lolcats

Phoebe has a date with the Man from the Ministry

So, just how much car do you get for a hundred nicker these days then?

Our first impressions were mixed, she looked ok if a little grubby, not too much body rust, quite a few scratches and knocks maybe, but no major dents. The interior is dirty with empty drinks cans and fag ends under the seats, but all the trim is complete. Central locking is u/s and the driver’s door won’t open, so getting to the driver’s seat consists of either a contorted slide across the centre console, or a “Dukes of Hazard” stylie through the open window.

Despite at least a month of standing idle she starts on first turn of the key, so we gleefully pop the bonnet to take a look. After a few minutes tick-over is smooth, there’s no smoke and no major knocks or vibrations. The engine bay is reasonably tidy and all the bits seem to be there. Although there are a few 12v wires that have been cut, which is worrying, and the radiator header tank cap has been replaced with what on closer inspection turns out to be half a tennis ball held in place by a plastic oil bottle cap that jams against the underside of the bonnet when it’s shut. Hmm.

Bidding our farewells to the Valleys we head back down to the M4. After a quick pit stop to check that nothing has fallen off, to put in a bit of fuel, check the oil and give Andrew some first impressions, we head out of Wales. She accelerates well, the clutch and gears are smooth and she handles well through corners. Later reports from the “pursuit car” behind state that the handling and road attitude looked fine through corners and that there was no smoke, even on heavy acceleration. There are no major vibrations, wobbles or slop in the steering and she both pulls and brakes in a straight line. She hits 70 at a respectable pace and then it’s a nice comfortable cruise to the yard in Melksham.

Unless there are some major hidden nasties waiting for us in the engine or drivetrain, it would appear that we seem to have got ourselves something of a bargain! :-)

 

With the expert skills and assistance of the Team Desert Rats Support Group (Peter, Mark and Craig – thanks guys, we owe you) the overhaul has included a new rocker cover gasket to cure a major oil leak, a new water pump (the old one was held on with a Ziploc cable tie and some old garden fence wire), half the exhaust system, brake disks, pads, shoes, oil flush/change, the fitting of a CD radio so that we can chill to some chunes and lastly a few bits and pieces required to “decontinentalise” Phoebe so that she will get through the UK MOT. Which on the second attempt, she does.

(We discovered that the service offered by some home engine-tuning companies these days is rubbish.)
  

A big shout goes to Garage on The Hill in Melksham for a very generous 50% reduction for the MOT and the corrective work and Melksham Tyre Supplies for donating 4 new Cooper Tires.

Andrew now has a few ideas as to what our colour scheme should look like…

Launch Party - July 2010

The Launch Party is the annual kick-off for Julians' various challenges, organised by the man himself (at left) and set in a secret location on a remote hillside in darkest Devon - a two-day gathering where past challengers gather to swap stories, meet up with old friends and scare the newbies witless with wild and outlandish tales from the Dark Continent - and where it starts to dawn on us newbies just what it is that we've got ourselves into...
 
Some of the "old hands" are on their second or even third challenges and there are also splinter factions who have now spin-off their own challenges. It would appear that wherever you might feel like driving an old banger to, be it Africa, the Artic Circle, Transylvania or ex-Soviet Republics, there is a group that will cater for you.
 
Everybody receives their welcome pack and the various challenges break off into groups for briefings, Q&A sessions, do's & dont's and everybody begins sizing up the other people that we're going to be spending 3 weeks and nearly 4,000 miles in the company of. With the serious stuff out of the way, the party begins...