The V8Nam thread - Rolls Royce and Corvette content...
Discussion
Once upon a Friday night, in a pub called the Seymour Arms, some like-minded friends and I were whiling away the evening by coming up with ever more far-fetched ideas for road trips. From fairly sensible beginnings, the practicality of the ideas being mooted spiralled upwards from the realistic to the ridiculous, and by 11PM, only the daftest ideas were carrying any weight. And that's when, in a single word, the idea was mooted.
V8Nam.
Get car with a V8; drive it to Vietnam.
Despite it's obvious silliness, this idea was of such genius it refused to go away, and hence we're going through with it next year. Those who've followed the previous thread on the subject ( here) will already be familiar with our hunt for suitable cars; to cut that particular long story short, 4x4s were out, random PH-esque choices were very much in, and we now have two V8s in which to undertake the journey.
Firstly, introducing in the red corner, my new toy - a 5.7l Corvette:
After previously erring towards taking a TVR but being frustrated by the lack of cheap Chimaeras in my part of the world, I spotted the 'Vette on Ebay just up the road and went to take a look, more out of curiosity than anything else. Half an hour later, I'd impulsively bought it for £3,800, and drove home amazed that you can pick up the V8-powered American performance icon for the price of a rather average '944 S2.
My purchase of the 'Vette spurred my friend Brummy (of 'Survival of the Quickest' fame...) into action, and a few days ago his choice of trans-continental transport appeared outside the house. In the red, white and blue corner, I give you a six-and-three-quarter litre V8-powered Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II:
As British as the Corvette is American, Brummy's Rolls exudes an old-school charm and has possibly the most quaintly awesome interior ever. It also seems to do about 13 miles to the gallon and take up half of Devon...
So that's the convoy - England to Vietnam in a Corvette and a Rolls. We're leaving in April next year, and are planning on a three month trip. We're just bimbling through a route plan and figuring out the bureaucracy now, and will keep this thread - and the blog at www.80breakdowns.com - updated so anyone who's interested can laugh at our incompetent progress...
Ben.
V8Nam.
Get car with a V8; drive it to Vietnam.
Despite it's obvious silliness, this idea was of such genius it refused to go away, and hence we're going through with it next year. Those who've followed the previous thread on the subject ( here) will already be familiar with our hunt for suitable cars; to cut that particular long story short, 4x4s were out, random PH-esque choices were very much in, and we now have two V8s in which to undertake the journey.
Firstly, introducing in the red corner, my new toy - a 5.7l Corvette:
After previously erring towards taking a TVR but being frustrated by the lack of cheap Chimaeras in my part of the world, I spotted the 'Vette on Ebay just up the road and went to take a look, more out of curiosity than anything else. Half an hour later, I'd impulsively bought it for £3,800, and drove home amazed that you can pick up the V8-powered American performance icon for the price of a rather average '944 S2.
My purchase of the 'Vette spurred my friend Brummy (of 'Survival of the Quickest' fame...) into action, and a few days ago his choice of trans-continental transport appeared outside the house. In the red, white and blue corner, I give you a six-and-three-quarter litre V8-powered Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II:
As British as the Corvette is American, Brummy's Rolls exudes an old-school charm and has possibly the most quaintly awesome interior ever. It also seems to do about 13 miles to the gallon and take up half of Devon...
So that's the convoy - England to Vietnam in a Corvette and a Rolls. We're leaving in April next year, and are planning on a three month trip. We're just bimbling through a route plan and figuring out the bureaucracy now, and will keep this thread - and the blog at www.80breakdowns.com - updated so anyone who's interested can laugh at our incompetent progress...
Ben.
Thanks folks!
The last time I did a trip like this, we didn't decide whether to ship the car back or sell it until about 24 hours before we left the country - and even then, it was pretty much a toss of the coin; hopefully we won't be so indecisive this time...
carreauchompeur said:
Epic. Quite simply epic. What are you going to do with the cars when you get to Vietnam? From memory they have a humungous import tax...
We're yet to properly look into this - the options are to either sell them somewhere in S.E.Asia, or ship them back to Blighty; it all depends on which makes most financial sense, and how much sentimentality arises. If we do sell them in S.E.Asia, we'd probably be looking to sell in Singapore or Malaysia, as the plan is to make the most of our visit to Asia by carrying on to Singapore after ticking the 'V8Nam' aspect of the trip ('V8apore' just didn't have the same ring to it!)The last time I did a trip like this, we didn't decide whether to ship the car back or sell it until about 24 hours before we left the country - and even then, it was pretty much a toss of the coin; hopefully we won't be so indecisive this time...
Shaw Tarse said:
Is that plate still on the Roller, if so can he sell it to help with funds?
The plate will be staying with the previous owner I'm afraid. Shame...RS404 said:
This would make a fantastic documentary. Have you approached anyone about filming it? Sell some DVDs or better still to TV, I reckon you could use some petrol money! All the best to you, will be following your progress.
It's something we're vaguely considering at the moment, however I have a hunch we've left it too late to get a proper adventure film-maker interested, and if the timescale doesn't put 'em off, our faces-for-radio probably will! Seriously though, looking into this is on my to-do list for next week...David87 said:
Amazing. Can I come? 
Sure; get yourself a quirky V8 and join the convoy! I should warn you I'm a grumpy sod though... rswift said:
Brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book, Survival of the quickest. The next adventure looks to be exciting.
Having owned a Silver Shadow, I wold ensure that someone carefully studies the hydraulics of brakes and suspension, and works out a few advance emergency bodges if they fail ..... I don't you can sort the RR brakes with cable ties, but happy to stand corrected !
Glad you enjoyed the book, and thanks for the heads-up. I understand the electrics can be a bit iffy too.. (and I'm not saying that purely because the wipers packed up last night!)Having owned a Silver Shadow, I wold ensure that someone carefully studies the hydraulics of brakes and suspension, and works out a few advance emergency bodges if they fail ..... I don't you can sort the RR brakes with cable ties, but happy to stand corrected !
carreauchompeur said:
R11ysf said:
Brilliant idea and great choice of cars. Vietnamis about 9,000 miles, so @ 13 mpg you are looking at about 3,140 litres of fuel!! So £5k at Uk prices!!!! That's punchy but I'm sure it'll be the trip of a lifetime.
Best of luck, it is a truly excellent idea.
Ow, hadn't looked at it like that!!Best of luck, it is a truly excellent idea.
Turkmenistan = 0.15p/litre
Uzbekistan = 0.60p/litre
China = 0.70p/litre
Vietnam = 0.65p/litre
Based on that, I think if you aspire to run a Rolls or 'Vette for 10,000 miles, driving to Vietnam in the process makes a lot of man-maths sense!
Especially as a standard Corvette C4 will apparently do 28MPG at a steady cruise; maybe even more if it has a Rolls to slipstream...
slippery said:
I must add, how about losing a box or two from the RR exhaust for that full on Cannonball Crazy Arab effect!
I approve of the suggestion, however given Brummy's recently acquired propensity to begin sentences with 'when one owns a Rolls Royce...', said in the most olde English accent imaginable, I don't think he'll be up for such an uncouth modification. Luckily, the Corvette makes enough noise for 2 V8s anyway...carreauchompeur said:
The Rolls may as well have a trailer, it won't have much effect on weight and you know one of them's going to die!
Neither of them could possibly die - after all, the Rolls is about the most over-engineered, unstressed object on the planet, and the Corvette only has about 3 moving parts to go wrong in the first place. XJSJohn said:
You might be able to sell the roller in Singapore if it's over 35 years as a "classic car" and put it on classic registration, this will cost you about £7k, but you should see a bit of profit there.
The vette I suspect is too new, and also LHD so a non starter here.
Not sure about the imported used car thing in Malaysia, but the vette may well have a good value for parts.
Thanks John, I've just checked and the last LHD country on our rough route plan seems to be Cambodia, so I guess I'll have to look into whether I can sell the 'Vette there. Would be a shame to drive it halfway around the world, only for it to be broken for parts at the end of it all...The vette I suspect is too new, and also LHD so a non starter here.
Not sure about the imported used car thing in Malaysia, but the vette may well have a good value for parts.
Triumph Man said:
Slightly O/T, is the Seymour Arms you refer to the one in East Knoyle? I see you are in the South West, so put 2 and 2 together.
No, it's a little less rustic than that I'm afraid - it's the one in in the North Hill part of Plymouth. Used to go there quite a lot when I lived in the city...Asterix said:
Brilliant stuff - the wife and I are planning to visit Vietnam next year and it would either be in February or June. If we look at the June option, we could be there at the same time - it would be great to see the motors in the flesh after their adventure.
The best laid plans are to arrive in Hanoi at the end of May, then spend June bimbling around S.E.Asia, so it could well line up - we'll see!The sun came out today so I gave route-planning and suchlike a miss, and took the Corvette out without the roof on for the first time. Suffice to say, it doesn't make it any quieter...
I have to say, the 'Vette has grown on me since I got it about a month ago. Yes, it's big and brash and rather out of place in Devon, but now I've got a bit more used to the width and LHD-ness, its qualities are shining through more. It's comfortable. It sounds great (except at 2,500RPM when the exhaust note resonates like mad). It goes pretty well, especially above 4,000RPM, thanks to it being fitted with a 268 cam and big-valve heads. The ride is better than the Corvette's reputation would suggest, and the auto-box is only moderately annoying as I tend to end up driving it more like a GT than an out-and-out sports car. And once you ignore the size of the thing, it's very easy to drive. Also, touch wood, while the cabin may feel flimsy and low-rent, the car's mechanicals give the impression of being pretty solid and well put together, and everything on it works - even the climate control. And finally, I can't quite get over what good value for money it was.
I haven't driven the Rolls yet, but did deign to be chauffeured around in it yesterday afternoon, and frankly, it's so over the top it's awesome! Given all that's said about the comfort and quietness of a Rolls I had sky-high expectations for it's refinement which predictably, the 34-year-old girl failed to meet; however that doesn't detract from the fact that it's a very satisfyingly excessive way to travel.
Quick update folks - mostly regarding the route I'm afraid...
Now we've started researching the route properly, there have been a few changes in the route plan which generated some discussion on the 'what car' thread a few months ago; the current, updated plan is (roughly) this:
Note - If easily bored by geography, please skip the rest of this post!
From the UK, we're looking to take a leisurely bimble down through France to a place called Fontainebleau, then head east through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the Ukraine. After dodging the Ukrainian Police's attempts to exort money from us, we'll be ready to nip across Russia into pothole-filled Kazakhstan, where we'll veer south beneath what's left of the Aral Sea into Uzbekistan, about 4,500 miles - and as many gallons of unleaded - from the UK. A quick visit to the old Silk Road town of Khiva and we'll loop south through slightly-mad Turkmenistan, returning us to Uzbekistan near the beautiful cities of Bukhara and Samarkand. From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China. From there we really, really hope to be able to take the high road across Tibet to Lhasa, then drop down into Sichuan, but at the moment the Tibetan Tourism Bureau isn't issuing any permits for UK citizens to enter Tibet, so we're just hoping that all changes in the next month or so. If it doesn't, we'll have to skirt around the top of Tibet and drop into SE Asia - and journey's end - that way.
So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
So that's the route - for planning purposes we've decided to break it into 4 bite-size chunks:
2 weeks UK to Russia (abt 2,500 miles)
3 weeks Russia to Kyrgyzstan (about 3,000 miles)
3 weeks across China (about 3,500 miles)
4 weeks Hanoi to Singapore (about 3,000 miles)
Making it about 12,000 miles in 3 months, and thus ironically my slowest 'big' road trip yet (in comparison, my last big Asia trip was 10,000 miles in 4 weeks, UK to Mongolia in a 998cc Mini)
So that's the current plan. Which will probably change.
As for the cars, there's very little to report really. Both have done about 300 miles in the past couple of weeks, and are generally running fine - the Rolls seems to have a few issues with blowing fuses, and the 'Vette leaks a bit, but other than that, all's good! We're currently undecided as to whether to raise their suspension and fit roofracks, or keep them pretty standard, and accept the resulting limitations when it comes to bad roads. We're currently erring towards 'standard-ish' - maybe just jacking them up slightly - however if we manage to wrangle Tibet, that'll have to change...
Right, that'll do for now, and I promise the next update will actually be about cars!
Ben.
Now we've started researching the route properly, there have been a few changes in the route plan which generated some discussion on the 'what car' thread a few months ago; the current, updated plan is (roughly) this:
Note - If easily bored by geography, please skip the rest of this post!
From the UK, we're looking to take a leisurely bimble down through France to a place called Fontainebleau, then head east through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the Ukraine. After dodging the Ukrainian Police's attempts to exort money from us, we'll be ready to nip across Russia into pothole-filled Kazakhstan, where we'll veer south beneath what's left of the Aral Sea into Uzbekistan, about 4,500 miles - and as many gallons of unleaded - from the UK. A quick visit to the old Silk Road town of Khiva and we'll loop south through slightly-mad Turkmenistan, returning us to Uzbekistan near the beautiful cities of Bukhara and Samarkand. From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China. From there we really, really hope to be able to take the high road across Tibet to Lhasa, then drop down into Sichuan, but at the moment the Tibetan Tourism Bureau isn't issuing any permits for UK citizens to enter Tibet, so we're just hoping that all changes in the next month or so. If it doesn't, we'll have to skirt around the top of Tibet and drop into SE Asia - and journey's end - that way.
So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
So that's the route - for planning purposes we've decided to break it into 4 bite-size chunks:
2 weeks UK to Russia (abt 2,500 miles)
3 weeks Russia to Kyrgyzstan (about 3,000 miles)
3 weeks across China (about 3,500 miles)
4 weeks Hanoi to Singapore (about 3,000 miles)
Making it about 12,000 miles in 3 months, and thus ironically my slowest 'big' road trip yet (in comparison, my last big Asia trip was 10,000 miles in 4 weeks, UK to Mongolia in a 998cc Mini)
So that's the current plan. Which will probably change.
As for the cars, there's very little to report really. Both have done about 300 miles in the past couple of weeks, and are generally running fine - the Rolls seems to have a few issues with blowing fuses, and the 'Vette leaks a bit, but other than that, all's good! We're currently undecided as to whether to raise their suspension and fit roofracks, or keep them pretty standard, and accept the resulting limitations when it comes to bad roads. We're currently erring towards 'standard-ish' - maybe just jacking them up slightly - however if we manage to wrangle Tibet, that'll have to change...
Right, that'll do for now, and I promise the next update will actually be about cars!
Ben.
Hugo a Gogo said:
excellent!
that map you've shown looks like Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia though
Indeed it does! I drew the map a few days ago effectively as a proposal, to make sure everyone going was happy with the route - however my co-driver really wanted to go further south through Moldova and the Ukraine so the route for the Europe leg got changed.that map you've shown looks like Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia though
10/10 for spotting the deliberate mistake!
Hugo a Gogo said:
mind leaving Moldova to Ukraine takes you through lawless Transdniestr, an unrecognised state
that should be fun, not many of them in the world these days
Hi folks...
The turning point for Iran was when the (allegedly government backed) protesters stormed the British embassy, and we pulled out of the country. Add the latent threat of a war with the US or Israel and it's just all getting a little to unpredictable, hence opting for a route which is less likely to close at short notice. (Yep, basically I'm saying we're not ballsy enough, but in a really longwinded manner!)
Ben.
Sump said:
Moldover is a joke of a country, I think you will understand when you get to the border.
Remember what I said, a joke of a country. I hope my post comes to your head at the border, if you're not stressting too much.
Thanks, I'll bear that in mind and report back in April - unless the route plan changes yet again! Remember what I said, a joke of a country. I hope my post comes to your head at the border, if you're not stressting too much.
Mattt said:
Just finished the book after reading about it here, is Tom coming along on this trip?
Tom is giving this one a miss - he might be popping out to join us in the Rolls for a bit, but he's not up for the whole thing. (By the way, to anyone who's wondering, he's actually a perfectly nice guy when he's not being gradually worn down by the continuous stresses of a big trip and it's accompanying character clashes. He, Brummy and I are all still very good friends. And he's recently bought himself an '85 Porsche 911 too, if that helps absolve him!)Garlick said:
Love the R-R, any more photos?
Yep, I'm going to get some more taken at the weekend - I'll upload them soon enough...mig25_foxbat2003 said:
Route looks ace! Good luck in not getting bummed (figuratively speaking) by the Ukrainian border guards. The rest of the Central Asian lot play the game and you can get away with some Marlboros and a photo, however.
Yeah, I've done Russia and half the 'stans before and it wasn't too bad, but I keep hearing the Ukrainians are the worst of the lot. Ah well, I'm planning on just setting Brummy on them, that usually works...nickphuket said:
Totally Mad idea, love it! 
Do pop into Phuket on your way down to Singapore, we'd love to see the cars!
Cool, give me a shout if we make it that far and I'm sure we can say 'hi' Do pop into Phuket on your way down to Singapore, we'd love to see the cars!
Zad said:
To be honest, the RR could be perfect! Big balloony tyres, lots of suspension travel, and an engine that will presumably take petrol octane so low that you'd need a blow torch to light it.
You're right, it does have some things going for it - however the real big issue its got is approach and departure angles, and general ground clearance. That's what's probably going to limit our choice of roads somewhat, but then by not taking a 4x4 we're always going to have that issue...McFarnsworth said:
Just ordered the book and plan to read it while doing a trip of my own in about two weeks. North Cape and back in a crap car, should sound familiar.
Why the change of heart about Iran, I thought you really wanted to go through there? Travel advice has always pretty much been "avoid at all costs" or did I miss something and did it get even worse very recently?
Sounds like a fun trip, I've only been up to Narvik and back, never all the way to NordKapp. It's one for the future; anywhere up that end of Scandinavia, the scenery is just amazing.Why the change of heart about Iran, I thought you really wanted to go through there? Travel advice has always pretty much been "avoid at all costs" or did I miss something and did it get even worse very recently?
The turning point for Iran was when the (allegedly government backed) protesters stormed the British embassy, and we pulled out of the country. Add the latent threat of a war with the US or Israel and it's just all getting a little to unpredictable, hence opting for a route which is less likely to close at short notice. (Yep, basically I'm saying we're not ballsy enough, but in a really longwinded manner!
)Ben.
neilski said:
Hi Ben,
Best of luck for your trip, I'm in Bishkek at the moment having just ridden here from the UK so if you have any questions about possible routes, feel free to ask. If you've crossed Central Asia before you'll know all this already but if not....
tty dirt roads that are going to kill any low slung car in no time. You'll be further north than the road I took but the road from Aktau to Beyneu starts off as a rough tarmac road then becomes a dirt track for hundreds of kilometres which did have the odd car, mainly Daewoo Nubiras, Ladas and the odd E-Class Merc but the majority of the traffic was trucks or big 4x4s and pick-ups but I saw lots of repairs being made at the side of the road.
Hi Neil, I saw your post on the 'Living the dream' thread (or whatever it's called) and got rather jealous, sitting here in rainy Devon. Thanks for all the useful info - as you've probably guessed, we tend to be a little blase with the planning of these trips, but generally it all just about comes together in the end...Best of luck for your trip, I'm in Bishkek at the moment having just ridden here from the UK so if you have any questions about possible routes, feel free to ask. If you've crossed Central Asia before you'll know all this already but if not....
fivetenben said:
we'll be ready to nip across Russia into pothole-filled Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan isn't so much pothole-filled as just miles & miles of really stty dirt roads that are going to kill any low slung car in no time. You'll be further north than the road I took but the road from Aktau to Beyneu starts off as a rough tarmac road then becomes a dirt track for hundreds of kilometres which did have the odd car, mainly Daewoo Nubiras, Ladas and the odd E-Class Merc but the majority of the traffic was trucks or big 4x4s and pick-ups but I saw lots of repairs being made at the side of the road.fivetenben said:
where we'll veer south beneath what's left of the Aral Sea into Uzbekistan, about 4,500 miles - and as many gallons of unleaded - from the UK. A quick visit to the old Silk Road town of Khiva and we'll loop south through slightly-mad Turkmenistan, returning us to Uzbekistan near the beautiful cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.
From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China.
Torugart Pass is a Class II pass and technically only open to Kyrgyz and Chinese nationals. I know of another cyclist who crossed it recently and had to pay a $400 (USD) bribe to be allowed to cross. The normal crossing for tourists from Kyrgyzstan to China is the Irkeshtam Pass near Osh that also takes you to Kashgar.From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China.
fivetenben said:
From there we really, really hope to be able to take the high road across Tibet to Lhasa, then drop down into Sichuan, but at the moment the Tibetan Tourism Bureau isn't issuing any permits for UK citizens to enter Tibet, so we're just hoping that all changes in the next month or so. If it doesn't, we'll have to skirt around the top of Tibet and drop into SE Asia - and journey's end - that way.
So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
You won't be allowed into Azerbaijan with a RHD car. I haven't tried but friends of mine that have driven through in a LHD looked into the RHD option and were told a categoric no and if they tried it they'd be refused entry at the border. The ferry part was fine though, if you go to the right ferry office from the outset. So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
My knowledge of Central Asia at this stage is pretty much based on my previous trip there in 2006, in a pair of 998 Minis. We probably did about 4,000 miles in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and strangely, I don't remember the roads being that bad compared to, say, Africa or Northern India/Nepal (and I'm sure these are famous last words which I'll probably come to have quoted back at me in 6 months time!) However, I do remember just how variable the road conditions can be, and I'm sure we avoided some absolute horror shows which probably would have coloured my opinion somewhat had we attempted them, so will be doing a bit more research in this area before we hit the road.
As for the Torugart Pass, thanks very much for the info - I'm evidently a bit out of date on that one as years back people used to make it through, and I'd assumed it's still the case. Fortunately crossing near Osh shouldn't be any great hardship provided things don't flare up around there too much.
PS - I've much, much respect for your achievement so far. I've been cycle-touring once (850 miles around Iceland) and it damn-near killed me. Admittedly, I applied my usual level of preparation by setting off having not ridden a bike for over a decade, but that's by-the-by - the experience left me in no doubt as to just what a tough way to travel it can be... good effort!
neilski said:
The roads in Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan are mainly tarmac and have all been fine so far but the main roads in Kazakhstan outside of the cities were built I guess in the Soviet era and have since taken a huge battering from the trucks coming out of Aktau to the point where they are now just heavily rutted dirt tracks.
The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
It was a few years ago now, but here's the rough route we took across Kazakhstan on my previous visit, including our detour down to Samarkand, and the red Mini's trip across Kyrgyzstan and the Fregena Valley:The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
Of this, there only properly bad bits we found were the 200 miles south to Aralsk, and the final loop across to Semey. To give folks who've not been to Central Asia an idea, here's what the Aralsk road (one of Kazakhstan's major 'highways') was like when we did it:
So based on past experience, I'm pretty confident there are roads along which we can get our silly cars across Kazakhstan, even taking into account their poor ground clearence and approach/departure angles... However saying all that, I have a question!: I'm guessing you joined the road from Atyrau which goes SE between the Caspian and Aral Sea into Uzbekistan. I remember this road used to be absolutely terrible a few years ago; how is it these days? Google earth makes it look like it's been resurfaced, but this might just be wishful thinking on my part?
Thanks,
Ben.
Mattt said:
Fair enough, did he react well to the book? He does seem to be portrayed rather negatively...
Out of interest, still with Laura?
Caution - contains spoilers for the book that people have been talking about on this thread...Out of interest, still with Laura?
Totally off topic, sorry folks! However:
I tried very hard not to portray anyone 'negatively'; rather I tried to present the facts and explain why people's approaches to different aspects of the trip differed, and justify their actions. Having said that, I can understand why you may think I was being negative towards Tom, and getting that part of the book right was by far the hardest part of writing it (and trust me, rough edges have been knocked off with every edit!). However I felt that to gloss over the personality issues (including Laura&I, where I come across pretty badly in the first part of the book, and much of Brummy's political incorrectness, and Libby's... well, Libbyness!) would have taken the 'bite' out of the story, and turned the book into an bland, anadyne account which wouldn't have really conveyed what an expedition like the AfricanPorsche trip is actually like, warts and all.
Tom and I discussed the differences between himself and the rest of the expedition while I was writing the book (as did Laura and I), partly to get the record straight, and partly to put our differences behind us. I would say he's more 'indifferent' to the Book than the other trip members, but didn't react at all badly either...
As for Laura and I... I'm afraid we split up earlier this year, after 3 happy years together, and are still best of friends, and she's looking to fly out and join us on the SE Asia leg of V8Nam. Sorry to squash the happy ending!
DonkeyApple said:
There is something wonderful about those images. Never understood the claim that to be a petrolhead you need to have owned an Alfa. That's like saying to enjoy sitting down you need a dose of the grapes. The Mini is by far the best car for any petrolhead to have owned at some point. Great to see them still being used for ventures to far fields.
I own an Alfa right now. I completely, 100% agree with you...DonkeyApple said:
LuS1fer said:
I once went on a long journey in a Mini.
Must have been 100 miles or more.
Someone asked "How was it?"
I replied "What? pardon? I seem to have gone deaf"
Did you not have the comfort package? (cushion from your mother's sofa) Must have been 100 miles or more.
Someone asked "How was it?"
I replied "What? pardon? I seem to have gone deaf"
The most bipolar car in history. In a 5 mile drive they can be brilliant, crap, hilarious, victorious and back to crap and through the cycle again. More mental than a Derby girl but smaller and more aerodynamic.
Zad said:
You just know that no matter where you are in the world, whatever is going on, the inside of that RR is going to be a civilised and calm place. I think that the more BMW and VW bling up their RR and Bentley badged machines, the more I appreciate the old stuff.
I hope you're right. It broke down on its way into Plymouth about half an hour ago - the calming effect of the interior is currently getting its first test! 
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