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UPDATE 07/09/06
Hello All,
Taking a look at peoples photos brought the whole saga back to me, so I thought for those of you who'd heard about our troubles via the forum (or anyone else interested!) I'd explain what happened to Team 43.
A while back, after failing its MOT on a spot of rust on the sub frame, we sent our Rover 216 GSi to a mate who before gaining his degree in mechanical engineering and designing load carying structures all day for Land Rover used to work as a fabricator for a race team. He welded it up with 3mm thick steel plate substantially stronger than the original. Sadly, the spanner monkey at the local garage didn't agree and it failed again on the same point. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem, but this was bank holiday weekend a few days before the rally and we couldn't find anywhere else to do us an MOT before Friday ('day one').
A quick scan of the local paper revealed 3 possible cars - an Audi 80 in need of a new wheel bearing, a Volvo 960 turbo the size of Norway and somewhat over budget and a 1988 BMW 320. We took a look at the BMW and concluded all it needed was a new slave cylinder on the rear right wheel and eventually haggled the guy down from £150 to £95. Feeling quite smug about this we purred off down the road and got the car back to my dad's workshop. On inspection the hydraulic pipes going to the rear brakes were quite suspect, so we spent the next day re-plumbing those as well as fitting new cylinders and shoes to the two rear wheels. We finished just before midnight the car for a short test drive round the lanes and came back grinning manicly - the beemer was happily demonstrating its rear wheel drive credentials!
The following morning (Thursday) I set off along the A303 to rendezvous with my team mate at Chelmsford then head on to Calais. Along the first part of the trip the car was impressing me. It was still pulling strong at an indicated 100mph and the recent dampers and goodyear eagles the previous owner had fitted were providing ammusement on the roundabouts. By 10am I was joining the M3. By 11 it was the M25 and still all was going well. With the traffic in our favour it wasn't long before we cleared the Dartford tunnel and I was looking forward to showing off my purchase to the rest of the team. I'd ceased watching the temperature gauge a few miles back after it had stayed rock steady through all its abuse and the car appeared to be going fine. Fate however decided to intervene and I thought I could feel the power output deteriorating. Deciding 1,500rpm in top wasn't really a fair judge of this I went to change down to fourth, at which point the engine misfired for a few seconds then cut in a cloud of steam. Luckily I had enough speed and no one around me, so I could coast on to the hard shoulder.
My assumption was (and is) that the head gasket had gone. I called the AA out - only after a brief debate with the direct line call center woman who insisted I could only use europe-wide breakdown cover "in europe" and apparently Essex didn't qualify. The guy listened to my description and also decided it was head gasket failure so decided to tow the car without any investigation of his own.
So, it seemed the BMW was no more. I spoke to Justin, the rally orgainser who was excellent gave me a very good rallying speech. Inspired by this I tried to persuade my team mate to have a crack at hitch hiking it or even to take one of our cars. Sadly I got back to find my housemate had gone away blocking my daily driver in on the drive, we finally had to admit defeat.
I feel bad for our sponsors, not to mention a little sore about my own personal expenditure on two cars, countless repairs and four nights of hotels. To have faltered before we even got to the start is offset only by the feeling that we'd done as much as we could in spite of bad luck and (arguably) a few bad decisions. Despite this, most of our sponsors have still gone ahead with their donations and we have raised £240 for MacMillan Cancer Relief.
Our deepest thanks to the sponsors and our thanks and our sympathies to Justin and the other organisers. We had great fun in the lead up to the event and my resolve to come back next year has only been strengthened.
We will be back :)
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Original page follows:
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Thank you for visiting TMC's fundraising page!
Our aim is to complete the 2006 Czech Wrecks Rally. The event takes place in 6 countries over four days including some of europes most gruelling mountain passes. The major catch is that all entrants must purchase their cars for under £100. We started off with a £75 Rover 216 GSi, but after repeated 'MOT issues' we had to make a last minute substitution. And what a substitute! Our new steed is a 1988 BMW 302i SE. Bought for the princely sum of £95, it comes with a 2.0 litre 129bhp straight six and rear wheel drive ('Evo' pictures of alpine passes to follow!)
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Many thanks for your support.
