Day 5 - Rest Day @ Chinggis Khan Hotel ... somewhere abroad?

So, we woke this morning after a bit of a lie in ... all the way to 7.30am.   We had a leisurely breakfast and then made our way to check out the leader board. On Day 3, when the ignition coils had failed, we ended the day´s rally in 46th place overall and 28th in class.   At the end of Day 4, we were 35th overall and 12th in class.   This is a LONG hard rally and I am committed to putting in my best possible result ..... so watch this space! After devouring the yummy comestibles of breakfast, I looked long and hard at Fugly and found the following issues: 1.  Radiator Mountings have broken away top and bottom.   Only the cable ties are preventing the huge radiator going into the razor-sharp metal cooling fan.   (did cable ties exist in 1938? ... Peter) 2.  Fuel filters look like they´re full of crap.  The fuel pump on the main tank is noisy and hunting for fuel, even though the tank is half-full. 3.  Replacement ignition coils need to be fitted. 4.  New 16" tyres need to appear! As I mentioned before (remember the jack), Ces is very organised and has a daily check-list that she marks off on a laminated sheet using a chinograph pencil.   This list includes greasing the nipples, so I always like to ask if she'd like a hand-greasing for her nipples?   I usually get the kind of look that says not.   So whilst Ces greased her nipples and checked tyre pressures, oil and water levels, checked wheel bearings, cleaned all the glass and checked lights etc, her female counterparts on other teams went shopping or visited the spa! The chap next to me in his Rolls-Royce explained to his wife in some detail what would happen if she went ahead with the proposed purchase of a lovely rug she'd seen.   So, instead, she returned with an enormous wicker picnic basket.   My nipple-greasing team-mate is definitely the best! When I started removing the radiator, the most important repair of all, yet another local appeared and said that he could get it all re-welded within 20 minutes.  So together we removed the rad and off he went.  To be honest, if the tyre/wheel repair man from the previous night failed to re-appear with the 16" tyre, I could still start the rally, but without the 1938 Chevrolet radiator, my race would be well and truly over.  To take my mind off this worry, I again offered Ces help with her nipples, but having been rejected yet again, I cleaned the fuel filters and flushed the fuel pumps through, tidied up all round and then noticed that the 11am due time for my wheel/tyre had passed.    He was still not back by noon, but worse, my radiator man was also nowhere to be seen either.    Then I was told that one of the recovery trucks from the previous day´s timed stages had also disappeared, together with the 3 broken rally cars on its back.  Anyway, trusting in human nature as I always do (I´m sure that I just heard a thunder clap ... Peter), I assumed that they'll be back ... while at the same time seeking out the translator and the telephone number of the local police! Clive, you didn´t supply a photo ... so can you confirm that this is your welding specialist? Almost at the same time, the wheel/tyre and 2 coils arrived as did my radiator man.   Total cost?    -  Radiator totally re-soldered top and bottom and new brackets welded ... USD100 -  New 16" 8-ply tyre (you can't get those), plus 2 new coils ... USD300 -  Not having to call the police ... priceless! With the much appreciated help of Simon Ayris, we re-fitted the radiator, drilling the mouting holes larger to reduce the strain on the rad.   We also added some rubber blocks to enable some flex on the rough stages, and I extended the top hose to give more flex.   Then we fitted the new Russian coils. This was not a problem, except that neither terminal had positive or negative symbols.   Instead they had some Russian cyrillic writing.   After some guesswork, I fitted both coils and turned the ignition .... to be met with a huge blue flash from the fuse box and the smell of burning. I killed the ignition and immediatley swapped the connections over, replaced the fuse and tried again .... to be met, yet again, with a huge blue flash etc etc ....   To cut a long story short, if any of you would like 2 free Russian coils please let me know ... there are 2 nestled comfortably in the bin beside me! (Clive, "positive" in Russian is положительный and "negative" is отрицательный ... but I guess it´s too little too late ... as it didn´t seen to work whichever way you attached them ... Peter) So, as I type ,we've spent 10 hours of our rest-day fixing the car in the freezing cold (how can weather change so quickly?).   But now Fugly runs great and sounds great.    And with the new radiator mounts, we can push and push ... and then push some more ... without fear of the putting the fan through the radiator. Tomorrow ... who knows ... I am living for today!   (yeah right ... Clive is secretly working out how he can leapfrog that other Fangio Chevy Coupe ... don´t you think ... Peter) CD & Ces