[Vwdiesel] incredible Diesel journeys

[slatersfb at aol.com]

Cool story. Thanks. 
 
Bob in the Entire State 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: S. Shourds <sshourds at flash.net>
To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
Sent: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 18:00:03 -0600
Subject: [Vwdiesel] incredible Diesel journeys


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 
 
 
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