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East african safari classic rally '09
- Thread starter Legendary5
- Start date
datsfun
Club Member
Dont have any day 3 pics 
The boys have had some problems- yesterday the pressure plate collapsed when they were trying too tame the famous taita hills and they had to limp to end of stage. The thrust bearing was shot as well and hence gearbox was replaced.
About 50kms into day 3 and they lost 1st gear on the replacement box ! So they have done the entire day without 1st gear,which in a 1400cc car is an absolute necessity. Just 7kms from the end of the last stage on day 3, the got bogged down in sand ! And had to wait a long time to be towed out.
At the end of day 3, they have dropped to 40th posn...
On a positive note, the little datsun and the team are still in the event
The boys have had some problems- yesterday the pressure plate collapsed when they were trying too tame the famous taita hills and they had to limp to end of stage. The thrust bearing was shot as well and hence gearbox was replaced.
About 50kms into day 3 and they lost 1st gear on the replacement box ! So they have done the entire day without 1st gear,which in a 1400cc car is an absolute necessity. Just 7kms from the end of the last stage on day 3, the got bogged down in sand ! And had to wait a long time to be towed out.
At the end of day 3, they have dropped to 40th posn...
On a positive note, the little datsun and the team are still in the event
datsfun
Club Member
OK after some digging, I found some pics of the cars on day 3. Some amazing and varied shots which demonstrate how difficult and diverse the conditions really are
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zbloke
Club Member
SeanDezart
Well-Known Forum User
check out how many times it's been watched every time you place an update ;-) !
You also have a PM mate !!!!
You also have a PM mate !!!!
Hugh Myers
Well-Known Forum User
Do I have an audience on this thread?
Hellooooooooh?or should I just keep the updates to myself?
Pic of HATARI n Billy on Day3
Of course you have an audience!
Hugh Myers
Well-Known Forum User
Amongst the Zs, Steve Perez is now 3rd, Graham Alexander 5th and Jonathan Savage 8th.
Yes, but not at that time of night mate.
Keep it coming please. Is the little Datsun 1200 or 1400 - I've seen both sizes mentioned.
Alpine Renault - Safari car
Steve Perez is doing well and hopefully learnt a lot from his previous attempt. Now then on a UK Historic Rally would he be as quick in a Z as Dominic or Kevin B. ? I think not but I would think Hugh could answer that better. I just wish those two had the money to enter rallies like the recent Roger Albert Clark. We need representation in the UK - loads of Datsun in the Safari which may encourage people
Nigel Brook
Well-Known Forum User
Yes, but not at that time of night mate.
Keep it coming please. Is the little Datsun 1200 or 1400 - I've seen both sizes mentioned.
Alpine Renault - Safari car
Steve Perez is doing well and hopefully learnt a lot from his previous attempt. Now then on a UK Historic Rally would he be as quick in a Z as Dominic or Kevin B. ? I think not but I would think Hugh could answer that better. I just wish those two had the money to enter rallies like the recent Roger Albert Clark. We need representation in the UK - loads of Datsun in the Safari which may encourage people
Had the same thoughts about the Alpine Renault from the start. Also noted the sump guard seems to be very low on the little Datsun. Could cause problems in soft sand
zedhead260
Well-Known Forum User
rallymanDP
Well-Known Forum User
Good point to make, Rob, regarding the question of whether it is as easy to be competitive in a 240Z on UK Stage events - as opposed to, say an Escort or a 911.
Having tried to do so in the past on a few occasions and having had a Mk2 Escort at the same time, I would say for sure that a 'Z' is the more difficult - certainly on the typical Welsh stages, which typically feature a lot of 45 Left/45Right sequences, for example.
Changing direction with the longer wheelbase of the 'Z', combined with lower & rear mounted driving position ( creating a 'pendulum' effect ), all combine to make it a more tricky task.
Which makes the results of Kevin & Domenic all the more applaudable, in my opinion.
Where the 'Z' is the better car is on the longer/straighter, more undulating & rough roads, when the wheeelbase makes it more stable in the longitudinal direction & rides the bumps better. Hence the Safari which has these sorts or roads, is the perfect playground for the 'Z'.
The best illustration of this is in the Helicopter-filmed old Video shots of the '70's RAC which show the suspension working furiously but the car stays on the same even keel - I bet you remember these, Rob.
And, of course, the same applies to the Classic Marathon Tours - especially when the crews are perhaps the more, ahem. Mature type of Owners who appreciate an easier, smoother ride .....
Having tried to do so in the past on a few occasions and having had a Mk2 Escort at the same time, I would say for sure that a 'Z' is the more difficult - certainly on the typical Welsh stages, which typically feature a lot of 45 Left/45Right sequences, for example.
Changing direction with the longer wheelbase of the 'Z', combined with lower & rear mounted driving position ( creating a 'pendulum' effect ), all combine to make it a more tricky task.
Which makes the results of Kevin & Domenic all the more applaudable, in my opinion.
Where the 'Z' is the better car is on the longer/straighter, more undulating & rough roads, when the wheeelbase makes it more stable in the longitudinal direction & rides the bumps better. Hence the Safari which has these sorts or roads, is the perfect playground for the 'Z'.
The best illustration of this is in the Helicopter-filmed old Video shots of the '70's RAC which show the suspension working furiously but the car stays on the same even keel - I bet you remember these, Rob.
And, of course, the same applies to the Classic Marathon Tours - especially when the crews are perhaps the more, ahem. Mature type of Owners who appreciate an easier, smoother ride .....
Hugh Myers
Well-Known Forum User
Steve Perez is doing well and hopefully learnt a lot from his previous attempt. Now then on a UK Historic Rally would he be as quick in a Z as Dominic or Kevin B. ? I think not but I would think Hugh could answer that better. I just wish those two had the money to enter rallies like the recent Roger Albert Clark. We need representation in the UK - loads of Datsun in the Safari which may encourage people
I agree with Duncan but Perez is a pretty good driver now with lots of experience.
He won the British Historic Champs in a Category 1 Porsche 911 in about 2003 or 2004, I think and has won the Gravel Championship in a 4WD car. He now owns no end of cars from WRC Focus to Escort Mk 2's, several 911's, at least one EVO, a Lancia Stratos, Quattro and the Z, does lots of rallies and gets all the advice that is available.
However, I think Dominic would beat him in a Z vs Z competition, Kevin too once he has blown away the cobwebs which have accumulated since 2000!
The Safari is a completely different animal to UK stage rallies but Perez has done plenty of both in a variety of cars!
datsfun
Club Member
Sorry , my apologies. Bit of late night typing...its a 1200cc
A series engineAs for the apparent low front sump, well this was the max (sensible) ride height we could achieve. We swapped from 13" to 14" just to gain the extra inches...given the huge torque available in the 1200
, we had to make sure tha the tyre profile was a decent compromise. The max amount of travel was achieved within the parameters..There were issues with steering geometry, track rod ends not long enough etc etc. Due to the acute shortage of funds and sponsors, all work was done at home in the evenings and weekends
datsfun
Club Member
DAY 4- Tanzania has been very wet and I understand that the 1200 has been great in the conditions. However, on the sandy sections, they are suffering, again due to lack of 1st gear and also the lack of torque to pull away in 2nd etc
I understand that they broke down 3km from the end of the days stages...clutch gone. This has now been replaced and the little datsun is back motoring.
Last I heard at 6pm UKtime, the car was in a service area...
In the last 48 hours a network of friends in UK and Kenya have been sending SMS messages to each other trying to locate a working 5 speed gearbox. A rescue mission has been set up - a 4 speed gearbox was being sent from Mombasa (Kenya)to Arusha , Tanzania( some 7-10 hrs drive away !) and despite some nightmare immigration controls the box is in Tanzania on its way to the lads tonight
So hopefully the car will be back on the road tomorrow with a 4 speed. Not ideal as on the long distance and fast sections, the 1200 is going to scream, but hey they have a 1st gear now
I understand that they broke down 3km from the end of the days stages...clutch gone. This has now been replaced and the little datsun is back motoring.
Last I heard at 6pm UKtime, the car was in a service area...
In the last 48 hours a network of friends in UK and Kenya have been sending SMS messages to each other trying to locate a working 5 speed gearbox. A rescue mission has been set up - a 4 speed gearbox was being sent from Mombasa (Kenya)to Arusha , Tanzania( some 7-10 hrs drive away !
) and despite some nightmare immigration controls the box is in Tanzania on its way to the lads tonightSo hopefully the car will be back on the road tomorrow with a 4 speed. Not ideal as on the long distance and fast sections, the 1200 is going to scream, but hey they have a 1st gear now
datsfun
Club Member
For those who dont know, a 5 speed box for the A series is quite a find and rare almost worldwide. A 5 speed Dogleg is rare as.....
What is annoying is that even in Africa, parts for older cars ( pre 1980) are getting very hard to come by. Old cars are not collectable and hence economics dictate that demand for these parts declines as wealth become abundant.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, some day 4 pics...very wet
And a pic of the baby datsun amongst the BIGGER cars
What is annoying is that even in Africa, parts for older cars ( pre 1980) are getting very hard to come by. Old cars are not collectable and hence economics dictate that demand for these parts declines as wealth become abundant.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, some day 4 pics...very wet
And a pic of the baby datsun amongst the BIGGER cars
Attachments
I assume the 5 speed that's in the car is beyond repair in Africa? Do we know what has actually broken and if the original 5 speed could be repaired or a good one made out of the two once the 4 speed is temporarily installed?
Thanks again for the update on the little car.. Anybody remember Noddy?
Thanks again for the update on the little car.
. Anybody remember Noddy?
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datsfun
Club Member
I assume the 5 speed that's in the car is beyond repair in Africa? Do we know what has actually broken and if the original 5 speed could be repaired or a good one made out of the two once the 4 speed is temporarily installed?
Thanks again for the update on the little car.
Dont really know..the mobile phone coverage is pretty shite in Tanzania, especially away from main towns. Most of the crew and support unit have local Kenyan SIM cards and I dont think they "roam" freely.. So communications is not ideal.
The gears are not interchangeable Normal 5 spd<>Dogleg 5 spd<>4spd
As for local repairs, everything is possible in Africa, its the logistics that need to be overcome. If you are 400kms away from a main town with good engineers, well you need a spare car and driver for the errand. No DHL, no couriers, no next day delivery etc etc. You can not hire cars in the bush, so getting from A to B in a hurry can be a mission...unless you jump on a public bus
datsfun
Club Member
YESTERDAYS BLOG...great coverage, you get a fairly good sense of what the participants are experiencing. Sadly no clips of no 41
Arusha, Wednesday, afternoon
The story of the day centres on the continued fight between the two ex-Safari Rally winners, Ian Duncan and Björn Waldegård. Today, it was Waldegård's turn to fight back taking his Porsche 911 to a win on the first competitive section and removing, at a stroke, a minute and fifty-one seconds from the lead of two minutes, eighteen seconds previously enjoyed by Duncan's Ford Mustang. With a further four second advantage falling to the Porsche on the second section, Duncan's lead now stands at a mere twenty-two seconds with five days of hard rallying still to come.
In third place is the Datsun 260Z of Steve Perez twenty-five minutes behind the leading pair with Geoff Bell's Datsun 180B fourth some fifteen minutes further back. Fifth is Australian, Graham Alexander, in his Datsun 260Z with Paul-Eric Jarry chasing him hard from sixth place overall. Despite his problems of yesterday Gerard Marcy is still fighting back in his Porsche 911, taking fastest time on the second competitive section and second fastest time on the first section.
Ian Duncan and Amaar Slatch brought the Mustang into the final service today shortly after two o'clock this afternoon. "It's going well. The clutch problem that we had yesterday seems to be fixed but I am trying not to use it too much. There is a slight amount of brake knock-off that we have to investigate but otherwise it all feels pretty good."
Next car in was the Porsche 911 of Björn Waldegård and Iqbal Sagoo. "The driving was very nice today. The first section was climbing up the escarpment and it was wet towards the end, quite slippery but OK. The second section was much faster and nice too with some wet parts but no proper rain for us. But when we came away from it, the rain came hard and gave us a free car wash. We did see some traffic - a truck and two cars - on that section. I think perhaps rallying is not quite so well understood in Tanzania than it is in Kenya where they had the Safari for so long."
Steve Perez and Staffan Parmender are holding a solid third place in their Datsun 260Z but are aware there are still five days of rallying to go. "We took it quite steady on the first competitive section to consolidate our position. The second section went smoothly so we pushed a little harder. We've just to sit behind these guys and see what happens."
Geoff Bell and Tim Challen in the Datsun 180B said that "The first section was not too bad, some wet towards the end but OK. There was less in the way of wet stretches on the second section which for us was a pity as we could have done with more. We saw where the other cars had gone round the mud and we knew we could go straight through those places. No problems with the car and no worries."
Graham Alexander and Ross Runnals had a happier day in their Datsun 260Z knowing that engine was properly fixed in. "We got the new cross-member and engine mounts in last night but we took a bit too long about it and were penalised twelve minutes that dropped up down the classification a bit. The only problem today is that we hit a bank [co-driver's side] but the damage is minimal. The amazing thing is that since the rally started, we have only had one puncture on these 16 inch Michelin 4x4 tyres. We hope it stays that way!"
Paul-Eric Jarry and Jean-François Andreoli had what they described as minor problems with the Porsche 911. "We lost a headlamp unit and we can't seem to turn off the heating inside the car but otherwise OK. At the start of the first section, there were a lot of people in the road and the road itself was quite rough uphill but then it was all right. The second section was just superb, a real rally driver's road."
Jonathan Savage and Gavin Laurence had a trouble free run but were rather scathing about the first section. "It was a real Rhino Charge road, and very hard on the steering with the big Datsun. I did think that maybe I would have been better on the last part of it had I fitted mud tyres as it was very slippery on that red stuff. But we came through OK and the second section was just glorious, somewhere you let yourself go and enjoy the driving. Could we not have done it twice ?"
Thomas Flohr and Didier Breton found the conditions a little changeable on the competitive section in their Porsche 911. "It was very slippery in places - worse than ice - making it difficult to judge. Sometimes you can go fast and then you hit a slippery patch. It was just luck whether you got a rain shower. But the car is in great shape and we were taking it a bit easier today." On leaving parc fermé co-driver Didier Breton thought there may be problems with a rear damper.
Jean-Pierre Mondron and Dan Erculisse had a "lovely day" in their Porsche 911. "The competitive sections were very nice and the second section was fantastic with nice landscape as well. The car is great and the team are fantastic - every morning it's like a new car."
Steve Troman and Calvin Cooledge maintain their steady progress with their Porsche 911. "That second section was just awesome, I could do that as many times as you like. And today we cured the brake problem that has been plaguing us and the Tuthill mechanics for days. The brake bias was too far to the rear so that the knock-off from the front brake discs was making the pedal go long. We put more brake bias to the front and now everything is fine."
Aziz Tejpar and Andy Nagi had a good day in their Ford Escort despite suffering suspension problems. "The leaf springs at the back went flat on the first competitive section. Tonight we're going to add an extra leaf so there are three instead of two."
Despite yesterday's problems, Gerard Marcy and Stephane Prevot have no intention of giving up in their Porsche 911, setting fastest time on the second competitive section. "Yesterday we raised the car at the front so it was under-steering a bit, especially in the slippery parts of the first competitive section but the second competitive section was good."
Rommy Bamrah and Harvey Jutley enjoyed their day with their Datsun 260Z but with one proviso. "On the first section, suddenly there was no connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack. A bolt had fallen out of the universal joint so we had to stop and fit a temporary replacement. But it was good it happened there and not a bit later when there were big drops off the road. Otherwise the car is good and we are enjoying the run."
Richard Arrowsmith and Norris Midwood had what they described as a fantastic day in their Ford Escort. "On the first competitive section we passed the car in front but we played it safe on the way down. The car is going perfectly."
Samit Gehlot and Asit Patel enjoyed themselves today in their Ford Escort Mk 1, despite some problems on the transport section. "Today was really good fun but we had two fuel pumps fail on the transport section near the airport. Luckily the third one was working and I don't think we lost any time."
Michel Pucheros and Nicholas Patel had a good day in their Datsun 240Z. "The sections were very nice and very interesting. There a some rain which made us a bit careful on the slippery bits but came through OK. We were losing a little bit of power in last section but hopefully we'll fix that tonight."
Martin Aguirre and Luis Mirasol had "a very nice day" in their Porsche 911. "The car drove beautifully and we are still alive so all is well."
The Gods are not favouring Stefano Rocca and Piers Daykin in their Datsun 280Z. "After our previous troubles with the gearbox we thought that we could have a day without problems. But it was not to be. The wipers packed up right in the middle of the second section. We tried to fix the motor but frankly it was a waste of time trying to race the fault. We went on with a piece of tape tied to the wiper and coming in through the windows to the cockpit, but it did not make for fast driving and we had already lost nearly half an hour. We are just hoping that, as in the odds for Blackjack, we are due a good hand tomorrow."
Aslam Khan and Farhaaz Khan in a Ford Escort Mk1. "We had a pretty good day, well, enjoyable day. Fantastic run, fabulous stages. Only one problem and that was when I slid and nearly spun on a wet bridge. I had to reverse to get the car round and in doing so put a wheel over the edge. All would have been lost but a couple of strong fellows appeared and lifted us back on. Now I have some problem with reverse which is very noisy to engage but we will have a look now to make sure all is OK."
The two Savage brothers, Quinten and Russell, carried on today after their troubles with their Datsun 180B on Tuesday. They had to reverse out of the second section on Tuesday as the car could not be driven forwards and once it was fixed went into the third section where they managed to give the clutch a good dose of sand which led to more work in service last night. "The sections were lovely but we had to change the clutch on the first transport section today. Then just as we were arriving at the start of the first section the car developed a rattle. We found out it was a missing bolt from the lower rear suspension but managed to fix it with the help of the Tuthill mechanics. We lost time on the transport section but the competitive sections were great!!"
Jayant Shah and Lofty Drews in their Datsun 260Z. "That first section was very slippery so I took it a bit easy. There is no rush and long way to go. The brakes were also a bit funny with a soft feel for both stages so they probably need bleeding.
Albert Michels and Patrick de Connick are not having the best of luck. Yesterday they broke the rear trailing arm on their Porsche 911 in the last competitive section and the wheel came off. They had to wait until all the cars came through before their service vehicle could come into the section. Today they literally hit problems of a different kind. "Near the end of the last competitive section on the really twisty part we hit a bus." The bonnet was buckled but they had strapped it down to continue out of the section.
Marzio Kravos and Renzo Bernardi also spent a fair amount of time in yesterday's final competitive section in their Mercedes 450 SLC. "The steering rod went but we couldn't fix it in the section so we had to wait and didn't get back to service until 11 pm. But today we had a great day and the competitive sections were fantastic." The car was off to service where apparently it needs some welding around the front end.
Jean-Marc and Patricia Bussolini had a good day in their Porsche 924. "The competitive sections were superb. We had a little problem with the gearbox on the last transport section but luckily there were only two competitive sections today instead of three!"
Minesh Rathod and Sachin Sumaria had a very good day in their Mitsubishi Lancer. "There was a little bit of rain but no problems. The car is going great - touch wood!"
Nick Mason and Adrian Grinsted had a much improved day on yesterday in their Datsun 240Z. "Today was great and the competitive sections were superb. It was really good fun. Yesterday we broke a drive shaft after hitting a culvert and after that limped through the rest of the day."
Similarly Thierry Bosqueau and Nicolas Gilsoul had a much better day today in their Porsche 911. "Yesterday our steering went in the last competitive section and we got stuck in some deep ruts. We managed to push it out and then drove out very slowly to the side of the road to avoid the ruts. Today went very nicely. We had two great competitive sections and the brakes and the steering were both fine."
Frederic Daunat and Guy Chriqui had a reasonable day in their Citroen DS21, which is a bit special since it is a copy of the short back DS21 rallied by the factory in the 1970s. It's the only working one in existence since Fred Daunat maintains the cars in the Citroen museum and was given permission to copy the last remaining example from the museum. "The only problem we had today was with a broken rear tie-rod for the suspension and we stopped and changed it in the section."
Andrew Siddall and Mike Borrisow in their Datsun 280Z gave us a recap on their Tuesday experiences which were missed as they came in so late. They were constantly plagued by the engine stopping and several times had to hardwire the fuel pump. On the slow sandy and muddy bits they also discovered that all the settings on the engine were wrong as it didn't pull easily at low revs. On the third section yesterday they caught a car and to get past it they put the rear left wheel in the scrub which unknowingly damaged the bolt at the bottom of the left rear suspension which then failed in the sand and pulled out a driveshaft. They had to wait for the service crew to rescue them. "Today we had torrential rain on the first competitive section and we caught the car in front and got past him on a hairpin but then the driver's wiper blade fell off and we had to stop and fit a new one. On the second section the engine died so we hotwired the fuel pump yet again. In addition to all that we have no rear brakes and the front cross-member is broken. In the light of all this our aim is to see whether we can collect more penalties than anyone else on the rally."
Ekya Shah and Zahir Shah had problems with the fuel pump in their Colt Lancer. "We had to change it over to the reserve only to discover that there was no power coming to the reserve pump so we had to hardwire it to the battery in order to carry on."
Hardev Singh Sira and Denis Giraudet had a difficult day in their Ford Escort Mk 1. "An alternator went this morning - the second one in two days - and then the distributor failed and the engine timing seems to be wrong. But we were very lucky on one thing. The car has two fuel tanks and you switch over between them in the boot and while we were having this trouble we switched over and we think that the second fuel tank was empty so our luck is that we didn't stop in the middle of nowhere with no fuel."
Peter Stoehr and Crispin Sassoon had the wipers fail in their Datsun 1600SSS. "We rigged up a bungee strap and a piece of string so Crispin could operate the wipers from inside the car but it wasn't brilliant in all that rain. If someone asks me what did I think of the road - well - I didn't actually see much of it."
Jean-Louis Juchault and Steven Funk in their Peugeot 504 Coupe had what the driver described as "not such a worse day today - basically no problems but we had torrential rain going up the Mbulu escarpment and we were very pleased to get through." From the co-driver: "Key essential for tomorrow is to make sure there's plenty of ice in the cooler bag."
According to Roddy Sachs and Denis Matthews, their accident yesterday was not a big one. "I wasn't even proud of it," said Roddy. "We hit what was called a 'ditch' in the road book but it was more of a dip and the suspension must have bottomed out. We went over someone's garden fence and ended up on our side against a mango tree. The mangoes were falling down on top of us and we couldn't work out what it was - I still have the one that hit me on the head. To get out of the stage we had to reverse so Denis was on the accelerator while I was steering and looking out the back through the broken back windscreen. When we could go no further we had the good fortune of meeting a priest who towed us the rest of the way out of the stage." The Datsun 180B is having some reparative work done today but will re-join the rally tomorrow with a new co-driver: Steve Harris from the other 180B that rolled out yesterday. Clearly a man with an unusual desire for adventure.
Arusha, 18:00
...great coverage, you get a fairly good sense of what the participants are experiencing. Sadly no clips of no 41Arusha, Wednesday, afternoon
The story of the day centres on the continued fight between the two ex-Safari Rally winners, Ian Duncan and Björn Waldegård. Today, it was Waldegård's turn to fight back taking his Porsche 911 to a win on the first competitive section and removing, at a stroke, a minute and fifty-one seconds from the lead of two minutes, eighteen seconds previously enjoyed by Duncan's Ford Mustang. With a further four second advantage falling to the Porsche on the second section, Duncan's lead now stands at a mere twenty-two seconds with five days of hard rallying still to come.
In third place is the Datsun 260Z of Steve Perez twenty-five minutes behind the leading pair with Geoff Bell's Datsun 180B fourth some fifteen minutes further back. Fifth is Australian, Graham Alexander, in his Datsun 260Z with Paul-Eric Jarry chasing him hard from sixth place overall. Despite his problems of yesterday Gerard Marcy is still fighting back in his Porsche 911, taking fastest time on the second competitive section and second fastest time on the first section.
Ian Duncan and Amaar Slatch brought the Mustang into the final service today shortly after two o'clock this afternoon. "It's going well. The clutch problem that we had yesterday seems to be fixed but I am trying not to use it too much. There is a slight amount of brake knock-off that we have to investigate but otherwise it all feels pretty good."
Next car in was the Porsche 911 of Björn Waldegård and Iqbal Sagoo. "The driving was very nice today. The first section was climbing up the escarpment and it was wet towards the end, quite slippery but OK. The second section was much faster and nice too with some wet parts but no proper rain for us. But when we came away from it, the rain came hard and gave us a free car wash. We did see some traffic - a truck and two cars - on that section. I think perhaps rallying is not quite so well understood in Tanzania than it is in Kenya where they had the Safari for so long."
Steve Perez and Staffan Parmender are holding a solid third place in their Datsun 260Z but are aware there are still five days of rallying to go. "We took it quite steady on the first competitive section to consolidate our position. The second section went smoothly so we pushed a little harder. We've just to sit behind these guys and see what happens."
Geoff Bell and Tim Challen in the Datsun 180B said that "The first section was not too bad, some wet towards the end but OK. There was less in the way of wet stretches on the second section which for us was a pity as we could have done with more. We saw where the other cars had gone round the mud and we knew we could go straight through those places. No problems with the car and no worries."
Graham Alexander and Ross Runnals had a happier day in their Datsun 260Z knowing that engine was properly fixed in. "We got the new cross-member and engine mounts in last night but we took a bit too long about it and were penalised twelve minutes that dropped up down the classification a bit. The only problem today is that we hit a bank [co-driver's side] but the damage is minimal. The amazing thing is that since the rally started, we have only had one puncture on these 16 inch Michelin 4x4 tyres. We hope it stays that way!"
Paul-Eric Jarry and Jean-François Andreoli had what they described as minor problems with the Porsche 911. "We lost a headlamp unit and we can't seem to turn off the heating inside the car but otherwise OK. At the start of the first section, there were a lot of people in the road and the road itself was quite rough uphill but then it was all right. The second section was just superb, a real rally driver's road."
Jonathan Savage and Gavin Laurence had a trouble free run but were rather scathing about the first section. "It was a real Rhino Charge road, and very hard on the steering with the big Datsun. I did think that maybe I would have been better on the last part of it had I fitted mud tyres as it was very slippery on that red stuff. But we came through OK and the second section was just glorious, somewhere you let yourself go and enjoy the driving. Could we not have done it twice ?"
Thomas Flohr and Didier Breton found the conditions a little changeable on the competitive section in their Porsche 911. "It was very slippery in places - worse than ice - making it difficult to judge. Sometimes you can go fast and then you hit a slippery patch. It was just luck whether you got a rain shower. But the car is in great shape and we were taking it a bit easier today." On leaving parc fermé co-driver Didier Breton thought there may be problems with a rear damper.
Jean-Pierre Mondron and Dan Erculisse had a "lovely day" in their Porsche 911. "The competitive sections were very nice and the second section was fantastic with nice landscape as well. The car is great and the team are fantastic - every morning it's like a new car."
Steve Troman and Calvin Cooledge maintain their steady progress with their Porsche 911. "That second section was just awesome, I could do that as many times as you like. And today we cured the brake problem that has been plaguing us and the Tuthill mechanics for days. The brake bias was too far to the rear so that the knock-off from the front brake discs was making the pedal go long. We put more brake bias to the front and now everything is fine."
Aziz Tejpar and Andy Nagi had a good day in their Ford Escort despite suffering suspension problems. "The leaf springs at the back went flat on the first competitive section. Tonight we're going to add an extra leaf so there are three instead of two."
Despite yesterday's problems, Gerard Marcy and Stephane Prevot have no intention of giving up in their Porsche 911, setting fastest time on the second competitive section. "Yesterday we raised the car at the front so it was under-steering a bit, especially in the slippery parts of the first competitive section but the second competitive section was good."
Rommy Bamrah and Harvey Jutley enjoyed their day with their Datsun 260Z but with one proviso. "On the first section, suddenly there was no connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack. A bolt had fallen out of the universal joint so we had to stop and fit a temporary replacement. But it was good it happened there and not a bit later when there were big drops off the road. Otherwise the car is good and we are enjoying the run."
Richard Arrowsmith and Norris Midwood had what they described as a fantastic day in their Ford Escort. "On the first competitive section we passed the car in front but we played it safe on the way down. The car is going perfectly."
Samit Gehlot and Asit Patel enjoyed themselves today in their Ford Escort Mk 1, despite some problems on the transport section. "Today was really good fun but we had two fuel pumps fail on the transport section near the airport. Luckily the third one was working and I don't think we lost any time."
Michel Pucheros and Nicholas Patel had a good day in their Datsun 240Z. "The sections were very nice and very interesting. There a some rain which made us a bit careful on the slippery bits but came through OK. We were losing a little bit of power in last section but hopefully we'll fix that tonight."
Martin Aguirre and Luis Mirasol had "a very nice day" in their Porsche 911. "The car drove beautifully and we are still alive so all is well."
The Gods are not favouring Stefano Rocca and Piers Daykin in their Datsun 280Z. "After our previous troubles with the gearbox we thought that we could have a day without problems. But it was not to be. The wipers packed up right in the middle of the second section. We tried to fix the motor but frankly it was a waste of time trying to race the fault. We went on with a piece of tape tied to the wiper and coming in through the windows to the cockpit, but it did not make for fast driving and we had already lost nearly half an hour. We are just hoping that, as in the odds for Blackjack, we are due a good hand tomorrow."
Aslam Khan and Farhaaz Khan in a Ford Escort Mk1. "We had a pretty good day, well, enjoyable day. Fantastic run, fabulous stages. Only one problem and that was when I slid and nearly spun on a wet bridge. I had to reverse to get the car round and in doing so put a wheel over the edge. All would have been lost but a couple of strong fellows appeared and lifted us back on. Now I have some problem with reverse which is very noisy to engage but we will have a look now to make sure all is OK."
The two Savage brothers, Quinten and Russell, carried on today after their troubles with their Datsun 180B on Tuesday. They had to reverse out of the second section on Tuesday as the car could not be driven forwards and once it was fixed went into the third section where they managed to give the clutch a good dose of sand which led to more work in service last night. "The sections were lovely but we had to change the clutch on the first transport section today. Then just as we were arriving at the start of the first section the car developed a rattle. We found out it was a missing bolt from the lower rear suspension but managed to fix it with the help of the Tuthill mechanics. We lost time on the transport section but the competitive sections were great!!"
Jayant Shah and Lofty Drews in their Datsun 260Z. "That first section was very slippery so I took it a bit easy. There is no rush and long way to go. The brakes were also a bit funny with a soft feel for both stages so they probably need bleeding.
Albert Michels and Patrick de Connick are not having the best of luck. Yesterday they broke the rear trailing arm on their Porsche 911 in the last competitive section and the wheel came off. They had to wait until all the cars came through before their service vehicle could come into the section. Today they literally hit problems of a different kind. "Near the end of the last competitive section on the really twisty part we hit a bus." The bonnet was buckled but they had strapped it down to continue out of the section.
Marzio Kravos and Renzo Bernardi also spent a fair amount of time in yesterday's final competitive section in their Mercedes 450 SLC. "The steering rod went but we couldn't fix it in the section so we had to wait and didn't get back to service until 11 pm. But today we had a great day and the competitive sections were fantastic." The car was off to service where apparently it needs some welding around the front end.
Jean-Marc and Patricia Bussolini had a good day in their Porsche 924. "The competitive sections were superb. We had a little problem with the gearbox on the last transport section but luckily there were only two competitive sections today instead of three!"
Minesh Rathod and Sachin Sumaria had a very good day in their Mitsubishi Lancer. "There was a little bit of rain but no problems. The car is going great - touch wood!"
Nick Mason and Adrian Grinsted had a much improved day on yesterday in their Datsun 240Z. "Today was great and the competitive sections were superb. It was really good fun. Yesterday we broke a drive shaft after hitting a culvert and after that limped through the rest of the day."
Similarly Thierry Bosqueau and Nicolas Gilsoul had a much better day today in their Porsche 911. "Yesterday our steering went in the last competitive section and we got stuck in some deep ruts. We managed to push it out and then drove out very slowly to the side of the road to avoid the ruts. Today went very nicely. We had two great competitive sections and the brakes and the steering were both fine."
Frederic Daunat and Guy Chriqui had a reasonable day in their Citroen DS21, which is a bit special since it is a copy of the short back DS21 rallied by the factory in the 1970s. It's the only working one in existence since Fred Daunat maintains the cars in the Citroen museum and was given permission to copy the last remaining example from the museum. "The only problem we had today was with a broken rear tie-rod for the suspension and we stopped and changed it in the section."
Andrew Siddall and Mike Borrisow in their Datsun 280Z gave us a recap on their Tuesday experiences which were missed as they came in so late. They were constantly plagued by the engine stopping and several times had to hardwire the fuel pump. On the slow sandy and muddy bits they also discovered that all the settings on the engine were wrong as it didn't pull easily at low revs. On the third section yesterday they caught a car and to get past it they put the rear left wheel in the scrub which unknowingly damaged the bolt at the bottom of the left rear suspension which then failed in the sand and pulled out a driveshaft. They had to wait for the service crew to rescue them. "Today we had torrential rain on the first competitive section and we caught the car in front and got past him on a hairpin but then the driver's wiper blade fell off and we had to stop and fit a new one. On the second section the engine died so we hotwired the fuel pump yet again. In addition to all that we have no rear brakes and the front cross-member is broken. In the light of all this our aim is to see whether we can collect more penalties than anyone else on the rally."
Ekya Shah and Zahir Shah had problems with the fuel pump in their Colt Lancer. "We had to change it over to the reserve only to discover that there was no power coming to the reserve pump so we had to hardwire it to the battery in order to carry on."
Hardev Singh Sira and Denis Giraudet had a difficult day in their Ford Escort Mk 1. "An alternator went this morning - the second one in two days - and then the distributor failed and the engine timing seems to be wrong. But we were very lucky on one thing. The car has two fuel tanks and you switch over between them in the boot and while we were having this trouble we switched over and we think that the second fuel tank was empty so our luck is that we didn't stop in the middle of nowhere with no fuel."
Peter Stoehr and Crispin Sassoon had the wipers fail in their Datsun 1600SSS. "We rigged up a bungee strap and a piece of string so Crispin could operate the wipers from inside the car but it wasn't brilliant in all that rain. If someone asks me what did I think of the road - well - I didn't actually see much of it."
Jean-Louis Juchault and Steven Funk in their Peugeot 504 Coupe had what the driver described as "not such a worse day today - basically no problems but we had torrential rain going up the Mbulu escarpment and we were very pleased to get through." From the co-driver: "Key essential for tomorrow is to make sure there's plenty of ice in the cooler bag."
According to Roddy Sachs and Denis Matthews, their accident yesterday was not a big one. "I wasn't even proud of it," said Roddy. "We hit what was called a 'ditch' in the road book but it was more of a dip and the suspension must have bottomed out. We went over someone's garden fence and ended up on our side against a mango tree. The mangoes were falling down on top of us and we couldn't work out what it was - I still have the one that hit me on the head. To get out of the stage we had to reverse so Denis was on the accelerator while I was steering and looking out the back through the broken back windscreen. When we could go no further we had the good fortune of meeting a priest who towed us the rest of the way out of the stage." The Datsun 180B is having some reparative work done today but will re-join the rally tomorrow with a new co-driver: Steve Harris from the other 180B that rolled out yesterday. Clearly a man with an unusual desire for adventure.
Arusha, 18:00
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