Help me plan cross country drive, 914 or boxster? Options

[boxster914]

Hi everyone

I'm planning to drive from NC to Santa Barbara in late July. Back roads only, no highways.

I want to take my '71 914 but I'm concerned about the desert passage at the end of the trip. Will the car make it? How hot is that stretch and is there cell phone service?

Rough plan right now is to follow Route 66 starting in OK then Tucumcari NM to Flagstaff, Seligman AZ, Needles AZ to Santa Barbara. The Needles to Santa Barbara leg is what I'm worried about.

I have driven from NC to CO July 2019 and took the car over Independence Pass (12k feet). It did fine. The car is dialed in with every system addressed (still FI) and it gets regular year-round use.

I could also drive my Boxster. Would A/C be necessary in the desert? I've never driven through the desert before.

Anyone take this route? Thoughts? Advice?

Here they are:

[willieg]

I lived in the outback of Wester Australia(redundant?) for two years and learned never to refuse A/C if offered. Take the Boxster!

[wonkipop]

I lived in the outback of Wester Australia(redundant?) for two years and learned never to refuse A/C if offered. Take the Boxster!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

oh yeah its hot out there up north in WA.
been there when i lived for a few years in perth.

funny thing is 25 years ago no-one had auto AC much here.
especially out there. just toyota land cruisers. land cruisers, land cruisers and land cruisers.

there was a school of thought you were better to travel without AC.
that way you are conditioned to the environment. just stay shaded and out of the sun.
driving a car fitted that requirement. but not an open topped car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
better to be in that state than step out of the refridgerated car if you bog in sand, or break down. just drink plenty of water.

old saying in australia. "only mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)


doesn't apply anymore as average aussie is now more stoopid than an englisman.
post covid there have been repeated rescues of city folk in the outback bogging their lux 4 wheel drives towing vast caravans. guess what color the cars and vans are.
black.

everyone, no exceptions only used to drive white cars out in the outback.
car doesn't turn into a broiler oven when you break down.
there are no trees for shade. there is only your car. and your hat!

i drove the nullabor back in jan 93 to go to perth.
the treeless plain.
did it in high summer, had to get over there for an academic position to ride out the recession of the early 90s. i did it in the old type 3. no problems.
no shade.

if any of you ever want to take the ultimate highway - thats the one.
highway 1 across australia from east to west along the bottom.
back then the highway had two sorts of vehicles on it.
convoys of road trains travelling nose to tail with rubber buffers on the roo bars.
fuel economy. they took it in turns to take the lead position and cut the wind.
you got right off the highway when you saw them coming because a rolling hail of rocks followed them. the others were holden station wagons with 4 to 5 japanese 20 year old males. and a motorbike. they took it in turns to ride banzai with headbands on with red dots and no helmet. at flat tilt. the station wagon was the support vehicle.
what a time!!!!! i stopped and talked to the japs at quite a few places.
real interesting. they were there for the samurai breakout before they went back and "conformed". great guys. beah drinkers.

look closely and you can spot my variant parked at edge of it all.
nothing left except antarctica somwhere south.
and a sh%tload of 25 foot white pointers swimming around in the water at the bottom of the cliffs.



if an old squareback can drive right across australia in a treeless desert where its real hot a 914 can make it across the USA desert.
its just how comfortable do you want to be. and can you make it.