A few years back I was digging out my lug-tired hillbilly-rigged 4WD Chevy pickup turned surf fishing access vehicle on a lonely Currituck beach when along came a beater 2WD 1964 Chevy Impala, racing down the beach. My fishing partner and I looked at one another, mumbling a WTF. On his return loop, the guy, a coppery-brown toe-head local, slowed to eye our axle-deep battle wagon. His advice: You need bald street tires and no more than 15 lbs of tire pressure, “gotta stay up on plane”. Then he disappeared in a shower of sand. He was wrong, by the time I got back to Bugtussle Gap I was in need of a clutch, and motor mounts too. Local knowledge.

Posted by Bubby on 6 June 02007 @ 9am

Waldo –

Whose bumper stickers are on the back of the Forester? If you have space I’ll give you one of mine (just to keep Toscano on his toes).

Posted by Bob Brink on 6 June 02007 @ 9am

You need bald street tires and no more than 15 lbs of tire pressure, “gotta stay up on plane”.

That’s a great story. :) While briefly stuck yesterday, we had three separate similar locals stop by and dispense similar advice. They were shocked at our 25psi tire pressure, advising no more than 15 (!). We took it down to 20 and called it a day.

Whose bumper stickers are on the back of the Forester? If you have space I’ll give you one of mine (just to keep Toscano on his toes).

:) I’m afraid it’s not my car. I have better sense than to take my old Volvo out on the beach, 15psi or otherwise.

Posted by Waldo Jaquith on 6 June 02007 @ 10am

You can see in the large version on Flickr that the bumper stickers are for Webb, Weed, and Webb.

Posted by KCinDC on 9 June 02007 @ 9pm

Warning: yes, really low tire pressure is indeed a requirement for driving in the sand. But the problem is that if you run at a nice soft pressure and apply some torque, there’s a good chance that you’ll drive off the bead.

That is: you’ll break the seal (maintained by your usual high pressure) between the edge of the tire and the flange of your wheel-rim.

This is not a fatal error. But it is immobilizing, and requires the services of a tire shop (not normally found on the beach) to rectify.

So be careful.

Posted by Hawkins Dale on 10 June 02007 @ 10pm

Cape Point Exxon in Buxton will fix you up.

Posted by Kagro X on 13 June 02007 @ 10am

I have no clue who u r.But 4 some reason I get every post that lands on the comments I posted on Hans mast site.I hate getting that crap and I’m too ignorant 2 get it 2 stop coming.I straight up luv ur post and hope 2 c more.I am sure Hans will continue 2 conjour up some more crap 2 try and cover his tracks.Keep it real

Posted by Brady on 14 June 02007 @ 10am