Saturday 16 February 2013

1st Day - what a nightmare

As you can see we left The Sheraton Hotel this morning at 8.01am and turned left and at last we were on our way..

Quite a few sets of traffic lights later we were on stop.
Some silly billy didn't pay attention to the dreaded 'amendments ' that were handed out yesterday.

The 'amendments' had been dutifully followed at first but then had been tucked away safely and then totally forgotten about.
So we managed to get diverted in the diversions for longer than was necessary!!

Lesson learned and 35 lost minutes later and 38 degrees hotter we were back on track....

It has been a very long hot day
(Am dreading the Rally's 'Long Day' lol)
Messed up on the TC but what the heck we are just trying to get from A to B with this Old Girl.

But we did manage to make up some lost time and thought we would only actually end up being 35 minutes late when disaster struck about 15 km from our hotel..

BANG 1 FLAT TYRE :((

Not a major problem in itself but when all the spares and tools are hidden away behind tyres and luggage then its a big 'boo hoo' plus the top of hill / on a bend location, location was not the best!

Where's Peter and Betty when you need them???
But with the help of 2 very friendly Brazilians who stopped to lend a hand and then also with the help of Charly Mc Gowen and his team we were all pumped up and ready to again.

We eventually arrived at our beach hotel in Maresias a few hours later than planned and i thought shower, change and an early night but David had other plans...

Once safely in the hotel car park he wanted to investigate some strange noises that he had heard coming from the engine during the latter part of the day and hey presto a few hours later and with the help of Max Stephenson from Car 11 had dismantled the whole front of the engine and found that the gear on the end of the camshaft has come loose...

So that was the rest of the evening taken care off!!
In fact the 'boys' played in the car park until the small hours and then a lovely refreshing thunderstorm saw them hasten to the canopy at the front of the hotel to continue with the assembling of the dismantled parts.

The lengths one has to go to just to park your car at the front of the hotel.

The audience have now retired to bed and only Max and David remain fiddling under the canopy.

Fingers crossed all will be well in the morning ....













3 comments:

  1. Why are the things you need always at the bottom?

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  2. Ha ha you can say that again and again!! Still in hotel car park with the front of the engine in bits again.. Oh dear - all in a days work eh.
    Maybe its just teething probs..

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  3. Hi Karen and David,

    We wish the problems with the car were gone and the race continues with no other ones.
    We were happy yesterday when met you besides the situation, we are following the
    ralli by the internet and proud of stop to give a little help to a so interesting
    team, the Itala is very beautiful and looks ready to the trip, it was just a "puncture".
    I love classic cars and own a tires shop ( Amigo Saude Automotiva ) and my wife Regina
    works making memory books ( www.biografiaseprofecias.com.br ) and follows this events
    with me online until we manage to participate by ourselves.
    Let the drink to the next time we will be together.
    Good luck until Ushuaia...
    Alex Kirst and Regina Rapacci Magalhães

    ReplyDelete