A Grand Start

A BIG thank you to all those who have helped us to reach our first milestone. One thousand pounds in donations to MapAction, which with Gift Aid amounts to almost £1,250. An excellent start - and we haven't even set off on the run yet.

In addition to these donations we have also received generous support from our corporate sponsors, who between them have covered our costs, provided the maps to cover our car, serviced and repaired our banger and arranged to install a GPS tracking device so that you can follow our progress. Please click on our sponsor's logos on the right of the screen to visit their websites.

With May now upon us it is only three weeks until we set off. Time to begin the big push. No, not the car - well hopefully not the car - we mean the big push to get to that next £1,000 and then beyond that to our ultimate target.

So, once again, thank you to all those who have already shown their support. Anyone else wishing to donate can do so via the JustGiving website or, if preferred, we are happy to accept cash or cheques made payable to MapAction.

Thank you.

We're The Sane Ones!

The more we find out about this event, the more we think that we might be the only normal ones taking part (although some may beg to differ!). There is a 'secret' message board where those who are taking part in the 'Run' can discuss their cars, problems, hopes, fears and money raising progress. Reading between the lines, most of those pouring out their hearts on there are totally potty!

Here are a few examples;

There is an entrant called G-Banger who has kitted out a battered white '93 Fiat Poperino as a Pope Mobile, complete with a 'wibbly-wobbly' Pope glued to the bonnet. His dashboard is apparently a mass of red lights (the sort which tell you that your car is on the verge of going to the great car park in the sky). G-Banger rejected the first car he bought, so that must have been in a really bad way!



Dick Dastardly, of Team Pitstop, have a pink Ford Probe (see picture) and matching sequined pink jump suits. They are raising money for 'The Children's Hospice Association Scotland' and 'St. Gemmas Hospice'. I'm pretty sure that Pink wasn't a factory produced colour for Ford Probes! Team Pitstop have formed a close relationship with the Ford Owners Clubs in England and France who have offered to provide an emergency breakdown service should they need it, and they probably will.

Finally we expose Team 'Comeonthecoo', also from Scotland. They have a Jeep Cherokee (the Renault Scenic they originally bought never even managing to make it off the vendors drive) which has been decorated with fur to resemble a cow, or should that be coo? Lets hope that it doesn't rain!

It's good that you can occasionally take part in events like this just to prove how sane and normal you actually are!

Why it all Matters!

Floods reported to be the worst for more than 50 years are currently affecting parts of Namibia, Zambia and Angola. More than 350,000 people are affected. Thousands of people already in camps following the initial flooding are having to move again as flood waters inundate those camps and pollute water supplies.

But where are the best areas for siting new camps that are less at risk from flooding? How far away are the nearest health facilities? How do the relief agencies access these vulnerable people?

A MapAction team was deployed to Namibia in late March 2009 to help to map humanitarian needs.

A typical example of the vauable map-based information that MapAction are providing can be seen by clicking here. This map was produced two days ago and is one of many hundreds that are made freely available to relief agencies to help them operate more effectively.

Taking part in the Bareclona Banger run will be fun and we hope that you enjoy our light-hearted updates. But alongside all of this, it is important not to lose sight of the cause that we are endeavouring to support.

Please help us with you donations - and for those who have already done so, may we say a big THANK YOU on behalf of our friends at MapAction.

Getting it Mapped - Part 2

Success! I think we have cracked it.

The spray adhesive definitely seems to be the answer in terms of attaching the maps to the car bodywork. Then a few coats of clear spray-on lacquer provides that added protection from the elements without causing any discolouration to the maps or having any adverse effect on the adhesive.

The sample area even stood up to some extremely harsh "wet weather simulations" in the form of a Karcher high-pressure washer at full belt with the nozzle held just inches from the car.

So, with our in-depth testing now complete, it is back to our friendly supplier to see whether the offer of a BMW-sized roll of maps is still available.

In the meantime, thanks go to Andy at Cross & Watson (Southport) Ltd for his valuable advice. If you find yourself in need of some car bodywork repairs and you feel the urge to have the affected area covered with paper maps, then Andy is your man. Does this mean he can now call himself a CARtographer?

Getting it Mapped

It seemed like a good idea at first. We would "wallpaper" our banger with maps. Every car taking part in the run is encouraged to have a theme. What better theme for a GIS company than to drive to Barcelona in a motorised "map"? We would obviously have to leave holes for the windows and sunroof. But it would look great - wouldn't it? Well that was the theory.

We think we have sourced a supply of maps (more about that later once we have perfected our methods). We have even found a way to stick paper to metal. All we need to do now is find a way to protect and waterproof the maps against the elements. We would rather the car continue to look like a map for the duration of the run than to resemble the output of a paper-shredder blowing in the wind as we hurtle along the highways and byways of rural France.

This last weekend was a time to experiment and test our theory. A suitably small and insignificant panel was selected at the base of the offside rear passenger door. Spray adhesive was applied to a sample of the map, it was applied to the door and carefully cut to fit with a craft knife. So far so good - judge for yourself.

But then it all started to go horribly wrong. The next stage of the experiment was to apply a coat of clear outdoor varnish........it should have done exactly what it said on the tin! But alas, our brightly coloured map sample turned an antique shade of brown and began to bubble and peel away from the car as the varnish soaked into the paper and reacted with the adhesive.

So it's back to the drawing board. We don't want to give up on our idea of a map-based theme. We need to try another panel this time using a lacquer to seal the maps. Maybe wallpaper paste would be less reactive than spray adhesive, but is it going to hold? Watch this space for further developments - and if anyone has any bright ideas then please let us know.

No Publicity is Bad Publicity

Saturday was designated 'photo-shoot' day.

So resplendent in their matching MapAction polo shirts Paul and Chris got together. Paul after an exhausting seventy mile cross country jaunt from Huddersfield to the seaside, and Chris after a morning spent drinking coffee whilst watching re-runs of 'Pimp my Ride' on Discovery Turbo.

Photos were needed for impending sponsorship e-mailouts, and press releases, as we step up our efforts towards our £3,000 charity target so when Chris said it would be heavy rain all day in Southport we knew it was the right time to dust off the box-brownie.

And here is the fruits of our labours, in the five minutes we had before we called it a day and retired to the pub to talk 'tactics'. These photos soon to be in a mailshot landing in your in-box!

All this metal for just £198!

New bonnet please!

The five doubles up as a tank

Seat Swap Saturday in Sunny Southport

When the forecasted heavy rain for today failed to materialise Chris decided it was time to perform seat replacement surgery. The "new" seats, so very kindly donated by Sula in Shrewsbury, had been adorning the Nelson residence dining room (aka Mrs N's term-time office) for long enough and were slowly disappearing under a pile of schoolwork.

Before - it was clear that the newness had worn off the original seats

After - sumptuous seats safely secured

Health Check Report

After an anxious week's wait we have the health check report, courtesy of Dr Keith. The general prognosis is good. The car drives well and appears to be both mechanically and structurally sound. Phew! However, a few ailments are in need of treatment:

• Front side light not working
• Reversing lights not working
• Windscreen wiper blades hanging in shreds
• Spare wheel is punctured
• Rear brake pads are down to the metal
• Rear silencer is blown apart like an "exploded oil drum"!

Apart from that we seem to have found ourselves a sound little motor.

So as soon as we can identify a suitable "silencer" donor, the medical team will carry out some compatability tests and prepare the patient for some delicate transplant surgery. The last thing we want is a case of donor rejection half way up the Pyrenees.

...And Here She Is...

The emotional moment when Murf, our new friend in Derby, shed a tear as he waved goodbye to his trusty workhorse and handed over the keys to our newly acquired Barcelona Banger. Murf is on the right of the picture handing the keys to Paul. What a beastie (the Beemer, not Paul). Two tons of precision German engineering that cost a measly £19,750 when bought from new in 1993 has just changed hands for a whopping £198. Depreciation? What depreciation.

Murf very kindly also made a generous donation to our sponsorship fund. Many thanks for that - it is greatly appreciated. Details of our chosen charity, MapAction, and how you can donate will be published shortly.

The drive home was uneventful, the car handled very well, no worrying knocks or whines, temperature gauge steady all the way. Amazingly all electric windows and sunroof (oh yes, what luxury) work. Even the original BMW toolkit and first-aid kit are still present and intact. And the fully functional in car "hi-fi" ALMOST managed to drown out the noise from the broken silencer!

So the first hurdle is over. With some gentle nursing Chris managed to coax the car to its new base in Southport. With the first 100 miles done, the car will now "enjoy" a few weeks of TLC while it is prepared for it's 1,500 mile run to Barcelona. The first port of call is an appointment for a checkup with Dr Keith "the spanner" sometime next week. Watch this space for the health-check report...

Time for the Pick-up

After two weeks of waiting we've finally got confirmation from our new friend in Derby that the car is ready for collection. Tomorrow is the day that we descend on the east midlands, laden with cartons of water and budget engine oil, in the hope that LWT will have enough life in her to get Chris the 100 miles back to Southport.

To say that we're excited is an gross understatement.

Chris is so keen that he collected our new interior from Shrewsbury two days ago (thanks to a very generous e-bayer) and has been carrying it around the south of England in his now eight-seater Volkswagen Golf.

There is nothing quite like collecting a new car...even if it is an old car!

Full critical appraisal of the cars Barcelona chances later, providing she makes it back to Southport.

Travel Preparations

With over 60 teams taking part in the run it was important to get in there early and “bag” the cheapest beds available at each of the planned overnight stops. So in a demonstration of faith, I can confirm that the rooms for Team 24 have now been booked for our stopovers in Calais, Nantes, Toulouse and the final night in Barcelona. Of course we will make it all the way.

Did I say rooms? Perhaps I should have said the room at each location – sorry Paul; you are sleeping in the car! After all, we are keen to keep costs to a minimum.

Do you think we will be able to earn Ibis Reward Points?

Money Spent - Goods Awaited

Well...that's it.

The filthy lucre has been handed over to our new friend in Derbyshire, courtesy of PayPal, while he still awaits the V5 back from the DVLA.

Risky...you may say, but not as risky as turning up to the Normanton district of Derby with a fist full of tenners!

The seller seems like a nice bloke so we're not in any fear (and PayPal guarantee any transaction on e-bay anyway). So now we're just sitting by the phone and waiting for the 'come and get me' call!

We seem to have also secured a couple of new front seats for the chariot (see picture below for the sad and sorry state of the current incumbents), once again via e-bay, and Mr Nelson has to arrange to collect these from somewhere in Shropshire. It seems that I'm doing all the work on the Internet and then sending Chris running around the country like a headless chicken.

About our Wheels

A dark late weekday night, the nervousness of a live auction, last minute bids flying in from across the country. Don't you just love e-bay?

A five to midnight last night we secured our sturdy (to be confirmed) chariot for the epic journey. She's a 1993 'L-plate' BMW 518iSE in British Racing Green with a measly 191,000 on the clock (not validated or warranted). She needs a bit of exhaust welding, a good oil and filter change, and perhaps a couple of seat covers, but she's all ours!

Okay so it sounds a lot of miles but after doing the equivalent of 7.67 circumnavigations of the Earth, a 1,500 mile jaunt to Barcelona should be a breeze, after all she's done that journey the equivalent of 130 times already in her short life!

And here she is (courtesy of her current owner), only the fifth registered keeper!



How much did we pay for the little beauty? Just £198.00. That's right, under £200 for a piece of precision German engineering.

We're just awaiting the seller getting a copy of the V5 Registration Document which he lost and then we'll be going to collect her from her current home in Derbyshire.

What's this all about then?

Welcome to the blog of two Burly Bald Blokes in a Banger Beemer who are Barcelona Bound, we're doing exactly what the title says!

In the middle of 2008 we spotted something on e-bay. It was the chance to enter 'Bangers to Barcelona', a driving endurance test from Calais all the way down the beautiful west coast of France, inland through Toulouse, along the Pyrenees and then dropping into fabulous Barcelona on the east coast of Spain.

And the catch to this great sounding little jaunt? We have to make the trip in a car that we've paid less than £200 for!

Bearing in mind that we are starting from the Nelson residence in Southport (Mrs Nelson has graciously agreed to shelter our banger on her driveway), this is a journey of just short of 1,500 miles.

Oh, and by the way, we're trying to raise as much as we can for a great charity, MapAction, but more about them and how you can help later.

Keep checking back for regular updates.