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anthonycanchola Tue May 20, 2014 8:39 am

So ill be driving to Vegas from LA this weekend
I think its about 400 ish miles. I know it's really hot in
Vegas that's why im feeling a bit nervous driving all the way out
There. But it should make it right? Ill keep it around 3000-3500rpm
Everything is mechanically good, so idk guys, im feeling a bit
Nervous lol :roll:
What's the farthest you guys went? I wanna hear some experiences

KTPhil Tue May 20, 2014 9:09 am

We used to drive from LA to the Bay area and back regularly back in the day (350 miles each way). The usual prep was a tune-up a week before, a week of driving between tune-up and trip to be sure it's all good, and the usual set of tools, spare parts and oil and a fully inflated spare in the trunk. Keep your cell phone charged.

These trips were in cars that were regularly driven and serviced, so there were few unknowns. Of course things like tires, fuel lines, brakes and brake lines were maintained properly.

Start early (both for traffic and for heat), and when you approach a rest stop along the way, slow down to 55 for the last five miles, then let it run at high idle for a couple of minutes in the parking lot before shutdown. This avoids a temperature shock on shutdown. The freeway heat soak can make it hard to restart, so don't flood it on restart. Check the oil at each stop, and give the tires a visual inflation check. Work up the speed gradually once back on the highway.

oldPSUguy Tue May 20, 2014 9:16 am

I drove two newly acquired beetles home to Las Vegas from Southern CA, one from Glendora, the other from San Diego. The scary part was neither car had been on the road for a while, so the prospect of a breakdown was real.
I put new tires on the worst of the two, and did an oil change, and had a quick undercarriage inspection done, before taking it home, with an engine that needed replacing, as it turned out, when I got to Las Vegas.

My longest ever trip was Seattle to Oakland and return in a 1970 beetle.

oldPSUguy Tue May 20, 2014 9:22 am

Watch out on El Cajon Pass, just east of Baker. It is steep and will slow you down. Plan on driving in the right lane. California drivers are merciless in their regard for slow moving vehicles.

KTPhil Tue May 20, 2014 9:24 am

Expect congestion on the road to Vegas on a holiday weekend. Your problem may not be excessive speed, but rather the slow creep.

Desert is worse, and we left early (on the road by 5 AM) on the 101 up the coast, especially in summer. By the time you stop for breakfast, you are half way there. Makes the trip cooler, less congested, and mentally shorter.

lifetime Tue May 20, 2014 9:25 am

Barrie to Niagara Falls for June Jitterbug. Not really that far but considering how low my car is that's quite the rip - roughly 220kms.

anthonycanchola Tue May 20, 2014 9:34 am

What would a basic tune up consist of?

:shock:

slo356 Tue May 20, 2014 9:37 am

Drive as far as you want...as long as you have a properly maintenanced T1 and cruise at 62mph.

Two years ago a friend in his Citroën 2CV and us in our '65 did a 1000 mile meandering trip north to the Oregon border from San Luis Obispo. Included a loop thru Yosemite and the desert. Both cars ran great except that my friend's wife was getting a little jealous that people would always gather around and ask questions about our VW over their Citroën! LOL.

Also did a trip north to Alturas in the winter with rain and snow...no problems.

Change the engine oil and spark plugs, adjust valves, top off the transmission oil, lube the front end and set tire pressure to 20psi front and 28psi rear, 30 to the spare. Wash the windows and go.

Report back with PICS?

rcooled Tue May 20, 2014 9:43 am

Many moons ago, I drove a '62 Beetle coast-to-coast (over 3K miles) with a motor that I built out of a JC Whitney catalog...no problems whatsoever. Also drove my '65 Ghia from the SF Bay Area to Washington state a couple of times without incident.

Change your oil, adjust the valves, replace the points & spark plugs, set the timing, and see that your tires are sound and properly inflated. Also make sure that all your engine's cooling tin and sealing rubber are in place and in good shape. Check your brakes for good lining and adjust 'em if necessary. Make sure the transaxle oil is topped up too. Bring along a few basic tools, a fire extinguisher and maybe an extra set of ignition points, some spare fuses and a new fan belt. Never hurts to have a roll of duct tape handy either.

A Beetle will cruise pretty nicely at 55-65 all day long on the open road. Don't worry about hot weather. The VW Thing's ancestor (the Kubelwagen) was designed to slog thru the North African deserts during WWII using the same basic motor that's in your car.

Have a great trip!

anthonycanchola Tue May 20, 2014 9:49 am

slo356 wrote: Drive as far as you want...as long as you have a properly maintenanced T1 and cruise at 62mph.

Two years ago a friend in his Citroën 2CV and us in our '65 did a 1000 mile meandering trip north to the Oregon border from San Luis Obispo. Included a loop thru Yosemite and the desert. Both cars ran great except that my friend's wife was getting a little jealous that people would always gather around and ask questions about our VW over their Citroën! LOL.

Also did a trip north to Alturas in the winter with rain and snow...no problems.

Change the engine oil and spark plugs, adjust valves, top off the transmission oil, lube the front end and set tire pressure to 20psi front and 28psi rear, 30 to the spare. Wash the windows and go.

Report back with PICS?

Transmission oil? Like gear oil? I thought my bug didn't have
To take trans oil

Will post pics too=)

anthonycanchola Tue May 20, 2014 10:10 am

guys my tin has holes in it and i dont have heat risers, a local vw shop said i dont need any since i live in CA



dschup Tue May 20, 2014 10:26 am

30' so far...

gt1953 Tue May 20, 2014 10:29 am

I went to the Texas Classic this year and it was 2000 miles round trip. Not an issue. Did not ad a drop of oil either. RPM range was 3200 3500.
Gotta love my engine builder.

ThingBeast Tue May 20, 2014 11:01 am

Anthony, I would plug up the holes in the tin as best as you can. You really don't want any additional heat rising up thru the tins. I have a 2007cc engine in my 61 and keep everything sealed with all of the correct rubber. Just my 2 cents worth.

inzel Tue May 20, 2014 11:15 am

Drove a 66 with a SP1600 from LA to middle of Oregon. Wasnt bad. Would have been better if the 66 was at stock height tho.

vamram Tue May 20, 2014 11:30 am

About 450 miles from Providence, RI to Arlington, VA. Got about 12 miles a gallon, didn't realize my fuel pump was bad and dumping gas into the crank case.... :oops:

Cusser Tue May 20, 2014 11:40 am

ThingBeast wrote: Anthony, I would plug up the holes in the tin as best as you can. You really don't want any additional heat rising up thru the tins. I have a 2007cc engine in my 61 and keep everything sealed with all of the correct rubber. Just my 2 cents worth.

Yep, plug those holes. Maybe do the tennis ball trick on your journey.

I made many cross desert trips across AZ to CA (and back) with an 1835cc engine in summer, but I had an oil cooler and hood standoffs too.

60ragtop Tue May 20, 2014 12:03 pm

in my 60 ragtop, 1000 miles this past week to Colorado for VW's on the Green. All in all I have over 200K miles on my 60 since 1997
2009 a 4000 mile two week road trip to Mid america's Fun Fest.
last couple of years my 70 has been to Bonneville 4 times, 1000 each trip and up to Saskatoon last summer . VW's are worthless to me if you can't trust them to get you wherever you want to go or if you are afraid to get them dirty :wink:

hitest Tue May 20, 2014 12:03 pm

LA to LV is no problem. Please research the threads about fuel line safety wire and oil pressure. There are many threads already dedicated to specific maintenance and safety checks- so I would guess things will get omitted if you are requesting a repeated full rundown. Search under "trip kit" too.

anthonycanchola Tue May 20, 2014 12:59 pm

guys. how would i plug up those holes?
i called autozone and they have some special wrap that looks like tin foil.
its like a heat deflector/ exhaust
would i just lay it over the holes?
any ideas would help alot please :) any thank you all for sharing your experiances and your trips , :)



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