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Jul 28, 2010 21:35:00 GMT
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I was at the meet too - lovely to see something totally different turn up, totally unexpected! I was the guy with long hair who had a good dawdle around the Baja while my mates wandered off Wish I'd said hi now! Awesome story to Pedro then? Looked well used. Revived the idea of slamming a Baja for me too, seeing how yours sat - take a foot out the ride height and it'd look awesome, in a totally different way! Enjoy Goodwood!
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The journey of 1000 miles starts with a single coffee.
I don't like coffee!
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Jul 28, 2010 21:43:14 GMT
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^^That scene could just as well been at the corner of Rt.37 and Rt.62 in Johnstown next to the gazebo.... just shows how everything comes to a complete halt when a pretty lady is in need of a tire change out.... men the world over, pretty much the same, aren't we? ;D I'd love to dialogue with you on how you planned out all the visas for entry and departure of all these countries from way back in the UK. If you missed your window on either side, you'd be SOL in some cases, further cascading the delayed entries down the road ahead of you. Amazing, would like to know how you did that. For us, the official overhead of travel into Central Asia was as daunting as the doing of it - at times. Massive respect. You were driving alone then on this trip? Norm Pretty? Clearly you haven't met me! Although this was quite a remote area so I guess as a foreign, white lady I was exotic and interesting I think they're more interested in the car than me though! I was originally supposed to be doing this with my best mate who lives in Oz but her situation changed and she could no longer make it. Sooo, I wound up travelling with a girl who contacted me through my website. We got on Ok most of the time but unfortunately, despite assuring me otherwise, she really couldn't drive a manual, classic car. Also, being American, she failed to get a visa for Iran and wasn't keen on travelling through Pakistan. So I did Turkey, Iran and Pakistan alone. She was then with me again through India, Nepal, Tibet and China but flew home from Laos (via a spa in India to recover) So I drove through laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore alone too. I did meet other great people along the way though and fell in love with one of my police escorts in Pakistan. We seem to have lost contact now though...ho hum Our schedule went slightly out when I was hospitalised for 2 days in Quetta, Pakistan and further when we had to stop for car repairs in Kathmandu, Nepal. Fortunately Nepal is a VW mecca, apparently loads of hippies dumped them there in the 60's! So finding a specialist was no problem. Wow, incredible. Where were you when I wanted to go to Mongolia in a Capri? I still would like to understand how you "stacked" your visa windows in sequence. If you had enough countries along the route each demanding a maximum tourism visit time frame of 2 or 3 weeks (like with Russia, in our case), and the application takes months to process, then you could not do a ground assault unless it all goes according to schedule. Which is easy through the european continent - mostly - but as "things" go awry or take longer (or shorter) than estimated, you could get balled up - and your visas no good any more. I'm staggered you pulled this off, unless very few of these countries demand such a short window. Maybe Russia is the exception, not the rule? Your stamina and courage is "pretty" to me regardless of what you say, love. And I mean that most respectfully. Norm PS, "We" aren't a club. "We" aren't all Englanders either. This is a worldwide board. "We" have meets in America, Oz, NZ, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, etc etc etc etc, all over the world. I'm sure if you made plans to visit anywhere, any of us would be delighted to point you towards worthy meets. And our various hovels and sheds for a cuppa. I put ice in mine, sorry. ;D
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Last Edit: Jul 28, 2010 21:49:18 GMT by Team Blitz
Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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Jul 29, 2010 11:29:00 GMT
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Where were you when I wanted to go to Mongolia in a Capri? Probably already there in a Nissan Micra ;D or I may have been in Africa, driving my first Beetle, a standard one. When planning visa's I worked out a rough schedule, with a conservative calculation of how many miles I could cover in a day, bearing in mind that the roads may not be very good or even completely non-existant. Then I added in at least 1 rest/sight-seeing day per week. That way when delays did happen we knew we had a bit of a buffer. Most visas are fairly flexible, valid from 1 to 6 months so entry and exit dates weren't too crucial. The only one that was, was the Nepal/Tibet border. We were late for that and had to reapply in Kathmandu for some of the permits which was a bit of a nightmare and delayed us further. We also had to be accompanied by a guide(government spy) who was an absolute liabilty and screwed up the permits, insisted on taking us to expensive hotels, then sulked when we told him we wanted to stay in budget places and found our own. China was by far the most problematic country and the most expensive, the tour company we were forced to employ there screwed us at every available opportunity. Really things ought to have gone smoother with a guide but he just kept causing problems and delays and of course it meant things got rather cramped in the car and extra luggage on the roof. I almost didn't make it to Everest because our guide made a mistake with the permit! I got altitude sickness and was in a lot of pain with it but it was all worth it for this view!
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Jul 29, 2010 11:39:36 GMT
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*considers polygamy*
This is turning into an epic thread. Fiona, my hat is off to you and your astonishing achievements!
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Jul 29, 2010 12:26:37 GMT
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Absolutely awesome thread, can we get some more pictures of that K11 Micra?
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Baha bug. Again.maskedavenger
@GUEST
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Jul 29, 2010 12:44:21 GMT
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WOW THIS IS TURNING INTO AN AMAIZING STORY ........LOVE IT
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,537
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Jul 29, 2010 12:50:47 GMT
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Are you the same Fiona (I think!) who also drives a Healey-a-like? If so I spoke to you a year or so back at a Goodwood Breakfast Club and have since been along to a couple of P-N meets at the Ace this summer. I was right on the Baja though. Not built for commuting but the fact that it is now is fab Mega r-e-s-t-e-c-p for the long haul drives.
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Jul 29, 2010 13:32:26 GMT
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Yeah it's the same Fiona, which reminds me, get some pictures of Killer up.
I didn't know you were associated with P-N Seth.
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,537
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Jul 29, 2010 13:46:20 GMT
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Yeah it's the same Fiona, which reminds me, get some pictures of Killer up. I didn't know you were associated with P-N Seth. I'm not Just been using their meet as an excuse for an hour out of the house on a pleasant evening, trying - and not succeding - at blending in with modern exotica ;D Oddly, I can't find my pictures of "Killer" though I'm sure I've got a couple.
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Jul 29, 2010 13:49:02 GMT
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We've probably crossed paths on occasion without realising then.
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Jul 29, 2010 14:11:44 GMT
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Excellent intel, Fiona. Larry and I are toying with the Peking-Paris event. A different approach to Mongolia if that were to happen. Excuse me, Fiona, for just a second: "I saw her first, Dbizzle. You keep out of my affairs!" ;D Quality adventures x1000, much regard for your achievements. Like to meet up sometime. If Sky assigns you to the Midwest for any sort of story, you are welcome here at once. Pop an email. Look no further for a Yank who can shift a retro..... Norm
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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Baha bug. Again.Deleted
@Deleted
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Jul 29, 2010 14:55:15 GMT
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Currently my favourite Baja bug, hard as nails with acheivement to back up the patina and accessories. Fantastic adventure to go along with it too, massive congratulations to that lady and her air cooled wonder.
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Jul 29, 2010 16:17:23 GMT
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Thanks guys Yes, it's me that drives "killer" He's usually my daily but is in the Dreamshack at the moment having his SU carbs exchanged for a megasquirt system. ;D That's an old photo, he's not quite so shiny these days. He's a Sebring Sx "Healey-a-like" however this winter he will be undergoing a transformation into something a little more unique. Don't worry, the body will keep the lovely lines, just a little modernisation going on as at 17 he's showing his age. Next to Pedro here at the Dreamshack is my long term project, can you tell what it is? This was my first ever car, a 1965 Austin Healey Sprite (where the love of the Healey design and later purchase of the Sebring came from) A mini was my second(aswell as the Sprite), bought for £400, resprayed myself, then I won a competition for all the marque 1 chrome trim which really transformed it. Ok, while I'm on a roll, also had one of these: Still have this, Toyota Sera, seen here with Killer It's going soon though as I've just bought a 660cc Suzuki Cappuccino which, once back on the road will be my work car. (Petrol is bloody expensive here and parking spaces are hard to find) Besides I love the hardtop/T-top/full convertible design.
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Last Edit: Jul 29, 2010 16:22:08 GMT by fiona
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Jul 29, 2010 16:29:05 GMT
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...and a few more of that Micra for you. Not mine, I was co-driver on this one. In russia with a fake police car before we lost the roofrack(roofrack made out of 4 cut down shopping trolleys. Note, it was the roofbars it was mounted to, not the makeshift roofrack that broke) note the drainpipe snorkel at the shops after we lost the rear bumper. and the K10 that was with us This is my favourite photo from that trip, the mini that convoyed with us in the vast Mongolian landscape. I won a photography competition with this
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Last Edit: Jul 29, 2010 16:32:03 GMT by fiona
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Pedro, my Baja, should be in the "Bug Jam" coverage on British Eurosport 2 at 11am on sunday if anyones interested. I shall be sure to miss it myself as I was looking like curse word that day, no sleep(hence the dark glasses) and a really hot day (hence the cool but unflattering clothing)......NB: This is why I prefer to be the other side of the lens but hey, needs must, it all helps publicise Pedro's exploits which will help when looking for sponsors for the next rally!
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