Rally Elan

Desert Elan – MRC (most reliable car)
Targa Tunisia Sahara Challenge 2003

Last year we took our 1967 Elan S3 on a rally to Athens via the Dalmation Coast, including Albania. This year was Tunisia and the Sahara desert. There were two rallies being organised and with both offering test sections near the Star Wars film set it was appropriate that Rally Wars broke out with both organisers chasing a limited number of competitors. We chose Targa Tunisia because we had not used them before and they seemed more geared to Classic cars.

We were warned to be aware of dust and heat. Our air filters would be overwhelmed with bucket loads of dust and sand – what to do? Eventually after considering many different ideas including oil soaked foam and tractor style cyclones (as fitted to Massey Fergusons!) we followed the advice of a friend who is an army tank engineer. We did nothing but took lots of spare filter elements!

Overheating is a problem at the best of times, with a single blade belt driven fan, we look at a traffic queue and the temperature rises. Our solution was to get a new bonnet with holes in it and to run a 50% antifreeze mix (yes, in the desert) to raise the boiling point.

We treated ourselves to an engine tune, including balancing the Webers and changing the jets to a leaner mixture. This showed up a faulty distributor and a lack of advance at high revs. The spindle was sticking and the springs well past their sell-by date.

Our spares were as last year with the addition of a fuel pump (mechanical of course!). So on the Saturday before Tuesday’s early morning ferry we thought we were organised, time to change the oil, put on continental headlights and check that exhaust burble under the gearbox on the “Y” junction. It was then that I noticed a drip of water from the front of the engine and a damp garage floor! This looked bad, so I phoned a friend. I was told “assume its everything else before you decide on the water pump – if it is the pump its easier to change with the engine out”. I really needed this; I do not have a hoist and am not going to find one on a Saturday afternoon.

Research led to the inevitable conclusion, with water high up on the front cover under the pulley, what else could it be? Graham Bolton came to the rescue, if I could dismantle the front of the engine, remove front cover and take it to him, he would press in the new one. Make sure your spares kit includes a water pump – it may be a sod to fit but if you haven’t the parts you’ve got no chance! By Sunday evening the engine was reassembled and running – thanks Graham we could never have started without your help.

Monday morning check oil – what’s that bubble of water on the dipstick? Heart sinks, maybe its just a few drops that came out of the back plate when the new pump went in; drive 6 miles, check dipstick. Worst nightmares stare at me, cream of mushroom soup in the sump – the new pump was leaking water. What now? We have to be in Marseille on Thursday morning, do we jack it in and take the Porsche, tour around and stay in the prebooked hotels or cry off work for the day and do the whole water pump thing all over again?

Phone a friend – again! Its probably that the corrosion round the “O” ring which made the pump so hard to remove was actually the water seal and when I cleaned the O ring seat, I had removed the seal. Answer – use plenty of silicone sealant round the seal! 6pm and we are back in business, go for a 20 mile drive – looks ok so lets hope as we leave in 14 hours time!

The run to Marseille was uneventful, except we lost the headlights in the rain – but the oil looked beautiful! Our overnight ferry to Tunis enabled us to meet the competitors and we formed a team of 1960’s sports cars with a Healey 3000 and a TR4. Our arrival was delayed but we arrived in time for the Lord Mayor to wave the start flag and release us into the evening rush hour – temperature climbed to 105 and that was the worst of the whole trip. The first two tests were after dusk and where were those lights? Fumble under dashboard and round the dip-switch, lights materialised – just allowing us to leave at our correct time.

Day 3 was more exciting. On the first test we were off at a blind bend, beached in a pile of cactus with a big Mercedes just a minute behind – its very prickly pushing a car out of cacti when you’re only wearing shorts and sandals! We managed and as the Merc came round the bend we were 50 yards clear . On the second test we leaped over a mound and on our descent pulled the exhaust out of the “Y” and dragged it behind us to the finish.

Tied it up with wire and spent the lunch stop parked in front of the Colliseum at El Jem patching it together. Next to us in the car park was the Healey, which had lost its rear flexible brake pipe; our spares kit includes flexible hoses so he was soon mended. On the third test we managed to spin in front of the assembled cameras, enveloped in a cloud of dust. The fourth was peaceful (only dislodged the exhaust again) and we crossed the desert to the Holy town of Kairouan. Now the TR4 was in trouble with the steering rack moving sideways across the chassis – fixed with jubilee clips.

After this, things improved and we climbed the leader board as others missed time controls or broke down. The service crew bypassed a faulty headlight wire and we could see! Didn’t actually need the lights again until our return through France – but they worked!

The Healey was ahead of us and stayed that way to the end. Pushing us were two French Mercs, a Datsun 240Z and the TR4. The Mercs moved ahead until the desert section near the Star Wars film set, where one lost his sump guard and the other had shock absorber problems; both missed one of the two tests and we regained our position. Penalties for missing a test were 60 minutes and as it was only possible to make up about 2 to 5 minutes on a test section, their chance of overtaking was for us to make a mistake or breakdown. The Datsun was getting closer all the time and on the Star Wars test he was much faster – then threw it all away by being late at the Time Control. Our excitement came round a bend when we saw 4 Toyota Landcruisers heading straight for us. We expected them in this terrain but they can hardly have expected to find a Lotus Elan racing across the sand dunes. They moved aside and we held our course, navigating potholes and soft sand, going slowly up blind crests – unlike the Peugeot 106 who flew over the summit, pulling off his sumpguard and fans as he landed and missing the next two Time Controls as he reassembled the scattered parts!

The road to Star Wars

has a concrete base but the drifting sand has turned it to washboard. Our task was to find the optimum speed before we shook to pieces; the problem is that there is no one optimum, each stretch has different corrugations and at times the answer was just to crawl and let the marshalls’ hire cars overtake.

Our route took us south to Tatouine with a long drive through the Chott el Jerid (salt desert). It was overcast with each car sending up a plume of sand and very difficult to see when you drive into the sand thrown up by oncoming traffic. The Peugeot broke down again with electrical failure but was rescued by the sweep crew. Two cars were completely out by now, a SEAT with a blown engine and the Escort who had replaced his cylinder head gasket only for his differential to pack up.

The afternoon’s first test section was on newly laid gravel and extremely slippery but was a much better road than the track which followed. Heavy rains had washed away the road and we were driving down a river bed! We inched our way along, following the Mercs with the TR4 and the Datsun close behind. After the last test we had our first puncture. Our tyres were van tyres with zero grip but extra height (= ground clearance) and up to now puncture free. Fortunately the next day was a rest day so we had ample time to find the local tyre shop along with the Healey who had damaged his tyre and spent £70 on the nearest size they had and which he hoped to never use!

The next afternoon saw off our only challengers – the Datsun and the TR4. We followed the Datsun to the test section but he was in trouble with a blue cloud emanating from his exhaust. At the Time Control the French mechanics asked if we had any spare oil as he had run out! We gave them the last quarter of our can of Duckhams – “its green, is it engine oil?” How could I explain that this was the ultimate oil, there is no better?

Well it may have been the oil but our next sighting of the Datsun was with his front wheels buried in a ditch which ran across the track – he was towed to our overnight stop where the mechanics were still at work at 10pm. The TR4 also had oil problems but his cloud came from the crankcase breather – piston rings anyone? Should I add piston rings to my spares kit? He limped to the finish and said he did 20 miles per litre of oil.

The rally started with 18 cars. Two had their own rules – to see who could get most penalties! Four were modern cars who could not be classified as it was a Historic Rally (two of the four were behind us – the Peugeot and the SEAT). We were 6th overall but classified as 4th with three Mercs behind us – the two French and Clay Regazzoni. On the final day we got to 3rd as the rally leader, a 4.8 litre Ford Mustang, crashed round a blind bend after the final test with only 50 road miles to the chequered flag – if you’re going to win, you have first to finish!

Only five cars completed the entire route (yes the Elan was one!). Our excellent position was due to reliability and cautious driving within the limits of both driver and car. Apart from things we inflicted on it, the car behaved perfectly. The only work during the rally was to change the air filter. We checked plugs, points and every nut & bolt I could find – but all were ok. The total distance was about 3,700 miles and we were again the first car back to UK after a non stop drive from Marseille to Norfolk.

Most Reliable Car? – sure is!