Africa Rally 2009 - Team Fool Tank

[Funkstar]

In December 2009 Andy Craven, Ben Kemp and myself are setting off on the mighty Africa Rally, driving a 1980's Renault 5 ("Raymond"), through thousands of miles of desert, jungle, and minefields, from London to Cameroon, to raise as much money as we can for charity - The Rainforest Foundation, to be exact.

Billed as one of the stupidest adventures to put your name to, the Africa Rally sees 200 clapped-out bangers depart London on the 13th of December, aiming to arrive in Kribi, Cameroon, six weeks later and hopefully with the same number of limbs that they started out with. Unable to resist a silly idea, Andy, Ben and myself have decided that the best way to spend Christmas 2009 is to have a crack at it ourselves. With mustaches waxed, G&Ts brimming, and the sun on their backs, we stand as good a chance as anyone, we reckon.

It's all, thankfully, for charity. We're doing this for the Rainforest Foundation, a charity that tackles deforestation in many countries around the world. Every year an area of rainforest the size of England and Wales is cut down. This leaves local people homeless, drives animals and plants to extinction and releases more CO2 emissions, which cause climate change, than all of the world's planes, trains and cars. The Rainforest Foundation UK helps forest communities to gain land rights, challenge logging companies and manage forests for their own wellbeing and protection of their environment.

We want your support.

We want your amusement.

And, if it's not too much trouble, we'd quite like a bit of your money.

Our Just Giving page

Our Website

I'll be updating this thread as we go along. Scary to think there is little over two months before we head out on what is probably a very stupid adventure

[kidzer]

That sounds even cooler than my adventure in Summer '10!

/jealous_mode=on

I'll try and throw some money your way inbetween saving for my trip!

[Funkstar]

And this, is Raymond, our mighty steed!

[TAKTAK]

I'll try and donate

But for now: Siglink

[Gerrard]

This is something I've always thought about doing. I'm guessing it's along the same lines as the Mongol Rally. Surely there's a bit of irony of a load of bangers driving 1000s of miles to counter CO2 emissions?

I'll donate after I get paid later this week.

[Funkstar]

This is something I've always thought about doing. I'm guessing it's along the same lines as the Mongol Rally. Surely there's a bit of irony of a load of bangers driving 1000s of miles to counter CO2 emissions?

I'll donate after I get paid later this week.

Yeah it's run by the same chaps, The Adventurists.

Andy and Ben did the Mongol Rally last yeah, Ben has done it previously as well.

Oh and yes, the irony was not lost on us

[kalniel]

CO2 is just tree-food afterall

Good luck - don't kill yourselves.

[samcross]

This>Dakar Rally

But in all seriousness stay safe old chap, and don't forget to bring back plenty of pictures

If I remember I'll donate a few quid, and I hope many others will too.

Enjoy yourself!

[Moby-Dick]

awesome - just read the rule book - think you should have gone for a panda 4x4

[Knoxville]

Sounds awesome dude

awesome - just read the rule book - think you should have gone for a panda 4x4

I'd definitely want four wheel drive and a roll cage, what mods (if any are allowed I haven't checked) have you got planned for the 5?

[Funkstar]

My team mate Andy did the Mongol Rally last year in a Panda 4x4 (called Ling Ling). This needs to be left hand drive, and Panda 4x4s are hard enough to come by without that restriction. Ben did the same rally in a mini (Roxanne) with a red phone box strapped to the top.

I think we are decorating it, more details later on that one

I think the current plan is to spend Christmas in Dakar, if er can make it in 12 days.

I've been going through the list of Visas we'll need I can't believe how much this is all going to cost!!! Something like 9 separate visas will be needed. Oh well, it'll be an interesting passport by the end of this

[Gerrard]

Well, I think Top Gear proved that the best car was an old VW Beetle!

[Gerrard]

I've just donated. Would have been earlier, but my credit card got cloned last week so had to wait for a new one.

[vti_786]

will this car even make it?

i haven't read the rules but surely i would have gone for a japanese make, again would be hard to find a left hand drive

you should of converted the car to run on gas as well as petrol.

put some of that puncture repair thing in the tyres, so if you get a puncture or anything it will still be safe to drive it.

what other preparations you doing?

this is exciting, and im not even going

[Funkstar]

Lets see...

will this car even make it?
Who knows! that's half the... erm... fun! yeah fun, thats the word

i would have gone for a japanese make
Ah, but Africa was all European colonies at one point, much of it French, so the Renault makes a lot of sense as far as parts on know how is concerned.

you should of converted the car to run on gas as well as petrol.
Nah, not worth the trouble. You can get betrol everywhere. I don't think we will actually be anywhere very isolated on this trip.

put some of that puncture repair thing in the tyres
I think we'll just have a couple of spare tyres and rims to be honest and a repair kit as well.

what other preparations you doing?
a jerry can carier is going on the back, a full length sump guard is going on the bottom (plate steel) and a massive roof rack on top. I think Ben has some other ideas but I'm not 100% sure what. Oh yeah camera mounts are being added for SLRs and video cameras.



Thanks Gerrard, appreciate it. And thanks for the enthusiasm vti

[vti_786]

fair enough, obviously you've thought it all out anyway.

the sump guard is a good idea, especially if you're going to go through jungles and stuff.

i take it its going to go through a full service, not forgetting wiper blades, lol

have you considered taking solar powered items like phone chargers or fans

Lets see...

will this car even make it?
Who knows! that's half the... erm... fun! yeah fun, thats the word

i would have gone for a japanese make
Ah, but Africa was all European colonies at one point, much of it French, so the Renault makes a lot of sense as far as parts on know how is concerned.

you should of converted the car to run on gas as well as petrol.
Nah, not worth the trouble. You can get betrol everywhere. I don't think we will actually be anywhere very isolated on this trip.

put some of that puncture repair thing in the tyres
I think we'll just have a couple of spare tyres and rims to be honest and a repair kit as well.

what other preparations you doing?
a jerry can carier is going on the back, a full length sump guard is going on the bottom (plate steel) and a massive roof rack on top. I think Ben has some other ideas but I'm not 100% sure what. Oh yeah camera mounts are being added for SLRs and video cameras.



Thanks Gerrard, appreciate it. And thanks for the enthusiasm vti