Hm, that's not that bad.

"I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker" (qaaaaa)
10/13/2019 at 12:53 • Filed to: None

Dayton to Tuscon. Route set to "avoid highways" (ie, no interstates). 35 hours. Yeah, seems doable in a 24 year old econobox.

DISCUSSION (7)

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
10/13/2019 at 13:24

US 60 from Socorro, NM into Southern AZ is a fantastic drive and my favorite way to get there, but beware that it takes considerably longer than Google leads you to believe.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
10/13/2019 at 14:27

Funny, that Wichita-to-Tucumcari route is amazing... It’s like a straight shot to the desert southwest... (Did US54 follow the original Sante Fe Trail?). You leave the green flatlands of Kansas and it delivers you across the panhandle country to the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountains..

The only caution is that there’s FAR fewer places to help out if you have trouble. Cell coverage is pretty good across I-40, but is pretty non-existent in some places on US54. YMMV

subexpression > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
10/13/2019 at 14:32

A pretty minor diversion from that middle route through St Louis would take you down part of old Route 66, if you’re into such things.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
10/14/2019 at 12:37

Did you already replace the ignition switch? If not, do it before that drive. Losing all lights in the middle of the night on that drive will not be fun.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
10/14/2019 at 13:17

I didn’t, but I think one of the ~11 previous owners may have. It’s not giving me issues yet, but I would bring a spare on this drive (and a spare coil pack). The electrical issues on these cars were overblown IMO.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
10/14/2019 at 13:26

Eh. They’re a touch overblown due to how much of a nightmare the MkIV was, but the fixes are pains in the ass on the Mk3. The ignition switch repair job involves removing the steering column.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
10/14/2019 at 13:32

Yeah, pulling the column isn’t that bad, after you have the cluster out to see what you’re doing it’s like three bolts

http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/VW/MKIII/VWVortex.com_VW_MKIII_Ignition_Replacement_DIY.pdf

but you don’t even have to pull the column, actually