Istanbul to Tbilisi - Sorted

So here we are 41 days into my adventure and I have got Matt and Sarah to Tbilisi in Georgia where I have had my nuts tightened and been well lubricated in preparation for the next stage of our journey into Russia and onwards to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan.

After a nice rest in Istanbul we left on our journey to Georgia.  Rather than taking a direct route Matt and Sarah decided there were a few things they wanted to see and do en-route and so rather than simply taking the Bosphorus Bridge to get into Asia they decided to drive down the Gallipoli Peninsula to Eceabat and cross via ferry to Cannakkle and enter Asia that way. 

 
As you can imagine I was the centre of attraction both while on the ferry and through Turkey with with loads of people taking photos of me and signing blue spots to the extent we have now moved onto the blank areas of the other stickers.  I've also managed to pick up a few more Angels en-route to Georgia.

                                                   

Once into Asia the roads became much more windy and there was a lot more going up and down hills.  The coast road to Oludeniz wasn't too bad but we did hit an area where the road was still being built so loose, wet gravel was an interesting surface to drive on.  Also Matt and Sarah did take a couple of detours which resulted in driving through some small towns where using the term road may have been stretching it a tad.

Not only did I have to cope with rough roads we started seeing livestock which seemed to want to walk in front of me.  When the roads were reasonable they were pretty steep with the hill into Oludeniz causing some challenges given my petrol tank was full and the brakes were overheating.  Also leaving was fun as I had to climb back out from sea level which meant being in second for some time.

Smile!

Anyway I managed to deal with all the differing road conditions without too many problems.  The sump guard took a ding or two and one of the towing points is now bent but at least I haven't sustained any damage.  Once in Tbilisi Matt arranged for a service where my oil was changed.  The mechanic noticed that the half shaft seals were leaking but it wasn't serious so it was decided not to use the spares.  Diff oil topped up and Matt will have to keep an eye on this and probably top up again. 

The chap who did the service also noticed that the nuts on the U bolt holding on the rear dampers were working loose so these were tightened too (another job for Matt).  The speedo connection to the gearbox was also tightened hopefully stopping the small oil leak from the gearbox. 

Finally got by bits greased and so am now ready to take on Russia and Kazakhstan and into the next stage of our route to Uzbekistan and Central Asia.  Some stats of the trip so far;

• Miles traveled from Potton to Tbilisi - 5,105
• Miles traveled to last tank full - 5,039
• Gallons of petrol used - 120
• Miles per Gallon - 41.95
• Actual days driving - 20
• Number of speeding fines - 1
• Number of other fines - 1
• Number of problems requiring a mechanic - 2
• Number of minor problems solved by Matt/Sarah - 0

Potton to Istanbul - Sorted

So here we are three weeks into my adventure and I have successfully got Matt and Sarah safely to Istanbul.  

Potton to Istanbul

We left Potton on Saturday 6th June with a convoy of some of my friends and a couple of Harley Outriders to make sure we had no trouble on the journey down to Dover where we were met by a Morris Minor Panda car that escorted us into the port.  We landed in France and started the adventure proper.

 Leaving Potton and the UK

We have passed through six countries and crossed the Alps to get here.  The roads were great for the first part of the journey and getting a little less maintained as we went through Romania and Bulgaria.  The Turkish roads were OK until we got to the old town in Istanbul where they were seriously rough and uneven but I coped.

 Crossing the Alps

 
I had a few problems on the way but none that couldn't be sorted with a little ingenuity and some luck.  My first problem was the universal joint going.  I'm not quite sure when it first started breaking up but Matt aborted his trip to the SOS Children's village in Tryvania because the noise and shaking was so bad.  Anyway as luck would have it the campsite owner where we were staying knew a local mechanic so I was left with him and he confirmed that the joint had in fact gone (not that Matt knew what the problem was anyway).

Broken Universal Joint

Mischka's Garage

Mischka the mechanic measured up the joint and ordered one which when it arrived needed a little customisation of the prop shaft mountings and the joint itself.  The prop shaft mountings needed about 20 thousands of an inch taken off to allow the joint to fit which then needed around a millimeter off each end to shorten it to match the original part.  Customisation complete I was put back together and we went on our merry way a couple of days later than planned but at least hale and hearty.

Bulgarian roads left a lot to be desired and having to cross a mountain that meant I was in third all the way up didn't help our miles per hour but once we overcame that little obstacle we managed to gain some time and crossed the Turkish border mid-afternoon.  From the border we over-nighted in Edirne and then drove on good roads all the way to Istanbul where after some navigational challenges found our hotel which had a special place reserved just for little 'ole me.

Outside the hotel in Istanbul

The other problem which caused some grief was that I was having some trouble starting in the mornings.  At first Matt thought it was something draining the battery but on inspection in Istanbul he found that one of the bolts holding on the rear plate of the starter motor had disappeared.  It could be that all the shaking from the universal joint problem coupled with the bad roads simply meant the bolt worked lose and somewhere along the line fell out.

Anyway after working out the problem and while trying to find a bolt that would fit, Sarah asked a local who stopped where we could possibly get said bolt and the next thing we know a mechanic is on hand to assist.  I never knew putting a bolt in could be so difficult.  First the distributor had to be removed so the starter motor could actually be removed.  Then a bolt of the right length and thread size needed to be found (amazed at how many nuts bolts and screws this chap had).  Once the bolt was identified the rear plate needed removing as once the original bolt fell out and the other one loosened the spring loaded contacts had also worked themselves lose.  So, back plate contacts reassembled and the plate bolted into place.  Motor tested OK and then re-mounted and hey presto starting was no longer a problem!

The other little niggles which have been sorted are the fan belt working lose.  Tightening sorted that out so Matt needs to keep an eye on that.  Seems there is a small amount of oil leaking from the gearbox.  This has been traced to the drain plug which seems tight but still losing a few drops here and there so need to keep an eye on the gearbox oil level too.

We are now ready to leave Europe and cross the Bosphorus which will take us into Asia and into the next phase of our adventure.  Some stats of the trip so far;

• Miles traveled from Potton to Istanbul - 2871
• Miles traveled to last tank full - 2307
• Gallons of petrol used - 54
• Miles per Gallon - 42.7
• Actual days driving - 10
• Number of speeding fines - 1
• Number of other fines - 1
• Number of problems requiring a mechanic - 2
• Number of minor problems solved by Matt/Sarah - 0

Ready to rock 'n roll!

Well here we are with 4 days to go and pretty much all the little niggles sorted I'm ready to roll.  The new speedo issue was all down to worn threads on the nylon connector into the gearbox.  As the gearbox warmed up the threads slipped effectively disconnecting the cable. Anyway a newer connector with better threads solved the problem. 

Checked the speedo against the GPS one and the mechanical one reads around 5mph higher than actual speed so when doing 50 according to GPS doing 55 on the speedo.  This is probably not too surprising given that the reconditioned diff ratio is 4.55 rather than 4.22 which means that I'd be going slower for the same rpms and speedo works on gearbox revs rather than wheel revolutions.  Anyway as long as we know what the discrepency is no problem.  Will need to make sure we know the error on the miles recorded too.

Everything bar  a few spares have been packed and stowed away now so all there is to do is drive down to Rye and back to pick up Sarah and we are good for the off on Saturday.  The convoy is building up nicely with Carl and his traveller (convoy handle Love Machine), Paul and his borrowed Minor  Morris and Paul Harris with his Harley and some friends from the Fenlanders motor cycle club.  Hopefully Diz and Mabel will be able to join us as well as some other classics that may come out if the weather's fine.

Will keep you all updated as the adventure progresses so watch this space.

Convoy Hopefuls

Love Machine

Paul Harris and his Harley

Paul's Chariot Morris

Mabel

Ready to Rock and Roll!

Just over a year ago I joined up with a crazy man who decided I was going to take him to Mongolia and then bring him back.  The last year has seen me undergo a number of changes and with my interior practically complete I am now ready to rock and roll!

Once Jonathon and the team completed building me up into an awesome overland traveller it was time to get the interior storage space sorted and make sure Matt and Sarah were going to be comfortable (or as comfortable as they could be in a 1968 Morris Minor Traveller).  Declan, Hannah's (Matt and Sarah's eldest) partner happens to work in the Adelphi theater and strangely enough has wood working skills agreed to take on making Matt's design a reality.  Unfortunately he had Matt helping which maybe why it took a bit longer than expected.



So, Matt measured up Paul's frame and obtained and painted the woodwork in readiness for Declan's visit.  The floor of the main storage area is 18mm moisture resistant MDF with the bulkhead 12mm moisture resistant MDF.  6mm 'flexible' MDF was used for the sides and ceiling as well as headlining in the cab. Unfortunately Matt's measuring skills left a lot to be desired and Declan needed to trim the floor sections before they could be fitted which meant that there was a little delay before the main work could begin.




Once the floor was in work started on the interior proper.  Roof sections cut, bulkhead created and then the whole lot was put together to create a great usable space.

In addition to fitting out the interior storage area, Jonathon and Anthony fitted the seats which if you recall, dear reader, I mentioned were to be Saab 9000 electric seats.  These are leather and from what Matt said are really comfortable.  I don't know what Sarah thinks and as she is taller she may not agree but with the seats being adjustable up, down, forward and back and with an adjustable head rest she should be able to adjust them to suit.

 

So now other than minor cosmetic bits and pieces we are good to go. 

Running in - not what I expected

Since the initial restoration work has been complete and now I have a new engine and gearbox Matt was told I need running in which means around 500 miles taking it easy and not going over 50.  Well all was going well until Muppet boy decided to test my front bumper by driving into another car!!

Well good news is that I wasn't going too fast and no one was killed (although I am considering doing Matt an injury in repayment).











Anyway now I have been run in (in more ways that one) I need to go back to Jonathon's so that Rod can do what he needs to the engine.  Also there are a couple of minor things that need to be ironed out. Gears are a bit stiff, petrol sensor still needs calibrating, headlining needs putting and the like.

Also while I was back with Matt his mate Paul Pibworth (Artist, Journeyman, Sculptor) started putting together the framework for my second floor.  Considering that Paul makes things like the Wilstead Man (his most recent project) I'm feeling honoured that my insides are being modified by an artist of such repute (grovelling over).

Anyway the idea behind the second floor is to create an area to store my second spare wheel and other bits and pieces such as tents whilst creating the floor for the main storage area.

Anyway, initial fabrication is underway and should hopefully be finished soon.  Thanks Paul!

An Overland Traveller is born - Almost!

So the time has finally come when my restoration and customisation is nearly complete and I am back on the road and now fundraising has started with my birthday party on the 24th January where we raised over £1,000 for Sue Ryder St John's Hospice in Moggerhanger (well done everyone!)

 The final steps after the bodywork and main running gear was completed was to put in the reconditioned MG Midget 1275cc engine and gearbox to give me the power of movement. The interior was finished and all the knobs and switches added as well as Metro GTi seats which are only temporary but are comfortable and adjustable.  Daylight lights ensure that I (well Matt) won't get fined in the countries where these are required.  All that now needs to be done is complete the interior and fill the tank!

             

Rebuilding - Underway

Now most of me has been painted, in what I understand is Chevy Yellow, the rebuilding has started and bits are staring to be put onto my lovely new shell.

The wood, an integral part of the structure, has been put on to allow it to be fitted as it seems while the wood maybe perfect I apparently am not and so things like rear wings need to be 'encouraged' to fit

 Wood is covered with masking tape to protect it while being initially fitted. What a difference this makes I'm now beginning to look like a car again!.
 Once the wood's been fitted the rear wings were put on and it seems took a lot of encouragement by Martin to be made to fit.  But after some persuasion, judicious knocking around and then a bit of filler and sanding I have rear wings that are ready to paint..


 The long range tank has now been delivered!! Yay!! It looks absolutely brill.  It fits (now that 20mm was shaved off the width) and looks just like the drawing.

 The tank has been filled with safety foam which is designed to prevent vapour build up.  It has been positioned so that the weight is where it would be when people would be in the back seat of the car.  Also it makes good use of the space wasted through folding down the rear seat. 

 As well as making final preparation on the body, work has started on putting 'stuff' on.  The loom is now in place (sort of) and front suspension and brakes are also going on hopefully things are will start really escalate once Rod has completed the engine and the rear springs have been received.  Anyway I'm really pleased with the way this is all working out.