Oddest 'what car' ever? What V8 to drive from UK to Vietnam?
Discussion
The Roller sounds good but is the Citroen self-levelling rear suspension going to last? besides, TG have already done it.
Not the Corvette. While robust mechanically, rough road will rattle it to bits in no time and the early digital instruments will probably take a dump. Not enough clearance and you'll rip the exhausts off. A mustang might be a btter baet - a Fox body as it's small, reasonably light but probably still auto but the C4 box is fairly global. The Camaro/Firebird will have similar clearance issues as they have big overhangs and are low.
Cheaper than a Mustang, something lijke a 90s Ford Thunderbird.
Jaguar XJ - may have to settle for a six though.
Lexus LS400 is going to take some of the challenge out of it.
Not the Corvette. While robust mechanically, rough road will rattle it to bits in no time and the early digital instruments will probably take a dump. Not enough clearance and you'll rip the exhausts off. A mustang might be a btter baet - a Fox body as it's small, reasonably light but probably still auto but the C4 box is fairly global. The Camaro/Firebird will have similar clearance issues as they have big overhangs and are low.
Cheaper than a Mustang, something lijke a 90s Ford Thunderbird.
Jaguar XJ - may have to settle for a six though.
Lexus LS400 is going to take some of the challenge out of it.
Rach* said:
Hi Ben, absolutely brilliant adventure.
If you haven't found a tour guide for China yet I can highly recommend these guys
http://www.navo-tour.com/en/
Very reliable, organised, flexible and knowledgeable.
Will be following your blog with envy
Thanks Rach, I've read about your travels and was actually intending to drop you a line and ask that exact question, but you beat me to it. I hope you've got some similarly random travel plans coming up too... If you haven't found a tour guide for China yet I can highly recommend these guys
http://www.navo-tour.com/en/
Very reliable, organised, flexible and knowledgeable.
Will be following your blog with envy
Harry Flashman said:
That Zodiac with the 5.7 V8 that was suggested earlier. Amazing, and agriculturally simple and rugged.
And awesome, too.
I have to say, I completely agree. that and the Daimler 250 have been my favorite suggestions so far...And awesome, too.
okie592 said:
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds?Cat...
alot of choices on this beta classifed, ide go jag! or that old e55
Thanks for the link to your search - I didn't know the beta ads could do that. Of everything there, I'm most drawn to the TVR Chimaera (predictibly), the absolutely awesome Zodiac and the Somewhat leftfield Pontiac Firebird. Strangely I wasn't drawn to the Mustang; if I were to take something American I think it should either be totally retro (Zodiac) or totally sporty (Vette, Trans-Am). For me, the '90s Mustang kinda falls between the two stalls. The Jag would make for a very dignified way to cross a continent, but thanks to its complexity, I think I'd end up spending the whole trip worrying that some unsolvable warning message is about to appear on the dash...alot of choices on this beta classifed, ide go jag! or that old e55
Edited by okie592 on Thursday 6th September 18:21
rswift said:
Rugged engineering, a bit leftfield, run on any old fuel...go East ...
Gaz, Zil & best of all air cooled Tatra, and according to Wikipedia (so it must be true) Volga did a mid nineties car with the Rover V8 fitted .... perfect.
No sure where you would find any of the above over here, but I was in Moscow earlier in the year, and big old down at heal Soviet Era cars were still in evidence, as everyone wants new euroboxes. May a pre trip trip !
Might be tempted to follow in my 1960 2cv....
I hadn't really considered the Soviet stuff, mainly because the few times I've seen any of it for sale in the UK the prices have been preposterous. I think I need to take another look...Gaz, Zil & best of all air cooled Tatra, and according to Wikipedia (so it must be true) Volga did a mid nineties car with the Rover V8 fitted .... perfect.
No sure where you would find any of the above over here, but I was in Moscow earlier in the year, and big old down at heal Soviet Era cars were still in evidence, as everyone wants new euroboxes. May a pre trip trip !
Might be tempted to follow in my 1960 2cv....
Edited by rswift on Friday 7th September 11:11
As for your 2CV - you've just reminded me. I did the Mongol Rally a few years back and encountered a rather serious group of French 4x4 enthusiasts on an organised trip across Siberia. Their 15 vehicle convoy was mostly fully kitted out landcruisers, with the odd Shogun and Humvee mixed in... and a single 2CV. As the convoy flew past us at about 40mph on a rough gravel track, the 2cv was an amazing sight, comfortably keeping up with the tough 4x4s offroad, and, probably, making them feel somewhat silly and unadventurous as a result.
Very under-rated expedition vehicles, are 2CVs!
fivetenben said:
Not finalized 100% yet, but the general plan is down to Turkey, then through Georgia into Azerbaijan. Then ferry from Baku to Turkmenistan, and up to Uzbekistan. Then through either Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan into China, and from there down to Hanoi.
Obviously, thanks to politics and suchlike, this may change. The only part of it which has to be absolutely set in concrete before we leave is our route through China, which we need to begin working to get clearance for at least 3 months before we leave.
If you're planning on getting visas en route and need any tips on where to get them with the least amount of hassle / highest chance of success without an LOI / massive bribe etc. then let me know. I'm doing an overland trip right now and have just reached Baku and have sorted my visas along the way.Obviously, thanks to politics and suchlike, this may change. The only part of it which has to be absolutely set in concrete before we leave is our route through China, which we need to begin working to get clearance for at least 3 months before we leave.
Sorry, been lazy and not read anybody else's responses on the thread, so apologies for any duplication in advance...
Have just got back from doing the first 1/2 of this drive myself, UK to Kyrgyzstan via the "Northern passage", having done UK - Azerbaijan ("Southern passage") a couple of years back. Next year will be Kyrgyzstan to Saigon to finish this off.
Firstly, thoughts on the route:
1. Fuel wise, you'll be OK with almost anything diesel or petrol as long as it's not a highly tuned engine. Fuel quality in the ex-USSR is pretty shocking, especially outside major cities. In the cities, what claims to be 96 RON is more like 80-85. Out of the city, what claims to be 80 is probably more in the 60-70 range... that may likely cause problems, so worth thinking on.
2. Roads-wise, if you taken the southern route, with a Caspian sea crossing, the only bad roads up to that point are a few bits of renovation in Turkey. HOWEVER, getting a RHD car into Azerbaijan is nigh on impossible. We tried three times and failed. If you take the Northern Route, the roads in Romania are OK up to a point, but start going downhill from there (more of the new motorway will be in place by next Easter). Kazakhstan in particular has some shocking roads - the usual 10ft wide, 2ft deep craters that just "sneak up on you" and will shatter an axle if you hit them full pelt. Same as the bad bits of roads on most other continents. From there on, everything I've heard is the Kush and northern Pakistan bit is the other tricky bit of road. Once in India onwards, there's a good chunk of it on reasonable tarmac.
Note: I'd definitely do the usual rally prep of raising the suspension 2-3", fitting a steel sump-guard, and making sure the car wheels are steel not alloy.
3. General car thoughts:
- LHD will be handy for overtaking, and a couple of countries. Lack of space for luggage/spares in a 2 seater / 2+2 more of a challenge.
- Automatic vs. manual is a tough choice. If you've got a new clutch plate in, manual's great. If not, who's to say if it'll give up the ghost and be a real pain en-route. Problem with an auto: push starts if needed. (And nowhere near as much fun, BUT WAY MORE PRACTICAL for some of the long-haul days of driving). Realistically, luck of the draw whether you get a good one of either at that price
- Euro/Jap brands are likely to have better parts availability if you need repairs out there.
- EFI vs. carbs. You can certainly rebuild carbs easier any almost anywhere, but anything of that ilk is more likely to have other problems - overheating electrics, etc. so I wouldn't make a decision based purely on that either way
- Surprising amount of LPG available in some of the former USSR if you happen upon a car for sale with a bomb in the
boot - might almost be worth leaving it in at a push.
4. Thoughts on V8s that would be fun:
- The first drive to the Caspian sea was in a Lexus LS400 that was ~£350. It was absolutely bullet proof, and a luuuuurverly drive. Left a fun pot of money for "modifying" it with into something more fit-for-rally. Technically, a bit of a dull choice, though.
- Plenty of old Mercs and BMWs on that route - up to 1990 MY or so (as you'd expect). Probably fine for repairs en-route. My choice of the German marques:
- BMW 840 / 850 for some hooning fun, old SL/SLC, or an Audi S8 (Roooooonin - but a bit of a safe choice).
- You could do US preposterousness - as you mention, e.g. Corvettes. Or a Firebird: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
- Are there any of those God-awful Ferrari replicas that you could rid the streets of the UK of??
- Cadillac? (Any offroading would be excruciating with those overhangs... but a Caddy with a 6" suspension lift...)
- XJS. Lovely, truly lovely. But likely to break. Every day. Without fail. I once managed 21 breakdowns in 21 days on a rally. I pity anyone that tries to break that record...
- A Lada. Just because. Well, just because it epitomises everything that the Roller isn't. And if you can get someone to drop an RV8 into one of these, it'd be hilarious.
- Maserati Quattroporte. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
- An old Chim, as you say. I'd worry about electrical problems over that distance. And depending on the high/low temperature ranges, potentially some issues there. I'd love the idea - but hate the reality if it were me.
- Rover P6: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
- V8 Triumph Stag?
And, some personal favourites:
- Lotus Esprit. Oh God yes. With an entire supply-line of spares, mind.
- Jaguar XKR. Tasty.
- This: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
(OK, appreciate that's massively unrealistic, and a little out of the price range, but in a proper Englishman abroad kind of way, I'd be game for helping the li'l thing limp to Vietnam)
Would be interested in hearing your route, as we're debating a couple of options from Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan onwards. PM me if you can be bothered?
Have just got back from doing the first 1/2 of this drive myself, UK to Kyrgyzstan via the "Northern passage", having done UK - Azerbaijan ("Southern passage") a couple of years back. Next year will be Kyrgyzstan to Saigon to finish this off.
Firstly, thoughts on the route:
1. Fuel wise, you'll be OK with almost anything diesel or petrol as long as it's not a highly tuned engine. Fuel quality in the ex-USSR is pretty shocking, especially outside major cities. In the cities, what claims to be 96 RON is more like 80-85. Out of the city, what claims to be 80 is probably more in the 60-70 range... that may likely cause problems, so worth thinking on.
2. Roads-wise, if you taken the southern route, with a Caspian sea crossing, the only bad roads up to that point are a few bits of renovation in Turkey. HOWEVER, getting a RHD car into Azerbaijan is nigh on impossible. We tried three times and failed. If you take the Northern Route, the roads in Romania are OK up to a point, but start going downhill from there (more of the new motorway will be in place by next Easter). Kazakhstan in particular has some shocking roads - the usual 10ft wide, 2ft deep craters that just "sneak up on you" and will shatter an axle if you hit them full pelt. Same as the bad bits of roads on most other continents. From there on, everything I've heard is the Kush and northern Pakistan bit is the other tricky bit of road. Once in India onwards, there's a good chunk of it on reasonable tarmac.
Note: I'd definitely do the usual rally prep of raising the suspension 2-3", fitting a steel sump-guard, and making sure the car wheels are steel not alloy.
3. General car thoughts:
- LHD will be handy for overtaking, and a couple of countries. Lack of space for luggage/spares in a 2 seater / 2+2 more of a challenge.
- Automatic vs. manual is a tough choice. If you've got a new clutch plate in, manual's great. If not, who's to say if it'll give up the ghost and be a real pain en-route. Problem with an auto: push starts if needed. (And nowhere near as much fun, BUT WAY MORE PRACTICAL for some of the long-haul days of driving). Realistically, luck of the draw whether you get a good one of either at that price
- Euro/Jap brands are likely to have better parts availability if you need repairs out there.
- EFI vs. carbs. You can certainly rebuild carbs easier any almost anywhere, but anything of that ilk is more likely to have other problems - overheating electrics, etc. so I wouldn't make a decision based purely on that either way
- Surprising amount of LPG available in some of the former USSR if you happen upon a car for sale with a bomb in the
boot - might almost be worth leaving it in at a push.
4. Thoughts on V8s that would be fun:
- The first drive to the Caspian sea was in a Lexus LS400 that was ~£350. It was absolutely bullet proof, and a luuuuurverly drive. Left a fun pot of money for "modifying" it with into something more fit-for-rally. Technically, a bit of a dull choice, though.
- Plenty of old Mercs and BMWs on that route - up to 1990 MY or so (as you'd expect). Probably fine for repairs en-route. My choice of the German marques:
- BMW 840 / 850 for some hooning fun, old SL/SLC, or an Audi S8 (Roooooonin - but a bit of a safe choice).
- You could do US preposterousness - as you mention, e.g. Corvettes. Or a Firebird: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
- Are there any of those God-awful Ferrari replicas that you could rid the streets of the UK of??
- Cadillac? (Any offroading would be excruciating with those overhangs... but a Caddy with a 6" suspension lift...)
- XJS. Lovely, truly lovely. But likely to break. Every day. Without fail. I once managed 21 breakdowns in 21 days on a rally. I pity anyone that tries to break that record...
- A Lada. Just because. Well, just because it epitomises everything that the Roller isn't. And if you can get someone to drop an RV8 into one of these, it'd be hilarious.
- Maserati Quattroporte. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
- An old Chim, as you say. I'd worry about electrical problems over that distance. And depending on the high/low temperature ranges, potentially some issues there. I'd love the idea - but hate the reality if it were me.
- Rover P6: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
- V8 Triumph Stag?
And, some personal favourites:
- Lotus Esprit. Oh God yes. With an entire supply-line of spares, mind.
- Jaguar XKR. Tasty.
- This: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
(OK, appreciate that's massively unrealistic, and a little out of the price range, but in a proper Englishman abroad kind of way, I'd be game for helping the li'l thing limp to Vietnam)
Would be interested in hearing your route, as we're debating a couple of options from Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan onwards. PM me if you can be bothered?
J_S_G said:
In the cities, what claims to be 96 RON is more like 80-85. Out of the city, what claims to be 80 is probably more in the 60-70 range... that may likely cause problems, so worth thinking on.
Would a lazy American V8 cope with that better than most?J_S_G said:
Would be interested in hearing your route, as we're debating a couple of options from Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan onwards. PM me if you can be bothered?
OP said:
Not finalized 100% yet, but the general plan is down to Turkey, then through Georgia into Azerbaijan. Then ferry from Baku to Turkmenistan, and up to Uzbekistan. Then through either Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan into China, and from there down to Hanoi.
Obviously, thanks to politics and suchlike, this may change. The only part of it which has to be absolutely set in concrete before we leave is our route through China, which we need to begin working to get clearance for at least 3 months before we leave.
Obviously, thanks to politics and suchlike, this may change. The only part of it which has to be absolutely set in concrete before we leave is our route through China, which we need to begin working to get clearance for at least 3 months before we leave.
British, Iconic, V8 and (f)risky...
Possibly cheating
Would also suggest a Jensen Inteceptor but price could be a problem!
Was the Reliant Scimitar only V6 or was it ever a V8 option?
Possibly cheating
Would also suggest a Jensen Inteceptor but price could be a problem!
Was the Reliant Scimitar only V6 or was it ever a V8 option?
Edited by g3rrd on Saturday 8th September 12:37
MX7 said:
Would a lazy American V8 cope with that better than most?
A lazy yank V8 would likely be fine - you'll notice a massive drop in power, and a massive increase in fuel consumption, but it's likely to be fine on low RON fuel as the States weren't known for selling 95+ everywhere to begin with! Definitely think about jerry cans. There are stretches where you're going to go 300+ miles without a single fuel stop, and even where there are, it could be REALLY sh*tty fuel / rationed. (They often don't like selling to foreigners with big ol' tanks).Newer, more highly tuned, finer tolerances engines will likely struggle more. Took a 1.8 Avensis on this last rally, and I was very surprised it didn't struggle more than a minimal misfire at worst. BUT, even on what was allegedly 93 RON fuel in Kazakhstan, we went from getting 400 to the tank to 250 to the tank, on 60-70mph roads (i.e. ~like for like road conditions). We deliberately only filled up in new petrol stations in the bigger cities. I think we'd have had real problems if we'd had to fill up on the rural fuel. Some of the cars got a bad (dirty) tankful from her and there and did struggle as deposits built up around the injectors, etc.
If you're doing the main route across Kazakhstan from Atyrau, the roads are a mixture of really quite good, and really quite likely to tear a sump off / shatter the chassis with less than a second's notice. They're re-tarmaccing the main routes which is a good thing, but (a) they've been doing this for years, and still not finished, (b) as soon as they're re-tarmacced, they form ruts again from lorries with the central ridges being christened 'sump busters', and (c) the 'diversions' around where new roads are being built are worse than nearly all the roads in rural Africa I've ever driven!
MX7 said:
Not finalized 100% yet, but the general plan is down to Turkey, then through Georgia into Azerbaijan. Then ferry from Baku to Turkmenistan, and up to Uzbekistan. Then through either Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan into China, and from there down to Hanoi.
Just remember: Azerbaijan is LHD only. There was NO bribing the border guard over this when we were there. Period. We tried the crossing 3 times, different days, different guards, and so on. All our paperwork was in order, it was for an Azerbaijani charity that they knew of, etc. They were more than happy to let us into the country - not an issue at all. But ZERO tolerance for a RHD car.Other important things to note here: You CANNOT dump a car in Georgia. You won't be allowed out of the country unless you're with the car, or it's officially imported, and you have their DVLA-equivalent paperwork to prove it. Import costs into Georgia are calculated on age x engine size. A 1991 LS400 was ~£2,000 to import. We managed to get a local to pay to import the car as long as he got to keep it, otherwise we would have had to drive back to the EU.
However, you absolutely can dump a car in Kazakhstan if it's beyond repair - there's nothing in your passport to tie you to the car.
MX7 said:
The only part of it which has to be absolutely set in concrete before we leave is our route through China, which we need to begin working to get clearance for at least 3 months before we leave.
We were going to plan around going on further. Getting the car into China looked *very* dubious (even with a lot of prior planning), so definitely get that one nailed (and if you do, let me know the hoops you had to jump?). If you want any info on the Afghan/Hindu Kush -> Pakistan -> India -> Bangladesh route, let me know - just trying to find out details from someone that drove this way a year or so ago.Maybe something like an older 740?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-740i-quite-rare-now-...
imo, they look awesome
maybe a bit 'too new'? - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-S-TYPE-4-0-auto-V...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-Mercedes-Benz-CL500...
soo many awesome, cheap barges out there!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-740i-quite-rare-now-...
imo, they look awesome
maybe a bit 'too new'? - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-S-TYPE-4-0-auto-V...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-Mercedes-Benz-CL500...
soo many awesome, cheap barges out there!
What about the VW Sand rail from PH Carpool from 12th March?
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=26&i=2535...
Fit a V8 then the trip is actually V8 VW 2 V8Nam.
Good publicity for the charity, would handle the crazy road, easy to fix. Put all the luggage in the Roller and buy some good waterproofs and thermals.
Bound to raise a few eyebrows :-)
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=26&i=2535...
Fit a V8 then the trip is actually V8 VW 2 V8Nam.
Good publicity for the charity, would handle the crazy road, easy to fix. Put all the luggage in the Roller and buy some good waterproofs and thermals.
Bound to raise a few eyebrows :-)
Hi folks, thank you so much for all the replies and suggestions (especially JSG - that's quite some time & thought you've put into your replies!)
Here's my thoughts on a few points which have been raised:
The Route.
Thanks for the points raised on this. While most of the route from the UK to 'Nam is fairly straightforward to plan, there are a few main stumbling blocks:
1 Azerbaijan / RHD - thanks for sharing your experiences on this JSG; sounds like you had an awful time trying to get a car in there, so close to your destination. I've not done 'that' much looking into the particular problem recently (basically, I looked into the route about a year ago and confirmed it was vaguely feasable, then put the whole V8Nam project on the backburner until now while I finished the book about the Africa/Porsche trip) but there seems to be two camps on the subject: Folks like yourself who've had everything in order and been unfortunately turned away, and folk who've randomly been let in (For instance, the article in Practical Classics July 2009 issue, when they took a RHD Rover P6 there). In light of this, It's something I've got to get to the bottom of before we leave, and if Azerbaijan is 100% closed to RHD (which it sounds like it may well be now - although I've also heard rumours of 'transit only' paperwork being issued for RHD recently) then we may move the route north and go through the Ukraine/Russia/Kazakhstan.
2 China. This one's easy; just throw money at 'em! Think we're looking at a 3 week crossing of China, and off the top of my head from looking into it last year, it's gonna cost the group £3-4k for the privilege. Ideally, I'd like to enter China via the Tougart Pass in Kyrgyzstan (snow permitting), head across the Talamakan desert, then somehow find a way of popping down to Lhasa & Everest Base Camp, before heading on to SE Asia. However, having read of KIL7ER's frustrating experiences in Tibet on here, it's another area which will need lots of research before committing to.
3 Vietnam itself - The final grey area is taking RHD cars into 'Nam. It's certainly been done (http://jasperhotel.net/news/details/more-right-hand-drive-cars-to-enter-vietnam.html) but it's an area which, like the Azerbaijan issues, we'll have to be on top of before we leave.
Final route point - I'm not really considering the 'southern route' as both Iran and Burma are off-limits, so it's got to be somewhere north of Afganistan, rather than south...
Right, this is Pistonheads - back to cars!
Thanks for the suggestions folks, there's some awesome ideas flying around (and Arlie71, congratulations on coming up with the first suggestion which has made me think 'hmmm... no actually, f**k that!'). Current frontrunners are:
TVR Chimaera - I nipped out for a pint of milk in mine the other day and spent the ensuing 2 hours nowhere near a shop, thinking how awesome a choice it'd be...
Daimler 250 V8 - Need to look into it as I know very little about them, but one would certainly look fantastic on a trip like this.
Something along the lines of the awesome zodiac posted earlier - again, it would make for a great sight, and would probably turn out to be the toughest, most maintainable option.
I also liked the idea of a Stag, until I remembered all the stories of how marginal the cooling systems can be, and have also stumbled across some '90s Merc SL 500s for stupidly low money (£2k ish) which would make for a pretty cool choice - if potentially a little too reliable.
JSG - I like your style with your dream suggestion of an Esprit; it's reminded me that I so wish my budget was a little higher, as it would open up some amazing options - Esprit, Ferrari Mondial, Jensen Interceptor and TVR Cerbera to name but four... Shame there's a recession on!
I wonder if PH would chip in a few grand... no, thought not - bloomin' recession!
JSG- I'll PM you the planned route across Central Asia in a few weeks when I've been through it again to see how much has changed in the world since I last looked into it (Primarily in Tajikistan, as I'd love to take in the Pamirs Highway, however I also hear the area around Osh has got increasingly dodgy since I last passed that way). Also, what sort of time next year are you thinking of going through China? We'll be aiming for 3 weeks in May, and would welcome another vehicle in our convoy to keep costs down if it all lined up...
Here's my thoughts on a few points which have been raised:
The Route.
Thanks for the points raised on this. While most of the route from the UK to 'Nam is fairly straightforward to plan, there are a few main stumbling blocks:
1 Azerbaijan / RHD - thanks for sharing your experiences on this JSG; sounds like you had an awful time trying to get a car in there, so close to your destination. I've not done 'that' much looking into the particular problem recently (basically, I looked into the route about a year ago and confirmed it was vaguely feasable, then put the whole V8Nam project on the backburner until now while I finished the book about the Africa/Porsche trip) but there seems to be two camps on the subject: Folks like yourself who've had everything in order and been unfortunately turned away, and folk who've randomly been let in (For instance, the article in Practical Classics July 2009 issue, when they took a RHD Rover P6 there). In light of this, It's something I've got to get to the bottom of before we leave, and if Azerbaijan is 100% closed to RHD (which it sounds like it may well be now - although I've also heard rumours of 'transit only' paperwork being issued for RHD recently) then we may move the route north and go through the Ukraine/Russia/Kazakhstan.
2 China. This one's easy; just throw money at 'em! Think we're looking at a 3 week crossing of China, and off the top of my head from looking into it last year, it's gonna cost the group £3-4k for the privilege. Ideally, I'd like to enter China via the Tougart Pass in Kyrgyzstan (snow permitting), head across the Talamakan desert, then somehow find a way of popping down to Lhasa & Everest Base Camp, before heading on to SE Asia. However, having read of KIL7ER's frustrating experiences in Tibet on here, it's another area which will need lots of research before committing to.
3 Vietnam itself - The final grey area is taking RHD cars into 'Nam. It's certainly been done (http://jasperhotel.net/news/details/more-right-hand-drive-cars-to-enter-vietnam.html) but it's an area which, like the Azerbaijan issues, we'll have to be on top of before we leave.
Final route point - I'm not really considering the 'southern route' as both Iran and Burma are off-limits, so it's got to be somewhere north of Afganistan, rather than south...
Right, this is Pistonheads - back to cars!
Thanks for the suggestions folks, there's some awesome ideas flying around (and Arlie71, congratulations on coming up with the first suggestion which has made me think 'hmmm... no actually, f**k that!'). Current frontrunners are:
TVR Chimaera - I nipped out for a pint of milk in mine the other day and spent the ensuing 2 hours nowhere near a shop, thinking how awesome a choice it'd be...
Daimler 250 V8 - Need to look into it as I know very little about them, but one would certainly look fantastic on a trip like this.
Something along the lines of the awesome zodiac posted earlier - again, it would make for a great sight, and would probably turn out to be the toughest, most maintainable option.
I also liked the idea of a Stag, until I remembered all the stories of how marginal the cooling systems can be, and have also stumbled across some '90s Merc SL 500s for stupidly low money (£2k ish) which would make for a pretty cool choice - if potentially a little too reliable.
JSG - I like your style with your dream suggestion of an Esprit; it's reminded me that I so wish my budget was a little higher, as it would open up some amazing options - Esprit, Ferrari Mondial, Jensen Interceptor and TVR Cerbera to name but four... Shame there's a recession on!
I wonder if PH would chip in a few grand... no, thought not - bloomin' recession! JSG- I'll PM you the planned route across Central Asia in a few weeks when I've been through it again to see how much has changed in the world since I last looked into it (Primarily in Tajikistan, as I'd love to take in the Pamirs Highway, however I also hear the area around Osh has got increasingly dodgy since I last passed that way). Also, what sort of time next year are you thinking of going through China? We'll be aiming for 3 weeks in May, and would welcome another vehicle in our convoy to keep costs down if it all lined up...
Edited by fivetenben on Monday 10th September 21:26
ive done the overland thing to malaysia before but i did it by train, boat and bus.
driving sounds a whole new adventure though!
if you have any spaces going in vehicles, i would actually join you! i can drive but have no mechanical skills at all. i can make cups of tea.
i was planning on going off on an adventure again in march anyway but yours sounds better
driving sounds a whole new adventure though!
if you have any spaces going in vehicles, i would actually join you! i can drive but have no mechanical skills at all. i can make cups of tea.
i was planning on going off on an adventure again in march anyway but yours sounds better
tsubodai said:
ive done the overland thing to malaysia before but i did it by train, boat and bus.
driving sounds a whole new adventure though!
if you have any spaces going in vehicles, i would actually join you! i can drive but have no mechanical skills at all. i can make cups of tea.
i was planning on going off on an adventure again in march anyway but yours sounds better
Do you have a blog or anything? I'd love to read about your trip driving sounds a whole new adventure though!
if you have any spaces going in vehicles, i would actually join you! i can drive but have no mechanical skills at all. i can make cups of tea.
i was planning on going off on an adventure again in march anyway but yours sounds better
MX7 said:
fivetenben said:
MX7 said:
Sounds interesting. What route are you taking?
Not finalized 100% yet, but the general plan is down to Turkey, then through Georgia into Azerbaijan. Then ferry from Baku to Turkmenistan, and up to Uzbekistan. Then through either Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan into China, and from there down to Hanoi.Obviously, thanks to politics and suchlike, this may change. The only part of it which has to be absolutely set in concrete before we leave is our route through China, which we need to begin working to get clearance for at least 3 months before we leave.
Rach* said:
tsubodai said:
ive done the overland thing to malaysia before but i did it by train, boat and bus.
driving sounds a whole new adventure though!
if you have any spaces going in vehicles, i would actually join you! i can drive but have no mechanical skills at all. i can make cups of tea.
i was planning on going off on an adventure again in march anyway but yours sounds better
Do you have a blog or anything? I'd love to read about your trip driving sounds a whole new adventure though!
if you have any spaces going in vehicles, i would actually join you! i can drive but have no mechanical skills at all. i can make cups of tea.
i was planning on going off on an adventure again in march anyway but yours sounds better
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