Road Trip

[GV280Z]

Well, I just returned from a road trip to Sedona, Arizona in my 86 Si. I live in Houston, so it was quite a distance..around 18 hours one way.

I'm very proud of my car, it held up great even while experiencing annoying transmission problems. I also got excellent gas mileage, averaging atleast 33-35 mpg. I remember on one tank I went around 340 miles and could have gone further, on 12 gallons of gas!

I swear by the mods I've had done to my head and Royal Purple oil. No kidding, when I gun my car around 2800 - 3000 rpm, the front end feels like it stands WAY up and redline comes up fast, oh and because I've got a shortram air intake on there, it has the best sounding racy growl when under hard acceleration, I love it!

Now, I just need a well balanced header, free flow cat, muffler, lightweight flywheel and a matched set of lightweight pistons and rods and I'll be set! Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Anyway, back to my trip..there is a highway that runs from the Texas border to Flagstaff AZ, through New Mexico, highway 40 East / West. Well, on this highway the speed limit is 75. I tell you honestly, going each direction, east and west, from the Texas border to Flagstaff AZ, there were only a few times that I actually dipped below 80. More often than not, it was 90 to 100, for hundreds of miles on end! It was great! And the best part is that everyone (for the most part) is driving like this.

Well, after all this burnin up the road, I finally got back into Texas and immediately got a ticket for doing 80 in a 65! First time I ever got pulled over by a Smokey though, he was a nice guy too..he didn't even mention the fact that I tried to run from him while he was cutting across the grassy median to come get me. I knew he'd zapped me when I saw him across on the opposite direction lanes, so I downshifted to 4th and scooted up to around 90 hoping that he wouldn't be able to find me, it was dark afterall! But, somehow he got me easily

To the testament of the engine and the oil and I suppose my new water pump and timing belt as well, through hundreds of miles of sustained high speed, it never even though about running hot..not even warm. The temp needle stayed an 8th of an inch (or a little more) above the cold mark and never budged.

I will say this though, my car did not like running at high altitude in Sedona, around 5 or 6000 feet. My car had much less power than I'm normally used to because of the lower oxygen level, so that wasn't too much fun

Sedona's a pretty neat area, y'all should go check it out if possible. Some great hiking out there. Beautiful Red Rock canyons.

Constantine Sucks! Reeves is done.

Greg