Category: Peking to Paris

Preparation is well under way for the car in readiness for shipping out on the 1st April.

Whilst all of the moving parts of the car have been either reconditioned, replaced, modified or rechecked for reliability, it’s an exhausting task to get this lady back into a shape that doesn’t visually differ much from when work began a year ago.

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Every nut and bolt, brake and fuel line, electrical wire or electronic part has been checked, checked and double checked.

The motor has been in and out half a dozen times already as has the suspension and differential and gearbox. Shock absorbers have been replaced three times and brake linings and fluid lines renewed and tested and checked.

It’s intensive to the extent that the body has exhausted. Steve is stuffed.

Late last week he informed that the motor has to come out again!

It’s back in now and ready to go.

The final touches of painting some of the bodywork and procuring the 9 ply tyres is complete.

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She looks great! 

As the navigator I have had to leave Steve to all of this task. He knows what to do in putting everything in place.

There was little time to carry out a trial run other than to travel to a 2013 Kiwi contingent P to P reunion held in  Okoroire some 50 kms from the Mt, organised by Alan Day and attended by Bruce Washington, Jock Burridge, Roger Anderson, Steve Partridge and their respective partners.

The car performed well and only a few tweaks needed to iron out some issues.

Compiling and stowing the spares in the boot, so that  they were easy to find and ready to use if needed. Final touches to ready for shipping on the first of April.

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Steve drove the car up to Auckland the day before and endured considerable rainfall, timely to test the new laminated tinted windscreen that we procured on India last year for $20!!!!

A good test to as a couple of leaks became apparent, and duly made good before boxing the car up.

Placing and fastening a small timber block of wood under the accelerator pedal, to prevent whoever from revving the sh.. t out of her when unloading the car in China. Just a little trick Steve learned from experience.

Now…. back in the workshop at the Mt and pressure is definitely off.

In the place of where Denise took pride of place is a dismantled Curtis KROFT  circuit race car.

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What a machine!!!!!

This will keep Steve from boredom before we leave to China for the 2019 Peking to Paris rally.

As before we will post a daily report once the rally gets underway graveltravel.nz

We have installed a “ yellow tracker” device in the car (compulsory) so Interested “Denise” watchers can also follow exactly where we are at any time during the rally as we progress through out the event. The site is www.endurorally.com where you will find  tracking page.

Cheers,

Stephen and Corgi

Stephen and I decided to retrace some of the tracks we covered on the 2013 P to P rally, but this time the route takes us to the northern regions of Russia and to St Petersburg and into Estonia, then through Poland and ending up back in Paris France.

Denise had a very hard though interesting drive in India and Nepal. Covering just 4447kms it’s the hardest rally that we’ve undertaken.  Both on the car and on our bodies.

Denise is back in the workshop in Mt Maunganui undergoing a complete running gear surveillance. Under Stephens strict supervision all the parts that can be inspected will be either replaced or upgraded. The motor is out, the steering box and differential are at the “doctors”.

Everything will be inspected for wear and tear and if necessary crack tested and realigned and  refitted.

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Stephen has this very strong aversion to having to repair anything at anytime during these trips into the northern wilderness.

Spares are (with previous experiences) now at a minimum. Likely to be less than half the weight carried with the 2013 P to P rally.

This is important from a power to weight factor and fuel consumption.

We will fit new 9 ply tyres as these were worn out on the short Himilayan Challenge. (These tires endured the entire 2013, 12000kms P to P) Bearings, brakes, springs and shocks are all in the firing line for a tune-up.

The car will need to be ready for shipping around end of March so the pressure is on to have Denise ready before that time.

This rally is one for thirty five days and has 120 team cars.

Pioneer and vintage cars up to year 1931, Vintageant  cars 1932-1947.

Classic cars1947-1975 up to 2 litres, our class, and classic cars of the same era over 2 litres.

Quite a line up and many that have previously rallied Peking to Paris.

Some really great people that will be good to catch up with once more.

This rally begins in Beijing, CHINA on the 2nd of June.

Heading north to MONGOLIA where we will camp out for 4 nights. Then into RUSSIA camping 2 more nights. 5 nights in Russia and 4nights in KAZAKHSTAN.

Then back into Russia for another 8 days.

1 day in FINLAND, ESTONIA, LATVIA the 3 days in POLAND.

Then end is then in sight as we travel through GERMANY, BELGIUM and then into Paris FRANCE to the finish.

The total distance is not yet confirmed but will be in the order of 13,000km.

Because of our previous experience rallying this region of the world we know that the days will be long and hard over rough country terrain without roads, especially through the Gobi desert in Mongolia.

That’s the fun and interesting part as it’s rough, barren and hot. Cold, freezing nights sleeping on the desert floor.

The most important factors that we have always adhered to is car dependability.

We know that there is nothing worse than to repair a problem at the roadside in the dark, cold or whilst it’s raining. Nor at any other time.

There will be the necessary maintenance of wheel bearings, shocks, rubbers etc.

We found in the past that it’s not just speed, as we haven’t got all that much, but steady as she goes.

Stephen has gone to incredible lengths to ensure reliability. He checks, checks and double checks everything!

We will carry sufficient replacement parts/spares that we have found are unavailable in these countries.

Planning the visas, foreign drivers licences, insurance and shipping is all underway.

We will undergo medical checkups and have booster injections against the various diseases and infections. Flights to and from the start and home again are being planned after the visas are obtained.

Lots to do still.

A test run in NZ will also be undertaken, just in case………?

As in the past we will keep this, graveltravel.nz up and report on progress as it happens between now and the start date. Then there will be a full daily update of our progress during the rally.

Thanks to all of you who have followed our exploits and sent words of encouragement. We can’t always respond so a thank you now we hope will suffice.