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| Another 'gert snorter' of an engine for the Barley Pickers |
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| Veggie bug heads north |
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| Wheels of steel |
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| Tupperware-tastic |
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| The Meg's chomp their way through Yorkshire |
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| GG's bug stops for a drink |
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| Clear round for the Barleys |
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| Chaos Cab doesn't mind going south of the river |
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| Boat Buoys Apocalypse Now, well just around the corner actually |
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Green Goddesses hold back the Boat Buoys
After blowing up their angry engine in south Wales last week, the Barley Pickers got stuck at the Pendine scrapyard, fitting a replacement diesel powerplant and gearbox to their monster tractor. Meanwhile, the other teams hit the road and headed north.
Leaving a lovely smell of chips behind, the Green Goddesses vegetable oil-fuelled bug cruised on down the road, but they were holding up the Boat Buoys. The Beatle comfortably managed just over 50mph but that was right between fourth and fifth gears for Toby following behind. 'It's very irritating,' he said with his characteristic hooting laugh.
After everyone had settled into the Yorkshire production hotel and had a meal, the Barley Pickers finally arrived as last orders were called at the bar. All teams were present, correct and ready for the following day's build.
To 4x4 or not to 4x4, that is the question
A huge bonus for off-road driving is a four-wheel drive capability (see Science). At this point, none of the Scrappy Races teams had this and it was a massive job to rig a scrap 4x4 transmission in just eight hours.
Luckily for the Chaos Crew, they just needed to connect their second engine to achieve the powerful 4x4 effect, but everyone else needed to find a transfer gearbox. The Barley Pickers scrounged a lorry transfer box and attempted the complicated build. After some poor communication and a near mutiny, the Boat Buoys also attempted to do a 4x4 rebuild as their engine already had a transfer box attached.
The Green Goddesses planned to stick with their rear-wheel drive and concentrate on getting more ground clearance, while the Megalomaniacs had no chance of a 4x4 with their three wheels.
Wheels of steel
The Megs like heavy metal. With a flourish, they set up their own mass production line to make steel teeth. Grrrrrr. These heavy metal paddles were welded onto some old rims and attached to their existing wheels. The result? A set of hardcore mashing and chomping steel shoes for their trike.
Everyone was worried about bottoming out on the rough terrain (especially the low Chaos Crew and Green Goddesses). The answer was a sump guard. Made by recycling a car bonnet and stitching it under the car, the sheet metal sump guard protects the bottom of the engine from hard knocks and allows the vehicle to slide over any jagged protrusions. These simple bits of protection are popular with all the teams, apart from the lofty farmers who have plenty of ground clearance.
Tupperware and chassis struts
With the teams adding monster wheels, protection and drive-train enhancements, the last item on the list was waterproofing for those with water-wary petrol engines. Both the Megs and the Chaos Crew got to work with the sealant and the latter even encased their electrics in Tupperware lunch boxes.
After finding their chassis was criss-crossed with struts and too restricting to fit the prop shafts necessary for a 4x4 system, the Boat Buoys had to revert to two-wheel drive and refit their original axle. Meanwhile, the Barley Pickers successfully finished their 4x4 build. Of the five plucky teams, only the Chaos Crew and the Barley Pickers had four-wheel drive. Would it make the difference? That was for race day to decide.
Race day
The quagmire circuit of Tong Parklands awaited the teams. For each obstacle they missed, they got a 30 second penalty and the scary steep hill to the finish offered a 20 second penalty if the teams chose an easier route.
First up, the Megalomaniacs rattled along the stony surface. Their steel wheels bit into the ground but scuttled over the shingle stretches, denying them the final hill. The Green Goddesses followed with rally driver Nikki at the wheel. They had a good speed but then they got bogged down in the pool, getting themselves a 30 second penalty. The Barley Pickers performed perfectly in their first challenge as the massive 4x4 tractor from hell ate as much mud as Yorkshire could throw at it. A perfect round for them. The Chaos Crew flew around the circuit with their robust and powerful double-headed taxi and the Boat Buoys managed to go even faster until they munched their gearbox on the final hill and didn't complete the race.
| Chaos Crew |
2min 47sec |
| Barley Pickers |
3min 44sec |
| Green Goddesses |
5min 12sec |
| Megalomaniacs |
5min 46sec |
| Boat Buoys |
did not finish |
Next week our racers go to Scotland, where the monsters take to Loch Lomond.
Leader table
| Chaos Crew |
14 points |
| Megalomaniacs |
7 points |
| Green Goddesses |
6 points |
| Barley Pickers |
5 points |
| Boat Buoys |
2 points |
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