Herald - Issue 396

Page 54 • The HERALD • 8th October 2020 v EMAIL: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk v Long established family business • MOT TESTING • SERVICE & REPAIR FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS • CLUTCHES • DIAGNOSTICS • CAMBELTS • SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION • FREE COLLECTION & DELIVERY • USED CAR SALES 128-132 Calmore Road, Totton. SO40 8GQ 023 8086 4424 www.calmoreservicestation.co.uk Our knowledgeable staff are on hand to keep your vehicle on the road in a safe manner • We offer all garage services including free collection and delivery from your home • We now offer Dpf cleaning - Injector cleaning - Turbo cleaning and Air intake cleaning to help your car run cleaner improving its performance and economy. • Good Garage Scheme – RMI – Trust my Garage Member MOT’s, TYRES, CLUTCHES, CAMBELTS, SERVICING, WELDING, DIAGNOSTICS, LASER-TRACKING. CARS, VANS UPTO 3.5T, MOTORHOMES UP TO 30’ 023 8001 0029 Badminston Lane, Fawley, SO45 1BX PEKING TO PARIS MOTOR CHALLENGE - PT.1 by Michael Eatough, Press Officer and Secretary, Austin A30 and A35 Club Back in 2019 keen petrol head Michael Eatough took the 10,000 mile journey of a lifetime in his 1965 Mercedes with his son Marcus. e Peking to Paris Rally was a lifelong ambition of Michael’s and he kept a diary of their time on the road, documenting their epic adventure. Michael kindly agreed to share this with the Herald readers. So, put the kettle on and enjoy the diary of a driver in the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2019. 31st May Tra c in Beijing seems to be gridlocked most of the time, drivers pull out with no indication and force their way in. e warehouse, where all the cars were being kept, was an amazing sight, with cars of every shape and make being coaxed into life – you can imagine the noise! Tomorrow was to be a big day for my old Merc; facing scrutiny to gain the certi cate needed to enter this once-in-a- lifetime journey. 1st June It was quite a sight to see such a diverse range of cars. From the 1907 Contal and 1909 White Pullman steam car (travelling with a backup crew, carrying water and petrol) to a vast variety of vintage and classic cars. Tomorrow is the day - Driving to the Great Wall of China and from there the adventure begins. 2nd June (Day 1) Today, the, long-awaited Greatest Drive on Earth begins for my son Marcus and I. We le Beijing at 6.30am and made our way to the starting point. e Great Wall was quite a sight to see and hear, the roar of the classic engines coupled together with dancers in Chinese dragon costumes it was a feast for the Start time again 9.26am. Our destination will be Erenhot on the Mongolian border. Leaving Hohhot brought the usual dense tra c. e long, climbing, drive to Erenhot was uneventful with wheels on tarmac all the way but great views over the Chinese Mongolian Plains. Excitement building for tomorrow, but it will take a few hours to get 120 cars over the border into Mongolia. Must remember to take; Passports, Chinese exit papers and V5 to prove ownership of the car. Worth mentioning my son Marcus is navigating really well. 4th June I am writing this sat in my tent deep in the Gobi Desert, just re ecting on a day I will never forget. A er leaving the hotel at rst light it was a 6km drive to the Mongolian border, arriving at 7.30am, as predicted it took until 1.30pm to cross the of rocks and with nothing but potholes and deep gullies. e vibration through the car was extreme for km a er km. We arrived at our camp at 7.30pm tired and with a broken exhaust. Marcus tted a replacement joining pipe, and the problem was (temporarily) resolved. 5th June Today was the toughest motoring day of my life, e Gobi Desert is desolate, but at the same time the views are unbelievable. Nothing as far as the eye can see in any direction, but the tracks are a nightmare. Many competitors have given up on the speed trials. Simply getting to Paris is a big enough challenge for most of us. Cars are dropping out, I think nine so far. e tracks go on for hundreds of kilometres and most cars will shake themselves apart. We had our own dramas, we lost the central part of our exhaust section, tted a spare which fell o as well. e throttle began to stick; upon inspection I noticed a trickle of oil from the oil cooler outlet pipe. Puzzled I turned the engine back on to watch the pipe give way moments later and a gush of oil sprayed everything. With help we managed to use a spare pipe and border into Mongolia. From the start Mongolia felt quite di erent with diabolical roads still but stunning open views. Our rally route took us o road into the desert. e tracks are dusty, full senses! With staggered start time we were able to see others pull away and with foot on the gas at 9.26am we nally set o . e roads were terrible with holes large enough to swallow half a car in places, never again will I complain about the potholes in the New Forest! A er a near miss with a large three wheeled truck we eventually arrived at our destination, Hohhot. Just about managing to keep my eyes open to grab dinner and give the Merc a quick check over – exhausted we nally hit the deck and this is just the rst day! 3rd June Michael and Marcus Eatough with the beloved 1965 Mercedes Continued on page 55