22 Years of Memories

Discussion in 'Show Us Your Ride' started by Devon233, Jul 7, 2020.

  1. Hi guys, following on from my intro thread (https://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/new-to-the-forum-22-years-with-my-bay.88836/) I thought it might be fun (for me at least) to throw together a few images from my archives highlighting some of the adventures I've shared over the past 22 years with my faithful old Devon Caravette.

    Mostly not in any particular order, I may add more photos as and when I find them.

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    Somewhere in the Spanish Pyrenees, heading west from the Costa Brava, 1999

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    Great St Bernard Pass on a wet and miserable day in 2004

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    Crossing into France from Andorra through the Pas de la Casa, 2001

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    Camping for the Chateau-d'Oex VW festival, Switzerland 2004

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    Wild camping on remote island of Eday, Orkney, 2006

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    A forgotten location in central northern Spain, 2003

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    Orkney mainland, 2005

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    Room with a view, Orkney mainland, 2005

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    Awakened after 8 years of slumber, 2019

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    1st time on a recovery truck in 22 years, coming home at last, 2019


     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2020
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  2. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    brilliant history, nice to see!

    Happy days :)
     
    Devon233 likes this.
  3. Little Nellie

    Little Nellie Supporter

    Great pictures, some miles covered there!
     
    Devon233 likes this.
  4. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    definitely so. Its nice to see too!
     
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  5. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

    Excellent adventures - your bus deserves to live again and continue them :)
     
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  6. vinnyboy

    vinnyboy Supporter

    Great to see a bus being used as it should. Nice pics.
     
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  7. Great pics, as said, that Bus deserves to live again :)
     
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  8. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    Fab photos :) Go bus!
     
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  9. ginger ninja

    ginger ninja Supporter

    Fantastic. Love those photos. I have one in the same location on Col de St Bernard coming up from val disere round about the same era. I’ll see if I can fish it out.
     
    Devon233 likes this.
  10. Wow. Wonderful! I'm feeling the need for a serious road trip now... :hattip:
     
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  11. Hi guys, following on from @Soggz recent thread here https://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/1600-twin-port-speeds.89303/ where we talk about stock 1600 speeds, hill climbing ability etc, well I just found some old digitised 8mm video of our 2nd time over the Gotthard in 2002 and uploaded to youtube. I was running a Bugpack twin 'quietpack' back then, headphones recommended to fully appreciate the aircooled symphony! Sorry quality isn't great but this was filmed with pre-digital technology...
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2020
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  12. Sorry, I've rejigged the audio since yesterday's upload as it was only coming through on one channel and sounded utter pants! All sorted now. Actually can't believe how good the old girl sounded back then with that cheap quietpack exhaust (compared to the stainless stock style I have now) and whine free gearbox :eek:.

    I should also mention that if trains aren't your thing, best to skip the first 30 seconds of the above video :thumbsup:.
     
  13. Thanks for posting this
    The pictures and video are excellent,
    I wish I’d documented more of mine When I had it :thumbsup:
     
    Devon233 likes this.
  14. 2nd try, hopefully Imgur is playing ball today!

    I recently rediscovered an old photo album (old school, prints) with some snaps I'd taken when I undertook a bit of remedial welding work soon after I acquired the van back in 1998. I've been wanting to get these scanned and digitized for years and finally today, with a bit of spare time got around to it.

    I'd bought the van off my younger brother in the spring of 98 knowing it needed work (engine and welding) and initially concentrated on getting a running motor ready for our first European trip in September of that year - the one where we took in VW Euro, Oktoberfest, Italian Lakes, Swiss Alps... When we returned from our trip it was time for an MoT, this was when we first realized she wasn't quite as solid as we'd hoped!

    At this stage I was really quite a novice with the welder, my only experience having come from patching up our decrepit daily driver bangers and from watching a good friend of mine tackling the heater channels and floorpans on his old bug. Back then I had no internet and availability of repair panels was a little more patchy (no pun) than it is today. So during the autumn and winter of 98, going into 99 I set about doing my best to keep the bus on the road. I was unemployed at the time and money was tight, I was learning as I went and making do with what little I had and could afford. Working outside on my parents drive during those cold winter months wasn't easy but I guess I can't have done too bad a job as she's still with me all these years later, as good underneath now as she was when I'd finished early 1999. I think definitely a case of a stitch in time....

    So please excuse the picture quality, these were all just hastily snapped with a cheapish digital camera of the day from which I'd had prints made up but the original files were long since lost.
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    Last edited: Jun 21, 2021
    Lasty likes this.
  15. Found some more previously lost video footage which was ripped from an old Hi8 cassette recording from 2002. The clip begins with us disembarking the Lötschberg Tunnel transport train heading south and picks up again after Brig where we hit part of the old Simplon Pass pushing on to the Italian Lakes. All very amateur and low definition I'm afraid and probably quite boring but someone might get something from it?

     

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