SteveP wrote:Sir, your chariot awaits...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1979-MERCEDES-240 ... 2c53c6b689

Looks very high rear suspension wise though... dunno why! Have to say I have a growing likeness for the W123 series Mercedes, I was very close to buying a 230E manual 8 months or so ago. They absolutely ooze quality!

Yummy!
Beige love.

How to Build a Low-cost Rally Car by Philip Young will prove essential reading. It is a good introduction to road rallying and covers the basics of long distance events, border crossings etc. It also has a few pages weighing up the pros and cons of various different rally cars (including the 360 ).

I can fully reccomend that book though I've never actually read it...

Especially the second paragraph of page 62 http://books.google.com/books?id=_g62rd ... q=&f=false

P61 mention the 300, though he calls it a GLT.

Why not do it with style while you at it?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1976-MERCEDES-W11 ... 27aff09837

Of course if you are loaded:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1965-MERCEDES-230 ... 19bb19b727

Sorry, can't make them linkys short

I also wonder where all those parts would be needed for? How many of you have needed ton of spares for their cars in 20 000km? When serviced properly there is no more need for parts, replace wheel bearings before trip, put new exhaust, new belts and waterpump as there is no guarantee how old thsese will be, service or replace alternator, change oils and car is good for almost 100 000km, sure need tires, but it is surprising how long tires last when driving long distance, however on bad roads you might need few spares with a wheel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMFNByqeI9o Reason to pick Vietnam? Can't blame the man from his choices

^Indeed

Good info, cheers guys. My main concern is if I get hit by a bus or the engine gives out, what can I do with the car? I mean I can't leave the country without it but I also can't move the car.

Speedy88 wrote:My main concern is if I get hit by a bus or the engine gives out, what can I do with the car? I mean I can't leave the country without it but I also can't move the car.

1) Fix it
2) Recover it
3) Scrap it

Speedy88 wrote:^Indeed

Good info, cheers guys. My main concern is if I get hit by a bus or the engine gives out, what can I do with the car? I mean I can't leave the country without it but I also can't move the car.

If it's tied with a carnette to your passport you either prove it's been scrapped, drag it out the country or stump up the pennies

Sounds like a superb trip to go on, I've just looked at the map - that's almost as far east as you can get without getting your feet wet, not counting Russia or China. If you can, do it while you can!

Not sure on the route though: China - are you allowed to drive though there by yourself without the secret police following your every step? I don't know how safe Pakistan is at the moment either, TBH ...

Also the car - I reckon a Volvo is perhaps a little exotic for some of these places - maybe a Mercedes or something Japanese is a better idea. Some random thoughts:

how about a 190D or a W124D instead of a W123? Not as cool, but cheaper, and there'll be parts for these on your way too.
how about a panel van instead? Something like a Transit
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showD ... &scopeId=C
or a Merc 208D?
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showD ... peId=VUT75
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showD ... peId=VUT75
That'd give you something to sleep in on the way ...

Also I wouldn't bother with a 4x4. Uses more fuel, makes no difference on 99% of roads and makes you a target as you stand out totally as a rich tourist with loads of $$$ (in the local man's eyes, anyway ...)

Cheers

Tom

oh boy, what have I bought?

http://bristol.gumtree.com/bristol/10/58175810.html

Apart from the visible scabs and 1 crusty jacking point it is more solid than chuck norris. Instantly fell for it, everything still works! Gearbox and engine are absolutely perfect too.

I'm not suggesting you do the trip in a Trabant although I would recommend you get hold of a book called "The Trabant Trek -Crossing the World in a Plastic Car" by Dan Murdoch. It tells the true story of a group of friends who travelled from Germany to Cambodia in three Trabants with a Mercedes Estate as a support vehicle. Having read the book my initial thoughts are don't do it alone - you could have an accident, become ill, encounter road side bandits and have to deal with border guards who need to be bribed to allow access to particular countries. Also, expect the costs to escalate far beyond what you expect.

Still, could be fun though....

Ian Mac wrote:I'm not suggesting you do the trip in a Trabant although I would recommend you get hold of a book called "The Trabant Trek -Crossing the World in a Plastic Car" by Dan Murdoch. It tells the true story of a group of friends who travelled from Germany to Cambodia in three Trabants with a Mercedes Estate as a support vehicle.

http://www.nomadicnation.org/trabant-trek/the-trabant
Ooooh dear ... I don't fancy doing that. I drove to the UK in mine, just a few weeks after having bought the thing - I don't know if I'd want to do it again!

Tom

The longest distance I've driven a Trabi is from the West Midlands to the Lake District and back in a day which is probably as far as I'd want to go. I did however sell one of my Trabis a few years ago to a guy from Stornaway on the Western Isles and he did the journey in one hit. Rather him than me I reckon...

I was at an East European rally yesterday at RAF Cosford. Loads of Trabis and Wartburgs turned-up - the air was blue...

Ian Mac wrote:the air was blue...

the weather was really bad last week, and the wife needed the 360, so I had to drive to work straight through the "Umweltzone". Naughty, naughty, the fine is small, but the points, ouch ...

Tom

Ian Mac wrote:Having read the book my initial thoughts are don't do it alone - you could have an accident, become ill, encounter road side bandits and have to deal with border guards who need to be bribed to allow access to particular countries. Also, expect the costs to escalate far beyond what you expect.

Me and Nick did most of our trip alone, however through the Iran desert we had a pair of *big* 4x4's. I got the car epically stuck in the soft sand and we would have been screwed without it. 10miles later I stuffed the wheel completely on a boulder as I was following the 4x4's too close and didn't see it in the dust. We also had 3 sat phones at that point.

A couple of times when we were on our own I was less than comfortable, to the point we hadn't had signal for 2 days in an area of epic dubiousness. Whilst sleeping in the car the phone beeped with a text from Andy and I pretty much texted instantly back with nothing more than a location as to where we were last Tbf nothing was ever that bad but it's all new and takes a bit of getting your head round, at the time I hadn't!

The best thing to try and do is to get in contact with motor clubs on route and meet up with people along the way. Whilst we were on our own, every major country (for us the last 4) we had people to meet and who knew what we were doing. We had their contact details and vice versa and a day when we expected to be there.

As to pennies, I agree. If like us you are driving 4-700 miles a day on roads that make Hampshire lanes look like motorways the last thing you want to do at night is scout out cheap accomodation. I know I wasn't paying for it but I had the opportunity of driving up to a valet parking attendant in a muddy as hell City Rover, throwing the keys at him at 3am and going to reception to ask for a room. The look of disgust I got was awesome and I was told I may want to look at the pricelist before I committed to which I threw down a bundle of $500 and repeated the fact I wanted a room. After looking at the price list I realised I wasn't going to get a huge amount of it back (luckily the chap paying wanted us to go there anyway... but still. Once a tight 300 driving student type...)