Ramshackle rally!!! Update.... car purchased. Help required.

[rumppole]

I'm going to the Munich Beer Festival. But not in the normal way.

My friend and I have just entered the Rambshackle Rally.

https://munich.ramshacklerally.com/welcome



A journey through Europe in an old car ending at Oktoberfest. I believe the journey is approximately 2000miles and lasts 5 days.
Most participants sleeping in their vehicles and/or at the roadside.

So our requirements are:-

1. An old car of a value no higher than £200 that will be reliable and comfortable, large enough to sleep in.

2. A theme. Something simple enough to apply to a car but still eye catching.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1T4BUllYxY&feature=player_embedded
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[N cee thirty]

looks awesome haha

i wanna goo
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[rumppole]

Oh yeah, one thing I didn't mention. Neither my mate or myself have any mechanical expertise at all....

Could make for a very short trip if the car isn't reliable.

At this time I have considered a 16 year old mini that the g/f has stored in the garage (work needed).

A small van of some description from autotrader etc, that would give sleeping space etc.

An old polo, fiesta or golf, staying away from injection models and electronic reliant vehicles.... something that can likely be fixed with a hammer, duct tape and tie wraps.

The theme. Well i'd love a star wars theme or similar.

https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4qb392Rno1qc339to1_500.jpg

or something like this

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lCRnsgTQgRo/Sezl9sDNNTI/AAAAAAAAA0E/H0lSjbfI7Qo/s400/funny-car-paint-job-automobile-illusion-naked-woman-on-side-door.jpg
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[yambabe]

Some friends of ours did the Mongol Rally in a ford fiesta a couple of years back - they were team Road Dwarf.

https://mongolrally08.theadventurists.com/roaddwarf

Some info there, and their blog (if it's still there, I've not checked the link) starts at the buying the car stage and runs all the way through the prep stages so might be interesting.
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[Robby]

Car Mechanics magazine has covered a couple of these kind of rallies. A few tips from what I've read:

1. Having no spannering experience will make it difficult, expect some kind of mechanical problems along the way. That said, you'll learn a lot about spannering while you prep the car.

2. The rules often allow a £200 purchase price, but you can spend a lot more prepping the car. The idea being that they don't want cars on the rally with unsafe tyres or brakes because of the low budget.

3. Big 90s saloons make good cars for the job, they're big, tough, comfortable, reliable and eat miles with ease. They're also cheap to buy, particularly if they have a low spec and smaller engine. Low spec and smaller engine are your friends here, less to go wrong, lower fuel burn, more space in the engine bay to fix it. Typical choices are old sierra, granads, omegas, merc 190 or E class (W124, boxy 80s-90s one), BMW 5 series, peugeot 405. Peugeot 309 can also be good choice, particularly with the non-turbo diesel engine. Very cheap, very tough, very ugly.

4. If you can find one for £200, an old Japanese saloon will do the job. Find one with rust that won't pass the next MOT.

5. Change all the fluids (engine and gearbox oil, coolant, brake fluid etc). Check for metal particles in the old oils to give an indication of whether something is about to die.

6. Fit new brakes, unless they are in really condition. The route often includes some mountainous parts, which will put strain on the engine on the way up (new coolant and flush helps a lot) and on the brakes on the way down (new pads, discs, shoes and fluid).

7. Check the oil and other fluids at every fuel stop. You don't know if the engine is any good, and 200+ miles at a time is going to show up any problems.

8. You may well get some sponsorship help, often in the form of free or discounted parts, so approach tyre and brake manufacturers, oil companies (Comma may well help), motor factors like euro car parts, and magazines like Car Mechanics or a specialist magazine for your chosen vehicle.

9. Allow some budget for hotels along the way. You may think about sleeping in the car now, but after spending all day nursing a knackered car along unfamiliar roads on the wrong side of the road, you'll want a real bed and a bar. A few guys sharing a cheap hotel room is about as cheap as camping, and you have a car park to spanner in.

10. Most important. If someone else has broken down, stop and help them out. They'll do the same when you break down an hour later.

Oh, and remember that you have to get the car home as well, so don't kill it on the way there.

[rumppole]

Thank you Robby. Very informative.

As I said I'm not mechanical minded at all. I'd like to think that the car we purchase and prep will make the trip. Afterall I don't want the adventure cutting short because of a major car purchasing 'faux pas'.

I'll enlist some help when it comes to looking for a car later this month.

As for company sponsorship. I wouldn't feel right asking. Not because I'm against it. Simply because this is not a charity event for my chum and I. It is simply an adventure holiday. As such I don't want somebaody else footing some of the holiday costs. It would be like asking BCF members to contribute to my holiday fund because I want a free holiday in SanFransisco. In short if I was obtaining sponsorship I'd go that route. As it is, this is just a jaunt and a laugh for my best mate and I.

So.... what kind of essentials will be needed?

Toolkit.
Water.
Rad weld.
Puncture repair kits.
Sleeping bags.
Water balloons/pistols.

What kind of food items though? Evening meals will be purchased after the check point is reached but what kinda stuff for the road?

Sat Nav or Maps?

Go for the win or take our time and document the trip on video?

Invite more party members? presently its just the two of us. is that enough to cover the daily mileage?

Finally. Are there any spray can graffitti artists among us who would like to practice on the car we purchase and in doing so resolve the decoration issue
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Sermo datur cunctis; animi sapientia paucis.

[Clanger]

I would go for a reliable Japanese estate, so you could fit the back end with essential sleeping equipment, mattress and stove and mini-fridge.

Yambabe beat me to comment about the Red Dwarf Micra that friends did the Mongolian rally in. It would be good to have something like that to follow again, so keep us informed if you do go for it.

[Robby]

I would certainly enlist at least one more person, so you can have one driving, one sleeping, one taking pictures and stuff.

Didn't look at the web page before posting, I thought it would be a charity run but instead its one with proper prizes. This means you have choice between spending more prepping the car to try and win, or spending less and taking it easy.

Essentials I would take:
Water - for you and for the car. A few gallons.
Oil - at least a gallon. If the car burns a bit, or leaks it through the rocker cover gasket, you'll get through a gallon.
Tyre inflator/compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket.
Decent spare tyre and a can of rad weld.
Tools. Plenty of tools.
Radweld or K-seal. If generally doesn't work, but could be worth a go.
Map of scrap yards along the route. Another reason for using a popular old european car is that you can get a rad, coolant bottle, washer bottle, wheel etc along the way if your one breaks.

If you PM me your address I'll dig out the issues of Car Mechanics with the rally reports and post them over FOC.

Stuff to eat on the road. Chocolate bars and such, energy drinks, cans of coke. Stuff that is bad for you. Make sure the car stereo works.

Another thought on the sponsorship/charity side. It's a jolly, but you could still do some kind of charity support. Can help with a theme - something covering the car in poppies for the poppy appeal and doing a justgiving page. Comma oils may still be interested, they support a lot of British teams doing this sort of thing, and may provide all of the assorted fluids. That's still an easy 50 quids worth of essentials.

Keep a diary to do a decent report afterwards with lots of photos, it would be good on here and some car mag might want to publish it.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Your own toilet paper. Can't rely on Johnny Foreigner to have the decent stuff.
Immodium. Can't rely on Johnny Foreigner to have clean water.
Bin liners. Can't rely on Johnny Foreigner to have service stations with loos for when the Immodium fails.



Yes, I'm still haunted by my French cycling trip
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[tatters]

Dont forget to carry a warning triangle/med kit/spare bulbs/fluorescent bib/fire extinguisher as most EU countrys have theses as a legal requirement.


I would also recommend getting a £40 jump starter pack incase the battery fails theses also have a built in air compressor and is charged off the 12v cig socket.


If it was me doing it l would get something like a old mercedes 190 or Citroën ZX, Peugeot 306/309 as theses are as common as muck on the content.
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[Im-a-Ridah]

[rumppole]

I have now purchased for the sum of £200 this....

https://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb70/rumppole/citreon.jpg

Citreon ZX 1.9 diesel estate.

120K miles. MOT till oct and tax till March 2012.

Brakes feel a little soft.

Pulls to 90mph on flat. Does between 70-80 uphill.

I think she may get us to Munich. (Fingers crossed).

Now the difficult bit. I need a team name and theme. The car has to be decorated and my friend and I kitted out in fancy dress.

The theme has to be eye catching, cost effective and fun.

Ideas are welcome. Bring it on!!!

Regards,

Rumps.
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Sermo datur cunctis; animi sapientia paucis.

[Shaft]

[Cigaro]

I'd say you'll have no problems getting both there and back again in that.

2000 miles really isn't that far for a modern-ish car.

[Nexus Icon]

Good choice. They run those until they literally fall apart on the continent so spares should be no problem at all.
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[pinkyfloyd]