Driving long distances

vwracerdave · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:02 am Post subject: Driving long distances

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.
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Towel Rail · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:13 am Post subject:

The '67 I would trust. The Thing has too much wrong with it at present to take it out of town. Laughing

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highaltidude · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:18 am Post subject:

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
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my65vert · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:02 am Post subject:

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.
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pyrOman · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:11 am Post subject:

Yes!

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Tram · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:31 am Post subject:

If you don't feel you could make at least a 1000 mile trip in a car, you don't need the car.
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rgdedge · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:23 am Post subject:

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

vwluver74 · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:27 am Post subject:

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 Confused

) but other than that it runs and drives perfect

hazetguy · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:35 am Post subject:

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.

SquareTone · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:32 am Post subject:

blankc72 · Samba Member Joined: July 01, 2007 Posts: 80

I trust my '72 to go anywhere I need it to go. It gets driven daily.

TeamSpatula · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:52 pm Post subject:

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...
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79SuperVert · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:03 pm Post subject:

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.

Mr. Electric Wizard · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:19 pm Post subject:

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?
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15 windowdelux · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

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

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thefabulousnip · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject:

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.

VWAdam · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject:

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.
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The Sage · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject:

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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porkchop · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject:

vdubyah73 · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:18 pm Post subject:

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
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