Oddest 'what car' ever? What V8 to drive from UK to Vietnam?

[fivetenben]

This one will probably take a little explaining - bear with me!

Combining my two interests of cars and travel by undertaking long road trips in unlikely vehicles has been a hobby of mine for quite a while now. Many moons ago, late one Friday night while discussing potential trips, and a friend of mine put down his pint glass and came up with an idea so simple it just stuck and refused to go away - V8Nam.

Get a car with a V8. Drive it to Vietnam.

Against our better judgement, the idea lingered and is now set in stone, with a departure date of April 2013. And this raises the question - what car to take on a 3 month, 12,000 mile road trip across 20-odd countries, several deserts and the odd mountain range?

Firstly, 4x4s are out - thanks to my love of the preposterous, it has to be something random; something which wouldn't immediately be thought of as a suitable choice for overlanding. To give an idea, my last big trip was across Africa in a Porsche 944 - that's the level of unlikeliness I'm looking for. Also, it has to be something reasonably easy to bodge if something goes wrong, which counts against more modern, computerised stuff (shame, as I'd love an excuse to get a BMW 840!)

So that's the basic spec - I'm after a reasonably simple, very cool V8, 2 or 4 seats, preferably under £4-5k. Also, must be reasonably 'iconic' (hate that word!) to help sell articles & a book about the trip. Here are my thoughts so far:


TVR Chimaera
Early, slightly tatty one is in budget.
Pros- I already have one, so know 'em fairly well. Comfy, plenty of storage space inside, cheapish parts, decent MPG, probably fairly straightforward to increase the ground clearance slightly. Likely to generate plenty of niggling problems, but should be fairly straightforward to keep one moving...
Cons - Wind noise with the roof up (have any owners managed to solve this?!), safety and security in general.

Chevvy Corvette
Seen a few for around £4k recently, but know very little about them. I'm guessing they're rather tougher and more reliable than a TVR, similar economy-wise, added bonus of LHD & hardtop, but with a bit less space inside and an annoying auto box? V8 Camaro or Pontiac could also be an option, but again, I'm no expert on these...

Rolls/Bentley
My travelling companions are set on taking a Rolls, so an all aristocratic convoy could be an option. Bottom end seems to be around £4k, and generally they look reasonably simple and unstressed mechanically (?), and won't have been thrashed. However MPG is surely terrible, and part of me is gravitating towards something sportier...

Finally, a leftfield idea: AC Cobra replica!
This is an idea I had recently, but I've no idea how viable it is - approaching a kit car company about supplying a kit, in return for publicity. I've a solid track record of success on trips such as this, and my previous trips have appeared in the national press and have had books written about them, so potentially, I could guarantee a decent amount of mainstream media exposure showing the company's product in an easy to build, reliable and adventurous light. Probably a pipe-dream, but I'm guessing some folk on the racing side of PH have experience of similar dealings with low-volume manufacturers?

Right, enough of my random musings, and thanks for reading. Any comments, criticisms or further suggestions of interesting V8s which would look good when given a rally makeover and parked on the Tibetian Plateau would be greatly appreciated...

Ben.

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Hi folks, thanks for the replies!

Granted, on paper this may seem like a daft idea, but in reality the road conditions between the UK & Vietnam aren't actually 'that' bad. The whole journey can actually be done on reasonable tarmac, and security-wise most of Asia isn't as bad as the media would have you believe - as a tourist passing through, anyway.

I do like the Rover SD1 suggestion, and it would fit the bill perfectly - simple, distinctive, spacious and British. I like. P5 would be a good call too, but my last ill-advised trip was in a P6, so it's maybe a bit too similar...

'90s Mustang - hadn't thought of that for some reason! I'll take a look later, but sounds like a good possibility...

The big Merc is probably technically the 'best' suggestion, as it's pretty much the perfect vehicle for this sort of trip (spares available everywhere, tough as anything, they basically tick every box). However I'm looking for something more random; something you wouldn't expect to see on this sort of trip. Whereas rationally it would be the best suggestion, that very fact, combined with my masochistic streak, means it's not for me. Having said that, I might look into an old SL though...

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FourWheelDrift said:

Rover P6 3500 V8 - http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C299206 for a wing and a prayer motoring

Or a Lexus GS/LS for reliability and aircon.

Last time a similar question came up, I went for the P6, and a fine steed it was too:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Good suggestion - as are all the Rover options - but time for something different this time, me thinks...

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vixen1700 said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C263304

Comes in at budget and is pretty iconic (well the shape anyway) as being British.

I like this suggestion a lot. Somehow just as interesting and unusual as the TVR/Vette option, but in a completely different way...

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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.

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y2blade said:

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I was under the impression these were HORRIBLY unreliable!

I love the look of them though, always have done...ever since watching Risky Business back in the day


The Porsche 928 that Tom Cruise drove in “Risky Business” sold for $49200 at a recent auction of Hollywood memorabilia.

Despite the electrical scariness, the '928 would be right up near the top of my list, if it weren't for the fact that my last big trip was also in a Porsche. Time for a different marque, variety being the spice of life and all that...

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v8250 said:

Ben, have you planned your route yet? Obtained the necessary visa's for this kind of drive? Even a simple Google Maps of London to Vietman takes you through Iran, Afganistan, Pakistan + Northern India which is serious bandit country, and Burma. The Iranian Motor Club are a good hospitable bunch and may be able to arrange military escort for you.

Also suggest you have a chat with these folk www.taciran.com and the British High Commission in London notifying them of your planned route, dates, et al.

For good guidance you may like to contact Philip Young at The Endurance Rally Association on 01235.831221 http://www.endurorally.com/ He has more experience than most in knowing what permits & visas would be required. Good luck on your amazing adventure!

PS the V8250 is the one to go for - very robust, a simple design, and a doddle to repair by any Bangladeshi roadside blacksmith.

Cheers for the contacts - and don't worry, we're planning to travel somewhat north of Google's suggested itinerary! The rough route plan is a few posts up, and I've driven around Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc) before, so I know the paperwork and travel conditions reasonably well. Rest assured, despite how people coming online to ask questions such as mine can appear, I'm not completely green to this sort of undertaking.

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Chris71 said:

I like the Rover P6 suggestion on the previous page.

If you really have to attempt a zillion mile road trip in a £4,000 V8 TVR you'd probably be looking at a Wedge than a Chimaera. Don't get me wrong, the Chimaera is in most respects a better car, but you're going to have a far more realistic choice of 350is at that price.

Hi,

I've given wedges a lot of thought and thoroughly perused their classifieds section on here - the two things which put me off are the fact they don't appear to have much luggage space, and (sorry for being shallow!) the looks - the profile just doesn't scream 'classic British sports car' like the Chimp does.

I completely agree that a slightly tatty £4-5k Chimp probably won't be ready to set off across Asia, but I get the impression that many of the chimps that end up at this price point are there as much because of tired interiors/paintwork and higher (daily driver) mileages as for mechanical neglect? If so, I'd hope I should be able to find one which works okay for the money (and I have facilities to do outriggers if needed). The other beauty of a Chimp would be that I already have one, which I'd be parking in the garage for 3 months while the trip is underway - so many spare parts needed for the trip could be 'borrowed' from it, rather than purchased. And I have to say, I kinda like 'em

Having said that, one thing that puts me off a fair bit is the heavy clutch - I imagine it would be absolutely exhausting negotiating somewhere like Istanbul in one - a '944 was bad enough... Which makes the 'Vette, Mustang and Merc coupes' auto boxes rather appealing. Hmmm...

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v8250 said:

Good-o. Have taken a look at your profile...you'll be fine as definitely no green ears. IMHO go for a car that's not ran with electronics/ECU, has cart springs at rear, and carbs that can be tweaked where only low octane, and/or, water contaminated fuel is the norm'.

Have just read a little of your blog. Highly applaud the Oxford comma, and, may be able to help you with keeping SU carbs' cool when needed at 35-40degsC. Feel free to PM me.

Marvellous, cheers!

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markCSC said:

Some silly suggestions

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Really silly suggestion
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Good luck!!

Silly? That's a whole troika of excellent suggestions you have there! (Well, except the Lincoln - spending 3 months convoying with a Rolls in one would be a tad humiliating... )

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CapriV6S said:

Rover P5b Coupe or P6 3500. Can just imagine the photos.

So can I





Anyhow, thanks so much for all the suggestions folks - I appreciate what a strange request for ideas this is; looking for a car to make a big trip in, but then prioritizing unlikeliness over reliability or practicality. Rest assured I appreciate all the suggestions, but in the strange place that is my mind, the reliability of a Lexus or Audi actually counts against it, despite such vehicles actually being among the best suggestions when you look at things rationally.

Come to think of it, that ^^^ probably explains why I drive an Alfa...

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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...

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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...

okie592 said:

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds?Cat...

alot of choices on this beta classifed, ide go jag! or that old e55

Edited by okie592 on Thursday 6th September 18:21

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...

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....

Edited by rswift on Friday 7th September 11:11

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...

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!

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One strange thought I had this morning, by the way. Aren't there a fair few of these around with a Rover V8?



Definitely has the right look for a trip like this, me thinks...

[fivetenben]

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...

Edited by fivetenben on Monday 10th September 21:26

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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

You have mail...

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J_S_G said:

Would be immense fun and plush 'n' lush to do a rally in one of these.
BUT... biggest problem is in the undercarriage... not great ground clearance to begin with, HUGE overhangs, and a loooong wheelbase. Unless you raise one about 3" or so, the off-roading / half-built road sections will involve a lot of grounding out and likely a fair bit of pushing when beached. No worse than a Roller, really, though.

Agreed, they've got a lot going for them - toughness, familiarity, comfort, and that much sought after element of being a bit leftfield. Just had a look on carandclassic though and all the few in the UK seem to be a bit over budget. Unfortunately same is looking true for the Daimler 250, with most of the sub-£5k ones being restoration projects, so the search continues... (Should have got rid of last trip car - ironically a Rover P6 V8 - in a few weeks, so will be in a position to buy then.)

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2.5pi said:

Hi Chrs

Yup that was the beast.

Point taken re gremlins on a modern but iirc there are quite a few beemers of that vintage operating out in the 'stans so the fuel issue may be soluble, at least it has an adaptive ECU to retard for low octane .

Cheers

Yeah, that BMW would probably make the journey rather effortlessly, without too many problems, and is right up there with big Mercs and suchlike as a good choice if you're after the most rational non-4x4 vehicle to take... as well as being a very appealing thing to get to use in the UK.

Unfortunately, my love of the random means that its practicality actually counts against it, just as it counts against the Audi S8 suggestion a few posts above - I'm after something you'd not expect to make such a trip; something which will likely throw up those small issues which will make the journey a challenge. In Jupiter's Travels (excellent round-the-world motorbike book, btw), I seem to remember Ted Simon saying that on this sort of trip, the delays, and problems you overcome 'are' the journey - the memorable parts of the trip which live with you long after the easier days on the road are forgotten. This is why I don't want anything 'too' suitable; conversely, something impossible to make the journey in would obviously be a bad idea too - it's the happy medium I'm after.

There's a reason my blog is named '80breakdowns', you know! ;-)

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davepoth said:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/genu...

Here's one, top of the price range, but looks to be quite nice. There are a couple of ended listings on eBay too - here's one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-FORD-CROWN-VICTORIA...

As for offroading...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFwPXEeJ3aI

Looks pretty good to me.

Edited by davepoth on Wednesday 12th September 11:53

Cheers for that, it's certainly an interesting leftfield choice; I'll give it some thought. Seems that gumtree one has had a price reduction btw, as it's the same one I found for £5750 here: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C322582

Would look rather incongruous driving around downtown Hanoi too, me thinks!

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mig25_foxbat2003 said:

I can't believe you're not taking the P6, that's made for the job!

Any reason why Iran is off limits? Are you a - whisper it - journo, or have they found some other reason not to let you in? Five days spent with the nicest people in the known universe would be a far more enjoyable route to Bonkersville (Turkmenistan) than the boat, I can assure you...

Whilst the Crown Vic is a great suggestion, I think it lacks a certain JNSQ. In fact, I don't think you can really top your mates Royce except with a single car...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

Do it in style Ben.

There's more than one way to top a Rolls - you've just got to think laterally.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Cortina-P100-3-5cc-...

When I initially looked into things a year ago the plan was to go through Iran; however I think the FCO kinda have a point in advising against it, and I imagine visas are now next to impossible to get anyway after the embassy storming, hence the (potential, depending on RHD/LHD) route across the Caspian via Baku. It is a shame, as Iran is somewhere I really wanted to visit.

As for the P6, it was great for Morocco, but it's time to move on I'm afraid...