Surviving Baja

It could be a matter of life or death if you ran out of gas or broke down in the 60s somewhere in Baja. I can remember hunting down ranchos en route pre-Hwy 1. We had to filter the pale green fuel and put booster stuff in it to help our trucks run. I don't know where they got that stuff but I swear they had a 55 gal agave still somewhere.
We would carry plenty of gas but never wanted to be completely out anywhere between San Quintin and GN.
The stakes could be high if caught off-guard on a hot spring day. I remember seeing the carcasses of not so lucky travelers' cars and trucks. It was amazing to see passenger cars down there miles from nowhere. Some you can still see out there along the old road. What happened to them? Scary!
Although I made Mallirimo alone in 1971 I was pretty naive. The fact that I almost buried my large truck at the beach and blew two tires on the way out was just par for the course. "Ol' PW", my old Dodge had already logged many off road excursions including the dreaded Manache Meadows road on the Kern Plateau 4 times.
Of course this truck, 4" stock lift, a 1968 W200 was before it's time. My brother bought it new and after many trips to the White Mountains and Sierras it was time for upgrades. It still wears the homemade 14X17.5 rims mounted with 38" ten ply forklift tires. These were the only "big shoes" available in 1969. THe first set of tires were very heavy military non-directional lug tires. They were ten ply regrooveable jobs that howled down the road. They wore out fast. Upgraded to Firestones the next year when I got the truck. These are still what I use(d) and are available but pricey.
Another upgrade was the installation of a PTO winch. A customised crane hoist mounted in the back where the spare used to be. Equipped with 5/8''" cable and 100 ft this baby can pull 6 trucks up a mountain. THat is provided the engine is running. Used it many times. The truck weighs in at 6800 lbs empty. That's a lot of weight for a little 318 ci engine.
I love that truck. It had its' share of problems but it always was repairable and made it home on it's own accord.. It had good Karma. It's how I survived Baja and other jaunts.
. Not too many of those babies were made. The Forest Service loved them as did some other agencies. THey liked the crew cab. Me too but I also liked the ease of repair. Everything is basic with lots of space. A blessing when you think about todays complicated systems.
I have confidence when I take my truck off-road but I'll have to tell ya, there is much WE can't fix on the newer vehicles. I have already made a couple repairs that could have left me in a predicament.
So it's a learning experience really. I have to learn my vehicles weaknesses by beating the hell out of it. Come to think of it, that's what we always did!

Ok....... you guys are really digging out the past....Hey Sharks.....I bought a 1966 W200 Power Wagon at a forest service auction in Jackson,Wyo in 1971 with 15k on it for $1500. Best truck I ever owned or worked on.I think in those days the Dodge truck factory was run by a bunch of Sweedes.The frame was built out of old railroad ties and 1/2" box channel irion.It had a 318 that wouldnt ever quit. Came from the factory with a 4" lift and a set of Budd 20" wheels and a huge Braden PTO winch with 3/8 cable. Armstrong tires, and I had an old 8' Alaskan pop up camper, nothing fancy.Took three trips into Baja in those years and lots of trips into South Western Utah,Canyonlands Park area they call it now.It was a stepside bed so there was room for handymans and shovels. That truck at times was the only one that would start when it was 30 below in winter.A true work horse. I would tow huge logs out of the forest with it.The doors finaly started to fall off it. It was all real steel. The real thing!!!

Ah, ARMSTRONG TRU-TRACS! What fond memories, see below for my first Tru-Tracks.

This is an original Ted Jensen (Friends of the Mojave Road artist) he gave me for my 29th??? birthday:

My god, is that a drawing of the only broken down Toyota in Baja?

Yep, the only one I have seen in 30 years. Trust me!

Quote:

Originally posted by Neal Johns Yep, the only one I have seen in 30 years. Trust me!

DB, I don't want to talk about what goes first!

A clue: It isn't the memory or ball joint!

Should I post the photo????

DK, it is your life, throw it away if you like. I know Tony S.

W 200

Ah yes the w200,bought mine brand new off the showroom floor for 3250$ in 1965,had all the goodies increased cooling,bigger fan,318,4speed also with heater,no radio........Radio,heater,318,4/4,4 speed was optional equipment........80$ for the 4 speed

Loved that truck but it did have some problems,but I,m getting ahead of myself,in 64 we made your first trip to Gonzaga Bay and was lucky to get out alive but loved the place.........64 VW bus 3 adults and 2 kids,it was a hoot but getting home was iffy at best!

First trip in 65 with the 200,nearly to Puertecitos and I hear this noise,stop in town and open the hood and there is my battery up-side down,bracket welds broke a guy in town gives me a hand and we are on our way again,just past the three sisters I hear this roaring sound,stop the truck, and there on the ground is my muffler,tail pipe and brackets,needless to say we were a little loud coming into camp.

In 50,000 miles we went thru 3 alternators,2 brake jobs,replaced the clutch,heater leaked, one more neat thing about that truck was the gas tank all 12 gallons of it,always had 2 jeep cans with us.

But I still loved that old truck
BAITCAST

Crusoe

Quote:

Originally posted by Crusoe Ok....... you guys are really digging out the past....Hey Sharks.....I bought a 1966 W200 Power Wagon at a forest service auction in Jackson,Wyo in 1971 with 15k on it for $1500. Best truck I ever owned or worked on.I think in those days the Dodge truck factory was run by a bunch of Sweedes.The frame was built out of old railroad ties and 1/2" box channel irion.It had a 318 that wouldnt ever quit. Came from the factory with a 4" lift and a set of Budd 20" wheels and a huge Braden PTO winch with 3/8 cable. Armstrong tires, and I had an old 8' Alaskan pop up camper, nothing fancy.Took three trips into Baja in those years and lots of trips into South Western Utah,Canyonlands Park area they call it now.It was a stepside bed so there was room for handymans and shovels. That truck at times was the only one that would start when it was 30 below in winter.A true work horse. I would tow huge logs out of the forest with it.The doors finaly started to fall off it. It was all real steel. The real thing!!!

THat is very interesting. The 67' and earlier W200 was on a different chassis but they had the same drivetrain. A Spicer/New Process setup. A very common trans/tranfer case but they changed out the companion flanges and should have upgraded to larger u-joints. I replaced quite a few and they weren't so easy to find.
I rebuilt the trans 20 yrs ago and it was quite easy. The trandfer case has yet to be rebuilt and has thousands of hard miles on it. I'm sure the chain is probably stretched and I know the output bearings are pretty noisy. I rebuilt the rear end in 1975 when I dropped the clutch in compound low on a hard surface and broke an axle. DUH!
I also rebuilt the ft axel assembly after a trip to Homer AK. Driving the beach with my fully loaded rig with an Alaskan Camper and ohsomuch stuff I blew the spider gears on one side. Thank god for 3-wheel drive.
Oh, and I put a new cab and doors on it. It will be one of my retirement restoration projects. It was running when I parked it last.

Thanks for sharing Crusoe. You too Baitcast!( mine has a 22 gal tank but I had a removeable 55 gal drum mounted in the back for Baja)

Hey Neal, you sure it ain't the ball-joint that gives first?





[Edited on 2-16-2007 by Sharksbaja]

con tu permeso

made my day!!!

A couple more things about my 200,she went by the name "Mary Ann",so named by my 2 little girls,they would talk to her when things got a little hairy particularly on the last climb out of the 3 sisters headed south,never wishing to meet someone coming down I would start blowing the horn from the bottom to the top and the girls would being the chant"come on Mary Ann you can do it"all the way to the top,once at the top we would get out and cheer,act silly and leave all our loose change at the little shrine,then with smiles on our faces head south.

The truck had another quirk that nearly did us in,on the way down the same hill it would pop out of gear,the first time was pretty scary,they never could fix that problem so that was my wifes job from then on,pull back on the lever on the trip down.

Great truck but took some getting used to

BAITCAST

"PW"

was my beasts' name. Scariest thing was after exiting the Rockies thru Ouray . When we hit the straight away at Junction City{?) at the bottom of the mountain my steering box broke big-time. Steering wheel just went round and round! Coasted to a halt on the side of the road under a tree.
Fortunately I found one in a junk yard not far away.

[Edited on 2-17-2007 by Sharksbaja]

????

re: surviving baja

Power Wagon name

That would be "Pee Wee" cause in those days it was quite an animal. I gotta look for old fotos.

Damn I knew that!
BAITCAST

Sorry Boys....

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken My god, is that a drawing of the only broken down Toyota in Baja?

Quote:

Originally posted by Neal Johns Yep, the only one I have seen in 30 years. Trust me!

This sad truck is mine. We were south of Palomar Canyon & Laguna Salada on the east side of the Sierra Juarez. The idler arm (sp?) had snapped. We camped there and went in to Calexico before dawn the next morning to buy parts. My "heroes" were a retired mechanic and a San Diego surgeon who, for the rest of the trip was referred to as Dr. Goodwrench. As he was putting the toolbox away, he casually mentioned his surgical rate. I asked if he took Blue Cross...Triple AAA? He said he'd take a Tecate....Deal! Drinks later on in San Felipe were on me.


[Edited on 2-18-2007 by jeans]

Jeans----

I did not hit anything more than a slight dip on very soft, sandy terrain. BUT, I had just come down from Palomar Canyon:


[Edited on 2-19-2007 by jeans]

How do you break an idler arm on anything?...Odd spot for a break,but as long as you have a Doc along no problem

All this talk of broken things and break downs reminds me of the time coming home from Gonzaga in the hills,we were just poking along when my daughter mentioned she was smelling something bad,then we all did what?

Dead ahead was this truck full of dead and dieing turtles,broken rear axel and three very thirsty and hungery guys,that had been under the truck hiding from the sun,they were a mess,no traffic on that road in those days,you were pretty much on your own.

Now that was major but when anything breaks its major,out in the middle of nowhere,so after a couple of cans of spam,Jug of water and a bunch of crackers,it was decided that two would stick with the truck and we would take the third into San felipe,I have often wondered what ever happened to those boys,as it was july and hot as hell.

BAITCAST

Quote:

Originally posted by baitcast How do you break an idler arm on anything?...Odd spot for a break,but as long as you have a Doc along no problem

I have no idea how/why it happened. I always thought that I had probably tweaked it boulder climbing. I was not comfortable climbing up that canyon and had turned back with another truck, who sustained a little body damage that day. That was Day 2 on the 10 day trip to San Francisco De la Sierra. I was in danger of blowing the trip for everyone. I'm just glad we were close enough to the border to get the part and to have someone with us to fix it! All's well that end's well!

As for those guys with the dead turtles...I would be more conerned for the loss of the turtles!

Here she is:

PW

Great looking rig! Sharks, and would you believe the same color..........I bought a cheap shell for mine an paid for it later,put a boat rack on it,carried a 14' tin boat.

After a few trips down,the thing just started to come apart,lucky to make it home in 1 piece,had to up grade after that.
I nearly bought a military version of the PW,which featured the old flat-head 6,I thought boy thats for me but my wife nixed that deal thank god!

Sharks are you sure you had no brake problems? can,t imagine one of these rigs with no brake problems
BAITCAST

Hi Sharks.........Mighty fine looking shot of PW. Warms my heart and brings back mucho good memories of my very similar rig, from the 1970s. I enjoy working on trucks in my spare time and am looking at a 1975 3/4 ton W200 4x4 Power Wagon that is in very good shape. Has an automatic which I think I would like.If I build another truck, I would go to a fuel injected 318. Whats your opinion on those later power wagons and a fuel injected 318??Bieng a little to old as well as old fashon, I just cant warm up to the noise and the smell of the new diesel rigs. Thanx.......and Baitcast..... I had brake problems with my 66 W200 until a pro mechanic convinced me to remove the drums and blow out the brakes and clean them with acetone every 8000k. My only cmplaint with that ruck was a problem with u-joints.I use to buy 6 at a time and checked them religously and as soon as they got loose they were changed.I never felt they had all that great of stopping power!!!

8 drums and 32 shoes

is probably how many I changed on her.You are so right, I just forgot about them conveniently. In fact the last long trip we made to Vancouver Is. was scary. We were friggin' loaded down with everything and then some. On the road down the Port Alberni(sp?) I had to practically stand on them to get them to hold. That was when I decided to stop using it for family trips. If and when I put her back together I would like to put disc brakes on her.
I always figured the large wheels and tires were the root of my brake problems. U-joints? Plenty!

a real pain!

So now the truth comes out you boys did have problems,I thought it seemed strange I would be the only one.

Its sometime hard to admit that something you like is a big pain in the ass.........I guess a love hate relationship would apply.

Alternators anyone? both times I lost these they froze up lucky didn,t happen down south,stopping power is something I didn,t have,you had to do alot of planning ahead.

The wheel cylinders always leaked which in turn caused the pads to glaze over,I could go on and on but you get the idea,years later I sold it to a guy for 1500$ and wished him luck
BAITCAST