Oh my god!!!!If you want a holiday with a difference, youve gotta do a banger rally across europe!! What an experience! I recommend you do it, you wont believe the stories, most of them you had to be there to be believed.
Basically most of you will know the story that we bought a V6 mondeo for 100 quid to take across seven e.u countries and hopefully get back again. Well this is the beast we bought
Well the event called 'czechwrecks' started in calais and finished in prague. Total trip 1500 miles, including stelvio and simplon pass (no pics of these im afraid, will try and get some) Here area few pics of some of the competitors
This guy was awesome, chopped a 2cv lengthways, made it into a 1 seater and a 3 wheeler, fitted a slightly bigger engine and came on the trip! Anyone see the spyker thing on top gear, when it used to lean into corners, this was a cheaper version of it!
A few more of the competitors, including us on the first morning. About 60 teams set off.
The first day was no trouble for us but some teams, i wish i could say the same, one vauxhall senator melted their ignition switch due to boiling a kettle in the back seat
A belgian BMW 5 series ended up cracking their radiator, more on those later One volvo estate set on fire Anyway everyone was going well and we reached annecy which is in france, near the italian border. A long day 600+ miles but all teams just about going.
Day two began our first casualty, a ford granada painted up like thunderbird 2 had to retire due to immobiliser issues. They scrapped the car at the hotel and managed to get a lift the rest of the way with another team.
The route was a dash to Bormio in Italy including Simplon pass. The V6 handled the pass no probs, although a lot of cars had to stop along the way due to overheating, braking and coolant issues. One Mercs raditor completely died.
On the way down the pass, the problems began. A battery light came on breifly before going off, a quick diagnostic at the side of the road between us and 4 other teams assumed it was sensor related, so on we went.
As the route through Italy was mainly straight road, the battery light came on for longer, and culminated in being on permanatly. Things were looking bleak. As we entered bormio the electrics went haywire and we just about made it into the hotle carpark. An inspection by many other teams revealed bad news. The alternator had had it.
It looked like we were the next casualty, but the only way we were going to get to the end, was to find a team willing to charge a battery and keep swapping over till the end of the trip. This also meant no lights, radios, nothing. One team came forward with an offer so spirits were raised.
Day 3 began and the dreaded Simplon Pass, but a slight distraction was a parade of all the cars through the town of Bormio. Hundreds turned out to see 58 100 quid bangers drive through their town, again no pictures but will nick some from someone elses photobucket who took part. A bit of friendly contact went on between the teams, at least everyone got rammed by a fellow team
Simplon Pass began and the only way we would survive was to rag it up. Which we did. We were one of the first to get up there and waited for our battery swap. The 2CV suffered overheating problems, but countered this by removing his bonnet to get more cooling in there, his bonnet was strapped to his roof
The old 5 series with the cracked radiator made it up as well, thanks to a bodge of 4 g-clamps, foil and duct tape
Even the Volvo on fire on the first night was there!
On the way down 'courtsters' team had an accident with an italian biker which completely messed their front wheel up, but a qucik change and they were off again.
The run to salzburg in austria was painfully trouble free aside from the battery problem. because we had basic electrics we resorted to using hand signals to indicate the direction we was wanting to go
Day 4 began for the run to prague, it was an open route, so no directions, just a mad dash. We decided to go the autobahn route :devil: winding her up to 120mph before it began to snake a bit too much for our liking. The senator we were changing batteries with was still pulling at 145mph before that had to slow down.
Sadly for some teams this was the end, including the organisers. about 10 teams were refused entry into the Czech republic due to the condition of the cars, and incorrect documents. Some were scrapped at this point, others left theirs at the border and picked them up on the way back as the organiser who got refused entry hired a minibus to take them all the rest of the way :slayer:
Prague was a nightmare, it is twice as big as london and twice as less signage! with a dead battery and getting lost the V6 was dying! It was 6pm, been on the road for 10 hrs, we were tired, stressed but the bloody thing had made it! :worship: Driving through town, we had lost our senator with the battery so it was now or never for us. We saw a CRX person and pulled up to talk to ask where we were going, the car then died!
However this isnt the end of the story. It turned out we had died outside the restaurant where we were all meeting for the evening
Pickup to take the scrappers was arranged due to the cover we had. When the truck arrived it blocked the street, causing a mass of people to flock to the area.
A bit of a frenzy occured as 100+ people and a lot of CRX people came outside to see this car get towed off the streets, a lot of laughing, cheering and photos were taken. Its parting shot was to hit a brand new volvo estate denting its front wing. It was craned off the streets and driven away. It costs 45 quid to get it scrapped, but in my eyes, it couldnt have been scrapped in any better way.
Thats not the end either. Awards were presented, we didnt win the event, but we did manage to win 'The biggest pile of crap to enter the rally' award :worship: and received a trophy!
Again thats not the end! a photographer and a czech bloke were talking to us and asked us questions while we were waiting for it to be towed, a couple of pics were taken and the next day we ended up being front page of a czech newspaper!!
Im the one crouching if you dont know who i am
OLD CAR GETS TO PRAGUE is the headline
A spread inside as well basically saying what ive written above, but scaled down.
A few days was had by us in Prague, all that happened there was beer, footlongs and stippers, but thats a whole different story
So all in all i think its been an amazing experience, i recommend anyone to do it. I have so many more little stories and things that went on that you wouldnt believe and think 'as if'
I think youll agree as well the old estate got the best send off it could have possibly been given! M235 WEO i salute you! :worship:
500 pounds raised for diabetes UK as well! Ill be back next year! :worship:
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