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Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:34 pm

so ive decided to take my bug back to arizona with me. i live in florida now but plan to drive back to az to live in early june. what should i do to prep my car for this journey?

i know i need a first aid kit (plugs, wires, points, condenser, cap, fuel pump, fuel filters, fuel lines, pulley belts, 13mm, 10mm, gap tool, feeler gauge etc etc etc)

before journey:

change oil
check all electrical
get tires rotated and balanced
adjust valves

thats about all i can think about right now, any suggests? any one with experience? thanks!

Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:58 pm

I drove mine from Vegas to Seattle. Your first aid kit is right on, make sure you do the same for you. Having a cool soda turned a road side repair from stressfull to a chance to air out your butt and relax. Take your time too. I never went over 65, averaged 30mpg. I also drove around with a full gas can until I ran out of fuel so I knew for a fact where E ment walking.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 5:40 am

Drive the car locally as much as possible before the trip. It's the best way to uncover issues you can address before hitting the open road.

Max

Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:31 am

Every 2 months or so there's a post on here by someone who's fixing to take a long distance trip in their bug but is very anxious about it.

Below is a sampling of posts that address the range of questions most people ask before their trip, from "how should I prepare my car" to "is it safe to drive a bug for more than 10 miles" to "will my car disintegrate on the highway" to "what tools and spare parts should I bring" to "how often should I rest" and everything else in between and beyond.

If you make a more specific search, you'll even get route recommendations, parts store locations, etc.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=500006&highlight=cross+country+trip

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=368487&highlight=cross+country+trip

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=473673&highlight=road+trip

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=464590&highlight=road+trip

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=442110&highlight=road+trip

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=427137&highlight=road+trip

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=114662&highlight=cross+country+trip

Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:57 am

Can we assume since you are moving you are gonna cram the car full of everything you own?

You could be nice to the beetle by renting a small van for all your stuff and towing the car to its new home.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:21 am

If you are the same guy who posted his car for ssale last week - good choice to keep the car and take it home after graduation. I take it you have done some work to the car along the way, so you aren't a stranger to dirty hands. You are the best judge of your own ability and condition of your car, but Q-Dog nailed it above.

I have driven VW's from NYC to Atlanta and back in the past without any reservations at all. But that was me, a few bucks in my pocket, and a week's worth of clean underwear. When you carry a dorm room full of stuff, watch out for the GAWR. Probably not a bad idea to rent a mid size something and tow it to AZ. Call around the local freight terminals, too. You may find a trucker dead-heading back toward AZ around that time. Load the car and ride shotgun.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:48 am

sounds like you have a good list!

i can't say for yours, or mine for that matter, but my folks had a bug in the 60's. my dad still talks about that car (now that he has a '73 to put together). they drove that car all over the US. never had a real problem with it. regular preventive maintenance, watch for stuff, treat it like your friend. as posted above, keep the speed down. better mileage, less heat, etc.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:58 am

My wife and I drove our 69 bay window from Grand Rapids Mi to Portland OR down the left coast and back to Grand Rapids. As long as you have taken proper care of your car and it has no major problems
it should make it.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:05 am

Tune it up before you drive it... for me this means oil change, new plugs, adjust valves, new wires, dizzy rotor, cap, etc. Yes... new belt (maybe 2 to be safe) in the trunk as a spare ALWAYS... extra quart of oil and use a straight 40 weight or 20W-50 so it doesn't run too thin.

Oh, a few fuel filters too!

Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:52 am

Quote: Drive the car locally as much as possible before the trip. It's the best way to uncover issues you can address before hitting the open road.

this is my daily driver, i think ive gotten past the big problems ( fingers crossed)

Quote: Can we assume since you are moving you are gonna cram the car full of everything you own?

well im doing this the old fashion way. bringing the bare essentials and starting a new life

Quote: good choice to keep the car and take it home after graduation. I take it you have done some work to the car along the way, so you aren't a stranger to dirty hands. You are the best judge of your own ability and condition of your car

yeah, i cant emotionally sell my car haha. and yes, my hands havent been clean since the day i bought it

Quote: Tune it up before you drive it

i definitely plan to do this. along with adding a oil temp gauge and maybe an external oil cooler.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:14 am

It's up to you on adding hardware to your engine, but how about just a pair of decklid standoffs? Cheap and they definitely help cool the engine with more airflow. I wouldn't make a big change on my engine before making such a big trip. More to to go wrong!

I drove my niece's 1969 Bug from California to New Jersey last September (with some tow bar action in between) with no problems, save for a fried ignition switch (fixed en-route).

But your route this time of year, yeah -- decklid standoffs...

Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:24 am

Quote: decklid standoffs...

i actually have a set of these but was told to take them off because in florida it rains alot, but i forgot that ill be traveling in the summer and through all the dryer states. ill do that! thanks

Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:33 pm

VWheeler wrote: Quote: decklid standoffs...

i actually have a set of these but was told to take them off because in florida it rains alot, but i forgot that ill be traveling in the summer and through all the dryer states. ill do that! thanks

Use a tennis ball on the latch. Works great

Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:40 pm

It rains A LOT in Louisiana and my buggy engine is always exposed. You shouldn't have any problems with rain, provided your engine is in good condition. I often have to dump water out of the seats before I can drive it, but the engine always starts first crank.

Your car is no more or less reliable than your mechanic who regularly inspects and maintains the car. How much do you trust your mechanic?

Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:16 pm

Quote: How much do you trust your mechanic?

i am the mechanic. but i when i have problems that i dont know how to fix i go to my vw guy who has 30 years experience and everyone in tallahassee knows to go to this guy. he told me that he trusts that my car can make it. everything in the motor is new and has been broken in and daily driven

Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:49 pm

VWheeler wrote: Quote: How much do you trust your mechanic?

i am the mechanic. but i when i have problems that i dont know how to fix i go to my vw guy who has 30 years experience and everyone in tallahassee knows to go to this guy. he told me that he trusts that my car can make it. everything in the motor is new and has been broken in and daily driven

Is there a "LIKE" button for this?

Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:51 pm

VWheeler wrote: i definitely plan to do this. along with adding a oil temp gauge and maybe an external oil cooler.

Yeah, but don't strain your eyes reading the links that guy posted above or the 900 other threads that answer EVERY question you're asking.

Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:10 pm

VWheeler wrote: Quote: How much do you trust your mechanic?

i am the mechanic.
Perfect! That is the very best thing you or anyone can do to make their car more reliable. Be your own mechanic.

Max

Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:10 am

RocketA wrote: VWheeler wrote: i definitely plan to do this. along with adding a oil temp gauge and maybe an external oil cooler.

Yeah, but don't strain your eyes reading the links that guy posted above or the 900 other threads that answer EVERY question you're asking.

Watch out for the forum Nazi!!

Why is is such a problem for you when a fellow VW owner posts a question that may have been answered in the past?

Yes, there is a search option but maybe he didn't want to sift through the "900 other threads" to find his answers when it is simple to post a question for a response.

Is this thread robbing you of valuable time and space that you could be using to post even more unhelpful, pointless and snooty comments?

I will never understand why people feel the need to post sarcastic comments on a thread that they obviously had no reason to click on in the first place.

VWheeler-- Good luck with your trip!

Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:27 am

LeftSatisfied wrote: RocketA wrote: VWheeler wrote: i definitely plan to do this. along with adding a oil temp gauge and maybe an external oil cooler.

Yeah, but don't strain your eyes reading the links that guy posted above or the 900 other threads that answer EVERY question you're asking.

Watch out for the forum Nazi!!

Watch out for the forum Hero! Avenger of sarcastic remarks!

....sorry but you walked right into that one.

I'm the guy who posted the links that RocketA was talking about the OP not reading. Sorry Rocket, but I'm not hurt by him not reading them.

But.....the late model forum alone has 1,157 pages of previously asked questions and answers. The idea of "not feeling like" searching the site for an answer to a an already often asked and pretty thoroughly answered question seems kinda lame to me. But to each their own.

The question about long trips gets asked often enough that there should be a sticky about "how to prepare your car for a long distance trip/what tools to bring on a long distance trip/etc."

And to the OP, VWheeler, best of luck on the trip and be sure to have fun!!