Thank you ~ I don't get here often and so missed that thread .

He was always a nice man ready to help out .

About the VW's , we had a 1954 Typ II " Kombi " in New England back in '57 or so , I well remember riding all 6 of us kids in it .

I had old VW Beetles back when a Split Window was just another $150 car , few cared , I was one of those who cared and dedicated most of my life to air cooled VW's , imported early models from Japan , Italy , England and so on back when the car cost less than the shipping .

My son came home from the hospital he was born in , IIRC , in my '55 Euro Spec. # 117 DeLuxe sunshine roof Beetle in 1979......I prolly should fixed the torn canvas sunroof but Cali. never gets overly cold and the heater works well on all my VW's

I ran an Indie VW Shop and Junkyard during the glory years and miss it greatly .

Whilst driving my '66 Typ II Squareback to Guatemala , I passed through Pueblo , Mexico where they built VW's for decades .

Enough boring memories , I'm now a DieselHead and plan to remain so until I die .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Yes, it is sad about Phil's passing. Especially when I consider that Phil was only three years older than I am. That's close to home. Didn't really know Phil, but I have ordered parts from him in the past. I'm always sad to see any of us here pass away. RIP, Phil.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I met a young German couple who I helped buy a 2001 "old" Beetle in Cancún. The thing has a few more sensors around the engine and a cat converter, but looks exactly like the 1960's design with a few slight modifications. For a design that should have been perfect after 50 years, they still did not care much about rust protection! I had to discard a few rust buckets that had been beat to heck.

Cuban police was friendly, but straight-edge. I loved that. Belize was super friendly and relaxed. Guatemala... I haven't dealt with yet.

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

VW Do Mexico dropped the 1960's vintage VW in the late 1970's , they retained the 1968 body & swing axle transaxle because it's damn near unburstable on bad roads ,

Your friends 2001 was prolly one of the very last with a caburator , they used a simple & effective F.I. system after then .

Enjoy Guatemala ~! go see Puerto Barrios , Lagos Atitlan and Amatitlan.....

The pyramids in I forget where but very nice in the jungle , you can climb to the top of one of the more secluded ones and see above the jungle for miles around .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Every cab I rode in in Cancun seemed to have a smashed windshield. Given the way they drove, that came as no surprise to me . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Ah, Tikal! It was absolutely gorgeous. I camped at the national park and went to the pyramids very early in the mornings, had them all to myself!

It's no secret that Mexicans DO NOT maintain their cars. They drive them until they die. I was trying to look for a decent car for a German couple, and most of them had been beat to a pulp! Even 2005 models looked like they had been through two or three carmaggedoms!

- - - - - - - - - - -

Now it's time to make history. This European Life proudly presents one of the longest, most exciting articles of the whole saga: the story on how I went to Cuba to find the lost Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, and the long road to finding it!

THIS EUROPEAN LIFE: Chasing the Cuban Gullwing

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

I guess the Cubans are like the anti-Mexicans, when it comes to cars, then. I was just reading about all the old cars you ran across in Cuba, as you were looking for the elusive 300SL. Really fascinating!

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Wow Miguel I am impressed!

To search an entire country to find a car and then to come across those two with little to go on except word of mouth!

I think the best part of the story was hearing about people who had seen the Gullwing as children and still remembered the very distinct doors!

What is the next stop on your trip btw?

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Too bad they're way beyond any saving now .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I will spend a month with my headquarters in Antigua, Guatemala. I will visit lake Atitlan with a few fellow overlanders and stop by the Copan ruins with a good friend I made in Havana!

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Headquarters........?

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

It is sad to see the state they're in.

But, wow, talk about a successful wild goose chase!

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

New delivery! A few short stories aside from the quest of the sad, sad Gullwing, the last of the Cuban trilogy. Some factual, some just plain funny: from an unsuspectingly good-hearted mechanic to a ride Casto's limousine.

THIS EUROPEAN LIFE:
Havana Snippets

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Loved the part about the Chaika limo....looks kind of like a '60's era Lincoln.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Did they get as excited about this Mayan calendar business down there as people in North America have been, Miguel? Apparently, we're in the clear. The appointed day has come and we're still here!

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles