New 996 Owner Driving from Dallas to LA

Morning All, Pleased to meet you I'm sure... Picking up my 911 from Dallas on Thursday morning and then making the trek back to LA in time to meet my parents flying in from Blighty on Friday night. More pics when I get em! Special thanks to LowStro9 who went out to see the car for me and everyone else who offered. Any advice for the route back would be good... places to stay, good sights, speed traps! I heard I40 is a better drive than the 10 so that's probably the way I'll be taking... Thanks! Sean

what fun, congrats

I did Atlanta to San Francisco in a C5 Corvette with a buddy in 36 hours. We took I-40 and it was great. We stopped in Albuquerque for huevos rancheros and then drove some of the original Route 66 (the old part where you can haul a**, not the tourist trap part). Other than that, not many other pitstops I can recommend. BTW, gorgeous car. Enjoy, it's a blast! Payton

Nice looking car Sean, how is it optioned? I made that trek a couple of years ago. I miscalculated the distance vs speed, so it ended up taking me about 26 hours. I had hoped to make better time, but I got pulled over in Richardson (those I-10 TX Troopers are ruthless). Are you purchasing from a dealer or PP...don't forget your snacks!

I purchased mine in Houston several years ago and drove it back to San Francisco. It was a great trip even though the scenery was not that great the whole way. Texas is BIG! You could pretty much see the curvature of the earth. Make sure you have a good radar detector. I set the trip computer before I left and had an average speed of 78 mph for the trip. I also got over 25 mpg. The radar detector worked well, no close calls. Make sure you have good music and snacks. Have fun! Kris

Congratulations. That sounds like a great drive. Have fun and have a safe trip! Bob

Congratulations. Enjoy the drive. I just did a drive from Louisville to NY less than a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Love that black, shows the lines like no other color (and dust). Congrats to you on a fine looking purchase

Great looking P-car! Enjoy your inaugural voyage and avoid the smokey's.

If you take the 10, you have El Paso, Tucson and Phoenix to look forward to... at least you have the car. I do think the 10 from Tucson to Phoenix has some great desert scenery though.

I have done this trip many times. (don't ask) As mentioned if you take I-10 between Las Cruces NM and Tucson is some pretty stuff (Texas Canyon). Stop in El Paso and eat some BBQ at "The State Line" it's great! Between Ft Stockton and El Paso gas stations get scarce. I don't remember exactly where it is (between San Antonio and Tucson) but don't check out "The Thing" but it is fun to see/find the 10 plus signs advertizing it. If you are taking 40, stop and watch someone try to eat the "Free" 72 ounce steak near Amarillo. (don't remember the name of the restaurant) Do check out the Cadillac Ranch. (the buried collection of 50's Fin Caddies) Flagstaff may have some snow, either way that's a great town, eat something there. You will go through the Petrified National Forest and see all the Joshua trees, drive off into the trees and take some pictures in the trees. (you will know what I am talking about when you see them) Between Kingman, Needles (blew up a Gale Banks truck there) and Barstow, you should have some great chances to get up to 150+mph. Enjoy.

40 owns 10 IMO for that trek..it's a much prettier drive, not as many po po, more chances for fuel (and to pee). Downside is some of 40 doesn't have the best surface. Last time I made a trip that far was with a friend from Dallas to San Diego - from what I recall he put a non-petroleum based substance on front of his black car to minimize road chips, it worked great - just an idea

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have to get to it from Dallas. This is sort of out of your way. Winter before last ended up driving down around Dallas-Ft. Worth and taking I-20 west. Somewhere out there daytime speed limit jumps to 80mph and with V1 and CB radio and some care one can drive 10mph over. At night watch yourself! Texas traffic enforcement will get you if you're over 65mph (night limit). There is zero tolerance for going over at night. Be aware that frequently every small town on/near the freeway will find a local law enforcement car parked on freeway (middle/shoulder/overpass/etc.) with radar gun. Not so much during day, but at night when town dies down cops get bored and stake out freeway to catch speeders. (Interdiction cars can also be out and about. I've spotted them but never gotten pulled over to be searched for drugs/etc.) Local cop pulled me over in Cisco even though I knew he was there and had slowed down to 5mph under limit. Got pulled over because as my car topped hill another driver behind me impatient with me slowing down zipped around me and passed me. Officer of course pulled over me in my Porsche (Boxster) and not the sh*t bucket the other driver was in. Managed to talk my way out of ticket and got a 'warning'. But I was lucky. (Not so lucky coming across 54 some year or two earlier just west of Dalhart. Got ticketed by Sheriff, but hired (by phone/mail) lawyer who got ticket reduced.) Ran into some real strong winds and came upon at least one mini-dust storm blowing dust/sand across freeway. These are dangerous as driving into fog or in other low visibility situations. (Micro-pits the heck out of the windshield too.) Just east of where I-20 and I-10 intersect wind swung around nearly 180 degs. and temperature dropped enough that when I stopped to fill up just west of where the two freeways come together snow started falling. Before there it had just been very heavy rain. You have to be aware of your situation out there. While it looks wide open, smokey can be anywhere. And of course there are other things: deer, other wild animals, even livestock. And watch for road debris and especially Detroit Alligators (tire carcasses). Hit one late one night going across KS and it cost me a 75 mile tow that night and a new radiator and some other stuff in Wichita KS at Porsche dealer next day. On I-10 and maybe I-8 in AZ. speed cameras are not unkown. You won't know you went past one until you get something in the mail days/weeks later. Even if you take I-40, you run into much the same situation. Speed traps, chance of bad weather, high winds. (Encounter bigger sand storm going through middle of Albuquerque one trip. Usually manage to stop at exit 160 (Carlisle? and next to state police office stop at Rudy's BBQ! for lunch or dinner.) Around Flagstaff smokies like to hang out in the trees in the middle of the freeway and catch you breaking that 65mph limit through there. Or further west after the long downhilll section. Or inside Kingman, AZ. Or west of Needles on that long 130 mile section over to Barstow. At Barstow I take 58 on west so I can't help much for going south on into LA. As many times as I've been across I-40, I-20/I-10 or I-44 or I-70 or I-80 or I-94 or any other the various federal or state highways bears can be anywhere. (On I-5 I've received reports over CB radio that there are air bears... Cops in planes spotting speeders with ground support to pull cars over and issue tickets.) Sometimes I'll drive nearly a 1000 miles and get not so much as one bleep from the V1 or a warning over the CB radio then hit a few miles of highway where there are 3 or more smokies working and the V1 lighting up like crazy and the CB radio chatter constant with updates on smokey locations, activity. (If you drive exceptionally fast, too, be aware a truck driver might report you. You probably won't get ticket unless officer clocks you speeding before you spot him, but you will get pulled over and cited for anything amiss.) But either route is nicer than sitting at desk staring at monitor. I wish I were the one driving my car over those highways! Have to add Porsches belong on the open road. They run great, ride great, are comfortable and can eat the miles and ask for more. Have safe trip: Keep rubber side down, shiny side up! Sincerely, Macster.

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Thanks for all the advice/replies... I haven't got a radar detector so I guess I'll have to be careful on the way home... As for the car, being in SoCal but having a delicate English Scalp, I decided to go with a Targa. Most importantly its got PSM! I (shudder) went with a tiptronic after 13yrs of driving manuals so the missus could at least move it out the drive.

Sounds like a alot of fun. I drove my current car from Vancouver, WA. to my home in Las Vegas about a year ago and still have many fond memories of the trip. Was about 1200 miles in 1 1/2 days. I think I set the record for fastest ticket after getting new car. First day 10 hours into the drive I got a ticket for 85 in a 65 in the mountains of Nor. California. I had been going MUCH faster but got on the brakes before being zapped. Have a great time as that is the best way to learn all about your car.

nice car! don't take the 10 unless you're trying to make time.

Some pics from the journey... we took the I40... 21 hours of driving and loved every minute of it! We did about 800 miles in the second day, got back... first thing I did was wash the car! Had time for a quick shower and then we were off out again... that is a testament to the 911's ability to swallow up the miles.

What great fun. Welcome to the forum and great car. Paul

Excellent road trip. Welcome!!