|  | | Monte
Carlo or Bust - Glasgow to Monte
Report by Jim Paterson
Those that had bet we would not make St.
Vincent Street before breaking down lost their stake money pretty
quickly. We were soon heading toward Kilmarnock and on to Dumfries,
passing Cumnock, the next sweepstake key point. A friendly bunch of
 marshal's met us at Dumfries and we were soon on
our way again, over the border to
Penrith and over the Pennines to Scotch Corner. We met up with some of
the competitors, including David Mustarde under the bonnet of his '61 Alfa
Giulietta trying to change a faulty distributor condenser. The Canadian
ladies team, with Joan Esmée Hoskinson behind the wheel of
an Escort RS2000 had
lost brakes and were busy effecting a brake pipe repair. This would be
a reprieve before a piston blowout at Waltham Abbey drew their rally to
a close.
The route south on the A1 was closed, and
a long detour via a loop to Teeside rejoined at Dishforth. It was there
that David Mustarde flew past, obviously having replaced the condenser!
 Next port of call was Barnby Moor, an old favourite
in past Monte Carlo rallies. In the late evening hours the owners and
locals of the Ye Olde Bell welcomed the cars, providing hot filled
rolls and warm drinks to revive the crews for the final long haul down
the A1 to Waltham Abbey, north of London.
The
Herald was going well, and after what seemed like a lifetime, our speed
being held back as the engine was still tight, we arrived at Waltham
Abbey. Time for a quick bite and a few hours sleep. Many of the crews
napped only an hour or so and made off early to Dover for the ferry
crossing. The next time control was Calais at 1609 on the
Friday so a sleep in Calais was the chosen option.
An
under bonnet check the next morning revealed a small engine oil leak,
which the fan had managed to spray around the front of the engine bay,
and the steering column pinch bolt having started to work loose. This
is when we found that no-one had packed any motor oil. Classic cars
don't like the thin synthetic oils of modern engines, and 20W/50W is
not readily available on garage forecourts in the UK, and probably less
so in France. Google to the rescue on my iPhone and a Halfords
found in Dover. Googlemap even took us right to the door. Whilst
effecting our repairs etc Douglas decided to change the steering wheel.
Pardon, I hear you say, no oil, but two steering wheels? You have to
have your priorities straight! The wooden wheel fitted was not
favoured, so the dished original was replaced, and stayed on for the
rest of the trip.
 On to the ferry and over to
Calais without any problem. We decided to make for Reims to see the
cars, rather than hang around Calais. Without the detailed road book
for the French sections we picked up the competitors on their run from
Reims to the next control at Bar-sur-Aube.
The
French crowds really love their motorsport. Every junction and
roundabout had a crowd cheering us and the competitors on (probably
thought we were competitors!) Camera's flashing, people pointing the
way, it was a great experience. The Reims starters, fresh as daisies,
in their big Merc's and Porsches showed little concern for any speed
limits and bowled along into the distance.
The
Herald, by now had reached just over a 1000miles on the clock since the
engine rebuild and was feeling a little looser, so we decided to give
the car a little more “welly”. She responded well
and soon we arrived at the Bar-sur-Aube time control. Again a big
party, with hot food and warm drinks for the crews, and plenty of
exotic classic machinery lined up in the Centre Ville.
It
was here that Douglas started to feel unwell. By time we walked back to
the Herald he had gone quite green and disappeared down a side street.
A dodgy curry on the ferry was blamed, but Douglas was not a well man
for the rest of the night. We continued to follow the competitors to
the next control at Langre, with the town lined with French enthusiasts
waving us through. However with temperatures at -3 degrees, and the
Herald heater refusing to warm up, it was only a matter of time before
Douglas had to call a halt, and we had to seek an overnight rest halt.
We
reached Dijon about 2.00am in the morning and eventually located a
hotel, which John Stuart in his best French managed to secure three
rooms. Thankfully this helped Douglas and by morning he was well enough
to travel.
 By now of course the competitors were
well ahead of us, so we decided to head direct to Monte Carlo, heading
for Grenoble then over the Route Napoleon to Barreme, Grasse and down
to Nice, and our hotel in Menton. All went well but a cold front had
blown in and heavy snow was falling in the Alps. By time we got to
Barreme things were thickening up. On the climb over the cols to
Castellane we passed many modern cars struggling, with their passengers
out pushing in the falling snow. The French ploughs are unusual to us
in that one plough has a blade that sweeps the whole road, i.e. both
directions at once. When they come up against a vehicle, they simply
hinge in that side of the plough and push on.
The
Sierra called to say it was getting worse further on. The Kia crew
behind us eventually slid to a halt. Pushing was not the answer, the
road being sheet ice under a layer of snow, and we could hardly stand
up on it. So a tow rope was hitched to the Herald, which with its
narrow wheels and winter tyres managed to pull the Kia over the summit.
The astonished looks we got from struggling drivers as we passed on our
way up the col was a sight I won't see again in a long time. Everyone
was amazed as Douglas gently kept the power on to reach the summit.
Even a passing plough must have wondered what we were doing!
By
Castellane we met other motorists parking up for the night. We tried
the next Col but the Kia soon gave up, and John and Tom returned to the
town to secure a bed for the night. Douglas and I pressed on, having great fun driving round the switchback
hairpins on our way to Grasse. The Herald traction was superb, the car
being well balanced and well planted, despite the snow and ice.
By
Grasse the snow had turned to rain and an easy run to our Menton hotel,
which we had to reach by 2300 to prevent the rooms being released. My
watch read 2259 as I stepped into reception. Does that mean I collect
double penalties for arriving early at the Control?
The
person who bet on the Herald making it all the way would win the
sweepstake. Apart from the minor problems described above the car never missed a
beat. With around 1400 miles added to the clock the Herald was well and
truly run in.
We
had arrived, tired and exhausted, but we had made it on routes used by
the worlds oldest rally, that everyone has heard of - The Rallye Monte
Carlo.
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| Updated 17 February 2011
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