Entry #17:

As might have been predicted by anyone with half a mind, returning home I was immediately swamped by lethargy and a huge pile of post and subsequently stuff that needed to be done. Very little time to sit and contemplate the experiences and less time to write further on our travels. What luxury it had been, I realise, to be able to spend any time we were not travelling or doing domestic chores, writing about where we had been, what we had seen and put it into some sort of context. So a few idle thoughts nearly two months after our return.

First I hope you have been able to forgive the typos and spelling areas, all mine and committed in the heat of writing, with not enough attention to detail, proof reading and actually reading what I had written (under the G&T influence) Any factual inaccuracies, especially names of people we met I similarly beg their forgiveness and your indulgence.

To my travelling companions, I thank them for their forbearance, when it was tedious to answer the call for photos or when I was absent from chores on the cars. They have also taken in good part (to the best of my knowledge) any indiscretions about personal habits and apparel. As companions on a journey I could not have wished for better company. They were a support and comfort at times of stress and loss for which they have my grateful thanks.

To the friends and acquaintances we met along the way, thank you for making it such an enjoyable visit to your country and for that special Argentinean welcome which will remain warm in my heart. To the people of the towns and cities we encountered along the way, thank you for your enthusiasm and open welcome. From the friendly headlight flashes, to the special wave, from the interested questions and your desire to overcome our inadequate understanding of your language, to the invitations to join your picnic, asado or just for a drink, I thank you. All of that made the journey and the tour a fantastic and unforgettable experience.

So, a few numbers for the anoraks.

These figures were taken from the speedometer of Rusty and recorded fuel purchases and reflects only one car’s mileage and consumption

Mileages per day		Average mileage per day	159.6
Over 300	1
Over 200	8	Travel days	35
Over100	19
Less than 100	7	Rest days during travel	13
		Lay days in BA before and after travel	9

The Argentinean roads took their toll on the cars, in particular La Cuarenta (Route 40) “The Car Breaker”.

‘Rusty’, ‘Crusty’ and ‘Dusty’ had in 2007 travelled from Peking to Paris a significant journey in itself. Although all four cars were fitted with Phoenix crankshafts including the Chummy, none were specially modified or tweaked for this journey, although none are still as they left the factory.

‘Rusty’ (1931 box saloon, long wheelbase) is the most altered from original with 4 speed box, 12 volt alternator, high compression head, SU carburettor and front and rear fuel tank. Crusty (1931, box saloon short wheelbase) has a high compression head and SU carburettor and in common with Dusty (1932, box saloon long wheelbase) its three speed box has been fitted with an ‘Andes’ gear on 2nd, which helped with the gradients. The Chummy (1929) has 12 volt electrics.

On the early part of the journey Rusty suffered a puncture and later a loose carbon particle that sounded like a major engine failure but was cured by a roadside decoke.

The Chummy had a clutch release bearing failure that required the engine and gearbox to be removed in order to replace it. Crusty’s dynamo stopped charging and was changed and Rusty ran a rear wheel bearing.

Inevitably on the extreme roads over which we travelled, notably Route 40 ‘La Cuarenta’, the cars suffered some damage and breakages. The Chummy and Rusty both had king pin problems, where the offside kingpin came out through the top of the hub eye, in my opinion both were due to the same cause, I will explain. We were driving on the right of the road and the camber was quite extreme causing the steering wheel to be constantly held to the left, on a road surface that provided a constant hammering action. In effect the offside wheel was constantly skidding, its outer edge being bounced up and down. Constant jarring of the king-pin, the pivot point, caused the king pin to work-up past the pinch bolt until loose from the bottom hub eye and then it was only a matter of time until it came out of the axle eye and the wheel, still attached to the hub, folded up under the wing. In the process the drag link was bent over the radius arm and the track rod arms twisted in the hubs. Later the same day Rusty broke its front spring on a large rock, hit with the nearside front wheel. Crusty was carrying a spare strapped to its front bumper that was used with the bushes from the old spring re-used.

As the journey drew to a close Rusty and the Chummy both ran out of tread on their tyres and suffered a few punctures. To this sum total of replacements has to be added the constant maintenance and minor adjustments to plugs, points, carburettor jets and tightening of nuts and bolts, particularly door hinges and latches. Some headlight shells cracked around the pivot bolts, number plate fixings failed and a door window cracked. The underside of wings and floorpans took some very large impacts from rocks that cracked the paint and left permanent dents in addition to breaking stop light switches and similar things.

However all remained drivable and reached Buenos Aires under their own power. A tribute to the original design and build of these remarkable cars, of course they have all at some time had their engines and gearboxes and axles refurbished mostly by Vince Leek, so to him goes the accolade of a superb job well done.

When the cars were collected from Tilbury after a month at sea, all, but ‘Dusty’ started and had not suffered any transit damage. ‘Dusty’ had had its two tents and fuel removed. Whilst ‘Rusty’, ‘Dusty’ and the Chummy were trailered home, Chris drove ‘Crusty’ home to Buckinghamshire around the M25.

I want to acknowledge the considerable assistance and care taken by Aaron Masonek my webmaster, posting these entries was time consuming and his arrangements on the page enhanced the readability and clarity considerably. During the process he and his wife were delivered of their first child Casey Martin Masonek and despite this virtually no delay was incurred at any time, thank you Aaron, congratulations on your first child.

To those left behind, thank you for taking care of business, home affairs, my cat and keeping things running, Richard, Amanda, Fabienne, Rex, Heidi and Letty.

A few days after our return we learnt that Phyllis and Mac had been involved in a very serious car accident when their car was hit with great force by another. This happened in Bariloche where they have their summer home. Phyllis was cut by flying glass and of course suffered from shock, Mac a punctured lung and broken hip. These injuries on top of the problems left from a stroke many years before, resulted in an extremely serious situation for Mac. He has been under sedation for several weeks while his condition was stabilised and infections and drug regime resolved. Thankfully his hip joint has now been replaced and he has been brought back to consciousness but his condition remains serious and a great worry to his family. His many friends and acquaintances from around the world are willing him to regain his former rude health and vigour.

Finally my thanks to Vince for inviting me to join him as co-driver, an unrepeatable experience and one I am glad to have shared with the group “to the end of the world” as Ushuaia bills itself!