Once More (Unto the Breach) [FINAL RESULTS]

[yangx2]

Team Wang Lao Ji

What’s the best drink in the world? That’s right!

The Team

The team consists of 3 former international students who attended [REDACTED] university the year before, all best friends which were unified by their love of Wang Lao Ji, and want to banter around before journeying into the real world.

Li Jun “Harry” Liu - Loud, boisterous, Harry is quite the character. At 23 years old, Harry has travelled a good portion of the world already. However, most of it has been done with the luxuries of hotels, technology and the likes. More importantly, he is the best driver out of the three. Harry has had his experiences driving his friend’s supercars through the crowded streets of Beijing like the rich fob he is and will push 200 km/h whenever he has the chance to. Being filthy rich, he also funds most of the trip. His music collection mostly consists of mumble rap.

Li Jie “Jackie” Huang - 22 years old, quiet, timid, the brain of the team, which is in stark contrast to Harry’s character making for some rather eventful banter. He studies on Friday nights, prefers texting people over talking in person, and still pays in cash as opposed to WeChat. Jackie knows how to drive and is very safe compared to Harry. He is also the most experienced cook out of the three, providing the very best of Sichuan cuisine to the other two. He mostly listens to anime OST, which prompts Harry to turn it off by any means necessary.

Liu Wei “Anderson” Wu - 21 years old and from the Guangdong region. Wu knows the most about outdoor living and has stayed in America the longest. He is the go-to person for surviving out in the wilderness and enjoys blogging about it whenever he can. Driving-wise, Anderson is the middle ground between the two. He doesn’t give a shit what music is on, but mostly listens to mandopop.

The Whip

The vehicle of choice would be one of 200 produced - the largely unsuccessful Guangzhou-based HAC YY7037; a subsidary of Honghu which was formerly the provider of fleet vehicles for the Beijing International Airport. The bulletproof 3.7 litre “diesel” engine made around 180 horsepower, with lots more torque to spare. Strangely, the YY series came with most of its offroad parts in handy, as if it were a former fire truck before taking on its new job as an airport vehicle. This example had nearly 220 000 kilometres on it, and its blemishes were large and obvious. Extensive rust plagues the untreated body panels. The ABS module has failed. All the seats are torn. A gear is missing from its 5 speed transmission, and an exhaust leak is evident, making the YY7037 rather loud and obnoxious. Anderson, who organized the trip for the three decided to pick one up at an auction for just shy of 3500 RMB, or roughly 485 American dollars. The beacon lights and original paint are kept to preserve its airport persona, while a large “Wang Lao Ji” sticker was placed on the driver’s side to commemorate the team’s new buy. It provides the team a fun offroad-type toy which can tackle most terrain as long as it doesn’t get eaten alive by oxygen and moisture.

[SyberRacer]

Team Stokes

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The Team

Team Stokes consists of two Edwin Stokes employees.

Elizabeth “Liz” Schneider - 34 year old mother of two. The navigator of the team and keen traveller. She will insist they stop at all POIs along the way to satisfy her tourist-y mindset. Curious and the more reserved member of the team, she will be the one to take her time and stick to speed limits the majority of the time. Edwin Stokes Chilled Division employee of 13 years.

Rebekah “Bex” Cooper - 24 year old punk. The main driver of the team. She has tattoos covering most of her body, with several piercings in her ears and on her face. She enjoys motorsport and lives by Colin McRae’s famous phrase: “If in doubt, flat out.” This is also how she will be driving, with a #Ain’tCare attitude. She’s loud, brash and boisterous. Edwin Stokes rookie of 3 years.

---

The Weapon of Choice

3 weeks before race day.
Outskirts of Carlisle, Cumbria, UK.

Rebekah: [excited] “Come on Liz! It’s going to be fun!”
Elizabeth: [sighs] “Why do I ever agree to anything you suggest, Bex?”

A bright red Ford Fiesta ST pulls into the Edwin Stokes Carlisle depot. Once parked, the two occupants step out. One, a young, punkish teen with colourful hair, several piercings and a mountain of tattoos. The other, a stark contrast to her partner, well presented and somewhat smartly dressed.

The two women head towards the back of the depot, where the truck servicing stations are usually located, hunting for a vehicle the young punk had purchased.

Finally, the two stumbled across the building they were looking for. Lifting up the garage door, the two peer inside to see what awaits them.

In the far corner sat a 2005 Voltan-Heavy-Industries Hiway-Trekker 445L, in the Stokes white and red. The green part of the livery and logos had been removed. Either the vinyl livery had been peeled away manually, or the glue had evaporated over time and the stickers had fallen off of their own accord.

Either way, the pair had found their vehicle of choice.

Liz: [shocked and angry] “Are you fucking kinding me, Bex!? A bloody truck!?”
Bex: [grinning like a kid at Christmas] “Fuck yeah! This is it! 2005 VHI Hiway-Trekker 445L! 8.1L of turbo-diesely goodness!”
Liz: [facepalms] “For god’s sake…”
Bex: “It’s going to be blast and you know it!”

The young punk then starts walking around the truck, inspecting the condition it’s in. It looks to be in decent nick after sitting for over 10 years, with no visible rust, paint chips or dents. Well, the red paint was slightly fading, but its still had most of its colour left.

Tilting the cab forward, Rebekah inspected the engine, checking it over for oil and fuel leaks.

Bex: [still grinning] “This thing’s perfect! Even the engine’s in good condition. Should still have all 445hp and 1206Nm, then.”

Liz sighs and folds her arms

Finding the keys, Rebekah climbs into the cab and turns the ignition. The engine roars to life at the first turn of the key. The punk gives it a rev, a small amount of black smoke puffs out of the exhaust, identified to be a much richer mixture from a cold start.

After a few more revs, the black smoke cleared, showing no signs of any engine damage, oil in turbo, etc… However, the engine did sound slightly louder than usual, suggesting a small exhaust leak somewhere.

Shutting off the ignition, Rebekah climbed down out of the cab. At this point she notices a few parts lying on a rack in the back and some spare tyres leaning against the wall of the garage.

Liz: “Don’t do it, Bex!”
Bex: [evil grin] “You know you can’t stop me!”
Liz: [defeated sigh] “You’re right…”

The garage door rolls shut and Rebekah gets to work.

---

The Fruit of Their Labour

A few hours later, the garage door rolls open and the truck rolls out.

The parts Rebekah had found were not performance enhancing, but aesthetic parts. A few spotlights for the bumper and roof, as well as a bullbar for the front bumper.

On the rear of the cab, the two spare wheels had been mounted; out of the way, but accesible when needed.

With the truck on its way to the starting location for the start date, Team Stokes were ready for the adventure to begin…

[Elizipeazie]

are entrants allowed to VISUALLY alter their car after submitting?

since i tried to enter as quickly as possible to secure a spot…

EDIT:
also, can team encounters be Roleplayed before race start/ meetup?

plus:
can we at least get a country/ region on the globe to hint at the location of the race?

aand: (sorry for the flood of questions…)
are participant’s stickers applied in any for to the cars for RP?

[findRED19]

Well, with that curve ball entry [semi truck], I’m definitely going with my odder entry for this.

And you can expect to see the Pit Stop U.S. crew again!

[VicVictory]

@Elizipeazie

(bunch of questions)

1 - yes
2 - yes
3 - yes. Starts on the United States west coast, state of Washington. Entrants will not know the end point until the start of the event.
4 - … wut?

@DukeOFhazards

In this challenge, will the cars drive at highway speed or as fast as possible?

Aggressiveness factor 1-2 cars will try to drive at or just below the speed limit. 4-6 will chance to go faster (traffic is always a possibility to slow people down). There is no way that any entrant will attempt to drive at top speed. Between traffic and road design, it is not safe to do so… not to mention that would attract a LOT of law enforcement attention (which, in this country, can get you shot under the “right” circumstances…)

Edit: I have also decided that roof racks will be allowed. They will expand your cargo space by 20%, but you will get a 10% fuel economy penalty, a 3 point drivability penalty, and automatically apply 3 points of wear to the suspension/tire system

[Madrias]

As many of you might know, I have a bit of a thing for writing sci-fi stories. Never published, mind you, but I find it quite enjoyable to do. By @VicVictory 's good graces, I’m in, despite the fact that the most powerful computer I have is a 600mhz Pentium III. I’m posting from my phone, but don’t think that means I’ll give anything less than my best efforts.

The characters in this story are loosely based on three I’ve been writing about for the past few weeks. They are from a different world entirely, and are essentially tiger-men. If you know Skyrim, think tiger Khajiit.

---

Team Tiger Trouble

Team members:

Kayden - The Big Guy. Twin brother of Kaylie, gifted with an unusually large form. Stands 7ft, 8in tall, is built like a tank. He’s normally a starship pilot, but due to circumstances beyond the scope of this character profile, he’s here on Earth.

Kaylie - The Mechanic. Twin sister of Kayden, and brilliant with most things mechanical. Stands 6ft, 5in tall, and is lean and mean. She fixes starships, so how hard can one little Earth car be to repair?

Jaden - The Techie. Older brother of Kayden and Kaylie by five years. Stands 6ft, 7in tall, and shares a similar build to his sister. He likes technology, and Earth technology is an interesting puzzle to him. Sometimes called “Jade” by his siblings.

Things common to all of them: They are all white tigers, with blue eyes.

---

The Car

A 1989 Sinistra Traville GS/HO, in Crimson Sky red, with the 5.2L Sidewinder 60-degree V8.

Lore information can be found here.

Found for the low price of $472.97 in a small town in Nevada, this particular Traville has 325,676 miles on the clock, and a few little problems.

---

Warning - If you thought this was long before, it’s about to get longer. This is the Story Introduction part of the intro.

---

The three of them had been in town for about a week. Long enough to catch the rumors of some ritual of driving across the country, in cars purchased for less than 500 Dollars.

The old man opened his door, a little annoyed at the visitors knocking at 5 in the morning. Annoyance turned into fear when he saw what exactly was on his doorstep, and realized that the pounding on the door may have, in fact, been a light knock for this guy. He stared up at the face of a tiger, only this tiger walked on two legs and had human hands, or, at least, if hands covered in white-and-striped fur with barely hidden razor sharp claws could be considered human.

“I’m here about the car.” Kayden said, trying to keep the growl out of his voice as much as he could.

“I spoke earlier with someone, she called herself Nova, she said she was sending her agent to collect the car, and that payment had already been sent. I checked my bank, and I’ve been paid, but I thought Nova would-”

Kayden smiled, and the man flinched. With a practiced flick of his right wrist, Kayden flipped open the screen on his computer, then said, “Nova, show yourself.” A faint glow settled above the screen, a holographic projection of another tiger’s head.

Just then, Kaylie and Jaden arrived. “Kayden, you’re taking too long. Hurry up before my stripes turn gray.” Kaylie yelled.

After the keys were handed over, Kayden took the driver’s seat, sliding it all the way back, and sat down. “You do know what you’re doing, right?” Jaden asked, with a wicked grin on his face.

“Jade, I fly starships for our military. I think I can handle one little human transport.” Kayden shot back.

With some help from Kayden’s AI, Nova, the huge tiger-man was able to figure out how to start the car, and after a bit of fiddling around, he found out exactly what the two pedals did. He dropped the Traville in reverse, then stepped on the long, skinny pedal, hard.

5.2 liters of American made, overhead-cam V8 sounded a battle-cry as the Traville shot backwards, the gearbox whining loudly in reverse gear as the three tigers were slammed out of their seats. Kayden mashed the brake pedal with the same intensity he used on the gas, and the three of them slammed just as violently back into their seats.

“The pedals are pressure sensitive. Oh, and there is a primitive restraint system, located over your shoulder.” Nova said, in her usual sarcastic tone. While the three Tigrilans quickly pulled the seat-belts on, Nova added in, “I suppose it would also be in our best interests to inform you that the steering system of this land-craft requires multiple rotations to operate. These humans don’t have the physical strength required for a more direct steering method.”

---

Back at their impromptu home base, Kaylie looked over the car. “I don’t like that mysterious ticking noise the engine makes.” She said, while Kayden and Jaden were busy cleaning out the interior and preparing the car for a long journey.

“We don’t really have time to fix it.” Jade said, before packing the boxes of spare parts into the trunk, and some food and drinks into the coolers behind the driver’s seat. “We really don’t want to be late to arrive.”

Kayden shrugged, currently sitting in front of a computer equipped with a full simulation rig, racing around a digital race track. They’d all taken a few turns at it, after Kayden’s near-disaster on retrieving the car. “As long as it runs, I’m happy. This is just to keep the three of us distracted until someone can send us a ship to get off of this world.” Kayden mentioned.

“Well, I’d like to see where we end up. What little we were told gave us a rough idea of where we’re starting, so let’s get there early.” Kaylie added, before the three of them headed up to Washington State to find a nearby hotel and wait for the start.

---

Yeah, I think I can handle this alright. Might ruin a cheap stylus or two before the end, but I think I can keep up with the phone. Good luck to everyone, we’re all going to need it.

[VicVictory]

Did a round of processing. There are 8 processed entries (I don’t include myself, I don’t count against the limit of 25) and another 4 pending processing.

That means that there are 13 more slots, assuming all 4 pending submissions clear. For the pending submissions, either you submitted in the last 2 hours, or I’m waiting to hear back from you on something (I’ll process you all at the same time)

[Centurion_23]

Team Beer Blokes & BBQs

The Team:

Michael “Mike” Stanthorpe: The brains of the operation, he’s the go to man when anything starts making noises. He’s been working part time at his father’s workshop for the past 3 years and has a fairly extensive knowledge of all things automobile.

Thomas “Tom” Cook: The funny guy, whenever things are looking down, Tom’s always there to brighten up the spirits. Never failing to get a laugh out of the other two, Tom will be invaluable during the tough moments on this trip.

Samantha “Sam” Gordon: The logical one of the group, always providing direction when the other two are clueless, and making sure they don’t rip each other’s heads off when Tom gets on Michael’s nerves.

Their Story:

The three of them have been the best of friends since they first met in high school, all being Australian immigrants and fans of cars, they all clicked immediately. Throughout high school they had their highs and lows, but they got through it. As a kind of celebration for graduating, the three decided to join the run, using the opportunity to tour the country and bond even more than they already had.

But before they could do anything they needed a ride, and hailing from Australia, it only seemed fitting that they showed up in an Australian car. They all started searching for cars on Gumtree and the like, and before long they found something.

T: Hey Sam, come check this out, i think i found our ride.
S: Oh wow, what a find, it looks a bit beat up, but it’s cheap, only 700 bucks, which, if my memory serves me correct, is about $470 USD.
T: What did i tell ya, it’s perfect. Sure, it’s not in the greatest condition, but that’s not the spirit of this event.
S: I’ll call Mike and get him to come over and check this out.

20 minutes later, Mike arrives at Sam’s house where the other two were.

M: So where’s this so called “perfect ride” that you speak of.
T: Right here, she’s a beaut’ isn’t she.
M: rolling his eyes Right. What’s the condition like?
S: Well it’s far from the best, but nothing we can’t deal with. It says right here, it’s got uh, an A/C that doesn’t blow cold, missing foglight, cracked rear window, an exhaust leak and a blown rear left shock absorber.
M: That’s nothing I can’t fix, i should have her running right by the time we get there.
T: Well, that settles it, I’ll contact the seller and let him know we’re interested.
S: I think dad should be able to cover import costs, so we don’t have to worry about that.

The Ride:

3 weeks later, Sam got news that their chariot had arrived in the country. She arranged for it to be delivered to Mike’s father’s workshop after he got permission.

Upon looking over the car, a Volcano Orange 2001 Straker Overlander XV6 owned by a true blue bogan, they found a few goodies along with their purchase. Inside the boot, they found a half empty 24 pack of XXXX Gold cans of beer. Along with that was an ash tray full of spent cigarettes and a portable tyre inflator.

When looking over the mechanicals of the car, more issues were found that weren’t specified in the advert;

• The power windows weren’t functioning
• Cylinder no. 6 misfired intermittently
• The right front CV boot was blown

The car had arrived later than planned, so the team didn’t have as much time to work on the car as they wanted, but they still had a full weekend until they had to set off for the 300 mile trip the start line.

Over that weekend, the group managed to repair the CV boot, replace the rear damper, and fix the window switches, although their correct functioning was intermittent. However, the car was still far from perfect, having various scuffs/scratches, dents and missing trim pieces, but that didn’t matter, all that mattered was that it was driving.

The Chariot in question:

With the car in good enough condition to drive, dressed in flanel shirts and thongs, the trio were just about ready to go. They packed the boot with a jar of vegemite, a mini fridge full of tim tams and snags, a portable BBQ, camping supplies, and a few spares and set off for the long ride ahead of them.

[stm316]

@Centurion_23

The power windows weren’t functioning
Cylinder no. 6 misfired intermittently

Sounds like my brother’s old commodore

[Elizipeazie]

@Elizipeazie

aand: (sorry for the flood of questions…)

are participant’s stickers applied in any for to the cars for RP?

i meant something along the lines of this:

[Jaimz]

Team Harcourt-Entwhistle

In a garage somewhere in an affluent part of the British Isles…….

The garage doors swing open to present a 1965 Franklin Standard to the assembly……

Gran – You bought THAT?

Mopey – Yes, Gran.

Gran – But, but, but……it’s a….

Mopey – …big car that can carry a lot of spare parts, yes!

Spanners – It IS very roomy in the back Mrs E, and it’s old school engineering so it’s easy to fix and I have a lot of spare parts too.

Gran - …………it’s a…a……

Spanners – Engine was completely rebuilt using better parts in 2007.

Gran - …………it’s a…a……

Mopey – Automatic so it’s easier to drive and it’s a classic!

Gran - ….a……HEARSE!!

Spanners and Mopey look at each other….

Both – Yes, it is!

Gran tries to regain her compure….

Gran – So how come it’s so cheap?

Spanners – Well it’s only got 3 weeks left of its MOT….and without welding a complete new floor to the bottom it’ll fail….spectacularly…….although I have welded some strengthening beams front to rear and side to side.

Gran – And will it make the whole journey?

Spanners – If it doesn’t fall apart when the plane lands…then I suppose I guess so……

The Team

Elizabeth Harcourt-Entwhistle (widowed) – “Gran”
Age – Never ask a lady her age dear
Likes – Family, classical music and old things
Driving experience – over 60 years

---

George Harcourt-Entwhistle IV – “Mopey”
Age - 19
Likes – Staring at his mobile phone, girls, drinkingand moping
Driving experience – Pontins Go-kart champion 3 summers in a row (2012-2014), proper cars – 20 months including 2 previous scrappy expeditions.

---

Dave something-or-other – “Spanners”
Age – 30
Driving experience – Anything the army put him into/on to as well as a lot of things he shouldn’t have been anywhere near!
Likes - Mechanical things, lots of hot tea, bodging stuff to make it work again.

---

The Car

After success with the FM HiWays the team are entering this little jaunt in a 1965 Franklin Standard. This is a hearse based on the Franklin Horizon estate. Needless to say that Gran is NOT impressed…Spanners thinks it’ll be a lot of stops, at the side of the road, to repair and Mopey thinks it’s badass!

Engine was rebuilt, completely, in 2007 with modern variants of the OEM parts.

[Boiled_Steak]

Team Drive Like Brothers

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Name and History

This small team was made by 2 brothers. At first, they wanted to name the team "Stick Shifters", cause of their ability to drive stick-shift cars. However, after noting that the team name can be misunderstood, they decided to drop it. Instead, they decided to rename it to "Drive Like Brothers", because they treat everyone as their brothers, they don't want to cause any harm.

Team Members

1. Ben Weathers: Main driver, the calmest and most collected one of the bunch. He knows how to drive fast, as he’s driven in multiple amateur races before. Plays racing sim games often to gain some better techniques. Jokes around a lot.
2. Colin Weathers: The mechanic; has more experience setting up the car than driving the car itself. Friendly guy, but prone to outbursts especially when something goes wrong. Has a lot of experience with inline engines but isn’t very comfortable with V engines. Also jokes around but slightly less frequently.

The Car: 1999 Aria Washi Sport ($520)

Issues On The Car

1. Alignment on the wheels are off.

2. Some buttons on the radio are a bit clunky after numerous use.

3. Extremely dirty and foggy headlights.

4. It's straight piped so it's obnoxiously loud.

5. A speaker is broken.

They fixed the alignment, speaker, and radio, but the straight pipe and dirty headlights remain.

[Private_Miros]

Team Trinity

Matthew DiCanio, 49, formerly a US army engineer at White Sands Ballistic Missile Range working on undisclosed projects, quit his job to go adventuring when he felt the 50s nearing. Leaving Las Cruces, NM, where he lived most of his life, he spent the last two years traveling and getting odd jobs. When he heard about the Once More tour, he decided to find a team together and join the competition.

John Warwick II, 58, has a rather unclear background, but has worked at Skunk Works, Los Alamos, and White Sands, though at least at White Sands, Matthew never understood what exactly he was doing there - all he knew is that he had high security clearance, and that he was great pool player (a pass time him and Matthew often indulged in at the base and in town). A good friend, he appeared to be available for the competition, calling it “useful” to compete.

Alice McNamara, 28, unknown to Matthew before today, is the third team member. She appears to be employed by John - or designated as an aide to him by their joint employer. Beautiful, smart and charismatic, John put her forward as a valuable asset should the team run into trouble. Matthew is somewhat skeptical as Alice seems to not have spent much time outside of New York and D.C., which isn’t particularly the environment they’ll be driven through, nor all that relevant for the people they’ll meet.

The car

Although Matthew had a number of ideas for potential cars, it was Alice that quite quickly got her hands on a car in her native New York. A fullsize Ardent Manhattan from 1999. With two previous owners and 262.400 miles on the clock, the car is not exactly in mint condition, but with the reliable V8 in front, the large trunk, and extremely comfortable seats for long distance cruising, Matthew and John are quickly enthusiastic about their ‘Manhattan Project’.

There’s some rust, the steering wheel bearing isn’t in the best of states, the air-conditioning unit appears to be nothing but a few asthmatic mice blowing through the vents, the gearbox and its third gear appear to be no longer on speaking terms, the ABS and TCS systems shouldn’t be relied on, most things electronic in the dash don’t work anymore (the fuel gauge does at least; and an aftermarket radio is crammed in the space where the original sound system was) - the Ardent was never known as reliable for its electronics, but the chassis and engines were solid.

Even-so, the $429 that the team paid for this car was likely not possible without Alice charming her way into getting a low offer accepted.

[Ryan93]

Team Gizzle; Chapter 0

The Team

Zack;

• 20 years old car mechanic
• has bought the car off of his boss George for 250$
  → is forced to take Jason with him
• likes Techno-music
• privately owns a Makina Corus, which he rices to death
• incredibly good-looking and really cares about looking good
  → changes girlfriends like underwear
• knows quite a bit about cars (he’s a car mechanic, duh)
• calm, but self-centred

Jayson “JayZ”

• older than 18 (not specified)
• also a car mechanic
• not the sharpest tool in the shed
• has some car-related knowledge
• has problems handling stress
• tends to become angry/ salty
• wannabe rapper
• wears what a cliché-rapper would wear
• otherwise a “perfect” nerd in terms of appearance

The Car

Kadett Beat Van Conversion

• built in 1985
• roughly 200k miles
• has once been the shop’s service vehicle
• bought off of George (owner of a car mechanic shop) for 250$
• very little rust
• has some degree of oil consumtion
• driver’s seat worn

some morning in Geroge’s Garage

Zack is, as always, tidying up his hair in the reflection of the shops service car before heading out helping stranded customers.
A few feet away, Jayson is rehearsing some of his (crappy) freestyle rap-lines.
George, the owner of this location, leaves his office and this conversation ensues:

G: [while having an oversized cogar in his mouth] “HEY! We gotta talk once you’re done tuning yourself about the Kadett.”
Z: [mumbling] “Just because your so-called wife does not allow fun anymore…”
[to George] “What’s up, Boss?”
G: “Bad news… the Kadett has to go but the new one doesn’t arrive until next week.
You and that Pseudo-Eminem guy back there have some time off.”

Jayson arrives.

J: “Yo yo my big G, wat 'sup?”
Z: [does not acknowledge him being there]
J: “Chill down bro…”
Z: “Sure… speaking of the devil, i’ve got stuff to do.”
J: “Fucking chicks.”
G: “Could you discuss that somewhere else?”
Z: [still focused on Jayson] “Jep. Your Mom you wannabe-rap-god.”
[to George] “Listen… there’s a challenge going on and my Corus is a bit too… “special” for it.
I’ll give you 350 bucks for the Kadett and some parts.”
G: “350 bucks… you wanna screw me over?
But since you are my man… Deal. BUT you have to take this Kiddo back there with you.”
Z: [obviously not amused] “…”

to be continued

[Elizipeazie]

the service used to upload the pics is irrelevant if the ISP is the culprit.
(which it is in this case)

[BannedByAndroid]

Fuck. I forgot that.
Thanks, m8.
Also to @Ryan93: You can try uploading it later if you want.

[abg7]

Team Maroon Marauders

Crew members

Gary Bowman - 42-year-old mechanic from Los Angeles who knows a lot about anything with wheels and an engine, and how to fix them. Is especially skilled in restoring Youngtimer cars - his favorite era of motoring by far.

Denny Travers - 25-year-old semi-pro racer originally from Greenville, South Carolina on the verge of being signed to a long-term contract in the Pirelli World Challenge. He will serve as the team’s lead driver.

Hayley Mason - 28-year-old journalist from the Midwest, now based on the West Coast to follow Mr. Travers’ career as a sports car racer. An avid enthusiast, she will act as navigator for this rally.

Wanda Sanders - Gary’s wife, now 37, and very supportive of his hobby. Her daughter is not old enough to drive yet, but will be following this rally with interest.

The car

The Maroon Marauders will be taking a 1992 GEC GC4 3.0 along with them. It was used first as a company car, and then as a motorway hack, covering hundreds of thousands of miles in the process. Known for its soothing blend of economy, comfort and reliability when new, it nevertheless has some issues; some of the in-dash electronics have stopped working (to the point that an aftermarket stereo has been fitted), and the steering seems a tad vague. At least the ABS and traction control are still working, albeit inconsistently. Nevertheless, the team considers this to be great value for just under $500.

[Radster]

TEAM COYOTE JIM

---

Somewhere in the American midwest, early night. A small barn-looking building only communicated with the world by a small dirt trail is lit softly by the otherwise harsh, but subdued moonlight. Inside, two people, barely recognizable due to the harsh contrast the lack of illumination other than some small lamps pointed towards the bonnet of a Radster 1.6 provided, worked on it.

The car…shall we say, was a bit special.

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THE CAR: RADSTER 1.6 (GROUP A?) RACE CAR?

Not really, there’s no way in hell you’d be getting the car that ran in touring cars in the late 80s and early 90s for $50000, let alone $500. But hey, you can always slap a Group A-like bodykit on your $500 shitspec Radster 1.6, stroke and bore the engine a lil’ bit for that low end power and remove the rear seats and call it a day. Almost the same thing! Sure, it needed some repairs and it was dusty and had rat poop inside, but you can only be so picky when it comes to buying a second hand car for $500. And having been banged by some hormone loaded teenager who just got their license didn’t help the clutch for sure.

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The two people closed the bonnet once they were done working on it. As they got on the car, and exited the barn, the moonlight revealed their…helmet designs, covering their faces to prevent anyone from knowing who they are.

MEET THE TEAM:

Coyote Jim: a controversial driver, known worldwide for starting their career as an ASCAR driver before disappearing for a couple of years before popping back out as, presumably, another person in rally events worldwide. People theorize that Coyote Jim is in fact faking their identity, and car forums worldwide have their share of conspiracy types claiming they know who they really are. Oh, but do they actually know?

(@Elizipeazie you know what to do)

Clutch Kick: because “Sidekick” doesn’t sound car related enough. Unlike previous instances, Coyote Jim seems to be in good company this time. Who Clutch Kick is and why they are racing alongside Coyote Jim also remains a mistery. All we know, is they have an interest in taking part in this race and, particularly, a good result in it.

So they have a cassette player, some cassettes, and a long trip ahead of them…

Team Coyote Jim wishes everyone good luck and good racing!

[Ryan93]

I am pretty sure Zack will die for this plastic monster. Well done

[Mythrin]

TEAM BAKEWELL BOXER

Part 0 : Never Buy a Car in the Dark

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three knackered old cars came into view as the thrum of the hire car died down as two people stood in the headlight beams.

Connor : ‘‘so which one of these is the car you have been talking about. It better not be that old Nohda …’’

Mandy : ‘‘it’s that one, you see it, the red one’’

Mandy pointed at the open box trailer

Connor squinted in the direction and began to walk across the dirt

''900 dollars he wants for it I’ll see if I can wrangle him down abit…"

as the words left her mouth the house door opened and a round, short and bearded man waddled out to greet the two

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THE CAR

Egura Aviso RS1600

After such a rough life ( see below ) the Aviso was showing some strain; it had not been a running project, the term “non-starter” springs to mind, the smashed window had not been fixed, rust bubbles were sprouting from everywhere, the stickers were horrendously vulgar, as was the disgustingly dirty p*rn magazine found taped under the driver’s seat and that bit of bird poop on the drivers side was irremovable.The side exit exhaust was also incredibly loud and got incredibly hot. Thankfully it was reasonably easy to get running considering it cost $495, the spares as it turned out to be almost entirely not for the car they were needed for.

A Longish History

Originally Radish Red, this MK2 Aviso 1600RS was previously owned and rallied by Ray Sharpley in the 1980’s and 1990’s to minor success with a highly tuned 1.6 litre 16 valve boxer engine, damage to body work and blown engine in 1996 left it sitting in the drivers garage for 7 years after he fell ill. it was then bought by Dave Caldwell and his son Paul in Aug 2003 as a project with only a roll cage, rally prepped suspension and brakes, it had no interior and no engine and was bought for $1500.

October 2003: Minor rust repairs were undertaken, the damaged Minilite wheels were removed and the car was left on axle stands over winter until March 2004.

Jan 2004: Dents repaired with bodyfiller, right hand door and boot lid removed, front seats fitted from a 1995 Aviso.

March 2004: Temporary steel wheels fitted.

August 2004: Moved out of container and placed under tarpaulin on wet dirt driveway to make space for part storage, the door pillars and window frames began showing signs of rust appearing and chassis holes started to become more severe.

December 2004: Existing and appearing holes in the metalwork repaired with plate metal and fibreglass.

February 2005: Rattle canned flat red on right side where paint had started to perish, bumpers spray painted matte black, bonnet was left in its original matte black, the righthand fender was sticker bombed. The boot lid, righthand door, dashboard and fuel tank replaced using scrap parts from a white 1975 1200GR model. Reappearing rust holes patched over.

July 2005: Brake shoes and pads refurbished. BBS wheels fitted from a 1985 Schrafen and sprayed matte black. 5 speed gearbox and turbocharged 2.0 litre boxer four swapped straight from a scrap 1990 Egura Salvo Turbo. 3-inch straight pipe dual side exit exhaust with ‘off-road Y pipe’ fitted inside a gaping rust hole underneath the driver’s door. Bonnet scoop attached after rust was cut out.

August 2005: Car now road legal and used regularly for high school commutes, serviced frequently.
September 2005: Car lowered, and new old stock dampers fitted, brand new aftermarket stereo installed, louvres fitted, and old seats replaced with those from a 2004 Aviso.

February 2007: Was road tuned by Pauls friend to supposedly develop ‘220 hp’ at 12psi of boost.

July 2007: Car vandalised at night (window smashed and drivers’ side keyed).

August 2007: Car put back in container after Paul moved away to college. Started and driven very infrequently, container used by Paul’s younger brother Jason and his friends as a hotbox: floor mats partially burnt and seats collapsing.

August 2019: Advertised as ‘runing project, needing a tune up, 2.0 TURBO C20 Aviso RS1600!’ on craigslist for $900 plus spares.

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The Team Members

Mandy Carter - 24 years old : now home after what felt like a never ending Meatball Run she and Connor are now embarking on another high paced road trip. She now helps with the business side of Jackdaw tuning Info 1, Info 2, Info 3 . She has advanced in the rallycross world now driving a Works Super 1600 Ceder Friala RX

Connor Johnson - 23 years old : long time childhood friends with Mandy with no romantic feelings no matter how much both parties parents insist there existing. He leads a less octane filled life than Mandy now working as a substitute English teacher with a penchant for driving playlists filled with Mandys least favourite picks from current music.

…now they’ve got a car, a few playlists, a desire to win and a boot full of spares, let’s go !..

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ooc: I’m open to rp before and during the race just contact me on Discord if you’re interested