| [GMCnet] trip report [message #153866] |
Wed, 21 December 2011 06:44  |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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I spent most of a week at the AKC - Eukanuba National Championships and the three all-breed shows before. A 450 mile one way ride, and the first chancde to try out the Toadstone. The only way I could tell it was behind me was to leave the blinds up on the rear window so I could see it in the insiode mirror - and when the guy came around me franticalloy waving and pointing. I stopped to find one of my magnetci tow lights had come loose and was bounching off the freeway. A liberal application of racing tape healed the problem. I set the coach up with 60 pounds in the rears and 65 in the front, it rode and drove well. It's stock suspension save a giant front rollbar installed by Sirum at the PO's behest.
The show venue wanted $130 a night for electric only with six feet of clearance on each side, so I stayed in the Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka for $24 a night. $20 of diesel ran the Toadstone all week. Highly recommend this park, it's a nice venue with water, electrics, fire rings, picnic tables, Hot n cold running bathouse and a huge State park with a big lake and 30 miles or so of hiking trails. Friendly state employees everywhere. The coach burned 102 gallons of gas for just a bit over 900 miles gicving 9+ MPG. It's a stock drive, and we did 60 - 63 MPH on cruise which gets it just into the pulling range on the tach.
Only concerns I had were a minor twitch in the speedo needle at times, abnd ne of the bushings in the Toadstone's shift linkage failed which makes it a challenge to get it into first gear. I >think< it's a part on the transfer rod, maybe one of the gurus of VWs here will tell me and save some time poking around behind the engine. PO had Sirum put a rebuilt cruise servo in, I*'ll pull both cabkles and check/grease them.
I drove home on the first day iof what's developing into a miserable cold, the FlexSteels are a comfort when you're feeling lousy.
Passed a 26' coach which looked smoked up on the outside just S of the FL line in an industrial place beside I75, I didn't have time to look closelt6y. Appeared to have maybe been inside someplace which aught fire... sooty opu the outside, but nothing missing or burnt.
Starkville, MS in three weeks, a shorter ride and no toad.
--johnny
'76 23' Transmode Norris - Double Ring Chestnut Mountain's Jazzman installed
'76 Palm beach
and the Toadstone - '91 diesel Jetta
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Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: [GMCnet] trip report [message #153872 is a reply to message #153866] |
Wed, 21 December 2011 07:48  |
petemosss
Messages: 221
Registered: August 2008
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Johnny I just rebuilt my 98 Cabrio that was having that exact 1st gear problem. I'm pretty sure it's the same if not very similar. Get a complete bushing kit and the transfer rod with the rubber ball on it. Redo everything, avoid doing things twice like I did. It's only about an hour job both under and above car. A lift would make things much easier as things are tight down below. Scribe or mark things very accurately at adjustment points or add hours to adjust. Use old cassette tape as a spacer (thick part down) vs special vw gauge at 1st gear/ reverse gate at shifter. Get OEM or close. Atlanta should have some good vw shops or go to Techtonics or Parts Geek.
Pete
74 Canyon Lands 26' "Emery"
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| Re: [GMCnet] trip report [message #153876 is a reply to message #153872] |
Wed, 21 December 2011 08:00 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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Thanks, Ill do that. It sat in storage for seven years. On my Mark Is, the transfer rod balls would fracture. On this'n - and another Mark II I drive - whatever dies migrates the dfirst gear gate to the left just enough that you have to engage the reverse lockout to catch first; and the gate is suddenly quite narow. You can feel the shifter rotate slightly as first engages, again suggesting there's some sl;op in the linkage someplace. Might's well to redo all of it and not worry.
--johnny
'76 23' transmode Norris
'76 Palm Beach
'91 VWToadstone with a sloppy shifter
________________________________
From: pete <petemosss@comcast.net>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 8:48 AM
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] trip report
Johnny I just rebuilt my 98 Cabrio that was having that exact 1st gear problem. I'm pretty sure it's the same if not very similar. Get a complete bushing kit and the transfer rod with the rubber ball on it. Redo everything, avoid doing things twice like I did. It's only about an hour job both under and above car. A lift would make things much easier as things are tight down below. Scribe or mark things very accurately at adjustment points or add hours to adjust. Use old cassette tape as a spacer (thick part down) vs special vw gauge at 1st gear/ reverse gate at shifter. Get OEM or close. Atlanta should have some good vw shops or go to Techtonics or Parts Geek.
--
Pete
74 Canyon Lands 26' "Emery"
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GMCnet mailing list
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Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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