Sucata Run 2009

Day 4, 30th August

2009-08-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

We have successfully completed the journey and have arrived at Guincho beach (the best of all Portugal's surfing beaches) on the Portuguese coast north of Cascais and near Sintra. We have covered 2165km, the Mazda has held out and done well!!! Some teams have dropped out as their cars have not made it.
There has been alot of fun and games shunting other teams cars and ramming them on the toll road points. It's been a fun journey and the other people on the run have been a good laugh.
I have had a great time!

Day 3, 29th August

2009-08-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

After covering 265 miles today we have made it to Salamanca. The car has sustained a few minor dents from playing car park bangers! - parking up close to another so they can't get out! Now the other teams door does not open! The people on this charity run have been fun and up for a laugh, it's been good fun.
Tonight we are out drinking and tommorow is the final day...

Day 2, 28th August

2009-08-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today we set off at 9, and took toll roads from La Rochelle to San Sebastian. The day went really quickly with no problems. We covered 275 miles 2day and are camping just out from the town centre! One team had to scrap their car this morning after someone smashed the window screen when it was parked up over night, and another team are having issuses with there car smoking and losing power! Looking forward to the drive in the morning.

Day 1, 27th August

2009-08-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

We made it off the start line at 1045, taking a wrong turn straight away, but we soon got back on track! We then missed our turning on the motorway, so came off at the next junction where we had to pay a toll, turn around and pay the toll again to re join the motorway! We covered 327 miles from Rouen to La Rochelle! When we got there the campsite was full so we spent the night in a hotel! 1 team had to scrap there car due to breakdown, and another needed the help of a local garage to get them on their way!

Update 26 August

2009-08-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

We are off!
We survived the 4 hour ferry journey, and have made it into Rouen. We have to register at 9am for a 10am start tmrw morning! Today we have covered 121 miles, and seen a brilliant light show of projected images onto the side of Rouen Cathedrial.
Tmrw we will be stopping at Le Mans on route.

Update 25 August

2009-08-25T01:19:00.000-07:00

With only one day till we set off, final preperations are being done. We have a headligt out and a tail light out! Not too bad Its not too late to donate!!
We have so far Raised £916.26, please help us reach our target of £1000

Update 10th August

2009-08-10T01:50:00.000-07:00

I have now added a donation box on to the bonnet of the car. This has worked well and in the first week has collected over £11.
Thank you to everyone who has put some loose change into the donation box.
Balloons were put on the car so that it caught peoples eye as they walked past.

Since Saturday 1st August the car has been insured and taxed, which means I have been driving it about. I have parked the car around Horsham to raise awareness of our rally. If you see the car driving around, please empty your pockets of loose change and put it in the donation box, but don't just run out in front of me!!

Our car has caught the eye of Cubit & West in the Carfax, who said that they would help us out by putting a donation box in there Horsham office, in the carfax. So if your in town, feel free to pop into Cubit & West to make a donation.

We appeared in the Local Horsham Paper, The Advertiser on Tuesday, not a bad write up, but they failed to mention that we are doing the rally for charity!! For those of you that missed it for what ever reason...

With only 15 days left till we set off, please help us reach our target to raise £1000.
You can donate in 3 ways:

online here
Calling into Cubit & West in the Carfax, Horsham
Emptying your pockets into the donation box on the car when you see it.

Your donations go straight to Gemin-i.org, a UK registered charity specialising in developing innovative web based solutions to improve education in the developing and developed worlds.

Thank you to everyone that has already donated.

Our car!

2009-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

We have bought a banger that will (hopefully) complete the banger rally. We have brought a Mazda MX-3, which is a Japanese import, complete with Jap tax disc.

The car had to be put through an MOT so it was loaded onto the trailer and taken to Toat Hill Garage where it passed its MOT with a few advisories.

The paint work on the bonnet was in a bad way, so we decided to repaint it. We decided that we would use black board paint as this would give us the opportunity to write messages on the car, so I started by rubbing down the bonnet...

Then preparations were made for painting the bonnet...

Then the painting started!!

The mirrors were also painted with the blackboard paint

Masking tape is not a good idea on a car once it is wet, as it is very hard to get off, leaving lots of sticky mess, which does come off with a lot of persuasion. The rear bumper and the spoiler were also painted with blackboard paint, giving us loads of room to write messages on the car

The only problem with having a blackboard on a car, is that every time it rains your scribble disappears! But this leaves a blank canvas for a new message.

Next it was time for the alloys wheels to get a bit of a make over, so off they came! While the car was floating, in the picture above,I decided that the car didn't looked finished and started to paint the doors too with the blackboard paint, however this was cut short when the heavens opened...The car was looking a bit sorry for itself, with no wheels and a messy looking door!

The wheels were given a few coats of paint, not with blackboard paint, we went for a gold look!

As well as the wheels I sprayed the washer jets on the front bonnet, and the Japanese Mazda badge.
With the car now looking like a finished product, there were just a few finishing touches that needed doing. In true rally style the team members names were added to the car, instead of the rear quarters the names were applied on the rear window

The car needed a bit of fun injected into it...

With paint splat English flags on the mirrors, a slogan sticker on the front grill and "Mazda speed camera testing vechile" stickers either side of the number plate.

Stickers to the rear bumper of the car were also added, and the rear reflectors on the bumper were sprayed white, leaving a red cross - now we have St George's cross rear reflectors!

We wanted the car to stand out, not that it didn't already, but we really wanted it to stand out. We had the idea of blasting the car with a paintball gun, but decided not only would this get very messy, especially if they went inside the car, but they would probably just wash off. So we went for the same effect by using stickers...

Now we have one crazy looking car we need the crazy team members.You have to be crazy to attempted to drive an old banger car, 2000km across Europe without a mechanic on board!!

We are aiming to raise £1000 for Gemin-i.org, a charity specialising in developing innovative solutions to improve education in the developing and developed worlds, please help us to reach our target by donating at www.justgiving.com/ontheroadtonowhere

Sucata Run - Introduction

2009-07-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

Our team ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE consists of Lee, Kirsty, Alan and Sandra. We are participating in the Sucata Run to raise £1000 for Gemin-i.org.

What is the Sucata Run?
The Sucata Run is a bargain basement banger charity rally tour where teams drive to Europe's most westerly point in 4 days, in bangers costing no more than £250. It takes place over the August bank holiday weekend (27th - 31st) starting at Rouen in France and culminates at the breath taking Guincho beach on the Portuguese coast.

Who are Gemin-i?
Gemin-i.org is a UK based charity specialising in developing innovative solutions to improve education in the developing and developed worlds.

What is the Route?
The tour runs from Rouen, the stunning capital of Normandy, to Cabo de Roca, Europe's most westerly in point in Portugal. On the way it passes through La Rochelle in France, and San Sebastian & Salamanca in Spain.