BajaNomad

Cool VW Buses on way to Cocos Corner

Ateo - 1-4-2014 at 03:27 PM

Saw these guys this week on my way to Gonzaga.







[Edited on 1-5-2014 by BajaNomad]

BornFisher - 1-4-2014 at 03:32 PM

Saw them yesterday @ Rancho Grande, then later I saw them parked at CowPattys. Also saw another group, driving later year VW`s carrying gas cans. I figure they were from Europe and having quite a trip (South America maybe?).

Ateo - 1-4-2014 at 03:45 PM

Sweet. Yeah, I saw them at Rancho Grande later that night while I was looking for a place to stay. Are these pictures too big? I think Photobucket changed my size download settings.

rts551 - 1-4-2014 at 03:48 PM

look perfect to me! Sure brings back memories.

Ateo - 1-4-2014 at 03:51 PM

It must've been slow going for them cuz the road to Gonzaga had some rocky sections. I'll post a photo of my tire damage.

Ateo - 1-4-2014 at 03:54 PM

This road caused this tire damage.

Time for a new set of tires.




[Edited on 1-5-2014 by BajaNomad]

Udo - 1-4-2014 at 03:56 PM

Yesterday I saw 4 Synchros in Guerrero Negro having Halibut fish tacos at the same stand we were eating.
They were a small factory group from www.gowesty.com. Nicely equipped 4X4 vans and they were also heading to San Felipe via The road from Santa Ynez.

Desertbull - 1-4-2014 at 04:04 PM

Pretty gnarly faint trail from Santa Ynez down the widow maker grade to the Gonzaga rd to San Felipe..are you saying some vans were going that route? Interesting if so...
Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
Yesterday I saw 4 Synchros in Guerrero Negro having Halibut fish tacos at the same stand we were eating.
They were a small factory group from www.gowesty.com. Nicely equipped 4X4 vans and they were also heading to San Felipe via The road from Santa Ynez.

msteve1014 - 1-4-2014 at 04:06 PM

We saw them, and some old range rovers heading south from Ensenada on the first. We assumed they were all together.

Ateo - 1-4-2014 at 04:16 PM

Yeah, there were two other old school vehicles with them, but I didn't know what they were called. :(

Prices have soard since they stopped making them

durrelllrobert - 1-4-2014 at 04:25 PM

selling for $30,000 or more depending on condition

classiccars.com/listings/find/all-years/volkswagen/bus‎
Here's a '55 for $30K



And a '64 for $60K in San Diego

URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/durrellrobert/media/64vwbus_zpsa90a39cf.jpg.html][/URL]][url]

[Edited on 1-4-2014 by durrelllrobert]

mulegemichael - 1-4-2014 at 04:36 PM

ateo....the "checking" on that tire pic says it all...."it's time!"

willardguy - 1-4-2014 at 04:39 PM

the last bus rolled off the Brazilian assembly line last week, and this is what theyre giving us?

Ateo - 1-4-2014 at 04:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mulegemichael
ateo....the "checking" on that tire pic says it all...."it's time!"


Yep. I had to google "checking".

I almost bought new tires prior to this trip and the fact that I didn't get a flat proves I'm lucky as I drove over 120 miles on crappy dirt roads.

chuckie - 1-4-2014 at 04:52 PM

"crappy dirt roads" in baja are the better ones!

basautter - 1-4-2014 at 06:06 PM

Say hi to Coco for the dirt bike guys in Tucson!

David K - 1-4-2014 at 07:00 PM

Hi Jon, thanks for posting... Yup, the photos are slightly wider than the Nomad frame, so next time you go to upload any, just click on the small gear symbol on the upload page and reset the size to where you had it (800 pixels max or 640 big). Thank you for helping keep the page easy for reading!

tjsue - 1-4-2014 at 07:21 PM

I had a 71,' and I think I paid about $1800 for it, but that was in the 80's. I graduated to full size vans (Dodge Ram), and now have a 94' Astrovan. The last Astrovans were made in 2005,so they're not classics yet.

'71 Westphalia poptop camper was my favorite

Whale-ista - 1-4-2014 at 09:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tjsue
I had a 71,' and I think I paid about $1800 for it, but that was in the 80's. I graduated to full size vans (Dodge Ram), and now have a 94' Astrovan. The last Astrovans were made in 2005,so they're not classics yet.


I had two 71 Westphalias campers- paid about the same, under $2K, also in the 1980s, and made several trips south with them, with canoes/kayaks on top depending on destination. Not for hi speed travel, but comfy to camp out of, and Hwy 1 isn't for hi speed anyway, right?

We parked at Scammons once, 1985 I think, and launched the canoe to see whales up close. Came back to find the tide had come in behind our parking spot. It was an El Niņo year, and storm surge + winds pushed the water well past normal, leaving us on a spit of land about the size of the van.

As we hung out a pangero came up to offer a ride, and his bow was touching the front of the van. He didn't seem concerned by our predicament, as we cooked lunch and read. I offered him a quesadilla and a beer.

A few hours later, tide retreated, we continued south.

Lots of good memories of those old busses!

willardguy - 1-4-2014 at 10:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
Quote:
Originally posted by tjsue
I had a 71,' and I think I paid about $1800 for it, but that was in the 80's. I graduated to full size vans (Dodge Ram), and now have a 94' Astrovan. The last Astrovans were made in 2005,so they're not classics yet.


I had two 71 Westphalias campers- paid about the same, under $2K, also in the 1980s, and made several trips south with them, with canoes/kayaks on top depending on destination. Not for hi speed travel, but comfy to camp out of, and Hwy 1 isn't for hi speed anyway, right?

We parked at Scammons once, 1985 I think, and launched the canoe to see whales up close. Came back to find the tide had come in behind our parking spot. It was an El Niņo year, and storm surge + winds pushed the water well past normal, leaving us on a spit of land about the size of the van.

As we hung out a pangero came up to offer a ride, and his bow was touching the front of the van. He didn't seem concerned by our predicament, as we cooked lunch and read. I offered him a quesadilla and a beer.

A few hours later, tide retreated, we continued south.

Lots of good memories of those old busses!
westfalia. let me beat dk to it:yes:

woody with a view - 1-4-2014 at 10:12 PM

i had a stripped 68 that i outfitted with closet, table, chairs, sink, cooler and fold out bed. took that bad boy into san carlos in '90 and ALMOST high centered coming up out of a wash.... lotsa good times (and girls!) in that van...

Ha! Ok, how about just "Westie" ?

Whale-ista - 1-4-2014 at 10:15 PM

Thanks for the spell check!

However it's spelled, they were fun. Definitely not for anyone in a hurry though.

But those strong old transaxles held up well on lots of rocky roads and vados in the mountains.

Russ - 1-5-2014 at 07:27 AM

I had a '72 lots of good times in it. But the best time was in my Bro-in-law's in '68. Here's some shots my sister sent me.




monoloco - 1-5-2014 at 07:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
Yesterday I saw 4 Synchros in Guerrero Negro having Halibut fish tacos at the same stand we were eating.
They were a small factory group from www.gowesty.com. Nicely equipped 4X4 vans and they were also heading to San Felipe via The road from Santa Ynez.
You can pick up one of those for 80K.

http://www.gowesty.com/sale_details.php?id=1647

mtgoat666 - 1-5-2014 at 02:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by willardguy
the last bus rolled off the Brazilian assembly line last week, and this is what theyre giving us?



Who would you rather follow up a steep hill, narrow road in Baja, a microbus or a bicyclist? Never drove a loaded microbus up a 6 percent grade w/o losing speed and wondering if the engine would hold out till the top o the hill

Like the new microbus concept van. I would like one in turbo diesel.

wessongroup - 1-5-2014 at 03:17 PM

We had a 63 .... didn't have the walk thru ... but, set up as our first and only RV .. queen bed .. with all the camping gear and food under the bed, with another ice chest for beer and other refreshments behind the boot for the spare, which was on the inside ... on the model

Upgraded the engine to 1600 cc ... and put in newer reduction gears for top end

We could cruise at 70 mph but, was like a "kite" in the wind .... could keep up with a friend in Fort Collins, CO who had a put a six cylinder Porsche in his 70... except on the straight ... he had the same problems at "higher" speeds

Only problem, they lower the speed limit at the time to 55 mph :lol::lol:

We learned a lot of "new" cuss words when going up "grades" in second gear ... even when driving to the extreme far right

A VW bus in the day was a very cheap RV which could go just about anywhere IMHO

Will say, it wasn't all that comfortable when driving ... was always bent over trying to see out to drive and a rough road was a rough road ... but, other than that ... we got some kinda use out of it for around 10 years

I'd take a bicyclist ... better visibility for "passing" ... :lol::lol:

Thanks Russ ... brings back memories :):)

[Edited on 1-5-2014 by wessongroup]