The Italian Job – Team 9 « Italian Job 2009

Milan to Turin

It was a straight forward run to Turin about 90 miles in all. We arrived early in the afternoon and met up with other “Jobbers” who had already arrived. We booked into the lovely Meridien Lingotto hotel and retired to the bar to exchange stories of our trip down.

Davos to Milan

Unfortunately there had been more snow overnight, but looking at the Stelvio webcams we thought if the roads were open we would attempt to go to Milan via the Stelvio Pass. We climbed and climbed, the snow was getting deeper but the roads were clear until we got to the Fluela Pass which would have taken us to the Stelvio Pass, however a decision was made for us and the road had been closed. We took some photos and then turned around to go to Milan via St Moritz, this took us up and over the Alps via the Julier Pass, this was a steep climb with wonderful views.

En route to St Moritz our Mini started misfiring again so we pulled over to find a spark plug had gone down, a new one was fitted and we were on our way again.
A stop at St Moritz for lunch (as you do) and then on the road again to Milan, we arrived in Milan around 4.30pm local time and checked into the very nice Antares Hotel Concorde.

En route to Davos

Today has been rather a challenge! We set off from Luxembourg no problem at 9am and headed south on the motorway towards Metz with visions of a 6 hours trouble-free journey (Ha! Ha!). It wasn’t long before the traffic ground to a halt and continued at snails pace and we soon realised it was more tractors than you could imagine with the French farmers blockading the roads with some sort of protest.

After sitting in this for a while Carl’s Vanimal was not a happy van so we got off the motorway, detoured and got on to an alternative motorway only to be met by yet hundreds more tractors. We then detoured again and got on a further motorway only to take the wrong turning and set off on the motorway back to where we’d met the tractors in the beginning, passing yet a load more tractors on the opposite carriageway! We then took the back roads and got on the motorway further along with Carl’s van a bit poorly.

After stopping for a bite to eat, we set off again only for our Mini to start seriously mis-firing and we had to stop for another hour whilst the electronic ignition was changed for conventional points and 3 lots of Black Magic Gloves did their stuff. By this time it was 2pm and we still had about 5 hours journey plus stops. As it got dark, we left the motorway for the final climb to Davos. We climbed and climbed in the dark and snow around Alpine Roads with Alpine drops over the edge of the barricade into the dark!

We eventually arrived at our hotel in Davos in the Swiss Alps much relieved and covered in snow, we’re just waiting to see what tomorrow brings to see if the Stelvio Pass is passable.

Arrived in Luxembourg

We left Dover this morning with Team 18 (Part 1), Carl Belinger (aka Brumski) & Bill Bell who arrived at Dover from Warrington & The Wirral late last night (surprisingly in the nick of time for last orders!) in Carl’s Minivan (Vanimal). Got the ferry from Dover to Calais at 0955hrs GMT & arrived at Calais what seemed like a very rapid 1hr later. A very uneventful trip down travelling south of Brussels, via Leige & then south to Luxembourg late afternoon. The cars are tucked away safely in the hotel’s garage parking as Luxembourg is an ‘interesting’ place from what we’ve seen today!!

Tune up and rolling road session

Today we arrived at M.L. Motorsport at 09.30am for our appointment to have the final “tune up” and rolling road session. All went extremely well with an oil and filter change while the engine was still hot, then some minor adjustments which in themselves made the car more responsive. Then the rolling road session began, this also went extremely well with a minor adjustment to the carb needle and oh boy what a major transition to the car, we’re now all set for the “Job”.
Thanks very much Andy and AC.

An hours run down to Dover, all settled in the hotel, we’ve had a couple of drinks and some food, now waiting for Carl and Bill to arrive which should be around 10.30pm. Calais here we come tomorrow!

Arrived in Kent

We have arrived in Kent this evening in readiness for the Mini getting its rolling road session and tune up with ML Motorsport tomorrow. The Mini has behaved very well all the way down here from leaving Heysham yesterday lunchtime after getting the ferry from the Isle of Man first thing yesterday morning, but the tune up will hopefully make it run like a dream. We stayed at Cheltenham last night visiting family.

Team 21 leave the Isle of Man

We were up early this morning to finish loading the car and check in for the ferry crossing to Heysham. After a brief wait we were soon on board the Steam Packet’s Ben My Chree and heading off on a beautiful morning and the start of our big adventure

Ready for the “off”

Mary has just realised (now we have “farmed” all the dogs out), we’re leaving the island tomorrow and all is quiet without the dogs. So a substitute has been found to take with us, in the form of “Collie-Flower” who will be our mascot for the trip.

Isle of Man Mini Meet

We attended a 50 year Mini Meet at the TT Grandstand in Douglas today.

There were 44 Minis in all, good chance to show our Woody for the first time.

Getting ready for the “off”

Preparations have been going well over the year and now we’re nearing the end of the month it seems that our departure date (12th October) for leaving the island is growing ever near.

We plan to make a stop off en route in Cheltenham, before calling on M.L. Motorsport in Higham for a rolling road session to get the car setup spot on. They built the engine so now we have some miles on the car the carb needle needs changing and the the engine generally set up etc.

We leave Dover for Calais the morning of Thursday 15th October.