Team Mountain Pass
Despite having failed spectacularly both times they’ve attempted competitions like this before, Pierre Mountbatten and Andrew Morgan have returned for a third attempt at Junkyard Racing glory…
The Team
Pierre Mountbatten, 53, is an Australian journalist who founded Mountain Pass, a magazine dedicated to cars that loved hitting the twisty “B” roads over bloated V-max queens and hyper expensive exotics. Pierre loves to attend ameteur hillclimbs where his heavily tuned Peugeot 205 GTi gets regularly thrashed by Mk 6 Golf GTi’s and RS Focuses. Pierre wants to win REALLY bad and is hoping their wildcard entry will see team mountain pass be third time lucky and take home the trophy!!!
Andrew Morgan, 42, joined Mountain Pass just as Touge in Japan was gaining traction with Western audiences and became their patron saint in the Mountain Pass offices. Andrew is an avid track day enthusiast and hillclimber who competes in an old, beaten up, S12 Gazelle which has been given a Panda Trueno paintjob. Needless to say he doesn’t win much! Andrew also really wants to win so he can get a raise and afford to build a replica FJ24E w/ turbo so his S12 can finally kick some ass!!!
The Car
Andrew has a mate, who knows a guy, who is related to guy who is a collecter of obscure race cars. In return for printing a softball story on the high value of the cars in his collection (which he is conveniently selling) the gentleman sold the keys to his most outlying shed for $499, thinking it was full of old Znopresk parts. However, when the boys came over and opened it they found, buried under old Italian radiators and alternators, a genuine Leeroy Racing Le Mans spare car!
The car was coated in a thick coat of dust, the fibreglass body had some crazing but the car was surprisingly complete. The gentleman wasn’t too happy with this result but he knew he couldn’t back out of the deal; besides the car had no provenance since it never raced anyway. Pierre and Andrew pushed the car out of the shed and loaded it up onto the waiting tilt tray.
Upon getting the car back to Andrew’s workshop/garage, the pair set about servicing the old girl. The oils and fluids were drained, genuine oils and fluids replaced them and all the filters were replaced. All the brakes were pulled apart and inspected with the wheels taken off, new rubber installed and the bearings regreased. All the visible wiring was checked and a new battery installed. The fuel tank was drained, cleaned out and filled with fresh 91RON unleaded. The exhaust was checked for holes and the cabin was thoroughly vacuumed. The fan belts were replaced and all the bulbs were checked with blown bulbs and fuses replaced. Finally the car was washed and then the big moment arrived… Would it start?
It took a few goes but in a surprisingly short time the V12 fired up and the garage rang to the sound of 12 angry, carb fed cylinders. Andrew and Pierre took turns driving the car up and down the street. Since the car was in Le Mans trim the clutch wasn’t too heavy and the interior was surprisingly comfy given it’s racing specs.
The biggest problem? There was no way to legally get this car registered so Pierre visited a wrecking yard and sourced a V12 engine plate from an old Ambassador, then he bought a '79 Coyote off Gumtree and re-birthed the Le Mans racer as a limited edition V12 Coyote! The transport department were fooled and the car was now, theoretically at least, registered and ready for action!!!
So will Team Mountain Pass finally win? I certainly hope so!!! 
