| Blue, green,or red route? |
| Blue |
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15% |
[ 3 ] |
| Green |
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35% |
[ 7 ] |
| Red |
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50% |
[ 10 ] |
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| Total Votes : 20 |
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Message |
Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Tobias Duncan
Samba Member
Joined: January 15, 2013
Posts: 1391
Location: Taos NM
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 Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:52 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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| I25 and I40 miss all the nice bits of New Mexico. Anyone driving those routes will get a poor impression of an amazing state. At minimum I suggest driving from Santa Fe up through Taos to catch I25 again in Walsenburg Co. You wont even lose any time. |
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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 11:10 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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| YAY for a great road trip! Wish I had time for one. |
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tjet 
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 6:53 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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So all was going well until i smelled brakes burning. Thank god for aaa plus. Im in western pa. Parts will be here tomorrow. I found a nice hotel room - everything is sold put. Big state fair going on. People around here are super cool. The uber driver that dropped me off at the hotel will take me to get my parts tomorrow....
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/20190923_131306_hdr.570864/full
Sorry dave, no vanagons or busses so far. Not even a rusted out rabbit |
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SyncroHead
Samba Member
Joined: May 23, 2005
Posts: 1145
Location: Northern Nevada
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:26 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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| tjet wrote: |
| I hope the mods here dont get too upset over the non-vw car photos. I will get some VW pics on my journey. |
I'd say you should get a VW (or part of one) in every pic! 
I just noticed your profile says "Brea, CA".
That's literally 5 miles from me - If I could fly like a crow!
Would love to meet when you arrive!
Jim Davis
_________________
"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"
Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org
| sphet wrote: |
| I have *no* idea what the previous owner carried in his Westy... angry donkeys? |
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raoul mitgong
Samba Member
Joined: July 05, 2009
Posts: 1338
Location: Denver, CO
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 9:48 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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Tjet,
If you have any trouble in/near Denver, let me know. I've got a shop (sheet metal, not auto, but have floor jacks and tools) near 64th and Federal (2 mile north of I-70) where you can do some repairs if needed.
-d
_________________
84 Westy with a 2.1 (Groover)
86 Tintop Syncro (Crow)
86 Tintop Syncro to Westy project (Tom Servo)
91 Westy (Only the top 12 inches of this van (a burn victim)) |
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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So to recap the issue i had yesterday: i was going down a steep grade at 75 mph, and i was smelling brakes. Initially, i thought it was the trucks driving down the same hill, in fact i saw one smoking his brakes. Anyway, my steering began to pull hard to the left. I was like "what the hell?" So i exited onto a truck rest area. When i got out, my front driver side brake was smoking bad. I was smelling my brake cooking for 3 miles (doh). Keep in mind, i did not touch my brakes at all down the hill. My engine has high compression. All i need to do is let off the gas in gear.
I pulled off the front wheel ( which i was unable to rotate, btw). I cracked open the bleeder and steam shot out big time. So, i called around to a local autozone that had the caliper i needed. I then called aaa to get towed to az. I replaced it and bled the brakes. All ok...back on the road...
So about 2 hours and 100 miles later, i could smell burning brakes again. I didnt hesitate to exit immediately. When i rolled into a gas station, i noticed it pulled to the right now, with a wisp of smoke coming from that wheel. Once again, i called a local autozone. I ordered the right front caliper and a master cyl. That was yesterday. All the parts came in today and i just finished installing them. Lyft was also a life saver as the took me to autozone and onto where my car was.
At this point, the brakes seem ok. I did notice both brake hoses looked kind of iffy. Im gonna order those tomorrow i pick them up on my route.
With that, im going to change my route and drive south thru OK city....no denver. Sorry guys. I really wanted to stop overnite there and get some brews, but im not so confident on these brakes, and driving down a large mountain concerns me. So i will shoot for I-40 or I-20 now.
Last story: so i buy one of those brake bleeder hand vacuum pumps. It came with a bunch of adapters, etc. Ive never used one, so i decided to read the instructions. It was basicly a collection of notes and phases on how not to use it....in 5 different languages. Kinda funny, i figured it out well enough.....
Pretty happy with Autozone. I also got $20 off with my rewards card. Yeah.
Edit: sorry about all the typos. Im using my phone and i have fat fingers..
Last edited by tjet on Tue Sep 24, 2019 10:24 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7477
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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I love this thread. Here’s hoping for trouble free travels the rest of the way.
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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erste
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2013
Posts: 1110
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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| jimf909 wrote: |
| I love this thread. |
x2! That car looks so good, even on the flatbed.
Safe travels tjet and good on you for taking the southern route! |
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:27 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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So i finnaly made it to Ohio. Brakes working ok now. No weird smells.
Does anyone miss the old dennys?
I thought they were way cooler before they turned them into truck stops.
New
Old
On a side note, its been drinking some fuel. I estimated 13 mpg before i fixed the brakes. Maybe it will get better.
Has anyone seen how big the gas filler hole is on these old vettes?
Take a look....must have been designed by the big block guys.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/20190925_084615_hdr-3.570870/ |
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jackbombay
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007
Posts: 2723
Location: Eastern Idaho
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:04 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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| SyncroHead wrote: |
I'm never going to think "How far back was that sign that said "NEXT GAS 99 MILES"! 
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Across south central Nevada there is a sign somewhere that reads "Next gas 162 miles", somewhere north east of Tonopah IIRC...
_________________
Gas struts to pop your top easily!
Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies 
Samba ad here.
DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs) |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:11 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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definately replace the brake hoses if you haven't
in fact EVERYONE should replace their brake hoses.
the old ones fail internally and create a 1 way valve.. like a clogged artery. |
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jackbombay
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007
Posts: 2723
Location: Eastern Idaho
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:42 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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| danfromsyr wrote: |
definately replace the brake hoses if you haven't
in fact EVERYONE should replace their brake hoses.
the old ones fail internally and create a 1 way valve.. like a clogged artery. |
Yeah im gonna call around now for some hoses.
Those are the original plates. The car was originally sold in hawthorn, ca in 1970
Edit: autozone to the rescue again with brake hoses. And my next purchase will have $20 off. Is this a great country or what?
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jackbombay
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007
Posts: 2723
Location: Eastern Idaho
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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So, quick update from the Autozone parking lot in Ohio: the brake hoses were the root cause of my wheels (brakes) locking up ( thanks for the info, Dan) They were completly blocked. The weird thing is everything bled fine before i left CT, and when i did the calipers and master cylinder yesterday in PA
This Autozone also has a rear pair of hoses. So after i take a little break i will do those next....and bleed everything again (5th time).
At least its not raining, and FYI: brake fluid will make ur lips go numb in about 10 seconds when you try to blow thru old hoses |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 1:14 am Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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Little.....red....corvette........I need a love that duralast......
Be safe and let your horses run free....
_________________
.ssS! |
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:01 pm Post subject: Re: Driving cross country - I have 3 route options |
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So i finally saw a vintage vw.....in new mexico
No vanagons yet. GPS is giving me a 10pm eta tonite into Orange County. WooooHoo. |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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