Behind the scenes

The last few weeks have been busy for the us. A number of plans and preparations have started behind the scenes, although nothing is quite ready or complete yet. Less than 5 months to departure sounds like a long time, but with no car, no visas, no Chinese permits and the tracking system not yet refitted in Red, we certainly have to accelerate things a bit.

On the car front, we mentioned in September 2013 that Red had gone to Usher Engineering (Motorsport) for inspection and maintenance. Since the head was refurbished, a further engine inspection revealed that Red's engine was in no state to take on a 10,000 mile rally, so as of January 2014, an engine rebuild has begun. That is still very much in progress at the moment. We still have the suspension to work on after the engine is rebuilt as well as putting in a refurbished steering box.

On the permits and visas, we have an extensive amount of work. We need visas for 4 countries, China, Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Entry to China will also require a number of vehicle and driving license permits. We've finally selected an agency to work with in China to support us obtain the permits. We're hoping to get further progress on the documentation and permits towards the end of February. We're also anticipating Kazakhstan to be the first visa we apply for, probably sometime in February.

We have been working with Mercy Corps on selecting an appropriate way to finish our 10,000 mile and 28 day rally. There are some ideas currently being worked on, as soon as we have more details, we'll share these with you.