Mongol Rally 2cray18 - on the road!

[willswitchengage]

Eight weeks off work has been booked for 2018. About ten vaccinations will be needed, as will a similar amount of visas. Getting a car will weirdly be the easy part.

 

A friend and I have decided to participate in the 'Mongol Rally'; a rich-boys' gap yah type adventure masquerading as a charity event (we still are obliged to raise a bag of sand for the organiser's chosen philanthropic organisation). To save you 'googling' it, we are basically driving ~10,000 miles from London to Ulaanbaator in a shit car, which is where you guys come in. What have you for sale? Unfortunately the event sponsors are fairly gestapo-like, so their entry criteria are solely 'cheap' and 'engine size sub 1.2 litre'. As 'cheap' cannot be verified, the sole criterion is therefore the engine size. Boringly, this therefore means that 99% of entrants are obliged to enter in a small Japanese hatchback as they're the only vehicles that satisfy this and are reliable. I wanted to bring a 205 diesel, but this was rejected, as the engine was too big. More interesting, fun, crap, appropriate and - most importantly - in the 'spirit of the event', but no, rejected. Anyway. I still would like to take one to spite the poor judgement of the organisers, but I am open to suggestion.

 

This is a photo taken during the event to show what are typically used:

 

 

Note: 'googling' is not 100% helpful as the entry criteria has varied wildly over the years. Micras seem to generally be the most popular however.

 

This is the person I am going with. An ex-flatmate who's level of sophistication and 'bantz' is summed up well in this photograph:

 

 

We actually really wanted to take that car that he used to have, but when being once serviced the garage told him it was unroadworthy and had no scrap value, so he gave it to them (at ~20k on the clock, given to him original by an elderly relative). Fascinatingly I have have seen it being driven around numerous times this day and on MOT checker.com it has... no advisories! It's great to be knobbed on every once in a while, but hey ho.

 

Anyway, if anybody has anything for sale that meets the bill, please get in touch. Looking for ~£500. Diesel it turns out doesn't really work anyway, as in some countries that we'll be travelling through the fuel is rationed, and the economy advantage isn't worth it as in central Asia fuel is generally subsidised and very cheap. An MOT to the end of Septmeber 2018 would be useful too, as the car must be shipped back to the EU afterwards as for complex legal reasons it can't be scrapped or imported abroad. Obviously, reliability would be handy too.

 

Two ebay ideas give you an impression of what I'm after:

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Starlet-Jeans-1-3L-hatchback-1995/162791673846?hash=item25e723cff6:g:2scAAOSwbtNaKCAT

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-Suzuki-Swift-GC-22-000-MILES-1-Owner-from-new/302543172225?hash=item4670fa7281%3Ag%3A1RcAAOSwyjJZwAZl

 

If you live within the Network Railcard travel zone, I'm far more likely to be interested too

 

Thanks.

[DVee8]

Is your mate Robert Sugden from Emmerdale

 

[Parky]

You are going to be painting it up in advance I presume?

 

In which case Sir needs something with knackered paint as it won't matter if it gets duluxed. Why not drive in LIKE A MAFIA DON with this spectacularly lacquer peeled Alfa 166?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Romeo-166-V6-lusso-sportronic/232587171683?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

[beko1987]

Mate if mine did it in a transit connect a good few years ago, sounded much more fun than in a 900cc micra

[catsinthewelder]

I'd love to do this in a HiJet.

 

I'm not sure how long the back pain would last afterwards though.

[John F]

If only we knew someone that had a spare Invacar...

 

[Cavcraft]

How about free? You can have this Ignis if you can fix it up, needs a new brake pipe as it corroded/burst and the MOT has expired. Brand new clutch in it though and engine seems lovely. Raffle it at the end give the money to the charity or Autoshite or whatever.

 

 

[hairnet]

revillug and coupla mates did it in a superminx

 

http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/187182/mongol-rally-2016-bought-micra

 

buy dis - if theyll let you

[egg]

The highest mileage Dacia Sandero Access you can find? Meets engine criteria.

[skattrd]

3 pot Daihatsu .. Sorry, I haven't got one.

[BorniteIdentity]

I immediately thought of a starlet.

 

Anyway, good luck with it. I never had the opportunity to do stuff like this, and by the time I do I’ll be too old and fucking miserable.

 

Keep us posted.

[Timewaster]

I immediately thought of a starlet.

 

Anyway, good luck with it. I never had the opportunity to do stuff like this, and by the time I do I’ll be too old and fucking miserable.

 

Keep us posted.

Old is compulsory. Miserable is not.

[twosmoke300]

Starlets are awesome fun to drive but sadly over 1200cc

[forddeliveryboy]

From what I gather the engine size is a firmish advisory but not set in concrete, they ask you to write to them regarding engine size if yours is a bit bigger.

 

There was a team who drove a Samara both there and back not long ago, dunno how much brother it gave them though. Are you going to be in touch with people who've already done it?

[Timewaster]

Škoda 105 or 120 would qualify.

 

Not what you call cheap or plentiful anymore though.

[Junkman]

An MOT to the end of Septmeber 2018 would be useful too, as the car must be shipped driven back to the EU afterwards

FTFY

[willswitchengage]

FTFY

 

A lot of people actually do this - however you'd ideally take the 'quick route' through Russia, however Russia is by and large the most dangerous country en-route with bribe-hungry officials and a xenophobic population. An alternative that has been proposed is buying a LHD vehicle registered somewhere in Europe to avoid the anglophobia that swamps much of the world.

 

 

From what I gather the engine size is a firmish advisory but not set in concrete, they ask you to write to them regarding engine size if yours is a bit bigger.

 

There was a team who drove a Samara both there and back not long ago, dunno how much brother it gave them though. Are you going to be in touch with people who've already done it?

 

Already asked, they don't seem keen. The facebook group has reported numerous other rejected for measly 1.4s etc, which is quite lame, as I'd like to take a Starlet as it's just the perfect vehicle really.

 

The entry criteria does take the piss as most teams tend to settle for pricier vehicles as a result or ones better suited for an expedition - Suzuki Jimnys are probably the most popular single design that people use, which completely defeats the object of the event imho.

[forddeliveryboy]

Christ, a Jimny all that way. What are the entry fees? I'd be tempted to simply tag along, as CAR mag suggested one did with the Mille Miglia. I'd take a 90s Landcruiser, diesel, and continue on to South China, then to Oz and sell. They nomnom veg perfectly happily and I bet kerosene can be had even when diesel vanishes.

[AnthonyG]

A Rover Streetwise with the 1.1 version of the K series would be ideal* for this.

On a more serious note, how about a Suzuki Alto? I believe they are made in India so must be pretty tough.

Edit: wiki says Pakistan after the 2000 model for the 98-2004 model, which is the one I’m thinking of.

[Kiltox]

Maxus stuck in limp mode?

It's a 2.5 but REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY slow

[AnthonyG]

You could get a 1.0 version of the Toyota Yaris, if you wanted a change from a Micra. The Daihatsu Terios is another thought, I think they are 1300s. Maybe worth asking?

[robinmasters]

I immediately thought of a starlet.

 

Anyway, good luck with it. I never had the opportunity to do stuff like this, and by the time I do I’ll be too old and fucking miserable.

 

Keep us posted.

I don't recall ever having been not too old and miserable for an event like this.

[Stanky]

I've got a totally fucked crossflow 1100cc engine in the garage now. Will fit in whatever you want it to fit in. I'll swap it for an xbox too. Even a broken one.

[BorniteIdentity]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hyundai-pony-1-3-Coupe-Classic-Barn-Find-RARE-RESTORATION-PROJECT-/182940217449

 

 

Run it on 3 cylinders?

[DodgeRover]

Arrange to sell in Russia - get met just over the border?

[mitsisigma01]

3 pot Daihatsu .. Sorry, I haven't got one.

What happened to the Perodua Nippa that was hanging around on the Autoshite.com roffle pages ???

[mitsisigma01]

I've got a totally fucked crossflow 1100cc engine in the garage now. Will fit in whatever you want it to fit in. I'll swap it for an xbox too. Even a broken one.

 

Rebuild the 1100 and pop it back in the Geep Jago !

[bezzabsa]

MK2 punto 1.2 8v . as its a non interference engine, so easy ish to repair..plus comfy and pretty good on fuel too

[bigfella2]

What about the Lancia y10 autoshite approved loan car, if it's still doing the rounds, you wouldn't even have to buy it, just loan it for 8 weeks and 10k miles then give it back.

But Billy's Ignis or a city rover would be epic too as suggested above.

[Doctormop]

Fiat Panda 4X4?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Panda-4x4/122848892342?hash=item1c9a5d55b6:g:UdUAAOSwFytaKU8s

or Sisley (or sisily as this one appears to be)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-panda-sisily-4x4/132429287728?hash=item1ed5669130:g:cY0AAOSwAaJaLGd~

 

Was thinking of an early model Subaru Justy but they seem thin on the ground when its snowing.