blindly fill up.
As for it's effect on humanity; there are so few humans that it doesn't register.
While I live in a valley of 2 million people, within 20-25 minutes I can be so far away that I might not see another person for a week.
This shot was literally taken 17 minutes from my front door.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
Go to the original across from the university. They close at 10pm now. When I was in college it was 2am. If you hate it, I will repay you. My mother in law graduated from the CIA ( not that CIA) in NY. She had to begrudgingly admit it's the real deal calzone too. My wife didn't believe me either until we went. If you can drive to caprock canyon on the way to Austin you might see the TX state buffalo herd too.
Yeehaw!
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
Love a good calzone.
What's "the CIA" in NY?
In reply to OHSCrifle :
The Culinary Institute of America, alma mater of such talents as Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, and also one of my aunts
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
Gracias
Tom SuddardRather than constantly deliver three different types of oil to all of these little stations in the middle of nowhere, it does seem easier to just pipe in one kind of electricity.
pretty sure they only bring 2 kinds and mid grade is a blend of the 2. They all come on one truck too, you can't put all that fluid in one giant tank, it would be unstable. There are sometimes 6-8 compartments in the larger tanker trucks. Also gas, diesel, av gas and other flammable fluids are transported in the same pipeline as "slugs" of fluid. As these slugs pass fuel depots they pull off fluid from the slug with the proper specific gravity to fill the individual tanks.
I'm also a huge fan of electric, they have a hugely complex and equally fascinating distribution system.
Sorry for feeling out, cool trip, carry on.
Nicole Suddard said:
Yeehaw!
Welcome to driving 14 hours until you hit the next state.
Made it to Lubbock! The car continues to him along at 75 mph with no issues. Tomorrow's destination? Austin! We'll be visiting Andy and Ann Hollis for a few days.
In reply to Stampie :
"The state that never ends!"
Stampie said:Nicole Suddard said:
Yeehaw!
Welcome to driving 14 hours until you hit the next state.
Yeah, it's so cute.
-Canada
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Fire extinguisher...I thought about one for my Cayman but realistically can you get the engine cover up in time to be effective? I might due to my after market one with two thumbscrews but stock?
I did see your bit about the trans but mine almost burned from a fuel leak over the headers.
I have considered one of the tube kind that go off with fire heat and wrap it around the engine lid.. Thusly:
Keith Tanner said:preach said:triumph7 said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
Got bugs?
When I bought mine my wife and I left San Diego and the first stop was to see my uncle in Moab. The Cayman was an epic bug slayer even by then. By the time we got to Pittsburgh to see my parents you could not tell the front plate was from California. Our trip was also in June.
There's a bug I've only...met...in Utah. I don't know what it looks like, but it's fairly large and has yellow guts. We call them Mormon bugs because of their state affiliation.
I think I just hit a couple of those between BC and Montana. You can see them coming, they are big.
Toyman! said:In reply to Slippery :
You have to make reservations to drive in the park? Is it that crowded?
Havent been yet, so no idea.
"In 2021, Glacier instituted a ticketed entry system to enter the park from West Glacier or St. Mary. Visitors must have reservations and tickets to use those entrances between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day."
Was going through photos and realized we didn't post this one entering Roswell:
I lived in Roswell for 20 years before retiring to Colorado - glad you escaped intact.
Nicole Suddard said:
Yeehaw!
Hey there, Halfpint! - Alaska
Nicole Suddard said:
Yeehaw!
We need your full assessment of the stars at night.
In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :
I hear they are big and bright.
clap clap clap clap
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Just wanted to confirm.
Trust, but verify.
In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :
If you go to Fort Davis, there is a nice observatory there. The star parties are fun. Once you leave that part of TX and start heading east light pollution and weather become real impediments to star gazing.
dyintorace said:Cool looking phone windshield mount. Would you share the details on it?
Oops, sorry--missed this earlier. It's a Quadlock. Their stuff seems overpriced at first, but after using it I'm hooked and I have one for every bike/motorcycle/car.
I don't think we talked enough about the heat yesterday. "It's a dry heat" blah blah blah. Yeah, 110 degrees with 30 mph winds was like standing in a convection oven. We saw a few stories about hikers dying on the news, and can 100% believe it after spending 10 minutes outside in Roswell.
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
that movie has some great moments!
Back on the road, and our entire path has excessive heat warnings in effect today. Woo!
Because we're in Texas, the Porsche is technically dining at a local farm to table restaurant. 
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
Its not much better in FL. Hot and super humid. Enjoy the reduced humidity.
Tom Suddard said:dyintorace said:Cool looking phone windshield mount. Would you share the details on it?
Oops, sorry--missed this earlier. It's a Quadlock. Their stuff seems overpriced at first, but after using it I'm hooked and I have one for every bike/motorcycle/car.
Thanks!
For all the fans of breakfast cereal and/or the movie Hell or High Water (2016) out there.
I think you should post a postcard from Post at the Post post office.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Xzibit bursts through that brick mural like Kool aid man and says.. yo dawg I heard you like post...
nocones said:In reply to Keith Tanner :
Xzibit bursts through that brick mural like Kool aid man and says.. yo dawg I heard you like post...
i'm sure Xzibit would like to be known for something else, but you know that was the first thing i thought when i read Keith's... wait for it... post.
In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :
Yo dawg i heard you liked Xzibit so i put some Xzibit on your Xzibit!
Also, although i quit drinking way back, stop at a Specs Liquor and get stock up on really good tequila for "cheap".
and a HEB super grocery store. Maybe a taco cabana too. A few "Texas" things.
Next gas stop = Buc-ees!
Keith Tanner said:I think you should post a postcard from Post at the Post post office.
Posthaste!
Nicole Suddard said:Back on the road, and our entire path has excessive heat warnings in effect today. Woo!
Destination motivation:
Making good time as we head across West Texas! Next stop? Cooper's BBQ in Llano. Andy has assured us it's excellent, and that there's a "free tub of beans in the back of the eating area!"
I should also post a picture of today's T-shirt. I figured it was fitting not because of Texas's power grid, but because of what's waiting for us at Andy's house this afternoon....
In reply to Andy Hollis :
There's no way the water won't evaporate by the time we get there. I opened a water bottle and every water molecule shot out of it like a genie on its way to visit the sun.
Coopers is an awesome place to go get some lunch. Much better than what I got for sure.
This is reminding me when I brought betty home from FM and it was a slightly warm 117 degrees in Lubbock. I felt like I was officially in you know where that night.
Tom Suddard said:Making good time as we head across West Texas! Next stop? Cooper's BBQ in Llano. Andy has assured us it's excellent, and that there's a "free tub of beans in the back of the eating area!"
How about some more beans, Mr. Taggart?
Pete. (l33t FS) said:How about some more beans, Mr. Taggart?
From my all-time favorite movie...well played, sir.
The bad news: we ordered too much food
The good news: we are taking home delicious leftovers for later
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
How is ordering too much great food bad news??
In reply to bmw88rider :
Because we couldn't eat it all!
Made it to Andy and Ann's house! As is tradition on this trip, we picked up a bottle of wine as a thank-you for storing a car. I know nothing about wine, but Andy said he liked this a few pages back so I figured it was the right choice.
What's that? What car is Andy storing for us? Well, it's time to come clean about this trip. It's not just a trip to retrieve a broken Porsche.... it's also a trip to pick up my new truck. I've been shopping for an F-150 Lightning for months, and the best deal in the country popped up a few minutes from Andy's house a few weeks ago. Since we were already headed through here with the Porsche, it seemed like a perfect plan.
Before we play with the truck, though, it's time to play with race cars! Andy and I are taking his One Lap CRX to Harris Hill Raceway tomorrow so I can finally experience "God's Chariot."
Towing the ev truck back to Florida with the Porsche is a bold move Cotton.
So does the Porsche get to play on the track too? :)
Ooo, way to bury the lede! I guess the Hybrid Maverick build thread is going to come to a screeching halt just after the truck showed up.
Wow! This road trip took an unexpected turn! Although, there was some foreshadowing.
APEowner said:Wow! This road trip took an unexpected turn! Although, there was some foreshadowing.
Only foreshadowing because the trans is broke, otherwise there could have been fiveshadowing or even sixshadowing.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Booooooo
Pete. (l33t FS) said:APEowner said:Wow! This road trip took an unexpected turn! Although, there was some foreshadowing.
Only foreshadowing because the trans is broke, otherwise there could have been fiveshadowing or even sixshadowing.
We figured since the drive has been so easy so far with four gears, why not up the difficulty and do it with one?
It's official: I fit in the car! Thanks to Andy's pile of spare seats, we're all set for the track day tomorrow.
Life goal: Have a pile of spare seats lying around......
In reply to Stampie :
"The sun has ris, the sun has set, and here we is, in Texas yet".
Guys, I SINCERELY hope that your planned route does not take you through Houston. Or close to Houston. Or even within a county or two of Houston.
IT IS ONE HUMUNGOUS PARKING LOT. Every single square inch of pavement is occupied by a vehicle. Those millions of vehicles are NOT moving. I 10, I 45, 610, whatever - no bueno. You think I'm exaggerating...I kid you not, the nice Waze voice lady doesn't give you directions there, she just laughs and says "You're f*cked."
Andy couldn't resist inspecting a new set of tires on his property.
And the CRX is loaded up for tomorrow!
In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :
Not entirely true. Houston is either not moving or it is moving at 20+ over the speed limit while smoking, drinking, texting and cursing at other drivers. Drive friendly, y'all!
In reply to Tom Suddard :
That's a pretty massive structure.
In reply to Tom1200 :
The truck, house or CRX?
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:So does the Porsche get to play on the track too? :)
It's very tempting, but ultimately I decided against it. Just seems like tempting fate on multiple levels. Plus, the brakes are wearing sort of weird--I suspect the PO did a pad slap and didn't turn the rotors. I'll take the Cayman on track, but not until I've put it up on my lift and given it a real tech inspection (and more gears).
What's that? What car is Andy storing for us? Well, it's time to come clean about this trip. It's not just a trip to retrieve a broken Porsche.... it's also a trip to pick up my new truck. I've been shopping for an F-150 Lightning for months, and the best deal in the country popped up a few minutes from Andy's house a few weeks ago. Since we were already headed through here with the Porsche, it seemed like a perfect plan.
Is this road trip directed by Quinten Tarantino or M. Night Shyamalan ? Plot twist!
It makes me feel better that a professional race car driver's garage is about as organized as mine
Pete. (l33t FS) said:APEowner said:Wow! This road trip took an unexpected turn! Although, there was some foreshadowing.
Only foreshadowing because the trans is broke, otherwise there could have been fiveshadowing or even sixshadowing.
Groan.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:APEowner said:Wow! This road trip took an unexpected turn! Although, there was some foreshadowing.
Only foreshadowing because the trans is broke, otherwise there could have been fiveshadowing or even sixshadowing.
Victor Borge "Inflationary Language" on The Ed Sullivan Show - YouTube
glueguy (Forum Supporter) said:Life goal: Have a pile of spare seats lying around......
Life goal: Become Andy Hollis!
Less than 40 miles in and we've already had to visit a gas station. For some reason, Andy didn't plug the CRX into the E85 outlet at home last night. 
calteg said:It makes me feel better that a professional race car driver's garage is about as organized as mine
And I spent the past week cleaning up cuz it was even worse.
Tom Suddard said:codrus (Forum Supporter) said:So does the Porsche get to play on the track too? :)
It's very tempting, but ultimately I decided against it. Just seems like tempting fate on multiple levels. Plus, the brakes are wearing sort of weird--I suspect the PO did a pad slap and didn't turn the rotors. I'll take the Cayman on track, but not until I've put it up on my lift and given it a real tech inspection (and more gears).
I totally get it. The funny thing though is on most tracks you probably don't need anything more than fourth gear in that car.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
You don't turn the rotors on Porsches. In general they have either drilled or slotted rotors, which you can't turn, they also don't really have enough meat on the rotors to turn them even if they have solid rotors.
Tom Suddard said:In reply to Stampie :
"The state that never ends!"
When driving to Houston from LA, I was startled to find out the halfway point of the trip was El Paso.
Track time!
Just hopped out of Andy's car and OMG, the hype is real. Seriously impressed by the CRX, and seriously excited to take it on One Lap next year. It drives like a Civic Type R missing 1000 lbs.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
They should have somebody post up at the postbox to get the posted post card that got posted at the Post post office.
Tom1200 said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
That's a pretty massive structure.
All of the above including the structure of the photo.................but mostly the house.
In reply to glueguy (Forum Supporter) :
You know where I live.
Tom Suddard said:Just hopped out of Andy's car and OMG, the hype is real. Seriously impressed by the CRX, and seriously excited to take it on One Lap next year. It drives like a Civic Type R missing 1000 lbs.
It's amazing how much difference there is between a full on race build and a mass produced street car :)
And we're back! Car was good, truck was good, everybody wins!
For the EV nerds: Here's our trip data from the tow. We started with 90% battery.
Did ya mean to post your phone number in that picture?
In reply to GPz11 (Forum Supporter) :
I think that's the SiriusXM activation number.
Tagged...you're it
Another tradition: Post-track day data review. Andy suggested we go back to the track tomorrow and improve. He was joking... mostly.
Looks like Wide Open throttle needs to be increased
FWIW
How awesome is the frunk on that Lightning?
In reply to OHSCrifle :
The frunk is tied with "doesn't keep asking me to pour $100 into the tank" as my favorite feature.
Tom Suddard said:In reply to OHSCrifle :
The frunk is tied with "doesn't keep asking me to pour $100 into the tank" as my favorite feature.
The ac ranks right up there. "Arctic Wind" is an apt description. Tom is convinced its residential ac.
PS: I need to figure up the charging bill for you...
In reply to Andy Hollis :
The average residential electricity rate in Austin, TX is 12 ¢/kWh. I charged 51.3 kWh after the trip to the track, so that was a $6.16 adventure. But I bought dinner so I think we're square.
The truck's first charge at your house was 55.02 kWh, which totals up to $6.60.
Total amount of electricity stolen from Andy Hollis: $12.76
I should post a photo of last night's dinner spot:
How hasn't this been posted yet?
What is a Mexican Coke?
Asking for a fiend who does not travel much
Tom Suddard said:I should post a photo of last night's dinner spot:
Okay sorry but the name of this place is giving me anxiety.
Does it rhyme with "Sourdough," like the bread? Or is it a clever spelling of the name "Gordo's" like the toroid-shaped homunculus is actually named Gordon but this is what his friends call him?
In reply to RacingComputers :
Generally "Mexican Coke" or any "Mexican" soda is made with actual cane sugar, not the high fructose corn syrup that is in almost EVERY food product we have in the US.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
I wasn't sure that I could justify a $7 donut but now I am rethinking that position :)
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
I was thinking since it's a food truck, you'd be waiting for Gourdough....
TJL (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to RacingComputers :
Generally "Mexican Coke" or any "Mexican" soda is made with actual cane sugar, not the high fructose corn syrup that is in almost EVERY food product we have in the US.
Fun fact: They sell Mexican Coke at Costco.
wae said:In reply to JG Pasterjak :
I was thinking since it's a food truck, you'd be waiting for Gourdough....
Ack, the pun! I'm betting the name is a combination of gordo = fat en Espanol (tag line is "Big. Fat. Donuts.") with a MilSpeak-style abbreviation of Gourmet Doughnut
In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :
Aren't Mexicokes everywhere? Not as common as the plastic bottles and easy to find in TX, but I assumed they were distributed nationwide when I found them in a corner store in Brooklyn.
j_tso said:In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :
Aren't Mexicokes everywhere? Not as common as the plastic bottles and easy to find in TX, but I assumed they were distributed nationwide when I found them in a corner store in Brooklyn.
Probably but I go straight to Jarritos soda cuz Lime and Pineapple are the bomb.
In reply to j_tso :
Around my part of the north east the only time you find cane sugar Coke is around passover, look for the kosher mark. Otherwise suck corn.
It's pronounced "Gordo's" and yes, they were delicious!
My non=traveling friend says "THANKS"
Next stop: Petrol Lounge! A storage facility in Austin full of some really cool cars.
This is the $300,000 Z-car from Bring A Trailer:
When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
Holy E36 M3. A farm CBD with coffee? I know what I'm doing in the morning!
fusion66 said:In reply to Tom Suddard :
I wasn't sure that I could justify a $7 donut but now I am rethinking that position :)
I'm not sure the reduced fat milk is going to even this out.
Tom1200 said:When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
That BB512 does it for me.
In reply to Slippery :
Stop looking at the plebeian stuff. RS200 in road trim!
Keith Tanner said:In reply to Slippery :
Stop looking at the plebeian stuff. RS200 in road trim!
This guy gets it.
Also, looks like a rental GT350 behind the Batmobile.
Also also, the freakin' Batmobile
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Yeah. And the Batmobile was apparently a real screen-used car.
Tom Suddard said:In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Yeah. And the Batmobile was apparently a real screen-used car.
I notice that; the big station wagon and the Bugatti..........RS200 and on and on....just WOW.
Time to kill before dinner? Why not poke and prod the race car. This attitude is probably why Andy wins so much. 
Slippery said:Tom1200 said:When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
That BB512 does it for me.
I think those REALLY exotic Ferraris are an Enzo and a F40.
RacerBoy75 said:Slippery said:Tom1200 said:When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
That BB512 does it for me.
I think those REALLY exotic Ferraris are an Enzo and a F40.
I see Enzos and F40s multiple times a year in south Florida. I rarely see a BB512, it was never really oficially imported to the US.
Slippery said:Tom1200 said:When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
That BB512 does it for me.
There used to be a guy in the Cleveland area with a Koenig twin turbo 512 that he would bring to little get togethers. I'm sure it disappeared into a huge collection somewhere never to be seen again. It was the car I was there to see every time.
A coupla notes on Petrol Lounge...
Many of these cars regularly show up at COTA for track days...especially those Ford GT's...and to various Cars & Coffee/Radwood get-togethers. Both the Batmobile and RS200 were out and about recently.
There is also another building a few doors down that is not "customer facing". That's where the super-secret stuff is stashed. Celebrity owners and/or vehicles that are being hidden away for various reasons.
Is the car with the Lemans stickers (I think it's a Ford GT) an actual Lemans raced car?
Slippery said:Tom1200 said:When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
That BB512 does it for me.
Where do you see one?
In reply to Andy Hollis :
Whats the process for retrieving buried cars? Scoot a few million dollars worth of auto outside to get something from the back?
I like that detailing station inside.
and now im curious whats in the top secret storage. I bet there is a slammed, stanced AWD ford transit in there
.
wvumtnbkr said:Slippery said:Tom1200 said:When I first saw the car storage I thought how cool could the cars be?
OK they're really cool.
That BB512 does it for me.
Where do you see one?
Okay, Austin was fun but it's time to head home. I had a breakfast meeting in downtown Houston, so I left in the truck a few hours ahead of Nicole in the Porsche. Here's trip data after driving from west of Austin to downtown Houston at 85 mph:
Next stop? It's time to test out the country's fast charging infrastructure! I'll be road tripping through some of the worst infrastructure in the country, and the first stop is an Electrify America charger just outside of Houston.
Despite promising 350kw, that was only one stall and it was broken. I'm plugged into a 150kw charger while I head to the McDonalds to get a bite to eat.
I wondered if you would tow the 4 speed Cayman?
Of course, I wondered if that towing would significantly hurt EV range and require very frequent stops. Furthermore, the challenges of charging parking spaces with a trailer attached.
Tom Suddard said:Well, it's time to come clean about this trip. It's not just a trip to retrieve a broken Porsche.... it's also a trip to pick up my new truck. I've been shopping for an F-150 Lightning for months, and the best deal in the country popped up a few minutes from Andy's house a few weeks ago. Since we were already headed through here with the Porsche, it seemed like a perfect plan.
So, how did you find the best deal in the country and can you share the price publicly?
The Porsche and I hit the road at about 7:30 - it was nice to have a couple of days' break from driving, but that's over now.
Andy and Ann were amazing hosts and we can't thank them enough for their hospitality.
The next stop for me was a Texas-sized destination for a meal (for me and the car) and a bathroom break:
Tom, I found the best "Mod" for your new Lightning!
First charge is in the books! Back on the road. 
Tom Suddard said:First charge is in the books! Back on the road.
Wow, only 42 KWH charging rate? Can you use the Tesla superchargers?
frenchyd said:Tom Suddard said:First charge is in the books! Back on the road.
Wow, only 42 KWH charging rate? Can you use the Tesla superchargers?
Unless I don't understand, looks like it put in 88kwh in less than an hour. Wouldn't that be closer to 90kw/h?
I'll be honest, the units are confusing to me.
wvumtnbkr said:frenchyd said:Tom Suddard said:First charge is in the books! Back on the road.
Wow, only 42 KWH charging rate? Can you use the Tesla superchargers?
Unless I don't understand, looks like it put in 88kwh in less than an hour. Wouldn't that be closer to 90kw/h?
I'll be honest, the units are confusing to me.
I'm wondering if it didn't charge quicker initially, and then ramp down to the 42 towards the end.
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:wvumtnbkr said:frenchyd said:Tom Suddard said:First charge is in the books! Back on the road.
Wow, only 42 KWH charging rate? Can you use the Tesla superchargers?
Unless I don't understand, looks like it put in 88kwh in less than an hour. Wouldn't that be closer to 90kw/h?
I'll be honest, the units are confusing to me.
I'm wondering if it didn't charge quicker initially, and then ramp down to the 42 towards the end.
In his post, Tom says he's using a 150KW charger, so it must ramp down as it gets "fuller".
Yeah, EV batteries charge more slowly as they fill up, but the Lightning should give a solid 10 minutes or so of 160-180kw when first plugged into a 350kw charger (at least that's what the press truck I had would do).
This charger started at 130kw, then tapered to 100kw until it started declining above 80%. I needed to spend some time "slow" charging at 50kw in order to bridge the gap to the next decent charger.
In other news, dairy queen stop! Not charging, just hungry. 
That's actually how all batteries work when charging.
What I want to know is how far $15.72 gets you.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
The display showed 1.6mi per kwh, so that is roughly 145mi or a bit under ten cents per mile, if my approximations are right.
That was also while towing a car, be interesting to see what the untethered power consumption is.
Time for charger number two! This one was (surprise) also broken, and the 350kw was only giving me 60kw. I moved to a 150kw charger which is putting out just over 100kw. The truck is down to 20% full, so it should be able to take way more current than this. I'm really starting to love Electrify America....
The last leg was 210 miles, all highway, though slightly lower speeds due to heavy traffic (70-75 mph mostly). So far today I've done 392.1 miles, and averaged 2.0 miles/kWh.
And yes, all batteries charge like this. The fastest way to travel isn't to run the battery to 0% and then charge to 100%, it's to charge to 80% and hit the road again.
It's only 133 miles to New Orleans (our stop for the night), so I'll be here long enough to take a bathroom break and grab a drink, then get back on the road.
Needed a quick mental break from the road, so I pulled off to check out the Atchafalaya Welcome Center. It did not disappoint.
Not only did it have clean bathrooms and vending machines stocked with energy drinks, it also had talking animatronic critters!
10/10 rest stop, would visit again.
A friend appears!!
Running to empty and filling to full is ICE thinking :) Like Tom said, the charging rate is fastest when it's near empty and it starts to really drag above 80% - so you only go there when you have other things to do (dinner stop) or you really need that extra range for a leg. The route planner should take this into consideration.
It's actually really interesting to see charge rate vs state of charge graphs. Like a dyno chart, it ends up being about area under the curve instead of peak numbers.
wvumtnbkr said:frenchyd said:Tom Suddard said:First charge is in the books! Back on the road.
Wow, only 42 KWH charging rate? Can you use the Tesla superchargers?
Unless I don't understand, looks like it put in 88kwh in less than an hour. Wouldn't that be closer to 90kw/h?
I'll be honest, the units are confusing to me.
Current charging speed is how much power the battery is taking right now. It's 42 kW. If that continues for an hour, you'll get 42 kWh.
Think of it as the same sort of thing as instantaneous speed and distance. You can be driving at 42 mph now, and in an hour you will have gone 42 miles. But if you're in traffic, your current speed might be less than your average has been.
Obviously, since it's taken nearly 90 kWh in the past hour, it was charging at a much higher power level for most of that.
And done! Tesla Supercharger access cannot come soon enough, but I'm back on the road.
John Welsh said:I wondered if you would tow the 4 speed Cayman?
Of course, I wondered if that towing would significantly hurt EV range and require very frequent stops. Furthermore, the challenges of charging parking spaces with a trailer attached.
Towing involves expending more energy, so yes - it will definitely affect range. Same with my big Dodge. But you notice it more on an EV because of the longer fill times.
Towing with EVs is a fairly new thing, so most charging stations weren't built with that in mind. That's changing, but since we're talking physical infrastructure it's a gradual change. Flying J/Pilot has said that they'll be installing pull through chargers.
Tom is discovering why Ford was the first to make the deal with Tesla for the Supercharger network. Not for ultimate speed, but reliability. Unfortunately, that's not yet in place unless he can find one with a Magic Dock.
OK, enough from me about EVs. Back to Nicole bravely crossing Texas in a broken German car after Tom abandoned her with his new toy.
Nicole Suddard said:Needed a quick mental break from the road, so I pulled off to check out the Atchafalaya Welcome Center. It did not disappoint.
Have overnighted there many times with the motorhome. Great place.
I'm actually here to see how the Porsche Does. ( wish you well there)
I've heard how bad some chargers are. Some haters just love to spread bad news. Based on that I'm surprised you only had one failed charger so far.
Keith Tanner said:John Welsh said:I wondered if you would tow the 4 speed Cayman?
Of course, I wondered if that towing would significantly hurt EV range and require very frequent stops. Furthermore, the challenges of charging parking spaces with a trailer attached.
Towing involves expending more energy, so yes - it will definitely affect range. Same with my big Dodge. But you notice it more on an EV because of the longer fill times.
Towing with EVs is a fairly new thing, so most charging stations weren't built with that in mind. That's changing, but since we're talking physical infrastructure it's a gradual change. Flying J/Pilot has said that they'll be installing pull through chargers.
Tom is discovering why Ford was the first to make the deal with Tesla for the Supercharger network. Not for ultimate speed, but reliability. Unfortunately, that's not yet in place unless he can find one with a Magic Dock.
OK, enough from me about EVs. Back to Nicole bravely crossing Texas in a broken German car after Tom abandoned her with his new toy.
Any bets on how the Tesla cybertruck does with that?
Nicole Suddard said:Needed a quick mental break from the road, so I pulled off to check out the Atchafalaya Welcome Center. It did not disappoint.
Not only did it have clean bathrooms and vending machines stocked with energy drinks, it also had talking animatronic critters!
10/10 rest stop, would visit again.
Just don't blow the dam!
(Super interesting reading if you're interested, the Atchafalaya is where the Mississippi wants to go and the gate/dam is the only thinking keeping it from happening.)
And just like that, we made it to New Orleans! The Porsche hasn't gotten much attention because it's been boring: So far it just does its thing, cruising along in fourth gear.
Next stop is dinner, then some sleep before the final day of our trip tomorrow. Hopefully things stay uneventful.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Can confirm, the Porsche drove like a dream today.
Need to take a little side trip to the Mexico section of I-10 and do a little highway racing.
Dinner... check. Sugar... check. Time for bed.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
I miss being able to have sugar before bed....
If you have the time, Cafe du monde
Beignets and cafe au lautis
Enjoy
14 Minutes Late . was I
In reply to RacingComputers :
Its in the picture. Jackson square. Ive been there many times. If you get a chance, go to the hilton hotel, its the "convention center". Restaurant in the bottom is Drago's. Get the charbroiled oysters. They are incredible.
I find it interesting that as much as many people (here and elsewhere) like to hate on Tesla for product issues, timelines, etc., I never hear any complaints about their Supercharger network. Meanwhile, it seems EVERYONE complains about basically every other charging network, be it in the US or elsewhere.
I've experienced precisely none of them, so this is just an observation from the sidelines...
Cuchon Butcher shop is my NO favorite.
NorseDave said:I find it interesting that as much as many people (here and elsewhere) like to hate on Tesla for product issues, timelines, etc., I never hear any complaints about their Supercharger network. Meanwhile, it seems EVERYONE complains about basically every other charging network, be it in the US or elsewhere.
I've experienced precisely none of them, so this is just an observation from the sidelines...
From what I understand the supercharger reliability is due to it defaulting to active. All other chargers do the opposite, it will be interesting to see with tesla opening the superchargers to other manufacturers if that will still be the case.
Here we go: Last day of driving (as long as nothing catastrophic happens)!
I should be in for a much easier day than Tom, since this part of the country doesn't have awesome charging infrastructure, but it sure does have gasoline.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
So i take it that you are pretty happy with YOUR new Porsche?
Tom Suddard said:A friend appears!!
Those are both great colors!
I would imagine that charging stations are where you will meet most of these new friends.
Its tempting to hang out on I-10 overpasses and wave as you scoot across North Florida. Yet, somehow 105 heat indexes seem to discourage the effort. Safe travels!
Just stopped at my second charger of the day in Mobile, AL and I'm 2/2 on 350kw Electrify America stations putting out 30kw. I gave up at the first one and kept moving, but the Tesla parked next to me says he's getting decent speeds and will be back on the road in ten minutes, so I'll just wait it out. Of course, the other stalls here are broken.
This will be a long stop--I'm headed into a no-man's-land of broken chargers and will need all the range I can get.
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Actually, I'm a lot less attached to it than I expected to be. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice little car. It's just not a life-changing driving experience.
And success! I'm charging at 131kw. Not ideal, but plenty to keep moving.
BREAKING NEWS: Florida Woman Returns to Home State
I decided I'd celebrate my final state border crossing of the trip with a stop at the welcome center to stretch my legs and plan my upcoming gas/lunch stop.
Figured this charging stop was a decent lunch opportunity. Whataburger review: Meh.
Truck is full, so it's time to hit the road. Next stop? Tallahassee!
Nicole Suddard said:In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Actually, I'm a lot less attached to it than I expected to be. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice little car. It's just not a life-changing driving experience.
It's oddly impressive that its a pretty capable car that is significantly broken and whats noticeable when taking a massive road trip is it is kind of boring. That says something about how little you have to sacrifice to drive a cool car these days.
That's a great point.
Tom, does the Lightning have battery preconditioning? The battery has to be the right temp to charge quickly, so the truck should be able to manage that if it knows the charging stop is coming. Otherwise you spend the first little while at the charger waiting for the battery to heat.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Whatadisappointment
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Yes, it fires up the battery heater when it's arriving at the charger (maybe 20 miles out if I'm remembering correctly). With 100 degree ambient temps and every charger running far under its rated output, though, I haven't bothered to turn preconditioning on. I'll attempt it for the next charger--supposedly it's working as intended and should have plenty of power.
Time for a coffee stop! 84 miles from the next charger in Tallahassee with 89 miles of range.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
This is my worry with a Cayman; I've driven numerous Caymans on track but always worry I won't be as enamored with it as a road car.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Living in the Mojave Desert with things veeeeeeery far, apart your experiences only reinforce my reluctamce to ever own one of these.
Tom1200 said:In reply to Nicole Suddard :
This is my worry with a Cayman; I've driven numerous Caymans on track but always worry I won't be as enamored with it as a road car.
I mean can you really fall in love with any car based on highway cruising alone?
It's also worth mentioning that this car in particular seems to have pretty much zero options which makes it pretty bare bones, not even the dual zone climate control. Not exactly the best for making a good first impression on a long drive.
In reply to dps214 :
Yes, my Volvo 142E. I flew to Reno from Vegas to pick it up.
Within 15 miles of highway driving I feel in love with it. That great panoramic view out the front window and the way it rolled down the highway was like no other car of that vintage I'd driven.
It's 6 1/2 drive and it felt like 4 in that car.
Final charge of the trip is underway! This stop had (drumroll please...) half of its chargers broken. I had to wait a few minutes for somebody else to finish up before I got a spot. At least it's a fast charger--I'm filling up at 165kw.
I rolled into this station with 7 miles of range left, so either I did the math perfectly charging to 90% at my morning stop, or I got lucky. Draw your own conclusions:
I'm glad you made it. I always hate cutting it to single digit margins because the charge HAS TO work.
In reply to ShawneeCreek :
Yeah, the choice was cut it close to a charger with good reviews, or attempt a few shorter stops at chargers with bad reviews. I decided to roll the dice.
In reply to MrJoshua :
Giving the car the benefit of the doubt, the lackluster experience is probably due largely to the long, mostly featureless roads I've been driving in it and the fact that I've been driving conservatively to avoid breaking it further. It's entirely possible I'll fall in love with it once we fix it up and I have a chance to drive it properly.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Great minds think alike.
It's dinner time!
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
I-10 boring? Say it ain't so!
Okay, truck is at 90% and I'm headed back on the road. This was my most expensive charge yet--EA's faster chargers bill at higher rates. Once again I'm going with the slower but easier "charge all the way then do a long driving leg" because I'm not in the mood to find another charger. This should be enough power to get me the rest of the way home.
dps214 said:Tom1200 said:In reply to Nicole Suddard :
This is my worry with a Cayman; I've driven numerous Caymans on track but always worry I won't be as enamored with it as a road car.
I mean can you really fall in love with any car based on highway cruising alone?
It's also worth mentioning that this car in particular seems to have pretty much zero options which makes it pretty bare bones, not even the dual zone climate control. Not exactly the best for making a good first impression on a long drive.
A car that's designed for highway cruising, sure. My '66 Cadillac and the E39 M5 are great highway cruisers. Very different, but very much in their element. Neither are two seater sports cars :)
And just like that, I'm home!
Well, sort of.
It seemed inhumane to park Porsche in the driveway without a bath first, especially since at the last couple gas spots I had to shoo away some bold birds trying to sneak an easy bug snack off her bumper.
Much better.
Time to grab dinner and wait for Tom to get home.
Can y'all describe the differences in your trips as far as downtimes and arrival times? Meaning if you're driving an EV are you stopping often to just sit and wait vs ICE?
In reply to Stampie :
I definitely had less downtime because fueling up the Porsche doesn't take nearly as long as charging the truck. For normal day to day driving, that wouldn't be as much of an issue, but on long hauls like this it makes a difference. I also suspect I made fewer stops in general because I was bound and determined to get home quickly, and Tom is a creature who requires ice cream stops.
In reply to Stampie :
Don't forget Tom is also driving an EV that's about half as efficient as the cars. His truck is rated at 49 kWh/100 miles by the EPA, the most popular EV on the market is 28. So Tom's going to have to spend roughly 75% more time charging because he's using about 75% more electricity. Same thing happens when you compare a 28 mpg car and a 49 mpg car, but you don't notice it as much because refueling is quicker.
In day to day driving, the truck charges at night so it never has to make a specific charging stop. So you get all that stopped time back again :)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
That is what I keep going back to, to be honest... not having to go out of my way three times a week to give Sunoco or BP another fifty bucks, when I could just plug in at home and, you know... not. Long trips would be less convenient, but it isn't like I don't already have multiple cars
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
You are certainly trading daily convenience for possible trip inconvenience. I never knew how much my wife absolutely hated going to gas stations, but that's her most favoritist part about the EV. Apparently she is not alone.
And home! I took a different route than Nicole in order to avoid traffic (30 min slower). So it's roughly a two-hour time penalty to drive an EV vs a Porsche. Probably could have gotten that time closer if I'd been a bit smarter about combining stops with charging.
Stampie said:Can y'all describe the differences in your trips as far as downtimes and arrival times? Meaning if you're driving an EV are you stopping often to just sit and wait vs ICE?
I'll write more about this in the morning. Bed time tonight (sorry).
In reply to Keith Tanner :
My wife and I were laughing the other day about how much we don't miss the gas station when we use our e Golf.
It's plugged in at night so during the day it's ready to party at 80% charge which is plenty for our local activities.
The only time I plug in aside from at home is at a local grocery store that has free chargers in the parking lot. I'm a sucker for free, though I'm probably paying more for Hamburger buns and coffee pods as a result.
I think the biggest downside of not regularly visiting gas stations is not getting to use the window cleaners during the winter and during bug killing season.
My next car will likely be a hybrid and get all the long trips. My wife wants an electric car when the time comes to replace her 2006 xB. It took her 16 years to get to 100K miles, so it could be several more years before it's replaced though.
Okay, morning is here so it's time for a quick summary.
I took the lightning on a worst-case scenario for EVs: An 1150-mile all-highway trip across a part of the country that has some of the least-developed charging infrastructure anywhere.
And, honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. But it could have been a total non-issue with a few tweaks.
In total, I spent $88 and 4.08 hours charging across two days and 1150 miles. Honestly, I'd struggle to do this drive without four hours of stops in a gas truck, anyway. I charged five times total, but one of these was a false start at a slow charger, and I left after a few minutes. So that's two charging stops per day. Note that I'm not counting the slow charge to 75% I took at the hotel--it was free and I would have parked at the hotel overnight, anyway.
First, let's talk charger locations: The furthest I traveled off the highway for a charger was 12 miles. But that's only because my preferred charger (.7 miles off the highway) was broken, and the one I ended up at was just off a different highway. Every other charger was so close to the highway, I could see them while taking the exit. Most chargers are in a Walmart parking lot, which meant it was easy to find food/restrooms/etc. while waiting.
Second, let's talk charging time: The longest I charged was 1 hour 16 minutes. The second longest was 1 hour 5 minutes. These stops could have been way shorter, as I spent a disproportionate amount of time charging from 80% full to 90% full. But I had to charge all the way in order to bridge broken chargers along the route. In a world with reliable chargers, I could have saved about an hour from my trip. And a 45-minute charge also meshes better with how long of a break I like to take twice a day.
Third, let's talk charger reliability: Every single charger I stopped at had multiple broken stations, and all but one delivered less than the promised power. And this was the result with homework--there's an app for charger reviews called PlugShare that's basically charge yelp, and I used it to avoid the worst-reviewed stations along the route. When you put a destination into the truck's nav system, it automatically forecasts battery usage along the route, then picks appropriate chargers and adds them as stops. But it doesn't really read the charger reviews (just an average of the score), so the truck's recommendations would have been far slower. If most of the chargers that currently exist actually worked, then this trip would have been a total non-issue.
So what's my verdict? Honestly: Not that big of a deal. Electrify America's stations are hot garbage, but at the end of the day I did a massive trip in a really inefficient EV without significant hassle. I'm pretty impressed with how far we've come since my Nissan LEAF.
Tom, How long do you spend hanging around gas stations? "I'd struggle to do this drive without four hours of stops in a gas truck"
I fill up, use the wash room if needed and get out, maybe 15 minutes per stop? So at just guessing here 17mpg, that would be 4 stops with filling up at 20 gallons per stop for 1150 miles.
Granted, trucks these days get better than 17 mpg but would probably still be about the same number of stops.
My 22 f150 gets 20 mpg combined and I spend a lot of time at gas stations but don't think I ever spend an hour at one. This is a worse case scenario though as he said, how often do you go cross country? Most of the time it will charge in the driveway and never use that charge in a days driving.
Not totally cross country but many trips from Chicago to Carlisle, Atlanta, Daytona, South & North Carolinas.
Majority of those towing trailers.
GPz11 (Forum Supporter) said:Not totally cross country but many trips from Chicago to Carlisle, Atlanta, Daytona, South & North Carolinas.
Majority of those towing trailers.
I don't think we are there yet
My question is why are so many of the charging stations broken? Is it because of the people using it is abusing it, don't know how to use it properly, the quality of materials used to make the charging stations or is someone get paid to "break" them to slow down the rise of EV's in order to get people to stick with ICE vehicles? If it is a combination of these then it would indicate that it is not really ready for public use yet with the growing numbers.
I want one but my wife thinks they are a waste of money right now. She thinks we are at least a decade away before EV range and public charging stations are sorted out. I told her we wouldn't have to use the public charging stations and would be fine using one from home as the base. We would keep one ICE vehicle for longer trips.
GPz11 (Forum Supporter) said:Tom, How long do you spend hanging around gas stations? "I'd struggle to do this drive without four hours of stops in a gas truck"
I fill up, use the wash room if needed and get out, maybe 15 minutes per stop? So at just guessing here 17mpg, that would be 4 stops with filling up at 20 gallons per stop for 1150 miles.
Granted, trucks these days get better than 17 mpg but would probably still be about the same number of stops.
I always stop for lunch and sit down in the restaurant, even if it's just fast food--need a break from riding in the car. And I usually stop for a coffee in the afternoon and take a few minutes to stretch my legs. So not quite two hours per day, but also not 15 minutes in an 8-hour drive.
FWIW, the long charges only felt maybe 15 minutes too long. It took me 40 minutes to eat at the Whataburger from entering the restaurant, waiting to order, waiting for food, eating, then leaving.
Sine_Qua_Non said:My question is why are so many of the charging stations broken? Is it because of the people using it is abusing it, don't know how to use it properly, the quality of materials used to make the charging stations or is someone get paid to "break" them to slow down the rise of EV's in order to get people to stick with ICE vehicles? If it is a combination of these then it would indicate that it is not really ready for public use yet with the growing numbers.
I'm not sure, but I know they don't have to be: Tesla's Supercharger network is more or less identical hardware (well, it's different hardware, but does the same thing. Sort of like how a Corolla and a Civic are identical). And they're incredibly reliable. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a single broken Supercharger. A friend with a Tesla said "I've seen one charger broken, and occasionally I think I must have dreamed it because the rest are so reliable."
Assuming Ford follows through on their promises, I'll be able to charge at Superchargers next year. That will be a game changer.
Thanks for the great report ,
if you bought the EV in Washington and drove it back to Florida do you think you would had more problems out in the middle of no where ?
And how many times did you shift the Porsche into 5th gear.....oops !
My suspicion on why EAmericas charges are broken: A lack of Electricians
Keeping sabotage out of my answer but this is high juice, kill you, kind of electric work. Could be that independent contractors in each market are choosing to do less risky work. It could be that the work underpays compared to market rates.
It's possible that EAmerica has real employee electricians. If so, could be one guy covering a whole lot of geography. Overnight travel might also add to high employee turn over.
Interesting read
Glad you both had a good trip
John Welsh said:My suspicion on why EAmericas charges are broken: A lack of Electricians
Keeping sabotage out of my answer but this is high juice, kill you, kind of electric work. Could be that independent contractors in each market are choosing to do less risky work. It could be that the work underpays compared to market rates.
It's possible that EAmerica has real employee electricians. If so, could be one guy covering a whole lot of geography. Overnight travel might also add to high employee turn over.
My theory is that EA makes far more money taking subsidies to build new charging stations than it does actually selling power, so they don't bother maintaining the ones that are built. Broken charger? Who cares! We're building more stations and cashing checks!
This seems to be true for all the non-Tesla chargers. Tesla, who built the network to service their car customers, have much more motivation to keep the chargers functioning and they're not getting the federal subsidies (with some small exceptions). Plus they're vertically integrated and build/support their own hardware, which has to make things easier. I know they do software updates to them regularly, which is something that EA can't do as easily.
EA and co poisoned their own well. It was their unreliability that tipped the scales to the very rapid adoption of the Tesla network, and Ford made no secret of that when they announced it.
Tom, I'm curious on your reasoning for buying the Lightning. Decided to avoid all the gasoline you might have put in the Maverick (once it finally arrived)? Wanted to put the charger from the Leaf back into use? Don't get me wrong, the Lightnings are good vehicles. It's just that they only fit certain use cases. I'm curious how you plan on using yours.
-Sean
DeadSkunk (Warren) said:My next car will likely be a hybrid and get all the long trips. My wife wants an electric car when the time comes to replace her 2006 xB. It took her 16 years to get to 100K miles, so it could be several more years before it's replaced though.
The rate of change in EV's is astonishing. Newest thing out of Europe is charge while driving.
No contact charging.
I have a electric tooth brush that charges without contact, some phone chargers work without contact. So the process is well understood.
As a result EV's will be lighter in the future without the need for long range batteries. Just enough range to get to freeways and high trafficked roads. 50-100 miles?
Tesla just released their 26th update ( happens automatically when charging). It has 14 improvements. Among them is now your headlights turn on automatically when the windshield wipers are on. Etc.
Electric cars will work fine for me. Even the lowest range ones have more range than my bladder.
ShawneeCreek said:Tom, I'm curious on your reasoning for buying the Lightning. Decided to avoid all the gasoline you might have put in the Maverick (once it finally arrived)? Wanted to put the charger from the Leaf back into use? Don't get me wrong, the Lightnings are good vehicles. It's just that they only fit certain use cases. I'm curious how you plan on using yours.
-Sean
That's a good question! And one I'd be interested in too! My belief is there are plenty of racetracks within the range of a Lightening towing a garage.
Once the Ford can charge at Tesla superchargers and 15 minutes can add so much range ( another 65-75 miles of towing?) even more tracks will become reachable.
In reply to John Welsh :
My suspicion on why EAmericas charges are broken: A lack of Electricians
Keeping sabotage out of my answer but this is high juice, kill you, kind of electric work. Could be that independent contractors in each market are choosing to do less risky work. It could be that the work underpays compared to market rates.
It's possible that EAmerica has real employee electricians. If so, could be one guy covering a whole lot of geography. Overnight travel might also add to high employee turn over.
It's not the electricians. The electricians install the charging stations, which for them is simple work. They don't usually repair them in the field, rather they replace them with new or refurbished units when they are damaged. They may replace the connectors, if field replaceable. But most of the issues involve the software. Either between the car and the charger, or with the activation and payment method. The problem is that there are many different layers of software written by various parties that need to integrate with each other. Tesla doesn't have this problem with their network because they control the process for start to finish. They also cared that the end user had a good experience. To put it bluntly, Electrify America didn't give a berkeley about the end user. Electrify America was conceived as a punishment for Volkswagen for Diesel Gate. They just wanted to check the boxes. Many of the other subsidized stations fall into the same category. The end result isn't the main priority, checking boxes and collecting the funding is #1.
In reply to Boost_Crazy :
It is a shame that funding is not tied to, say, having a certain percentage of fully functioning units within any X mile radius. Say 90-95%, because things do break after all.
This may be a downside of Tesla's precedent. "Theirs work all the time, how hard could it be once they are installed?"
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
They are starting to do that, but it's area by area, usually around the 95% range. But the problem is that they can't agree on the metric of what signifies functional. The station itself might be functional, but if it doesn't communicate well with your particular car, or if the payment method is up and running but doesn't work for you, you get no charge from a charger considered functional. Or you can get something in between like the slow charge rate. Technically functional, and might work just fine for the next guy in a different car. Lots of finger pointing, less desire for a solution. It appears the automakers are more inclined to find a solution, hence Ford's talks with Tesla.
ShawneeCreek said:Tom, I'm curious on your reasoning for buying the Lightning. Decided to avoid all the gasoline you might have put in the Maverick (once it finally arrived)? Wanted to put the charger from the Leaf back into use? Don't get me wrong, the Lightnings are good vehicles. It's just that they only fit certain use cases. I'm curious how you plan on using yours.
-Sean
A few factors added up to this decision.
I really, really missed driving an EV. I can't overstate how wonderful it is to walk outside to a full tank every morning. And I enjoy the game/math/etc of doing long trips in them. Every time I've had an EV press car, I've spent the whole time going "wow this is awesome." Plus what's not fun about a 3.8 second 0-60.
My F-250 now has more than 200,000 miles and is 23 years old. It's still a great truck, but I was ready for something newer with more creature comforts.
I got really, really tired of putting nearly $100 of gas into my truck seemingly every time I went anywhere. And the range (250-300 miles, 200 towing) was nothing special.
I shopped gas F-150s, and realized a lightly used one with the options I wanted was $50,000.
And, lastly, I spent a week with a Lightning press car and fell in love with it.
So here's my goal: This truck will be my daily driver, and will tow to the FIRM (80 miles away) a few times per month. That's the bulk of my current towing mileage and fuel expense. It'll tow to Sebring, Roebling, etc. a few times per year with some charging stops. And once or twice per year when I race further away, I'll borrow a gas truck, rent a 3/4 ton from Enterprise, or hope for vastly improved charging infrastructure.
It's not a perfect truck for all situations. But I think it will work fairly well for mine. We'll see!
In reply to Tom Suddard :
That all makes perfect sense. Enjoy that truck. I'm sure it will bring you many smiles per mile. I like that ruby red color on it.
Also, good luck with the Porsche repairs.
californiamilleghia said:And how many times did you shift the Porsche into 5th gear.....oops !
I think Tom did it twice (the first time on purpose just to see what would happen) and I don't think I did at all, but I did embarrassingly stall the thing on a hill while leaving my Whataburger stop on the final day, which makes us about even.
Tom Suddard said:ShawneeCreek said:Tom, I'm curious on your reasoning for buying the Lightning. Decided to avoid all the gasoline you might have put in the Maverick (once it finally arrived)? Wanted to put the charger from the Leaf back into use? Don't get me wrong, the Lightnings are good vehicles. It's just that they only fit certain use cases. I'm curious how you plan on using yours.
-Sean
A few factors added up to this decision.
I really, really missed driving an EV. I can't overstate how wonderful it is to walk outside to a full tank every morning. And I enjoy the game/math/etc of doing long trips in them. Every time I've had an EV press car, I've spent the whole time going "wow this is awesome." Plus what's not fun about a 3.8 second 0-60.
My F-250 now has more than 200,000 miles and is 23 years old. It's still a great truck, but I was ready for something newer with more creature comforts.
I got really, really tired of putting nearly $100 of gas into my truck seemingly every time I went anywhere. And the range (250-300 miles, 200 towing) was nothing special.
I shopped gas F-150s, and realized a lightly used one with the options I wanted was $50,000.
And, lastly, I spent a week with a Lightning press car and fell in love with it.
So here's my goal: This truck will be my daily driver, and will tow to the FIRM (80 miles away) a few times per month. That's the bulk of my current towing mileage and fuel expense. It'll tow to Sebring, Roebling, etc. a few times per year with some charging stops. And once or twice per year when I race further away, I'll borrow a gas truck, rent a 3/4 ton from Enterprise, or hope for vastly improved charging infrastructure.
It's not a perfect truck for all situations. But I think it will work fairly well for mine. We'll see!
How is the Ford Tesla deal going to work? Can you just buy an adaptor and charge your Ford at Tesla superchargers? Or does something else need to happen first?
ps ; I too really love the color of that truck.
So, did ya'll pull the transaxle out of the Cayman yet?
In reply to John Welsh :
Electricians are in short supply period. They are rapidly approaching what doctors make with less liability.
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to John Welsh :
Electricians are in short supply period. They are rapidly approaching what doctors make with less liability.
Less liability, training usually paid for by employer (no school debt), can start making salary immediately....
Tom Suddard said:It's dinner time!
after taking a road trip recently in our F150 (2010 gas model though, boo) and having at least one more scheduled this summer, I can confirm the center console is a functional table. In fact, I considered building something out of plywood that would sit there and either clip in or be a bit more stationary and have a little lip all the way around so silverware (erm, well actually just the mayo-knife) wouldn't slip off the sides.
Oh yeah, the center console table is awesome:
I haven't pulled the Cayman's transmission yet--should be out next month, but have a few projects ahead of it.
Checking back for Cayman update.
In the words of Ted Knight (Judge Elihu Smails_) in Caddy Shack
WELL
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