Spotted!

[Jelle]

Hi Ralliers!

Last July I attempted to drive a 1976 Baja Beetle from London to Australia, sadly the old boy packed up in Kazakhstan, but while at YET ANOTHER mechanics somewhere in the middle of sodding nowhere Kaz I noticed this parked up:



Thought I'd stop by and say Hello!



http://www.rachiesbigadventure.com

[Major Bunker]

Ah, good old Arthur. We were near tears when we had to dump him. Don't suppose they mentioned whether they'd found a new home for his 10mpg V8 engine yet?

[Jelle]

Awwww I know that feeling, you go through so much together and leaving them in the hands of strangers, I cried when we left the Baja and the SJ back in 2007!

The guy didn't speak much Engrish so he didn't mention the engine, lets hope it went to a better place




Oh and 10mpg - ouch!!

[clemo]

of all the towns in all the world ,
we managed to break down in the same back yard!.

he was a handsome beast..
do you have any photos of yours?
it is soul destroying when the rusty stead lets go.

our adventure continued in taxi's and then on the mighty kazak railway. 3 days to almaty ..
all aboard..

is your car still there?
what let go?
do you want to re visit and fix it on the next rally on way down in july?

[Jelle]

I know, we couldn't believe it! I've been meaning to pop over here since I got back, glad I did now

The engine just wouldn't stop leaking oil, we even had the piston rings changed and it began pouring out of the lower pulley, we think the oil pressure relief valve had gone foobar, also the front suspension had just about collapsed - hard work to break a torsion bar, oops. The handbrake was only working on 1 side and some other bits and pieces.

We had to be at the China border in 3 days otherwise miss our tour that we'd paid a huge amount for, also with hindsight the Baja would never have been allowed into China in that state, they take it for an MOT type test, and defo wouldn't have been allowed into Oz.

I gave it to a young Kazakh lad who ended up being our fixer to get us on a fully-booked train after he came over to practice his English!
We got that sodding train to Almaty too!!!! My god I've never been so depressed, we didnt have any money, hardly any food and only 2 litres of Vodka! Noone spoke to us, we couldnt get off our bunks because it was so rammed, the toilet ugh, at least we could slag everyone else off out loud.


The kid lives in Aktobe, his Dad seemed pretty wealthy so I really hope he'll get it fixed.

I have had crazy thoughts about going to get him, but I'd rather have another crack at the trip in a few years driving something a bit less broken


I've booked a place on the Scally Mille Miglia this June, taking something 80's retro I hope


What's your next plan??

[Jelle]

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/284655857

Whole album if you wanted a rummage

[Major Bunker]

We had a bit of a different train experience - we spent an extra £15 or something to get the special carriages where two of you get the same space they squeeze 8 into in the cheap seats! Cheating, I know...

We had the "splash and dash" station stops down to a fine art. Pull up at station, one of you runs to the man with the kiosk and a fridge to get all his baltika, the other runs to the kebab vendors and buys all the available lamb. And then we made a mess in the toilets the next morning...

A lot of people of Tashkent 2009 are off to Norway next year, see www.northernlightsrally.com.

[carlosgil23]

I understend of your words (Major Bunker) That is not a thing of one year, you like this of banger rally, you like the fact of being with nowere to sleep, nowhere to eat... It's something unknown in Spain. I like, but it's unknown...

[Jelle]

Ugh the train was $50 each for a bunk or $100 each for a cabin, I wanted a cabin but Tom wouldn't let me spunk so much money

These trips are addictive, I can't stop looking at Hiace, VW, Landies etc etc work bores me to tears some days....

Roll on June!