THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

Well I have made ti to St Louis. I am at our TEAM conference here. Nice weather......yeah right. Ice rain. I never thought I would come out of the Yukon to WORSE weather.

I have lost my voice due to a cold I got just before I left. I guess it was inevitable. I was so excited and riding a wave of that for about 3 months and then you finally relax a bit and BAM you get sick.

On the brightside I am State side and tomorrow I drive up to the Millwaukee area to get my PINZ...YES and then I can slowly start making my way home.

Thanks again to everyone who have been working so hard to make this happen for me and to those I will meet on the way back. Steve Helwig has been absolutely wonderful at geting her ready for the trip and I can't wait to meet him and the crew tomorrow an thnak them for their help.

Paul I guess I will see you too tomorrow.

Over and out

Jer Bear

Good luck. I just did 1600 miles in a 710K over the weekend. Phoenix to Iowa. Vail pass was fun at 4 am. Aside from a headlight bulb which was easily swapped out with the spare, no issues other than a tired ass. Thanks to Dennis and Tony Grant in Phoenix for help/availability. Good luck.

Well, Jerry got on the road from here about 3:30 headed towards KC.

There was some serious breeze-shooting that took place last night, and yea, we slew some beers verily.

We had an interesting day today. I got my first drive in a 710K. Jerry did too! Helwigs had prepped the truck with a few repairs, new lube all round, and a new bumper & winch, etc. Picking the truck up at Stauffer Classics was an experience. But that's Jerry's story. He can give some details there. Let's just say that even growing up around here, I was impressed.

Anyway, best wishes for the trip. There's more than a little of me that's sorely tempted to toss the dogs in the truck and take off too. Have fun.

Paul

...This is all I can do after picking up the PINZ. What an incredible machine. I would like to thanks some people here too. THe gang at Helwig Auto were super. They got her ready and she has the synthetic and no leaks so far..not a drop in 600 miles. They also installed the EI bumper and winch for me. Then I would like to thank George Stauffer. He really is a nice guy and knowlegable and what a collection of machinery (the only way I can describe it)..you need to see it for yourself so go by a pinz or something else and maybe he will give you a tour - it is definatley a jaw dropper.

Then there is Paul Underwood and Sue and their fine young son (can't spell his name, but what a great kid, but you've done a wonderful job there guys). Frank thanks for your friendship too (Pauls bud...great guy - even for an Italian ) If you ever get a chance to meet this family and this group of people do not pass the opportunity up...heck even drive out of your way 1000 miles to do it it will be worth it.

Thanks again for all the laughs and and the hospitality. Salt of the earth folks alll the way around in Blue mounds and Mt Horeb. I'm am told I am going to meet some more of the same in Golden (Dennis and KINGPINZ your NEXT).

NOW THE TRIP SO FAR:

Well I left Mt Horeb after Frank and Paul led me out to the HWY (boy my directions are not good here yet - NO FRIGGIN MOUNTAINS FOR LAND MARKS) and FOGGY. The fog was heavy - I was still trying to figure out how to drive the PINZ and the weather was deteriorating every 50 miles. I hit freezing rain - wet snow - and then frozen ice roads. By the time I got down to Cedar (something) can't remember - 14 hours of straight driving - sorry I am losing my mind) there were cars and truck and vans in the ditch all over the place. I am sure there was 30-40 vehicles and even a semijackknifed in the ditch (I think he passed me earlier and was not to impressed with my speed - but it was funny when I went by him and he was in the ditch and I was happily going down the highway.

The weather slowed everyone down and I even did some sliding around with the new Trxus until I PUT HER IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE. - Then I was passing the odd vehicle but I only was going about 75 to 80 KMS an hour.

Passing someone with a PINZ is cool though. You guys were right though. Everywhere I stopped people kept coming over to have a look. Thought it was my good looks , but I guess it was the PINZ.

Anyway I am in Kansas and looking for Dorothy (wizard of OZ) or Jesse James's relatives. Can't seem to find MR MAYBEE though. I did hook up with Tom Porter (you see I bow hunt) and he had e-mailed my and asked me to stop in if I got in. SO we went to Cabela's (BAD BAD place to take me with a credit card..OOOOPS). Some pics of tom and the Pinz



Well I slept int he pinz one night and at Pauls the other night so I though I could maybe get a few hunting things....WHAT A STORE...mind bogaling. I am going back tomorrow on my way out just to take pictures (crazy man from the north eh!!!!).

Anyway I am off to Colorado to see Dennis and KINGPINZ - so I will keep you updated...if your interested.

So far the pINZ is running GREAT and turning heads - I took Tom for a ride in it (didn't know what they were before I showed up) and let him drive it...George you may need to get another one ready.

P.S. - thanks fo rthe advise about the HEADPHONES - LIFE SAVER SHE"S LOUD - but they make it great.

Jer BEar - over and out

JER BEAR- KEEP THE TRAVEL LOG COMING . SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING GREAT TRIP.
IF GOING INTO DENVER ON 70 YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP AT THE BASS PRO SHOP THERE....EXIT ON QUEBEC ST.
VERY COOL STORE. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS LIFE SIZE MOOSE MOUNT THERE. WIDEST MOOSE RACK EVER TAKEN WITH A BOW....81-1/2 INCHES I THINK. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR TRIP BE SAFE.
DID YOU GET OUT OF YUKON BEFORE THAT BITTER COLD SNAP. TOK OR NORTHWAY HAD -73F AMBIENT
PAT

hey AK - I got through our cold snap - coldest was minus 58 celsius (included the wind chill - but anyway you slice it...that's cold). I left home on the 21st and it was plus 4 celsius and hit St Louis and it was minus 7 F and freezing rain. That wasn't bad but I was to wear a suit for 3 days for our Internet business meetings and crap tthey aren't INSULATED. I don't know how people do it on a regular basic (tougher than me I guess). I ended up being colder than normal and I got a chest cold now (NICE).

Anyway I am on my way to Denver from KC - So I will have to look at the map and see what road it is.

Jer Bear over and out for now

Jerry,

Glad to hear your trip's going so well. You made it to KC quicker than I expected, given the weather.

I just now found your text messages. You've made me figure out how to recieve them! So don't interpret my lack of reply as disinterest. I'll probably have to figure out how to send them now!

A word to the wise for anyone else along Jerry's route: This dude's one serious bow hunter! My most HARDCORE hunting friends are impressed.

Anyway, thanks again for staying. It was our pleasure. The door's always open, so feel free.

Good luck on the rest of the trip.

Paul
ps: That young'n is spelled Ullr, named after the Norwegian god of winter/snow. You get named that when your Dad's a friggin' ski nut living near Breckenridge. And your Mom never forgave your Dad.....

Jerbear should be to Topeka by now, I'll be in Junction city to meet up with him. he's in for the straightest flat bit of road for 400 miles would not wan't to be him.

I started my cop career in Salina and spent alot of time baling hay out around Russell. Grandma used to live in Abilene.

It's not treeless, usually whereever there is a house there will be some trees unless the tornados got'em. Remember my first trip to Colorado and how cool it was when you could finally see the Rockies.

Safe trip to ya Jerbear

Andy

well i never saw Jerbear go by i hope he has made it ok. Andy there are a lot more trees now. ceders have take over most of the state i hunt from Russell to Cottonwood Down to florance up to I-70 in the last ten years most of it has changed so much i hardly can see across sections. The land we hunt on i Medicane lodge it to five years to remove all of the trees. and it still is a fight to keep them from coming back.

Cedars take over when the land has been mistreated. They are very bad for the water table. Down here they have taken over in places because of the overgrzing that went on for years. Up there I suspect people went to CRP lands and prairie fires have never been popular, but there werent any cedars when the Indians would burn it or there were lightning strkes.

Good stand of cedars, a dry year, lightning storm and presto ... huge fire.

Not good, controlled burns are gaining popularity.

Regards,

Andy

OK - Sorry I missed you Erik - didn't get the message from my cell till I was past you......straight roads......that's a friggin understatement.

Life is different at 50 MPH though - you can see everything. I thought people were not very flexible, but I have noticed some people almost breaking their necks getting a look at the Pinz when we go by . Every where I stopped we drew a crowd

The trip continued.....

So I left KC Missouri - at 7:30 am from the north - didn't know there was 2 KC's either. Man is that confusing...going down 435 to hit I70 west and then I thought I was where I was supposed to be, but I was about 15 miles out to the east because there is another 435 in KC in Kansas which is west of where I was.

Not fun with rush hour traffic and trying to follow signs etc and when I got on I70 west finally I could have walked faster, but that's a good speed for the Pinz anyway. Christ we have RUSH MINUTE in the YUKON AND WE CAN'T STAND THAT. This was bumper to bumper and had to get into the other lanes..thanks Paul for the flasher they gave lots of room. Had many thumbs up in the crowd too

Anyway I got about 140 kms out and blue smoke started pouring out of the PINZ . Not sure how long it had been doing it cause I had on my noise cancelling headphones and my MP3 on..now this was pretty scary (I am not a mechanic and I have a long way to go). So i pull over and try to figure it out.


SO HERE IS WHERE THE CONTEST STARTS OK. The draw will be your choice - $50.00 at Dennis's shop or a GOT PINZ SHIRT OF YOUR CHOICE OK. SO WE WILL SEE HOW MUCH PINZ SAVVY YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE CAUSE I WAS LOST.. So put on your Sherlock Hemlock (tee hee) hats and here we go ....now you have to do this on your own. NO PHONING DENNIS OK. Anyone who figures out what it was by Friday afternoon will go into the draw and DENNIS can pick the winner
Just reply to this message and if you have the right answer YOUR IN.

Now before you start worrying - if you thought that far ahead I'm OK.

My Pinz: 75 710 K with approx 22,000 miles on her.

So I get out and I push down on the gas with my hand so I could watch the exhaust pipe. BLue smoke just pouring out and she's sputtering - great if you are setting up a smidge for mosquitos , but not very easy on my STOMACH .

CLUES: THIS IS ALL I TOLD DENNIS OVER THE PHONE OK..He will already win a prize, but this is for everyone else

So I pull off the cover to check the oil....I have put in Synthetic and with my lack of knowlege I was thinking I was out of oil or it was so thin it was by-passing the the rings and burning it.

I had the vent on the carbueator in the down position and it wasn't as cold as it had been

I pulled the dip stick and it was a frothy cream colour and I couldn't get a read on the oil level. It was covered all over. There was oil on top of the carbs and driipping.

Then I start to panic (normal I guess our mind takes over and we just lose it). I thought I blew a piston and was going to be stuck in the middle of the straightest road I have seen since Saskatewan in Canada. There if you run away from home they can see you for three days (IT"S THAT FLAT).

SO I ASK YOU...

Am I screwed and stuck in Kansas on the YELLOW BRICK ROAD waiting for the wicked witch of the west without the characters from the WIZARD OF OZ to give me a hand. SO I PHONED THE WIZARD - YES THE KING OF PINZ IN MY BOOK - DENNIS THE MENACE (just kidding but he is amazing) ??????? could you fix this yourself??????Do you have a blown motor????.

Mean while I have the State Troopers (2 total ) pulling over to see the Pinz and to see if I was ok (real nice guys loved the Pinz). I have stuff all over in the ditch...must have looked homeless...well I guess I was really.

FIGURE IT OUT and reply to this by friday afternoon to get in.

I will continue the trip info later..

P.S. And then my Mp3 player starts playing "somewhere over the rainbow" by Judy Garland - real wierd - I have 7500 songs on it and it plays this in Kansas..

Jer Bear - they apprentice mechanic or soon to be......

ICE in air filter or vent hose.

you filled it with diesel. SOrry dave my phone battery died. i will call win it is charged.

Jerbearyukon,

I'm only a Haf owner so I'm not savvy with Pinz's but at a guess I would have to say that the motor has a mechanical fuel pump that has blown the diaphram letting the oil get into the fuel system. It's either that or some apprentice mechanic has over filled the oil.

That's my 2 cents worth. It's not much. Hell, I haven't even got my Haf going yet.