Bugging Out! SoCal to OK in a 68 VW Baja

[dubs chops]

This is my first trip report on here even though I have lurked a lot. I have been itching for an open road adventure for a while and also Own a company called PlanB Outfitters. Stick with me this is going somewhere I promise. PlanB Outfitters is my passion, Helping people Get prepared for anything, Whether adventure or apocalypse we Carry the gear to get you through it. ( OK shameless plug over!) So while discussing the ideal BOV (Bug Out Vehivhle) with a customer one day I had been talking about the simplicity of older diesel engines. Mainly the Multifuel Hercules Motor in the M35A2 military 2 1/2 transport.
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/7940/duece.jpg

Seems like the perfect choice at first. And for some it may have been but given all the factors that I took into account it just wasn't the one for me. So time passed along with more discussion and then one day it hit me! a late 60's to early 70's VW Bug! I know your thinking how did he go from a deuce and a half to a bug? Well the simplicity of the motor (Basically EMP proof if you carry few small parts) along with the availability of those parts and a few other factors made it perfect. I had decided a Bug it was, But not just any bug. It needed to be fast, Agile, reliable, and good off road. A Baja it was! So after some Google Foo I found the one. A 1968 VW Baja Bug. Fully Caged, Good suspension and a 1835 Turbo Charged rubber band. I Know the TC'ed 1835 doesn't necessarily scream reliability But here is where it gets better, It came with a Nice Fresh 1600 Dual Port motor complete from Intake to exhaust! =] SO some phone calls were made and a deal was struck. Me and a good friend are flying out to pick it up from SoCal on Monday. We are going to hit the Vegas Strip, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, And Canyon De Chelly National Park On the way home in a 72 hour period in a vehicle I have only seen on the computer! Sounds like an adventure huh! I will update this thread for you all along with family and friends from now until we arrive home.

And without further adieu Here She is!
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2360/bajamine.jpg
By dubschops (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/dubschops) at 2012-04-20
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/271/photo2wd.jpg
By dubschops (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/dubschops) at 2012-04-24
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/2692/photo1kz.jpg
By dubschops (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/dubschops) at 2012-04-24

We are hoping to be home by 1-2:00 AM on Thursday.
Wish us luck!

[oneenv]

Very cool. Good luck with your travels!

[james severus]

Great post, live in Arkansas, work in Oklahoma. Spent lots of time in a Manx with a 1835 NA just exploring and blasting around Greers Ferry. I remember there was a girl in school I kinda liked and I took her to lunch. There we were in a doorless little bathtub running 80 on I-630 in little rock and her knuckles were literally white.

I would put that turbo'd motor for sale on the samba and swap in the 1600 DP ASAP. I remember the guy from Bug Out videos saying he had a van and swapped a motor at a highway rest stop.

We used to buy old bugs for 50 or 100 bucks and joke that with some oil and a battery and a bottle of fresh gas we could start one that had been sitting for a decade.

The concept of a bulletproof motor is gone when compared to these. I love my Yota but, yes, the radiator failed once. I have never had a VW leave me stranded. Well, not an aircooled one :)

Enjoy the trip and congrats. BTW that baja is beautiful.

[psykokid]

I read the thread title and was like, southern colorado to oklahoma - vegas seems a bit far out of the way imho.. Then i looked at the pics and saw the Cali plates on the bug and then realized you meant SoCal..

[MidnightRider]

I love Bajas, I have 2 myself and also live in Socal.

I have taken mine on many roadtrips all over the deserts & mountains. Carry spare parts and some bailing wire & duct tape & you'll be fine. Iv'e always got mine home even after some serious abuse. I remember getting blown all over the road in 70+ MPH winds in the Mojave, it was all I could do to keep it in the lane when trucks went past, lol. I ended up having to load up rocks on the back floorboards for extra weight. I have lots of stories of memorable trips in the bugs.

Great choice for a Bov. I could get about 300 miles on the stock 10 gallon tank with camping gear.

Good luck on your road trip. Keep us posted.

[dubs chops]

Here is the rough version of the route we will be taking.
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Ontario,+CA&daddr=hoover+dam+to:Las+Vegas,+NV+to:Grand+Canyon+ National+Park,+Grand+Canyon+Village,+AZ+to:Spider+ Rock+Overlook+to:36.13031,-109.03785+to:inola+ok&hl=en&ll=37.474858,-109.665527&spn=14.959696,28.54248&sll=36.078378,-109.297314&sspn=0.119177,0.222988&geocode=FfDDBwIdOMr8-Cl7Yt3q2zTDgDGQMVj5WuMDBw%3BFVqPJQIdtj4p-SkVLcuyai3JgDEe4y7CyxQSKw%3BFdYQJwIdMJoi-SnRffWkgre-gDGjebPV5tXMOg%3BFQVhJgIdr-tU-SE7YzTC5Mlivg%3BFTrUJgIdNkF7-Q%3BFQZOJwId5jaA-Sk93Q4S_-g6hzG-pXAUyNZOxw%3BFaqfJwIdVKRO-ilN0eT5nUK2hzFm8jObLrItsA&t=h&mra=dme&mrsp=4&sz=13&via=5&z=6

[bat]

That thing is perfect :Wow1:

[dubs chops]

Well we have booked our stay in Las Vegas at the Luxurious Flamingo! lol $79.00 with a view of the strip!

[xanthacroid]

Yes to all this. Long time lurker, first time poster. As the navigator on this little "excursion", I'll be happy to be getting on the road in a couple of days and putting the bug through the paces.

[dubs chops]

a very important piece of gear for this trip came in today! my Adventure hat.

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/9176/hatz.jpg

[Ray Hyland]

This is awesome. Post tons of pics. I have often said in the office that I'd like to take an old bug to Panama and Back.

[bobDog]

Woot! Subscribed. Still have scars from cutting up my first Baja Bug. Be fun following you....and yes that is one very nice Bug. What could go wrong in just 72 hrs? Huh?:coffeedrink::wings:

[dubs chops]

Sorry for the lack of updates. Im currently on my phone but will come back and add pictures soon. This trip has been interesting to say the least. We got on the road yesterday by 7:30 AM and headed out of Ont, I noticed a little hesitation in the motor so I tried to tune the Carb. It got worse, Much worse. Between Ont, Ca and Las Vegas we decided to cut through the Mohave National preserve area. it was cool. We got to do some mild dirt road speed runs :) we stopped to take some pictures at a big rock formation in the preserve. Got back in the car and the starter wouldn't engage. Xanthracroid Gave us a little push and she started right up. We made it to Vegas about 4:00 PM. I was tired. I adjusted the carb at least 20 times to keep it running long enough to make it to Vegas. We are at Meyers auto in Vegas right now getting it worked on. 98778

[dubs chops]

OK, Here is a much needed update.

Xanthracroid on the phone with his wife promising her we will be home by Wednesday night.
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7564/img0855yw.jpg

Here is some of the weirdness that is the Denver airport. We didn't pass the apocalyptic murals in but we did pass a Myan looking area that i could not find a sign or anything saying what it was.
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9713/img0856sj.jpg

The next morning we were up early enough to catch the sunrise over what I think was part of the San Bernadino mountain range.
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/6263/img0859i.jpg

And finally after driving it around made the deal on the 68 Baja
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/6051/img0863mh.jpg

[dubs chops]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o485uhX2u-E

Here is a video of us cutting through the Mojave national preserve with the car already starting to act up. =] Should have probably stuck with the highway but we couldn't resist. I know it doesn't look very fast or rough but it was and we were booking it. The car did great too.

[dubs chops]

Here we are heading out of Ont. Monday morning

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/2379/img0866aq.jpg

Some of the landscape right outside of Ontario

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/3614/img0867gh.jpg

This is about the time I realized how bad the bug was running. It was loading up and losing power. Pulled over and adjusted the carb. Leaned out the Air Fuel a little and it helped but it was still not right. Here is the place we stopped to do the adjusting at the first time
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4138/img0872cg.jpg


On the way to vegas we decided to cut through the Mojave national reserve even though the bug was starting to act up. We figured what the heck when is the next time we will ever be right here. The landscape is pretty Barron, Some Joshua Tree's and what I call scrub brush is all you can see for quite a ways.
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/1885/img0882m.jpg
Then we came to a visitors center and decided to take a break.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2395/img0885jg.jpg
Adam "Xanthracroid" checked the map to see how far we had to go.
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4138/img0872cg.jpg

[dubs chops]

Double post

[bobDog]

Gee how did it turn out? :D

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

[doug720]

The desert swallowed them?

Doug

[bobDog]

The desert swallowed them?

Doug

That would explain the lack of updates. :D

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

[Big-Jon]

I'm in....
I am currently redoing a MANX and plan on traveling RT 66 one day. Best of luck on your jounery.:victory:

[chilliwak]

Really cool :Wow1:thread on your travels. I would like to hear what the problem was with the carburetor. Also, last time I checked the landscape was not dry and filled with cactuses in Ontario. If I remember corectly its the place were the great lakes are and a big Cnanadian city called Toronto. (just kidding) Keep us posted with LOTS OF PICS and let us know about the fix for your mechanical problems.... Cheers, Chilli.:)

[BobA]

And were left hanging? Unless your just lost?

[franks71vw]

what size tires are your running on the Bug.. Currently trying to get my project going... and Like the stance of your bug.