Well, I made it...

[K_Dub]

Just finished a 1000 mi drive in my new '92 LS-L from Los Angeles to Boulder, CO and I've got some good and some bad to report.

First the good:
28 miles per gallon over a 300 mile stretch from Beaver, Utah to Grand Junction, CO. I thought the pump had cut out early because I've been averaging between 19 and 25 miles per gallon since I got the car. But this stretch I just set the CC for about 87mph (see below for reasons) and the car must have loved it. This is better than my '92 Legacy got on the freeway with two fewer pistons cranking.

Also, what a great long distance car. First Subee that I've owned that didn't make me numb after 4 hours in the seat. I guess that's what made it a touring car. That and all the Infinity speakers I just installed made this a pretty cushy ride.

Now the bad:
My transmission is so screwed When I push it hard it drives like a dream, but when cruising at low throttle the car tries to downshift to 3rd slowly revving up, then slams back into 4th with a violent snap. The Cruise Control doesn't cause this as much, but it did happen periodically. I'm hoping to get it into Superrupair while I'm in town for a couple weeks, but they've already turned down the transmission swap job, so I'm not inclined to pour a bunch of money into a gearbox that I hope to swap this year. Perhaps a break band adj or flush would be a cheap way to get her back home without the drivetrain turning to confetti in the middle of the desert. Advice?

The AC is shot. I knew this going in, but I'd forgotten how hot the Mojave gets in the summer. I set the econ mode to 65 and let it pump 100+ degree air in the whole way, but when I got to the rockies it actually cut out. I'd reached 65 Then as I climbed the mountains it actually turned to heat. I couldn't believe it, after sweating for two days, the outside temp read 52. Time to open up all the windows and the sunroof and enjoy some clean, cool, mountain air. Which brings me to my next issue.

The drivers side window doesn't want to close all the way at speed. It seems to get caught right at the top (right at whistle level). Obnoxious, but livable. I've had this problem in other cars. I'm hoping to give it a wiggle, and see if it's still on track. But...

When I pulled off to try and shut the window without the wind resistance the security turned itself on with the engine running! I hit the button, and it turned off and on just like it was parked with the key out. So I turned off the car and security and restarted, and it worked normally, but now I'm scared to use it. I don't have the remote fob (couldn't get an aftermarket to program), so the only way I have to disable the alarm is to turn on the car, but if the security can run with the car on, then I could very well end up with an alarm that won't shut up.

In all, I'm still thrilled with my new ride. Even with my newly discovered issues, it's still the nicest car that I've ever owned. I'm looking forward to fixing everything and making it mint, but for everything I fix a couple new issues rear their ugly head. If anyone has a tip on any of the above problems please help me out. Particularly the ones that would prevent me from making it back to Cali in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading,
-Kit W.