Skoda Rally Blog

So, yesterday all the paperwork arrived for WRGB – road books (3, one for each day), Rally Guide 2 (you can download that from the Wales Rally GB site if you want to have a look), and some other stuff. It’s getting very real – like Jim Lovell says in Apollo 13 – “The Earth is getting very large in the window”. It certainly is.

As for the car, well, some progress has occurred:

Strut tops at the machinist’s – done
Spanky new yellow wheels – tyres fitted
Other wheels and bumpers – being painted
Seat – arrived, and I fit it, and it fits the car!
LSD – will be arriving on Tuesday
Fireproof underwear and boots – Arriving Tuesday
Spare discs, pads, etc, already here.
Stickers – ordered

And also, I’ve managed to get a bargain – a ?35 Felicia Bohemia Estate, which was disappointingly an Spi one (so the engine electronics are no use to me), but it had had lots of money spent on it before he stopped driving it 2 years ago, including a new clutch, recon gearbox, new alternator and starter. I picked it up this morning (on the trailer), and thought I’d like to drive it to see if the gearbox really was OK. And guess what? Yup, fresh battery and a bit of effort led to a perfectly-running car that actually drove OK all things considered.

So, naturally, I got Paul round and we ripped it to bits! Engine and box out, lots of other little spares, and at long LONG last – I have a REV COUNTER! Yes, it had one, so that’ll be going in the Rally Car tomorrow. Paul even had his first time using an angle grinder. So, splendid, just need to find someone to take away the shell tomorrow, and it even has nice seats I can put in the recce car when I sell it, and electric windows too, although I’m not sure I’ll bother fitting those as the wiring will probably be a pain to do, unless it just plugs in (unlikely).

There was another “idiot” moment today. Wanted to start the rally car, and no joy – firstly the battery was almost dead, so left it on charge, but then later it just wouldn’t start. Turned out the fuel pump wasn’t working, and we discovered the fuse box was FULL (and i mean FULL!) of water. Swapped it, still no joy. Out with the circuit diagrams, cursing, only to find that I’d disconnected the rear loom of the car to re-tape it and never reconnected it. Plugging it back in sorted it out instantly! D’oh!

So, tomorrow there’s lots to do – publicity photos to shoot for the Echo (and here and anywhere else), and then the rally car needs the gearbox removed, and all the front suspension, and the sumpguard mounts. Should be doable tomorrow, but I’m going out as I’ve not been out in a while, and I have a nasty feeling that I won’t be in bed by 2am….. No, I will do, ‘cos I’m, super-keen to get it all done.