Team Sly

The Slybeast's final tour #5: the scrapyard

2009-09-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

The Slybeast's final destination! After a tense negotiation with the manageress ("how much do you want to pay for the car?" - "how do you want to pay us for scrapping the car?" - "no, you pay me" - "no, you pay us") we shook on not charging each other any money. Having removed the plates and the airhorn and said goodbye to the Slybeast we left the yard. To the airport, pronto!

The Slybeast's final tour #4: the Vatican

2009-09-22T09:55:00.001-07:00

Here, we were immediately pulled over by some nice Italian policemen, Guardia di Finanze, who wanted to know a bit about the Slybeast, what we were doing, why the car looked like a shark, and to see all our paperwork. They helpfully directed us to the scrapyard we were looking for and sent us on our way.

The Slybeast's final tour #3: Piazza del Popolo

2009-09-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Slybeast's final tour #2: the Colloseum

2009-09-22T09:47:00.001-07:00

The Slybeast's final tour #1: the Typewriter

2009-09-22T09:45:00.001-07:00

Day 4+1 : 1714 : 1,485 miles : Roma, IT

2009-09-22T09:42:00.001-07:00

Team Sly have been permitted a Triumph in the ancient Roman tradition, and were allowed to drive the Slybeast around Rome.

These Romans are crazy! Cars are left everywhere, double parked. There are mopeds everywhere, coming from all angles. The traffic is like a living entity, with drivers changing lanes using the Force, which would cause huge pile-ups in the UK but the Italians are expecting it so it just kind of ... flows. So, you just have to go with that flow, with liberal use of the (Dodge Charger) airhorn. And watch out for mopeds.

Night 4: 2305 : 1,479 miles : Trastevere, Roma, IT

2009-09-21T16:45:00.001-07:00

Night 4: 2150 : 1,479 miles : Piazza Navona, Roma, IT

2009-09-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

We won! First place for Team Sly.

Day 4: 1730 : 1,479 miles : Roma, IT

2009-09-21T10:14:00.001-07:00

We're here! We arrived at our hotel a little while ago and we are shortly off to Piazza Navona for the prize giving ceremony and final party.

Day 4: 1535: 1,444 miles: Colleferro, Lazio, IT

2009-09-21T06:39:00.001-07:00

We're done! Three photos of us and a bemused Italian in three little towns in Lazio. Now, to Roma!

Day 4: 1227: 1,400 miles: Albano, Lazio, IT

2009-09-21T03:33:00.001-07:00

We're off to Rome today: the finish is at Piazza Navona, Rome. This is not very far from Viterbo, and the challenge today takes us the other side of Rome to some local towns.

Today, we simply need a photo of the car and the team in front of a public building from three towns from a choice of twelve. The twist is, the points are graded so the least visited town score the highest - so some lateral thinking and careful route planning required.

Night 3: 2157: 1,231 miles: Viterbo

2009-09-21T03:22:00.001-07:00

We've arrived! Finally ... and we managed to get the last three group shots at a number of service stations on the way. Tomorrow, Roma!

Stewart has been keeping us alert with his Connery impression: "a double blow-out ... I've never seen one of THOSE before" (see picture).

Day 3: 1943: 1,247 miles: Montepulciano

2009-09-20T10:49:00.001-07:00

We are still on the road, about an hour out of Viterbo. Driving conditions: extremely poor. On the upside, we've just had another successful hit on some unsuspecting Italians, who all happily gathered round to take a photograph for the evento beneficianza. We're up to 7/10 now, and can't afford to drop any points on this challenge, a bit like golf.

Day 3: 1643: 1,147 miles: Loiano Rioveggio

2009-09-20T08:04:00.001-07:00

We're making good time today; there's only a couple of hours driving time until we hit Viterbo. The Merc is running pretty well now since the run is almost entirely motorways today, and it's a comfortable cruise once it gets up to speed.

The challenge is going well. Five out of ten photos bagged, including a coachload of bemused Chinese tourists, some locals at a restaurant, and a group of motorcyclists who, through some sort of linguistic misunderstanding caused by my inept Italian, all jumped on the roof of our car for the shot ...

Please send money to our charity

2009-09-20T03:04:00.001-07:00

If you get a mo, why not send some money to our charity Riders?

You can do so here:

http://www.justgiving.com/TeamSly/

They provide motorbikesn 4WD vehicles and technical support to health workers in Africa (not Aprica)

Day 3: 1045: 945 miles: Edolo, IT

2009-09-20T01:49:00.001-07:00

We are doing very well at the challenge! We have cajoled a nice Italian lady into rounding up some other Italians to get in our photo. Some other teams looked as if they wanted to steal our shot, but we made sure that the lady understood "molto importante, non es fotografia con los autros inglese". She got the idea.

Day 3: 0915: 931 miles: Aprica, IT

2009-09-20T01:43:00.001-07:00

We are ready for the off, after a big (and semi-successful, from our perspective) water fight.

To Viterbo today. Our challenge is to get a load of photos of us in Stig costumes, with a few Italians in the shot.

Day 3: 0804: 931 miles: Aprica, IT

2009-09-19T23:05:00.001-07:00

Fancy dress day! The prescribed fancy dress this year is Top Gear's the Stig. First, a waterpistol fight in Aprica town square, then it's off to Viberto, in southern Italy ...

Night 1: 2048: 931 miles: Aprica, IT

2009-09-19T23:03:00.001-07:00

We've arrived! We've also just found a stow away, a snail on our windscreen wiper which seems to have come out for the rain. Stewart is fairly sure it was on there in Camberwell, so a fairly well travelled snail, then.

We've done pretty well on the challenges today: no one else found a Bugatti, apparently ...

Day 1: 2006: 923 miles: Tirano, Swiss-Italian border

2009-09-19T23:02:00.001-07:00

We're still on the road! Not far from the destination for tonight, Aprica. Stewart has been uncertain, for a few hours now, whether we are in fact going to Africa, but that seems to have been cleared up now. We've had a good day in the passes - some great views and brilliant driving roads - can't say the same about the car which is fiercely complaining about every twist and turn.

We seem to have done quite well on the challenges: we turned spotting supercars into an art from when we chanced upon a supercar rally at St Moritz.

After Chur we headed along Julierpass and Berninapass before the border - the latter turned into the Pass of Doom as night - and fog - fell.

Team Sly were stopped at the border, the Swiss gave our car the once over before letting us leave the country, and the Italians just waved us through - so a fitting way to leave a land of precise and orderly rules, to a country of latin insousiance. Now, pizzerias everywhere!

Day 2: 1713: 824 miles: Churwalden, CH

2009-09-19T08:17:00.001-07:00

We've made very slow progress - the Slybeast is really not liking going uphill, even in low gears, and seems to develop its own traffic jam after moments. We have addressed this by adding some viper stripes, which will hopefully allow us to maintain momentum.

Day 2: 1156: 736 miles: Grimselpass, CH

2009-09-19T08:09:00.001-07:00

We're up in the alps now - fantastic scenery - Grimselpass, then Furkapass, on through Chur and St Moritz until we hit Italia. However, the car has started making some bad smells - brake discs, we think. So we're taking regular stops to let it cool down, and hoping for the best

Day 2: 0932: 621 miles: Sarnen, CH

2009-09-19T08:08:00.001-07:00

The start line! 100 or so cars in a car park just outside of Sarnen. Today's challenge: spot the supercar. We did we out of yesterday's challenge, getting 7 out of 8 points.

The Slybeast is running a bit rough. Seriously underpowered, and with an intermittent oil warning light. The engine oil is fine so we THINK it's the automatic gearbox - but it seems they don't sell such a thing in France. So we have stopped at a garage just after the start to fill up the oil. We seem to have difficulty maintaining any speed at all on these mountain passes ...

Night 1: 2109: 621 miles: Sarnen, CH

2009-09-19T05:21:00.001-07:00

We've arrived! Did well on the challenges, car a bit knackered and slow, Alps tomorrow.

Day 1: 1743: 525 miles: Strasbourg outskirts

2009-09-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

We've been driving for nearly a full day!

We have been set a challenge: to photograph a number of things, including some cop cars, a Ferrari 430, a Ford Mustang, a British prime minister's name and a confederate flag. We are doing fairly well, despite a meandering and ultimately fruitless sidetrack through Epernay to find a bottle of Pol Roger with Churchill's name on it. We have, however found the Ferrari (they seemed a bit jealous of the Slybeast's fin), some cop cars and we've established the Swiss flag is a confederacy flag, and it can't be long until we find a (Ramsay) Macdonald's?

We've noticed that we may have attached the fin on a little too enthusiastically (see pic) - seems to be holding. The oil light keeps coming on, which we think is the automatic gearbox, but nowhere sells any gearbox oil. Wing and a prayer, anyone?

Day 1: 1743: 525 miles: Strasbourg outskirts

2009-09-18T09:12:00.001-07:00

We've been driving for nearly a full day!

Day 1: 0735: 101 miles: Calais

2009-09-17T22:42:00.001-07:00

Here we are: about to leave our hotel. Another Merc has parked next to ours, and seem to have spent considerable more money on decals and a professional paint job (rather than gloss undercoat like us, hmmm). We have got the official rally decals applied and we're off to the start line shortly

Day 0: 1721 (local time) : 97 miles: Calais

2009-09-17T08:27:00.001-07:00

We've arrived in France. Very quick, 30 minutes, so now it's off to the hotel and then to the rally check in tonight.

Day 0: 15.36: 67 miles: Folkestone

2009-09-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

We are on the train!

Day 0: 15.25: 66 miles: Channel Tunnel

2009-09-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Team Sly Are Go!

2009-09-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Day 0: 13.34: 0 miles: Peckham

2009-09-17T06:00:00.001-07:00

And we're off! After finishing off the mods to the car (see photos), we leave our farewell party behind and hit the open road. 65 miles to the Tunnel.

Ready for the off!

2009-09-16T05:53:00.001-07:00

OK, all of the things we needed to sort out are done - insurance, a ferry (Eurotunnel in fact), a hotel and some music for the trip. A few finishing touches to the car tomorrow (including repairing that window) and we're off to Calais for Night 0.

In the meantime, a picture of Ply, a distant automotive relation of Sly, no doubt.

In The Cold Light Of Day

2009-09-16T01:22:00.001-07:00

Graffiti

2009-09-14T23:35:00.001-07:00

Here is some graffiti Stewart let me do on the bonnet! All quite good, I think, except for the "m" in team. If only there was no "m" in team, eh?

There are some odd problems with the radio.

Sly's facelift: Part Two

2009-09-14T14:30:00.001-07:00

Tonight we spent an hour or so drawing a big mouth on the Slybeast. Here's how we got on.

We also have a ticket on the Eurotunnel, with room for a roof box (or, indeed, a big fin). No insurance, yet ...

The preparations awry

2009-09-12T04:10:00.001-07:00

Here is a list of things we don't yet have:

1. Insurance (though it seems this may be rectified soon)
2. A ferry
3. A hotel in Rome
4. Any way of playing music in the car apart from making Cairns sing bush lullabyes

We have also not finished painting the car, or affixed the fin or the surfboard, and only one of us has driven the car before.

Five days. What could possibly go wrong?

Nightmare over?

2009-09-12T01:57:00.001-07:00

I think I've found some fools who will insure us! STAND BY

Insurance nightmare

2009-09-10T23:50:00.001-07:00

No-one will insure the SlyBeast, no doubt because it is completely sh*t

Beyond Hotmail - see what else you can do with Windows Live. Find out more.

Stig costumes at the ready!

2009-09-06T13:43:00.001-07:00

This year, the rally rules say we must all wear fancy dress for one day of the rally? The theme: the Stig, from Top Gear. Stewart has finished painting the crash helmets regulation white. Don't look too bad from a distance eh?

The fin

2009-09-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

Today: building the fin and the surfboard. This'll look great, if you kind of half-close your eyes ...

Sly's facelift #10: phase one complete

2009-09-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

We've finished the first coat! Our car is now a fantastic steely grey.

We have also tested the boot out, Cairns fits in very well so his first 100 miles should be comfy.

Sly's facelift #9

2009-09-05T09:20:00.001-07:00

On the plus side, we've nearly finished the paint job

Sly's facelift #7

2009-09-05T09:19:00.001-07:00

We have given up on the battery and bought a new one

Sly's facelift #7

2009-09-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

The horn is working! But the battery is flat again

Sly's facelift #6

2009-09-05T08:27:00.001-07:00

The horn is working!!!

Sly's facelift #5: finishing the air horn

2009-09-05T08:19:00.001-07:00

Our mobile mechanic has nearly finished the air horn!

Sly's facelift #4

2009-09-05T07:51:00.001-07:00

In order to give the battery a charge we have driven around South East London for hours, looking in vain for an auto glass fitter.

Instead, we've stopped at a Halford's in case they could fit a horn. "No," they said, "but there is a chap who works in this car park that will". We have found him, almost unwittingly, and he is fitting our horn. In the meantime, we are using this down time to begin the paint job ...

Sly facelift #3

2009-09-05T05:19:00.001-07:00

We've got the car started! Hurrah for us. Now the car is nearly as good as when we first got it (save for the broken window)

Sly's facelift #2: fitting the horn

2009-09-05T04:59:00.001-07:00

We have identified the wires for the horn! Well, it's down to our top 8

Sly's facelift #1

2009-09-05T04:54:00.001-07:00

I have arrived in Peckham to find Stewart and Stuart by the car having smashed a window. It appears that Sly's battery has completely drained, which means the central locking no longer works. Hence smashed window ... I'm glad I got here when I did.

The alarm goes off every time we jump start the car. We have been annoying Stewart's neighbours by setting the alarm off for quite a bit, and we've now been in touch with the alarm's manufacturer so apparently we just need to charge the battery for an hour or so. This is a fantastic start! We are going to sort the horn in the meantime ...

The Air Horn!

2009-08-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture to listen to our new air-horn - the classic from the '69 Dodge Charger!

Or click here

It cost £60 - ten times the cost of the car! God knows how we'll attach it. Tried to start the car today. Only succeeded in setting the alarm off. Hopeless, honestly.

Aesthetic refinements

2009-08-30T06:18:00.001-07:00

We have sort of agreed on a new look for the car. It is going to be based on a predatory animal which eats mushrooms. More soon.

The Merc, aka The SlyBeast

2009-08-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

Here you can see the behemoth. Look! You can see where we got the name from (it's on the numberplate if you hadn't noticed, don't worry) A picture of the boot here. Due to a mix up with the keys that I don't fully understand we have to get in and out via the boot. Also Stuart (not Stewart) has agreed to spend the first 100 miles in there.

One of the adaptations of the car that adds to the overall je-ne-sais-qua of the vehicle is here: the tape holding the windscreen in.

To make the car lighter, we have opted for "rust"

In all its glory, The SlyBeast