Bringing the bimmer back from Cali; what to bring in the carry-on.

[southsails]

Mosdef no radar detector needed in an ETA.

When I had my M3 and was living in LA, I would drive out to Vegas in the morning, hope to make it big, and if I didn't (most often the case) I would drive back early AM the next day. That oxygen they pump into the casinos can keep you going.

[M42]

How about a radar detector ??
Might not need it with a ETA ;)

good luck

[AdironRider]

Who needs a hotel in Vegas. Party all night, sleep off booze in car. Wake up and drive.

[OptimusGlen]

we stayed in Vegas on our trip :) good times.

Also spent 2 days in Colroado snowboarding :D

[southsails]

I would stay in Vegas but it adds another hour or two total to the trip. As it is right now, I think I'm footing the first half of the trip by myself, and may catch up w/ a buddy when I get near the Mississippi. The temptation of Vegas is that I turn a couple hundred bucks into an E30 M3.

Laughlin is also $26 a night.

Edit: Woowoo. Got a buddy's GPS and a "do it yourself" Haynes manual. Better than nothing. Does anyone have a 3.25 diff I can pick up on the way?

Ben,
That is a damn good deal, and thanks very much for the offer, but I think I'm not going to be able to get down to San Diego in my time frame (car is in the middle of Cali, and I'm supposed to be in Laughlin, NV that night)... somebody should pick them up tho, b/c for both manuals, it's a steal.

laughlin fucking sucks stay in vegas...only an hour north

[southsails]

Picked up a copy of the Haynes manual and the AAA books for the states I'm driving through (useful for those $26 hotels).

[Ben Carufel]

Ben,
That is a damn good deal, and thanks very much for the offer, but I think I'm not going to be able to get down to San Diego in my time frame (car is in the middle of Cali, and I'm supposed to be in Laughlin, NV that night)... somebody should pick them up tho, b/c for both manuals, it's a steal.

OK, just thought I'd throw that out there. I noticed them the other day and thought to myself "Damn, that's a good deal..."

[southsails]

Ben,
That is a damn good deal, and thanks very much for the offer, but I think I'm not going to be able to get down to San Diego in my time frame (car is in the middle of Cali, and I'm supposed to be in Laughlin, NV that night)... somebody should pick them up tho, b/c for both manuals, it's a steal.

[FredK]

Yeah, Jscotty is definitely right. Epoxy putty is MAGIC at solving random holes that appear in random places. Fuel tank, radiator, floor, etc.

[Ben Carufel]

My damn Bentley manual didn't show up on time. Are there any parts stores that I could get this from? I'm going to try and find a Haynes manual just in case.

Dude, your timing is perfect. I spotted this on Craigslist the other day...

This person is within 2 square miles of me judging by them saying they're in "University City". I'd be happy to buy these for you if you promise to pay me back for them when you get here.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/bks/285586050.html

[southsails]

My damn Bentley manual didn't show up on time. Are there any parts stores that I could get this from? I'm going to try and find a Haynes manual just in case.

[OptimusGlen]

you should have 8mm,10mm-19mm, wrenches, shallow sockets and deep sockets a couple cresent wrenches big and small, vice-grips, screwdriver assortment, zip-ties, cloth tape or duct tape, tire iron, breaker-bar or large pipe, and a bag of trail-mix :) thats waht I bring along whenever I road-trip it.

edit: oh and spare fuses, a roll of wire, some connectors, box cutter, and a wire crip/cutter

edit again: and a Bently if you have one

[southsails]

I won't be heading into winter weather until Missouri. By that time I am one day away from Pittsburgh.

Full set of sockets, or just a partial set? I can very well pack the whole metric Husky set into my checked baggage... but am wondering if that is necessary. Also. Breaker bar?

I was thinking about picking up an alternator at Napa. Not sure about hoses vs. hose repair kit.

[OptimusGlen]

Sorry, no time to read through 3 pages, so here it goes.

I bought my car from Cali. about a year and a half ago, drove it from there to MN (home) and it had 180ish k on the clock.

Bring a toolbag with normal tools, be ready to purchase tools and/or jack/jackstands just in case. Buy a few jugs of water and coolant, some oil, and wahetver else.

Have your route planned out, and don't do it in the winter. We hit some MAJOR storms going through the mountains, almost died probably a handfull of times. At one point we were taking a detour around Nebraska, got on a closed hwy in SouthDakota, stopped up the road because a caliperbolt went missing... fixed it and found ourselves surrounded by 7 SD state troopers.

lugbolts double as caliper bolts, in a pinch... FYI.

invest in AAA Gold. (tow up to 100 miles)