Barcelona bound
So it was a quick drive back to the chateau for a bite and some veno before we had to head out to the med coast and Barcelona...
So we made it into the centre of Barcelona, we found the approximate area just off the Ramblas were our hotel was, the problem was finding a parking spot. We drove round for ages aggravating the local traffic police with my distinctly ozzie driving style. In the end we decided to pay the $50 and park in a underground park facility.
Who said Spain was cheap!
We ended up metres from our hotel and imediately got bumped to the penthouse cos aparently there was plumbing problems with our povo pack room.
Who said the Spanish were cheap?
This was the view from our apartment window. Well at least we were high enough to catch the breeze as it was pretty warm in Barca when we got there and they were in the midst of an extended drought I am told.
This was the best view from the other window though.
Oh yeah and happy new year, lets try and make it better hey!
And from Biaritz it was just a short drive down the road and across the border into Spain. Then into the town of Bilboa.
One of the reasons I had come to europe in the first place was to visit a local gallery, the building its self is a piece of art, designed by a Californian I believe. Of course it is Frank Gehry's Titanium sheathed, Guggenheim museum.
Thanks Peggy!
Jeff Koons puppy at the entrance
And this little dude that seemed to be following us all over the place.
I think he said his name was Alan or Woody or somthing like that.
Anyway he was always talking to us, but often saying nothing, I think secretly he liked the sound of his own voice.
After several weeks of him just popping up unannounced I was getting a little anoyed, he seemed to be becoming a little too interested in Scarlett as well.
Up for sale is this fabulous (ehem!) piece of Volkswagen history.
Its one of 2 busses I drug(?) out of a paddock in Harvey. I had every intention of doing something with this bus, but alas time is escaping and he must be movin on.
As can be seen he has all the usual rust spots but its not at all as bad as many I have seen. The roof is good, 2 spots have bubbling but no holiness just yet. The inside of the roof is super clean. The dash is good with only one extra gauge hole and 2 other small holes. Cab divider is pretty perfect. Cargo floor is real solid but rust throughs around perimeter. Cargo sills will need replacing as well as the bottoms of most of the doors will need work. The Battery tray is gone and the left rear corner has been squeezed just a little. The cab floor is mostly gone and the lower nose needs complete replacement.All window apertures look to be good. All main chassis looks straight, rust free and solid. Though all outriggers will probably need replacing.
Other than that its at least pretty straight and not messed with.
Has the correct front and rear suspensions but I dont know of their condition. However by the looks of this bus it has done little work over the years, as everything I have tried to undo has come off easy.
Im looking for $6000 as is.
It has an engine cover to go with it, but no rear apron.
I may have front seats and a rear bumper for it if needed, just ask and ill check.
The bus had a roo bar fitted which i removed, but will go with this bus if you think you really need it.
Click on the image below to see more pics.
Bus is currently in Fremantle area for viewing on weekends .
Email me with any questions.
Well I went back to the drag strip last Wednesday and they wouldnt let me in like I was told the week before.
Ive now got to get an official coupon to get back in for free. It looked like rain again so I decided not to pay again. We will try and hook up another drag day in the new year.
Anyway a few pics of the finishing up of the Notch Refresh.
Finished and ready to roll. The hardest part really, about this job was not havin the old girl on the road for the past 2 weeks. So now I can go out for a burn!
Yeehaaw!
Drag day has been run and won.
Couldnt tell who was quickest though, all I know it wasnt me.
But hey wasnt for not trying.
I did an all nighter on Tuesday, and finally by about 5pm Wednesday had it all screwed together and fired.
Went round the block. Made a couple adjustments, came in changed grabbed my lid and headed for the track.
But just as i rolled up to the staging lanes, they closed the track cos of rain. Damn global warmings beat me again!
The officials said I get free entry next wednesday, so ill be in that.
The boys got a few runs in, it was excelent to see VW's at the strip and even a dude in a bus, so cool.
Lets see more of that.
Anyway a few pics of the Notch build up.
Ok, so now with the engine out, its time to cut the RHS frame horns out. These just hold the gearbox bell housing and not much more. So I am gonna beef this area up and extend em to the engine carrier bar.
So I removed the gear box and axles. Cut the old tubes out and started mock up for longer tubes. I decided to make these outa 30mm RHS. I had some 40mm, but there was just no room for it around the nose of the gearbox.
And the engine comes out for the first time in years.
Everything looks pretty good, but for a number of small oil leaks. I plan to try and fix the rocker cover leaks at this stage, but as the drag day is fast approaching I doubt ill get much chance to tackle any more.
Im endevoring to purchase some Porsche cookies for this car. So i needed to change the bolt pattern. I decided to give the old girl a birthday and bought new parts.
Well i found out the studs were gonna be too short for the alloys and aluminium nut I have. So i needed longer studs. I found I could get porsche ones for about 30 bux each, but the knurl is smaller diameter than the holes already, So had to find a different solution. I made some calls and found Landcruiser studs may fit. They look long enough and the knurl is about 1mm bigger diameter. Sweet! Toyoyta wanted 10 bux each, this looked good compared to Porsche, but I found Coventries saved the day again, cos they only want 2 bux for the same part, double sweetness!
Sebun (7)
We were heading up the coast from Rumoi to Wakkani. As with most of this island there's not to many folk about. Probably cos its pretty cold and windy most of the year. So as is the norm with the Japanese they have found a good use for this wind. Turbine wind farming!
Yep no hippys in Hokkaido
But we weren't gonna make it to Wakkanai today, so we stopped at this little coastal village just before sunset, though the fog that was rollin in was making visibility pretty tough. We got to a rider house and found the dormatory full of local riders. It seemed wed be standing all night in there, we looked around the park and noticed some small huts that maybe vacant a little way up the track. Nat raced back to checkin as more and more riders were turning up by the minute cos the weather was closing in. We managed to score the last hut. Feww! It was small and blew our daily budget, but hey! We were warm and dry.
I was starting to dig these onsens. Normally I wouldnt get my kit out in front of a bunch of other men also goin comando but since in Hokkadio weve been comunally washing almost every day. And I think im getting used to it,, alarmingly!
The local wild life.
Quite accomodating.
Biarritz an Busted
So we thought we should get to the coast, cos I hadnt seen the ocean for about fifteen fortnights.
The drive across France to the Atlantic wos a bit boring so I had a little snooze on the way over.
These modern Peugeot drive so good.
Shame.
A cool local we met swimming at the beach one morning.
Double pluggers,,,,, right on!
Jackin and Striping
Now im planning to run my notch at the drags. I havent done this for a while. There is many reasons for this retirement by me of my notch from the strip. Mainly its cos I actually didnt build the car for that purpose. In the begining this car was a experiment, to see if I could build it and to see if I could actually get the thing road registered. As it turned out years ago, last century actually, registration was easy.
So for a long time ive been happy just cruising around smokin V8's.
Sure ive taken a few runs down the strip in the low 13's... Yep I drive like a granny.
But the main reason im so slow is axle tramp. Ive blown a gearbox or 2 because of it, so I take it easy these days.
Well the time has arived , its time to get this 960kg lump into the 12's.
So the first job is to mount the drive line more solidly.
Ive started the strip down and am looking at some simple methods to brace the rear subframe better.
Its a road car so all mounting will be rubber or urethane if you prefer.
The task is to do it without having to move or modify whats in/under the car already.
