Battery price hosing & Is it safe to drive into Baxter State Park, pothole wise?

["Stephen Robinson" <stever500@xxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to a few of you who responded to my battery question - that
interstate battery for my 95 740i is about right at $127 dollars installed,
and worth the peace of mind that it was done right.  It's trunk mounted and
now vented again correctly (not sure if Battery Warehouse would have done it
correctly).  I definitely feel now like I didn't get hosed, and if I did, it
wasn't too badly.

I saw Don's report on his 98 540i "new" car pick-up debacle when hitting
that awful road debris on the way back from Canada.  It did incredible
damage to his car with an amazingly high insurance dollar claim.  I'm
driving to Baxter State Park in Maine from Wash DC next weekend in the 95
740i and dread the thought of hitting something awful, too!  Park employees
said the last 9 miles into the park is dreadful and some people in older
cars have lost mufflers.  I told them I have a rather large newer luxury BMW
and wouldn't want to destroy it going that last 9 miles...  They responded
by saying, "you should be ok if you don't hit anything bad on the road".  We
are hiking up to the top of Mt Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine and
the beginning of the Apppalachian Trail, and now I'm actually thinking of
renting a car instead for the long drive- like a cheap, tiny economy car.
Can't decide what to do.  I keep calling the office at Baxster State Park
and they say, "yeah, that 9 mile park road has alot of big potholes but if
you're real careful you should be ok."  I guess we might wing it, as it
would be nice to have the luxo-cruiser for the 12 hour trip each way.  What
would you do?
Steve Robinson
95 740i
95 540 hers
88 911

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