The Preparation

After driving in my first long-distance rally- the London to Sydney Marathon - in 2004 - I’ve since developed a strong desire to compete again in a similar event. The 30 day event might have been tough, driving up to six hundred miles a day over rough roads but at the finish every competitor who made it to the Sydney Opera House was overwhelmed with high emotions and a sense of achievement.

It was inevitable that when I heard about the Carrera Sudamericana I wanted to enter

The event is due to start in Buenos Aires on 6th May 2006, travel through Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and finish in Quito, Ecuador three weeks and 5000 miles later.
Entrants are promised rally stages at 16,000 feet above sea level in the Andes and roads that follow the spectacular route where Fangio started his legendary motor sport career.  The route passes Inca archaeological remains, Spanish colonial towns and we are to experience contrasting scenery from canyons, waterfalls, deserts, forests to coastal roads overlooking the Pacific.

Now what car would produce suitable power to endure the tough road conditions, many at extremely high altitudes? 
My choice of car for the London to Sydney Marathon was a very unlikely vehicle – a 1970 Morris Minor – but this time I wanted to compete with something more modern and powerful.  The solution was resolved with the offer of a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Although I have a tendency to drive ‘unconventional’ cars, at first I felt slightly uneasy about competing in a ‘conventional’ 4X4.  When Nicholson McLaren Engines offered sponsorship by converting the Jeep to LPG power I could hardly contain my excitement – we would be the first vehicle to compete in a long-distance rally using LPG. That is definitely not ‘conventional’.

As a newcomer to LPG, I was surprised at the number of negative remarks I heard from the unconverted (pardon the pun).   Comments such as ‘loss of power,’ ‘unreliable,’ and ‘very few filling stations,’ seemed to be the most common which didn’t contribute to my confidence in finishing the event.

Once Nicholson McLaren Engines had finished the LPG conversion using the Teleflex SGi LPG dual fuel system, it was time to put the Jeep through its paces to convince myself (or not) that I had made the correct decision.

My co-driver Trevor Hulks and I headed off to Wales on a crisp, clear morning to try to emulate driving conditions and roads similar to what we expect to encounter in South America. Well…it was difficult to find mountains to equal the steep roads of the Andes at 16,000 feet above sea level to test the Jeep’s performance level at high altitude, but we experienced a variety of road conditions from motorways, traffic jams in towns to a narrow, rough mountain track. Using petrol for the 257 mile round trip, the Jeep averaged 18.87 m.p.g. at a cost of £56.77. I must admit that I felt relieved at that stage that I did not own the Jeep as I usually average over 20,000 miles in a year and the cost of petrol would be horrendous.

Three days later we headed off to cover the same route, this time using LPG. The result was an average of 15.39 m.p.g. and the cost a favourable £35.50. That would provide a considerable saving over a year and convinced me that, from the financial aspect, LPG is the way to go.
And, the ‘loss of power’? In my view a myth. I tried fast acceleration from a standing start, gradual acceleration, fast cornering, on the flat and up the mountain road and I could not detect any difference in power between petrol and LPG.

Before the cars are shipped out to Argentina the Jeep is being fitted with the specialist rally equipment such as roll-cage, mesh cover to protect the radiator from stones, fire extinguishers, rally computer, brackets for extra spare wheels and extra pockets to place maps, note books, pencils – there must be a place for every bit of equipment so they can be found quickly. During the competitive rally stages it can be a very emotional experience with tensions running high between the crew as they endeavour to achieve the best results.
A co-driver’s task on the stages is somewhat demanding as he has more than one job to do at a time. He has to keep one eye on the rally odometer and the other on the detailed road book and to inform the driver in good time of the relevant instructions. To stand a chance of featuring in the results the car has to be driven as close to the average speed set for that route.  The co-driver has to determine by means of speed tables, calculator, stopwatches, average speed indicator, and mental arithmetic whether that speed is maintained throughout the route. To add to the co-driver’s anxiety the location of timing points is secret and penalties are based on seconds late or early at check points.

With several additional test and practice runs under our belt we are well prepared for the start of the Carrera Sudamericana 2006 and I can honestly admit that I am now a LPG enthusiast.