The V8 3,5l engine drinks more than 20 litres for 100km, there is no AC, and the driving position is really uncomfortable, but you couldn't make me change my mind. I got the idea of this trip when I first saw the ad for this car.
Many travelers give a name to their car. I decided not to, even if I may talk a lot to her on the way :-)
For the first time since I own it, she made 2000 km without any breakdown. That is a good sign :-) The meter is blocked forever on 20060 km and I have to compute the distance with the trip meter. The first time I tried to take it out of the country it never reached Muscat because of a clogged fuel line. I will have more chance this time !
It is a car easy to repair. The only electrical things are the starter and the lights. And I can open a shop with all the spare parts I carry with me. Beside the lack of comfort, that is the ideal vehicle for this trip. That is really a social car, a passport in itself that facilitates discussions with police and customs officers. Even here in Dubai where nobody has friends on the road, people of all nationalities waive at me. I remember once being tailgated in Oman by people that wanted to buy it from me.
As you don't travel for 4 months the way you travel for 4 days, I had to spend a lot on safety and good camping equipment. Everything is now installed on the car : the rooftent, the awning, the fridge, the 220V inverter, the table, a 165l watertank with pump, a winch and additional driving lights.
I had also to install a wipers system that might prove useful once I reach Europe.
I have to be nice with this old lady sothat she reaches the end of the trip with me. She will more than probably break down at one point or another. But I bring the most sensitive parts with me and a strong tow bar. The car is pretty simple and the mechanics on the way can easily fix it. The more difficult will be to explain things with my hands :-)
The only question mark is how she will behave at altitudes of 2-3000 meters with nearly 1 ton of payload. Let's see...
More pictures of the car here and here. Thanks to Pierre and Ajith for them !
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