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vwracerdave Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2004 Posts: 15308 Location: Deep in the 405
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:02 am Post subject: Driving long distances |
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How many of you with a street legal air cooled VW feel you car/bus will make a 300-500 mile trip if you had an emergency and had to get in and go right now.
My '74 Ghia with a 1835 would.
My fiberglass Dunebuggy would make it, but I would not want to with no top and weather related issues.
How many absolutly would not try because you know your VW won't make it. _________________ 2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed
Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:13 am Post subject: |
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The '67 I would trust. The Thing has too much wrong with it at present to take it out of town. _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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highaltidude Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2005 Posts: 219 Location: Colorado Springs, CO
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:18 am Post subject: |
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My 67 Bus went from Colorado to the Classic and back this summer. 2,900 miles in 11 days. And Max in his 68 Square went with me..... Both daily drivers.....
Chuck _________________ 66 Double Cab
83 Vanagon Westfalia, Vanistan'd |
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my65vert Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2003 Posts: 6186 Location: Middleburg, Florida
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:02 am Post subject: |
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No problem, Id drive either of mine anywhere anyday. I drive them everywhere, if something breaks on the trip I fix it on the road because I am a vw driver and mechanic not a check writer. _________________ OGJHC
Kombisutra;
I'm starting to get little wafts of bus stink coming from the north. Something about the unique scent of drivers seat padding when it's glued together with mouse piss and shit that really gets me going... and I'm smelling it! Oh yeah! Time to start loading up the equipment.
Last edited by my65vert on Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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pyrOman Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003 Posts: 12409 Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:11 am Post subject: |
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Yes! _________________ Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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Tram Samba Socialist
Joined: May 02, 2003 Posts: 22728 Location: Still Feelin' the Bern- Once you've felt it you can't un- feel it.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:31 am Post subject: |
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If you don't feel you could make at least a 1000 mile trip in a car, you don't need the car. _________________ Немає виправдання для війни! Я з Україною.
Bryan67 wrote: |
Just my hands. And a little lube. No tools. |
To best contact me, please use the EMAIL function in my profile |
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rgdedge Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2006 Posts: 862 Location: Seymour, TN
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:23 am Post subject: |
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I drive mine every where. If I cant drive it I dont want it. You can buy diecast cars to look at a lot cheaper.
Tim |
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vwluver74 Samba Member
Joined: February 29, 2004 Posts: 889 Location: at the buffet in the fetus room
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:27 am Post subject: |
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id trust my singlecab to get me anywhere i need to go and i drive it daily. the only thing that would worry me on long trips is stripping out another narrow 4 to wide 5 adapter plate (has happened twice ) but other than that it runs and drives perfect |
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hazetguy Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2001 Posts: 10773 Location: iT StiNgeD iTseLf tO dEAd
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:35 am Post subject: |
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i just drove across the country in my 74 Westfalia, loaded with parts and tools. took me from friday late afternoon until the following thursday morning. that included a couple days stop in albuquerque, and an overnight stay with my lady in asheville.
i have also driven my 59 Westfalia across the country this spring (and many other cross country trips in the past years. it is also a daily driver), as well as a 70 bus for a friend.
i would not hesitate to drive either of my busses on a 300-500 mile trip at any given moment. however i would probably want to take the 74 right now, as i need to do some maintenance to the 59. my thought is that if you can't trust your vehicle to drive across country, you should not be driving it across town. |
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SquareTone Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2003 Posts: 1204 Location: Jenks, Oklahoma
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:32 am Post subject: |
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vwluver74 wrote: |
id trust my singlecab to get me anywhere i need to go and i drive it daily. the only thing that would worry me on long trips is stripping out another narrow 4 to wide 5 adapter plate (has happened twice ) but other than that it runs and drives perfect |
I'm really tempted to point out that there's a simple solution to that, but I won't.
My VW better be able to get me anywhere I need to go. If I can't trust it to go 300 miles then it doesn't need to be on the road. _________________ Tony
'70 Fastback AT/FI (daily driver (exept when the starter won't work, or it's out of gas, or I don't go anywhere, ...))
"...it is a well known fact, that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to it."
Help Improve TheSamba |
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blankc72 Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2007 Posts: 80
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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I trust my '72 to go anywhere I need it to go. It gets driven daily. |
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TeamSpatula Samba In The Rain
Joined: February 03, 2004 Posts: 5212 Location: WNC
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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It's been a while since my 6000+ mile summer roadtrip in my old bus, or any others I took in that...but while the crew cab is a little slow and bumpy on the highway, I'd take it if I had to...or if it was to a show, to pick up parts, etc... _________________ <---Air Cooled Search & Rescue Team - STICKERS & T-shirts for sale!
I NEED A CAMPER!!!! (1971 is ideal but will consider other years)
http://www.TeamSpatula.com |
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79SuperVert Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2002 Posts: 9758 Location: Elizabeth, NJ & La Isla Del Encanto
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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I'd make the trip in my '62 beetle but not on Interstates. I don't have enough power to get out of the way of big rigs on single lane construction zones and I don't want to get hit by flying pebbles at 60 mph. And driving a torsion beam beetle at 60 mph for hours on end is a pretty exhausting proposition, although I have never had more comfortable seats in a lifetime of driving than the stock seats in my 62.
I would Mapquest the route requesting no highways. I've done that a few times to go to shows and I have enjoyed the trip much more than if I had taken the Interstate. |
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Mr. Electric Wizard Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2003 Posts: 2846 Location: Smyrna, TN
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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I would drive my '66 bus 300-500 miles at a moments notice.
If you keep it maintained then it shouldn't be a problem right? _________________ "Saying what we think gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know."
~ Cullen Hightower
(T)exas (C)oalition (B)uses
(H)eidenhammer (B)ully (B)oyz
--1966 De Luxe Camper |
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15 windowdelux Samba Goober
Joined: February 06, 2001 Posts: 432 Location: Hastings, Nebraska
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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I'd drive my 73 squareback where ever, now the same isnt true of the V8 bug. It would probably make it but its just too squirrelly some times.l
_________________ My last fortune cookie said:
"A short saying oft contains much wisdom."
Why is it all I can think about now is George
Carlin's "Seven words you can't say on television"???? |
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thefabulousnip Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 302 Location: Mobile, AL
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't be afraid of driving my Ghia anywhere. With the 1776 in it, it cruises good at 75 and gets 35 mpg on the freeway. I drove up to the East Coast Karmann Ghia Treffen in Atlanta in June. It's about a 700 mile round trip and the Ghia made it in 95+ degree heat with no problem. |
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VWAdam Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002 Posts: 3331 Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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Last year, November 10 at 11:30 pm I took my Bus for it's first spin around the block with a new (read pulled out of a junkyard '67 Fastback) trans. Got the brakes bled, they seemed to work alright. The trans went into all four forward gears and reverse and didn't seem to make any noise, so that was all good.
The next morning I got up, adjusted the clutch, put my rear bumper back on, packed it up and drove nearly 600 miles to Tampa, FL for the Bulli Brigade and it did great.
Trust your gut feeling. 99% of the time it's right. _________________ All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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The Sage Samba Member
Joined: December 10, 2005 Posts: 2470 Location: Traverse City
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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I will be leaving next Friday for a 5,100 mile trip in either my 77 or 69 Westy.
Either can make the trip
_________________ Feel My Pain l Sage Ad World |
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porkchop The Other White Meat
Joined: February 14, 2007 Posts: 502 Location: Southern Idaho
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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The Sage wrote: |
I will be leaving next Friday for a 5,100 mile trip in either my 77 or 69 Westy.
Either can make the trip
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Drop me a line when you come through Twin Falls, ID. Looks like it's on your route (at least I-84 anyways). |
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vdubyah73 Samba Member
Joined: July 05, 2003 Posts: 2541 Location: somewhere in Texas, my house has wheels
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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My buggy could go across the nation at any given moment. I don't think my butt would happy with it but I could do it. My bus on the other hand still has issues, trying to isolate this without using the shotgun approach.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2428839&highlight=#2428839
TheSamba.com :: View topic - tranny, clutch or cv ??? which is it?
Bill _________________ burning down the house
73 bounty hunter, sold.
'77 transporter, junked had crotch rot.
Dubless, but have a CPR built stroker waiting for a new to me Beetle
'93 Fleetwood Bounder 34' |
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