BX Club Forum

It's all rather good fun to be honest

We have had a bit of a session of fixing today, with Team Green Tiger (Ian Seabrook's) BX springing a bad leak from the bottom hose halfway down the mountains, but is in the 'workshop' (car park at the Albertville Etap) now and Mat and Phil et al. are working their magic, while I try to upload more pics and a report for the Facebook page. Phil B and I had to pop by a local Citroen dealers to buy a set of front pads (a cool €66) as the 2/3 worn set we had are not going to survive long given the punishing roads down the sides of mountains... All done now - we have brakes again ...

The mountain stages have been stunning and we stopped today forming an improvised cafe with hot curry, bread etc. cooked up on stoves in a big lay-by.

We get some funny looks, not least from the Gendarmerie, but have had compliments too. We were flashed today by another BX!

More later...

I went and met up with The BXagon at the Formula 1 in Monswiler near Saverne on Sunday evening and greeted the teams with a case of Fürstenberg.
First in was Team Green Tiger, their satnav having taken them through Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg!
Here's Matt ( Ian aka Dollywobblers co-driver) and I enjoying a beer and waiting in the cold car-park for the others





When the others had arrived we went for dinner to 'The Sports Bar' - a very friendly establishment just over the road where the landlady took a liking to us especially Phil Chidlow Very enjoyable evening - we rolled out of there late after a sing-song and some France vs England bar football!



Monday on the way south, stopped between Colmar and Mulhouse where much fiddling with the CBs was done



We met up with 'The French Connection' Remy who took us to this scrapyard which was incredibly busy for a Monday afternoon. Note Mat Fenwick's scrapyard get up : boiler suit and lead pipe.. er breaker bar.



The BXagon take over! Mat surveys the site for more BXs. Lovely weather. The owner was very pleased to welcome us!



Phil and Remy




After this I had to - with much regret- peel off and head back over The Rhine to The Fatherland while the BXagon headed south to Pontarlier. I had such a great time and I wish the boys Bon Chance!

Thanks for the pics Todd. Great to meet up with you. It was an amazing evening.

First internet of the trip for us, and the connection is not fast, but I'll try and get some pics up tonight. Coolant 'bodge' is just about holding up, but the 2000m mountain pushed it right to the limit...

This is a truly great event so many thanks to Phil for making it happen.

Team Green Tiger

Some pics.
Cold night in Saverne!


On top of a mountain near Geneva and Mont Blanc


Todd leads a convoy


To a scrapyard!


This broke free on Day 2...


And this developed a hole on day 3, so we bodged it with tape...


Mat Fenwick dived in to help remove/fit the pipe.


Actual snow!


Breathtaking...

Excellent pics! What an adventure. I wish I was there!

Would be cool to still have you around Todd! (and I'm not just saying that because you brought free beer! )

Your TRD is the coolest BX ever. Fact. Love that louvred rear window.

toddao wrote:
!

god that guy could get work as an Alan Carr lookalike

Too late to post a comprehensive report, that will follow soon, but the last two days have been great, but equally gruelling... The journey to Digne-les-Bains was certainly 'Four Seasons in One Day'... We started in fine weather and ended in a storm. The climb over the mountains was exhilarating but also tough. The BX's though, after their work outs were better than ever. Jaba joined us in his GTi which certainly 'went' on those twisting climbs!

Later on we hit snow. Dollywobbler's team actually experienced a touch of white out on a pass that was closed just after they entered...

The drive today was initially arguably the most pleasant drive yet, down from the alps to the Med at Nice. We detoured and drove some of the Monaco circuit but there was so much traffic and so many roadworks it was to be truthful a bit(ch) of a nightmare. Then, at about 3 pm the heavens opened and at 8 tonight were still bucketing down: Over 4 hours of the most horrendous driving conditions topped off by a Hotel that was harder to find than Lord f***ing Lucan. We are lucky to have made it I think. Today the event lived up to the 'Challenge' moniker.

370 mile plus today. All shagged out. Jaba's BX poorly but we'll look at that tomorrow...

TTFN

Phil

One more thing, I will hopefully be sending more pics to go on the BXagon page on Saturday and Sunday.

But in the meantime: and remember we are second in a line of five BX's - Ian's team having gone another way (up a far more dangerous route!)...



But a short time later it all changed. We were racing ahead of the closing in weather...



Hence: Four Seasons in One Day broadcast from Matt via the CB

In the 1st video it was all going well, until 31 seconds in, you got overtaken by a suzuki Jimny Come on guy's, that was poor I expect another video to uphold bx honours

Know what you mean but the guys are clearly doing well and the BX's have to be given some tlc when you are so far from home.

In fairness the Suzuki was driven by a local maniac!!!

Somewhere between Colmar and Mulhouse (France)

Update from Alaigne:
The drive here from Montpellier was great, and the weather was fine - a massive contrast to Thursday... Last night was spent in a cafe where the host, Les made sure we tried the local hooch. Ah well, that was always on the cards as we knew we weren't driving the next morning. We visited a local scrapyard this morning, where we all got some bits: Andy picked up a carb and Ian a hose.... Matt Fenwick was quick off the mark and picked up a centre armrest/box before we could get to it - drat! Mike got some side window deflectors.

BBQ lunch was lovely; I can heartily recommend Chez Dyna to anyone touring in this area. Fantastic house and hosts.

This afternoon was spent in the workshop, where Ian's BX received its replacement bottom hose and Andy's engine problem was traced to the oil filler cap being pushed in too much restricting the breathing...
Glad that's sorted. Jaba's GTi still in Montpellier: water in the fuel tank was the fault there... he should be able to collect it as he makes his way home.

I'll be sending more pics over to home for posting on Facebook.