| Author |
Message |
iowegian 
Samba Curmudgeon
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9829
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
|
 Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
 |
|
| Sharp64 wrote: |
| iowegian wrote: |
| Sharp64 wrote: |
| Zundfolge1432 wrote: |
| I’ll deviate from the wet blanket crowd. Buy a nice 67 bug stock because that’s a proven design and is geared for the highway. Carry a cell phone a AAA card have the car checked out top to bottom before you leave. I’ve driven air cooled VWs many a mile and can count the times on one hand when they let me down. Good luck and have fun realize your dream. |
You left out the part that you’re a frickin mechanic. |
Yes, Zundfolge is. But just in case you hadn't noticed, these antique cars ain't fricken 747s. |
They're also prone (due to age and PO neglect, not design) to being temperamental and somewhat unreliable at times. I'll stick by my recommendation that unless you are very familiar with ACVW's (and carrying a box of spares, and if you have to ask what to bring then you don't have enough experience) and/or have a car that has been thoroughly checked out, such a venture would be somewhat foolish. For the " I did it 2-3 times in my 20's" crowd, good for you. Things are a hell of a lot different now than in the 70's or even 80's. Shops that can work on ACVW's are fewer and much farther between, so breaking down on the side of the road is going to be an adventure in and of itself.
A tale of two cars... I bought a 64 2 1/2 years ago that I'm pretty sure had been sitting for a fairly decent amount of time at some point. Last tagged in 1985. I was very green (some would say still am) and it took me MONTHs to get that car to a semi reliable stage. I had to learn to rebuild distributors, carbs, flush fuel system, replace fuel lines, etc. etc. None of which I had ever done. To this day, I would be reluctant to drive this car across the state, let alone across the country.
Fast forward to this March. I bought a 60 from a fellow member here. I talked to him at length. Got history on mechanicals, upkeep, along with tons of pictures. When I got the car, it cranked on the first try, ran well and have had ZERO issues with it other than one day when the starter didnt turn over which I knew how to remedy. (due to knowledge gained over the last 2 1/2 years). I would drive this car anywhere for the most part. Limiting factors being it doesnt have AC and my back can only take the seats for so long before I would end up in serious pain. I would also ad that the latest car was owned and maintained by an ACVW mechanic for 20 years.
Two completely different cars and two completely different experiences, but with that said, I wouldn't have known to buy the second car and what to look for without the last few years of being here and hand on wrenching. So yeah, I still beleive that anyone that has little of no experience with these cars is a little foolish to take on a 2000 mile journey over some pretty desolate areas in a 60 year old car that they arent familiar with and may not have a clue how to work on or diagnose.
Now if the OP does have some mechanical experience, thats a plus. If he has a trunk load of tools and spares, thats a plus. If he has service manuals and perhaps the Muir book, getting better. If he has a network set up on his route so that he knows who and where to take the car if something does break beyond a fan belt or throttle cable, more so. Can it be done? Sure if proper planning and preparation are completed. Would I do it at my age? Maybe, but only under very certain circumstances. |
You should have driven the '60 home from Wyoming. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Sharp64
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2015
Posts: 5304
Location: Central Florida
|
| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:10 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| iowegian wrote: |
You should have driven the '60 home from Wyoming. |
Fat chance. I won’t even drive it in the rain let alone salt covered roads.
_________________
1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
finster
Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012
Posts: 7935
Location: north o' the border
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:57 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
jml01 just make sure you DO NOT buy a green bus from three hippy dudes  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Karly
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2002
Posts: 641
Location: Australia
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
Do it! I'm surprised everyone is so negative - whats the worst that can happen, you break down, you have get someone to trailer it or spend a bit of time at mechanics? No problem if you have the time and some funds to spare.
I would look for as stocky as possible. Little modifications means hopefully less things you have to fix!
Have the cash that if it all goes pear shape you can chuck it on a trailer back home. I'm not sure what your roadside coverage with AAA does but here in Australia our roadside assistance actually has coverage for all this - if you can't complete your journey they'll give money towards getting car home/hotels etc.
At the moment I daily drive my '60 but it's not in cross country driving condition (troubleshooting it going through points very quickly). It does really depend on the car. I'd anticipate some sort of issue due to age and most of these cars aren't being daily driven now.
_________________
1960 Beetle ''Heidi" daily driver
1964 Karmann Ghia project |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jml01
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2018
Posts: 38
Location: Birmingham, AL
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:19 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
Thanks again, everyone for your responses.
rcooled, I really appreciate the advice on what to bring. I'm actually going to put all of that into a checklist and make sure I have everything you mentioned before I go.
I know I won't have much time to get to know the car, but that's just part of it. I am fortunate enough to have grown up working on cars, albeit American cars, but I've already bought the Muir book and I'm an engineer so I think I stand a pretty good chance against anything that be fixed roadside.
Still trying to recruit one of my brothers to ride along with me for at least part of the trip. Like Karly said, though, worst case is that I have to spend a little bit to ship it home. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zundfolge1432
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 12467
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:18 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
After you lurk around here for awhile and read you will definitely notice a negative vibe on more than one topic, reliablity being very common tied only with safety and maybe other people’s driving habits and distractions. Truth be told probably 10% have ever logged a trip of hundreds of miles driving an old car regardless of make and model so their imaginations run wild with possibilities of what could go wrong .
Stop and think though, VW did not build a reputation on cars that break down every time you want to drive. The condition of any automobile is a direct reflection of the owners ability to keep up with maintenance and repair. Those that have a firm grasp on things mechanical wouldn’t think twice about using a machine regardless of age but taking into consideration the condition of the various systems.
So a vehicle with unknown history and or gaps in service history is probably a good candidate to tow. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sharp64
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2015
Posts: 5304
Location: Central Florida
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:08 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| Zundfolge1432 wrote: |
So a vehicle with unknown history and or gaps in service history is probably a good candidate to tow. |
Which is essentially what I said. I would agree the cars originally were very reliable and there was a time that enough were 1 or 2 owner cars that hadn't been screwed around with. Nowadays, most are on multiple past owners and little to no service history. Add to it the inherent cheapness of VW owners, crappy quality of replacement parts and the willingness of many owners to jerry rig them to work and it can be a recipe for failure.
The more information the OP reveals, the more he sounds better equipped to handle this, at least more so than a lot of the idiots I hear setting off completely unprepared on their dream trips in newly acquired buses or what.
Good luck, set up a thread to track your progress if/when you do it. I'm sure a lot of us would be interested in how it goes. Hell if I was on the other side in your travel path, I'd offer a hand if you need it.
_________________
1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zundfolge1432
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 12467
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:17 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
Don’t know if it still exists but there used to be a list of air cooled VW owners that said they were willing to help. I think it was arranged along major interstates, can’t remember the name. One last thought on old machines
You wouldn’t think twice about boarding a plane but consider that plane had 50 -60 thousand cycles and 70 thousand hours or more, the equivalent of eight years of continuous operation. Over 3 million people have walked through the front door. It’s all in how it was maintained, cars same way. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sharp64
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2015
Posts: 5304
Location: Central Florida
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| Zundfolge1432 wrote: |
Don’t know if it still exists but there used to be a list of air cooled VW owners that said they were willing to help. I think it was arranged along major interstates, can’t remember the name. One last thought on old machines
You wouldn’t think twice about boarding a plane but consider that plane had 50 -60 thousand cycles and 70 thousand hours or more, the equivalent of eight years of continuous operation. Over 3 million people have walked through the front door. It’s all in how it was maintained, cars same way. |
Yes and how many cars out there are built or maintained at the level that an airplane is? Lets compare apples to apples. I can tell you in my circle of contacts, probably not a single one adheres strictly to the recommended service schedule. A lot of these cars were owned by teenagers or young adults at some point and run the piss out of. Hell I was one of them back in the day.
_________________
1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3327
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
Check out the thread “ the adventure begins” in the 68 up forum
_________________
"Albatross"! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eurowerks
Samba Member
Joined: November 21, 2017
Posts: 26
Location: North Carolina
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:22 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| DO IT! I bought a bus off eBay in the early 2000`s (when the gettin was good) paid $2800 bucks, flew in to an airport in Ithaca NY, and drove it back to north Carolina. I was 21 years old. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
fl59bug
Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2005
Posts: 1976
Location: North Carolina
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 4:32 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| finster wrote: |
| jml01 just make sure you DO NOT buy a green bus from three hippy dudes |
Alright I admit it, I'm slow on the draw for the light bulb coming on... I'm curious to know what is the back story on this (if there is one)? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
finster
Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012
Posts: 7935
Location: north o' the border
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sqrbckguy38
Samba Member
Joined: December 21, 2004
Posts: 415
Location: Tooele, ut
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:09 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
I say go for it. Once my 67 or my 69 are finished, I'll probably do something very similar. A suggestion though, find a few members here, along a chosen path, that would be willing to meet up in the event you have any trouble. I'd be willing, as I'm in pretty much a great cross section of freeways, and I'm sure there are others as well.
_________________
It's not the fall that hurts, it's the sudden stop at the bottom.
69 Square needs love, even after 15 years
70 Fasty former dd, now my daughter's
67 Beetle, Opal |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
arizonabuckeye
Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2013
Posts: 544
Location: SLC
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| Tell me you are going to be blogging/vlogging your whole experience because I would watch/read that everyday. Would be awesome to read about your drives and repairs/troubles you had on your way. Could even generate a bit of income if you are a half decent writer or entertaining to listen to on a video. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22641
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
|
| Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 9:09 am Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
| Zundfolge1432 wrote: |
| I’ll deviate from the wet blanket crowd. Buy a nice 67 bug stock because that’s a proven design and is geared for the highway. Carry a cell phone a AAA card have the car checked out top to bottom before you leave. I’ve driven air cooled VWs many a mile and can count the times on one hand when they let me down. Good luck and have fun realize your dream. |
Love it.
OP - hire Gary, Robbie, Colin to do a PPI plus test out, for about $500, then fly out to CA and drive it home. They will help you sort out the spares list you need. Have fun.
Btw - Im >twice your age and still have plenty of time for this stuff. You have eons of time - no rush.
_________________
.ssS! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Xevin
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014
Posts: 7624
|
| Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
Oh hell yes do it.
Ha! Hit the wrong forum link and found a travel thread. I love road trip threads.
Did a similar type of trip last year in a 74. When you throw down those kind of miles you really get to know the new car  When Xatie and I did our road trip. We woke up some gremlins but we were fully prepared and have a great network of friends. Plus I had a suitcase full of tools, meters, spare parts, manuals, and etc. Now we’ve taken our buses on much longer road trips. But again they are our buses. So we are always in the mindset of “What If” and when if happens prepared to make it part of the experience and roll with it. “You meet a lot of nice people driving ACVWs” After our trip. We had a strange oil drip. Dropped the engine and decided to build a new one. Did I want to build a new engine. No probably would have got many more miles. Maybe. But I knew it would be fun to learn how to build one with the bros and have a reliable car for Xatie. So expect the unexpected and budget time and money accordingly. Good luck. Sounds like you have the right mindset for such a journey.
Road trip:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...52beed9928
And part 2 of the story:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=697855&sid=f84d682f23e251ac9e55c5fb0fc33e6a
_________________
Keep on Busin'
| 67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
| Clatter wrote: |
| Damn that Xevin... |
| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
I respect Xevin and he's a turd  |
| SGKent wrote: |
My God! Xevin and I 100% agree  |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jml01
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2018
Posts: 38
Location: Birmingham, AL
|
| Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
Thanks again everyone for the advice!
A little update: I've just sold my jeep, and I'd like to move kind of quickly since I have a few weeks free before I start my summer internship the first week in June (plus, ya know, I'd like to have a car). All that said, I'll probably be setting sail in the next 1-2 weeks. So first thing's first: Where the heck should I go? I've spoken to a few people in SF/Bay Area and LA, just via craigslist and this site, and I have some promising leads in both places but nothing I'm absolutely attached to. LA seems to have a more "liquid" VW market--there seems to be maybe 1.5x the CL ads for pre-'68 beetles in LA. Does either metro have more or less other outlets for me to find my beetle? Any specifics would be great!
I'd definitely like to document it. Should I do that in this forum? Or start another in the "Stories" or "general Chat"? Still a newbie around here, and I don't know if people get picky about that kind of stuff or not. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2504
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
|
| Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
I found my rust-free '63 ragtop in Boise, Idaho. It has a pretty sizeable vintage car community and there seems to be quite a few well-preserved cars around.
Here's a fairly nice looking '67 for sale in the area ↓
https://boise.craigslist.org/cto/d/1967-vw-beetle/6563481914.html
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jml01
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2018
Posts: 38
Location: Birmingham, AL
|
| Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Cross Country Drive |
|
|
So uh... I went ahead with this and bought a ‘67 in the Bay Area, CA and I’m having some issues in Avon, CO :/ I suspect it has to do with altitude... car turns over but won’t fire up. Is there a carb or distributor adjustment I need to make? Any good garages to tow to near by?
Thanks |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
