Across the US in my supercharged R8
#1
07-15-2009, 10:57 PM
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Washington State, USA
Posts: 669
Rep Power: 78 
Across the US in my supercharged R8
As the happy owner of the third known, completed supercharged R8 in the US, I went out to PES Tuning in Southampton, PA this past Sunday with the intent on driving the 2800 miles back to Gig Harbor. Met Tony and Patrick at PES for the first time, got a little tutorial on the system and went for a quick test drive. These guys busted their $#@ all week to get this done for me, and Patrick was on it till midnight the night before.
As clean as it's going to be for a while
Very happy with the install and look
New badge
Tony (PES owner) starting it up
I left around 1pm on Sunday and just started heading west from the Philly area using the car's navigation system. Ended up on a lot of turnpikes and had to stop to pick up tickets and pay at the tollbooths a few times. The noticeable benefit of these roads, however, are the really nice rest areas with restaurants, gas stations and clean bathrooms. Got a ticket within the first 100 miles of the trip, believe it or not, as I was slowing down in response to my Escort radar/laser going off. The crime? Going 71 mph downhill in a 65 mph area. $129.
So I just kept going, stopping for gas, Red Bulls and protein bars. I do like the 93 octane at the stations out here. Mostly in 6th gear at some speed near the speed limit, but with the occasional hard pull when there was an opening. The acceleration is awesome, from any gear, but since it's tied to the RPMs it comes on harder in the first 3 gears. But the acceleration vs. a stock R8 is similar to if you were downshifting and gunning it. Now you don't need to. The water/meth tank went empty after a few hours since PES set the pump to spray above-average levels because of the track use I will be getting out of the car, as well as me testing it out many, many times in the first three hours. So I called Tony and he said to use washer fluid as a diluted substitute as it is generally 2/3rds water, 1/3rd methanol. PES sets the injection for a 50/50 water/meth blend. It's a very clean install, with the tank bolted on inside the front trunk, and with two indicator lights in the car above the air conditioning controls: green light on when pumping (when the gas pedal is pressed about halfway down) and yellow light on when the tank is running low.
GM plant near Toledo
I hit Chicago around 11:30pm, and realizing it was Sunday night and Monday morning was going to be a traffic nightmare, I pushed through the area and finally stopped in Rockford, Illinois after 1am to get some sleep at a hotel. I did not realize how enormous the Chicago area is. It must have taken me at least an hour to get through the network of highways and interstates (and this was with no traffic). All told, about 850 miles on day one. No issues whatsoever. Car running flawlessly and strong.
Day Two I head out out of Illinois, up to Wisconsin, through Minnesota, into North Dakota and finally Montana. This is planned to be the long day, with about 1200 miles and a goal to stop in Billings, MT for the night. I didn't realize how pretty Wisconsin and Minnesota are in the summer with how green and scenic it is.
Only minor issue was two country boys in a pickup shouting profanities at me and trying to get me to drive off the road until a semi intervened by blocking them. Western Minnesota started getting flatter and browner, and I got to North Dakota in the late afternoon. I kept pushing through as the number of people I saw on the road started really dropping off and the speed limit increasing.
Got to Bismark for gas and McDonalds, my first actual meal in 36 hours. As it was getting darker I was getting more paranoid about the lack of cars and towns around, as well as every exit off the Interstate saying "no services" on the exit signs. I started thinking about what I'd do if something happened with a tire, or the car itself. But everything was running fine and the supercharger was pulling strong every time. I found North Dakota to be really interesting surprisingly, with the way the wind causes cloud formations I'd never seen before, and with interesting, barren geography. But that is probably because there was nothing else to do but notice how empty it is around you.
The Boonies (aka North Dakota)
Super Unleaded down to 91 octane
By now I am going really fast, trying to get into Montana which I do sometime around 10pm. So driving through Montana started getting interesting as the presence of other cars and trucks has entirely disappeared, while the roads are becoming more twisted and with elevation changes. A rainstorm comes out of nowhere and I drop speed and start thinking about what my next door neighbor told me over the phone a few hours ago: "don't drive through Montana at night because there is a lot of wildlife out there". At the same time I notice that my AT&T coverage has stopped giving me a signal. The rainstorm then stops but turns into a spectacular lightning storm of which I had never seen before in this intensity. Lightning non-stop from all directions. Now I'm looking for towns to stop in, and I finally reach Miles City, stop to get gas and look for a hotel. I find a Best Western, and it is sold out. I'm told the next hotel is in Forsyth, about 50 miles away. So I head there and find it, and there is literally no one working the front desk. So I estimate that Billings, the biggest city in MT, is about 90 - 100 miles away, so I push on, running on adrenaline.
About halfway between Forsythe and Billings, just going over the 2000 mile mark on the trip and over 1100 miles for the day, I am rounding a turn and there is a family of raccoons walking across the road right in front of me. The road is wet, the adult raccoon stops for sec, I move to the right to pass him (I can't stop at this point), and while I pass he runs into my path. I hit him on the right side of my car, and after a few profanities I immediately hear a big hissing sound. I think it's the raccoon, so I come to a complete stop on the road (I haven't seen a vehicle in over an hour) to get him off me, and realize it's all the engine coolant gushing from the car. So I start driving to find a safe place, and luckily there is an exit to the town of Custer, MT (population 145 according to Google) within a 1/4 mile. My car's telling me the engine fluid is low and to stop the car, so I pull into the town's gas station, which is well-lit but not open. I park the car, and spend a few minutes thinking of what to do next. It's 12:15am.
I end up walking around looking for anyone in sight, but there aren't any, while trying to see if I can get any phone reception. I finally find a spot while standing on top of the ice machine in front of the gas station, and after calling 411 and having no luck with tow truck drivers, I call Audi Roadside Assistance. I am transferred to the "special" R8 Roadside Assistance center, they take down my comments and say they will call me back. By now it's around 1:30am and I haven't heard anything, so I call them back. They say my file is on hold and they don't have any info. So I tell it to them again, and they say they will call me back. I notice it getting colder and windier and recall that I'm driving across the country with two pairs of shorts and 4 t-shirts, and with spotty cell reception. Around 3am I start getting delirious with the lack of sleep and low blood sugar, and start thinking about the raccoon family and actually feeling really sad that I ended up hitting the adult. This goes on for a bit until I look up and see that I can start seeing sunlight coming.
Around 4am, a car pulls up to me. It's the Montana State Patrol. I go up to him and he says he had heard there was a stranded person out here. I ask for options and he says he just happens to go hunting with the father of the only tow truck driver for 40 miles. So he calls him at home and wakes him up. He then tells me that he'll be coming with a flatbed and that he will take me to a hotel in Billings and drop me and my car off...then leaves. At 5:15am the truck arrives, he (Wes) looks at my car and says, "it's a good thing you're going to need a new front bumper because it's going to get trashed loading it onto the truck".
While he's loading it, Audi actually calls back and asks if the officer came. I say yes, and explain what's going on, and they say they can pay to have the driver come back the following day and take the car to the Audi dealer in Bozeman (about 250 miles). But I remember calling before I left to check on dealers between Chicago and Seattle, and couldn't find any that are set up to service an R8.
By now I'm wanting to get home ASAP and realizing I didn't want to sit in Montana for a few days trying to get a transport back to Seattle, I ask the tow driver, "any interest in taking me to Seattle?". He stops for a second, thinks, and says, "well, it just so happens my family is out of town with the in-laws for 10 days, so if you're paying, let's do it". At this point it's the only known variable in my world at the moment, so I say, "okay then. When can you go?" He says, "let's just go to my house first so I can get a change of clothes, and get started".
So around 6am, we start on a 800+ mile trip to Seattle. I quickly fall asleep for about 30 minutes. We end up getting near Bozeman, and the roadside assistance calls me to say that, oops, Bozeman can't work on R8s. I said I know that, but they only agree to pay the tow from Custer to Bozeman since they can only pay tow to the nearest Audi dealer. At this point I don't care anymore and say fine, I will pay the rest. When we get to Bozeman, Wes says, "I hope you don't mind, but I really need to stop and take a nap". I figure I don't really have a say in this, so I say fine. We stop at Arby's first as it is around 12:30pm, eat lunch, get gas and find a shady spot for his nap.
After his nap, he tells me to get a photo next to his cool truck
We finally get going again, and start talking about random stuff. He did say to not feel bad about hitting the raccoon, as it is "nature's way of weeding out the dumb animals". Wes is a cool guy, lives a simple life. Late 30s, joined the Marines and then the Army, Iraq War for 2 years. Actually stationed at Bangor for a while. Married after the service, bought his father's tow truck business back home because he felt a responsibility to the community as the only tow, tire and repair shop for hours. Told me animal strikes happen all the time in Montana, and that most are with elk. He said that if it had been an elk, I would have clipped its legs and it would have gone through the windshield and killed me. He says no one should drive through there at night unless they had a big truck. Talking to him for many hours gave me a renewed appreciation for simplicity and responsibility. His phone was ringing off the hook with calls for assistance, but he couldn't help because he was taking me to Seattle. I also noticed how religiously he hugged the truck speed limit of 60 and 65 mph, and how excrutiatingly long a 900 mile trip is in a tow truck and with a lack of sleep.
Western Montana, however, is incredibly beautiful if you have time to notice everything around you:
We finally reached Seattle around 9:30pm, and dropped the car off at University Audi. Luckily, they are an insurance-authorized body shop as well. My insurance company gave me a huge break in offering to pay the $2100 tow bill. I made Wes' month, and he even had a buddy in Seattle that showed up at the dealer to take him in for the night.
Final tally: 2800 miles in three days, with 2000 of it being miles of flawless driving in the R8 over a two-day stretch. Very happy with the supercharger setup, and can't wait for it to be repaired so I can get it on the track.
I'm glad I did the trip, but I don't think I'd ever do it again unless on a family trip, with a bigger car. I certainly will never drive through the wilderness at night if I can avoid it. I would take emergency supplies, and wouldn't drive so far at one time. Didn't quite make the entire 2800 miles driving, but I am thankful to be home with the car in the shop.
Roman
As clean as it's going to be for a while
Very happy with the install and look
New badge
Tony (PES owner) starting it up
I left around 1pm on Sunday and just started heading west from the Philly area using the car's navigation system. Ended up on a lot of turnpikes and had to stop to pick up tickets and pay at the tollbooths a few times. The noticeable benefit of these roads, however, are the really nice rest areas with restaurants, gas stations and clean bathrooms. Got a ticket within the first 100 miles of the trip, believe it or not, as I was slowing down in response to my Escort radar/laser going off. The crime? Going 71 mph downhill in a 65 mph area. $129.
So I just kept going, stopping for gas, Red Bulls and protein bars. I do like the 93 octane at the stations out here. Mostly in 6th gear at some speed near the speed limit, but with the occasional hard pull when there was an opening. The acceleration is awesome, from any gear, but since it's tied to the RPMs it comes on harder in the first 3 gears. But the acceleration vs. a stock R8 is similar to if you were downshifting and gunning it. Now you don't need to. The water/meth tank went empty after a few hours since PES set the pump to spray above-average levels because of the track use I will be getting out of the car, as well as me testing it out many, many times in the first three hours. So I called Tony and he said to use washer fluid as a diluted substitute as it is generally 2/3rds water, 1/3rd methanol. PES sets the injection for a 50/50 water/meth blend. It's a very clean install, with the tank bolted on inside the front trunk, and with two indicator lights in the car above the air conditioning controls: green light on when pumping (when the gas pedal is pressed about halfway down) and yellow light on when the tank is running low.
GM plant near Toledo
I hit Chicago around 11:30pm, and realizing it was Sunday night and Monday morning was going to be a traffic nightmare, I pushed through the area and finally stopped in Rockford, Illinois after 1am to get some sleep at a hotel. I did not realize how enormous the Chicago area is. It must have taken me at least an hour to get through the network of highways and interstates (and this was with no traffic). All told, about 850 miles on day one. No issues whatsoever. Car running flawlessly and strong.
Day Two I head out out of Illinois, up to Wisconsin, through Minnesota, into North Dakota and finally Montana. This is planned to be the long day, with about 1200 miles and a goal to stop in Billings, MT for the night. I didn't realize how pretty Wisconsin and Minnesota are in the summer with how green and scenic it is.
Only minor issue was two country boys in a pickup shouting profanities at me and trying to get me to drive off the road until a semi intervened by blocking them. Western Minnesota started getting flatter and browner, and I got to North Dakota in the late afternoon. I kept pushing through as the number of people I saw on the road started really dropping off and the speed limit increasing.
Got to Bismark for gas and McDonalds, my first actual meal in 36 hours. As it was getting darker I was getting more paranoid about the lack of cars and towns around, as well as every exit off the Interstate saying "no services" on the exit signs. I started thinking about what I'd do if something happened with a tire, or the car itself. But everything was running fine and the supercharger was pulling strong every time. I found North Dakota to be really interesting surprisingly, with the way the wind causes cloud formations I'd never seen before, and with interesting, barren geography. But that is probably because there was nothing else to do but notice how empty it is around you.
The Boonies (aka North Dakota)
Super Unleaded down to 91 octane
By now I am going really fast, trying to get into Montana which I do sometime around 10pm. So driving through Montana started getting interesting as the presence of other cars and trucks has entirely disappeared, while the roads are becoming more twisted and with elevation changes. A rainstorm comes out of nowhere and I drop speed and start thinking about what my next door neighbor told me over the phone a few hours ago: "don't drive through Montana at night because there is a lot of wildlife out there". At the same time I notice that my AT&T coverage has stopped giving me a signal. The rainstorm then stops but turns into a spectacular lightning storm of which I had never seen before in this intensity. Lightning non-stop from all directions. Now I'm looking for towns to stop in, and I finally reach Miles City, stop to get gas and look for a hotel. I find a Best Western, and it is sold out. I'm told the next hotel is in Forsyth, about 50 miles away. So I head there and find it, and there is literally no one working the front desk. So I estimate that Billings, the biggest city in MT, is about 90 - 100 miles away, so I push on, running on adrenaline.
About halfway between Forsythe and Billings, just going over the 2000 mile mark on the trip and over 1100 miles for the day, I am rounding a turn and there is a family of raccoons walking across the road right in front of me. The road is wet, the adult raccoon stops for sec, I move to the right to pass him (I can't stop at this point), and while I pass he runs into my path. I hit him on the right side of my car, and after a few profanities I immediately hear a big hissing sound. I think it's the raccoon, so I come to a complete stop on the road (I haven't seen a vehicle in over an hour) to get him off me, and realize it's all the engine coolant gushing from the car. So I start driving to find a safe place, and luckily there is an exit to the town of Custer, MT (population 145 according to Google) within a 1/4 mile. My car's telling me the engine fluid is low and to stop the car, so I pull into the town's gas station, which is well-lit but not open. I park the car, and spend a few minutes thinking of what to do next. It's 12:15am.
I end up walking around looking for anyone in sight, but there aren't any, while trying to see if I can get any phone reception. I finally find a spot while standing on top of the ice machine in front of the gas station, and after calling 411 and having no luck with tow truck drivers, I call Audi Roadside Assistance. I am transferred to the "special" R8 Roadside Assistance center, they take down my comments and say they will call me back. By now it's around 1:30am and I haven't heard anything, so I call them back. They say my file is on hold and they don't have any info. So I tell it to them again, and they say they will call me back. I notice it getting colder and windier and recall that I'm driving across the country with two pairs of shorts and 4 t-shirts, and with spotty cell reception. Around 3am I start getting delirious with the lack of sleep and low blood sugar, and start thinking about the raccoon family and actually feeling really sad that I ended up hitting the adult. This goes on for a bit until I look up and see that I can start seeing sunlight coming.
Around 4am, a car pulls up to me. It's the Montana State Patrol. I go up to him and he says he had heard there was a stranded person out here. I ask for options and he says he just happens to go hunting with the father of the only tow truck driver for 40 miles. So he calls him at home and wakes him up. He then tells me that he'll be coming with a flatbed and that he will take me to a hotel in Billings and drop me and my car off...then leaves. At 5:15am the truck arrives, he (Wes) looks at my car and says, "it's a good thing you're going to need a new front bumper because it's going to get trashed loading it onto the truck".
While he's loading it, Audi actually calls back and asks if the officer came. I say yes, and explain what's going on, and they say they can pay to have the driver come back the following day and take the car to the Audi dealer in Bozeman (about 250 miles). But I remember calling before I left to check on dealers between Chicago and Seattle, and couldn't find any that are set up to service an R8.
By now I'm wanting to get home ASAP and realizing I didn't want to sit in Montana for a few days trying to get a transport back to Seattle, I ask the tow driver, "any interest in taking me to Seattle?". He stops for a second, thinks, and says, "well, it just so happens my family is out of town with the in-laws for 10 days, so if you're paying, let's do it". At this point it's the only known variable in my world at the moment, so I say, "okay then. When can you go?" He says, "let's just go to my house first so I can get a change of clothes, and get started".
So around 6am, we start on a 800+ mile trip to Seattle. I quickly fall asleep for about 30 minutes. We end up getting near Bozeman, and the roadside assistance calls me to say that, oops, Bozeman can't work on R8s. I said I know that, but they only agree to pay the tow from Custer to Bozeman since they can only pay tow to the nearest Audi dealer. At this point I don't care anymore and say fine, I will pay the rest. When we get to Bozeman, Wes says, "I hope you don't mind, but I really need to stop and take a nap". I figure I don't really have a say in this, so I say fine. We stop at Arby's first as it is around 12:30pm, eat lunch, get gas and find a shady spot for his nap.
After his nap, he tells me to get a photo next to his cool truck
We finally get going again, and start talking about random stuff. He did say to not feel bad about hitting the raccoon, as it is "nature's way of weeding out the dumb animals". Wes is a cool guy, lives a simple life. Late 30s, joined the Marines and then the Army, Iraq War for 2 years. Actually stationed at Bangor for a while. Married after the service, bought his father's tow truck business back home because he felt a responsibility to the community as the only tow, tire and repair shop for hours. Told me animal strikes happen all the time in Montana, and that most are with elk. He said that if it had been an elk, I would have clipped its legs and it would have gone through the windshield and killed me. He says no one should drive through there at night unless they had a big truck. Talking to him for many hours gave me a renewed appreciation for simplicity and responsibility. His phone was ringing off the hook with calls for assistance, but he couldn't help because he was taking me to Seattle. I also noticed how religiously he hugged the truck speed limit of 60 and 65 mph, and how excrutiatingly long a 900 mile trip is in a tow truck and with a lack of sleep.
Western Montana, however, is incredibly beautiful if you have time to notice everything around you:
We finally reached Seattle around 9:30pm, and dropped the car off at University Audi. Luckily, they are an insurance-authorized body shop as well. My insurance company gave me a huge break in offering to pay the $2100 tow bill. I made Wes' month, and he even had a buddy in Seattle that showed up at the dealer to take him in for the night.
Final tally: 2800 miles in three days, with 2000 of it being miles of flawless driving in the R8 over a two-day stretch. Very happy with the supercharger setup, and can't wait for it to be repaired so I can get it on the track.
I'm glad I did the trip, but I don't think I'd ever do it again unless on a family trip, with a bigger car. I certainly will never drive through the wilderness at night if I can avoid it. I would take emergency supplies, and wouldn't drive so far at one time. Didn't quite make the entire 2800 miles driving, but I am thankful to be home with the car in the shop.
Roman
Last edited by gigharbor1; 07-16-2009 at 12:18 AM. Reason: grammar
#2
07-15-2009, 11:09 PM
Glad you made it back in one piece and the car (relatively) in one piece. GL with all the repairs and I look forward to seeing it sometime.
#3
07-15-2009, 11:24 PM
very nice post
most importantly I am glad that you are okay
next -- glad to hear the SC is as advertised!
I cannot wait to check it out.
I will be the guy in line behind Vincent :-)
Welcome home!
most importantly I am glad that you are okay
next -- glad to hear the SC is as advertised!
I cannot wait to check it out.
I will be the guy in line behind Vincent :-)
Welcome home!
#4
07-15-2009, 11:27 PM
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Washington State, USA
Posts: 669
Rep Power: 78 
#7
07-16-2009, 12:16 AM
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Washington State, USA
Posts: 669
Rep Power: 78
Thanks Joe, you are right. It was a risky, spontaneous trip, and a lot worse could have happened.
Some of the parts aren't coming in till next week at the earliest, so I won't have it out at any events for a bit.
Some of the parts aren't coming in till next week at the earliest, so I won't have it out at any events for a bit.
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#8
07-16-2009, 12:34 AM
Roman, that is quite the yarn you spun. You definitely had an adventure worth telling. I traveled the same path when I drove from Chicago to Seattle and covered that distance in almost the same amount of time one summer. There are some scenic parts for sure. Glad you made it home in one piece and I am next in line after PJ. 
#9
07-16-2009, 12:44 AM
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Washington State, USA
Posts: 669
Rep Power: 78
Thanks, Jim. A little extra torture at the end of the trip when I realized that the Bozeman to Spokane leg was probably the funnest part of the drive.
#11
07-16-2009, 02:07 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Age: 46
Posts: 1,912
Rep Power: 109
Despite the redrum of the coon' I am glad you posted this story. Made for a great morning read whilest I have my coffee. Cheers!
#12
07-16-2009, 04:04 AM
That was a happy/sad story. Sounds like a fun trip though, chalk it up to an experience I guess.
Fortunately it all worked out, things could have definitely been a lot worse.
gorgeous car btw, very clean
Fortunately it all worked out, things could have definitely been a lot worse.
gorgeous car btw, very clean
#13
07-16-2009, 09:20 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Wherever a thread needs to be killed
Age: 40
Posts: 1,941
Rep Power: 120
Wow, glad you made it back safely. I was excited to hear how you hit the roads, but was taken for a turn when you hit the coon. Its amazing the level of generosity some people have towards others that you won't ever find in the city areas. I think you would be hard pressed to find a tow truck driver to drive you from seattle to montana, but luckily fate was on your side. BTW Have you found out the extent of the damage that was done?
#15
07-16-2009, 09:36 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: inside someone warm
Posts: 7,059
Rep Power: 380
WOW, what a trip! This makes the flat tire incident that Larry experienced on a road trip seem almost mundane by comparison! I'm really glad to see that you made it back in one piece too! I'm looking forward to seeing your beauty up close and personal when we do the photo shoot soon! Let us know how the repairs goes and thank you for sharing your amazing road trip with us! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!