Peking to Paris. In Ford Model A. by a pair of Brits

[ls99]

In a model A Ford of 1940 vintage, highly modified, a pair of Brits are part of a classic car race. Roughly 8000 miles of fun and games.

Regardless of one's car preference this I think is quiet a challenge. Hope they do well.

Peking to Paris classic car rally 2013: the latest - Telegraph


Edit add: The Rally association's website listing all participants and providing real time tracking of GPS equipped cars.
Race strats on the 28th of May. Tomorrow.
5th Peking to Paris Rally 2013

 

[Sarah in SC]

I've followed a few of the more "banger car" rallies on that route but the classics add a whole new element to it. To say nothing of the difficulties in obtaining permits for driving in China and temp importing the car there!

It does make our school bus shipping to the UK and subsequent rally to Mongolia look downright easy by comparison! After all, our bus is a 1991 model! And will skirt China completely.

Thanks for the link--very cool!

 

[Meadbh]

The blog talks about the orientation in Beijing and the discussion of traffic lights by the police. That is very relevant. When I visited China some years ago, I noticed that red lights were considered general guidelines to be careful rather than absolute orders to stop! Perhaps it's because red is such a ubiquitous color in China.

 

[Telly]

Not a Model A, the Model A Ford everyone refers to was model years 1928-1931. It followed the Model T.

Other than sheet metal, there isn't a lot of difference between the 1940 Ford and the last year of the chassis, 1948.

These cars had solid front axles, transverse semi-elliptical leaf springs front and rear, torque-tube drive (also used in some recent generations of the Corvette), and usually the Flat Head V8 of fame.
The solid front axle was great for poor roads or no roads. Not so good as time went on for higher-speed handling on paved roads.
I don't know if a 1940 would have had a water-operated heater as an option yet, but if not, shortly thereafter.

The brakes were hydraulic, no longer rod-actuated as earlier. But with a single master cylinder, a leak anywhere could cause real trouble... Cars didn't have split-dual master brake systems till the mid 60's. And ah yes, drum brakes all around... never stop straight in a panic stop!
The shock absorbers were cylindrical chunks of steel bolted onto the side of the frame rails, were operated by a lever attached to them, a dog bone link connected each shock lever arm to the respective axle end. Those vane type shocks didn't last long, they locked up and broke the dog bone links. In 1948, they offered as an option, a new-fangled invention, the monotube shock absorber, which are used today.

The transmissions were durable... and clashy, especially first gear if you needed to downshift to first while moving.

Cars of that era always smelled inside. I think they used horsehair in the seats, and maybe a bit too much horse with them

The roads on the route must not be too rough, as the list of participants has a 240Z on it!

 

[ls99]

Telly, thanks for the elaboration. In this car very few things are as made originally, from their description of all the modification.

By the way one Bentlley owner had his car's entire underside covered with steel skid plates. Mongolia and Ulan Bator are not known for having paved highways.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Mongolia and Ulan Bator are not known for having paved highways.

Understatement. This is a bridge we crossed in Western Mongolia in 2008. Most roads in the Gobi are just rutted tracks, though there is an all weather road north from UB to the Russian border.

 

[Telly]

Did you have to cross the bridge to get to a McDonald's on the other side?
I'd probably order the McChicken sandwich, to try to get the one that crossed to the other side...

I would expect that there are no drive-up windows there... how about a ride-up window?

Is the rally route too far to the North to take a break and participate in a good hearty game of Buzkashi?

I really wonder how much modification could be done to a 1973 Datsun 240Z to make it a competitor... unless they welded it on top of a solid 4WD SUV chassis and just sat in it. I just can't picture it, seems someone went out of their way to pick a least-likely vehicle for the conditions.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I took a look at their route, which is interesting in that it misses Kaz altogether. But I had to chuckle at this part of the description. Their rally is fully (and I mean FULLY supported). For a point of reference, ours is not. Not at all. Not even a lukewarm beer at the halfway mark.

From the Peking to Paris website:
Once again the Mongolian section will surely be the highlight for many crews and we are currently considering a number of optional routes including an all new Northern option and many new sections in the Gobi Desert.

As in 2007 and 2010 we will again be supported by our Mongolian partners who will provide unrivalled levels of facilities at each of our overnight camp sites including hot showers, toilets and freshly prepared food and drink.

A new addition for 2013 will be the provision of generators to light the camp sites, a very welcome sight for stragglers arriving late in the evening. These generators will also power our new for 2013 mobile workshop facilities which will even include welding equipment!

Freshly prepared food and drink? Generators? Mobile workshop facilities? Pshaw!

Real adventurers do Mongol Rally | The Adventurists instead!

 

[ls99]

Just checked the rally website. The GPS tracking of vehicles is off. Seems the friendly Chinese have confiscated [-]detained[/-] the gps equipment.