my current plans for my cross-country road trip call for an all-nighter (passing between myself and my friend) the first night out of chicago.

Is that a terrible idea for the break-in? we will be varying speed, keeping it under 4500rpm, and taking many breaks... but...?

 

I'd be amazed if you could give up the controls on the first night. Only blood realatives have driven my MINI thus far. But on topic, it probably won't do much harm according to the manual, but the more cool down warm up cyles you have in the early stage of the motors life the better for getting everything to settle in right. And by cylces I mean completely cold not just shutting off for a few minutes.

 

i just did my road trip..

pick it up in portland OR.. and drove it to the OC in cali

my sister went with me.. and i didnt let her drive...lol

it was more of a 2 dayer... i stayed the night at a hotel mid way!

It was super funn and i wish it was longer..

Got great gass milage too!

 

how long does a complete cool-down take?

 

I've been taking about three hours engine off hood closed I can speed it up a bit leaving the key on the alternator positon and the hood up. but not by much. Lots of hot parts in close proximity doesn't help much with it.

 

bought @ Mini of Murray outside Salt Lake City, was in bed 17.5 hours later (going over Tioga Pass), with just a 4 hour sleep break at Lake Don Pedro!

Matt

 

sounds good. my goal is to leave chicago about 4 in the afternoon, taking side roads (lake shore drive, etc) up and out of chicago and on to south dakota. The goal is to make it to Rapid City, SD by sometime early the next morning (just in time for mount rushmore to open - 9am or so). According to mapping tools that's a 13 hour drive at normal speed.

I figure add 2 hours for varying speed + 3 hour stop cooldown/nap = 18 hours driving which means we'd pull into rapid city around 10am.