Mongol Rally

[Satch]

No1 son and his mate are making plans to enter the 2008 Mongol Rally.

Now the default vehicle has to be under 1000cc and one "that is generally considered to be crap."

However, what has caught their idiotic little eyes is an exception to this rule:

Vehicles of significant comedy value

"In a further bid to up the silly stakes we will consider full exemption from the vehicle rules for demonstrating significant comedy or unlikeliness value. Good examples would be a cherry picker or an electric milk float."

Ice Cream vans have been done to death and an planning to use an electric milk float might suffer from one or two critical logistical flaws.

Any suggestions, welcome. (Ex military vehicles are out as it is generally considered unwise to cross into Eastern Europe in say an APC or AFV even if the things that go bang are deactivated)

http://mongolrally.theadventurists.com/

 

[Howard]

I know it's not quite what you are after Satch , but a pal and i were going to enter this a couple of years back ....

The list of cars we came up with was ...

Mk1 Golf 1.1 (pay a penalty for the extra 100cc , but so easy to work on , find bits for and gets bits made for if all else fails ...

Fiat Panda Sisley 4x4 ( possible problems with 4x4 system made us put this to the bottom of the list )

The front runner was ...

A Bedford Rascal / Suzuki HiJet thing ....

Parts are readily available in the eastern bloc / far east
You can sleep in it if you need to
You can keep a complete set of spare wheels x4 in the back as well (maybe an engine too!!)
If you need to work on it you can just push it onto its side to get underneath it
It's under 1000cc
It can take a roof rack
Reasonably comfortable

Buy a cheap set of tools though , as you have to leave everything out there , that's the deal they have with Mongolia that avoids the car import tax laws i think ... you have to make a gift of your vehicle to the local population ....

Looks a great laugh though ....

A couple of years back , there was a pair who did it , and enjoyed it so much , they bought a car in Mongolia ( after they had given theirs away ) and drove it BACK to the UK !!!

 

[Ian_C]

I would use a daihatsu charade gtti (Thats really what it's called).

3 Cylinders, 993cc and 100bhp

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review35829.html

They are bound to be under a grand

IMHO

Ian

 

[BlackC55]

I would use a daihatsu charade gtti (Thats really what it's called).

3 Cylinders, 993cc and 100bhp

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review35829.html

They are bound to be under a grand

IMHO

Ian

Try finding one!

 

[Howard]

Good plan Ian ...... but ...

I don't think there are that many around , anything in that state of tune , if something goes wrong , you will have to bin the car ....

It's turbo'd IIRC , just more stuff to go wrong ....

It's not a speed race , and a lot of it is on grass and gravel roads , i have seen a photo from a couple of years back of a red fiesta , with white stripes ( a la Starsky and Hutch ) with all four wheels off the ground as it exits a grass ditch ....

At least with a Rascal you could paint it up like the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo , or the A team van ( prob. been done though ) ...

EDIT :- Oliver beat me to it ....

 

[BlackC55]

What abot a VW Caddy 1.6 diesel. You can have mine for under a grand. It goes like its under 1000cc petrol.

MEGA relaible. Uses diesel (can be got everywhere) Very good on fuel.

 

[Howard]

Theres a penalty to be paid for every cc over 1000 ....

IIRC it's about a ton per 100 cc .....

Stop trying to offload that old heap on the good people of Mongolia !!

 

[BlackC55]

Theres a penalty to be paid for every cc over 1000 ....

IIRC it's about a ton per 100 cc .....

Stop trying to offload that old heap on the good people of Mongolia !!

She is beautiful.

 

[Howard]

HaHAHAAHAHhaHAHahHAHAhAHahhahHHAHAHAHAHAH !!!!

EDIT :- In actual fact , a set of the BBS cross spokes ( from MkII Golf ) on that with a bit of a suspension drop and that would look the business ...

 

[BlackC55]

I changed the oil yesterday and she is getting a new rack and cv boot tomorrow.

Its my daily driver and has never missed a beat. I am taking it to the British GP next week.

 

[Howard]

It needs 'pimping' ...

That could be such an old skool classic ....

GTi 16v engine in there , get a modded Clipper kit for it etc etc ....

 

[BlackC55]

Probably going the VR6 route. Maybe a TDi?

It will get done as soon as I get another car. (C43 I hope)