10 Thousand Miles in a Nissan Micra (Mongol Rally)

Liam

Liam

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For some mad reason I have signed up to do the Mongol Rally next summer with a group of friends from Uni. The title sums up what it is all about as there is no set route and it has to be done in a 1 litre car. With the journey taking us over mountain ranges and deserts it could be interesting....

So has anyone done it before? / Got any advice?

Has anyone got an old Nissan Micra they want to sell us? (Less than 10 years old and cheap)

Does anyone know of any companies that want to sponsor us?

We are planning on raising a lot of money for charity but have just started, here is the link, if anyone is feeling generous.

Thanks for any help!
 
"Teams have been stuck at borders for 28 days, been shot at, avoided the heftiest of bribes, experienced truly exceptional bowl movements, sunk in rivers, unintentionally driven to China (and Iraq)... the list really is as long and bumpy as the 10,000km un-route itself."

Sounds fun. Take a camera.
 
Surely you want one OLDER than 10 years? The more fancy electronics it has, the less likely it'll be repairable by the road side!

Edit - Just read the rules. Ignore!!
 
Liam said:
Has anyone got an old Nissan Micra they want to sell us? (Less than 10 years old and cheap)

Does anyone know of any companies that want to sponsor us?
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Given that they're worth naff all nowadays have you considered ringing round a few local Nissan dealers and see if they have one they'd like to donate? Could be a nice bit of cheap publicity for them....
 
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Flash In The Pan said:
Given that they're worth naff all nowadays have you considered ringing round a few local Nissan dealers and see if they have one they'd like to donate? Could be a nice bit of cheap publicity for them....
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Or you could ask Ford if you can have a nice new Focus.:)
 
We have thought about going around Nissan dealers but checking a few dealers locally it seems most were exchanged for the scrapage scheme which is really annoying. But it seems we can buy one for about £500 and then bolt on some large wheels and a roof rack...

I will definitely be taking a camera or two, can't wait!
 
hmmm, just had a look at their website, call me picky, but routing through Iraq / Iran, and A'stan doesn't really appeal to me!
 
Why don't you try the Nissan offices down at Maple Cross or even their Press office directly. I'll ask around at work and see if I can get some contact names/numbers.

I know when we got the vehicles back from Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's "Long Way Down" expedition, everyone was heading for the workshop to see what state they were returned in.

Di
 
we did it in 2008 - ask me anything - I sorted our own visas etc - went France, Belgium (lost), Germany, Poland, Czech (quick detour), Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia

Ukraine was worst for roads, weather, bribes

You can do it in 13 days if you go via Russia

we were team Road Dwarf, car was a 1989 nissan micra - we had no troubles with the car until we hit Mongolia

we teamed up with a solo driver in a 1959 moggy - wow he made it too, that car got us through borders easy as pie lol:

here we are at the top of a mountain in Mongolia - it was the only way lol

5895054828_847528b1ac_b.jpg



there's more pics on flickr
 
PS you WILL need a very strong sump guard
 
Had a few days off work Liam so played catch up today. I've sent myself a reminder to ask first thing Monday and before I get bogged down in stuff. Will let you know how I get on.

Di
 
sturisoma said:
we did it in 2008 - ask me anything - I sorted our own visas etc - went France, Belgium (lost), Germany, Poland, Czech (quick detour), Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia

Ukraine was worst for roads, weather, bribes

You can do it in 13 days if you go via Russia

we were team Road Dwarf, car was a 1989 nissan micra - we had no troubles with the car until we hit Mongolia

we teamed up with a solo driver in a 1959 moggy - wow he made it too, that car got us through borders easy as pie lol:

here we are at the top of a mountain in Mongolia - it was the only way lol


there's more pics on flickr
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I have just been browsing your flickr, the photos look amazing! I am so excited now!

Di Stone said:
Had a few days off work Liam so played catch up today. I've sent myself a reminder to ask first thing Monday and before I get bogged down in stuff. Will let you know how I get on.

Di
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Thanks a lot Di, no rush at the moment as we have a while :)

Flash In The Pan said:
The obvious person on here to speak to is Ryan aka TheNissanMan, seeing as he works for Nissan GB.....
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Cheers Flash, I will send him a pm now...
 
We have also raised nearly £200 for our other charity (Teenage Cancer Trust) from selling wristbands in just a week :D
 
nilagin said:
Or you could ask Ford if you can have a nice new Focus.:)
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A 1 litre focus??
 
Liam, I've asked about at work and the Nissan Contract supervisor has a meeting with Nissan next week. If you can put some more bits and pieces together for me about your planned trip, any links etc, she will present it to them at her meeting.

You can use either my email from here or my works one diane.stone@paragonfleetsolutions.co.uk and I'll make sure it get to her.

Can't promise anything but won't know until we've tried.

Di
 
Hi Di, thats amazing! Thank you for all your time so far, I will put something together with the guy I am doing it with this week.

Thanks!
 
Hi Di, I have just sent you an email regarding the rally. Please get back to me if you require any more info.

Thanks!
 
Good luck!

odd jim said:
A 1 litre focus??
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Coming in 2012 http://www.autotrader.co.uk/articles/2011/11/cars/ford/focus/ford-announces-1-litre-focus
Supposedly it will be equivalent to their 1.8L petrol (not the greatest engine of all).
There is nothing strange here. Ford has added a turbo (or two), injection system and tweaked it all up on a computer.
I had a rental 1.2 TSI (VW engine) for a day and that was shockingly fast in some situations as soon as you reach 20mph and don't go up a hill. Then it is a 1.2 and would be slow pulling off and have nothing left by 70mph or up a hill. The economy was not diesel good though.

a little suggestion to OP, it may be fun to get turbo fitted to that micra, at least it would help with the going. I can't see anything in the rules against modding.
 
Guessing the age limit on vehicles is to ban Bedford Rascals, which was my first thought as a suitable vehicle when reading the topic. My 1968 Singer Chamois is also banned (possibly a good thing given the notorious problems that all Imp derived vehicles have with overheating).
 
A turbo could makes things interesting, tbh I don't think power is going to be our main problem. Ground clearance / a decent set of tyres and a car that doesn't brake down is our aim...

They have since changed the age to a maximum of 6 years old due to Mongolia charging more in the charity auction at the other end.

Thanks for the likes!
 
Hi guys its been a while but preparation is in full swing! We have sourced a car from a local second hand car dealer and they have kitted it out with off-road tyres, roof rack, sump guard... and it looks the business. Capable of travelling 10 thousand miles through deserts and over mountains? Probably not as its a 1 litre Nissan Micra.

Anyway just wondering if anyone has got any tips regarding sponsorship as we want to try and get some camping supplies nice and cheap. If anyone knows anyone please get in contact!

Thanks again...


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Khant-Read-A-Map-Mongol-Rally-2012/141171972655443
 
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