'Charlie is my darling'.
Having started day 2 as a mere husk of a Model A (see previous pic) car #7, quite astonishingly, managed to complete all 527 kms to Curitiba under its own steam,
Ace mechanic Charlie managed to do something very clever to our radiator and, the crack mechanical team of Adrian, David and Richard had changed the head gasket and put the whole thing back to together again, enabling us to leave, at 1030. Of course it was still 'scorchio' and working so hard in a car park without any shade after very little sleep was punishing. My role was to keep the chaps constantly supplied with cooling drinks and plenty of food. A bit like home really.
We were not the only crew to have had a dreadful first day. Lloyd and Treacy limped in at 2230 having had endless overheating problems, a door they had to hold on with a bungee, a falling tree that narrowly missed them and water in the ignition after a short, sudden downpour. They were having to take their car to São Paulo to try to get it fixed as was Mark in his Jaguar which arrived on a trailer in the dead of night. The Jag barely made it off the start line, sadly. Jorge is having electrical problems and David and Karen's Itala was being stripped down to its nothings next to us into the small hours. Karen was my companion in the catering department.
The Itala set off this morning only to return after 10 minutes as David wasn't happy with it and so, as we left, David was in the long process of having to take it all apart again. As I write they are still not in but I'm sure they will make it although it will have been a very long day for them.
After leaving this morning the first thing we did was a very steep climb and I thought I could smell burning. Sure enough the fan belt was shredding and so Adrian replaced it. We bashed on through the gorgeous costal scenery with lush, mountain forest and fabulous vistas. The whole of Brazil seemed to be on the beaches. Still those f***ing speed bumps though.
We started a long , long climb and the scenery changed with the altitude. We passed endless banana plantations and fabulously colourful trees. It was all the greenest green that you can imagine; quite lovely. Car #7 was running beautifully until, after about 350 kms, we started to get hot,the car that is, we'd been boiling all day. Adrian discovered that we had lost lots of coolant but with no obvious sign of any leak it was hard to diagnose. He put half a gallon of water in and off we set with not a little anxiety.
Then we had a puncture which was a nuisance but soon rectified and, not too much further on, we came across a place to get the tube replaced. Although the loss of coolant was obviously an issue, the car was running very well really. It was sailing up the hills past the trucks and cruising at 90-95kms.
The rain started about 100kms from the hotel, and what rain it was. A typical tropical storm dramatic and very, very heavy. It was still pouring when we reached Curitiba in the dark. Heavy rain and darkness is an unpleasant combination for an 83 year old car. But we made it!
We had lost yet more coolant by the time we got in, still with no obvious sign of any leak. Adrian is fearful that the block may be cracked although we did have a new one fitted after P2P. If that is the case, our problems are terminal. The plan is to add radweld in the morning and to see how we go. It is a very long section of over 700 kms. and how we run will be the deciding factor on whether we have to have the car shipped home and look at other options for completing the rally.
Adrian has an eye infection which Chris, one of our Doctors (they're both called Chris) is treating.
The Rally rollercoaster has well and truly begun.
I discovered one surly Brazilian today in this land of easy going, lovely smiling people. Maybe he was from Columbia.
Ace mechanic Charlie managed to do something very clever to our radiator and, the crack mechanical team of Adrian, David and Richard had changed the head gasket and put the whole thing back to together again, enabling us to leave, at 1030. Of course it was still 'scorchio' and working so hard in a car park without any shade after very little sleep was punishing. My role was to keep the chaps constantly supplied with cooling drinks and plenty of food. A bit like home really.
We were not the only crew to have had a dreadful first day. Lloyd and Treacy limped in at 2230 having had endless overheating problems, a door they had to hold on with a bungee, a falling tree that narrowly missed them and water in the ignition after a short, sudden downpour. They were having to take their car to São Paulo to try to get it fixed as was Mark in his Jaguar which arrived on a trailer in the dead of night. The Jag barely made it off the start line, sadly. Jorge is having electrical problems and David and Karen's Itala was being stripped down to its nothings next to us into the small hours. Karen was my companion in the catering department.
The Itala set off this morning only to return after 10 minutes as David wasn't happy with it and so, as we left, David was in the long process of having to take it all apart again. As I write they are still not in but I'm sure they will make it although it will have been a very long day for them.
After leaving this morning the first thing we did was a very steep climb and I thought I could smell burning. Sure enough the fan belt was shredding and so Adrian replaced it. We bashed on through the gorgeous costal scenery with lush, mountain forest and fabulous vistas. The whole of Brazil seemed to be on the beaches. Still those f***ing speed bumps though.
We started a long , long climb and the scenery changed with the altitude. We passed endless banana plantations and fabulously colourful trees. It was all the greenest green that you can imagine; quite lovely. Car #7 was running beautifully until, after about 350 kms, we started to get hot,the car that is, we'd been boiling all day. Adrian discovered that we had lost lots of coolant but with no obvious sign of any leak it was hard to diagnose. He put half a gallon of water in and off we set with not a little anxiety.
Then we had a puncture which was a nuisance but soon rectified and, not too much further on, we came across a place to get the tube replaced. Although the loss of coolant was obviously an issue, the car was running very well really. It was sailing up the hills past the trucks and cruising at 90-95kms.
The rain started about 100kms from the hotel, and what rain it was. A typical tropical storm dramatic and very, very heavy. It was still pouring when we reached Curitiba in the dark. Heavy rain and darkness is an unpleasant combination for an 83 year old car. But we made it!
We had lost yet more coolant by the time we got in, still with no obvious sign of any leak. Adrian is fearful that the block may be cracked although we did have a new one fitted after P2P. If that is the case, our problems are terminal. The plan is to add radweld in the morning and to see how we go. It is a very long section of over 700 kms. and how we run will be the deciding factor on whether we have to have the car shipped home and look at other options for completing the rally.
Adrian has an eye infection which Chris, one of our Doctors (they're both called Chris) is treating.
The Rally rollercoaster has well and truly begun.
I discovered one surly Brazilian today in this land of easy going, lovely smiling people. Maybe he was from Columbia.
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ReplyDeleteOnward! Thanks for taking the time to write. I seems this will be your most robust rally ever and I have no doubt you're up to it :)
ReplyDeleteOnward! Thanks for taking the time to write. I seems this will be your most robust rally ever and I have no doubt you're up to it :)
ReplyDelete