slickfast
Veteran Member
Hey guys,
So this is my first posting ever on TDIClub, and I plan to make this thread my log of my road trip experience. If you want to check out a car history of how I got to this point, check this out if you get a chance.
Introduction
Since my girlfriend and I are both graduating from college (I already did and she is about to), I figured now is the time to go on the road trip of a lifetime before we both start work (and to use up whatever money we have left... more on that later). We're leaving from my house in CT and that's really all that is concrete at this point. That's not to say we don't have a plan though...
Where we're going (more or less):
This is always changing, but this is more or less it. Some key points:
-Washington DC
-Nashville, TN
-New Orleans, LA
-Dallas, TX
-Roswell, NM
-Santa Fe, NM
-The Four Corners
-Grand Canyon
-Las Vegas, NV
-As close to Area 51 as we can get
-Death Valley, CA
-Los Angeles, CA
-Yosemite National Park
-Sequoia National Park (maybe)
-San Francisco, CA
-Bonneville Salt Flats
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Yellowstone National Park
-Mt. Rushmore
-Badlands National Park
-Oshkosh, WI (if the airshow is going on)
-Niagara Falls
-HOME
Quite a list! If you have more that lay more or less along our route, please suggest them! We're always looking for fun spots to stop in.
What we're taking:
Right away we start off with a challenge: the car. I have a gas guzzling 1997 Subaru legacy (23 mpg tops),
and a 99 BMW M3 (27 mpg on the highway)
That means for our 8300 mile trip that means roughly $1500 in gas costs alone. Did I mention I don't have a lot of money? To free up some cash for this whole schpeel, the M3 and the Subie have to go (PM me if you're interested in buying one of them!).
In their place I'm planning on replacing them with the new-to-me efficiency of a TDI-powered VW. I'm planning on spending around 4 to 5 grand and hope to get a 1999.5-2005 Manual-transmissioned Jetta. Once I get whatever I get, I'm going to go through it and replace everything it needs and more, starting with the timing belt and water pump. Then I'll probably go into the suspension bushings, shocks, and possibly tires+wheels. I want something efficient that's still fun to drive. Since I obviously won't get that fun out of the power, I'm planning on getting it out of a tactile suspension setup.
And that's all we have planned at the moment! I'll be posting back here with updates. Feel free to tell me what you think, what car would be the best for the trip, etc.
I love this forum... it's possibly one of the most information-packed forums on the web, bar none.
So this is my first posting ever on TDIClub, and I plan to make this thread my log of my road trip experience. If you want to check out a car history of how I got to this point, check this out if you get a chance.
Introduction
Since my girlfriend and I are both graduating from college (I already did and she is about to), I figured now is the time to go on the road trip of a lifetime before we both start work (and to use up whatever money we have left... more on that later). We're leaving from my house in CT and that's really all that is concrete at this point. That's not to say we don't have a plan though...
Where we're going (more or less):
This is always changing, but this is more or less it. Some key points:
-Washington DC
-Nashville, TN
-New Orleans, LA
-Dallas, TX
-Roswell, NM
-Santa Fe, NM
-The Four Corners
-Grand Canyon
-Las Vegas, NV
-As close to Area 51 as we can get
-Death Valley, CA
-Los Angeles, CA
-Yosemite National Park
-Sequoia National Park (maybe)
-San Francisco, CA
-Bonneville Salt Flats
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Yellowstone National Park
-Mt. Rushmore
-Badlands National Park
-Oshkosh, WI (if the airshow is going on)
-Niagara Falls
-HOME
Quite a list! If you have more that lay more or less along our route, please suggest them! We're always looking for fun spots to stop in.
What we're taking:
Right away we start off with a challenge: the car. I have a gas guzzling 1997 Subaru legacy (23 mpg tops),
and a 99 BMW M3 (27 mpg on the highway)
That means for our 8300 mile trip that means roughly $1500 in gas costs alone. Did I mention I don't have a lot of money? To free up some cash for this whole schpeel, the M3 and the Subie have to go (PM me if you're interested in buying one of them!).
In their place I'm planning on replacing them with the new-to-me efficiency of a TDI-powered VW. I'm planning on spending around 4 to 5 grand and hope to get a 1999.5-2005 Manual-transmissioned Jetta. Once I get whatever I get, I'm going to go through it and replace everything it needs and more, starting with the timing belt and water pump. Then I'll probably go into the suspension bushings, shocks, and possibly tires+wheels. I want something efficient that's still fun to drive. Since I obviously won't get that fun out of the power, I'm planning on getting it out of a tactile suspension setup.
And that's all we have planned at the moment! I'll be posting back here with updates. Feel free to tell me what you think, what car would be the best for the trip, etc.
I love this forum... it's possibly one of the most information-packed forums on the web, bar none.
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