Road tripping GSW

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Hello TDI Club!

This will be my build thread/ travel log/ intro thread

Little history I have had all kinds of cars but nothing has really stuck. Had a 05 sentra, 10 ralliart, 04 mazdaspeed miata, 95 celiac with a 20V blacktop, 90 civic hatch, 91 crx, another 91 crx, 90 240sx, 85 camaro, 02 miata, many have bin **** boxes but some where nice.

















But recently I had some growing up to do and wanted to do a complete 180. I decided to part the car out and buy a GSW




The reason I went with the GSW is that I could do this



I did a lot of traveling with the miata and I will continue to do so with this car.




So less about my past ****boxes and more on my current one.



I picked up a fully loaded TDI SEL about 6 months ago and have put on 15800 on it already and love every moment of it.

 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Drove down to STL for a Cystic Fibrosis fundraising bike marathon.



Hung out with some friends

Saw this by one of there houses



do want


Stopped at the pink elephant which is a antique mall



And stopped at the arch

 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
So never posted any of the pics from my trip.... lets see
So this trip started when my friend told me he is going to go to a flight traffic control school in denver and he is going to be driving. I told him il follow you in my car to keep you company and see some west coast friends and see some west coast things.
5AM leaving chicago

First stop


Stopped at some airplane museum in Nebraska

Got to denver that night and that was that. Woke up to go to pikes peak and continue this adventure.
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
They had some storms a few days before so this was as high as i could get on pikes peak before i hit the road is closed sign


More pikes peak

Randoms at pikes peak

 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
So we continued out drive to durango CO for the night


Next day we started our day by stopping at Mesa Verde on our way to 4 corners, monument valley and ending the day in Page AZ
On the road to Mesa Verde
Mexican hat

Getting close to monument valley

This photo was taken 3 min after the lady in the booth asked me if I have 4wd to continue and i said UHUH SURE

And then about 45 seconds after the last photo things got super fun

The 3 sisters



Ended the night in page AZ
Next day our plan was to go to antelope canyon but that plan ended since the night before i was on phoenix craigslist and saw a car i wanted to buy for a long time so said screw it and skipped some things.
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Stopped at the grand canyon



Then a Flinstones park



Then we drove down to surprise az and i bought another money pit that iv wanted for a very very very long time




Hung out in phoenix for a few days with my friends got the mr2 shipped back and continued my adventure. Got my wheels he has bin holding for me for the past 2 months


and got my 10K service done.

Got some inn n out




That DAM TDI




Drove to vegas for a night then to ABQ for a night saw some breaking bad places, then it was off to Oklahoma city.

Stopped at cadillac ranch




Then it was basically a straight shot home.

Few days later got my BLQ's on






Till next time
 

meerschm

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Location
Fairfax county VA
TDI
2009 Jetta wagon DSG 08/08 205k buyback 1/8/18; replaced with 2017 Golf Wagon 4mo 1.8l CXBB
nice little trip. thanks for the photos.
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
Looks fun. I see you're also a cyclist. I've found my fat bike [Specialized Fatboy] fits OK in the back of my 09. No pix to post yet.

Liking those new wheels.

Do you see your fuel mileage figures going up yet? Using biodiesel from time to time?
 

ezshift5

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Location
West Coast
TDI
2013 JSW TDI (Enroute BB).......2017 Jetta 1.4 turbo 5M ....................
Gee, your wagon looks at lot like mine. Hope you got award-winning fuel numbers during your sojourn....................


ez
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Looks fun. I see you're also a cyclist. I've found my fat bike [Specialized Fatboy] fits OK in the back of my 09. No pix to post yet.

Liking those new wheels.

Do you see your fuel mileage figures going up yet? Using biodiesel from time to time?
Fuel mileage has gone up a little, I have a heavy foot so I'm not expecting to get crazy numbers unless I'm highway driving.
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
So what a fun two weeks. Had a friend move down to florida and he payed me to drive down with a bunch of his crap from Chicago to orlando. Ended up thinking to myself where else can I go since I'm already down there....

Installed the Nuespeed rear bar before the trip

Stopped at the tail with a fully loaded car and ended up over heating the brakes


This was the view from the driver seat of the back

ATL

Stopped at his house unloaded the car got some sleep and then headed out to key west
Saw this giant lobster

key west was such a ****ty drive 50mph the whole way

After key west drove back to my friends place spent the night and then hit the road again to another friend in pensacola

hung out with him for the day
Did beach things
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Got some sleep and back on the road, woke up to go to NOLA

Stopped at another friends place, He owns NOLA MUSCLE PARK a ninja worrier gym out there. super cool place to visit if you are into that.


After spending the afternoon working out with him and getting dinner I hit the road yet again. Made it to the border and slept in hotel VW
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
So I got back Tuesday night and then Friday I hit the road again with a bunch of people.



The group



Found a abandoned drive in



Stopped at kitchi iki kipi super cool place





Did more driving




Saw this cool boat





more driving



Stopped at the tunnel of tree's



more beaches





This trip I was just tagging along and didnt plan a thing... It was nice not having to plan anything just go along for the ride.
 

meerschm

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Location
Fairfax county VA
TDI
2009 Jetta wagon DSG 08/08 205k buyback 1/8/18; replaced with 2017 Golf Wagon 4mo 1.8l CXBB
That tunnel of trees is a nice bike ride. how long did it take you to run around the lake?
 

Dcwhybrew

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2014
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE
Epic trips...great looking car! I wished I had bought a JSW/GSW TDI when I bought my Passat TDI
 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Guess i should update this....

Went to TDI FEST


Bought a skid plate







And then a cargo box



Did some biking




Went to devils lake




Did a kerma tune





Then i drove to colorado....

Biked down pikes peak



and drove down pikes peak

 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
Did some exploring




Found some hot springs



and then dome cool roads



And a very low lake





Then went to the colorado monument






hiked hanging lake 10/10 would recommend



and then rocky mountain np



Then I started doing mods




got a bomba shorts throw shifter

 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen


Then went on the road again





saw the great smokeys




White golfs come, park in our spots





And then went full potato in florida

 

vplukas101

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Location
darien IL
TDI
2015 sportwagen
And then I installed some ST coils






Then i bought some VMR wheels



And then got some TTRS brakes.... banana for scale



Dinner plates in the front, tea saucers in the rear
 

3L3M3NT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Location
Sturgeon Bay, WI
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI, 04 RTDI
Good thing you have a TDI with all the road trips you take;)

Thanks for coming to TDIFest and it was relatively close to home for you, not that it looks like it a big deal if it would have been further away;)

What are your plans for the MR2?

Also were you stuck in the sand in your latest trip to Florida?

Looks like you'll have to balance the brakes out eventually with TTRS rears if they fit...

Looking forward to your future trips.
 

meerschm

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Location
Fairfax county VA
TDI
2009 Jetta wagon DSG 08/08 205k buyback 1/8/18; replaced with 2017 Golf Wagon 4mo 1.8l CXBB
Thanks for the update, you have been busy.
 

DerekG

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2013
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
'13 4dr Golf TDI 6-speed manual
Great pics! Looks like a blast....How many miles on the MKVII now?
 
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