The weather

VW's aircooled mini SUV. Great for riding in the country, or cruising the beach.
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Bob Ingman
Posts: 2869
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2001 12:01 am

The weather

Post by Bob Ingman »

Hope you guys are having better weather than we have here. Its about fifteen degrees and blowing snow. The Thing is frozen to the ground. The good element is the gas heater. Just reaching inside and hitting the switch brings the most pleasant sound I know. The gas heater is a BIG reason I drive the thing here in Ak. Its so warm I cannot leave it on. It will burn a hole in my leg after about 5 min. Even in the coldest weather I have to have a window open or it is unbearable inside. I`ve driven VWs since mid sixties and this takes some getting used to. In busses you see people dying inside as you pass them when in cold weather.
Do you guys in the Southern states (I-10 corridor) need heaters? Whats the weather doing there where you are today? Have a good one. Bob Ingman
Houndoggy
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 12:01 am

weather

Post by Houndoggy »

I'm in Houston, and its a bone chilling 45 this morning. Unfortunatly, i dont drive my Thing in the winter because i've been too lazy and broke to find the driver side heater box. Besides, i'm not sure what else u need to make the heater work in a 74 Thing. i have the flex silver tubes to mount to the dog house, the p.o. capped them off and pop riveted them in. I'm also lookin for the rubber grommets that fit on the engine tin to keep the flex hoses lookin nice but our local VW shop said they've never seen them. Oh well......
germansupplyscott
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Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2001 12:01 am

Post by germansupplyscott »

i don't drive my bus in the winter here. not alaska, but we get a long winter, cold temps and lots of snow, though we have had it pretty easy so far this year. less than two weeks ago i was driving the project thing around my back alley with no top - it was warm and dry. now the alley is a big mess of slushy snow, yuck. the thing will now stay in the garage until sometime in march.

i don't plan on driving the thing in the winter at all, it is a summer car for us. cars rot very badly here beacuse of the amount of salt used on the roads in the winter, it is deadly.

scott lyons
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Kubelmann
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Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 12:01 am

Post by Kubelmann »

Well. Here at 9,000 ft in the semi arid Rockies we have been holding steady well below zero. We hit minus 20 below day before yesterday. Last night the arctic blast finally let up and this morning at 5:30 am we had a tropical 27 degrees. I walked up to the cars without gloves or a hat just to enjoy the warm weather. My Thing is intended as a warm weather vehicle like Scott. We drove VWs ever since my wife and I wstarted to drive and our parents drove them alos. Both my wife and I had a VW as a first, second, third and on and on. In the early 80's we swithced over to Subaru for the 4x4 function and the heater function. Now we have both. As soon as Herr K is done we plan to get a bus to redo.. But ti too will be used as a warm weather vehicle. K-mann
MASSIVE TYPE IV
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Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2000 12:01 am

Post by MASSIVE TYPE IV »

Its 19 outside my office and sunny!
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rfoutch
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:37 am

Las vegas

Post by rfoutch »

Well it has been an odd year here in Las Vegas NV...

It is about 40 deg which is a warm day for this year...

We had snow stick, and it has been nearly 20 years since that has happened...

Was going to post a picture, but can't here...

Not as cold here Bob, but cold for us!

Hello from the land of extreams summer 117 deg, winter 27 deg (hotest coldest this year) 90 degs of temp change...

RF
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SEMPER FI FOREVER
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Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 12:01 am

Post by SEMPER FI FOREVER »

Looks like a cold on here today, high of 70 but should be back to 78 by Saturday. I don't drive the THING very often in winter as we have 100,000 snow birds in Yuma, many who don't know that the little lever on the steering column is for turn signals. :wink:
Capn Skully
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 5:56 am

Post by Capn Skully »

It was 31 at home, and warmed up as I drove south to New Orleans. I live on the north side of a huge shallow lake (25 miles wide).

The lake lowers the air temp by 10 degrees by time it reaches New Orleans. It will be in the high 50s by this afternoon. A great day for sailing, wish I was on the boat instead of couped up in this office.

An overnight freeze is a big deal to us, many houses are built off the ground with exposed plumbing underneath. Of course just running the water a little is enough to keep them from freezing.

"G"
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MNAirHead
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Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:12 am

Post by MNAirHead »

We're working our way out of a snap hovering -10 - +10... it's about 20 today.

Only action our thing has had is bondo dust ground off the baja.....

Some idiot took the thermostat off many of our vws... they don't run below freezing.

Just last month it was 95 in Bankok -- only 8 sighted vws (mostly type 3s)... maybe it was the smog

T.
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Chris181Westy
Posts: 106
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:01 am

Post by Chris181Westy »

Here in the metro Detriot area it was like 14 all day with a -7 windchill. It has been way to cold to work on my Thing. I just about have all the parts I need to put it back together. But my little kerosene heater does not get the garage warm enough for me to go out there and work. It is also to cold to drive the 82 Vanagon I got the other day, but at least my Rabbit has toasty warm heat!!!!
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mstatedog
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Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 4:54 pm

Post by mstatedog »

As I'm sitting here on the East Coast of Mississippi..... at my computer at 6:45pm central time....its 40F outside. I prefer the summers, when I can walk outside and immediately break into a sweat.

mstatedog
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Travis S
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Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2003 12:01 am

Post by Travis S »

It has been cold and rainy here in santa cruz, right around 40 but later warmed up to 70 :D
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Kenny2428
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Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2002 12:01 am

Post by Kenny2428 »

You guys are lucky if you have heat, lol. I drive my bug everyday with no heat, and its been in the 20s every morning for the past week. I think I might buy a new gas heater. :D
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Michael Basso
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Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 12:01 am

Post by Michael Basso »

heya,
its below zero here tonight, just got done shoving my motor in, i got a kerosene heater and a woodstove in the shop, so it wasnt too too bad.
and picture this, tomorrow a high of 5, and i have to go get a car, that has four flat tires, just hope the drums will turn, otherwise its gonna be a real bitch to tow it home, i usually flattow, and i bring 5 good tires with me, along with drums and bearings.
i just hope it doesnt take me two hours to free them up, better bring a torch and a BMF
looks like this isnt gonna let up for a couple of weeks, should be the worst of winter, brrr, my thing is froze.
stay warm all,
Mike
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