Welcome to the Team81 page with information about our adventure and how to support us. Updated: 25 July 2005    Home    News the Team the Car    the Route    Supporters & Sponsors    Contact    Español    . Preparations and Progress For the team, preparing this incredible adventure is at least half the fun. There isn't a day when we think of something to do, take, leave, calculate, discuss, agree and disagree or look-up reference and information. A friends help is proving invaluable because hey, I have a job, family and house responsabilities. Let it be said here, without the backing and support (and putting-up) of those at home and around us this would be an unthinkable feat, thanks! The brief story so far: in April Fernando Cortes, generously donated his 1977 2CV to to TEAM81! It's a bit of a case and a in a state, so to get us to Mongolia we made a 3 phase plan. First we repair the bare necessary standard spec. so it passes the technical test. Then we upgrade and outfit the Duck so as to enable 15.000 km of practically non-stop driving in extreme circumstances .... then we do a few tough tests to see if we got it near right, yeah and then we bite and go for it. Monday 25th July >>> continued from Home page ... minor adjustments and electrical incidents, we learnt allot; AVG 6,8 L/100km Petrol consumption + 1L oil/800Km. The average attainable driving speed on smooth EU motorways and "flooring" it all the time (poor thing!), is much lower then expected - a calculated 68,3Km/Hr. To give you an idea thats going at ca. 110Km/hr on the straight/no head wind, dropping to 80 or 70 up the average hill and long climbs and you can reach over 130Km/H downhill + tailwind but that's not a good idea for too long cause you're over-revving! Calculated that puts the AVG progress speed at about 59 Km/Hr, translated to East european, etc. roads will mean slow progress: stage 2. 68, stage 3. 58, stage 4. 50 and N.Kazakhstan + Mongolia from 40 down to perhaps 20? A full tank will see us between 200-300Km depending on the terrain. With the 2 extra 20L JerryCans we can cover between 600-900Km autonomously, hope that's enough between pumps in the remoter areas ... Elizabeth had her DD: "Duck Driving" experience! Brilliant, she and Ducky were inmediate mates - no worries. Friday 22nd July and 1 week to go!!! This afternoon "Ducky" gets 6 new boots and we shall be off to London, a major test of 1.900Km. Going through France an advantage: if anything breaks no better place then 2chevaux country, right. The only planned stop-over is the Le Mans circuit were we shall establish the first new Mongol Duck record ... Elizabeth has signed-up as Co-Driver: Russian and Kazakh Visas done, Mongolian and Uzbeki next week, vaccinations done too ... are we an excited couple! A word of thanks to the Russian, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan Consuls: they have top teams, efficient and friendly. After establishing the initial contacts it was a pleasure dealing with them - very promising for our visit to these countries, wonderful people! Monday 11 July, activities multiplied, luckily the support and sponsoring too, though still allot to do. Chucked the cars rigid chairs and welded some "sleeping" versions to the frame so one can rest inside while the other drives - interesting, learnt how to weld on the go. Made all the required body changes (cutting and strengthening) so there is an even better chance in successfully pretending to be a 4x4! Installed 2 long beams and 2 swiveling lamps for the nightly stints, a smaller rally steering wheel so my legs have more space to keep the loud pedal well down. Survived burocratic nightmare barriers to obtain visas, found the Russions real friendly folk as long as you comply with a smile (good practise that). Completed the vaccinations, auch! Ordered some vital spares and 6 new tyres. However, the list of "todo's" is still long + the wishful thinking gizmos. just 3 weeks till the start... will I get it all done? It's getting very sweatty now. Friday 18 June, took it to the ITV at 20:30. The inspector enthusiastic about (it dissapearing) to Mongolia passed it, hurah & thanks! Saves me the nightmare of having to figure where the 2 wine boxes of parts left over should go. Monday 13 June we'll be fundraising with team "The Mongol Mini" in Moore's Pub Calle de Barcelo, Madrid (Tribunal). Monday 13 May - Finally the car is now ready to go to the ITV (MOT equivalent in Spain). So, now we can get down to the beaurocracy of the invites Russia and Kazakhstan), visas (Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and China), licenses, vaccinations, fundraising, promotion and other vital preparations. Wed 4 May - Fernan dropped by to leave boxes of "Pandorra", full of bolts and nuts, missing bits and peices, starter motors, alternator, carburettor, exhaust, rubber thingies, electrical items ... kilos of repair, replacement and spares to make "Ducky" look and go like a sort of car ... eventually. My garage is filling-up looking more like scrap yard! Got to sort the last wiring puzzles: engine only runs with the light on, the horn sounds intermittent when left indicator switched on, ayayayaa Sat 30 April - after solving a major wiring puzzle Ducky jumps to life ... an odd sound though, sort of thumpy thumpy. Time to bleed the front brakes and a few more oddities and checks. Then the big moment, a first test drive. Will the gearbox work? Will the sparkplug blow out? Yes and no, so after a few hundred meter of fun decide to have another under hood check (smoke and smell from the oily bits) but all seems well. Can't control enthusiasm and take her our for a longer stretch, including a dreaded uphill, she steams up the steep in 3d gear, wow!!! . Must be the Jag plug, perhaps I should put one in the other cylinder too? Fri 29 April - Managed to temporarily solve the worn plug hole: the longer thread Jaguar XJ6 sparker gets a grip on the bottom of the thread, stopped from hitting valves and piston by a ridge in the combustion chamber, perfect. As best as can I start the rebuilding process, a very interesting excersize, eg. all the cables are red so wiring diagrams don't help, only streching pure logic and trial and error. April - A friend is struggling with the gearbox, not for long we have it back in 48 Hours, the lever now moves, hope. I took engine and gearbox out, and anything else dismountable - good practise for on the way, specially if we can fit it together again later. The list of broken, missing and to be repaired/replaced parts is growing and growing, oh dear what have we got here? Thanks for invaluable help JC. Fernan delivered the lame duck on the back of a trailer, bits and pieces strapped together ... . Pictures and Links Have a look(laugh) at the sort of cars we're up against in the under 1.000 cc class! This is what we've got: roast Duck and thumbs-up - please explain? something like this is what it should look like: Ain't she sweet? Undo 4 bolts for an engine under your arm the "Spirit of Extasy" is getting a grip Help "Send a Cow": Help "Save the Children": Support or Sponsor the Team81 effort:

---

Sponsors: Fernando Cortes - Car&Parts Angel Palacios - HTML Spanish Charles Raymond - Graphics JC - Charity&Car preparations MonteLeo - Charity&Petrol SkyBar - Charity&Food&Drink Buffy - Charity&Services Mousje - Charity&Trip expenses Liberty Seguros - Insurance Sergio Romagosa - Promotion Supporters: Chimpa, Tigre, Ani & Bunjee ... not too many please, it's getting a bit crowded here ;- (

MonoLoco Ltd. is a monkey