Talk me out of this road trip.

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RossDinan6
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Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by RossDinan6 »

My father turns 90 this fall. He in great health, but sadly Alzheimerrs is taking its toll. I need to visit and this milestone should get me there. I am quite tired of the PITA air travel has become. So, talk me out of driving the 6 on a 2400 ish hundred mile trip from Sw Fl to TX and back.

I have had this car since '01. Much to my wife's chagrin it has been quite well maintained.

Looking at about 20 hours each way.
Ross
'84 633 Dinan turbo
LarryM
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by LarryM »

Sorry to hear about your dad. The fact that he's still in good health is a big plus. I lost mine about 10 years ago when he was 87 but his health had been failing for awhile.

I know a lot of enthusiasts take their older bimmers on extended road trips but personally I don't think it's a good idea. These cars are not just classics; they're becoming antiques. They also have some known problem areas that can leave you stranded. In addition, some replacement parts are getting hard to find, and if you have a breakdown on a long journey across the south you might find yourself far from any source of BMW parts or skilled techs who could help you out. I suppose you could take along a few spare relays, belts, hoses, reference sensors, maybe a spare fuel pump, plus a set of tools, etc. but why bother? You're going to see your dad; focus on that. A breakdown in the middle of nowhere could interrupt your plans and spoil your whole trip.

When reliability on getting there and back is important as it is this this case, I recommend a more modern car, especially a Toyota or Honda product. The drive might not be as "interesting"...but then, that could be a good thing!

Either that, or fly there and rent a car. (Is flying from FL to TX really a big hassle?)

Save the E24 for spirited, local drives where help isn't so far away if you should need it.
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jps635
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by jps635 »

I would do it. If maintenance up to date, all running ok, no leaks or issues, no reason not to.
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86_6series
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by 86_6series »

+1, if there are no ongoing issues, and you've taken care of this chariot along the way
I say the drive will put you in better spirits to visit your dad.
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RossDinan6
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by RossDinan6 »

Thanks for the responses. The car has stranded me only once in 20 years. That was close to home and minor. I have confidence in it. A few items need to be addressed but I'd take it right now with little worry.

I'm on the fence at this point, so we'll see. This may end up a "HELP I've broken down on the road" thread.
Ross
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Steve M6
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by Steve M6 »

As the lucky owner of two low mileage 6ers, I sometimes get apprehensive about taking my cars on longer trips too. I don't think the age of our cars is overly important.

The thing to remember is that the mechanicals in our 6ers are the same as the 5 series and 7 series cars of the same era. That being said, there are many 5, 6 and 7 series cars with lots of miles on them. There are some time-dependent things to consider with preventive maintenance that would be prudent to check before a trip.

I recall a Sharkfest participant from Utah who drove his 6ers across country many times, and his cars had many miles on them.

Enjoy trip, best wishes to your dad.
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RossDinan6
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by RossDinan6 »

I'd love a low mileage example, but then I would probably not want to put the miles on it. Mine is a nice driver, with 172,xxx, I don't worry too much about miles. I suspect it is also past the bottom of the valuation curve. As long as I don't do anything stupid along the way.
Ross
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86_6series
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by 86_6series »

To add, to my above statement, last August I lucked out and bought a 1971 Continental MK3 with 40,016 miles.
True, unrestored in every way. I replaced original front pads, rear shoes & wheel cylinders,
brake hose, p/s hoses, tires from 18 yrs. ago and of course all the liquids changed.
All other maintenance stuff was recently changed.

The Lincoln Nationals are in Tennessee and I'll drive it round trip 1500 plus miles.

Brave or stupid, maybe adventurist? I just love the long drives.
Two weeks ago I drove my 98 740i 1300 miles round trip from NC.
If the Lincoln runs half as good as my Bimmer, I'll be a Happy Camper.

What makes long drives easier for us old geezers? CRUISE CONTROL

Bob V
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RossDinan6
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by RossDinan6 »

Agreed about cruise. That is one of the preflight issues I'd need to address. I have an intermittent speedometer issue that causes cruise to drop out. It will jump up significantly, sometimes to the upper limit then fall back to the correct speed. Sometimes a smack on the side of the pod settles it down. I have had the cluster out and apart, cleaned connections and snugged up the connections. It worked well for quite a while but now it's back.
Ross
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ovie
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by ovie »

Hello everyone: This is my first post. I wanted to say I am happy to hear you are going to visit your father, whether you chose to fly or drive. I lost my dad a few months ago, also 90 and also suffering severe dementia. It was my honor to be his caregiver for many, many years. I hope your get together with father is special.
I bought a fellow board members 86 635 a few weeks ago, flew to Cleveland to pick it up and drove back to Salt Lake. I still marvel at how well the car ran and how much fun I had. 1730 miles mostly I 80 straight through. Every single thing on the car works, including all guages and the all important cruise control. All fluids were still topped on arrival. I would lean towards the driving option to go see your dad since you indicated you’ve kept up on the maintenance.
Although my above comments reflect my recent positive road trip experience, I am not much of a mechanic and I’d take everything Larry said into account in my future road trips. I still have my 85 635 euro that I drove to shark fest in pas Robles 2006 and I’ll never forget how white knuckle the entire drive was because even the slightest malfunction would have probably ended my trip. Even so that was a blast!
Thank you to all the members and moderators through the years since the early 2000’s I think. Mike from Salt Lake
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hornhospital
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by hornhospital »

Welcome to the insanity, Mike.

And to Ross: do the trip.
Ken Kanne
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ovie
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by ovie »

Thank you!
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Re: Talk me out of this road trip.

Post by Pod »

The only thing better than a road trip is wrenching on the cars, so go for it 😉
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