TeamCannonball

The Nurburgring may be open as we pass!! A fine chance for our bunch of old cars to see if they can cut it on the Green Hell.

I expect a huge crash from at least one, probably the Boat!!

Has not started and probably won’t. However a few things are being sorted out! We will once again attempt to use CB radios between the cars and have entered into a competition to see who can get the longest attenna. I put mine on the GTI and it looked a bit silly but that should be resolved when I put some stickers on the car so it looks totally stupid! Tom is also sourcing orange boiler suits, no idea why but if that’s what he wants to do that’s up to him!

Preparation on the cars appears to be going well with Stu’s dead BMW 325I tourer (E30) making a journey up to Sam (or Gambia fame!) for repairs. The boys worked hard all last weekend and the car now has a rebuilt engine, new cambelt as the old one fell apart in Sam’s hands and host of other repairs. Stu just needs to sort some decent wheels and maybe the suspension before the off.

The Boat (Chris’s Merc E220 Estate) has been in for a new ball joint and full service, there was quite a bill but the old bus is now good for another couple of hundred thousand miles.

My GTI well that’s had the paint sorted out and is being polished a lot. New suspension to lower it and new brakes and full service are all to be done as soon as I get paid.

There are late arrivals to the game as well with Sam declaring his interest in bringing his 20v Turbo Corrado, Si Brand and Joycey are both home form the alps after getting hurt and intend to resurrect Team Cripple in a black Pug GTI! Joining team cripple is Golly who if he is up to it after his operation the week before will be stuffed in the back of a car and come for the ride!

New email addresses will be set up and window stickers provided for a few lucky people!

Well the latest trip is coming together although it is breaking from tradition in that we are taking our own normal cars. This is a holiday more than a challenge (although with Stu’s car history in mind it will most likely still be a challenge!).

The plan is on Friday 4th of April we head for Dover and get one of the last boats to Calais. We will then avoid Boulogne and head for Paris. This is where we have a problem, do we go straight through Paris at night or around? Chris says around but I think through the middle could be fun.
We will then push south all night and aim to stop just for Millau to get some sleep.

After the big push we will look at the glorious Millau Viaduct, drive over it and under it before heading to the coast at Mont Pellier. We will thrn use the coastal road all the way into Italy and stop in on Monaco so Stu can finally use that insurance he had for when we were in Morroco!

We will head up to the Alps in Italy and go through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. 7 miles undergound in loud cars sounds so fun that I think we will go back through it and up into the mountains and in to France. Rich Johnson is in the Courchevel so we will be calling in for a few beers with him.

Assuming we survive out alpine session we will head North through Switzerland and then into Germany towards the Nurburgring. It may very well not be open but I want to have a look anyway! Then Belgium, France and home again on Sunday 13th April.

The usual suspects are involved, meaning Stu and I with some familiar faces in the form of Chris of Uno fame.

Team 1 - Myself (Andy) and Rich the Salad. Rich has never left the country before so this should be quite a laugh! We shall be taking my Mk2 GTI

Team 2 - Chris and some friend who I have not met yet in the Barge (Merc Estate)

Team 3 - Mr Matthews and Stu, both veterans off stupid trips in what ever they can find although with luck Stu’s E30 tourer will be repaired and ready in time.

Team 4 - whoever…..