Charity banger Rally - 2002 Smart Fortwo
Discussion
Some of you may remember my thread on importing a Pagoda unseen from ebay. This was another unseen eBay purchase which did not initially go so well, but is slightly different... 
In 2014 my wife and I had cause to use a children's hospice in Scotland, when our first son passed away at just over two months old. I have been wanting to fundraise for the charity as the help they provided to us and ongoing to other families is incredible.
We decided to do a banger rally and so set about thinking about what to do. My brother and I both had smarts 15-odd years ago and so it seemed sensible to buy an absolute shed of a smart car, dismantle it and then turn it into a giant cozy coupe.
I bought the car unseen on eBay in June last year. It sat in my mates yard in London for a while and whilst down in London for work I thought I would drive it back to Glasgow. I got about 20 miles down the M40 when one of the Maxxsport rally tyres it was wearing (yeah I have no idea why you'd put them on a smart car either) gave way and I slid down the inside and middle lanes sideways. Genuinely the most scared I have been in a car.
Eventually got it back to Glasgow and set about dismantling it.
We (mostly my brother) did all the wrapping and vinyl stuff ourselves. It looks good from ten feet away but atrocious up close but that is part of the charm. Or something.
We have painted the steel wheels for day to day use and will need to refinish the chrome domes as the plastidip white that was on it before just flew off on the motorway. If anyone has ideas on how to paint the plastic chrome dome hubcaps please let me know.
Yesterday we took it to the Tartan Tarmac breakfast event in Glasgow and it was very well received. I think having my 2 year old son in the passenger seat shaking his donation tin helped!
My brother and I have driven and owned some very fancy cars but nothing gets as much attention as this thing does!
You can follow us on instagram at www.instagram.com/teamcozycoupe or www.facebook.com/teamcozycoupe
In 2014 my wife and I had cause to use a children's hospice in Scotland, when our first son passed away at just over two months old. I have been wanting to fundraise for the charity as the help they provided to us and ongoing to other families is incredible.
We decided to do a banger rally and so set about thinking about what to do. My brother and I both had smarts 15-odd years ago and so it seemed sensible to buy an absolute shed of a smart car, dismantle it and then turn it into a giant cozy coupe.
I bought the car unseen on eBay in June last year. It sat in my mates yard in London for a while and whilst down in London for work I thought I would drive it back to Glasgow. I got about 20 miles down the M40 when one of the Maxxsport rally tyres it was wearing (yeah I have no idea why you'd put them on a smart car either) gave way and I slid down the inside and middle lanes sideways. Genuinely the most scared I have been in a car.
Eventually got it back to Glasgow and set about dismantling it.
We (mostly my brother) did all the wrapping and vinyl stuff ourselves. It looks good from ten feet away but atrocious up close but that is part of the charm. Or something.
We have painted the steel wheels for day to day use and will need to refinish the chrome domes as the plastidip white that was on it before just flew off on the motorway. If anyone has ideas on how to paint the plastic chrome dome hubcaps please let me know.
Yesterday we took it to the Tartan Tarmac breakfast event in Glasgow and it was very well received. I think having my 2 year old son in the passenger seat shaking his donation tin helped!
My brother and I have driven and owned some very fancy cars but nothing gets as much attention as this thing does!
You can follow us on instagram at www.instagram.com/teamcozycoupe or www.facebook.com/teamcozycoupe
Talking to myself here (amazed nobody is interested in a smart car decorated like a kids car ) but thought I’d share a video my brother made.
We are up to over 4,000 views across Facebook and YouTube.
https://youtu.be/-hrBg5GPHlM
) but thought I’d share a video my brother made. We are up to over 4,000 views across Facebook and YouTube.
https://youtu.be/-hrBg5GPHlM
Sheetmaself said:
I for one think this is brilliant and for a good cause.
Do you have a just giving page or anything?
I wasn’t posting on here to tout for donations, but if you follow the Instagram or facebook links you’ll find our JustGiving Page.Do you have a just giving page or anything?
Going to keep this thread updated in the months running up to departure.
We have covered 200 miles so far and trying to make sure the car is reliable before we leave as it’s only done a few thousand miles in recent years.
exgtt said:
The 3rd pic down, would it be possible to bolt the lights back on, keep it this stripped, take the doors off and have some kind of funky summer time beach mobile thingy?
Ya yeah, a kind of home-brew version of the official Smart Crossblade? Will keep that in mind for a future banger Rally as we would like to keep the car and do a few in coming years...SiT said:
Really need to see this on new wheels....friend of mine ran a Stage 3 VXR220 which was rapid, he fitted same wheels but in satin black and they looked incredible!!!!!!
Si
Thanks but I think that the dome wheeltrims are doing the business with the 60-odd BHP that the CozyCoupe has on tap. Si
The car failed its MOT but fortunately it was a few things mostly electrics related, and they are all well documented online.
No rear lights caused by the contacts in the stalk, and no brake lights caused by the brake switch. Fixed and back on the road. Car has done 400ish miles now in my ownership, so not even 1/10 th of the planned road trip mileage but hopefully it'll be fine....
Took the car to the Kiltwalk where it generated a lot of smiles and laughs from those who had just walked 23miles for charity. Sir Tom Hunter adds 40% on top of all donations, making it a well subscribed event.
Car still continues to cause amusement wherever it goes!
No rear lights caused by the contacts in the stalk, and no brake lights caused by the brake switch. Fixed and back on the road. Car has done 400ish miles now in my ownership, so not even 1/10 th of the planned road trip mileage but hopefully it'll be fine....
Took the car to the Kiltwalk where it generated a lot of smiles and laughs from those who had just walked 23miles for charity. Sir Tom Hunter adds 40% on top of all donations, making it a well subscribed event.
Car still continues to cause amusement wherever it goes!
Edited by jke11y on Thursday 10th May 14:10
We are now a few weeks away from the start of our trip and the car has still been running well with no issues to report. Adjusted the clutch and changed the oil, and made a rear carrier for the little car to hang off the back. Having the car on top looked amusing but the car really struggled on the motorway and the wind effect was scary.
Our fundraising is going really well and we are not far off our £10k target excluding giftaid...
Our fundraising is going really well and we are not far off our £10k target excluding giftaid...
Been low interest from PH (not surprising really) but we returned to Marbella today after a 2900 mile 8 day mission in the smart car.
It absolutely smashed it; that kind of mileage in any car is tough, but to do it in this - it’s pretty impressive for such a car.
Glasgow - Cornwall - Santander - Salamanca - Porto - Lagos - Marbella - midelt - Merzouga - midelt - Marbella.
We drove from Midelt to Marbella today on everything from roads to dirt tracks and motorways at 110% and still the little car managed fine. I really think the (very expensive to the previous owner) Bilstein loft kit helped a lot- yesterday we drove for miles on genuine Sahara sand tracks and it was fine. CraZy.
We spoke to staff in the lodge in Midelt last night who thought we were joking when we told them what we had done in terms of miles covered
Anyway, over £21,000 raised and a happy couple of people here
It absolutely smashed it; that kind of mileage in any car is tough, but to do it in this - it’s pretty impressive for such a car.
Glasgow - Cornwall - Santander - Salamanca - Porto - Lagos - Marbella - midelt - Merzouga - midelt - Marbella.
We drove from Midelt to Marbella today on everything from roads to dirt tracks and motorways at 110% and still the little car managed fine. I really think the (very expensive to the previous owner) Bilstein loft kit helped a lot- yesterday we drove for miles on genuine Sahara sand tracks and it was fine. CraZy.
We spoke to staff in the lodge in Midelt last night who thought we were joking when we told them what we had done in terms of miles covered
Anyway, over £21,000 raised and a happy couple of people here
Just rounding this thread off really, but the car sat in my yard at work since we came back from the Sahara.
I got a message through Facebook from a guy, on April fools day asking if I’d sell him the car. He was in New Zealand so I thought it was a windup.
He paid for the car, flew over, and is doing the mongol rally in it. I was (and am) delighted that this daft thing we built to raise money is off doing another rally.
They’re currently in Azerbaijan which is pretty epic going!
Follow them here - https://instagram.com/jono.boyd?igshid=mrmmwqqernr...
I got a message through Facebook from a guy, on April fools day asking if I’d sell him the car. He was in New Zealand so I thought it was a windup.
He paid for the car, flew over, and is doing the mongol rally in it. I was (and am) delighted that this daft thing we built to raise money is off doing another rally.
They’re currently in Azerbaijan which is pretty epic going!
Follow them here - https://instagram.com/jono.boyd?igshid=mrmmwqqernr...
Yeah as far as I can find, two folk tried to do it in smarts before and both failed although one got close. Fingers crossed they’ll be lucky and make it.
I really wasn’t sure what to do with the car following our trip, as I had an emotional attachment to it after our fundraising. But this felt like a great sendoff.
They’re now in Turkmenistan so I think this is where it gets tough.
I really wasn’t sure what to do with the car following our trip, as I had an emotional attachment to it after our fundraising. But this felt like a great sendoff.
They’re now in Turkmenistan so I think this is where it gets tough.
Talaus said:
By the way...the My Scotland Showreel was bloody fantastic!
It’s incredible isn’t it - I take no credit, all my brothers work. The bit where it goes from summer to winter is something else isn’t it!Edited by Talaus on Friday 16th August 09:28
I agree it needs more views.
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