Moroccan chod

[autohausdolby]

I've finally got round to loading my photos from my Moroccan holiday in January.

 

It was a right giggle and I saw many fine machines:

 

First up, a Bedford - I'm assuming the AWD badges are a retrospective fit as the only ones I've seen over here were TKs.

 

 

There were loads of (J type?) Bedfords and similar vintage Fords, all painted red. I'm told they were partially government financed after independence to get things going a bit.

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Our mounts for a fortnight:

 

 

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There were predicatably millions of these:

 

 

Some sort of bike

 

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GB reg'd Range Rover Vogue SE. More luxurious than the AX.

 

 

V8 POWA.

 

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In the Sahara:

 

 

Campsite at Erg Chebbi:

 

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Top petrol station spots - Ford (IIRC) truck needs to be in that green and yellow courier livery that preceeded Lynx distribution.

 

 

Swallow tail Golf is worth at least £89 million with scene tax, even though it was buggered. Missed some top Mk2 and Mk1 Transit action on the day these were taken.

 

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MOAR laterz. I'm off out for a bit

[Guest]

Respect for taking an AX that far from home! I presume it came back again?

[Station]

What preparations did you have to undertake before taking the AX out? I'd be sh*tting myself, but I'd love to do something like this.

[Guest]

Hey you forgot to paint up the AX as some kind of wacky fun machine! Nice work.

[autohausdolby]

What preparations did you have to undertake before taking the AX out? I'd be sh*tting myself, but I'd love to do something like this.

Ah yes, well it's funny you ask that. I decided that a Diesel AX was the machine of choice, went down the local garage, looked in the free ads and bought a non-runner from outside a bodyshop opposite a Gipsy camp. Last tax disc dated 2005. This was of course about 6 weeks before departure time. I had it dumped back at Autohaus Dolby Towers and realised that, whilst I like to think of myself as brave I'm not that brave so I pretty much completely rebuilt it front to back. It had a replacement Iron block 1500 engine and ancilliaries, gearbox, new driveshafts, new brake calipers, new pads, new flexi-hoses, new headlights, new radiator, wiper blades, aftermarket temp gauge as Citroen didn't see fit to fit one etc. etc. etc.Dave, who was driving the Pajero, had me service it after I made him. Total mechanical problems:Blown wiper fuse on the Pajero.Broken crimp on connector to the aftermarket temp gauge on the AX.Flat tyre on the AX.

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It did come back BTW - as far as I know, it's still driving around Barnsley. It'd already done (IIRC) 120k, we wound another 5400 miles onto it in 16 days :)I resisted the temptation to cover it in tat and stuff as I needed no additional attention to blight my hols apart from that the UK plates get you. Mind you, the 5-0 in Morocco were all brilliant to a man. It was like Ladybird books tell you beat bobbies are. We asked them for directions and everything. I imagine it's different if you're Moroccan or (God forbid) Nigerian. The Spanish Police we encountered were all complete nobbers.

[autohausdolby]

Right then, next lot:

 

What's this?

 

 

Pre-interstate California?

 

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'Tis the set from "The Hills Have Eyes" series of films:

 

 

 

 

It's full of American and Americanish looking tat (mostly French - some lovely Peugeot pickups) and is completely unguarded and unmolested.

 

I have forever ruined horror films for myself however. We only found it because we took a short cut off the main road. I stopped, and told Mrs Autohausdolby that I was nipping over to have a quick look, and would be back in a minute. Dave then followed as did Dan, his co-driver, leaving Fi all alone in the car. We lept the fence and Dave started knocking on the door and poking around.

 

It was only afterwards that we realised that all that is exactly what people in horror films do, to which everyone always goes, "NO! Don't do that! Nobody in real life would go and knock on the door of the scary house and mess about in the yard! Nobody would leave the girl on her own!"

 

Well, it turns out that is exactly what you would do, and there's nothing you can do to stop yourself.

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In Agadir we went to the Hypermarche. It was wierd after days of very alien surroundings to suddenly be somewhere very European. Luckily the car park was full of TOPCHOD.

 

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This Mk2 Golf was hanging. TOP wrong wiper SKILLZ.

 

 

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These trike things were everywhere, although most were homemade.

 

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At the campsite in Agadir, full of wrinkly Germans, French and Scousers:

 

 

Note the different coloured back wheel on the AX after the puncture earlier in the day. The wheel is off the same car that donated the engine. The guys in the scrappy gave it me free as they were uber impressed by the suspension on my BX

 

That and it saved them a quid on tyre disposal I suspect

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This was the only decent yolk on the 'site. What a MONSTA!

 

It showed up all the crappy coachbuilt Hymermobiles, etc.

 

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Last Moroccan photo - no cars in it I'm afraid, but we found it very strange to be on a completely normal French motorway with French toll booths, French police cars, French cherry pickers, French crash barriers, etc. etc. etc. but signs to Casablanca.

 

Apparently it's rubbish and there's no Humphry Gocart. We wouldn't know as I monsta trucked us straight past on L'Autoroute. WIN.

 

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Back in "sunny" France in the coldest snap Southern Europe has had in a long time and time for our last couple of photos.

 

Check out this road burner. TURDBLOWER POWA.

 

 

All I can say about this is YES!!! Good Maxxing of a stock bumper. Probably got some genny M3 bits in there or summat.

 

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Brrrrr! In Le Mans for a stopover on the way back. The Pajero's wiper fuse had just blown due to it being -8 degrees and the wipers being firmly stuck to the screen. It was so cold the "winter" mix screen wash in the AX's tank froze until about 2 hours into the journey.

 

[autohausdolby]

And that's it - hope you enjoyed it

[michiel]

I did - that film set is totally weird.

[Guest]

Excellent stuff - thanks for sharing!

[autohausdolby]

It was - still, at least we didn't get axe murdered to death by atomic mutant zombies. There's a silver lining to everything

[Split_Pin]

I'll tip my hat to you for taking an AX over the Sahara. Thats proper hardcore!Good pics too, I like the 'Hills Have Eyes' ones!