Hello all,
I’m thinking about a 3k trip later this year.
I would like to get information about things that I should replace or check.
The car has about 38.5 k miles on it and I’ve replaced brake pads & rotors, master and slave cylinders, belts, fuel pump, cat back exhaust.
I plan on cleaning electrical connections and replacing the tires & doing a cooling system flush.
Additionally, I plan on a good supply of oil, fuses and ear plugs.
Also, what spare parts would be you recommend?
Thanks for any suggestions or comments.

 

wow ... 38.5k miles? good for you!

honestly, just keep it simple. how long have you had the car? if you've had it for a while and have been keeping up with maintenance, then just worry about the basics ... fluids, thermostat, tires, plugs, etc.

on the other hand, if the car is new to you OR it simply sits for large amounts of time with no attention, then you'll probably want to give all the rubber parts a once over. in addition to the basics. replace what makes sense - like radiator hoses. inspect the brake lines and use your judgement.

as far as what to bring with you goes, oil, water (distilled would be preferred), belts and some basic tools. if you happen to keep your old plugs and wires, then it wouldn't hurt to bring those, but if you don't have the old ones, don't buy new ones just to carry. fuses are a good idea and a test light might be something to include in your tool kit.

on a final note, just something to consider ... if the car is so loud that you need ear plugs, then you should put a silencer (or 2) in the system. driving 3000 miles is not a simple task and the noise can fatigue you. with fatigue can come all sorts of dangerous and unwanted scenarios. if you must, then have the silencer placed in such a way that it is easily removable so you can exchange it for piece of pipe.

 

Thanks for your reply and ideas.
I was kinda kiddin’ about the ear plugs. I have had the car for about 10 years but, due to family matters, I have not been driving it much lately.
As you can imagine, the car drives really well and the engine pulls like crazy.
On the one hand, I’m anxious to make the trip but on the other if something goes horribly wrong, I doubt I’ll find a rx7 mechanic in the middle of Kansas.
Again, thank you for your help.

 

well, if you've had it for 10 years and drove it for a portion of that time, then you should probably have a decent idea of what it has and what it needs. i think both you and the car will be fine. you seem to be taking a proactive approach to mitigate the things within your control, and at the end of the day, that's really all YOU can do. the rest are things you just have to adapt to.