The Cal-look Lounge

My friend and I were in the garage this past weekend working on my '67. As usual when we get together and start working on cars the topic turns to road trips. Both of us like taking road trips and in our younger days (read pre-marriage) on a Friday we would pick a direction and start driving just to see where we would end up by Sunday, usually without any type of navigation aid. You see some interesting parts of America doing this type of stuff. One of the re-occuring themes for us is a trip to the arctic circle. (Refueled recently by the TV show Ice Road Truckers.) Usually the conversation ends up debating what type of car to take, usually some sort of VW.  I remember reading about a couple of guys who tried that in a VW Sundail Camper many years ago in one of the VW mags. Seem to remember them turning it over on its side. Maybe you would prefer a trip to South Africa or some other location. Anyway, here are the requirements I would think you would need for the vehicle:

Dependable
Comfortable on long trips
Able to go off the paved roads
Enough power to keep up with freeway traffic
Able to run on less than ideal fuel
Able to transport two adults plus camping gear (hotels are for sissies.)
Fully enclosable for shelter.

If I were to build a car it would probably be something along the lines of a type 1 pre-runner style car with a full interior. A few concessions would be a 4 or 6 point role cage. (Maybe an external cage to open up more room in the car?) Use around a '69 standard for the IRS suspension. About a three inch lift with good all terrain tires. (Another option I might consider is a TIII Squareback.) Engine would need to be simple and tough as an anvil. So My thinking leans towards an 85.5 X 74, W100 cam, stock valve heads (SP or DP?) with a mild port job, single center mount carb of some sort and a quite exhaust. (Maybe even a stock pea shooter.) Another option maybe would be a stock 2.0 T4. Tranny would be either a T1 or T2 IRS box with stock gearing and the usually strengthening for street use. I am sure you could go wild with the suspension but I would keep it pretty close to stock. Front disks would be a good upgrade. Maybe some T2 rear CVs. I think this would make a good dependable car that would not beat you to death on rough roads and still be able to keep up with freeway traffic.

So if you were going to build a long haul VW that could take you to out of the way places what would it be?

--louis

All you need is one of these ;) :) it got me to camberg and EBI all I really need is some wet weather gear or am I just being a big girl ??? :)

A Toureg !

Pass on the Toerag. Guess I should have specified air cooled.  :D

--louis

Windscreen? Body panels? Roof? You big girl! :D

(http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/gingabloke/BJFugitive.jpg)

This got me to Camberg plus I use it for winter hill trialling.

Back to the thread, a Type 3 Squareback with a 2-ish litre type 4 motor would be a good starting point. We had a plan for one a few years ago, even named it the VW OutBack as a reference to their long distance safari cars. Raised up with chunky wheels and tyres, roofrack for the spare wheels and jerry cans, maybe even a Baja style oil cooler, possibly a modern Eberspecher/Webasto heater if you're going somewhere cold...

john rambo is on the lounge   ;D ;D ;D
 ;)

A Synchro Vanagon crew cab with an upgraded wasser or Suby conversion and bigger brakes would fit the bill nicely.

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/289390.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/289389.jpg)

Wow, yeah that would. Had not thought of something like that.

--louis

This topic is why I have been jonesing really badly for a daily driver Baja Bug for about 2 years now.  Totally fun and would go just about anywhere you would realistically need to go.  Sadly, being in the Northeast, it would take a full pan-off project to get it to where I would really feel good about the car for the year-round abuse it would see.

1.  Protect and seal the pan and the body as good as possible to keep from having to weld on it every year just to pass inspection.  Powder coat, truck liner, waxoil, etc.

2.  Would wire it with a good universal kit so it is all modern and build in stuff for extra lights, power points, etc.

3.  Simple but comfy interior.  Good front seats, rubber mats, etc.  Enough insulation to make it nice, but not weight it down too much.  Modern gas heater!  (gawd they're pricey!!!)

4.  Engine probably similar to HVW's mileage motor.

5.  Receiver hitch.

6.  Narrow-eye kit!  Still needs to look like a classic 70s Baja...

if only time and money were no issue...