In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
My life is soooo out of order right now. I don't have the money currently. The rest of it would be details. Let me get back to you on this at a later date (but don't let that stop you from selling it if you find a better/real buyer).
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:This being GRM, I see the answer to be whatever sub $1000 car or truck you can buy fastest on CL or marketplace, driven till it breaks, abandon, and repeat as often as needed. Literally, no repairs, just walk away and start on the next part of the adventure. Bonus points for avoiding cars known for longevity and reliability (Hondas and Toyotas) and getting ridiculous European cars that nobody would ever consider due to potential repair costs.
Having cash in your pocket and no particular time frame takes the stress out of the whole endeavor and makes it a unique experience. If you have the skills to document the trip in words/pictures/video, it would be far more entertaining than some dude driving across the country with exactly zero drama.
Is the purpose of the trip to generate compelling content for others?
Built fj40
In reply to Tall and Awkward :
Whatever you do stay off the interstates. While they are fast getting from city to city they will bore you or lump you in with the other teeming masses. Fast food or truck stop food, yawn!
The interesting stuff is on the Blue highways. Or even regional roads. Good eating is small town diners that have a busy parking lot even during the off hours. Small town Motels and hotels that are tidy and neat but not part of a chain.
I avoided tourist traps* but tried to spend a little time at scenic over-sites. * Some places like Disneyland etc are tourist traps but worth it.
You mentioned a Aston Martin V8 Vantage but if you can find a V12 that torque and smoothness is really addictive. Since the Aston Martin is a development of Ford's V6 that is well respected for reliability comments I've heard is how reliable and sweet it is.
Personally I'd go with a post 2004 Jaguar XK8 Convertible. The 4.2 V8 is supposed to be really reliable and while I'd prefer the XKR8 that might be gilding the lily
Keith Tanner said:Spending 6 months on the highway in an XJ or a GT6 would become all about surviving the trip and not about the trip itself. You would get to that point where you just don't want to get back in the car.
I'd be looking at the ubersaloon class. M5, a big Merc, CTS-V. I do really like the Vantage concept as well.
Possibly. I have a 2-3 week trip in the GT6 planned for Sept - Philly to Nova Scotia and back. I have done week-long trips with it and it wasn't that bad. And I said "modifications" - which would include things like A/C, cruise control, improved insulation, decent ICE, adequate power, etc. Plus, I would not be looking at trying to do marathon drive days. Typically, the distances would be 300 or maybe 400 miles in a day.
I'll re-visit this subject again in 10 months... I may change my tune.
In reality, the 1800ES will be built expressly for drives like this, but it is already pretty good for it in stock form, as proven by Irv Gordon (RIP) over 50+ years and 3 million-plus miles.
I'm going outside the norm here...
Whatever flavor of near-current full-size, 4wd truck you prefer.
Seriously, my '13 F150 may be the most comfortable long distance cruiser I've ever driven, is capable of anything but rock crawling off road, and can be surprisingly fun on curvy roads if you're willing to lean over a little. I paid under 30 for a low-mile truck, leaving plenty of fun money. Plus you can sleep in the cab if you absolutely HAVE to.
Going off the mention of off-roading, I would say an 80 series Land Cruiser. It's a very capable and very comfortable cruiser, and well within budget you can find examples that are immaculately swapped with an LS family engine making parts easy to find as well as increasing torque and fuel economy.
Dark horse here: BMW GS. Outfitted with all the gps, hand warmers, ABS, radio, etc...That's how I'd do it.
1) Newish Nissan Altima, whatever the higher spec is with the good seats and bose. 500+ miles per tank, comfy, has cruise, has decent audio. Spend the rest of the money on hi-spec eats and hotels.
Easy |o--------------| Memorable
2) 2017 Camaro SS Vert. Big power, low price, comfortable. Top down and 'murican. Auto or Manual, who cares, it's a good time. Grab a baconator and burn that dino juice while it's still flowin' freely.
Easy |-------o-------| Memorable
3) Polaris Slingshot (brand new). Guy Fieri vibes. Like a motorcycle, but somehow dumber. It's hot out? You're hot. It's wet out? You're wet. If you end the trip and it's whole, worst case scenario you've taken, what, 2-3 grand off the resale?
Easy |-----------o--| Memorable
4) Jeremy's idea about just buying craigslist trash and running them into the dirt.
Easy |-------------| o Memorable
yupididit said:
These will go anywhere... within about 400 miles before all the lights come on the dash and it stalls.
I'm kidding. Sort of.
200 series Land Cruiser - I have one and am a fanboi. But holy smokes. Such comfort. Much horsepower. Dat reliability. And its right in your honey hole. 40k will get you a pretty decent one and it is still worth 40k when you are done with it.
Or go with an AMG G Wagon if you want something a little more flair and get up and go and none of that pesky reliability
mazdeuce - Seth said:Dave M said:mazdeuce - Seth said:Parameters: "I want a big powerful V8 for on road cruising, $40k"
Answers: Cherokee! Element! You don't know what you want! Go to Moab! Sleep in your car!
Oh sorry, I thought this was the Grassroots Motorsports board, not the Expensive Vacation Cruising board. My bad.
The guy literally said he wanted to do Expensive Vacation Cruising!
Should have used more smiley faces in my previous post. Not anger, all giggles. I love you guys and the wonderful absurdity of suggestions. I've done 6 weeks to Alaska and back in a 1G Neon. 1-2 weeks trips in anything from a borrowed minivan to my truck to the Fit that I sent my daughter off to college in. As long as the car doesn't break and it doesn't hurt you to drive, it doesn't matter at all in the grand scheme of things.
I was also kidding! My point is, if you come to the Cheap Motorsports forum and ask what vehicle to buy while you also mention a motoraport, it will probably be a cheap vehicle for that Motorsports!
Volvo XC90 AWD T6 R-Design or Momentum. 2016ish with about 35K miles can be found under your target price. 316 hp. Quiet, comfortable - a nice place to spend time.
Ian F said:Keith Tanner said:Spending 6 months on the highway in an XJ or a GT6 would become all about surviving the trip and not about the trip itself. You would get to that point where you just don't want to get back in the car.
I'd be looking at the ubersaloon class. M5, a big Merc, CTS-V. I do really like the Vantage concept as well.
Possibly. I have a 2-3 week trip in the GT6 planned for Sept - Philly to Nova Scotia and back. I have done week-long trips with it and it wasn't that bad. And I said "modifications" - which would include things like A/C, cruise control, ICE, adequate power, etc. Plus, I would not be looking at trying to do marathon drive days. Typically, the distances would be 300 or maybe 400 miles in a day.
I'll re-visit this subject again in 10 months...
I need to do this in the Miata. My family has a home in northern Nova Scotia that I've literally never been to. It's just always been too far for a drive and flying with a passel of kids is cost prohibitive. As we wind down the "parenting" phase of our lives however, TM and I may start taking those cool trips together.
Geez, you guys....I spend far too much time looking at every used car recommended in these types of threads to see if I'd like one. The Cadillac ATS is a nice looking beast for under $15K for a low mileage example. Maybe I should replace my MINI with an ATS and a newish Miata. 
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:Ian F said:Keith Tanner said:Spending 6 months on the highway in an XJ or a GT6 would become all about surviving the trip and not about the trip itself. You would get to that point where you just don't want to get back in the car.
I'd be looking at the ubersaloon class. M5, a big Merc, CTS-V. I do really like the Vantage concept as well.
Possibly. I have a 2-3 week trip in the GT6 planned for Sept - Philly to Nova Scotia and back. I have done week-long trips with it and it wasn't that bad. And I said "modifications" - which would include things like A/C, cruise control, ICE, adequate power, etc. Plus, I would not be looking at trying to do marathon drive days. Typically, the distances would be 300 or maybe 400 miles in a day.
I'll re-visit this subject again in 10 months...
I need to do this in the Miata. My family has a home in northern Nova Scotia that I've literally never been to. It's just always been too far for a drive and flying with a passel of kids is cost prohibitive. As we wind down the "parenting" phase of our lives however, TM and I may start taking those cool trips together.
My parents drove their NA Miata all over eastern Canada (including the Cabot trail) and a big chunk of the US. It's certainly doable, especially if you have an intelligent suspension choice under the car. I've driven across Ontario in a GT6 and it was, umm, more involving. I'd do a 2-3 week road trip in one, I'm not sure I'd do an open ended "half a year" trip in it. I've also driven an old Land Rover across a big chunk of the US, and that would not have been a pleasant touring vehicle.
My recommendation for the small car trips is to keep as much stuff out of the cockpit as you can. Don't pack yourselves in. Make it so it feels like you're on a day trip, that you can drop the top (not recommended in the GT6) at will. It makes the trip seem more like a treat and lets you be more spontaneous.
As for the OP, if the goal is the actual places you're visiting, you want a car that can get out of your head. If the goal is the journey itself, then you start looking at the more interesting cars that will command your attention.
Off-road ability (or at least gravel road ability) really does open up the Southwest - but if you really want to take advantage of it, you'll also want to be open to camping. Land Cruiser (and the Lexus equivalent) rules this niche. If you're willing to do hiking, you don't need to be able to leave pavement in your car. I've done a trip down to Joshua Tree in the M5 and the car did a great job of being fun when I wanted it to be and being a comfortable/easy way to eat miles the rest of the time. Then we got caught in a big storm in Utah that would have made a little sports car impossible, but a decent snow driver in the M5 was merely fairly sketchy. A Land Cruiser on good tires in those conditions would have been simply an example of questionable judgment :)
93gsxturbo said:200 series Land Cruiser - I have one and am a fanboi. But holy smokes. Such comfort. Much horsepower. Dat reliability. And its right in your honey hole. 40k will get you a pretty decent one and it is still worth 40k when you are done with it.
Or go with an AMG G Wagon if you want something a little more flair and get up and go and none of that pesky reliability
It's crazy how well those things hold there value. The Land Cruiser that is.
Now that Keith mentions it. The NOHOME moniker came from living out of the trunk of my NA Miata ( plate was NOHOME) for 3-4 weeks at a time when I wa back on break from an overseas job in Nigeria. The car had been coast to coast with two week long camping drives for two of us after Mrs NOHOME landed me.
How much AMG can I get for 40k? Alternatively I'll just finish my LS/manual swapped Caprice wagon and take that.
Daylan C said:How much AMG can I get for 40k? Alternatively I'll just finish my LS/manual swapped Caprice wagon and take that.
Somewhere between 20 and 1/4 depending on what you're looking for
E39 M5, job done.
I make bad decisions and there's nothing you can do to stop me.
Anyway... Jaguar XF S Sportbrake with a gloriously red interior. Plus they're rare as hell and sound magnificent.
yupididit said:Daylan C said:How much AMG can I get for 40k? Alternatively I'll just finish my LS/manual swapped Caprice wagon and take that.
Somewhere between 20 and 1/4 depending on what you're looking for
Excellent response.
Looks like this E55 wagon went for 35k. Seems like a solid choice.
About 10 years ago I bought a 1973 Dodge Dart on a Wednesday afternoon off craigslist. The next morning at 0700 a friend and I drove it to Road Atlanta to the petit le mans. My second drive in the car was the 1st leg of a 900 mile round trip. We drove strictly on back roads the entire time. It never skipped a beat and we felt like minor celebrities wherever we went based on the attention.
It was an awesome and memorable trip. A unique car really does make awesome memories!
Why only pick one ?
a Jeep type is good for Utah , but a convertible is right for the coast !
Route 66 might be an old American tank or a 70s van.......
I would probably go with a van since I find looking for a Hotel / Motel a pain......
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