[Idaho2018GTPremium]

One important thing to watch out for with temporary protection (blue paint, tracwrap, etc.) is it coming slightly loose or starting to peel back, picking up grit on the exposed adhesive, and then flapping in the wind, causing damage from the gritty surface repeatedly hitting the car paint.

If you go the temporary route, make sure it's adhered well and doesn't peel off. Check the tape/wrap every time you stop as well.

I highly recommend PPF; I have XPEL covering a decent amount of my ZL1 (entire front, full hood, full front fenders, both side mirrors, rear door edge, door handle recess, panels in front and behind the rear tires).

[serper3]

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

One important thing to watch out for with temporary protection (blue paint, tracwrap, etc.) is it coming slightly loose or starting to peel back, picking up grit on the exposed adhesive, and then flapping in the wind, causing damage from the gritty surface repeatedly hitting the car paint.

If you go the temporary route, make sure it's adhered well and doesn't peel off. Check the tape/wrap every time you stop as well.

I highly recommend PPF; I have XPEL covering a decent amount of my ZL1 (entire front, full hood, full front fenders, both side mirrors, rear door edge, door handle recess, panels in front and behind the rear tires).

Thanks! Checking the tape will maybe give me a few extra reasons to pull over and stretch my legs. I am really trying to make it back Saturday night, but who knows after the first 5 hours I might change my mind!

[esm]

Where are you picking it up in Texas? You will be fine with DPS as long as you stay less than 10 mph over the speed limit. The speed limit on I-10 from San Antonio to El Paso is 80mph.

By the way I drove from Iowa to Corpus Christi with one overnight stay and used Xpel Tracwrap. Easy on and off. You might be able to call an Xpel dealer, maybe they carry it in stock.

https://www.xpel.com/shop/paint-prot...-film/tracwrap

[serper3]

Originally Posted by esm

Where are you picking it up in Texas? You will be fine with DPS as long as you stay less than 10 mph over the speed limit. The speed limit on I-10 from San Antonio to El Paso is 80mph.

By the way I drove from Iowa to Corpus Christi with one overnight stay and used Xpel Tracwrap. Easy on and off. You might be able to call an Xpel dealer, maybe they carry it in stock.

https://www.xpel.com/shop/paint-prot...-film/tracwrap

Heading to the airport tomorrow morning so unfortunately too late for that.

Picking it up an hour from San Antonio. Google Maps says I am going to be on the I-10. Good to know about the ~10 mph. In CA the highest MPH I have ever seen is 70 MPH, so I usually try to keep the sustained speeds at about 80. It may be raining though so we will see.

Hard to tell exactly when I am going to be on my way, but right now depending on when I get done at the dealership (probably get there around 3ish, so already on the late side), thinking I will get some food and head out. My goal is to make it to The El Paso area for the night, but I saved some respectable looking hotels leading to there, and a bit out as well just in case. I am thinking if I finish at the dealership at a reasonable time, and am feeling ok, if I can make it to maybe Deming or Las Cruces, I can try to make the rest of the drive on Saturday. Depending on how bad the traffic is around LA.

Pretty good chance of rain tomorrow night through Texas, so depending on how it looks when I am leaving, I might tape the car on Saturday morning to avoid it getting all wet. It looks like Saturday morning and on my trip should be clear of rain.

[esm]

It will be an easy drive on I-10.

Kerrville, Comfort, Junction and Sonora have restaurants and gas stations close to the highway. Definitely fill up in Fort Stockton, even if you are over half a tank. Not much from Fort Stockton to El Paso. Plan on averaging at least 85mph, so the Google Maps time estimate will be way off! Oh and DO NOT take a different route off of I-10 and west of Fort Stockton. The other smaller highways are packed with oil field workers, trucks and construction.

What city an hour from San Antonio? I may be able to suggest a better route depending on what Google is telling you.

[Buckwheat]

Nice trip planned

[serper3]

Originally Posted by esm

It will be an easy drive on I-10.

Kerrville, Comfort, Junction and Sonora have restaurants and gas stations close to the highway. Definitely fill up in Fort Stockton, even if you are over half a tank. Not much from Fort Stockton to El Paso. Plan on averaging at least 85mph, so the Google Maps time estimate will be way off! Oh and DO NOT take a different route off of I-10 and west of Fort Stockton. The other smaller highways are packed with oil field workers, trucks and construction.

What city an hour from San Antonio? I may be able to suggest a better route depending on what Google is telling you.

The car is in kerville.

Any good bbq on the way? Would love to get some good brisket, or ribs. Or maybe Mexican by El Paso? Or in general anything must do or see on the drive? Probably won’t be heading this way anytime soon lol

[Infamus]

Enjoy the ride... I drove my Zl1 from San Antonio to South Florida. Great ride, one must have...


A good radar detector... trust me it helps when flying low. Also make sure tire pressure is right before you leave the stealership I have yet to purchase a car from one where the tire pressure is set correctly. too much air is what I have found.

Enjoy the ride and post up some pics of the new beast.

[serper3]

Originally Posted by Infamus

Enjoy the ride... I drove my Zl1 from San Antonio to South Florida. Great ride, one must have...


A good radar detector... trust me it helps when flying low. Also make sure tire pressure is right before you leave the stealership I have yet to purchase a car from one where the tire pressure is set correctly. too much air is what I have found.

Enjoy the ride and post up some pics of the new beast.

Thank you! Too late on the detector for this trip, but I need to look at getting one again. I had one a loooong time ago and it was more pain than it was worth going off all the time. Also not sure on this but I think the Highway patrol around here is mostly laser so not sure how helpful the detectors would be. Definitely need to do some research though.

Will definitely post up pics when it is mine!

[Zl1+911]

Use Waze!! In well traveled roads waze is very very good about showing cops

[Katech_Zach]

I recently purchased a ZL1 1LE from Texas and drove it back to Michigan! Took lots of stops on the way here, it was 2000 miles total. I didn't really protect the paint, and I did get unlucky and took a kicked up piece of something to the fender. Have to get paintless dent removal to fix it. Other than that, it is in solid condition from the drive.

I would suggest getting automotive collision wrap (or equivalent) https://www.richtoolsystems.com/Auto...4aAg8ZEALw_wcB

Use the stuff that shops use to protect bodywork while performing maintenance on the car if you are concerned about damage.

It was a really fun trip, enjoy the ride

[NW-99SS]

Congrats, and be sure to share pics of the trip home!

[serper3]

Originally Posted by Zl1+911

Use Waze!! In well traveled roads waze is very very good about showing cops

Thanks, this is a great reminder. I always forget about this and use Google Maps because I like the interface better, but the Waze police alerts are much better for sure!

Originally Posted by Katech_Zach

I recently purchased a ZL1 1LE from Texas and drove it back to Michigan! Took lots of stops on the way here, it was 2000 miles total. I didn't really protect the paint, and I did get unlucky and took a kicked up piece of something to the fender. Have to get paintless dent removal to fix it. Other than that, it is in solid condition from the drive.

I would suggest getting automotive collision wrap (or equivalent) https://www.richtoolsystems.com/Auto...4aAg8ZEALw_wcB

Use the stuff that shops use to protect bodywork while performing maintenance on the car if you are concerned about damage.

It was a really fun trip, enjoy the ride

Thank you! i am going to get real ppf when i get home.Sounds like what hit your car would have caused damaged though ppf or not. that is too bad.

Originally Posted by NW-99SS

Congrats, and be sure to share pics of the trip home!

I will post up pics when I get home for sure!

UPDATE!! - got the car. in el paso for the night.

LOOONG Day. left my house this morning at 330AM for my flights. Dealership is about an hour drive from the airport. Got to the dealership around 3ish central time. checked the car out and took on a test drive. Test drive kinda sucked lol because it was raining pretty good and obviously it just spins. fortunately this is the second zle i test drove.

Otherwise the car is pretty much as clean as anticipated, except 1 decent size wheel nick/chip and a couple smaller ones. I will probably get these fixed at some point we will see.

the car had 6.2k miles so everything is pretty much like new.

I am staying in El Paso. pushed through maybe a little to get here although i feel pretty good, especially considering I have been up for 22 hours now.

I stopped at Lum's in Junction to get some BBQ. it was GOOD. brisket was a bit dry (prob because they hold it) but the ribs were real good. I love texas bbq! i bbq all the time because in CA you can't really get good bbq otherwise..

the first 3-4 hours of driving it rained pretty much the entire time, for about 20ish min it was real real bad lots of standing water and i had to go ~45. some hydroplaning and hardly any visibility. The majority of the trip so far i was doing about 85-90. didn't see a single highway patrol person out with a radar or anything.

I am definitely super excited now - before i was just nervous on the what ifs.

i think i did around 500 miles today. Google says 1169 to go! can't wait to enjoy the car a bit more than at a constant speed at cruise control lol.

[Infamus]

drive it like you stole...

great update.