[Vwdiesel] incredible Diesel journeys

[82 Diesel Westy]

Yes, great story, you Dad is quite a guy and has some
real go-nades on him for sure, and a great mechanical
mind.

Bryan, in NJ

--- slatersfb at aol.com wrote:

> 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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Bryan Belman, Pt Pleasant, NJ
04 Jetta Wagon TDI PD, 100hp, 5sp
Rebuilding 82 Diesel Weekender from my old rusty 82 Westy 1.9NA
90 Audi 200, 2.2L Turbo FWD
70 Type 1 stock Beetle