To Ship Or Not: A Potential E30 Cross Country Voyage

[thatphysicsguy]

I just drove from southern California to upstate new york last week. Only thing I had to do along the way was top up the oil once!

I did a major engine maintenance beforehand, but it is definitely possible and very much enjoyable! Just make sure to have extras just in case along with contacts for help along the way and you'll be fine!

[LJ851]

Road Trip.

The answer is always Road Trip.

[MikeDE]

Keep it and drive it. An e30 with a history like that is a keeper. I sold my M42 Touring and regret it, even though I am looking at buying it back, it's not the same.

[ainadude]

highway driving puts the least stress on car... drive it

^ This ... plus, as others have pointed out, it's potentially a great adventure. Granted, you're not apt to save much money versus flat-bedding it (given gas, oil, lodgings and food along the way), but there's no reason not to make the trip on your own if your maintenance is up to date, tires and brakes are good, etc. Could be four or five of the most memorable days of your life.

That said (again, as others have noted), you need to be prepared for the worst. Given that you'd be doing the trip in November, cold weather is your main worry. Bring plenty of drinking water, energy bars, a good warm coat/hat/gloves/snow boots, a sleeping bag/blankets sufficient for subzero temps at night, auto cell phone charger, printed maps, etc. Contact info for r3v members along the route wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Sounds like a long list, but much better to have and not need.

I did a similar (but shorter) trip three years ago, driving my 325is from Las Vegas to Kansas City. Brought all of the above but wished I had a warmer sleeping bag when the highway patrol closed the Interstate in the middle of the night due to icing. Had to bundle up in the car and was afraid to fall asleep without running the heater (and I was low on gas). Trust me, it gets chilly in Midwest/Mountain states in the middle of the night!

Finally, not a bad idea to try to gas up whenever your tank hits the halfway mark. Again, plan for the worst. If you get tired, it's easy to take the wrong exit and get lost, at which point you may have a hard time finding a station out in the boonies, at which point your epic adventure can become the stuff of direct-to-video slasher content.

Anyway, take the plunge and see the country you live in. This may be your only chance.