Great Escape 2005

[khughes]

Good news,

got my entry confirmed into the Cystic Fibrosis 2005 great escape!!

and i Just arrived back (1am flight this morning )from a week and a half in the Kimberley's (WA/NT) visiting Relo's up there, so i now have a good idea of what conditions it will be running in (although.. i think it is going to be a little tougher than driving a brand new nissan patrol 1800km!). I definently think i will be sticking to the road course for this year

also time to stick a cd player and air conditioning in the car i think...

Leon, did you get your entry confirmed too?

Kent

[Alfadog]

Awesome! I can't wait to see how she goes - I hope you will take lots of pictures? Are you still eager to do a "Japanese police car" theme? I'd be interested to know how thorough you're planning on being... think it will look awesome regardless though

This is getting exciting!

[Z Kid]

Come on, dont be soft , grab a kidney belt, bolt on an extra shocker or two, and I am sure the K will handle anything you can throw at it .

Shrunk240K6.bmp

Shrunk240K7.bmp

[khughes]

Yeah, still doing the Jap Cop theme, going only as far as the paint job really (complete with japanese writing, and police insignia on bonnet of course ).. i am sure no-one else will get it but atleast we will, and the rest of the skyline/jap clubs etc

Z Kid, i got the 3pt harness and seats from my other 240k i can use, but i just don't want to spend more than i have too on roll cages etc. (it is costing me a fortune as it is!),

and i don't want to break the thing in the middle of nowhere and have to get it towed

[Mr Camouflage]

Gonna have the big red revolving light too? should be cool.

[leondown]

Kent,

Im in

fear not! roll cage not really needed deffinatly over kill ( bad joke) the 2004 great escape was easy peasy the worst parts the dust more dust yet more dust and the corrruugggaatttiooonssssss and the dust. In the rougher bits you just go slow and pick your way over the obstacles...daughter and I did it in a gemini weellll we almost did it .

Good dust seals, some sort of under engine proection bash plate lock nuts nylock etc so stuff dont fall off...simple stuff

if you can some extra ground clearance would be nice how to do? bigger wheels/tyres???

easy peasy japaneesey

My team mate is pushing to get anoyrher 240K into Escape make 3 .. we could share spares?

Leon

keep in contact

[khughes]

still not 100% sure what spares i am going to take, i was planning on throwing on a roof basket, which i can throw spares on etc..

we should work out what we need to take spares wise, I was going to take:

2x spare wheels

1x set of rear shocks (got em cheap off ebay)

1x R180 Diff (maybe, not sure if it would be worth the weight)

Tools, car jacks

plenty of duct tape, electrical tape, spare electrical wire etc.

some radiator hoses etc.

how are you planning on getting back to the ACT? i am guessing by driving, a 3830km journey back to sydney for me not looking forward to that part!

i was thinking about shipping the car back, but i doubt that is going to be cheap

[440k]

Kent, don't worry about the diff. They seldom break, even on high powered rally cars. Make sure yours is in good condition (rebuild it if necessary, setup the contact patterns / backlash) and it should be sweet.

Take a box of electrical crimp connectors and spare wire, spare headlight globes, maybe assorted nuts and bolts, a cordless drill perhaps, maybe a spare control arm or 2, some fuel hose, saddle clamps and tek screws (dodgy I know but it may just get you out of trouble in a bind).

Make sure your seats are strong, and not likely to break off their mounts (fixed aftermarket seats would be a great idea - your bum and back will love you for it on the rough stuff, despite getting a numb bum on anything over a 2 hour drive).

Maybe a couple of spare wiper arms, fit a big aftermarket washer bottle (even put extra nozzles mounted on your wipers to help clean the windscreen - as Mr Moffat used to say, "If you can't see well, you can't drive well")

What else? spare relays, light globes, electrical connectors, maybe a tube of Sikaflex (never know when you mioght need it) and some soprt of slide hammer / puller or even a recovery strap. If you do have a bingle, at least you might be able to pull a damaged guard off a tyre so you can get back to civilisation.

Radiator stop leak? Maybe some sort of guard over the radiator to stop sticks / stones puncturing it??

That's about it for me.

Oh, if you're going to have any decent driving lights, then get a spare (80A) alternator

Oh, spare air cleaners, and / or cleaning / re-oil kit if you use anything like Finer Filters K&N etc.

Maybe a few spare wheel nuts (imagine accidentally knocking yours down a drain while you're changing a tyre - I saw Brett Middleton's rally crew almost do that at Bega a few years ago - we were servicing just next to them)

Points, plugs, carby kit, fuel filter(s)

I'm spent for now :classic:

[240K&Beyond]

Sounds like a bottle of locktite over everything first would be a good plan Kent.

[leondown]

Spares to carry?

Credit card!!!

if your car has special bits consider a spare of that, beyond that just simple stuff wheel nuts assorted other nuts screws etc, cable zip ties , gaffa tape, tie wire, fuses, hoses, hose clips, belts, radiator stop leak good idea. assorted tools any odd tool your car may need, electrical wire, bulbs, pints plugs capacitor. All this is easy small and light, 2 x spare tyres good idea.

extra washer capacity good idea many cars run extra washer water hoses jets...It is always nice to see what it is you are about to hit, ot the corner you just missed.......

Anything BIG there is a backup truck that will carry it but you cant access it out in mulga till end of day ..stuff like extra spare wheels/tyres tent swag etc. The support crews are very clever and can work out a get you to next stop fix for almost anything.

Along they way the locals you meet are usually very helpful . In 2004 one car blew a gbox and by end of day had sourced a replacement from "Fred's back shed" for no cost....apart from no sleep that night doing the swap

Many things like fuel filters plugs bulbs can usually be sourced along the way

Before start have fresh oil in motor gbox etc, fresh air and oil filters perhaps a spare air filter?? some teams run a double air filter system??? have I mentioned dust I dont like dust...

This is not flat our full bore competition driving it is about having fun and raising $$ and awareness for CF and having fun....the biggest problem several 2004 cars had was hangovers medical crew have some drugs but no sympathy

ah yes the trip home........always a drag. 2004 we had 3 in car and drove non stop coolangatta to CBr taking turns. Alice to CBR may be a bit harder. Perhaps come back in a looose convoy? with 1 or 2 stops not given that much thought yet.

silly flashing lights loud horns water squirters smoke makers exhaust flame throwers all add to the fun....$$$$$$$$ and time

leon

[g72s20]

Kim, I'm doing a little electrical work on a '69 Holden Kingswood Bash car at home tomorrow (Friday). It's fairly well sorted if you want to have a close up look at a car thats just about ready to go. Some interesting mods. It will run in the Bakery to Bethany Bash in August.

Jim.

[khughes]

Thanks guys,

awesome idea's! i will have to have a good sit down and go through everything and see what i can dig out (and it certainly sounds like instead of spraying paint on the car we should be spraying or pouring locktite!)

Thanks Jim, are you working tomorrow night? if not i might drop around and have a gander, would be very interesting to see a complete comp car