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On Friday two
members of the North Ireland Notor Club set off for Morocco
and back in a Fiat Panda that cost a hundred and fifty
pounds - a trip of more than 4,000 mils. The ambitious
adventure hadn't even started before the dramas struck. Here
is their diary up to day 3:
6th September
Sods law has struck. Three days before the daring duo are
due to leave the Panda has developed a problem. It looks
like the head gasket has gone, the car is being taken to
main dealer Mervyn Stewarts to see what the problem is.
7th September
Mervyn Stewarts
mechanics have confirmed that the head gasket has gone on
the Panda. Unfortunately the head needs to be skimmed and
has been sent away. With the clock ticking down it's touch
and go at this point.
8th September
With the head back
on the car there is still a problem. It appears that the
company that skimmed the head haven't done it properly. This
is no reflection on Mervyn Stewarts. Vincent Taggart (after
sales manager), Graham Neil (mechanic) and Johnny McBride
(service receptionist) of Mervyn Stewarts were working on
the car until midnight last night trying to get it
ready. There work has been tireless and they really have
gone above and beyond the call of duty. We really can't
thank them enough. It's not good news though...This morning
we are looking at an engine swap to get the car on the boat
later tonight. Jim arrived at Mervyn Stewarts today in his
Fiat Panda Selecta only to be accosted by the Fiat mechanics
and have his car taken from him. The plan at this stage is
to swap the 1108cc Selecta engine into the Africar (Sylivia
as it has now been Christened). Generously Mervyn Stewarts
have provided Jim with a Fiat Punto for the day while they
pull the engine out of the Selecta and try and get Sylvia
running. This is a five hour job, and the fact that a Fiat
main dealer is prepared to undertake this job with no notice
and with no charge is nothing short of incredible.
9th
September
We sweated all day
yesterday waiting for news on the car. I didn't say
before because I didn't want to set Jim off, he was
freaking enough as it was but I knew the hard bit was
going to be the injection change. I arrived at Mervyn
Stewarts workshops at 18.50. The car was up on the lift
and there was 4 people huddled round the engine bay.
What is extraordinary about these people is that three
of them were the service receptionists. Johnny who you
have already heard me mention before was the main man,
(he successfully races sidecar bikes and is very
mechanically minded) while Grannia and David - who
were still in their work clothes as they both finished
work at 5pm - had gone straight into the workshops to
help out. They were up to their armpits in grease and
oil and their good clothes were covered in oil. The 4th
person was Graham an apprentice who has not long started
with MS but is very switched on, same thing, stayed on
to help in any way he could. They had the engine in, the
distributor was in and they were wiring up a new
electric fuel pump that they had to send out for.
Steve and Tristan
(Steve's son) arrived not long after me. Vincent,
Tristen, Steve and myself then proceeded to wear the
floor out like expectant fathers for about half an hour,
trying "just" to stay out of the way. Jim rang to say he
was on his way and Vincent "he gets the blame" put Steve
up to letting on the place was locked up with no-one
about and we closed the gates over. Of course Jim just
opened them so that plan backfired. Jim looked shocked
and Alan looked utterly miserable, it was a picture.
One of our Club members
Ali went on to the meeting point just incase people
turned up so he could tell them what was happening. At
20.00 on the dot Graham turned the key and "Sylvia"
started first go and kept running, It's the first time
in my life I've seen a Fiat Panda get a standing
ovation. Truth be told the ovation was for everyone at
Mervyn Stewarts who helped out, however I have to single
out Johnny McBride who turned up on Thursday morning to
do his job as service advisor, finished it at 5pm, had
no tea, went straight into the workshops, worked on the
car until 00.10 that night, went home, came back in for
work 08.00 Friday morning, worked all day, had a 10
minute break for a cup of tea and half a packet of
biscuits, and had the car going ready for Jim to load up
at 20.15. I keep on saying it, I have no idea how you
repay commitment like this. "I welled up like big
blouse" with pride.
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"At 20.00 on the dot Graham turned the key
and "Sylvia" started first go and kept running. It's
the first time in my life I've seen a Fiat Panda get
a standing ovation. Truth be told though the ovation
was for everyone at Mervyn
Stewarts" |
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"Having got to London early on the first day after
driving all night Jim and Alan came across a bus
which was en route to San Francisco. After a brief
chat to establish who was more mentally unbalanced
it was decided that it was to be a draw" |
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"Back on the road
and the fuelling problems have disappeared.
Jim reckon that the heat in the engine bay
is causing fuel evaporation. The new fuel
lines put in to and from the new electrical
pump run along the top of the Panda's engine
bay, so they'll be keeping their eye on
this."
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Jim
and Alan hastily loaded the car up (all the gear was with
them as "yet again" Mervyn Stewarts had helped out and lent
them a Punto to get the gear) and we made the meet up point
at 20.30. Unfortunately the one blot was only a couple of
our club members made it to see them off.
We got a few pictures with the Harland and Wolf crane in the
background (although it was getting dark so I hope they come
out) and then drove in convoy with Sylvia leading through
the City centre to the boat terminal were we took a couple
more pictures and said our goodbyes. Mind you Steve and
myself watched until they passed through the check in "just
to be sure they got on ok." So, with the car running well
and everyone exhausted from the work and nerves Jim and Alan
made it to the ferry terminal with literally minutes to
spare. Watch out Africa!!
10th
September
Well so far so good, sort
of...The first days driving saw a flurry of MMS messages
exchanged between Jim and Stuart in an attempt to keep
Sylvia happy. That's not surprising really as having had a
new engine fitted and no chance to have any substantial test
drive means that the journey itself is the test drive. A few
teething problems were bound to crop up. Today Jim and Alan
covered over 1000 miles through England into France taking
it in turns to drive and with stops only to refuel and pick
up essentials such as ice cream.
Having got to London early
on the first day after driving all night Jim and Alan came
across a bus which was en route to San Francisco. After a
brief chat to establish who was more mentally unbalanced it
was decided that it was a draw...The car was running fine at
this point with the exception of the oil pressure light
which had given up the ghost.
Dover. No mechanical
issues. Still happy after 12 hours and 575 miles. A text
message from Jim revealed that "the crew are scraping the
bugs off the windscreen and looking forward to breakfast but
we don't believe these 2 tasks are related."
Foreign soil. Touchdown in
France. It had to happen...The first real problem. The car
developed an intermittent fuel feed problem. They're stuck
to 60 mph on Autoroute 16 near Rue. In typical fashion the
daring duo decide to drown their fuel problem in ice cream.
It also gave the locals a chance to look at the car. Back on
the road and the fuelling problems have disappeared. Jim
reckon that the heat in the engine bay is causing fuel
evaporation. The new fuel lines put in to and from the new
electrical pump run along the top of the engine bay, so
they'll be keeping an eye on this. Just north of Rennes on
Autoroute 84, time for a quick rest and to fill the tank.
The car has been pinking a bit in traffic so they're using
super unleaded to see if it helps.
11th
September
The crew stayed
in a hotel in Bordeaux overnight. 1211 miles covered so far
with only the one problem. Just crossed the border
into Spain in the morning. "It's raining so hard," they
report, "the water is coming in through the air vents.
by Stuart
Leatham (in Northern Ireland)
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