Breakin Trip??

I'm interested in knowledgable opinions on the following crazy idea ~

I am considering visiting Kirk at Vintage in Hawaiian Gardens, CA; buying a spanking new Speedster ~ and driving it home!

...to Central Florida!

OK, part of me says this is nuts; and that I should trailer it, but I've been to the shop, I've seen his work, and I'm excitied about owning one. But driving cross-country on a shakedown cruise? Am I totally mad?

Nothing appeals to me more than driving a "new" Speedster, but I'd like opinions on this plan. I'm making my move in the spring; so there's no big rush.

Paul
Cape Canaveral, FL

DO IT DUDE! I had always wanted to buy mine in Calif and drive it cross country to home in Wilm, DE. Bitter sweet I ended up getting one for a really low price on ebay located in Fla. I will probably end up selling this one some day and doing the cross country thing - it's always been a dream. Everytime I here Route 66 I get chills.

Paul,

While the idea is exciting, I would not jump into a hand crafted speedster and drive it 3,000 miles number of reasons.
First and foremost is the motor and trans break in period not a good idea to get into new build and hammer across the US just too may things can go wrong at 70 - 75 mph that you may not notice until it is too late.
On all speedsters, things come up that need to be tweaked and adjusted as you aquire additional miles aka "working the bugs out". This is just part of the ownership responsibilites as they are a rolling hobby, need constant attention and never quite done so to speak.
Bare minimums are an initial oil change, valve adjustment and possible a second before you would complete the run.
If the car were to be driven say 300 miles locally in California area for a break in period and then gone back through from front to back then and only then would I even consider this idea.

Don't forget your canvas bag of tools, duct tape, wire, spare fan belt, cap, rotor, Fix -a Flat and a AAA Gold Card as most of us surely have . . ..These items should be a genuine adventure taking into the airport!

Alan gives you good advice, a local 300 miles around SoCal and then a trip back to Vintage for a oil change and valve adjustment is primo advice, then take his suggested tool bag and add some sun screen and go for it!

Paul,

Alan is right. There isn't one of us on this site who doesn't drool over the idea of driving cross-country in a Speedster. It's been done before, but generally, if you want your car to last, you'll wait until the car is properly broken in, maintenanced, and you are very familiar with how it should sound and feel before you do it.

Brian

The guys are right. So here's what to do. Spend a few days in CA with the car, maybe a few good rips on the coast etc. Shake her down and sort her out. If everything checks good, alignment seems settled in, clutch adjustment, no surprise charging issue, etc., THEN head east.

Bring a laptop with you and a camera. Keep us updated on your travels. And remember that there are speedstah brothers and sisters everywhere to help you on your journey.

**you will NOT get fix a flat through the airport**

Via con Dios, mi amigo!

angela

All the posts above are right;also don't forget you need to change the transaxle fluid after the first 600 miles following a rebuild (as yours certainly will be).

Paul, lots of good advice here and I would not disagree with any of it given so far. But a little information about you is requested. Do you have plenty of time to do this drive? If you did get sidelined somewhere, how large a problem would that be for you? Also, do you have pretty good mechanical ability and a working knowledge of the VW engine and drive train. If not, take along a copy of John Muir's book (available via this website....see the LIBRARY tab) to help you or your new found friendly mechanic diagnose and fix a problem.

There are a number of guys on the site that have done the long lonesome highway here. Jim Ward comes to mind, as does Greg Teeple and, of course, myself. For my part, I had some minor problems but nothing that could not be resolved, including a dead battery one morning and a frayed accelerator cable causing the throttle to stick....Boy! did the computer get confused as a result of that one!

Also, assuming you have time, consider doing the two lane highways instead of the interstate all the way. You won't have to hammer along at 75 mph, you will see more and it will be easier on that new engine. I especially recommend the stretch from near Needles, CA to Seligman, AZ on old US route 66. Get out your Atlas before the drive and plan it out. It would probably be the trip of a lifetime.

Life is an adventure and perhaps you should not let this one pass you by. Do, however, do the local sorting out run in CA and have Kirk perform the services that have been suggested.

Hoss

I think it's crazy. I like the idea of going out and driving the car around for a couple of days, but driving it all the way home is a mistake.

Paul

All the advice given is good advice. My VS Speedster was delivered in June. To make a long story short, the car is still not ready to go on a long trip. This isn't a slam on VS, it's just a fact of life. These cars take awhile to get the bugs working right. Pardon the pun. If you come to CA, I am sure some of us would hook up and help you break the thing in. It just depends on how much time you have.

I am in a similar situation,

My suggestion is to clear it with Kirk Duncan b4 you take a
National Lampoon Vacation cruise between his shop and the Cape.

Although the idea is very very tempting

tim

Paul, I picked my speedster up in Denver at BSC no less, and took off and headed for Phoenix, only 1000 miles, and really didn't have any problems. It was a great drive, even though the first of Nov. I frooze my b#$%s off, then the first of May drove it from Phoenix to Yakima, 1,500 miles, not quite as cold. If Vintage puts a few miles on the car, and everything seems good, go for it, a real adventure, would take along a fan belt, and a few tools, and be sure to remembe the duct tap, will fix lots of things, lol, specially side curtains in the rain. Have fun, keep us posted.

Jerry

Sold one of mine to a guy who drove it from Springfield MO to Lake Tahoe CA. Had the following issues:
1) Shift linkage came loose
2) points burnt up
3) Heat (july, no top)
4) lost the license plate and braket.

This car had sat around for 7~10 years before I bought it. I went through the car and fixed what needed it. I drove it around town here 300 or so miles before he took it. The night before he left I did a last round check and found the generator pully loose.

Moral of the story is, if you can't fix it, then you better have enough money to pay someone who can. THese are not cars you just leave on the side of the highway while you go get help.

1. Get your insurance with tow or AAA. Add a cell phone, credit card, basic repair kit, belt, etc.
2. Make sure at least 300 miles are put on locally for a break in.
3. Change the oil, adj valve lash, chenge filters, synch and adj carbs all at the builders.
4. Point it east and have a ball.


Almost everyone but Ben, Angela, Jerry, John H, and others posting to this thread seldom, if ever, take a road trip. You have one life, you have only so many chances to do these things. Go drive your Speedster the way you dream.

Rick Davis said something that made sense along the lines of:

"Taking a road trip is like driving it locally on weekends, except you do it ten times." It's that simple.

These are reliable cars. Make sure the builder breaks it in, give yourself time to break it in and get a feel for the handling and go HAVE FUN!!!!

Bob Miller, Ron Leonard, Johnny H, Scott Sloan, Bruce Williams, Paul Harford, Dale Bates, Mark Otero, Henry Reisner, Biggs, and at least a dozen others drive them on long trips. I only recall one car that was towed.

Caveat: If you didn't get a remote cooler/fan... well, ship it home. :

Ben; I remember that little jewel of yours with the Porsche powerplant; you shouldn't have sold it..it was great!

Paul, I failed to mention in my first post that when I bought mine in Fla. it wasn't in the best of shape. It had been sitting for a undetermined time and the guy I bought it from had a new battery put in it and had his mechanic give it a "once over" to make sure it ran OK. I drove it all the way home (1100 miles) picked it up at the airport at 11:30am and got home at 1:00pm the next day! Take the chance! But yes, do break it in in Calif for a few hundred miles (you can do that in a day or two) and have it adjusted before heading out.

u guys are scaring me.
why do these cars breakdown so much
I grew up with my family and we had a 57, 63 and 68 vw bug and we never had problems on the scale u guys are describing?

u guys are scaring me.
why do these cars breakdown so much
I grew up with my family and we had a 57, 63 and 68 vw bug and we never had problems on the scale u guys are describing?

When I grew up with 57,63 and 68 bugs they didn't have issues either, but then again, they were new at that time - now those same cars are 40 years old and sitting under some fiberglass Speedster body!

Take Jim Ward's travel advise one step further. Get your new Speedy acquisition home safely (trailer, transporter, whatever) and then after giving it a 200-mile shakedown, drive like you stole it!!

After 10 years and 70K miles in my VS, it still rides like a charm (with a couple of squeaks) and runs like a top (with usual and customary VW maintenance!).

Peace - Out!

Gerd-

Your '57, '63, and '68 Beetles were made in Germany, and put out something south of 50 hp. Most new speedsters use Mexi-crate engines, assembled without the same attention to detail. When new, ACVWs were good cars for what they were- economical, around town transportation.

My dad had a '68 Ghia, which he drove like a sports car. The engine lasted something on the order of 40K mi.

The automobile has advanced light-years since these engines were designed. A 1600 Mexi-crate has more in common with a lawnmower engine than your Civic. Learning to work on it, and figuring out how to travel long distances by your own wits, is part of the charm of owning one.