I drove this from Portland to Sacramento in a day. It is a lot more uncivilized than the one you’re proposing to drive. Climb through a cage to get in and out? No gas gauge? Six cylinder screaming at you through a basic race interior? LOUD exhaust?

You’re almost pampered in comparison!

Drive it!! My dad and I brought a "new" to us '65 356 Cab from LA to Des Moines IA back in the mid 80's. Only one little hiccup and a trip I'll never forget. A few years ago my older son and I flew to TN to drive a 911 back to IA.

Do it, especially if your son inherited the car gene...Click to view attachment

Roll cage to climb through? Check
Loud basic race interior? Check.

You got me on the gas gauge but I am lacking functional turn signals, and at least you have side windows.

I pray we don’t encounter bees...

When you get your route and timing figured out post it so those of us between your starting point and ending point can pay attention in case you need assistance.

I know there are people willing to lend a hand if needed along the way.

Jim

Hell no! Don’t do it!!
[b]
You may enjoy yourselves so much you might be tempted to buy strays all around the country and have epic tales to tell.

Road Trip, For Sure! Few opportunities, such as this potential road trip, come our way in our hectic "always busy" lives. Life is meant TO LIVE and who better to share such an experience with than your young son. Bonding in this way is priceless... in my humble opinion. Travel light, plenty of water, some snacks, some cash your AAA card and you're golden! Plan your itinerary and the rest will work itself out! Safe travels and enjoy yourselves!

You have to wait for 30 days after a tow to put the extended tow with AAA. I know as I paid $300 to get towed to Lemons home and then had to wait. At least I have it in place now.

Bob B

One way airplane tickets and hotel reserved for mid-July. I'm now committed.

OK, get the big AAA tow package. Get you son on the card and double the use of the card.


Great road trips are never forgot. UPS some tools in advance of you getting there.
It would be nice to have more than a stock kit with you


Bob B

Right on!

Everyone along the proposed route should let Dave know where they are and can lend assistance if needed, but we know the run will be flawless.

Yes! Huge support network. And go Dave! Take lots of pics.

Do it. My 15-year old daughter and I fly to Hartford, CT Tuesday morning to pick up a car and drive back over a couple days. I did a similar trip with my (then) 13-year old son picking up a Corvette in Pennsylvania. These are precious opportunities that should not be taken for granted! Make the time...

Tony/Cracker

I know you meant to say "Laguna Seca to Petaluma to stop and see Chris on our way to Sacramento..."

Let us know when you'll be here!

Chris

Less than 3 weeks before departure. I am getting psyched for this!

Ear plugs, sun screen, hats, water, snacks. I cant wait until my kid is old enough for these kind of adventures

I hope for no rain.

Definitely ear plugs. Betty and I were coming back from the Atomic Ramble in ABQ. No ear plugs, MFI six with a somewhat free flow muffler. We stopped for gas. We were wondering why people kept looking at us, until we realized we were shouting at each other. Definitely take ear plugs.

Have a great trip!!!

Less than 48 hours before we leave, and I am hurrying to gather up parts and supplies. Realized I can’t carry a spare lithium jumpstarter, nor a tire flat repair kit, through TSA so will buy those locally before we depart.

My mechanic pal has the gel coat glass hood and deck installed, so 80 lbs or so lighter. MB111’s sport GT stainless exhaust gets installed tomorrow, just in time. Hope the sound is just right.

Triple A platinum card secured, spares include relays, fan belt, throttle and clutch cables, and cause I am paranoid, a spare MSD box and coil.

Heat is the main challenge - gotta leave Palm Springs super early to beat the 104 degree heat. Hope to avoid AM traffic by heading out to Victorville and then to Frazier Park, then back roads to Hwy 101. If Big Sur is open, cross my fingers, we will stay on 1. Otherwise, 101. Need to land in Roseville for a night. From there, temps will dictate whether we hit Hwy 70 and then 44 to 299 to the coast, or beeline up to RedBluff and hit 3-36-299.

Last day is the long haul from lower Oregon coast. Not keen to stay on 101with low speeds and lotsa RVs, but temps may keep us there. The car is geared for autocross so long stints on the Interstates at 75 are no bueno.

I hope I don’t need to call on the good nature of this forum, but if I do, you have my undying thanks in advance.

Read this for added inspiration. Thanks,

Just learned Hwy 1 opens 11 am on the 20th! woohoo!

Very fun section of roads..

Pine Canyon
Cerro Noroeste
CA 58

I need some advice from anyone familiar with the roads from Victorville to Lancaster on this stretch of Day 1: https://binged.it/2uwfjq9

The road I'm looking at is Pine Canyon Rd - wondering if this is decent and worth taking (vs. staying on 138).

Thinking I gas up once in Frazier Mountain, and again at the end of the route. I am usually seeing 20-22mpg from the 3.2, giving me a decent range between fillups.

I am avoiding Hwy 2 - it is long, may have some construction/repaving, and I want to save up energy for the rest of the trip. I've done this Hwy on a motorcycle (same with Mulholland) so nothing I need to experience.

Don’t be lured to take 101 north from SLO instead of taking 1 up the coast. Fantastic news that it’ll be open! Currently it’s 103 degrees south of King City. The entire Salinas valley can be a scorcher!!
Two summers ago I was driving the Central California section of Air Head Part’s Treffen with a friend in my ‘73 1.7. When we hit Monterey we were directed inland to the 101 because the Sobrenes fire had just kicked off in Big Sur. It hit 107 that day in the long, long Salinas Valley! It was brutal!

Actually, right now it’s 107 south of Bradley and north of San Miguel on 101! Take the coast!!

Best Wishes and have a great trip!!!

Good luck on the journey.....east coast guy here with longest trip in 914 being 108 miles to our beach house. "Gusty-ballsy" (as my friends like to say) trip for you. Have fun and safe travels.

Be ready for lots of waves and thumbs up. Everyone will be smiling when they see you. You’re leading a one float parade

I remember when everyone (including me) had a tool kit and spares for almost everything so we could fix on the side of the road.

These days its just "AAA and send it."

Defiantly agree to do the road trip.

Zach

Where's our update?

Made it out of Palm Desert early today, with a short fun run up 74 to Idywild and back on 243 to Beaumont. Fun road, which was good because the next 4 hours were pretty brutal. We saw 103 and it was not fun. Cooling towels and ice water bucket helped. The best was the run from Frazier Mountain to the cutoff to Ojai, didn’t pass anyone from Pine Mountain west. Temps on the coast were very welcome. We’ve decided to stay on the coast as long as possible up into OR. Will pass through SF tomorrow. I may have to add an extra day, as we are trying to keep it the runs comfy, meaning under 400 miles.

Car is running just fine, oil temps never exceeded 210 and hover around 190. An 18 qt oil tank is to thank. Biggest challenge beside heat is noise. The ear plugs help but the exhaust is LOUD.

Kid is having a blast. Fingers crossed the car continues to shine. Pix will post later.

"Kid is having a blast."

Nice!

Heading back to New Hampshire from NYC in my 71 VW bus on a Sunday after noon in 86 or 87, I lost a cylinder on Rt. 84 in CT. Made it up the next exit ramp and into a closed, gas station parking lot. Had my older daughter and her mother with me. Lots of tools and spares too. Pulled the valve covers to discover that #1 exhaust rocker had eaten it's way through the thrust/spring washers and the retaining clip on the rocker shaft. Called my brother in-law, who had a non-running bus in northern Westchester from a pay phone, and asked him to go out and pull the rocker assembly, then deliver it to me! He did and the rest is history--still talk to the kid, age 32, but not her mom!

Sorry I missed this thread, I would have had a fire truck cool down your 914 as you drove through Victorville.

Have only driven the road between Frazier Park and the Ojai cut-off once. Nice twisty road! Unfortunately, I was driving our 12 passenger Ford van! Now, highway 33 (the road to Ojai) is amazing. I have driven it in a 914 (my 1.7). It’s an amazing! If you get down that way again, definitely plan to drive it!!

Comments sent from Paris, France -

400 miles left to go, about 1100 behind me, so far running perfect.

Kid is Still having a blast!!

So are there two car nuts in your family now?

Love starting my day with a big grin!

The home stretch...way to embrace an adventure!

Tony

Memories never get thrown into a dumpster.
The rest of our stuff will get there eventually.

You guys will talk about this trip for many years!

We arrived home late afternoon today, tired and beat. Grand total for the trip:

1556 miles
~80 gallons of fuel pumped
21 avg mpg (not bad for an older 3.2)
12 terrific meals
10 stellar roads
Three hotels
0 914's spotted on the route
0 mechanical breakdowns
0 performance awards
too many memories made to count

Only car issues: my rear brake lights aren't working - no way to tell if this was the whole route or not (nobody flashed me). Didn't notice this until we got home - no fuses or bulbs burned out so I'll have to chase it down.

So so glad I made this tip with my son. Longest day was 461 miles (about 10 hours with traffic and stops). In Coos Bay, we bunked down with a group of VW owners on a Treffen run from San Diego to Port Angeles and back, so I was pretty humbled versus my own long haul.

Kudos for the ear plug suggestion - car is just too damn loud to drive without it. There's a loud drone from about 2500-3500 rpm, and quite loud otherwise. Ok for the track but not sure if this is ok for the street.

Oil temps averaged 180-190, highest was 215 going up the grapevine during a short section, where the temp hit 104. I dressed for the heat, but forgot how cold the coast was - it was low 50's this AM on the Oregon coast.

Thanks for all the tips and encouragement - I am not sure I would have done this trip without the feedback, and am confident in the car to try another trip, perhaps not as long (or in shorter segments).

Pix:

I got a personal escort out of town from a dear friend who has a wicked 2.2 911


















Highway 36 in Oregon:

Links to videos:
Highway 36 in Oregon

Having Fun in Big Sur on Hwy 1

My own private racetrack leaving Pine Mountain

Chasing my friend's 911 up Hwy 74

Glad you made it home safe...
Did you add any oil ??

An epic adventure that will become part of your family history!

I have an 18 qt front mounted oil tank - none needed.

Awesome! And thank you!

Glad to hear all went well! That’s so cool to do that with your kid! Great memories for life!

Welcome home

Epic! Thanks for sharing

That's the one.. part of my weekly commute for about a year.

Glad to here you made it home safe!

The treffen group must have been the Air Head Parts 20th. Great group! Had planned to participate again this year, but am out of the country.

Blessings to you,