Joe G's Cross Country Adventure. JOURNEY COMPLETE! Pic heavy

[MR 325]

Drive safe, the E30 will do just fine!

[Joe G]

Update: I am departing now as opposed to 5am. I didnt get to bed until 2am because i needed to meet with Levent and i really didnt want to drive 8hours on 3 hours of sleep.

Peace out East Coast!

Which school? Best of luck.

Thanks! Ill be at Spokane Falls first semester, then Whitworth for the remainder of my education. I was going to attend KU and live with my Ex, but we broke up so now I'm headed west to live with some buddies and go to school. I couldn't get my application in on time for Whitworth, so its a semester at Spokane Falls for now.

Mr. Sleeve: Thanks, I'm really not sure what route I will be taking yet. Is 2 as direct as 94? and is it a more scenic drive?

[mrsleeve]

Speed limits are similar across ND and MT. 2 is mostly 2 lane non divided highway but speed limit is 70 and other than the little towns can prolly get away with 80 with out
issue.

94/90 is standard 4 lane divided limited access interstate. You dont have to deal with the little towns, and speed limit is 75 and again much over 80 and you looking at a driving award, form the constabulary.

2 is the more scenic route for sure its parallels the historic great northern railway for the most part. It will eliminate 2 mountain passes on your trip and you will go over the continental divide at the low pass of only 5200'. its a little more outta the way but for if I have time I like it as opposed to the interstates.

Either way once you get in to western MT and ID the scenery from either 2 or 90 is out standing all the way to Coeur d'Alene/ Spokane.

I am about 2 hours north of Missoula, if you do run into issues on 90 in western MT.

[Joe G]

Day one has been completed.

I met up with Levent from Guten Parts last night for a parts delivery before i left...He is the man. He went out of his way to get me everything i needed for my car!

Our cars chillen together (sorry for the shitty pic)


I finally left at 9:30am from my parents house in Long Island...that was a big mistake. It took me about 45 Minutes from the midtown to Lincoln tunnel in lots of stop and go bullshit, less than ideal start to my journey. But then again it could have been A LOT worse.

Last time I'm going to see the city for a while


Found this a little amusing, I assume its a female equivalent to a cock block. I guess chicks have some sort of point system.


The enterance to the Lincoln went down to one lane and was bumper to bumper stopped traffic. The guy in front of me just didnt have the patience...
That was a serious curb, and there was lots of front tire spin.



Pennsylvania welcomed me with 50 minutes to go 4 miles over the Deleware Water Gap, as soon as i could get off 78 i did and took back highways for a while before i got back on 78 where it was moving again.


I got really bored early on in the day...


Nicest car spot of the day, we had a nice run up to about 110. His car sounded great, but it was no match for the e30! (again sorry for the shitty pic)


Best interference vehicle of the day. I followed him at 80-90mph for 3 hours, it was great.


Just a cool PA mountain tunnel pic.


Lunch Time, soo good.


Huge cool windmills in central PA.


Ohio Welcomed me at around 6PM, and i finished out the drive rocking out like this.


Thats all for today. Despite some traffic and rain i think it was a good day. Car ran and handled it like a champ. Tomorrow she gets new brake pads, starter, and maybe some shifter bushings if i have time.

[mrsleeve]

^

Hahaha I hate the water gap, its such a PIA 99% of the time I have had make work runs into Jesery CT and NYC. I was just in that Tunnel on 78 not too long ago. (Yeah I Work in PA for the most part)

[rich4rdee]

so you womped that 911 turbo?

[mr.vang]

look like a fun trip...have fun mate

[Joe G]

^

Hahaha I hate the water gap, its such a PIA 99% of the time I have had make work runs into Jesery CT and NYC. I was just in that Tunnel on 78 not too long ago. (Yeah I Work in PA for the most part)

I've left for ohio after 5am twice in my life...both times the water gap destroyed me. Live and learn. The 50mins of traffic beats driving 9 hours with 3 hours of sleep.

so you womped that 911 turbo?

haha not quite, but it gave me some much needed stress relief to play with it after all the traffic.

[CabbE30]

I like this.
Hope all goes well.

[Rsully70sev]

I'm liking this. Props man, I couldn't do a drive like that. I drove to San Diego straight (9 hours, 550 miles) and I was DEAD body for the next few days.

[ohthejosh]

i hope you keep posting cool cars you race lol. less traffic pics, moar idiots on curbs. ;)

[mrsleeve]

Joe looks like you got out just in time, there be a nasty storm a brewin on a b line for Long Island

[GThomas]

Best of luck, always wanted to do this. Keep the pics coming!!

[Joe G]

Thanks for the luck wishes everyone. Rear brakes are done, new starter is going in now. Bushings and Throw out bearing will be done in Minnesota(i dont have all the tools i need here). The plan is to have one very mechanically sound car by my arrival in washington.

[Joe G]

Having arrived at my dads house in ohio which contains the majority of my tools, jack, and jack stands it was E30 Maintenance time.



First priority was replace the nearly non-existent rear brake pads with some Textar replacements.



I also happened to find my bentley manual sitting on my dresser when i arrived. No idea where it came from, i thought it was long gone. Anyway, it was my assistant in the brake pad replacement.



Rear pads done. I was going to put my new Hawk HP Plus pads on the front, but since my stock front pads still have plenty of life, i opted to hold off and wait til i get to my destination. No sense in wasting quality pads on boring highway driving.

Next project: the strarter....and what a motherf*&#er it was.

Intake manifold off

My least favorite part of this car is officially the nut/washer closest to the firewall that hold the intake mani on...those 2 pieces are pure evil.



bad pic, but the valves looked very clean


So getting the starter out once the intake mani was off wasnt too bad. I ended up jacking the car up to access the lower starter bolt....when i got under the car i was having a lot of trouble locating the bolt....maybe thats because the A$$hole MOTHERF&*#ER who worked attempted the swap didnt put that bolt it. Gee, i wonder why my starter was slipping. I made this discovery at 5:50pm on a friday. I called Anson of Best Motor Werks in Columbus, Ohio. Lucky for me he was staying til 6:30 and said he had one. By the time i got off the phone with him i had 30 minutes to drive 40 miles. I went to take my dads jeep...it wont stay running. Next was the '85 silverado, that too wont stay running. Last resort, '59 corvette :). Its a little ironic that out of an '87 bmw, '85 chevy, and a '06 jeep that the vette was the most reliable of them all. Anyway, i hauled ass in style to Columbus and got the bolt.

By the time i got back it was dusk, and time for chipotle and beer.

Day 3:

I woke up and dove right in. The new starter went in fine, it was just a pain in the ass to bolt in(very tight quarters). Anyway, starter in, intake manifold back on (20 minutes of which was getting that damn nut and washer closest to the firewall on). So i hooked up all my vacuum lines, wires, hose clamps, and battery. Turn the key and hear a delightful WHIRRRRRR, try again, yup my car sounds like a blender. Now its about 11am, im sweaty as hell, covered up to my elbows in grease/dirt and infuriated. I jack the car back up and go at it(there was no way in hell i was taking the intake mani off again. Starter out, checked all the wire connections, put it back in...same whirrring. Now im incredibly frustrated. So i went inside, got on R3V and watched that "Fuck your subaru, I've got a horse outside" video about 3 times and felt a lot better. Then with a clear head I had an epiphany. I bought an S50 starter for a car with a getrag 260, not a ZF...hence my non-engaging starter. Time to put my used, abused, and slipping starter back in.

As of 2 o'clock today I've removed the starter(s) 3 times and now im confident i could do it blind folded. Luckily Levent said i can mail back the S50 starter and he will mail me a proper M20 unit.

And all i have to say to my car today is.......






btw, Im white.

Tomorrow i depart for Lawrence, KS. No longer going to Chicago. My Ex lives in Lawrence and I need to return a bunch of her stuff and shipping would cost a ton. I also am trying to win her back, wish me luck.