This weekend we made the daring decision to start trusting the wagon to go long distances again. The initial drive home just over a year ago is still its longest voyage in our ownership, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't terribly sketched out on that one. The timing belt was about to snap, and if I had known what I was going to be in for during the following year I would be even more scared!
Now that I've been through so much of the vehicle, it's hard to put question marks next to anything. It's time to see what this car is made of!
It was interesting riding shotgun in a 240, but even more so because of the car having AC and soft suspension. I actually got to sit back, relax, and discover that these seat recline a lot further than most other cars I've had. I could have fallen asleep which is incredibly out of character for me. I don't nap on car rides.
The only issue I found the whole way was that I did not properly reinstall a couple of the bulb sockets after repairing the D-pillar. No worries! Once we got there, the car got a much needed bath.
After some swimming in Mom and Dad's pool, visiting with family, and eating way too much, we made the trip back. This time, the temps were well into the 90s.
After our second gas stop for the trip I was really curious about how much my repairs might have increased the fuel mileage.
I was pretty darn happy with that. I have not seen over 22 before, and the last times I've calculated have been without working AC on local highways. Considering that were were setting the cruise at 75mph on a 90+ degree day with the AC cranked, I'm guessing this is pretty normal. Correct me if I'm wrong though.
We made it about a block from home before I came across the second issue.
I know that these gauges mean essentially nothing even with the temp faker bypass, but I did not like to see the temp creep this high. We had been chugging along all morning without issue. It wasn't until we stopped in a drive-thru for lunch that this started happening. It crept up very slowly, but it did not stop increasing until I started moving again.
Overall, I'm extremely proud of this car. Having working AC and cruise control in a 240 is truly game changing. I feel like I've experienced what it would have been like to buy one of these brand new in the 80s. Not only that, but I also understand WHY somebody would buy one of these brand new in the 80s! I just need some suggestions on how I can bring my temps down in the summer. New fan clutch? Colder t-stat? E-fan conversion?