::Meandering in Marigold:: Our backroad trips in a '76

[PLF-Blue]

[PLF-Blue]

[Wasted youth]

Guiding Light Award once again goes to Tcash!

That looks like more than a few weeks of work to me, but I don't get to play every day.

As an added expense... I would seriously look at your brake booster and master cylinder if you are still planning on a multi-state trip. That kind of failure could cause a serious, yet preventable delay.

[Stuartzickefoose]

how are your tires looking? not a bad time to look at a good load rated set if they current ones are worn or not load rated. i would recommend BFG's for the trip, great tire on and off road. RA08 close second.
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Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[Tcash]

[PLF-Blue]

Alright, ran down and got a new gates hose for the larger diameter section between the filter and the pump and got the leak stopped. Then left all the tools in the garage and did nothing vw related.
Looked back over the PO receipts and workorders - saw new fuel pump from one year ago but apparently he only changed the fuel lines forward of that. I see what appears to be original lines from the tank to the pump. Missed that when i looked initially as i was just looking forward.... Lesson learned. Going to assume from here on out that maintenance has been cheaply done and fixing the problem at hand.

Made a list last night of things to do over the next few weeks - (more for myself)---

-Replace every single fuel line...
-starter and hard relay
-Cvs and axles (inspect, may go all new)
-Install tach
-New ignition components and full tune up(despite receipt for 'tune up' done 2 months prior to taking possession), timing, valves, oil change
-Electric washer reservoir or repair the current which spews water onto my crotch when activated.
-Inspect, new vacuum lines throughout
-Heater tubes/hoses
-Adjust e-brake
-New door seals
-New shocks
-Inspect exhaust leak and repair
-Replace clutch cable
-That little bushing where the shifter is vibrating just on the other side of the floor and going to make me insane-ier!.....
-Check trans fluid
-Wheel bearings
-Couple little interior things
-Check and replace anything else that looks like it may be stock/worn out/close to failure/result of non-maintenance in past
-Stock up on beer for nightly sessions when i go around and pick up all the tools that i have thrown across the driveway.

Anything else while i am under there? Time is plentiful, money is not as much but still budgeted.
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..."I live in my own little world. but it's ok, they know me here." -L. Myracle

[PLF-Blue]

THE LITTLE VOICE WAS RIGHT!

Woke up at home this morning and went out to clean the bus out and smelled a little gas. Hey, guess what, a small tear between the pump and filter.

Keep 'em coming! It is a JOURNEY whether on the road or not, right?
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..."I live in my own little world. but it's ok, they know me here." -L. Myracle

[PLF-Blue]

[quote="curtis408
journey will be worry free....[/quote]

Ha ha! Well, maybe not free

But yeah, i get it. Always a big learning curve with a new-to-you car. Its all just a big test for a while. No worries. We wll be back on the road with her. This trip was just starting to get that feeling, the feeling when you should turn around before it gets worse. Cant really explain it but it wa the same feeling when we took an old mustang up to Hot August Nights... Turned out really bad and avoidable if i would have listened to the little voice in my head...

[/i]
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..."I live in my own little world. but it's ok, they know me here." -L. Myracle

[Wasted youth]

Many successful business people have a string of failed businesses behind them. Irritating as it is, you've made the right choice.

[curtis4085]

Bummer.. A good friend gave me some advice while on the road, mechanical issues in a classic vehicle are just apart of the journey. Once you can reconcile this your journey will be worry free.

Hope to see this trip continue!!!

Laguna beach crystal cove campground is super nice clean and has great showers.. Views are amazing and campground was quiet. No wood or charcoal fires allowed which led to early nights. My little buddy heater acted as our camp fire.
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Special Thanks to:
Headflow Masters - Vista, CA
www.headflowmasters.com

[PLF-Blue]

I hear ya, wasted...and as much as i would like to go on a rant capitalized by a call to arms for revolution, i will keep mine eyes averted from a direct gaze and continue to march forward like a good commufornian...

Well, the hits just kept coming.
Had a horrible night of sleep at the previously mentioned KOA - surrounded by Frenchy McFrencherson who blasted foreign films all night long on one side of us and an under-breath swearing youth pastor with a bunch of high energy kids runnning around all night on the other.

Morning came and we made some calls. Found a local vw shop that said they could get us a new starter in about four hours. So we killed some time at the beach...

Not cool...

Taught the wife how to roll start a manual transmission and where the starter is and how to give it a little love with a maglite if needed so that was a good experience. Bump started it and headed over to an alley behind the shop to pull the starter - hear what sounds like a little exhaust leak now and having some low idle issues creep in. Starter is tackled - Got everything off but the top bolt. Yep, she is stripped somehow. Huh? Oh yeah... While i am under there, i now notice the passenger side CV boots are completely torn and the drivers sides are fractured. The old guys Must have finally gone somewhere over the last 600 miles as that was the last time they were inspected and intact. Head in to the shop to see if they can give me a hand with the starter bolt - bad news, the starter didnt come in and its closing time.

The wife and i both look at each other and simultaneously say "screw it." 48 hours into a month plus long trip and this 'S' is the majority of it so far? Nope, lets head home and get to work, reset before heading back out. I have had a little list in the back of my head of stuff to do anyways, stuff that the PO couldnt exactly account for. Dont feel like spending the majority of the trip wrenching in a back alley with substandard tools, just trying to 'make it work'. To punctuate the day of disappointment, our normally 3.5 hour home turns into a 6 hour joy ride thanks to the San Francisco traffic.
But, on the bright side, we stopped at a little restaurant in half moon bay and had one of the best rib eyes of my life so far.

So, we will do some more maintenance, rebuilding, and preps for future trips. In the meantime, we are jumping in the jetta tomorrow with a tent and off to find a lake somewhere, maybe head to the in-laws down by morro bay. Gotta get some travel bug out of us!
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..."I live in my own little world. but it's ok, they know me here." -L. Myracle

[Wasted youth]

Please read this:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=581254&highlight=starters

And... It certainly sounds like your trip is like most in California Whole 'lotta bullshit goin' on here, yeh.

You need to really spend some time committing to making reservations (yeah, I know ), because like it or not, it's about the only way to successfully camp at state beaches or parks anymore, avoiding most of the problems you mentioned:

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDirectoryList.do?contractCode=ca

Don't tell me it's bullshit, or we shouldn't need to have to do that, etc. Trust me. Really. You'd be preaching to the choir about that. Anyway, by making a resevation at Julia Pfieffer Big Sur and also at San Simeon last spring break, we rolled right in past everyone else. At our leisure. And got our spot.

[hitest]

I'd bet a beer that one drive through Capitola's main drag and you'll find a VW bus connection or two. There's a souvenir/surf shop owner who owns and lives buses. Sorry I don't know the name, but his shop is on the "land" side (east?) of the main shopping strip- and his shop and custom art is heavy on bus themes. I drop in every two years to buy something of his. Good luck!
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[PLF-Blue]

[richparker]

Congrats! Im sure it feels great to be on the road.

We had trouble camping near Santa Cruz last summer on our cali road trip. Ended up paying way to much for a KOA (we have a baby) but it was nice and clean.

I bought my last starter from Autozone. It was inexpensive, in stock and came with a lifetime warranty.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’71 Double Cab

[PLF-Blue]

Finally hit the road.
Less than a stellar start.
We rolled out and started down from the Sierra Nevada's on I-80 into the bay area. Got to cross the new bay bridge and head onto highway 1 heading south. Crashing the first night just south of Santa Cruz.

The goods:
-finally got to get away
-Laughed our A$$es off at nearly a dozen people chasing a chicken that got loose from someones car at a gas station. (No pic as i was laughing too hard)
-had a fantastic lunch sitting on a quiet beach

The bads:
-averaged 17 mpg, a drop from our previous trips.
-had another hard, cold start this morning. Looks like the tts and cold start valve are not the only things holding her back.
-about to lose the starter - we stopped for lunch and she wouldnt turn. A quick tap on the starter with the ol' mag lite and she fired up. Did a couple of jump starts the rest of the day as she fired again on her own but then not another time.
- a bunch of state campgrounds are 'closed for the season' and locked up. Public land, my A$$.... No ocean view to wake up to tomorrow.


Dumb starter....

My other co-pilot ready to go

More to come, assuming we dont get stranded. Heading to Monterrey tomorrow hoping to pick up a new starter. Then a few nights down below big sur before heading to Cayucous this weekend.
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..."I live in my own little world. but it's ok, they know me here." -L. Myracle

[Klaussinator]

[PLF-Blue]

[Manfred58sc]

Long hills with an 8% grade would be much safer to pull in 2nd gear (rpm's at 3300). That is a heavy camper, you don't want to hurt that type4, they are pricey to rebuild. Great trip/life. I'm also in a part time mode (veteran household) at age 50. We have seen too many friends dead, long before they got to even plan their dreams. Thanks for sharing and safe travels!
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Fat chick owner/operator

[wcfvw69]