I just got back from a 2,000 mile road trip to the PNW in my E90 M3 with my wife.
It was epic!!!
First about my trip preparations. The evening prior I picked up my M3 from EAS after getting some service items completed.
-This included brand new Bilstein B16 Damptronic coil-overs + Ground Control Camber plates. (Previously I had OE EDC shocks + Swift springs) These are based on Bilstein’s PSS10’s however they still allow EDC to be fully functional. These where really great on the trip. On the softest setting even the rough cobble stoned streets around Portland and San Francisco as well as some of the dirt roads I was forced to drive on around Crater Lake felt very comfortable. Then you can stiffen things up for the funner faster paced roads. My wife actually thought I reinstalled my stock suspension and raised the car… in reality I’m probably slightly lower. So both my wife and I are very impressed with these coil-overs.
-Some 74,000 mile service items (new spark plugs, change out all the fluids)
-Swapped out my OE rod bearings for WPC coated rod bearings and ARP rod bolts. Although my Black Stone reports where excellent and showed very little wear levels + my car was not making any funny sounds or ticking noises… the forum paranoia got to me and I didn’t want to be stranded somewhere on my road trip so I had the bearings done. Good thing I did because my OE bearings where worn much more than I expected… a few of the bearings actually where already clearly worn into the copper!!!:bulge: Although it probably would not have left me stranded on the 2,000 mile trip, I am really glad I did it and made it much easier to enjoy the road trip.
With that out of the way, on to the trip itself
-Drove straight to Portland from Orange County in 1 day/ luckily the gas tank was as big as my bladder so gas and restroom stops where timed perfectly/ the Oregon drivers are so polite... as soon as I crossed the border, all the slower Subaru’s/ Prius/ or any other stereotypical Oregon car moved over for me to pass with enough room so I wouldn’t need to lift the throttle (we where moving at a brisk speed to make it in 1 day)
- Ran into nicely done E28 on the way up at the base of Mount Shasta
-After washing the car with my Chemical Guys waterless wash, dropped the wife off at her event and hung out in Portland’s Cars and Coffee... that was fun... too bad I didn't recognize who the other forum members where when they aren't in their cars.
-Later that day we drove around and took in some of Portland’s sights
- Next day drove out to the Oregon Coast to enjoy the scenery and the drive/ was worried about tourist and RV’s however again... they would move over as soon as I was coming... I was able to keep up a good brisk pace through the coast. Stopped for the night in Florence
-Next day was a drive to crater lake/ again more twisty roads, polite drivers letting me pass/ picked up donuts in Eugene at Voodoo Donuts and took advantage of no tax at Best Buy for a new iMac
- Did the Rim Drive around crater lake and stopped at almost every scenic spot/ part of the drive was offroad because of construction so had to take it slow and easy since the M3 was lowered with Coilovers and a Carbon Fiber front diffuser... but made it out without any scratches
-Stopped for the night in Klamuth falls
-Next day was another brisk drive back to the 5 freeway along the base of Mt Shasta/ super straight roads so I was approaching triple digits until I got to the forested areas where I slowed down and ducked behind an SUV to act against a shield incase animals ran across the road (it was early morning and got flash backs of hitting a kangaroo while I was in Australia)
- Ended in San Francisco where again I used my Chemical Guys waterless wash to wash the car in the hotel parking lot/ took epic pictures with the car at the base of the Golden Gate... then nearly got the car stuck in one of San Francisco’s parking structures because of how low it sits.
- Next day was a stop at Mitchell’s to buy some tubs of ice cream and then use the M3’s speed to get back to Orange County before it melted.
Can't wait on the next road trip for my M3
It was epic!!!
First about my trip preparations. The evening prior I picked up my M3 from EAS after getting some service items completed.
-This included brand new Bilstein B16 Damptronic coil-overs + Ground Control Camber plates. (Previously I had OE EDC shocks + Swift springs) These are based on Bilstein’s PSS10’s however they still allow EDC to be fully functional. These where really great on the trip. On the softest setting even the rough cobble stoned streets around Portland and San Francisco as well as some of the dirt roads I was forced to drive on around Crater Lake felt very comfortable. Then you can stiffen things up for the funner faster paced roads. My wife actually thought I reinstalled my stock suspension and raised the car… in reality I’m probably slightly lower. So both my wife and I are very impressed with these coil-overs.
-Some 74,000 mile service items (new spark plugs, change out all the fluids)
-Swapped out my OE rod bearings for WPC coated rod bearings and ARP rod bolts. Although my Black Stone reports where excellent and showed very little wear levels + my car was not making any funny sounds or ticking noises… the forum paranoia got to me and I didn’t want to be stranded somewhere on my road trip so I had the bearings done. Good thing I did because my OE bearings where worn much more than I expected… a few of the bearings actually where already clearly worn into the copper!!!:bulge: Although it probably would not have left me stranded on the 2,000 mile trip, I am really glad I did it and made it much easier to enjoy the road trip.
With that out of the way, on to the trip itself
-Drove straight to Portland from Orange County in 1 day/ luckily the gas tank was as big as my bladder so gas and restroom stops where timed perfectly/ the Oregon drivers are so polite... as soon as I crossed the border, all the slower Subaru’s/ Prius/ or any other stereotypical Oregon car moved over for me to pass with enough room so I wouldn’t need to lift the throttle (we where moving at a brisk speed to make it in 1 day)
- Ran into nicely done E28 on the way up at the base of Mount Shasta
-After washing the car with my Chemical Guys waterless wash, dropped the wife off at her event and hung out in Portland’s Cars and Coffee... that was fun... too bad I didn't recognize who the other forum members where when they aren't in their cars.
-Later that day we drove around and took in some of Portland’s sights
- Next day drove out to the Oregon Coast to enjoy the scenery and the drive/ was worried about tourist and RV’s however again... they would move over as soon as I was coming... I was able to keep up a good brisk pace through the coast. Stopped for the night in Florence
-Next day was a drive to crater lake/ again more twisty roads, polite drivers letting me pass/ picked up donuts in Eugene at Voodoo Donuts and took advantage of no tax at Best Buy for a new iMac
- Did the Rim Drive around crater lake and stopped at almost every scenic spot/ part of the drive was offroad because of construction so had to take it slow and easy since the M3 was lowered with Coilovers and a Carbon Fiber front diffuser... but made it out without any scratches
-Stopped for the night in Klamuth falls
-Next day was another brisk drive back to the 5 freeway along the base of Mt Shasta/ super straight roads so I was approaching triple digits until I got to the forested areas where I slowed down and ducked behind an SUV to act against a shield incase animals ran across the road (it was early morning and got flash backs of hitting a kangaroo while I was in Australia)
- Ended in San Francisco where again I used my Chemical Guys waterless wash to wash the car in the hotel parking lot/ took epic pictures with the car at the base of the Golden Gate... then nearly got the car stuck in one of San Francisco’s parking structures because of how low it sits.
- Next day was a stop at Mitchell’s to buy some tubs of ice cream and then use the M3’s speed to get back to Orange County before it melted.
Can't wait on the next road trip for my M3
