Project Pajero

I think that in order to be able to cope with the daily stresses and grinds that life dumps on you, it is more than fucking helpful to have a bolt-hole to retreat to. In my case, my stresses are to do more with illness than the daily bump and grind of life itself. I think that when you are faced with your own potential mortality, you have two choices; dig a hole and pull the earth over on top of you, or find something that is a bit of a mission for you to focus on long-term. I chose the latter and in doing so I found something I'd like to support in the future.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge

The Event

The 'Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge', or the 'Mac 4x4' or the 'Mac' as it has become known in 4x4 circles is in simple terms a weekend treasure hunt covering between 400 and a 1000 road miles with various off road sections on route.

You don't need a challenge truck to take part, any sensibly equipped 4x4 should be up to this event. Have a look at the galleries to see what I mean.

The event has a contagious spirit and camaraderie, and although it is a seriously competitive event with trophies for good navigation the main purpose of the Mac 4x4 is to raise money for Macmillan Cancer support, to the tune of about £100,000 each year. Each team has a minimum sponsorship to raise all of which goes to Macmillan. All event costs are covered out of the entry fee except fuel which competitors pay for as they go.

Competitors only know where they are starting from, the route being kept top secret till roadbooks are handed out along the way. It generally ends in Cheshire where there is a suited and booted prize giving dinner and a bed for the night at a well-appointed hotel. Yes you heard me correctly you need to bring a suit or a frock with you on this event. Have a look at the galleries to see what I mean.

Background

In May 2000 a group of enthusiasts saw a gap in the 4x4 events programme and decided to introduce a new event to mark the Millennium. The objective being to provide an interesting 'Challenge' for 4x4 owners/addicts/enthusiasts over a weekend ‘somewhere’ in the UK, whilst supporting a worthy charity.

"The Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge" was 'born'. After two false starts, in November 2000 because of a petrol blockade and March 2001due to Foot and Mouth, March 2002 proved to be a case of third time lucky! The event took place with only 8 teams. Enthusiasm and quality made up for numbers, however and a magnificent £8,000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Relief. The hard core of supporters and a website in place that was getting lots of hits showed the success of the formula. With very supportive items in club and national mags and plenty of word of mouth from the excellent supporters the 2003 event was soon raising its entry limit above the intended 30 teams to cope with demand. Eventually 38 teams set off and the spirit of fun, quality and enthusiasm, combined with the mix of offroading, navigation and observation, was just as high as in 2002. From an estimated figure of £20,000 announced at the Presentation Dinner it went over £33,000 in June 2003.

The level of generous sponsorship was as catching as the enthusiasm for the event and the 2004 event, with 45 teams achieved£46,000.The record was now firmly established - we thought! That was without reckoning on the 47 teams who started for the 2005 event raising a fantastic £55,000 only to be followed by the 52 teams who raised £67,000 in 2006; the year in which, having covered most of the UK already, we took to the high seas and went to Ireland. This seemed to increase interest and by July 2006 the 60 places for 2007 were taken. The enthusiasm seemed to grow even more and at the 2007 Awards Dinner on the Sunday night the figure was already at £75,000 and potentially growing!

The proceeds of the fun - which depends largely on the sponsorship which teams can raise - will go to Macmillan Cancer Support, the country's major charity devoted to the treatment and care of people with cancer and their families. It supports Macmillan's continuing efforts to provide better support services through the well known Macmillan Nurses, doctors, buildings and patient grants.

Source: http://www.mac4x4.co.uk/Intro.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, I've been and bought my truck a few months ago and started tearing it apart in order to event prep' it. Here's a quick pic of my baby.

To date she has had her engine pulled apart so that new rocker arms, balance shafts, tensioners, timing belts, alternator and timing sprockets could be renewed and new rocker seals, camseals, crankseals fitted. Journals, shells and compression were tested and fuel pump timed, tested and recalibrated for better performance.

The EGR system has been overhauled, the turbo timed and boost tested, wheel bearing, driveaxels, driveshafts front, center and rear differentials checked, drained and re-filled with only the brakes to do before the main gearbox gets a good looking at.

For off-road performance she is due a 2" bodylift, with an additional 2" suspension lift and 3" of lift from the installation of 35"dia tyres. That's take the chassis up by 5" for improved ground clearance and the overall shell height by 7" for improved visibility, making her about 7 feet 3 inches tall before the roofrack and lightbar finish their installation. That will all probably make her about 8 feet tall when finished... and she's only 15 years old too.

Internally she has been shredded too as she needed an almost complete new harness for all the additional electrical installations for a CB Radio, 6 extra lights (4 on the roof and 2 on the front 'A' bar), 2 X 240 volt invertors for the kettle and microwave, re-wired foglights to the rear, new stereo and dvd system, sat-nav, new central locking installation plus alarm and immobiliser and possibily a 12,000lb winch to dig me out of any sticky stuff that might bog me down.

Pretty much everything has been ripped out of the interior just so all the wiring can be discretely accomodated. So, that's the plan Stan. Hopefully I'll still be here to drive her in the Challenge next year. But, as she gets built up, I'll post more info here.