hey guys i just got off the phone and it looks liek i am going to be excepted to Wyotech in sacramento california.... any way i live in northern new york so its going to be a bout 3000 or so miles and i plan on taking my car with me to colledge because i am more then likely going to stay there when im done..

any way i am being forced to drive my car because my parents will not help me out to car dolly it there and i cant afford to ship it there.... so i am going to drive it...

the car has 65,000 miles on it
engine: Lb9 305 tpi
tranny: 700r4
rear end: 323s

i have never driven this far in mile life before and im told it is 3 major high ways that i will have to take to get there.... but im tryign to find out is about how much in gas this is goign to cost me to those of you that have made simulare distance trips in your car before.....

about how many days is this going to take me to drive to sacramento.... what i realy want to know is what about am i going to spend in gas for this car to get there

im also goign through everythign i can think of on the car to make sure it gets me there.... the only thing i am worried about drive train wise is my tranny has 2 pan bolts that are stripped out so it leaks slowely over time so i am def going to have to get that fixed so i dont have to fill up at every rest stop...

any way help me out guys.....i know soem of you have had to make trips liek this int he past...

also shoudl i be worried about anythign ont he car going while im driving it there...... as of now its a good runner im just replacing a bunch of front end parts as we speak due to hitting a dear last summer on my way home from work... so hopefuly i can fix it in time...
i still need:
nose
hood
tpi air box
radiater shroud
driver side fender

one way or another the car is coming with me.... i am not leaving it up here in the north to rot away..... ounce i get acustomed to california i am going to start modding the crap out og my camaro... right now its goign to look like crap with all diff colored front end parts but i dont care nothing a little paint cant take care of...

any way i need to know how much a car with this drive train combo is goignto cost me in gas.... also the engien is all pretty much stock with 65000 miles on it well the whole car ...

thanx for the help guys...also this is the only forum that semi fit the topic so sorry about that...
also here is a pic of my car as it stands right now to remind you guys what ill be driving down...

 

For the trip itself, get some driving directions from www.mapquest.com

As for the drive itself, plan on about 3-4 days to get there by car.



A LONG WAY. 2800 miles.

 

hey bro. thats going to be a long trip!! i live in cali about 45 min from sac. if you need anything let me know. we can meet somewhere and do somthing. when are you planing on coming over here???

 

I did 2200 miles from Iowa to San Luis Obispo, CA, in my pos 86 Z28 LG4 with a tired 700R4. It took 2 days - 1 15hr day, 1 17hr day, stopping every 200 miles for a stretch and some gas. I put a tranny cooler on just before going, changed the oil, and put a new water pump and radiator hoses on. It also recently had new tires.
You'll probably find out that your car will hate going up the Rockies. They are steep and already at a high altitude. It makes an LG4 cry, and a 700R4 whimper in pain. Also, check the weather in whatever mountain pass you're taking. It tends to snow earlier there.
Make sure your charging system is in tip top shape too. I'd also recommend a really good alignment.

It'll cost at around $300 in gas, I'd guess - with todays prices.

You have a seriously long drive - like 45-48 hrs. I'd do it in 3.5+ days.

Good Luck.

 

Hey Man!

Welcome to the land of fruits and nuts!

Seriously though, I think you will like Sacramento. AWESOME weather, incredible fishing, not far from Tahoe, and a pretty decent F-body community from what I can tell.

Check out the "West" regional board to make some new friends. It looks like you will fit right in.

 

im goign to be going soem time after january i guess... and soem time i have to take a plain out to sacramento to checkout the colledge... so i have to arange for some one that knows the area to maybe meet me there... also maybe work soemthing out to stay at there place for the couple days id be up... to cut down on the hotel prices id have to pay....

also i plan on towing a small 4 wheeler trailer with my 86 TRI-Z 250 three wheeler on it and the car will be packed with all my clothes and things liek that not a whole lot but im wondering about the 4 wheeler trailer with the trike on it....

the three wheeler is my sand pit beast that i am going to have fun with in cali.....

and i plan on taking the hitch back off when i get there because i think they are ugly as hell.... but i have to because i am def not leaving my car or my 3 wheeler behind....

any way thanx for the help guys....

 

Word to the wise. I would recommend waiting for a better time of year to make the drive.

I drove from Idaho to Iowa in March of 2001 and trip was so slow it was insane. We were having to drive very slow due to the iced over roads. We have a FWD car too, so a RWD would be seriously scary.

Have you ever driven a really long distance before? The weather in the Rockies is usually very cold and windy. I was just outside of Cheyenne, WY that same March '01 trip and we were filling up gas... the roads were so slick and the wind was blowing so hard that my car was sliding forward when I was pumping gas.

Don't mean to scare you, just be safe.

 

thats the only thing that realy deos scare me ... becaus ei tried to drive my last car (83 z28) in the winter and it wouldnt go any ware andi literaly almost recked it the first timei tok it out int he snow... it wouldnt turn... it wouldnt stop... it would climb hils....

how screwd am i guys i realy want to take this car with me guys....will i get by if i be realy careful and get good winter tires..

also this is going to be the first time in my entires life i take a drive liek this on free ways by my self.... i have doen it ounce before going to florida but i only drove for liek half an hour tops...

i realy want this to happen for me and i dont want the car/weather to hold me back.....

so should i get studded tires or just a realy good winter tire....i know i have to get something because the almost balled 245/50/16 tires are not going to get me out of ny state with out recking im sure of that....

lol helo me out guys... thanx for the advise i almost forgot that i am going to be driving out of winter and into summer weather.....
seems like there are alot of odds against me here..

also being the weather is goign to be so crappy should i hold offon towing a 3 wheeler there with me... i can just picture it in my head hittignsoem black ice not even 100 mile sfrom home and recking.... becaus eoff all the extra weight ont he car

i realy would liek to bring the weeler with me but it hink i have a plan... my wheeler is in pieces right now so i could prolly bring it withme int he car if i realy wanted to.... and also i know it willook ugly as hell but my grand ma has one of those things you put ont he roof of your car to store stuff in on long trips... i wont be able to take the t tops out but ill be able to bring my wheeler with me being it is all tore down any way.... i can just put the trike together when i get there....

what do u guys think...
im not sur eill need sand bags because car is goign to have all my close and things like that in it... and ill get good winter tires.. is there anythign els ei can do to make this car more safe for the winter driving...
to be ohnest i have tried to drive inthe winter before with my last camaro and it scared the **** out of me to ware i tookit off the road the same day i tried it becaus ei almostlost it over a steep inbankment going up a hill...

so what else can i do im not going to let this get in my way of bring thie camaro with me .... im more determined then that... even though i have a bad feelign about this trip

 

You might want to stop at a tire place before you reach the rockies and get some studded snow tires. No need to leave as quickly as possible, like next week, because the snow is here and much more is coming. It will cost close to $300 in gas.

 

Hey Z28monster, do you have AIM? If so IM me -- F86Offspring would love to pick your brain about WyoTech a little.

I'm looking at about the same trip next Fall, from Oregon to Pennsylvania... if I'm lucky though I'll get a spot at the Wyoming campus... the California one seems too expensive in living costs to me.

Things I'd do before I went on a major road trip -- new tires, have alignment done, new brake pads, lube job, water pump, radiator hoses, ignition module (simply because they seem to go out often.... or just bring an extra one with yah just incase heh), spark plug wires, spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor, make sure my catalytic converter isnt clogged, change all fluids (oil, tranny, rear, coolant, brakes) and the O2 sensor.

After that I'd take it to a dealership and say "I want you to diagnose the car and tell me what's on it's way out, I've got a 3000 mile road trip ahead, I already did an extensive tune-up". They might charge you two hours labor, but it'll be cheaper and less hassle than having to have your car towed somewhere in Colorado and waiting around for a mechanic to fix your car b/c you dont have your tools with you lol.

That's probably about all.... IM me if you have AIM

 

Its already snowing up at U of I? Hm.

 

I live a little east of Sacramento in the foothills. The LB9 engine should be fine in the mountains, mine is. When I go to Tahoe (over 7000+ feet mountain passes), she still has plenty of power, I don't even have to downshift unless there is a slowassed truck in front of me. I go up Hwy 50, but on your x-country drive you'll come into Cali on Hwy 80. 80 is a good road over the Sierras, it only closes or had chain controls during snowstorms. BTW, studded tires are not allowed in California. In the winter, I just don't drive my Camaro up the hill, chains won't fit. We take the wife's Escort.

Before I left, if I were you, I'd certainly have the front end aligned, and the tires well balanced. Change the oil in the engine and tranny. Top off the rest of the fluids, and put on a new set of wiper blades. You should be good to go, assuming everything else on the car is up to snuff. Once you get here, you'll need to have the engine oil changed again.

If you cross the mountain passes between storms you should be ok with your regular tires. The DOTs do a good job of snow clearing and sanding. The 3 major ranges you'll cross are the Rockies, the Wasatch in Utah, and the Sierras between Cali and Nevada. I have driven across all three in the winter, between storms, and have not had problems. If you want to avoid problems, you need to get on the road soon, before the big storms really hit. And have a cellphone, just in case.

 

with all of this ..... im thinkign about holding off on the road trip till spring time..... ill look at the class scedule and see how that will work out and see if i can do it that way......

that way i wont have to rush at getting my car back together and ill know its all ready to go because on top of the tune up i still have deer damage that still needs to be taken care of before the major tune up can happen... i did do a mild tune up in the beginning of summer.... but liek you said i want to do things like... alternater, water pump, coolent hoses, cap, roter and coil, plugs and wires.... and i still have to fix my clogged cat problem... imgoign to have it taken out and have a piece of pipe welded in place.....

 

Hey z28monster my comp froze up while I was away (forgot an away message sorry lol) I saw that you messaged me, cant remember your s/n though hah, shoot me another AIM, I'll be here all day more than likely.... btw, straight pipe would be a bad idea if you have to get a new license plate and tags (emissions) in Cali.

 

oh crap i forgot al about that.... **** ...how detaild are the visual inspections... do they know what hoses are suposed to go ware on the engine.... i removed the fitings on the header on the left pasenger side of the engine and blocked them offf... do you think ill get by..... i guess ill have to buy a new cat.... i dont want to realy..... has any one passed with a holowed out cat...

also if im going to colledge there and i legaly still live in ny state will i still have to re register and have my car inspected ounce i get there..... or can i just say im up visiting or tell the truth that i amgoing to colledge there...

 

I been driving my Z28 in the snow the last couple days (roughly 8" of it) and its not too bad.

Only thing you gotta get used to is steering with the rear wheels, if you wanna turn from a stop. Turn the wheel, and the rear will swing around more than the front will turn. Great fun though

 

Lol, sorry no its not. What i meant was the the snow season is here and its already snowing in the passes.

We usually get the first snow on or near Halloween, so...

 

they look and inspect all emissions equipment as a visual. So your AIR hoses need to go back on, and be connected back to the cat if you took them off. Smog pump, smog canister, they all need to be in working order.

Now as for the getting new plates and running through smog again, I'm not sure and since I'm doing the same thing in not too long, I'd like to know this as well.

BTW, they will know if anything is aftermarket, anything that's shiny will look suspicious, just make sure all the aftermarket products you buy are CARB approved.

 

thats goign to be alt of moey if i have to put the hoses back on my passengers side header and id have to get a new air pump and all that stuff too because mine was un hooked a long time ago by soem one....

im hoping that because im just going to colledge there i can get by and keep NY plates and inspection tags on it being i am just up for school.... well thats all they have to know i mean ... and that should give me time to aquire the smog crap that i need to get to make it pass for a later on inspection...

any info ont his... can i keep my NY tags on it if i am goign to college and still leagaly live back in NY state...


are all the inspection stations strict.. or are there places that i can go ware they will turn there head to soem things if it passes the sniffer then it shouldnt matter.... liek up here in ny state u can take it to soem jo shmo place and have them pass it with eas even though it shouldnt of..... are there places liek that in cali?

i would think if u can get it to pass the sniffer then it should be ok to pass the car.

 

I completely agree that if you can pass the sniffer then what's it matter what's in your car. Try hitting up some junkyards for all the smog crap in your car. IM me when you get on, we'll talk about emissions.

 

ok i've just got a comment to make first....
I know, I know, its only the internet, but....
excepted ---> accepted
colledge ---> college
ounce ---> once

sorry, lol

Anywho, should be interesting taking a cross country trip! Good luck with all of that!

Just a question out of curiosity, someone mentioned how in CA they notice aftermarket parts and stuff....well what if you were to sorta disguise aftermarket parts to look like OEM? ya know, to give them the cheap, dirty look if ya know what i mean?
Would they catch on to that?
Just something that i thought of when i saw what was posted.

 

ok i've just got a comment to make first....
I know, I know, its only the internet, but....
excepted ---> accepted
colledge ---> college
ounce ---> once

sorry, lol

Anywho, should be interesting taking a cross country trip! Good luck with all of that!

Just a question out of curiosity, someone mentioned how in CA they notice aftermarket parts and stuff....well what if you were to sorta disguise aftermarket parts to look like OEM? ya know, to give them the cheap, dirty look if ya know what i mean?
Would they catch on to that?
Just something that i thought of when i saw what was posted.

 

you could dirty them up and make them look stock, but after looking at things like stock throttle bodies, and then a aftermarket one, you can pretty well tell the difference.

You could give it a try I guess....

 

in california, dont even try to pass it hoping they will not notice, you will jsut wast 100 bucks on the test, this is california, the most strict state for emissions. everything has to be working and carb legal, no way around it.

btw i also live in pville with tremo, (tremo how come your never at our camaro meets?) you have me, porkyzilla, kairless, wills84z28, and outtatimeGTA. we all live in sac and would be more then happy to have you join our sac crew!

 

Trav is right, expect **** level smog inspections here in California. You will NOT pass unless EVERYTHING is hooked up and working. They test the gas cap and the EGR valve, everything else gets a visual, and I mean EVERYTHING else. Then it's onto the chassis dyno with the sniffer up it's ****.

One thing I've done is to dump a little extra alky in the tank prior to the test, it helps it burn a little cleaner. Go into the test with fresh plugs, clean filters, everything working and a little extra alky and you'll pass, unless you're running way too rich or you have a big cam. All Cali gas is now gasohol anyway, year round. No more MTBE in Cali.

Oh, and we've had a pretty big storm here the last couple days, it's snowing up the hill, I think around 4500 feet.

Again, no worries with the LB9 and the mountain passes.

 

Also being in Sacramento, that's an enhanced smog area which means it's even more strict. Outside the enhanced areas we don't have to put the car on the rollers but I'd imagine that day is coming soon. '96 and up cars actually plug into the smog machine so the computer can check for any codes stored.

 

yup here in ny state in a year or two they are going to start also hooking 96 and newer up to a computers for now on..... glad i have an 86.... but that is know help to me now lol

so how the hell have you cali guys been able to mod your cars up with all these inspections that are so strict..... it seems way to strict to make any power to me.....

also it cost you guys 100$ for an inspection? it only cost 14-20 $ to get a car inspected here.....

 

Far as I know we don't have inspections just emissions testing. The cost of a smog shop varies, some are really cheap and will just put your car on the machine and run it. Others will take the time to pre-test and see if it'll pass before taking the real test.