"Cross over into Uganda and change the gearbox at Kampala
overnight halt: our expensive straight cut gear box has lasted three
days and we have six more to go on a standard RS2000 gearbox that cost
£35! At this rate, we joke, the whole car will be standard by the time
we reach Mombasa!"
- DON SIMMIONS
Our saga/tale is now complete!
The Minilite Escort successfully completed the 2003 East African Safari
Rally and finished 22nd overall out of 53 starters and a start number of
28.
The rally was, without doubt, the most gruelling event we have ever
done: 5000 km in 10 days, over roads, which were sometimes fabulous, but
more often suited to a Landover or chieftain tank! It was so rough that
some competitors elected to miss chunks rather than submit their cars to
further punishment. The pace at the front was extremely competitive and
may well require new body shells!
Our Escort performed magnificently and was still going strong at the
finish, although our rally was not without its moments/problems.
A brief resume follows:
December 8th: Arrived Mombasa and got to docks to collect car and
service vehicle and take them to the Hotel.
December 9th: Day spent checking car, locating service vehicles etc. Our
temp gauge not working so we fit new one purchased locally.
December 10th: Start of rally ridiculously hot start in centre of
Mombasa over an hour and a half in the sun and no shade we set off
at a fair pace and enjoy the first days stages passed Michelle Mouton
on Stage 2 stopped with a broken stub axle lost concentration and hit
a huge bump and nearly put the car on its nose! Finished day 20th
overall and seriously dehydrated!
December 11th: Still not feeling too good but car is fine although we
decide to take it easy over the rough stages. The first stage very rough
and overtaken by a Mercedes! But by the end of the stage it smoothed out
and we re-overtook him in a dust cloud and hit a huge jump, which almost
did for us.
Overtaking in dust was a real problem both for the overtaken and the
caught car as it is difficult to see anyone behind. The special wing
lights really came into their own.
Our first problem shortly after was a loose earth wire (caused by the
terrible roads) - and the fuel pumps which stopped us 3 km from end of
stage managed to get a tow from a passing truck (remember all this
competing was on open public roads unlike UK).
By the time we fixed problem we had to skip 1 stage (our only one). We
had slipped to 28th overall at the night halt as a result.
December 12th: Went to start the car next morning smell of petrol and
quite a lot in the boot. Thought it might be loose unions so tightened
them up, mopped it up and drove to start of first stage: 178 long.
At the start notice petrol running out of the boot: inspection reveals
hairline crack in the bottom of the tank and petrol pouring out at
alarming rate and we have 178 km to service!
Tony, my co-driver runs to a nearby hut and buys some soap! We work it
into the crack and the leak stops!
Our service crew turn up and we replace the lost fuel and take an
extra 20 litres jerrican as insurance. Start the stage an hour late
but at least were still going.
We stop every 30 kms to add more soap as the vibrations soon open up
the crack.
We just make it to the end by using the 20 litres in the jerrican : we
reckon more fuel was lost than we actually consumed through the engine!
Its a good job the car was so economical helped by long straights of
top gear motoring.
We get through the day with numerous top-ups and amazingly, after all
our problems and delays, are still in 28th - as others were having even
more problems.
Decide to change the tank overnight and fit a standard Escort 9-gallon
tank in the side and carry a 20-litre jerrican in the other side as back
up. Our nice new 100-litre alloy tank spent the rest of the rally
strapped to the roof rack of the service car!
December 13th: Start the next day with the replacement tank installed
thanks to late night work by our service crew: Steve (the Kiwi ) and Ben
(the Aussie.)
On route to the first stage gearbox makes some very strange noises and
refuses to select second and selects third only with difficulty.
Complete the stage and at service realise we have major problem, but
timing is too tight to effect a gearbox swap so drive the rest of the
day with effectively two gears.
Cross over into Uganda and change the gearbox at Kampala overnight
halt: our expensive straight cut gear box has lasted three days and we
have six more to go on a standard RS2000 gearbox that cost £35! At this
rate, we joke, the whole car will be standard by the time we reach
Mombasa!
December 14th: With a functioning gearbox and a non-leaking tank we have
a clear run back through Kenya and started passing a few cars on the
stages .
No major problems (apart from the petrol tank and the gearbox) and the
car is running like a dream with only two punctures and a broken rotor
arm requiring attention. Although changing a puncture in the heat is
quite debilitating!)
In Uganda we punctured in the middle of a village and the locals
lifted the back of the car up while we changed the wheel!
A lot of very rough stages and plenty of competitors stopped at
various points repairing their cars.
No problems for us except the standard Escort tank had now also
developed a leak where the new take-off tube has been welded in: back to
the smell of petrol again!
Still we have made up a couple of places and are now 24th. Reach the
Masai Mara Game Park and overnight at a game lodge.
December 15th: Rest Day at the Masai Mara and boy do we need it!
(Although Steve and Ben spend the day fettling the car and changing the
rear shockers as a precaution and attempt to stem the leak in the tank.)
December 16th: Leave Masai Mara and car continues to run without a hitch
apart from the petrol tank which still consumes more petrol than the
engine! (Its a good job petrol is cheaper in Kenya than the UK or we
would be broke!)
Really enjoyed the stage and reach Nairobi for overnight halt and now
up to 23rd. (However the huge time loss with the tank means we are
relying on some retirements to make us up.)
Our Frontera Service car is also proving reliable - apart from a spate
of punctures on our new
.tyres!
December 17th: Leave Nairobi at crack of dawn to avoid the rush hour.
Very hard day: the leak on the petrol tank is getting worse and soap
is no longer working.
Our service crew have more puncture problems (we have to buy two new
Goodyear Wrangler off-road tyres) and they manage to avoid us all day!
We cross over into Tanzania and by visiting every petrol station and
begging some petrol off some mates servicing for someone else, we manage
to keep going.
First stage in Tanzania is a real problem for everyone as the route is
far from clear and there are tracks off everywhere as people take the
wrong route!
We lose 5 10 minutes but our team mate Ian Freestone loses over 30
minutes and drops a couple of places - I think there is a Porsche still
in there!
Overnight at Arusha at the foot of Kilimanjaro and yet another attempt
to mend the new tank.
Steve borrows a gas welder and moves the braze around in an attempt to
seal it, and covers the join in Sikaflex as well.
December 18th: Some fabulous stages in Tanzania, the first having more
yumps than a 1000 Lakes stage.
Take 3 minutes off the Volvo in front (some consolation as we dropped
12 minutes on the previous days last stage and he was one of the few who
didnt take a wrong turning).
The stages are fast and generally smoother than in Kenya.
The tank repair lasts half a day and then the tell-tale smell of
petrol informs us we have the leak back!
The last stage of the day is very twisty and rough and not to my
liking - but others thought it was fantastic!
Our third puncture of the event just after the finish.
Overnight at Tanga and yet another attempt to fix the tank its
taken away by a local who says he can fix it!
December 19th: The last day! Tank back and is fixed.
The first 2 stages are great and we have a real go and enjoy them. T
Tank still OK.
On the first stage pass a car burning furiously later find out it is
fellow Minilite director John Lloyds car after a huge roll.: a sad end
to a top ten drive. (It does move us up one place to 22nd though!)
Cross back into Kenya and only one stage to go: an average length one of
80 km!
We take it relatively easy until I miss a call from Tony and go straight
over some huge ruts on a fast right and almost crash! (Dave Kedward
running just behind me does the same thing and breaks a TCA we were
very lucky not to have done the same.
Get to the finish receiving a round of congratulations from our
service crew and mount the finish ramp on the beach at Mombasa Diani
Beach hotel.
Weve done it finished the East African Safari Rally: 22nd overall
out of 53 starters and 41 finishers.
Without doubt the hardest event I have every done with more
competition mileage in a day than in a whole season of British Historic
Championship.
The stats are impressive: 5000 km in 9 days: 2000 km competitive
mileage and the non competitive often set at 80 kph average speeds made
it almost a road race!
The roads were unbelievably rough and super fast in equal measure.
We rev-limited our engine to 6500 and frequently hit it in top on many
stages.
Apart from the tank saga and the gearbox, the car was brilliant and a
credit to Steve who prepared it and Paul Chappell who built our engine
(that in my opinion could do the event again!)
Many thanks to them, Ben, Tony and all the companies that helped us
throughout the year:
Gartrac
Prepfab
Burton Power
Ashley Exhausts
R & M Coachworks
K & N Filters
Bridge Tyres
Tony Devantier
Don Simmons/Tony Jolly - Car No 28 - Ford Escort