Pippa writes to tell me of her Palomino trip to Beachbuggin
Firstly, I think I deserve a medal for being the most dedicated Palomino owner of all time - I didn't realise that Southsea was nearly 500 miles away!( I think you need to invest in satnav - I've checked and it's only about 250 miles from Lincolnshire) Despite his mammoth trek from the very north of Lincolnshire to the very south of the country, Claude behaved well all the way there - just a pity the weather didn't!
By the time my sister and I reached the camping field at Horndean, the weather was just about at typhoon status, and half the campsite had to come out in the pouring rain to help us two damsels in distress battle with an awning that was trying to drag us all off in the general direction of the English channel. The organisers gave up with the entertainments marquee, and fearing the band would be electrocuted, we all decamped to the local pub for what turned out to be a great evening.
After a bit more awning-wrestling in the morning, we joined the line-up and drove down to Southsea in a big VW convoy, just as Alex described a while ago - vans, beach-buggies, beetles, Karmann Ghias, everything - a really diverse group of about 80 vehicles. Miraculously, when we got there, the rain stopped and it stayed dry and warm all day - it even got a tiny bit sunny at one point! Joined everyone else at first wandering around the parking area nosing at all the other vans, beetles etc, looked at a few stalls and bought some new shiny wing mirrors, then we went back to Claude for our lunch.
After that, we couldn't get away for ages - people were literally queuing up to ask about Claude and have a look inside, from a group of blokes with notebooks asking technical questions I couldn't answer (and yes, I can swear to you they DID have anoraks on!) to other van owners interested in how I'd done the interior, to several families and couples thinking about getting a van of their own - the Palomino's unique looks certainly get some attention! Claude attracted loads of compliments, and quite a few people were taking pictures inside and out, which does wonders for your ego, for some reason! The only down side was that there were no other Palominos there - pity Alex and Co couldn't go - next year maybe!
When we did get to look round the show, I really enjoyed it - it was small, but I loved the mix of vehicles, and there was even a collection of Vespas and Lambrettas, which I had to go and see, because I've just got myself a '61 Italian 150cc Vespa. I can't ride it yet, but I'm working on it!
Just one thing spoiled the weekend - despite behaving so impeccably on the journey down, Claude started playing up as we were heading back up north. In the end, we had to stop just 35 miles from home and the old boy finished his journey on the back of a recovery truck. I'm now £277 poorer, but all in all, Beachbuggin was a really enjoyable trip - let's just hope for better weather next year!
Thanks Pippa. If anyone fancies joining this exclusive club, you can. The membership fee? A mere 14 grand. Actually, if anyone wants to pay that much, I could be persuaded to part with my near original example!
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7 comments:
Duh! Silly me! Just in case anyone besides Ian was thinking I'm a complete moron, I obviously (?) meant kilometres, not miles! Claude does in in km, being a German import, and...well, it's a bit confusing! Anyway, including the to-be-expected amount of getting lost, (yes, I could do with a satnav) it was 469km in total - still deserving of a medal, I feel!
Oh, and how could the very founder of the Palomino Club even consider parting with his beloved van, hmmm?
Sorry to hear that Claude broke down on the way home, have you managed to get him fixed/fix him?
If so what was the problem?
I've just got back from a nice 4 day break, we used the Vw and it performed faultlessly! Next year i will definately be at Beachbuggin, i was the only Palomino there last Year, so i know exactly how much interest they attract.
Just out of interest, what CC are all your Palominos? According to Practical Classics Magazine, the 2 litre Camper should be 1970cc, mine appears to be 1984cc, i was just curious as to whether perhaps it had been slightly bored out in the past.
As for parting with my beloved Van, no chance!
It's great to be individual enough to drive a standard classic vehicle, let alone a conversion as rare as the Palomino!
Keep enjoying your Vee Dubs and hope to meet up with all of you in the future,
Ps i will be putting some new pics of my Volks on here shortly,
Alex
Last Winter whilst using my Vw around Xmas time, it started running really roughly, especially before it's engine(not interior) had warmed up, i had a good check and found a small leak in one of the large intake tubes on the side of the engine, once secured and re attached properly, it was problem solved!
Hope it might prove useful for someone
Alex
Claude's not totaly fixed yet, despite the £277 I spent at the garage (not the Herbie Hospital this time). They told me he was running on 3 cylinders, but didn't really say why. They replaced all the plugs and the coil, fixed a small oil leak and a couple of other bits, and he was OK for a while, but now he's juddering and losing power again, especially up hills, and they say it might be the twin carbs at fault.
Was it a petrol leak that your van had, Alex? Mine smells very strongly of petrol at the moment. However, Claude's going in for a proper bodywork restoration over winter, and I might just get a new engine put in too, so that I don't have to worry about breaking down anymore.
As for the engine size, mine's different again - it's 1997cc! Claude wins!
It'll be great to see you and your van next year, Alex. Fancy going to Vanfest too? And yes, let's see more photos of everyone's Palominos!
My van didn't have a petrol leak, it was an air leak.
If you ever replaced Claudes engine, would it be with a reconditioned original air cooled engine?
The new remanufactured Type 2's use a water cooled unit similar to the ones used in the Golf, a good engine with more power but in my opinion, less character.
Part of the character/charm of the Vw Camper is the engine/ the sound, what does everyone else think?
Vanfest and Beachbuggin sound great for next Year, see you there!
Alex
It just has to be aircooled!
Hi Alex/Ian
Oh my god - absolutely! No way would I consider a water-cooled engine for Claude, even if they were considerably cheaper! As you say - it's part of their character, and if he struggles up a few hills, so be it!
I just love the sound of aircooled engines. My Vespa sounds great too - such a big meaty sound for such a little vehicle. If and when we get enough money, I'd love to go for the full aircooled trio and get a beetle as well.
It'll be great to see you and your van at the shows next year, Alex. What about you, Ian? Still not into the show scene? Claude may be a different colour by then, though. I'm toying with the idea of having him done in VW mango green with pastel white over, but I just can't decide....it's a woman thing!
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