Now, this is the story starting in 1975, when the car was sold to me by some hippies in San Francisco and partially restored in Walnut Creek, CA.
The first grand tour commenced in June, 1974. and ended in October. 1974. It started from Walnut Creek to Montreal, Canada, via Vancouver, B.C., using the Trans Canada Highway. Then by ship to Southampton, England, driving around England and Wales, then by ferry to Dunkerque, France. Then through France, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria, and Yugoslavia. The tour continued on from Trieste to Barcelona via Monte Carlo, along the Costa Brava, then North to Madrid and from there back to Southampton via the Santander ferry.
From Southampton, the car was embarked for Montreal and subsequently driven to Miami to rest up for a year while the owner was working in Ecuador.
The second grand tour commenced December 1975 and ended April 1976 when the car was driven to Panama via Houston, Brownsville, México, Guatemala, El Salvador. Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. From Panama the car was put on a ship to Puerto Buenaventura, Colombia, and on to Quito, Ecuador via Bogota. The return trip to Miami was made via the Venezuelan port of La Guaira.
The tours were filled with incidents. Some strange. Many documents had to be obtained. Many tips, large and small, to be paid before the car would be released from certain areas.
All in all it was remarkable that we and the car arrived back in one piece (or at all!) We flew from Panama to Bogota and took a bus to Puerta Buenaventura. When we arrived at the loading dock where the car was impounded, a guide was waiting. We had been told before we left that hiring a guide was the only way to go. As we left the dock with the guide, we noticed a motor home with a very dejected man sitting close by.
The guide explained, “My charge is thirty dollars. Meet me tomorrow at nine and we shall do the rounds”
Accordingly, we met him at the appointed hour and place and he said, “First we go to the bank and get 10, ten colon notes, 5, fifty colon notes. Then we go to the stationers to get the official forms to release your car. Finally we go to the various offices to get the stamps and signatures.”
At the customs office a fellow was lounging in the doorway. He got a ten colon note and disappeared. In the outer office a minor official received our papers and a fifty colon note. A smile and three stamp thumps later he escorted us into the office of his boss. This gentleman was seated motionless at his desk with a desk drawer open. Our guide allowed a five-hundred colon note to waft down into the drawer. At this the boss became alive. The door was shut and down came a number of stamps on the papers accompanied by an ornate signature.
So much for that. We left and went to our next stop, the Vehicles Office, where the last procedure was repeated. And finally to the police dept where the last of the “mordidas” were dispensed. We were free to leave.
At the dock we paid off the guide and started the car. The fellow with the mobile home came over. “How did you get away” he said. “I’ve been here three weeks and no one would help me”. I told him. “Get yourself a guide and be prepared to pay up for the papers and the permits along with the mordidas to the officials who stamp the papers”. He got the message!
