TestDriver 90q

So what do you do when you’re on a cross-country mission to find Americans who love their jobs?

You pick an epic vehicle to do it in.

A B3 90q with 242k.



Wanted to do a long-overdue introduction to myself, the car, and the drive. I’ve been a lurker for years, but given the scale of what I’m doing, I wanted you guys to be a part of it.

I’ve had this car (Lora) since 2003. It was my first car, and I knew just about nothing about cars. I’d never turned a wrench, and I managed to strip the drain plug threads on my first oil change. What a brilliant car to learn on. Seven years later, she’s in fairly solid shape (if you ignore the rust and all the other things wrong with it), and we’re on the road across America.

Test Driving America is, in essence, an endeavor to seek out and spotlight some of the best jobs in this country. Boiled down, TDA consists of a one to two hour interview with each individual, and then two to three days on the job with them. The end product of each test drive will be a profile piece written about each person/job, posted through the TDA website. Bolstering this will be a Wordpress blog, Flickr photo albums, a Facebook fan page, Twitter, and YouTube video clips. At the core, TDA is a new American adventure, and I intend to make it legendary.

Bored at work? Check out the TDA site and the blog, and fan it on FB. While the drive has only just started, there will be plenty of swashbuckling ahead.

What I’ll need from you guys along the way is a combination of entertainment, technical support, and suggestions. Know anyone in this country who loves what they do? I’d love to know about them. Have any suggestions on stuff I absolutely can’t miss along the way? Let me know. Have a garage I could borrow to do an oil change, or a hose for a car wash? Drop me a line. This forum has always been a huge resource for me. I never would have made it this far without you guys, and I’ll be counting on you on the drive ahead.

Cheers,
Lorren

CRAZY_RUSSIAN

did you change your t-belt? sorry, the first thing that came in to my head. if your in Albuquerque, drop me a line in here :-)

TestDriver 90q

You bet. I've done T-belt, v-belts, all coolant hoses, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, pads and rotors, and all fluids within the last six months. Tires are fresh Bridgestone 960AS(impressive grip in snow), Redline in both boxes, Depo H4's up front, and a CAC rear muffler capping a 2.5" stainless system from the downpipe back.

She's as ready as she'll ever be. But knocking on wood wouldn't hurt either.

CRAZY_RUSSIAN

red line..... puke.... red line is know to eat up brass sincros

dtompsett

2nd... if you plan on keeping the car for any time, get that redline out of there and put in something like Motul Motyl Gear 75W90. Thats what I used in my rally beater after "zinging" 3rd gear/syncro with a high-rpm shift (that missed... you know, when you don't get deep enough into the gear before you de-clutch and mash the gas.... ZZZZZZZIIINNGGGG)

3rd gear started crunching whenever I shifted. Flushed the old fluid, filled it with Motul... not so much as a peep or a crunch for the next 10k km's.

Good friend (and longtime forum member OWDLVR) has spoken directly with the redline guys (he used to be in the automotive performance industry, spent lots of time at SEMA and the like)... the redline guys admit their stuff says GL4/5 compatible, but that it isn't recommended for transmissions with 'yellow metal'.

TestDriver 90q

Got it, thanks for the input. The Redline was a relic from the old AW days, has been in there for about 10k. It'll get dropped as soon as I can find a US retailer to pick up some of the Motul. I remember OWDLVR running it on his rally beast.

Any thoughts on where to pick some up on the road? Having a mobile address makes shipping difficult...