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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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We followed you, Baitcast, only in 1965. My buddy and I were also in a VW bus, and it took us several trys also to make it up over the "steps" near
the top of one of those grades. What a road!!! (if you could call it that).
WE proceeded on to Gonzaga Bay and immediately got stuck in the dunes trying to get to the waters edge midway between what is now Alfonsina's and
Punta Final------stuck for two days in the dunes, and it was HOT. Hand carried all our cargo back to solid ground (which took all day) and then the
next day with deflated tires we finally were able to drive out to the "road" and camped on the water near Okie Landing for a week.
There were very few people at Gonzaga in those days.
Barry
(OMG---edited to correct a spelling error on a place name  )
[Edited on 12-19-2010 by Barry A.]
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baitcast
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Posts: 1785
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: kingman AZ.
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Barry you never mentioned that before,with no HP those old VW's were great climbers but yes the sand was something else.
We got stuck three times on that tripfirst time was just outside of
San Felipe,right in front of Isla Huerfanito and the canyon just before Pa Pa's,no AC sick kid and one big headache.
Wised up and bought a Power wagon before the next trip
Rob
Anyone can catch fish in a boat but only \"El Pescador Grande\" can get them from the beach.
I hope when my time comes the old man will let me bring my rod and the water will be warm and clear.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Baja 'makes us' buy better vehicles for 'badder' roads!
My dad bought the steet legal dune buggy for us to have fun with and when I turned 16, became my car... It would go anywhere a four wheel drive
would... but being an older VW motor, things would keep needing to be fixed on it. I had it rebuilt and increased it to 1650cc...
Less than 2 years later and after a few Baja trips (including a breakdown going to Baja), I received a new Jeep Cherokee Chief as an early graduation
present or perhaps just a more secure and safe mode of transportation. The sad part is that the new Jeep was so poorly made, it was always in the shop
for stupid repairs... and the 12 mpg was not good with gas going over 50 cents a gallon!!!
It only went to Baja a few times before I traded it for a new Subaru 4WD Wagon (per Tom Miller's recomendation)... That was super... 25 mpg, and I was
able to take it everywhere I wanted to go. It never broke down and was made so well, had no warantee issues. I had a total of three Suabaru Wagons
(77, 80, 86)... My next 'Baja vehicle' would be my '01 Tacoma.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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My buddy, the owner of the "VW bus", was a maniac and drove like a bat out of H-ll, so normally we "powered thru" (term "powered" used loosely) sand
using insane speed, but every once in a while we just did not quite make-it, and then you were in BIG TROUBLE. We once buried that "bus" in a
dust-bog on Laguna Diablo at the eastern foot of Picacho del Diablo in the winter of '62----no WAY we could get it out, until a Mexican rancher came
along and yanked us out with a very long rope.
I remember well over the early years driving our 4x4 up crazy difficult washes and "tracks" only to find a VW bus parked at the upper end----amazing
vehicles.
Having a "sick kid" along on those "challenging" adventures would sure add an element of stress------poor kid, and poor Mom and Dad, too.  Glad everybody survived.
Barry
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
My buddy, the owner of the "VW bus", was a maniac and drove like a bat out of H-ll, so normally we "powered thru" (term "powered" used loosely) sand
using insane speed, but every once in a while we just did not quite make-it, and then you were in BIG TROUBLE. We once buried that "bus" in a
dust-bog on Laguna Diablo at the eastern foot of Picacho del Diablo in the winter of '62----no WAY we could get it out, until a Mexican rancher came
along and yanked us out with a very long rope.
I remember well over the early years driving our 4x4 up crazy difficult washes and "tracks" only to find a VW bus parked at the upper end----amazing
vehicles.
Having a "sick kid" along on those "challenging" adventures would sure add an element of stress------poor kid, and poor Mom and Dad, too. Glad everybody survived.
Barry |
In 1978, after always walking across the lagoon entrance onto Shell Island... I saw a VW bus parked... on the island!
I walked through the mud of the back bay (behind Bahia Santa Maria) to the 'island' and asked the guys how did they 'drive' onto the island... they
showed me the track I had missed seeing from the salt flat road to Percebu. From that trip on, I camped on Shell Island instead of Nuevo Mazatlan,
unless even the track through the mangroves was under water... as it was every full or new moon.
Rear engined VWs are amazing off road vehicles!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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I understand from friends that the newer VW vans (Vanagans?) don't do nearly as well as the old one's, tho, even tho they have much more power. The
old one's were so simple, yet so tough!!! The newer one's are a lot more complex, and not nearly as competent, from what I hear. No personal
experience with any "bus" after about '75 tho.
(this thread is sorta going estray, I fear, and I am contributing 
)
Barry
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baitcast
Super Nomad
Posts: 1785
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: kingman AZ.
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Mood: good
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Thats ok Barry I always loved VW buses,bought three more over the years but stuck with the power wagon on the trips south,ended up a regular at PaPa's
place, .50$ aday for the paplapa in front of his place.
Rob
Anyone can catch fish in a boat but only \"El Pescador Grande\" can get them from the beach.
I hope when my time comes the old man will let me bring my rod and the water will be warm and clear.
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