[Vwdiesel] incredible Diesel journeys

[S. Shourds]

Many years ago, I got the family '80 1.5D Rabbit on my 17th birthday.  I 
drove it through college and graduate school up to 182,000 mi. where I 
picked up an '85 Jetta TD.  The Rabbit got towed from Dallas, TX to a 
barn in Indiana, 900 miles North, and not touched for eight years.  My 
dad, seeing the gas prices and his 100 mi. round-trip daily commute, 
hatched an ill-conceived plan.  He flew to Indiana, put a battery in the 
car and started it, first crank.  We talked him out of the journey and 
he agreed to wait until I was going to be driving down after 
Thanksgiving so I could at least come along behind and pick him up if he 
broke down.  I knew that the car had two severely cracked CV boots, a 
bad radiator (which Dad replaced with a non-matching one from a 
different junk Rabbit and tied in with baling twine--seriously, he did), 
four dry-rotted tires and a matching spare, a blown a/c idler clutch 
bearing, and a really bad inner tie rod end.  After Thanksgiving day, he 
flew up to retreive the car.  While I was sleeping, I woke up vaguely 
and thought I heard a very familiar engine sound.  At 0100.  He decided 
to leave before me.  A long long time before me.  And I don't have a 
cell phone--the plan aparently being that I was supposed to look for 
brown Rabbits on the shoulder, in rest stops, gas stations, etc.  We got 
a few calls through the morning and afternoon.  Owensboro, KY: sparks 
started coming from the rear of the car.  When stopped at idle, the 
tailpipe looked like a roman candle.  He decided it was carbon breaking 
loose and drove on.  I think it was mouse nests in the exhaust.  Little 
Rock, AR:   the taillights and windshield wipers went out in a 
tremendous line of thunderstorms with 30 mph winds.  The winds were 
causing severe front end vibration.  He stopped and figured out that the 
two bolts on the passenger front wheel that adjust the camber were 
loose.  Texarkana, TX, Greenville, TX, and then I'll be if he didn't get 
that thing 900 miles home.  Back to the exact same place where I'd 
parked it under a mesquite tree to be towed to Indiana.  Just like one 
of those treacly Disney movies.  And he says he burned 15 US gal. the 
whole way--about 58 mpg driving at 60 mph. 

I drove back after we knew he was home.  I drove back in the TDI.  No 
problems, just windy and boring. 

I always wonder when contemplating a road trip, how bad of shape does 
the car have to be before you just won't make it.  Looks like if it's a 
Diesel Rabbit, the engine compartment would have to be on fire as you 
were pulling out of the driveway. 

-Shalyn