1000 mile challenge

[MoveOver]

OK, you have a new VXR to run in and time is short.
The challenge is who can come up with the best combination of drives to run in a new VXR over it's first 1000 miles.
Let's say you've got 1 week before you go on holiday to a continental country with back roads to die for and the VXR must be ready to thrill.
We will all have our favouite routes in all parts of the country, none of which should be over any more than 50 miles one way, so any travel to start points is not inculded in the 1000 mile challenge.
Am I raving? Does anyone have a better idea to run a new VXR in?

[Sparky]

Interested to know where this 1000 miles comes from, thought it was 1000km - 600 miles. I have my own way of running in so I make sure I use the revs after the first 200 miles, and I never alow the car to drop below 2000 rpm at a constant speed. But these are my own opinions only.

[In a state]

For me it'll probably be a trip down south to get an exhaust fitted and possibly a remap at the same time...1000 miles easy by the time I'm finished...plus I'm driving through mainland europe soon...so we should be well run in by then....Autobahn style!

[MoveOver]

OK, fair comment.
Now the way I look at it is this. There's 750 miles from one end of the UK to the next without getting drowned. VXR owners are all over the country. I could think of various small runs stretching from Brighton to Hereford that I love to drive. However, within those runs there are monents of utter tediom. They are runs I know like the back of my hand, I know when to change down/up and where the speed cameras are to be found. Knowledge that is hard to come by when you are planning a long run.
For example, if I drove to Herefored from London, most of it is tiresome motorway or weaving your way past various roundabouts. However, turn off at Newent and avoid that speedcamera as you leave Higham and the stretch between Newent and Burley Gate is glorious.
Or lets say you are heading back from Brighton on the A23. You know the traffic is going to be snarled up past the winding dual carriage way after Pyecombe, but if you come off at Poyinings and head towards Turners Hill you experience some of the best back roads I believe England has to offer.
Now, imagine you could join up the dots between North & South joining all those routes we love. I couldn't think of a better way to drive your first 1000 miles/kilometers :P [/code]

[Aussie]

already ran in
3800miles on the clock
my first trip was the Devon/Cornwall coastline

[jillyrix]

My dealer told me not to run it in.
He said 'drive it hard from day 1 and you will end up with a better car'
so i did!!!!!!

[In a state]

'drive it hard from day 1

...and then come to use when all goes wrong
I'm pretty sure no harm will come from just driving it normally...which is usually hard from day 1 :wink:

[Sparky]

I have experienced people drivin git hard from the word go, and found they seem to have faster cars, but just as "In a state" says how long they will last is a different matter. I'll keep to the 600 miles I think for now, until the manufacturer says different, not the dealer.
Interesting subject this one. With the Tamora there was a strict running in procedure and an even more painful warming up procedure every day. The dealer had lots of automotive experience and always insisted that the way to get the quickest and most economic car was to nail it. He did admit that I wouldnt get 100K miles out of it, but would that really matter to me.
The Vectra has been driven normally since day 1, but not nailed. I am certainly finding that it is getting quicker.

[In a state]

I have to agree with you Mark.
I do prefer to run in a car...even if it is to get used to the new power delivery, handling etc.
Personally, I usually do an engine flush (with 2 lots of fresh oil) after around 1000 miles...just to get rid of a swarf etc that may still be around the engine.
After that I drive as normal....the engine will still be tight until there's a good 10k on the engine or so...then it should really loosen up.

[M40COO]

I just wish there was a temp guage so you knew when the engine had warmed up enough for you to blast it !

[In a state]

What no temp gauage on the Astra!
Are they mad not fitting one or what...probably the second most important gauage on the car.

[M40COO]

Nope...fraid not.
If I wanted to fit one where would the best place for the temp sensor to go ??