Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Some Photos and the low down

So finally, I managed to get a few moments to put up some pictures. These are what we have so far. More will be added in the future.

Digi Roll (France--Spain--Morrocco)
Roll 1 (London--Czech Out--Morrocco)
Roll 2 (Morrocco)
Roll 3 (Morrocco--Mauritania--Mali)
Roll 4 (Mali--Burkina Faso)
Roll 5 (Nigeria--Cameroon)





In other news, we still haven't heard back as to the fate of the beloved Lady Deathwish. I'm in contact with Ants [the rally director] and she said she'd email me once it's taken care of. I guess the Lady is back on her feet, but they are awaiting customs to assign a tax value to her so she can be sold.

If you are interested here is an email from Ants about the fate of some of the other cars.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear teams

After much hoo-ha and procrastination by customs, and in the midst of a tropical rainstorm, the auction of the mighty Africa Rally steeds finally went ahead on Wednesday. The crowds gathered, tensions rose, the rain hammered down and the cars girded their loins for a new life in Africa. All that was missing was the auctioneer. As time ticked on and the crowds began to shuffle their feet impatiently, it became clear that the auctioneer had taken fright and was not going to turn up. Either that or she had been bound and gagged by customs.

More heated discussions ensued and twenty minutes later the first two cars had gone under the hammer of a replacement auctioneer for 460,000 CFA and 430, 000 CFA respectively. The replacement was none other than Ed Hawkins, of the Fairbridge Car, who did a truly marvellous impression of a seasoned professional and sold all but one of the 25 cars in less than three hours. The irony is that the one car not sold was his very own trusty VW.

Despite the rain and the hold-ups the auction was a big success. The top price was fetched by Wrong Way Down’s Daihatsu Mira, which went for a whopping 1510000 CFA (£1819.23), the lowest by the Adam’s Brothers’ Nova Merit, which went for 180,000 CFA (£216.86). The total given to CWAF, our chosen beneficiary of the sales, was 7964689 CFA (£9596). They are going to use the money to build a much needed new quarantine at their forest site in Mefou, near Yaounde. So a very big thank you to all of you for not only doing the rally but for giving your cars to such a good cause.

Auction Breakdown
Team Car Sale Price (CFA)
Battlestar Africa I 1994 Blue Ford Fiesta 460,000
Battlestar Africa II 1994 Red Ford Fiesta 430,000
Adams Brothers 1990 Vauxhall Nova Merit 180,000
Fairbridge Car 1989 VW Polo 230,000
Fools from the Stix 1988 Red Vauxhall Nova 230,000
Great Balls of Fur 1988 Suzuki Supercarry 240,000
If it don’t work hit it 1989 blue vauxhall Nova 180,000
Iron Lion Zion 1993 Red Peogeot 106 200,000
Le Dahlia 1999 orange Daewoo Matiz 990,000
The Black Sheep 2000 Fiat Seicento 710,000
Risk it for a Biscuit 1995 blue fiat punto 780,000
Return of the Heroes 1994 Green ford fiesta 410,000
Sandbox Warriors 1996 spider Nissan micra 720,000
Wrong Way Down 2000 Silver Daihatsu Mira 1,510,000
M-Tak Attack 1994 blue Nissan micra 850,000
Carlops to Cameroon 1987 white Suzuki SJ 1,140,000
Camerooned 1996 Red Fiesta 385,000
Joshua Tree Motoring Club
1,020,000
Team Triumph 1981 Brown Triumph 200,000
Two men and a Micra 1993 White Nissan Micra 810,000
Team Zebra 1984 Ford Fiesta 310,000
Scaredy cats do Africa 1992 fiat panda 250,000
Speedy Gonzales 1986 black Suzuki SJ 900,000
Sandbox Savants 1988 Black Suzuki SJ 900,000
Africa Shox Blue Peugeot 106 400,000

Hope life is treating you all well and see you at the reunion on December.

Thanks

Ants

Thursday, August 21, 2008

WE MADE IT!!!!!.....sort of

Right this minute Anthony and I are in or nearby Gatwick International Airport in London. We survived teh nearly 10,000 miles trek from Hyde Park to Kribi!!! However, Lady Deathwish did not make it. After our last post in Nigeria, everything we seemed to put our fingers to seemed to die whether it was our car or the internet [hence no posts for over a week].

The beautiful lady made a valiant effort as the oldest vehicle to participate in an Adventurists sponsored rally. She made it to Cameroon, but fell a mere 1500km short. We had to part ways with our car, our home, our friend in the Northern Cameroon town of Garoua.

The terrible roads of nigeria proved to be too much for her to handle. The last 1000 miles were a frustrating time filled with stops and repairs and eventually disappointment. In her final few days the Lady had to have numerous parts re-welded and finding VW bug parts in this remote area proved to be quite difficult.

A brief rundown of the final repairs and problems:
A) the engine was removed to check clutch and pressure plate, turned out we had snapped the clutch pedal and had to be rewelded. The guys who did the repairs actually fixed up our electrical as well for free. while in the same yard the welder also welded the holes in our exhaust so it didn't fall off.
B) At one point during a treacherous dirt road the VW went airborne at about 40km[25mph] which caused the front end of the chasis to collapse once we nosedived into the corrugated road. The front tunnel houseing our gasline had shattered into four pieces and had to be rewelded. we had to drive the 3km back to the last village with the steering wheel in our lap.
c) the starter was acting up and this may have been in conjunction with the fuel pump concking out because we had to bump start the car for 2.5 days once in a dry riverbed between the cameroon and nigeria border with 15 ft riverbanks with a 45 degree angle.

In the end we got the car towed to the Wildlife College, which works with the Cameroon Wildlife Aid fund, and was a contact of the Adventurists in emergencies.

AFter that we hopped a bus to NGaoundere. Took an overnight train to Yaounde. Then jumped a bus to Kribi. So we made the final party on the 16th. I was so glad that the Adventurists decided to throw me a birthday party. It was really cool seeing the minister of tourism from Cameroon eating my birthday cake.

The party was awesome, with the exception of Ben and Bob, our entire convoy made it for the party and we had a blast. The Sandbox Savants, the Black Sheep, If it don't work hit it, and the Spider-Micra were all there. In total 10 teams showed up and we had a blast. Then on Monday morning we left.

From there we headed up to Douala to book flights home and to see the site of the Auction. Douala looked like a pit. This might have been just a factor of our travel weary minds but the bustle and constant danger of muggings really turned a lot of people off to the placec. Add on the problems the Customs officers [too high import tax] made led to none of the cars being auctioned the first day. Afterwards they reduced the tax by 40% so hopefully next week the auction goes off wiht success.

Now i'm heading back to Vancouver, and Anthony is flying to San Diego tomorrow. It's been a long journey but I'm really glad to have made the trip.

We both plan on putting our 'Final Thoughts' up in the coming weeks so stay tuned. We also plan on throwing up [not litterally] some photos and videos.

Peace!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Nigeria = Murphy's law

this is the fourth attempt to make a post, the power keeps crashing due to the rainstorm.

terrible roads = twice broken steering column
wet distributor caps = hour long stops for drying
rain = slow to no driving
power outages = no shower and no internet

but despite all this which i wish i could elaborate on, I'm liking nigeria. The landscape and people are really nice. But the delays are quite frustrating. After being ahead or on schedule, we have fallen behind 3 days in Nigeria alone. From teams that have gone ahead of us, Cameroon should be much of the same. We are honestly hoping to make the Adventurist's end of race party on the 16th, but that is looking tougher and tougher as the days drift by.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Jibberish in a few minutes

Today we arrived in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. It appears to be the end of our little caravan for now. The Sandbox Savants are heading off to Niger, If it don’t work hit it is heading straight to Benin, Ben and Bob are heading home with the outside chance that Bob will jump into Kirin’s car and join us on the Togo route, while the Irish are heading home as well.

Tonight we are having a combo party for Doug’s birthday and for our imminent departure. Then in the morning we’ll be blasting to Togo and hoping to get through to Benin on the same day. Hopefully; we’ll be meeting up with Tom and Steve again at the Nigeria border so we can have a three car convoy to deal with the corruption together.

Otherwise, besides a serious bout of diahrea brought on due to fatigue and a random incident at the Mauritanian border things have been going great. Nouakchott was cool and the people were friendly they tried helping us repair our tire and the other teams windshield.

The remaining time was spent resting and eating. We decided to get an early start on things the next day because it was a long dusty trail out to the Mali border.

After a few hours outside Nouakchott you could tell that you were heading south. Grass started to appear and the trees more frequent. At one point I thought I was looking out on a golf course with smashed up cars dotting the area.

Finally; once we got to Mali everything was beautiful. The border crossing; the sunset, the scenery, the people, it all was a pleasure to look at. Everything was nice and you could buy beer!!!! It was actually a shame that we drove straight through the southwest side in only two and a half days.

Then once we got to Burkina Faso it was nearly the same as Mali. The only major difference is that the rains had started. Every night since we got to Burkina it’s rained all night and my poor tent just can’t handle it. So we’ve slept inside a church garage and under a makeshift tarp/tent/car apparatus that keeps some of the water out. But otherwise it is quite refreshing to be able to go out at night and rinse the salt and sweat off your body before you sleep.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Mali!!!

Arrived in Mali the other day and ended up staying on a flat landscape that overlooked the horizon. It was a great start to a great time in Mali. Bamako was chaos to drive through and I had to pay a fine for a missing headlight. Last night we stayed at a campsite and had a refreshing well deserved beer. Right now we are off to Burkina Faso in hopes to cross the border today.

PS: Realizing a flight home will cost me 5 to 7 grand is horrifying since i dont have that....hahahahahaha ehhhhh boohooooo

Monday, July 28, 2008

A proper update from Dakhla

Ok, so today was cool we had a major vehicle malfunction, a taste of real desert settings, and a great relief.

Yesterday when we were driving down the highway I saw a bloated dead camel on the side of the road. It was so much bigger than the live ones we have seen grazing alongside the road. I pointed it out but Anthony was a bit slower and missed it. One of the other teams in our convoy actually stopped and took a picture so perhaps we can get a copy.

Then today as we were driving down the highway we had a tail wind and flat ground so we were traveling along at a whopping 100 kph (60mph). At this point Anthony noticed a bit of rumbling outside the front left corner of the car. He looked out the window and I saw glass and black stuff come flying over the hood of the car. I had thought he had hit something. So we pulled over and lucky we did.

It appears the bungee cord holding down the hood broke due to excess wear and caused the hood to shake up and down. Somehow, something came loose or maybe the hood smashed the front headlight which then caused a very sharp very thick piece of glass (the bit of the lamp attached to the power cables) to dangle in front of the front tire. This piece of glass then shredded all the tread off the tire. When we stopped we essentially were rolling on an inflated tube. So we changed out tires and were on our way the road again in 30 minutes.

The rest of the trip to Dakhla was more or less quiet apart from us needing to remove the headlamp housing sine it was deformed and rubbing against our new tire, The Sandbox Savants (the other American team and they are from boston) ran out of gas and had to pull their jerry cans to refill, and then on the approach to the peninsula where dakhla is there was wind storm like conditions.

The stretch of road going from the Gendarme post into the Dakhla peninsula was and open road that spanned between two hillsides. It led down to a beautiful bay where people were windsurfing and parasailing. But the winds from the hillsides that these people were enjoying were blastin our car with sand. We had to prop open our car doors while we were driving to roll up our windows (the roll cage blocks the window cranks so they can only go up and down with the doors open).

Fortunately for us the two other teams in our caravan arrived in Dakhla a few minutes before us and met a British couple. They gave us the names and contacts of some guides that can take us down the coastal route to Mauritania so we don't blow ourselves up in the mine fields. Looking forward to riding the tidal beaches!!!!!

Now we head back to our bungalows to enjoy some beers which have been three days in the making. Due to the strict Muslim culture here finding alcohol is extremely hard. A few frosty brews at mere cents a piece will be so glorious for our souls!!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Western Sahara

So we have made it to the Western Sahara. The French keyboards are quite a pain for updating but weĆ¹ll perservere. After our crazy night drive we headed into Rabat. Managed to get our Mauritanian visas in the works and ran into several other teams who were doing the same.

They told us they were staying in a clearing of woods just outside of town and we were invited to join. So after the embassy we all headed out to camp and we got a much needed rest and food. Afterwards, Anthony started to get over the culture shock attached with large African cities; the noise, the mayhem, the smell, etc.

So now we are in Layounne and looking to make it to Mauritania in two days. We should be able to make it barring any major setbacks. Based on the nature of our convoy it should not be a problem.

Wish we had more time to elaborate but internet cafes are slow and not very common. perhaps we can do a proper update in Noukchott while we are waiting for our Mali visas.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Morroco!!!!

So we made it to Morroco and cleared customs. Not that bad of a process actually. But since we weren't feeling like paying even more tolls to travel along the main highways, we took a route through the mountains that was on the GPS. EEEEEEP!!!! That was an adventure and a half. First we quickly saw some beutiful sights but once the sun set things got crazy;

The twisty mountian roads were quite narrow with little sturdy shoulder. Sometimes it was a few hundred feet drops off the side. In addition our headlights were not quite aligned properly so visibility was always a problem. Toss in the two tons of smashed bugs on our windshield and we could hardly tell where the road was when the maniacle drivers would come the opposite direction with their highbeams on and not shutting them off. Our quick drive to Rabat soon took nearly 6 hours by the time we stopped for the night.

So right now we are tired, cramped and hungry. We did manage to run into some of the other Africa Rally teams at the mauritanian embassy. They told us of a nice quiet place off the side of the highway to camp so we'll be spending the night there. Finally a chance to stretch out our legs.

We are still looking to get some more car parts. I'm still trying to call Bank of America since you cannot make collect calls from Morroco to the US. Overall I think we are just going to get some food and go take a nap.

After we get our visa for Mauritania tomorrrow we will head south and get our Mali visa in Mauritania. We're both looking forward to setting our eyes on the desert.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Tracking and update

First of all if you want to follow our trip we are sending text messages to an Adventurist bot which posts our texts on a google map. The link is this but to see our European updates you gotta drag the map down cuz it automatically focuses on Africa. In addition they only have certain points which corespond to real life cities so most of the places we can´t post from.

ANYWHO, so since we took off from Wiesbaden we headed out to klenova which is a tiny town with a castle about an hour from Prague. Our only little mishaps of the journey was when Anthony backed into a ditch and I had to push it out while he floored it. But c´est la vie. The party was ok, we met loads of people from the Mongol Rally [I hadn´t realized it was so big (that´s what she said)]. We ended up partying till 3 am despite our constant intent on gettin to bed early.

We woke up and started tuning and fixing up the car. We did for a while end up with a little better gas mileage and performance, but by the end of the day it was back to the old ways again. So we plugged along trying to tune and fix the car as we went. It was touch and go for a while. Then we decided to say screw it and just deal with it till we got to Morrocco.

Then began our 30 hours straight drive. We had only gotten to the French-German border near stuttgart by the end of our first day out. So we started up again at 6am and drove all day and night until we got to Malaga. We took shifts of sleeping and driving. But mostly we were just being cranky and smelly.

We have already bought our ferry ticket and hope to catch one in an hour or two once we get to algeciras. But we need to find a few things before we cross over. I also have to call the bank so they release my CC. Since, with the 2-to-1 exchange rate we are practically broke on cash till our paychecks arrive on friday.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

On our way to Prague!!







so it is noon in wiesbaden and we leave in a few. hope the new haircuts streamline the car more to give us better gas mileage.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Day two - Start of Rally

This morning we kicked off the Rally in Hyde Park London. It seems that our vehicle generated a lot of buzz in London. Everywhere we went heads were turning, thumbs up galore, kids chasing us down. I'm guessing some of that had to due with the defeafening roar of the engine.

But when we arrived at the starting point it was great to see the great array of cars showing we were not the only crazy souls actually taking part. Some of the cars were quite awesome looking, carpetted like a zebra or cheetah, another painted with an african scene on it.

After walking down the line of vehicles we noticed that we were the only fools to ship our car. That and the fact that we were one of three American teams. But from the sounds of it, we had the most popular car, although the head honchos didn't reward our efforts.

As we set off we decided that the best option would be just to follow the line of cars leaving the park. Almost immediately I knew this was a bad idea. At the first stop light the fellows in front of us jumped out of their car and said, "Hope you aren't following us mate we haven't a clue where we are going". So in order to get us to where I thought we should head we got stuck in traffic outside a construction site. This set us back about an hour.

Finally we busted through and got our route back on track, but since London was built hundreds of years before the invention of the car it's inner city throughways are not designed to handle 20th century traffic. So after a noon start we didn't get to the Chunnel train until after 4. We hopped on and found we weren't the only team to get lost so we chatted with one of the other American teams on the way over.

ONcewe hit continental highways we really found out what our vehicle was made of. Come to find out 55mph uphill is balls out fast, and downhill we can reach upto 65mph. So the typical 6 hour drive from Calais to Frankfurt us about 10 hours. We arrived in Wiesbaden around 3 am. I felt bad because we had no money and no phone and Soline had been expecting us at 10pm. Once we found her apt and buzzed her, she told us that the sound of the car coming down the street woke her us and she knew it was us.

So the first day of travel has opned our eyes as far as our ability to cross vast stretches of land. It looks like we will have to drive in shifts and camp in rest stops to make Morrocco in time to get our visas before next weekend. Today we get the car looked at to set the timing and tomorrow it's knights and wenches party in Praha.

Cheers FOLKS!!!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

First Day in London!!!!

Oh what an exciting first day. Anthony and I both showed up a little late for our flights in the US and somehow got bumped up to better flights so we both ended up meeting earlier in Heathrow. We certainly needed the extra time because it took us all day to get our car from the warehouse.

We left Heathrow on the Tube heading north to the Liverpool street train terminal and got there two hours later [just to give you an idea of the size of london]. Hopped a train out to Felixstowe and got the car.

The guys at the warehouse got a kick out of the idea that we were going to be driving the Deathtrap all the way to Cameroon. Let me tell you, the damn thing truly lived up to it's name. Not 10 seconds after we left the parking lot did Anthony notice a weird smell and stopped the car. I looked over at him and saw a cloud of smoke billowing up behind him.

He looked back said oh shit and hopped out. He pulled his seat forward to show a small fire had started underneath his luggage. We both ran around to the area of the fire and quickly extinguished the small spot of flames. We also started looking for the cause.

We then noticed the metal runner on the bottom of Anthony's overloaded suitcase has jammed it's way down and was causing a short circuit on the relay causing the wires to overheat and start burning.

After 45 minutes of electrical work and repacking we were on our way into London. After a few wrong turns and a little scrape in a roundabout we managed to find our way to my friend's flat. And thus ended the first leg of our adventure. 100 miles down, 9,900 to go!!!!!

Time permitting pictures later.

Monday, July 14, 2008

In the morning!

So, in 5 hours I will be waking up to get on my way to LAX. I have a 9:45am flight with some questionable luggage. I had one suitcase filled to the brim with tools, books and other car rebuilding goodness but it was tipping the scale at about 75lbs. I realized that I can only bring 50lbs max on my suitcase, which, by the way, I found outside next to the dumpster. After breaking the handle off from trying to lug it around, I had to pull out all heavy objects which I deemed as safe items (ie. wrench set, socket set, vise grips and a few books) and replaced them with items from my carry on. Now my plush carry on weight about 35lbs and not so happy to move around. The suitcase, success! It weights 50lbs on the dot. I hope security doesn't question my carry on contents cause I can pretty much rebuild their x-ray machine with what I have in it.

After LAX, it's to Chicago and then London. I bid farewell to work for the month I will be gone and after this thought, no more work!!!!!! Sorry Breast Liftians.

Prior to this leave, I got to visit Tijuana with Missy and her family. So, so much fun! We got to shop, drink, eat and take pictures with donkeys....keep it clean y'all.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Team Deathwish #2 Africa Rally fundraiser in past month

I'd just like to thank all our donors again. Thanks to your generosity Team Deathwish has raise the second most money for the three charities in the past month. Our total of £761.72 is just behind the first place team [the Sandbox Savants-£777.46] THANKS!!!

Check it out here: https://www.willwemakeit.com/challenge/theadventuristsafricarally

Friday, July 11, 2008

Travels begin

I arrived in Florida this morning [6am eastern] after a red-eye flight from Seattle. I'll be here in the Keys/Miami area through tomorrow. My mom's husband is taking me out fishing tomorrow afternoon. It's just a quick stop on my way out. Then Sunday morning I leave bright and early for NYC. I'll be picking up my passport from CIBT and spending a few days finalizing things. Then it's away we go.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Tick tIck tiCk ticK

Time is counting down. In the last few days we managed to raise a good amount of fund raising but we still are a bit away from or goal. Although the two charities add up to about roughly 700pounds (around $1500) we still raised a lot more. What isn't shown is a hefty amount that helped us get the DeathTrap up and running. Thanks to everyone who has contributed. We will help out our charities and also furnish you with tons of stories, pictures and video from this event. The last two pending on theft and/or robbery. Lets hope that that doesn't happen. For me it's 7 days and counting while Kevin has 3 days and counting. Excitement!!!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

8 Days and counting down

A little more then a week and we will be on our way to London. Kind of chaotic and exciting. Seems my life is moving in as much chaos as the rally. I will be packing up my belongings and moving them into a storage facility next Friday which will mark the day of my homelessness. Some couch surfing will endure for the couple of days before I leave. Kevin has been picking up some supplies and he will also be fronting the shipping fees for the bug. As to our surprise, we have to put down more money on a car deposit for the race. Other then that, I received the wolverine storage unit and it seems super simple but very susceptible to the elements. I will need to keep it bagged up from the dust along with my 35mm camera. Still waiting for the rest of the gear to arrive. As for now, its crunch time for the donations and fund raising. Raising money is tough and I guess I don't really have a knack for it. Need more practice on that front.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Quick Update

Today I bought a few items for the Rally. The first was the Panasonic SDR-SW20 which is a cheap almost HD quality video camera with no real bells and whistles besides the waterproof casing and the ability to withstand dust and a minor 5ft drop.

I then got a Wolverine FlashPac to unload the info of the SDHC cards from both the camera, video camera and GPS.

Finally I picked up the Garmin eTrek Vista HCX handheld GPS unit that will allow me to atleast have a direction in the chaos of Africa. So, hopefully I can document this epic adventure.


On top of these orders, the DeathTrap had docked in Felixstowe, UK and is waiting for us to pick it up. The Visas are on their way and fund raising is ramping up quickly. We have a few more buys but for the most part we will have everything Rock-n-Roll for the 15th.

Also, I went and downloaded some GPS maps of Africa from Tracks4Africa and will be able to put these maps into the Garmin and atleast have some major roads to navigate our route by. Pretty sweet.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Two New Charities

Team Deathwish has added two new charities that will benefit from our efforts I've listed them below.




CWAF - Cameroon Widlife Aid Fund

Did you know that gorillas and chimpanzees are endangered species? If their numbers continue to decline at current rates, they will be extinct in the rain forest of Cameroon in our lifetime....and we are working hard to protect them. Our forest sanctuary is home to 16 gorillas, over 70 chimps and over 100 monkeys, mostly orphans of the illegal bushmeat trade and victims of the pet trade. With your help, we can continue our work to ensure their future survival, and expand our conservation education programme in local schools and villages.

Visit the CWAF website








FRANK Water Projects funds world wide clean water projects. FRANK has so far funded the installation of 4 projects in Andhra Pradesh, India. An additional 4 more projects in this area are currently under development- benefitting 48,000 people to date.


Each project costs £6,700 and provides clean, safe drinking water for up to 6,000 people in the surrounding communities. FRANK Water staff make annual, self funded visits to the villages and meet with our partners to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the projects.

Frank Water Projects now plans to start funding the installation of sustainable clean water projects in Ghana throughout 2008-09

Visit the FRANK Water Projects website


These two charities were added in addition to the money we have already and will continue to raise for the Send a Cow Charity.



Since 1988 Send a Cow has given cows and other livestock to hundreds of poor African farmers - mainly women, orphans and disabled people. The animals provide milk and incomes, and their manure increases crop yields, combating poverty and malnutrition. Send a Cow also provides training and low-cost veterinary services.



To donate to these charities and help Team Deathwish meet their fund raising goal visit our donation page:

Monday, June 2, 2008

First bit of Publicity

Today Team Deathwish received their first bit of publicity. The guys at LetsGetTight.com featured a short spot about Team Deathwish with our very own description of what it is we'll be doing. You can check out the article called Team Deathwish - Send a Cow. With pictures of the bug and links to our willwemakeit.com page.

Also, if you get a chance check out some of their other articles, those guys put a lot of effort into their website and Team Deathwish would like to thank them for helping spread the word about our efforts.

Friday, May 30, 2008

IDPs and Visas

Been working on the paperwork side of things lately. Got my IDP ready, bought my ticket to London. The Bug should be setting sail on Monday and the visas are a pain!!!! We narrowed it down like this:
At first, we were getting Visas for: Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon. Ten Visas total and we thought we were going to spend a ton. We found out we can get out Visas for Mauritania and Mali in Rabbat, Morocco. Now we were down to 8. We then figured we can drop Guinea and Senegal which took us down to 6. With avoiding Senegal we don't need to get a Carnet De Passage but we will need to apply for a Laissez Passer at the borders. Finally, we found out that we only need a passport to get into Morocco which bring us down to 5 Visas. Now the time frame works and we won't be spending as much as we thought.
Other things with the Visas included itinerarys to countries in which we hope to drive to on a certain date. How can we tell them when and where we will be staying when we don't even know if we will make it on time nor any hotels, brothels or floors we can stay at. That is proving to be a pain.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Buttoned up and packaged to ship

The epic adventures of finishing the Deathtrap! I spent the last 2 weeks up till midnight on average to get the bug shipped. I ended up doing a whole lot of work. I guess I will start with a list to keep it somewhat organized. This is in no means the order in which it was puit together, I will start from front to back.
Under the hood
1) I made a battery trap for two batteries
2) I put in a new glove box (plastic is the way of the future)
3) Honk honk, new horn.
4) Put in new front shocks
5) Installed a new master brake cylinder
In the cockpit
1) Roll cage was added
2) 12V cigarette lighter
3) Fog light switch
4) A/C (12V fan that OSCILLATES!!!)
5) 32gallon gas tank
6) Floor panel where there was a flinstone style braking hole
7) 4 way battery switch (Bat1, Bat2, Both, Off)
8) 3 Way gas valve (Gas tank 1 or 2)
9) primer bulb on extra gas tank
10) Routed the intake into the cabin
11) Rack for 4-20L water tanks
Roof
1) Roof rack with spare tire mount
2) Fog lights
Rear end
1) Engine overhaul
2) New plugs, wires, top end, distributor
3) Rebuilt carbs
4) Added polyurethan mounts for transaxle
Body
1) Thatcher ended up pin stripping the bug all 70s style

The pics!


















Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Top End Rebuild!

So, a lot has been done and I apologize for not updating recently. I ended up cleaning the whole bug out and took it around for a little while. It ran great, albeit a little noisy and a few sputtering stalls here and there...it ran great! I ended up taking the beast over to my friend Thatchers house and we proceeded to remove the engine. I took the engine out and I tore the top end down and stuffed everything into the rear of my car. I brought the engine to VW Paradise and they are currently rebuilding the top while porting and cleaning it up. I will hopefully pick it up tomorrow. While that was being worked on I had spent a few weekends working on other things. Thatcher and I put a roll cage into the bug and during that install we found that the floor under the passenger seat is completely rusted out and that the sheet metal above the transaxle is also completely rusted out which worked to my favor in working on the transaxle. We had to build a frame to mount the roll cage onto in that VOID. Still needs a little bit of work but the roll cage is 90% in. After that I ended up changing the mounts on the transaxle with some heavy duty polyurethane ones, I am currently putting in a tranny strap and the axle boots were replaced. I bought some angled steel 1x1x.125 and these will be the mounts for the battery (dual), gas tank, jerry cans and the roof rack. I am spending my thursday afternoon to cut and weld all of them together so I can install them this weekend. I still want to rebuild all brakes, shocks and front wheel bearings. I also need to figure out how to wire up dual batteries and the dual tanks. I found a 3-way valve that only supplies one tank at a time. Also a 4way switch for the batteries. This weekend I will put the engine back in and will proceed to adapt a breather box, new air filter routed into the cabin, electronic ignition with new wired, coil, etc etc. I nixed the oil cooler and filter since I would have had to have the engine completely torn down and worked over for that. WIRING, is a nightmare since the guy before me had used electrical cords and other hokey stuff to put it together. I will attempt to get them straight again.

I only have 2 WEEKS FROM TODAY to ship it!!!!!! Argh, so much work to do and Kevin will be coming in a few to check it out. I want to get it running and possibly get into the desert to ride it a bit. A lot of info but I hope to write more often and explain whats going on better. Don't criticize my grammar, I know I am horrible. Its ok, I am an engineer not a writer.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

So here is the deal!

Ok, so chaos has enveloped my life since the last post. My living situation is better and I decided to go another route. I am selling the Manx and bought a 1968 VW Baja Bug. It cost me about $1100 and its a gem. It really needs a bit of work but overall I am happy and it has gotten me to work and other places without much trouble. This weekend I will be dropping the motor and tranny to rebuild it and hopefully have it running again on sunday night. I need to ship it in a month so time is of the essence. Here are a few pics of the beast....more to come soon.





Monday, March 3, 2008

More chaos and changes

Well, where to start? I just moved into my new place. I had a bit of a falling out at the last place but now I am in a way better situation. Only bad thing, the manx had to get relocated to a storage unit about 10 miles away. The storage unit doesn't have any lights or electricity so I will need to work on it during the day and/or use a lantern and headlight.
Just came across a deal on a VW bug that could/might take the place of the manx but the extreme factor goes down a whole lot when you change to a covered and enclosed vehicle. Going to get more info on this vehicle and make my decision after I check it out.
Besides all the chaos of moving and relocating the manx, life is good. Work is chaotic and there are some other pressing life issues but that doesn't need to be discussed here.
This coming weekend I will be visiting the VW junkyard again to get more parts. Will also be looking into shipping a motor from my friend dave who lives on the east coast. That will only happen if I decide to keep working on the manx.

Monday, February 11, 2008

We have some major changes in Team Deathwish!

So, unfortunately, John will not be able to do the rally. After thinking really hard (not really), I was thinking, who would throw themselves into a fire without any remorse? One name came to mind, my other half Asian, KEVIN MCCABE! The Korea/German/English and the Japanese/Irish unite to form one full Asian scampering across Africa. After his quick response of, "Yeah, I will do it!" he started working on our brochure. CHECK OUT OUR NEW BROCHURE
Besides that, I will be approaching a few companies on Wednesday for sponsorship and free goodies.
PS. Please share this brochure with as many people as you can. It would mean a lot. Thanks

Monday, February 4, 2008

Junk yards, driving, rain and spiders.

So, last Friday I picked up my spring rebuild kit for the VW since they didn't have any in stock. Saturday, I went to Interstate Used Parts and they had a great selection of VW parts. I picked up a gas tank, front Baja bumper, steering block, pedal assembly and two tires (w/ no tread) for $125. Good stuff, he gave me a deal and said the next time I came in he would hook me up, provided, I bring in a brochure and slap a sticker on the car with his company logo on it. I got back fairly late in the afternoon and proceeded to get the brakes all set. The drums, I had taken to a shop to get machined but they were too far out of spec that I need to get new ones. So, another thing to order. It rained all Sunday so I couldn't work on the deathtrap. Thats where I am at now. I will be ordering more parts tonight and thinking about what else needs to be ordered. NEED the brochure finished. Might just make it myself.

Monday, January 28, 2008

What have I accomplished so far?

I tried hitting up the junk yards this past weekend but the Left Coast closes at 2pm. That's completely stupid. Back east they would stay open till at least 4pm. So, I ended up just buying the easy things, Brake rebuilds. When I pulled off the front tires last week I found a Black Widow spider behind the rim and proceeded to squirm and light it on fire. The beast was as big as a peanut m&m. After I torched it I flipped it over and, voila, the infamous red hourglass. So, after that experience, I am more cautious on my disassembly. When I removed the front brake drums I found another one. Nothing brake cleaner and a lighter couldn't fix. Glad I found it since there was a small grape sized nest in there. This one was a lot bigger then the last. Did I mention that I am terrified of spiders. Don't get me wrong, I will act as if nothing is wrong but inside, I am a complete wuss.

This week I am going to rebuild all four corners, brakes pads, drums, springs, wheel cylinders, brake lines, bearings and suspension. Might possibly try and lower the trailing arms in the back so I can get more ground clearance. All this stuff isn't trivial.

Other things I decided will need to be on the Manx:
1) Front and Rear Bumpers/Cages
2) Safari roof rack with a cutout over the passenger side so they can stand up and get some good shots (Camera or Gun).
3) 32gal gas tank in addition to the standard one.
4) 20gal water tank with a gravity fed filter and water bladder on the roof to feed into it. Once we find a stream we will filter the water first with a pantyhose and funnel, then with the gravity filter and then finally we will chemically treat it. No messing around with diseases.
5) Dual batteries with a toggle switch to select either one or both.
6) CB radio to talk with the other teams if need be.
7) At least a small sound system, ipod and waterproof speakers and amp.
8) Dual filter, dual ported filter. More clean air, more happy engine.
9) Extra Wheelset
10) Hi-Lift
11) Solar panel that can charge the engine while idle.
12) 12V converter for charging things.
13) Camera Mounts for driving footage.
14) Some type of tarp/bug net for when we sleep in the vehicle. It wont have windows, a roof or doors.

Other things that need to be purchased:
1) Little burner (they have ones that run off anything combustible)
2) Rice tub for a lot of rice! Not taking as many chances with local food.
3) Video Camera
4) Toys!!!! I want to bring little matchbox cars, dolls and soccer balls for the kids we meet.
5) Sat Phone for sending GPS locations back to the website.
6) Wind up flashlights and things of that nature.

There are plenty more things needed for this trip, I will sort that out later.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Almost success on the Carnet De Passage

I ended up talking to the lady who runs the CDP section of CAA (Canadian Auto Association) and sorted out the logistics of it all. Once the vehicle is built and registered I can send in a 2 page application with photos and the money and within 2 weeks of receiving the paperwork I will have the CDP. The kicker, it's $400 for the application, processing, and CDP, a $300 deposit used for delivery and etc, plus, you need to get a loan from your bank "Credit" to hold against the vehicle if you leave it in a country that requires the CDP. I will have to get a stamp when I enter and leave the country. I will also need to get it stamped by customs from another country that doesn't require a CDP so I can prove that I didn't leave it there. Since the vehicles will be auctioned off for charity after the races, I will need to get the CDP stamped elsewhere and then auctioned off in another country that doesn't require the CDP. Handful but doable. Big sigh of relief in getting that figured out. Now the only hard part is to get the vehicle built and registered as a VW specialty bug. Fun fun.

Figuring out the logistics of the Carnet de Passage

I ended up going to AAA yesterday to figure out the International Drivers Permits, Visas and Carnet De Passage. Some good and bad news. It turns out that the IDP is a quick process and that the Visas are doable in a 2-3 month period. The Carnet, on the other hand, is going to be a pain. I will need to build, register, insure and then apply for the Carnet, which takes a month or too. All this for a low price of $800 not including the money (0-300% of the vehicle sticker price) you have to put against it. WTF! I think I can get away with starting the registration process while building it and by the time I get the registration the Manx will be built and ready for an Inspection. I need to ship it out by the end of April. Then after it has shipped I can work on the Carnet in the 2.5 months following the shipping of the manx. Argh, so much to do.

On a side note, I will be visiting multiple VW graveyards for parts this weekend. Pick and pull my friends. See what I can get.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Donations!

Thanks for all who have donated so far. I have been receiving a lot of emails from people who will also be spreading the word. That's a great idea, so, if you can, pass it along!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Africa Rally 2008

So you ask yourself, how far would you go to raise money for a worthy cause? For John and I, we easily said that we would take on the Africa Rally 2008! We will be driving our VW Manx, which is currently in pieces stowed in my backyard. Given the current state of West/North Africa you might say we are a bit crazy but hey, that's the adventure. Dakar Rally has nothing on us since we don't have a multi million dollar vehicle nor a multi thousand dollar vehicle. I bought it for a grand and let me tell you, it needs a lot of work. Crazy? Possibly! So here is the plan:

  1. Raise Money - thats where my friends, families, fools and companies come into play.
  2. Start building the VW Manx "The Deathtrap" - I have it started and will need a lot of work put into it.
  3. Obtain Visas - This is going to be a pain since we need 5 visas for africa.
  4. Obtain IDP - Can't start a rally without it since the goal is to drive.
  5. Obtain Carnet de Passage - A visa for "The Deathtrap"
  6. Find a Route - This one is going to be fun.
  7. Raise more money - After we hit out mark for our Charity we will be taking personal donations to ease the load of everything else.
  8. Buy a ticket to London - Also figure out a way back into the US.
  9. Ship "The Deathtrap" to London - Hopefully it will sail nicely
  10. Say a Prayer - Africa isn't a walk in the park!

What I need from you! Support, both verbal and *cough cough* charitable.

Here is what we have so far for "The Deathtrap":

The only way I could trailer it home was to put it in the trailer crooked. It worked out fairly well.
Photobucket

The front view with the shell on the bare rolling chassis.
Photobucket

The night I finished my makeshift car port. Courtesy of Home Depot and Harbor Freight. I went with the spring collection of decorations.
Photobucket

Here is the shell lifted using two bicycle lifts.
Photobucket

When I said the frame was bare, I meant it.
Photobucket

We saw the main skeleton now the guts, a conglomerate of parts. This is going to be like putting together a puzzle with no picture but it is a VW bug so no biggie.
Photobucket

Count three engines, hopefully I can get one to work.
Photobucket

Well thats it for now. I will post more as I get to it. Again, to the right are two donation buttons. One is for Send a Cow and the other is a personal donation to Team Deathwish. We will be placing everyones name who sends in a donation on the vehicle. The bigger the donation the bigger the name or company. I will get those details in order when I can.