[miro]

Hi All,

I have found this forum incredibly helpful, it has helped me find my future car. I will be driving it over 1000 miles up north. Deposit down, flight booked, PPI arranged. Read the full hosted owner's manual. The seller has been very helpful and honest.

I'm planning on taking HWY 1 following the coast line up north, with a few detours to meet with friends-I'm going to hit up La Honda road etc. I don't really have much time, but I plan on avoiding I5 for most of the trip, sticking to the coast. I seriously haven't been this excited in years.

I found this thread to be insightful.

The car will be fairly loaded down as I'm going to have all the goodies that come with the car and a passenger. I believe the first 'mod' getting home will be to remove the Hardtop for the summer! I hope I won't regret getting the LSS-I have read quite a bit of mixed feedback on this.
Most of what I read is just that you need to have common sense, and drive it similar to a motorcycle.

I've also heard mixed feedback of how comfortable the car is for long trips. The longest I've driven in one day was 14 hours, which was rough.

My driving experience for a fun car the past 3 years has been an AP1 S2000.

So, I was curious-what tips would you give a complete lotus noob about to embark on a coastal whirlwind? Anything that you wish you would have known?


Thanks!

 

[komiko]

Gotta love the forum.
be vigilant about entering and exiting any driveways/ramps that have a drastic slope change (ie coffee shops/ drive thru) , this car will scrape before an S2000 would. Remember you are invisible to everyone around you, and those other people in their SUV's will not think twice about running into your new car. It's not a problem for them.
Apparently NO ONE is using their back up cameras. Assume everyone will be trying to run into you.
Your primary job is to make it home with you, your passenger, and new car, unmolested. I admire your bravery - haha - i went cross country, without a passenger, packed for 10 days, and there is no way the hardtop would have worked in that situation because the soft top has to go somewhere - hello boot. Have a great time - highway 1 should be sweet, but would be so cool with no top on the car for the ride.. Just always be prepared for the idiots in the other cars, always be aware of your cars position in context to it's surroundings. Eternal Vigilance. haha. Have a great time.

 

[lotus90]

+1 Remember you are invisible to everyone around you

 

[KCZ]

AAA membership and a list of Lotus dealers along the way.

Seriously, sounds like a great trip. Enjoy!

 

[Top Flight]

Stay in left lane most of the time. Blow by large trucks

 

[TachItUp]

I would say to keep a decent gap between you and the car in front on the highway - especially if you don't have starshield. These cars attract lots of road debris being so low

 

[TachItUp]

Also, absolutely make sure you have the toolkit (with tow eye and lug adapter)

 

[LostPawn]

Pack light and have fun. If the tires have a keyed lug nut make sure you have that with you. I don’t think it happens often but if the key fob doesn’t work there is a 4 digit code you’ll need to know to start the car. Don’t worry too much and enjoy the drive.

Some people will not see your car at all and you need to know this to avoid them. Other people will do everything they can to take pictures of your car; they will speed up to you, pace you and slow in front of you to get a better look. I haven’t driven long distance with a passenger; it might be fine with some and horrible with others. Make sure the person going with you is prepared for a long drive in a car with few creature comforts.

 

[SwingLo]

A few things:

- Make sure you have the splined lug key - VERY important.

- Make sure you have both working key fobs just in case

- Make sure you have fix a flat

- Get a cheap pack of fuses and keep them in the car

- Buy and keep a handheld OBD diagnostic reader for peace of mind in case your car throws codes.

- Use a 'dash app' - cheap OBD bluetooth or wifi (GoPoint) reader from Amazon and either Torque for Android or DashCommand for Bluetooth. Will tell you what your car is doing!

- If you are going to use your phone for nav, order the RLS Mount and corresponding mount for your phone (google it). Will make life easier.

- Bring a LONG phone charger cable. The jack is between the seats and if you have your phone mounted up front (for nav or DashCommand), you'll want the phone to reach.

- Bring a radar detector (borrow if you don't have one). If you use one, make sure you have a DUAL 12v outlet adapter (radio shack). The car only has one - that way you can keep your phone plugged in and charged and your radar.

- Break up the trip. Stop halfway and spend the night. If you are worried, pre-plan to stay at a hotel with covered parking.

- ENJOY THE TRIP. It's not Iowa to Omaha. You'll drive through beautiful scenery. If your passenger is a spouse or significant other, make a nice couple of days of it - some scenic spots, a nice lunch, whatever.

- FIND TWISTIES!! You may never make this drive again. While you are on a boring highway, you could be 2 miles from incredibly twisty roads that will make you fall in love with this car. Take your time and find them - look at other car forums, make posts on forums and play with google maps.

Oh and call your mother, she misses you!

 

[driftwood]

Oh and call your mother, she misses you!

^^^^^^^^^
this guy right here.

 

[Kimgt]

LOL, these guys are great!

Like a few others have said, make sure you have AAA card for help along the way.

ensure the car is ready for the drive home (oil, tires, coolant), drive carefully and Enjoy the drive. It will be great!

 

[Dave J]

I can't believe no one else has said this: DON'T LIFT!!!!!!

This has been a message from the "You don't want the back end to pass the front end" council...

 

[philethier]

- ENJOY THE TRIP. It's not Iowa to Omaha. You'll drive through beautiful scenery. If your passenger is a spouse or significant other, make a nice couple of days of it - some scenic spots, a nice lunch, whatever.



Go to Crater Lake. You can cut inland NE from Crescent City California. As you leave Crater Lake, you can angle NW through Roseburg Oregon back to the coast road.

You can ship the soft top to save space.

Drive with the lights on.

Never parallel park.

 

[marcinr]

Hi All,

I have found this forum incredibly helpful, it has helped me find my future car. I will be driving it over 1000 miles up north. Deposit down, flight booked, PPI arranged. Read the full hosted owner's manual. The seller has been very helpful and honest.

I'm planning on taking HWY 1 following the coast line up north, with a few detours to meet with friends-I'm going to hit up La Honda road etc. I don't really have much time, but I plan on avoiding I5 for most of the trip, sticking to the coast. I seriously haven't been this excited in years.

I found this thread to be insightful.

The car will be fairly loaded down as I'm going to have all the goodies that come with the car and a passenger. I believe the first 'mod' getting home will be to remove the Hardtop for the summer! I hope I won't regret getting the LSS-I have read quite a bit of mixed feedback on this.
Most of what I read is just that you need to have common sense, and drive it similar to a motorcycle.

I've also heard mixed feedback of how comfortable the car is for long trips. The longest I've driven in one day was 14 hours, which was rough.

My driving experience for a fun car the past 3 years has been an AP1 S2000.

So, I was curious-what tips would you give a complete lotus noob about to embark on a coastal whirlwind? Anything that you wish you would have known?


Thanks!

Bring a can of fix-a-flat, or better yet, a small scissor jack and a tire plug kit, and ear plugs for you and the passenger. Everything else is gravy

 

[bryanf650]

Don't over-think it. I picked mine up in Phoenix and drove it home to the bay area with a passenger. We brought a small duffle bag for clothes a few CDs for music and then just checked the fluids and drove (sedona, route 66, vegas, death valley, 395, yosemite). It was awesome.

 

[SwingLo]

Depending on your passenger, bring condoms. Or mace.

 

[sprocket3]

So many great roads and so little time!

Make sure tire pressures are correct for an Elise, not a truck. This can make ride a lot harsher. If you have adjustable shocks set them on full soft.

Nice soft ear plugs and sunscreen for your left arm.

 

[TCAR]

Just enjoy the drive!

I bought my Elise exactly 9 years ago and it has been my daily ride for some years now. Took the car on many trips, some in excess of 2,000 miles at a time. Never had an issue while traveling - not even a flat. Yes, the car sits low and tends to scrape driveway entries and curbs, but you know that. Would be nice to follow-up with a quick report and a few pics here once you have reached your destination. Just enjoy the trip.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

First off congratulations! Where are you picking up the car and how much time are you allowing? Highway 1 is a blast to drive but can get very monotonous in some areas. Also some areas get very congested and is extremely slow. There are some areas that are heavily patrolled. If you want to send me a pm or email at [email protected] I can pass on that info. If you plan enough time you can really have a blast!

 

[pwildfire]

+1 on sunscreen.

Also a couple not mentioned:
- Take time to carefully adjust your side mirrors. These cars are really low and have big blind spots in the passing areas, and the mirrors are hard to adjust once you are moving.

- If you are totally unfamiliar with the Elise, do a little reading on the dos and don'ts, like don't put too much weight on the windshield frame when climbing in and out.

- Make sure everything you bring will fit in the car! If you are getting a soft top and hard top with the car you are going to be strapped for space. I assume you will not have a passenger, but still keep in mind that a small suitcase or duffel is about all you can fit in the trunk.

Drive it like you stole it!