Shitbox rally 2013

[aggie57]

Fat Boy Racing are still going though.  This is taken somewhere between Tjukayirla Roadhouse and Laverton.

Cheers
Stu

Have they got any extra passengers?

[Stuart Thomson]

Bit hard to tell from here...

I don't think so as Simon has a swag, so that takes up most of the back seat, I don't know why it's not on the roof though.

Cheers
Stu

[vin sharp]

Hey Stuart,
Hope they make it, apparently Brad needs a lift back to Melbourne!
Roads were really rough this last day or so, so I'm told, with lots of broken cars.
Brad & Anita's 90 is apparently going to find it's way back here with RACV TotalCare!

Hope your own excursion is all going well .
Cheers,
Vin

[Stuart Thomson]

Hi All,

Well the Fat Boy Racing Alfa 90 made it to Fremantle!!

This makes it two Shitbox Rallies with only minor electrical problems, 7000kms over some really tough ground, and the return trip from Cairns last year.  If it makes it back to Melbourne I'll have to enter it next year to try and break it!

And Vin, when you say that Brad and Anita's car is making it back "here" I assume you mean your place to do a head gasket??

Cheers
Stu

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Yep, we made it in the Fat Boy Racing 90, with only a few little issues.  Annoying electrical issues of course (we're down to one working window switch), changed over some wheel-bearings a few days ago, changed over a leaking fuel-pump, and our rear door is a bit rooted now (this may have been because it was open while we were going over corrugations at low speed.  It wasn't me).  Also have multiple vibrations from either end due to knackered bushes in both front upper A-arms and the front dedion mounting.  We also started to get a vibration in the last 60km or so today; I suspect the rear donut is on the way out due to the knackered dedion bush.  We need to find the cause of the vibration because Brad bought the 90 and will be driving it back, all going well. 

It's been a really great car.  The engine is as strong as an ox and the car cruises beautifully at illegal speeds.  I always thought I hated the 90 GCL, but I'm nearly in love with this particular one.  My co-driver Simon has never driven Alfas before, so he has a severe case of Alfa-ankle right now, and he also wants to buy a 90!!  I told him he should get a TS 75, but he really loves the V6, and he is determined to get a 90 Super.  Nice to convert someone.

We had a great group this year, but it was exceptionally sad to lose Branita's 90 and the Trofeo Alfetta, both of them were great cars.  Outback Aussie is not a great place to do a head-gasket on an Alfa though, both were very unlucky.  One of the guys in our group is a very experienced mechanic, and he said that he was very surprised how far the 90 got on 4.5 cylinders.  He quizzed me for quite a while on the details of the Alfa V6.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

The GTV made it too.  Awesome effort from these guys after being rear-ended on day 1.  The owner is a Vic club member, but I don't believe he belongs to this forum, I'll try to change that.  He has some more Alfas tucked away...

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Other than Uluru (which was unbelievable BTW), I gotta admit that the scenery and roads were mostly pretty boring this year.  Luckily on day 5 at Laverton it absolutely pissed down.  We hated it at the time because we got extremely wet walking back from the pub, and a few people's tents and swags leaked somewhat, but the next day was just superb.  Muddy roads and RWD is always a fun combination.  Only one car was killed though, a Diesel Mazda 626.

[Evan Bottcher]

Awesome update - and well done to the teams.  Just getting to the start line is a victory, having raised a good wad of cash for cancer research and services.

Go the mighty 90!  Even the dead one!