Sands of Time
Tuesday April 5 2001
A stretch of sand fells all but two of the cars, but a beautiful night in a luxury tent and the world's second largest walled fort raise Jo's spirits.
From Jaisalmer we drove through the blistering heat with a engine running rough and not reving above 3500 to a desert tented camp near the town of Osiyan. The journey was fairly uneventful until we came to a three-mile stretch of sand leading up to the camp. Only two of the cars that attempted the last leg made it right up to the complex. Even after lowering the tyre pressure and making good progress we got stuck after a rash change from first to second gear. The others also got bogged down in the sand and a tractor had to tow them out.
Some rally drivers complained that they had not been warned about how sandy the route was whereas others chose to see it as just the latest challenge to be faced.
It was definitely worth the overnight stop and have the chance to take a proper evening walk over the dunes with only the light of the full moon to guide our way. It is really special to be able to see one's shadow so clearly at night and then collapse onto the fine sand which is cool on the surface, but increasingly warm as you push your hand down into it.
And then at midnight, we flagged down a couple of passing camels and rode back at speed to our luxury tents.
The following day we moved back into the hills on our way to Kumbhalgarh, which is only 60 miles from Udaipur. It is the sight of an impressive 20-mile long walled fort, the second largest after the Great Wall of China.
What constantly amazes me about India is that it gives a sense of what Britain must have been like several hundred years ago. We walked into the local village, where the tiny fields of corn and sugar beet are entirely tended by hand. All the water comes from wells, and even the irrigation system is run by oxen who help draw water up from a 60-foot bore hole in the ground. The children look fantastic, all have matted hair and look as though they are happy not to have washed in weeks, and the colourfully clothed women carry water and firewood on their heads to their houses.
Journey's end
Sunday April 8, 2001
We've made it! After 23 days on the road, we have completed the Jewel of India car rally. If I'd known in advance what the event would entail, I almost certainly would not have taken part. But I am pleased that I was in the dark, because I have had the experience of a lifetime.
I had been expecting a fairly leisurely tour around India, but it has proved a tough, raw and deeply challenging event. I have experienced visual and emotional extremes, and while it may seem hackneyed to say it, I don't think my life will be quite the same again. Rarely have I felt such anger and bliss, or seen such beauty and suffering.
Experiencing India is tough enough on its own. The heat, the dirt, and the poverty cannot be over-exaggerated. But there is also innocence and joy and exuberance in abundance.
Overlay this with a 4,000 mile rally in a car that is 50 years old and driving on such difficult roads, and one can understand how people have found the journey so character building. The two most difficult days, the trips to Bhopal and Varanasi, pushed the boundaries that bit too far, and these were the days where NKN 325 suffered significant damage.
There was great concern at the end of the rally when the countainers that were due to take the cars back to the UK failed to arrive on time and everyone had to leave India not knowing when exactly they would see their precious cars again.
But these difficulties failed to dampen the very real sense of achievement at having overcome the many obstacles of the journey, and the numerous challenges acted as a catalyst for the creation of instant friendships between the contestants.
There were many days when our Jaguar Mk. 5 came close to having an accident of one kind or another, and there was always a tension as to whether we would make it to our next destination.
On the narrow, bumpy and sometimes mountainous roads, we could at any one time meet lorries, buses, cyclists, rickshaws, cows, water buffalo, goats, camels, dogs, monkeys or a combination of any of the above. India is chaotic, and the roads reflect this perfectly. We have used our horn more often in three weeks than most British drivers would in a lifetime.
Fortunately, we were one of the few cars in the rally to come away relatively unscathed. However, there were several accidents in which local people, including children were hurt. That has made it difficult to justify taking part in a rally in such difficult circumstances. But we are all thankful that no-one was seriously injured.
On the other hand, we have given a few moments of great excitement to many thousands of Indians. Wherever we have gone, people have rushed to the roadside to see the magnificent cars and to cheer us on. We have kept off the main roads and gone through countless small villages where people are unlikely ever again to see such a cavalcade.
Our Jaguar, beautifully rebuilt with much forthought and expertise by Essex-based JD Classics, has done us proud and thanks to the careful on route nurturing of our co-driver and mechanic Peter Abel completed the whole route. Towards the end it was starting to show the strain. Many of the secondary electrics had failed, the front suspension has virtually gone, and on the very last mile, the gear box developed a fault only allowing first and third to be selected. But in around two months it will hopefully be back in England where it can be nursed back to health.
India has affected everyone in different ways. For one of the drivers, Wali the rally has mirrored a mystical fable. It was only by going on a difficult journey that he discovered how much he appreciated what he already had back home. Others have found a stamina, whether physical or mental, that they did not know they had.
After the first few days I was ready to quit. But I am so glad I didn't. The rally has tested me in many different ways, and I know that the experience will stay vivid in my mind for many years to come.
Reflections
Experiencing India is tough enough on its own. The heat, the dirt, and the poverty cannot be over-exaggerated. But there is also innocence and joy and exuberance in abundance.
India has affected everyone in different ways. For one of the drivers, Walid in the Rover the rally has mirrored a mystical fable. It was only by going on a difficult journey that he discovered how much he appreciated what he already had back home. Others have found a stamina, whether physical or mental, that they did not know they had. Accomplish this in a car that is now 50 years old and driving over 4,000 miles on such difficult roads, and one can understand how the rally teams have found the journey so character building. The two most difficult days, the trips to Bhopal and Varanasi, pushed the boundaries that bit too far, and these were the stages where NKN 325 suffered significant damage.
There were many days when our Jaguar Mk. 5 came close to having an accident of one kind or another, and there was always a tension as to whether we would make it to our next destination. Peter became not only mechanic and doctor but also the team coach and therapist. He treated NKN 325 as his baby and was determined that we drove in a careful manner so we could complete the course without hurting anyone or anything.
The Mk5 proved a wise choice for the rally. As you can see the repairs were limited to the suspension problems and some minor repairs.
The main changes now will be fitting MK4 style side louvres in the bonnet to aid cooling, sealing the bell housing to limit sand ingress and better storage of the spare parts and tools.
The balancing of the brakes has yet to be finalised and the gearbox rebuilt but Derek Watson and Ken Jenkins who have looked after the car since its return to the UK have created a much better driving balance from the untested car that went to India.
The Repairs carried out by Derek Watson
(A separate story for another time)
RENEW LH TOP BALL JOINT WITH SEALED TYPE
RE-TIGHTEN ALL LOOSE STEERING BOX BOLTS
FIT & PIPE UP REMOTE SERVO TO BRAKE SYSTEM WITH PRESSURE LIMITER VALVE
FIT REPAIR KIT TO LH BOTTOM BALL JOINTS & SHIM TO SUIT
RESET CASTER,CAMBER & FRONT TRACK
FLUSH & BLEED BRAKE SYSTEM
CHECK LHF WHEEL BEARING & STUB AXLE, ADJUST OR RENEW AS REQUIRED
CHECK CARB NEEDLES & FIT RICHER NEEDLES, RE-CHECK FUEL MIXTURE
INVESTIGATE & RECTIFY OVERHEATING IGNITION SWITCH FREE OFF HANDBRAKE ADJUSTERS & ADJUST REAR BRAKE SHOES RENEW FRONT SHOCK ABSRBERS RENEW RH TOP BALL JOINTS WITH SEALED TYPE CARRY OUT COMPRESSION TEST. RENEW REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS FIT REPAIR KIT TO RH BOTTOM BALL JOINT & SHIM TO SUIT CHECK IGNITION TIMING & ADVANCE MECHANISMS RENEW ALL OILS & FLUIDS. REMOVE TORSION BARS & RESET & REFIT
ADJUST RIDE HEIGHT MODIFY ALTERNATOR MOUNTINGS TO ALIGN PULLEY CORRECTLY REPAIR DAMAGE TO SPARE WHEEL WELL & FIT STRENGTHENING CHANNEL CUT ROOF RACK FROM SUPPORTS, WELD LOCATING TUBES TO ROOF RACK FIT OPEN ENGINE BREATHER PIPE & FABRICATE CATCH TANK UNIT
FIT LOUVRED PANELS TO ENGINE SIDE PANELS, PREPARE & PAINT SIDE PANELS REMOVE MESH & FIT ALLOY DECKING,
REPAINT ROOF RACK AS REQUIRED BRACKETRY CUT VENT HOLES IN SUMP GUARD FOR IMPROVED COOLING, FIT CAPTIVE NUTS FOR MOUNTING POINTS.
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