Seeing as it now appears that the ship carrying my car has successfully transitted the Suez Canal, and run the gauntlet of Somali pirates, it seems a good moment to run briefly through some of the issues that threatened to derail this plan at various times...!
Crashing the car at Castle Combe in June 2009 was obviously a major hiccup (I hit oil on the track, honest) ... at one stage it looked as though the only sensible decision would be to write-off the car completely ... but when did anyone addicted to the racing drug every worry about what is sensible? It got rebuilt, of course it did, not only that, despite the fact that I'd proven it could go fast enough to leave the track, it also got a rebuilt engine and just a few extra horsepower. Initially it was due to have been delivered back to me at the beginning of the 2010 season, but various delays meant that it was delivered to Silverstone the evening before the Silverstone Classic at the end of July. Sadly it didn't last long; the new engine failed about 4 laps into qualifying, and well before I'd even starting pushing on ... this wasn't good. Cue one of those fits of depression that this sport can pitch you into from time to time ... I did allude to it being like a drug didn't I?!
Seemed like that would curtail the Aussie plans ... But No...
The engine builder generously admitted that the engine failure wasn't down to my right foot, and agreed to build a new engine if I paid for the new block - deal done. I eventually picked the car up on a Saturday morning in late November, less than one month before the anticipated shipping date. I planned a nice long run home to run it in, all over the Peak District, down through the Cotswolds etc. Bad plan. It doesn't matter what roads you pick on our overcrowded island - any Saturday is a frustrating time to drive 500 miles without using motorways, and the only time the road opens up in front of you you'll find a camera to spoil the fun. I did eventually put 1000 miles on it just before it went into the container for shipping, and am reasonably confident that it is restored to full health.
In the remaining weeks I fitted an intercom so that I will be able to hear Jason screaming at me. Fitted passenger seats, belts, new tyres, moved fire extinguishers (again), fitted spare wheel retainer, accumulated and catalogued a huge box of useful spares (except the one thing that I'll end up needing, I suppose). And went through the entire car checking all nuts, bolts, pipes, cables, hoses etc., Then I cleaned it seriously to pass Aussie quarantine regs, then I got it professionally steam cleaned and valeted to finish off.
Perfect - but sure there's something I forgot ...
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