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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
Member Is Offline
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I still miss my '65 van.
Her name was La Tortuga. She took me on my first trip down Baja, forded the Sea of Cortez (ferry from Cabo to Puerto Vallarta in those days) and down
and back up the Pacific coast of the mainland safely and with good vibes all the way. Through mud and rain and jungles she'd climb with the best of
the tricked-out 4-bys, places a 2-wd couldn't go La Tortuga would plow on!... 5,000 miles and all on bald tires with the threads showing!
No windshield wipers? No worries. Just stop & rub tobacco on the glass. Going uphill on a freeway at 35 mph? No worries. Just flap your elbows and
help her along. Cold as all heck with ice on the interior from your breath its so cold? No worries. Just grab another jacket and wear it upside-down
with your legs in the arms.
Gosh, those were the days, and those were the days I fell in love with Baja.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mulegena
I still miss my '65 van.
Her name was La Tortuga. She took me on my first trip down Baja, forded the Sea of Cortez (ferry from Cabo to Puerto Vallarta in those days) and down
and back up the Pacific coast of the mainland safely and with good vibes all the way. Through mud and rain and jungles she'd climb with the best of
the tricked-out 4-bys, places a 2-wd couldn't go La Tortuga would plow on!... 5,000 miles and all on bald tires with the threads showing!
No windshield wipers? No worries. Just stop & rub tobacco on the glass. Going uphill on a freeway at 35 mph? No worries. Just flap your elbows and
help her along. Cold as all heck with ice on the interior from your breath its so cold? No worries. Just grab another jacket and wear it upside-down
with your legs in the arms.
Gosh, those were the days, and those were the days I fell in love with Baja. |
I wondered about posting this article when I first saw it LM, but, it seems to have touched you and many others in such a good way I am so glad I did.
Yes, those were the days my friend...
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
I soooo agree with you, DurrelRobert.
The first thing I do with a new car is disconnect or disable all the bells and whisels that make strange noises and try to think for me-----at least
those that are possible to deactivate. The one that most annoys me since I cannot disconnect it, is that the fog lights won't work when I have on
high-beams-------the electricians say that if you rewire the fog-lights to work with high-beams that the computer will go crazy?!?!?!?!? Don't know
if that is true, but I cannot find anybody to do the work. I would love to use both Fog-Lights and high beams when on back country dirt roads at
night.
My first trip to San Luis Gonzaga over "that" road was in 1961 in an old VW bus, and we made it, but got stuck several times on the beaches of remote
Gonzaga. What a great 9 days that was.
Barry |
Here's another thing I disabled. My Yukon has "ride control" which means that the shocks have
electronic sensors to tell the computer that they need more air which is delivered to each one individually, via air lines, as the computer thinks is
necessary.
When it came time to replace the shocks they were over $293 each at an on-line discount store so I replaced them with standard Yukon
shocks at $30 each .
In this case there was no fuse to remove and the 'Service Ride Control" light kept coming on so I soldered a 3 ohm resistor between the wires that
were just hanging there with nowhere to connect them. The stupid computer now thinks I have a $1,172 set of shocks instead of $120 like Yukons have.
They work fine in Baja.
Bob Durrell
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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Here goes another hijack
| Quote: | Originally posted by Cisco
Didn't make any sense to me, but, trading my 1938 Packard touring car for a Matchless motorcycle in the 1950's didn't either I guess.
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..but you started it!
I bought a 38 Packard as my first car in 1952. I was the shortest kid in school at 5'0" and drove the biggest care. Mine had silver bud vases on the
side posts.
Bob Durrell
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Fred
Senior Nomad
Posts: 500
Registered: 3-15-2007
Location: Las Vegas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Laid Back
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Still camping in Baja in my 79 Westfalia.
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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
Member Is Offline
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Wow. Bummer. Spent many a trip going to "the lake" and camping, playing loud music and just having a great time in VW buses back in the day. Never
owned one but there was always one or more around.
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
Member Is Offline
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Here's a project that can be had for a mere 75K ...
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1488805
albeit the 'Barndoors' (pre 55) are the rarest of the rare.
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dean miller
Nomad
Posts: 456
Registered: 1-28-2004
Member Is Offline
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In August 1960 I purchased a Kombi bus for as I recall $1900.00. About a week later I was married. Had a short local honey moon
Spent several weeks installing a piece of ply wood and a mattress in the Kombi
Took off for parts unknown in Mexico. Down the west coast and up the east coast. We were stopped at Vera Cruz do the a hurricane which had washed
out all bridges to the south.
Did a lot of spear fishing in VC with the "Club Hombre Ranas de Vera Cruz" who made me the first honorary member.
Made many many trips all over Baja in it long before the "Road" was only a dream. It never failed me in Baja.
After 18 years gave it to my daughter who dove it to OCC for two years.
She sold it for $300.00 more than I originally paid for it off the show room floor. The new owner changed oil and took off for Colorado to ski...
Never saw the Kombi again...
SDM
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8086
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Heh. Yes, there was a line of 15 vehicles behind me whenever I took her to the sierras. And I was given the highway salute by some after I pulled
over. But - she could go up Old Priest Grade Road with the best of them. That granny gear got me into some great spots in baja.
Had a 67 beetle as well. She was so beautiful after that blue paint job.
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watizname
Senior Nomad
Posts: 778
Registered: 8-7-2009
Member Is Offline
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They would go anywhere. Used to drive ours into the Sespe Hotsprings. Seven river crossings I think. At the crossings we would let the bota bag
get soaked, and hang it on the mirror as we drove, cooling the Red Mountain wine. Oh boy, there's some memories.
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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VW van spoted in WalMart parking lot
Ok, after careful evaluation I realize that it is a Toyota
Bob Durrell
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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This wasn't mine, but same year and gray color. It would make it no problem up the big hill between Rancho los Topos, and the National Park at Laguna
Hansen, with two dirt bikes in the back!
Easy to sleep inside.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3290
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by watizname
They would go anywhere. Used to drive ours into the Sespe Hotsprings. Seven river crossings I think. At the crossings we would let the bota bag
get soaked, and hang it on the mirror as we drove, cooling the Red Mountain wine. Oh boy, there's some memories. |
Red Mountain wine....used to drink it with the "brothers" in high school. $1.39 a gallon, no mention of grapes on the ingredient list...
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
Member Is Offline
Mood: Weary
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OMIGOD...Red Mountain wine....!!!! In the same thread as VW Busses! Thank you Lord!....
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