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Every year some buddies and I who are spread out across the country get together at my friend's estate in upstate NY for a long weekend.
Now that I have my glorious 08 XKR portfolio convertible, I'm really wanting to drive up.
But it is a 14hr drive up and back. And I've had my jag for not quite a year.
As much fun as I know it will be, my mind always goes to the "what could go wrong?" side.
Driving through the VA mountains will be amazing with the top down, especially this time of year.
I feel comfortable that I've resolved the coolant issue. She sits at 196F moving and 203-7F sitting still at around 85F ambient.
And the engine/trans mounts have been replaced.
Only known issue remaining is the front and rear lower bushings are perished, but zero play in the wheels, so there's that.
I am just concerned that something will go awry in some rural area of Penn or VA (or anywhere really) where I will have to deal with shipping the car home to fix ($), flying back and missing the trip. ($$ and time)
Yes yes, I know. Reading the forums this much can make ya paranoid. And it does me.
But man, I really really want to go on this drive.
I've already decided I'll split it over 2 days there and back. So only around 450 miles each leg.
Guess I am fishing for + and - on what to do to prep and what to be concerned about.
Thanks in advance for entertaining the paranoia that is causing me to hesitate.
Edit:
The vision I always get in my head is when I was driving to look at an xkr a couple hours away.
See a car ahead, white smoke billowing from the open bonnet, side of the road, dude looking at it obviously stressed.
Its an XKR, 2010 or newer. (Saw louvers and the side thing say post 2010)
Wife called it a sign as we never see X150s anywhere in town. The vision stuck.
Last edited by Circumnavigator; Yesterday at 09:36 AM.
My car only let me down once in 13 years, and that was when one of the injectors stuck open and dumped fuel down the cylinder. I was on my way to Park City and had to turn around, thankfully still close to home. I've made that same trip many times since, and much farther places.
Oh, wait a second... I DID have a second problem once before that... a ripped intake hose on the front of the throttle body. THAT was an easy fix to get running though.
I've made 2 west Texas trips in my 130k mile XK. 1200~1400 miles each. Concerned as I leave civilization but wonderful in the mountains of Big Bend.
Open spaces, 120+ mph for long distances, I did use a bit of gas. I did receive a lot of love by the locals. We are planning on doing it again this year.
If it breaks down it gets towed, that is life.
Everything can go wrong. But what are the odds? I have been in all kinds of places, in all the weather in this car. And in those travels I've had a flat, a bad battery, and worn front brakes. Nothing that can't be fixed within a day or two.
BTW, if you're headed to upstate NY, be sure to drive the winding roads through the Adirondack Park. And live a little... then head over to Manchester VT for a few days and do all the fun boy stuff.
If you are confident that you won’t have your concerns lingering in the back of your head…. go for it. Otherwise will you enjoy the adventure without worry? Completely depends on your mindset.
You could always rent a Toyota Tundra and a trailer and tow your Jag to New York, but what would be the fun in that?
Personally, it sounds like such a great adventure that I really hope you do it, and then post photos here so we can all be envious.
Just thinking off the top of my head, if you want realtive peace of mind, check and address all the usual suspects, like coolant hoses, accessory drive belts, air filter, potentially brittle breather hoses, vacuum hoses, brake pads, rotors, hydraulic lines and brake fluid moisture content and corrosion parts per million, wheel bearings, fluid leaks, rodent-damaged wiring, check your tires for good tread and even wear, buy a new quality battery if yours is even slightly suspect, clean your battery power and ground connections between the battery in the trunk and the alternator and starter in the engine bay, and carry with you a couple of spare relays, an assortment of fuses, spare oil and coolant, maybe a Mass Air Flow Sensor, Coolant Temperature Sensor and a water pump if you want to be crazy. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but as the Boy Scout motto advises, "Be Prepared."
Think back to when you were young. You would hop in some piece of junk car and just GO! When you look back now, you think, "we must have been nuts ". But here we are!
Like the rear of us, you have figured out every problem you have ever come in contact with up until now. IF something happens, you'll figure that out too. c’est la vie.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That being said, I am in the rural mountains of VA (well, not ALL of them obviously! 😂 ). My brother owns a tow company. If you run into any issues, you'll have options. Besides, cars break down when you least expect it and you'd be expecting it so...Just do it!
You could always rent a Toyota Tundra and a trailer and tow your Jag to New York, but what would be the fun in that?
Personally, it sounds like such a great adventure that I really hope you do it, and then post photos here so we can all be envious.
Just thinking off the top of my head, if you want realtive peace of mind, check and address all the usual suspects, like coolant hoses, accessory drive belts, air filter, potentially brittle breather hoses, vacuum hoses, brake pads, rotors, hydraulic lines and brake fluid moisture content and corrosion parts per million, wheel bearings, fluid leaks, rodent-damaged wiring, check your tires for good tread and even wear, buy a new quality battery if yours is even slightly suspect, clean your battery power and ground connections between the battery in the trunk and the alternator and starter in the engine bay, and carry with you a couple of spare relays, an assortment of fuses, spare oil and coolant, maybe a Mass Air Flow Sensor, Coolant Temperature Sensor and a water pump if you want to be crazy. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but as the Boy Scout motto advises, "Be Prepared."
Cheers,
Don
There it is. The practical to compliment the feels.
Thank you, Don.
I am an I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it guy.
Brand new tires. Coolant. Oil. Battery solid.
Not doing thousands in repairs for a 4 day road trip lol.
I’ll bring 2 big jugs of coolant which are already in the boot. A few basic tools. Fix a flat.
I think i will change the air filters in the wheel wells to ensure air flow is good in the hot weather.
Think back to when you were young. You would hop in some piece of junk car and just GO! When you look back now, you think, "we must have been nuts ". But here we are!
This!
February 1988, on a cold Wednesday morning in Boston. Two buddies and I got the news that we had all passed our PhD qualifying exams. Celebration! Let’s road trip to Florida (where one guy’s parents lived). Only one guy had a car, a stick shift Ford Escort, and only two of us knew how to drive stick. No problem, we’d take turns! No money for motels, no problem, we’d drive straight through! Except by 2 AM in West Virginia we were so dog tired that we pulled in to a deserted Kmart parking lot, taught the third guy how to drive stick, got him on the highway, and went to sleep.
Tampa was absolutely awesome, except we had to drive back to cold Boston on Sunday.
Not once did we consider the possibility of mechanical problems. We survived. As did the Escort.
Think back to when you were young. You would hop in some piece of junk car and just GO! When you look back now, you think, "we must have been nuts ". But here we are!
Looking for assurance, I think?
