dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Used memorial day weekend to go visit my cousin in Iowa. Trip was awesome. 1000 miles each way. I was Maxin' in my Maxima. On the way there, I had alot of rain, so it wasn't the best that time. Had a few scary moments, too. My front tires were kinda shot and they would aquaplane like crazy!! Chicago rains are the worst I have ever seen. Drenched and with the winds, my car was being pushed into other lanes. I actually used my wipers on high speed for the 1st time.
The trip back was a whole other story. Still some rain, but mostly sun. I took a slightly different route back. In Illinois I took route 74. Talk about WIDE OPEN highway. I could see the highway 20 miles in front of me. I opened it up. Had this older couple in a new Avalon trying to keep up with me. we got to 120 mph, and then I floored it. Speedo read something past 140 mph. I was so gone. I actually held it there for 3 minutes. 3 minutes may not sound like much, but remember, I was doing over 140 mph! What a blast! Later on I settled back to like 90 mph. I was getting paranoid. the traffic going the other way may have had a trooper in it.

Later on in PA I met this jeep, a Mitsu Montero. Guy thought he was the sh**. Keeping up with me at 100 mph. Whenever we hit a curve he quickly backed off, but then caught up on the straights. I decided to let him know just how big a difference in our performance enevelopes there exists between us. A long curve came up, he slowed down as usual. I speeded up. What was even better after that was when the curve ended, you could see straight for like 10 miles. I decided I'm going to let him see me at the end of that strecth before he even gets half way. I freaking floored it. Back to 140 mph. Very little traffic. Again, I was so gone. I didn't even see him way back in my rear view mirror after 5 minutes.

You would think that after 2000 miles in 3 days I would be done with road trips. NO WAY. I've got to get out to those western states. Montana, Nebraska. The western part of Indiana and Iowa I experainced had truly awesome highways. I could cruise at 140 all day if I wanted too, and also if I knew there were no troopers ahead I've got to get back there.

Damn my maxima was fun. And my V1 let me enjoy it Just need some new tires now. The wind deflector I just installed was a Godsend, too. When cruising at high speeds, I just left the roof open and everything was perfect. I could still hear my radar detector and I didn't have to crank up my Bose to insane levels just to hear it.

DW

LeoB

someone ought to organize some sort of "one lap around America" Maxima road rally. that would be a blast

MaineI30

I've already done my lap.

In 97, I took my Max from Maine to California and back again.

It was sooooooo fun

fnkmaster

that must have been one looooooong a$$ ride! farthest i've gone is from buffalo to mrytle beach, and i thought that was long!

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

How long did it take you to do the round trip?? It took me 15 hours to get to Iowa from NY. That was with the bad rain. I think I could have made it in 13 if the weather was good. Extrapolating from that, I think I'd take 6 hours of rest, drive another 15 hours and be somewhere like at the western end of Nebraska, 6 hours rest and get up and drive and be in cali. Spend a day or 2 in LA then turn around and head righ back, this time taking the southern route. So 3 days to get from East to West, and then maybe 4 getting back. I can't wait to do that!

DW

Slowpoke

If you want straight roads, there is a stretch of I-80 in Nebraska that is perfectly straight for 50 or 60 miles. No curves whatsoever. Check it out on the map. The downside is, you're driving in Nebraska

Also, a few miles off I-80 in Utah are the Bonneville salt flats, where they do a lot of land-speed testing stuff. When nothing is going on, I think they'll let you take your car out there.

I haven't done the "Lap around america" in the Max. I did it a few times in my old car, when I was still in College. I got caught in a nasty hailstorm in colorado, made my roof and hood swiss cheese, so I'm kinda glad I didn't have the Maxima back then.