Long drives in a 348

If everything checks out there's no reason not to drive it.

Where are you?

 

I flew to NJ and drove mine home to Tampa FL the same day.. 1200 miles +/-

If you don't think the car can do it you shoudn't be buying it. A good 348 should be as fragile as dump truck. PS I got 25mpg on my trip

 

500 miles a day........several times....... in my '90 348TS. Seat bolsters are narrow, so if you are big, this may be a comfort issue. My wife hates the car, and she is not big. Expect a rough ride, precise handling (you have to pay attention... this isn't a Benz), and the need to stretch occasionally as your left leg cannot do so when driving.

Do a search "this is what it's all about" for more info on a trip I took last year.

Good luck

 

Awe man I'm gonna have to say don't do it. There are many little quirks that may not show up on a ppi and until you know about these and have a baseline for the cars behavior you might regret it.

I guess in the end it would come down to the quality of the ppi you are getting.

I bought my 348 in Chicago and was going to drive it all the way home to Nova Scotia.... Chickened out in the end and shipped it.

I know what you are going through....

Good luck either way and have fun.

 

If you make that drive. Be sure to bring some oil with you. The owner's manual says the car "consumes" about 1 quart of oil per 600 miles. I haven't verified this yet (I've only done about 200 miles so far with my car) but if it's true, you'll want to top it off during the drive so you don't get home with a low oil level.

 

I saw that in the book as well but honestly I'd be pretty concerned if my car was eating a full quart in less than 2000 miles. I've never seen mine use any between changes.. Is anyone actually seeing oil consumption?

 

With spirited driving (not that I've ever driven over 3000rpm you understand, I'm just going based on things I've heard from those crazy individuals who drive their cars like some good-ol-boy named Enzo thinks is proper) a certain old rag-bag 70k mi. car I know of uses some. Frequent trips to the redline, which some of the same GOBs say they take, speeds oil consumption into the 1qt per 600 or so miles range. Enzo sez that if it ain't using some oil, it ain't bein' driven "properly".

 

If you are not driving through snow then GO FOR IT, I have taken mine on many long trips 700+ no worries. In fact the more you drive her the better she will become, no really. Now don't drive like Fred Flintstone coming home on the freeway and you will be fine.

If anything does happen I am not to be held liable for any miss leading statements that I have written, I only offered my opinion.






Ha ha ha ha sorry couldn't resist lol, no worries mate have fun, and try and take a note book with you to write down every little experiences you have on your drive home.

 

700 miles, easy done!

The most I have done in my 348 though is only a 150 miles, round trip.

 

200+ miles and my back is killing me in the 348.

I know, I did it twice, this past weekend.

 

It's a fact that the seats aren't a really good fit for everyone but there's no reason that the car won't make the trip.

What direction are you headed?

 

^ agreed. My car runs fine, and I'd drive it to California tomorrow morning -- if I was able to stop and rest my back/butt every few hours.

 

I drove my 348 across America. It was a blast!

 

DO IT.

It will be the easiest 700 miles you have ever driven. I picked mine up in North Carolina, left at 11:30 am EST, arrived at my house downtown Chicago at 10:30 pm CST in the rain. Easiest long distance drive I have ever made. It will get shockingly good gas mileage the whole way. I ppi'ed my car and just did not drive it like I was on the cannonball run home. These cars are perfectly reliable if well maintained. I put 1K mi on it two weekends ago driving it from Chicago to Mid-Ohio race track, tracked it all day, drove it home. No problems execpt for lots of rubber marks from the track all over it. Drive it home, and take photos the entire way. It will make a great memory.

Photos below are the beginning and end of drive. I took about 15 other through out the day, and you should do the same.
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Now, THAT's a 348 owner! Drive it like ya stole it!

 

Yeah, but you could easily drive it with a boot full of spares just to be safe..........

 

My 348 had been on many long trips and it was bullet proof. The sore back thing quickly progresses to a numb right foot for me. The secret to dealing with that was to roll up a t shirt for low back support. No more problem!

 

700 miles, thats a non stop 14 hour drive @ 25mpg, as mentioned. I drove mine home from SanFran to Milwaukee,WI. 2300 miles. 20 hrs to Wyoming and 16 more to home. I drove this car with bare feet , a lumbar pillow and the stereo off. 348 seats are horrible on the back. bring a pillow and kick your shoes off, you'll love it. The fuel gauge drops fast from 1/4 to E and the low level light comes on just below a 1/4. Pressure wash the bugs off, your done. If your not comfortable about the sellers last oil change and brake bleed, I'd have it changed and bled before your drive home.

Have not had the stereo on since...

 

I'd ship it just to be safe. There's plenty of time to drive it once you get it to your home safe and sound. And think of the stone chips you will save.

 

Stone chips are the mark of honor for guys who really drive their cars!

 

How many miles on the car?? clutches seem to last a long time under normal conditions