Zero to 50 in 4 Years
04-23-2007, 01:28 PM
#21
Originally Posted by Twilight
Blue Highway's my man, You get it. The Z is MEANT to be driven, and driven far.
I'm about to hit my 1 year anniversary of owning my Interlagos Fire '06. 18,000 miles right now, half from last year's Cross Country trip. a couple grand more from various travels around California. And I'll be making an appointment when I get my Oil changed this month for one in August.My 30,000 service will be due when I get back from my trip this summer, which is clocking in on my initial mappings as 11,000 miles for The Bay Area - Florida - Virginia - Maine - Seattle - Home.
I was amazed at how much supplies I could actually fit in back, but I still had to utilize the passenger seat a great deal. My morning ritual started in moving the passenger seat all the way back and putting my ice chest in on the floor. Then I would move the seat as far forward as I could, locking the ice chest into position (No spills on my carpet) and making room for my laptop behind the seat. No maps on the main seat (Love the Navigation system, even if it let me down a couple of times in Atlanta and Louisville), but a couple of books on things to see in the area and my camera for pics, a lot during the trip taken out my window while doing 80.
And at least one time every day I would generally scream how much I love this car as I'm passing a slow RV on a 2 lane highway, quickly accelerating from the 45 it was forcing you to go up to 100, quickly leaving the annoyance far behind.
I'm about to hit my 1 year anniversary of owning my Interlagos Fire '06. 18,000 miles right now, half from last year's Cross Country trip. a couple grand more from various travels around California. And I'll be making an appointment when I get my Oil changed this month for one in August.My 30,000 service will be due when I get back from my trip this summer, which is clocking in on my initial mappings as 11,000 miles for The Bay Area - Florida - Virginia - Maine - Seattle - Home.
I was amazed at how much supplies I could actually fit in back, but I still had to utilize the passenger seat a great deal. My morning ritual started in moving the passenger seat all the way back and putting my ice chest in on the floor. Then I would move the seat as far forward as I could, locking the ice chest into position (No spills on my carpet) and making room for my laptop behind the seat. No maps on the main seat (Love the Navigation system, even if it let me down a couple of times in Atlanta and Louisville), but a couple of books on things to see in the area and my camera for pics, a lot during the trip taken out my window while doing 80.
And at least one time every day I would generally scream how much I love this car as I'm passing a slow RV on a 2 lane highway, quickly accelerating from the 45 it was forcing you to go up to 100, quickly leaving the annoyance far behind.
04-23-2007, 06:31 PM
#22
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It would be great if we had a forum for just these types of threads.
Maybe call it Traveling, Trips, and the Roads Less Traveled. Collect travel incidents, tips, and those particular highways or roads that shouldn't be missed for driving the Z.
Maybe call it Traveling, Trips, and the Roads Less Traveled. Collect travel incidents, tips, and those particular highways or roads that shouldn't be missed for driving the Z.
04-23-2007, 07:38 PM
#23
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Nice write up!!
I'm really itching to take a road trip in my Z this summer, something along the lines of driving up to the pacific northwest then back down south along the coast to san diego and back to kcmo
I'm really itching to take a road trip in my Z this summer, something along the lines of driving up to the pacific northwest then back down south along the coast to san diego and back to kcmo
04-24-2007, 04:21 AM
#24
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This is what a car is for. Good to see that people realize they are built to drive and drive em hard.
I enjoyed reading every post on this thread.
happy driving
Kevin
I enjoyed reading every post on this thread.
happy driving
Kevin
04-24-2007, 06:25 AM
#25
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Best Roads for a Z
Wow!! I'm really impressed by the response to this post.
Ever since I got my Z I have put it to it's highest,best use--as a road car.It may be the best all-around car to take a road trip in--at least it's the best one I have ever owned,and I've had a LOT of interesting cars.
To answer a few of the things brought up...I had initially decided on buying a bra for the front,but a month after I got the car I had picked up a years' worth of stone chips and bug spots,so a bra was almost immediately useless...my car is not a garage queen,never has been.I got it to have fun with it,and my plan has worked well.Still,if I don't look too closely at the fascia,the Z looks clean and polished and as pretty as the day it came off the boat...I picked up a sunvisor caryall for a few bucks at a Texas Target.It holds all the small items needed for extensive cockpit living.I can carry pens,sunglasses,CDs,cellphones,maps,traffic tickets,etc in it,thereby reducing my front seat junk footprint considerably.
Now the roads.I purposely look for roads less travelled and highly challenging,routes that would scare the airbags off of a Camry or the badges off a Caddy,and I've been lucky in finding them...Here are a few...
Tail of the Dragon (otherwise known as US 129).This road winds through the Tenn/NC mountains,and is one of the MOST challenging pieces of concrete in the East.It's the kind of a road sought out by bikers who like to live on the edge,and is perfect for a *****-to-the-wall gear blast in a Z.It has two hundred serious curves in it's twenty-some mile stretch,all begging for flat-out runs.
US 129 continues to please in the mountains of N Georgia,just south of Blairsville,where it mimics the Tail section for an additional 30 miles...
The Blue Ridge Parkway (and some feeder roads)--pick it up at Cherokee,NC and drive to Roanoke.It's one of Americas GREAT driving experiences!Drive it in your Z and you will be boring people with your stories for twenty years.
US 12,through Idaho and into Montana.It parallels the whitewater Locsha River and has to be the best ride I've had in the Z.The territory is so rugged that when Lewis and Clark reached here,they almost gave up their explorations.It climbs up and over The Rockies and winds and twists through absolute wilderness.
The excitement begins at a sign that says "Winding Road Next 77 Miles".Yep,77 miles of the kind of a road that made me want to turn back and do it all over again.I didn't,but I wanted to.
I use a picture of the sign,with my Z planted in the foreground,as my screensaver.I would duplicate my cross-country journey in a New York minute just to drive that particular 77 miles of 12 once again.
US 60,out of Globe,Arizona.You approach Globe from the East over High Desert,you leave Globe on a vertical 2-lane descent that winds around and through sandstone mountains.It is all tunnels and curves (even curvy tunnels)for about ten miles.At the base of the mountain,it's flat desert again.I raced with a pack of candy-colored Jap bikes down this stretch and kept right on their tail the whole time.When it was over,way too soon,it was a "What the hell was THAT???" moment.
Nevada 318,between Hiko and Preston.(Look it up)Combines mountains and desert,in a human-free wilderness that resembles driving on the Moon.You can go 147 MPH here and never disturb another person.I know this to be factual...
There are a lot of other roads that me and the Z have experienced,places that can turn your passengers' hair white.These are but a few that have,for me anyway,turned my journeys into closely-held memories.
Anybody else have a favorite road or two that test the Z's potential?
Ever since I got my Z I have put it to it's highest,best use--as a road car.It may be the best all-around car to take a road trip in--at least it's the best one I have ever owned,and I've had a LOT of interesting cars.
To answer a few of the things brought up...I had initially decided on buying a bra for the front,but a month after I got the car I had picked up a years' worth of stone chips and bug spots,so a bra was almost immediately useless...my car is not a garage queen,never has been.I got it to have fun with it,and my plan has worked well.Still,if I don't look too closely at the fascia,the Z looks clean and polished and as pretty as the day it came off the boat...I picked up a sunvisor caryall for a few bucks at a Texas Target.It holds all the small items needed for extensive cockpit living.I can carry pens,sunglasses,CDs,cellphones,maps,traffic tickets,etc in it,thereby reducing my front seat junk footprint considerably.
Now the roads.I purposely look for roads less travelled and highly challenging,routes that would scare the airbags off of a Camry or the badges off a Caddy,and I've been lucky in finding them...Here are a few...
Tail of the Dragon (otherwise known as US 129).This road winds through the Tenn/NC mountains,and is one of the MOST challenging pieces of concrete in the East.It's the kind of a road sought out by bikers who like to live on the edge,and is perfect for a *****-to-the-wall gear blast in a Z.It has two hundred serious curves in it's twenty-some mile stretch,all begging for flat-out runs.
US 129 continues to please in the mountains of N Georgia,just south of Blairsville,where it mimics the Tail section for an additional 30 miles...
The Blue Ridge Parkway (and some feeder roads)--pick it up at Cherokee,NC and drive to Roanoke.It's one of Americas GREAT driving experiences!Drive it in your Z and you will be boring people with your stories for twenty years.
US 12,through Idaho and into Montana.It parallels the whitewater Locsha River and has to be the best ride I've had in the Z.The territory is so rugged that when Lewis and Clark reached here,they almost gave up their explorations.It climbs up and over The Rockies and winds and twists through absolute wilderness.
The excitement begins at a sign that says "Winding Road Next 77 Miles".Yep,77 miles of the kind of a road that made me want to turn back and do it all over again.I didn't,but I wanted to.
I use a picture of the sign,with my Z planted in the foreground,as my screensaver.I would duplicate my cross-country journey in a New York minute just to drive that particular 77 miles of 12 once again.
US 60,out of Globe,Arizona.You approach Globe from the East over High Desert,you leave Globe on a vertical 2-lane descent that winds around and through sandstone mountains.It is all tunnels and curves (even curvy tunnels)for about ten miles.At the base of the mountain,it's flat desert again.I raced with a pack of candy-colored Jap bikes down this stretch and kept right on their tail the whole time.When it was over,way too soon,it was a "What the hell was THAT???" moment.
Nevada 318,between Hiko and Preston.(Look it up)Combines mountains and desert,in a human-free wilderness that resembles driving on the Moon.You can go 147 MPH here and never disturb another person.I know this to be factual...
There are a lot of other roads that me and the Z have experienced,places that can turn your passengers' hair white.These are but a few that have,for me anyway,turned my journeys into closely-held memories.
Anybody else have a favorite road or two that test the Z's potential?
04-24-2007, 06:34 AM
#26
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You have to be one of the most well written people on this board, I enjoy reading ever post.
As for roads, the only one i see is the one infront of the dealer when i get my new z in two weeks. After that i expect i will try every road i come across, kinda like you have.
Cheers
Kevin
O and a big YES for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon!!!
As for roads, the only one i see is the one infront of the dealer when i get my new z in two weeks. After that i expect i will try every road i come across, kinda like you have.
Cheers
Kevin
O and a big YES for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon!!!
04-24-2007, 07:07 AM
#28
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Thread Starter
Hint For the Interested
..Go to Youtube,type in "Tail of The Dragon" and find the video where the guy does The Tail--following a Ferrari 360.
It's a 20-mile-long video,but by the end of it,your Vicarious antenna will be standing straight up!!
It's a 20-mile-long video,but by the end of it,your Vicarious antenna will be standing straight up!!
04-24-2007, 05:42 PM
#29
Perhaps I am being too nosey here, but are you married? Seems like you have taken these trips before, and I personally don't know any women that would stand for those kinds of trips. 
Do you have any more pictures you can post up, or a website you have them all at?
I will have to consult this thread if I ever get out to the areas you described. For now I will have to stick with the Northeast Mountain Run coming up.
Do you have any more pictures you can post up, or a website you have them all at?
I will have to consult this thread if I ever get out to the areas you described. For now I will have to stick with the Northeast Mountain Run coming up.
04-24-2007, 06:02 PM
#30
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Thread Starter
My Cars and My Time
I'm divorced and my kids are grown,nearly.Anyway,they live elsewhere.
I have 3 other cars,all capable of hauling around 3 or 5 hefty passengers--a well-used '87 200SX (the V6--a really rare one) a 2001 Maxima and a '67 Cadillac convert.
I travel often with girlfriends or buddies,usually in the Z,but monumental,month-long odysseys are beyond most of them,so my long trips are usually solo.I have a few bucks and a lot of time,so I travel whenever the mood strikes me.My G/F and I are going to NYC for the 4th of July,a 10-day road trip we've been planning for a couple of months,but due to the cost of gas we may fly.
The Z is my Tripmobile,something I really need if I'm on the road for more than,say,a thousand miles.Otherwise,it's Max,which is handy for trips down the coast,which I take often due to the large number of friends and family in SW Florida.
The SX,which has 230,000 on it's ticker stays local,for obvious reasons.The Caddy is stored,under a tarp,waiting for the day it's worth forty large.It looks like a new one,forty years ago;It gets 10 MPG.I may never drive it again.
I have 3 other cars,all capable of hauling around 3 or 5 hefty passengers--a well-used '87 200SX (the V6--a really rare one) a 2001 Maxima and a '67 Cadillac convert.
I travel often with girlfriends or buddies,usually in the Z,but monumental,month-long odysseys are beyond most of them,so my long trips are usually solo.I have a few bucks and a lot of time,so I travel whenever the mood strikes me.My G/F and I are going to NYC for the 4th of July,a 10-day road trip we've been planning for a couple of months,but due to the cost of gas we may fly.
The Z is my Tripmobile,something I really need if I'm on the road for more than,say,a thousand miles.Otherwise,it's Max,which is handy for trips down the coast,which I take often due to the large number of friends and family in SW Florida.
The SX,which has 230,000 on it's ticker stays local,for obvious reasons.The Caddy is stored,under a tarp,waiting for the day it's worth forty large.It looks like a new one,forty years ago;It gets 10 MPG.I may never drive it again.
04-24-2007, 06:25 PM
#32
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Yeah im taking a week off this summer and taking a road trip, ive gotta get out and see some of these roads in the Z. Any suggestions? i have a week and i live in Kansas City so im right in the middle
Last edited by RJ_KC; 04-24-2007 at 06:27 PM.
04-24-2007, 06:31 PM
#33
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Thread Starter
Go West
Put Kansas behind you and get you and your Z to the Rockies.
Take country roads,avoid Interstates at all cost,except for I-70 W of Denver.Take it just to ride through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
Then go to Vail,or drive North ( if you can,go through the Rocky Mtn Nat Park) on the spine of the Rockies,where you can almost touch the sky,to Steamboat Springs.You won't be sorry.
Take country roads,avoid Interstates at all cost,except for I-70 W of Denver.Take it just to ride through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
Then go to Vail,or drive North ( if you can,go through the Rocky Mtn Nat Park) on the spine of the Rockies,where you can almost touch the sky,to Steamboat Springs.You won't be sorry.
04-24-2007, 06:59 PM
#34
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Wow, definitely a great write-up. I was planning on traveling the world once I graduated college (which will be in about 2 years), and starting by traveling my own country will be a good idea. I've lived in Southern CA my whole life and I just want to get out and see what's out there. I didn't plan on doing road trips in my Z, but now I may think that over. I'll probably put my stock front bumper back on for the trip. Not sure how I'm going to afford the gas and motel fees though.
But since I'm all the way in the west coast, I guess it's easy for me to decide where to go - east.
But since I'm all the way in the west coast, I guess it's easy for me to decide where to go - east.
04-24-2007, 07:06 PM
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Great trip write up, Blue Highways! Glad you had such an amazing experience. I see that you are from Ocala, FL!! You might not believe this but so am I. Lived there about 18 years growing up...I'm 29 now...haha...how about that! I sometimes miss the evergreen-ness & wooded beauty of central Florida...hope all is well!!! ;-)
04-25-2007, 07:57 AM
#37
+1 on the the Z being a trip mobile. it gets better gas mileage than anything else i own (even built motor and twins) is about as comfortable as anything also. i have racked up 65k miles in 3.5 years, and i never drive it for work and havn't put more than 5k miles in the last year!! i have been up and down the whole west coast from canada to mexico and inland quite abit also. getting ready for a trip to san diego and then to canada next month!!
don't really care about the miles i rack up, i prolly won't sell it.
don't really care about the miles i rack up, i prolly won't sell it.
04-25-2007, 08:12 AM
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Chiming in to say I'm joining your fan club too, Blue Highways.
I've done some road trips up and down the east coast, and last fall did a wonderful trip from the Outer Banks, heading west through North Carolina, Tennessee, and over to St. Louis. Then up to Michigan for a few days, and back through Ohio and Pennsylvania to my home in Virginia.
Wonderful way to spend a few weeks in the fall.
I've done some road trips up and down the east coast, and last fall did a wonderful trip from the Outer Banks, heading west through North Carolina, Tennessee, and over to St. Louis. Then up to Michigan for a few days, and back through Ohio and Pennsylvania to my home in Virginia.
Wonderful way to spend a few weeks in the fall.
