Roy G. Biv

Cars of Bozeman and Helena

It's not obvious from the picture, but this Fastback has amber-top taillights. I left my screwdriver at home instead of my morals, unfortunately.

An example of the Citroen 2CV, the second most-produced European automobile design of all time (after you-know-who).

This one's from the 1980s.

One of Montana's many Syncro Westies.

SoCal VWs: Last Set

Okay, unless we either find a bunch more photos (not likely) or take a trip to Southern California (even less likely; I mean, who would?), these are the last of our pictures of air-cooled Volkswagens from our time spent on the Left Coast.

This same Beetle has shown up on one of Big Blue's Driver's posts too. Small world.

And that's that. Good riddance, SoCal.

769

Free camping with Montana plates.

If Google maps can be trusted, Lost Creek State Park, nestled in lodgepole pine and quaking aspen between 2,000 foot canyon walls, is 12.4 miles from our house (6.01 miles as the crow flies).

Levitate Me

This has been sitting in our fridge for some time, held hostage by the promise I made to myself, that I wouldn't drink it until I could do so while camping in Ludwig.

We won't mention the across-the-way campers idiots who blared their radio into the small hours ("We'll turn it down" being their response when I trudged over at a little past 4am and asked them to turn it off), or Esmé's troubles sleeping downstairs by herself. Because the important part is, this was the first time we'd camped in Ludwig in 769 days, since July of 2009.

SoCal Bays

New Owners

Congratulations to our friends SW, JL, and A (A is E's BFF) for adding this sharp '89 Westy named "Trudelle" (sic?) to the household! Mitch looked it over and declared it rust-free. And then he got jealous at how easy it is to get at the alternator.

Vanagons of California's Central Coast

Tater Tot Behind the Lens

We let E take photos whenever she wants. These are some she took during our camping trip (!) to Lost Creek State Park on Labor Day weekend.

She keeps asking what's supposed to go there.

This one'll be entered in the 2012 GoWesty calendar contest, though beat up door+bay window bus=no chance of winning.

An ancient abandoned car in a brook.

Baby Steps to Butte

With some unsolicited cross-continental phone help from Colin (unsolicited, but much appreciated), I got Ludwig running last week. It was a wiring problem that felled him--putting Ludwig's refurbished old carbs back into the mix involved some new wiring, and I must not've done that great a job with my crimping and all.

A new set of wires, complete with connections soldered by yours truly, was installed last week and of course Ludwig hopped to life. One problem down...we're getting there.

So we took our most ambitious trip yet--a trek to Butte and back. We took up the challenge of finding a route that included no interstate driving (following Charles Kuralt's advice and getting off the interstate is easy enough for those of you living in densely settled or otherwise overrun states; in Montana, the interstate is often the only path from A to B) and succeeded. We therefore also succeeded in finding a way to make a 26 mile trip last an hour.

Burrowing under I-90

Rocker Montana

The Finlen Hotel, uptown Butte

We took the interstate back. Ludwig held his own over the steeper hills, even with his face to the wind. 

miles 223,585-223,639

Alive after Five

We entered Ludwig in Anaconda's last car show of the season downtown last week.

They have one every Friday during the Summer. Ludwig had to sit between a 1969 Plymouth Satellite...

...and this pair of GTOs.

The Satellite had the rare Mod Top option.

This unrestored Olds 88 comes every week and Tater Tot always says it's her favorite. 

This one is my favorite--the engine is at least at the proper end.

Art Deco

more Art Deco

Melissa gave tours to anyone who looked at Ludwig for more than two seconds.

He didn't win, but we got a lot of positive comments.