Bigpower

Right then guys and girls hope your sitting comfy .

What an eventfull few days . . . . . . .

Everything was all set for a fantastic holiday with the lads, but little did we know the trip was to take a slightly diffrent turn . . . . . .

The Trip started by loading Bo's car and van ready to go getting the car on the trailer is becoming more and more difficult with the bits he keeps bolting on that stick out lol :lol:

Box after box after bo pilled into the transported van which BTW has had a few tweaks care or forge

then we looked at my car as the brakes were hidious due to running a rubbish ds25 pad in them before and the amount of pad pickup left behing by thn was unreal so the discs despite me cleanign them were so bad if felt like a massive buckle in the discso off the came and they went tot the machine shopto test true, sure enough the pad matterial was the issue so skimmed the discs a tiny bit and refitted with pagid rs29's now like new and my god do they work well !!!!!!

Then we were ready to go after we had updated the Bo Nielsen facebook fan page . 8)

So off to the airport we went to pick up Steve (photographer for total vaux)

Go there in good time no issues and the roads were nice and empty and free from traffic .

Then this is where the problems started . . . . . .

Driving down the road all of a sudden my car just started to cough and splutter like mad like it was not getting enough fuel or a boost ppe was split . when this was happening i had no boost what o ever and the car would go a max of about 20mph !!!

This made getting the extra 45 odd miles to the hotel somewhat slow and awkward fo us and othr road users :oops: :roll: :oops:

Anyway got to the hotel in the end after a long drive and had a meeting in the entrance to the hotel.

Four guys two cars one broken and a **** load of tools . only problem is its 3am and we have to catch the eurostar at close to 5am !!! what do we do . . . . . after some talkig it is decided we wcould not leave a man ( in this case me ) behind so on with the caving lights (headlights) and out to the car all the luggage out both the sesats harnesses , carpets etc etc then into the fuel tank . Luckily Bo was heading up opperations and with nothing more than pliers a hammer and a screw driver was into the tank in no time .Then we neededs to empty the tank of fuel before we could check what the problem was so into the tank goes 1 metre of your finest hozelock hose a mouth full of petrol and 5 jerry cans later the tank is all but drained . :roll:

Then out with the tank housing and the problem thank god becomes apparent the fuel housing is full of sludge (sub 20k milage and 07 plate car !!!) when i say covered i mean covered the non return valve for the fuel was stuck with all the sludge and it was evident the pump just could not suck up enough fulel to keep the car going.

So clean up began . new fuel went in all re fitted road tested and all fixed . if not a little smelly inside.

So back to the bord room i mean entrance to the hotel :lol2: Basicall its about 4.10 am and we have to leave in 20 mins so no ones sleeping . Shower change of cloths and we leave the hotel . no one having slept and have been up since about 6 am that moring .

Anyway the run to the tunnel was fine car was like new no issues and a dam site faster than before

got to the tunnel and had to board stright away .




First time on the tunnel and did not like it i have to say felt a little ill and so could not sleep . unlike some :roll: :lol2: saying that it is bloody hard to sleep in fixed back pole positions .

This was the first stop when you get of the tunnel where we had to wait for Bo as he was on the 20 mins later train due to the trailer .





Then Bo arrived and we were straigt off bound for EDS GERMANY . . . . . .

The drive the was without question one of the hardest and longest of my life driving with no sleep is very very hard but we had a deadline to keep to to get the cars mapped inc the time attack car so ploughed through arrived at EDS and i have to say i was amazed at the way they work and just how knoladgable Arnu is and how much time he took to explain engine combstion , high boost vs fuel pressure vs gains , knock etc etc etc a rela insight into why he is the best in the business even got a tour of the workshops and the internet side of things .

Arnu worked his magic on the TA car and the results were great.








The results will stay quiet on my car for now as still have some things to collect via email from arnu but you will be happy to see them !!!!

Anyway still with no sleep although some of us did nap

Napper number 1


napper number 2


:roll: :roll: :roll: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Anyway off to the hotel at the ring another huge journey nd still no sleep 37 hours without sleep really sucks .

Arrived at the Hotel der nordschlief late parked up went to get some food at 11 but the place was closing so felt a little in the way

Surfaced earlie in the moring despite very little sleep and headed off to watch the VLN race.






I think despite not getting a double bed like some i got a great view from my room and was awaken with the noise of the VLN practivce check out the view from my bedroom window .

8)



watched the VLN race and it was amazing we moved with the race so we view it all from corners (lots of them) the straight , the carosel , the pits .saw it all and got some great pics . Inc this beast .

we parked in the car park to watch the VLN from the main pits and the weather was so hot it was unreal .
Spot us ???



anyway unbeknown to us there was large amont of fuel vapur being vented from a fuel breather in bo's car and as he was driving it around accelerated flames out the back from the exhaust and BOOOOOOOOOOOM

3 fire truck two police cars about 20 fire men and a little german ladys fire extinguisher later the car was out.





There were some action shots of the car on fire taken by steve but youll have to wait to see them but the flames were as tall as the car at one point . oo

So now what ???car is put out but the fuel filler is melted the body is melted the breathers are shot .and we have n spares . . . . and must make the ring tomorow and spa the following day... by this time it was 4pm so the vln had finished and we were walking round the pits searching for some large bore fuel hose to mock up afiller to the rank . we asked every race team in the pits and all we got was a bit aboout half as long as we needed :oops: so thats it we thought all was lost . about 6pm now and the ring is open with the gp circuit too (rare) so sitting on the side of the road in a small convoy me bo and the van with trailer. we think its all over after much talking we decide its best if i get some laps in before we go home . . . . . so me and cliff grab our helmets and set of to the ring . .







BUT WAIT > > > > rember the fuel pump situation . . . we cant leave a man behind .

So me and cliff spin it round before w get tp the ring and head for the Nurburgring industrial estate but it's saturday night everywhere is closed aston martin were just dropping back there race car but they had nothing when we spoke to them same as audi . . . . .

Looking like its a lost cause . . . almost about to give up when the sound of a air gun for wheels rings through the air of the insutrail estate. we slamm the brake son praying for it to happen again sure enough there is is . . . we follow the noise to an oppen garage the car park a a wash with race races e30 m3's e30 m3 witha M5 engine in dry sump etc , e46 m3 rac car, e36 race car m3 race car x 5 !!!! walkin in there with this small bit of pipe in out hand heads held low .

"English" we ask this rather German looking man .

"OF COURSE" he replies in better englidh than mine .!!!!!! Holly MOLEY .

After all this bad luck could it be we are winning . ????

Stay tuned for part two comming soon . . . . .

Ok so i will set the seen , me Bo Cliff and Steve are standing there im one of the cleanest garages you have ever seen no marks on the floor no fat man with his ar5e hanging out eveything had a place there.

Except us :lol2:

We eagaly awaited the return of the mechanic from the stores hoping he would have a long enough bit of hose sop we could bodge together a filler and breather arrangement.

He arrives with some and sure enough it was enough to bodge the job .

Why no try our broken cars out the back he said we have lots off filler necks round there o:o

Brakers yard i replied strugelling not to get to "ecited" you have abbreakers yard .

"yes of come look" !!!!!!

So we followed the guy around and low and behold there were more fuel tanks and cars than you can shake a stick at now imagine it this is in the middle of where the biggest and best race teams keep there race car aston martin is across the road and has an n24 in a massive window in a spotless show room and these guys have a breakers yard round the back :lol2:

so we walk around hoping for something . E30 318is 8) 8) 8) i wanted to buy it so bad , e34 325 , peg 306 derv , bmw e36's , then in the corner jacked up and on a wheel arrangment a ford focus petrol hmmmmm we wonder over i get underneath and this is where it gets almost unbelivable . . .. . . .

It has a metal version of what the stara had its almost identical so off it comes with the aid of a few tool grabbed from the van by Bo who ran !!! hes like capitin slow from top gear he never runs !!! must have been important .

so we have this .



And belive me for this where we are on a saturday night now this is worth its weight in GOLD

Nope . . . still have the issue to address as to why the car caught fire in the first place a rouge breather pipe, now we really are pusshing it but

"you dont have any areoquicp fixings and hose do you" man scurries of and returns with a box of hoses and fittings a massive box with new hoses and everything in it. So replaced the hose and used new fitting relocated the breather and new wheel and new tyre on then filled up with fuel and checked for leaks . . . . .

NO LEAKS >>>>> YES YES YES

Taking no chances on the road test i sat with a workshope extinguisher between my legs one of them massive ones must have been 4 feet tall :lol: but god knows once bitten twice shy

Road test was fine no issues even with the flames still puring out the exhaust :roll:

brought the car back in re fitted the FORGE flat floor and diffuser and left the garage at about 11 pm after giving the nice men some monies and saying an emotinal good bye lol :lol2:

some pics of the cars in there workshop inc a brand new E30 wide arch m3 with an m5 engine .







happy in the knowledge we could go to the ring tomorow we all left and returned back to the hotel for some food , except is 11.30 and no where is open . :roll: we arrange to meet in the car park after a quick change of cloths and then head into town for some foor 3 out of the four of us make it the other takes 2 long doing number 2 so gets left behing sorry cliff :lol2: :lol2: lol:

anyway no where open so we begin walking and gues who we see . . . . the man from the garage where we fixed or car we ask him how much more of a walk it is and he says no problem ill give you a lift . this gy just dont sop giving does he ? so drives for a fair way and we get a kebab from a local take away and steve has a pizza i try top help make .


anyway walk back that night 3 of of chatting cars and walking through the streets of germany with bottles of becks in our hands lol , bet we looked so "english" :lol2:

So lay in ????

No such thing breakfast at 7 ready for the ring opening at 8 . 8)

get to the ring unload the trailer and its all going great get a lap in myself first one . Very scary but took no prisoners lol held onto to merc's there following them and there lines wich made it alot easier . . . .

Had a few rides in Bo's car and wow what a car the grip and the feel of the car is amazing , i have never felt grip like it in my hole life and now with the new wishbones and set up its just amazing and the pirellis despite all the talk held up realy well even if they did get bloody seriouslly hot !!!!

Second lap out for me and a spanner light comes on the dash and i loose all boost, half way in , great :roll: come back to dirty dusty car park and get the code reader on it .Boost pressure not in target area . great means nout really lol , so checked all the boost hoses for splits nothing , took them off and checked again , nothing. pressure tested the boost hoses , nothing , so started taking the re circ valve out . this is very very hard without a special cut down allen key so the decision was taken to remove the air con all together to allow more room as its the pipes to the air con that block the bolts to we let the gas out of that and proceeded me and cliff to take the re circ valve out . finally after a really really long time got it out and gues what , nothing !!!!!!!!

By now i have had enough i am ready for the UK and bed . put it all together clean the maf sensor the afm disconnectthe battery and go for a burger at the cafe at the ring . bloody nice deils dinner i think, and it was really really nice had the special burger mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

back to the car connect the battery and still broken !!!!!

just about to give up were all staring under the bonnet the Bo hits the actuator with the end of the ratchet and we here a clink thats it he says start it up and bbbbbrrrrrrrmmmmmmmm ttttssssshhhhhhh

my boost is back the bloody collet in the manifold is worn meaning that the wastegate housing sticks thowing all the boost through the exhaust so the turbo cant boost at all fixed

tried to go out again and it did it again as soon as i applied full throttle in high gears so coasted round and then just left it . No spa for me then . hey ho least when your not on track it works fine .

So we decide to leave the ring and head for the spa hotel for an earlie night

So the four of us head down to the hotel now for the money i was expecting this to be a top notch hotel and my god was it whooo hooo we pull in and in the car park there is a carrera GT super car and a gt3RS and a Bently the tuned one from bently cant rember the name but you get the idea .

So check in and then come back out to just do a quick job to the car "quick" i think not.

Ride height needed hiring on the rear du to rubbing at the ring and brake ducts needed to be made and fitted before spa , so were in the car park of the swankeyiest place i have ever seen and start jacking the car p and using battery impact guns

No sooner had we jacked the car up the heavens opened .:roll: typical spa rain heavy and prolonged we got soaked trying to fit 100mm ducting through wishbones and the like in the rain pouring rain is very very had and slippy but we did it so off to the hotel to get changed and dry .

That night was the only in the whole trip where we could play pool, drink beer, eat very expensive food, oggle at girls and just go on the computer and end how every lads night seems to end on these sorts of things , pi55ed out of our heads watching streakers on youtube then laughing our fing heads off

this was my favourite of the night . imagine this drunk as a skunk and with a mouth full of beer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlQMvecMtkA...&has_verified=1

Anyway headed back to the hotel for a sleep. woke to an amzing breakfast buffet the best i have ever seen all the food on silver platters and waited service etc etc

Heading for SPA !!!!

Yeh baby . . . . what would the day hold for us .....


Stay tuned to find out .

Ready , steady , GO . . . . .

So ill start in the way most stories start there final chapter setting the scene for the final day.

We arvive at Spa under a sky of grey clouds broken only by the occasional flutter of rays of sunshine poking through , although cold and the track was damp it was soon clear to see the track was going to be dry in no time and the sun would soon be with us .

Pulling into the pits for my first day at Spa was unreal , like a uk track day buy 1 million times better , the pit garages have there own toilets the floor of the garages is spotless and last but not least the carpark is a wash with some top end cars , not the usual Citeron xania's and the likes were used to in uk days but , GTR's in the double figures , ultimas, Focus rs's some brand new and trailered here, race spec Clio's , coopers, lotus's and much much more .

My little eyes did not know where to look :lol:

Briefing over it was time for the sighting laps. . . . .

Within a few minuites the car retured with BO and steve in the passenger seat something not right was the comment from Bo

So...... out with the jacks also supplied by FORGE MOTORSPORT :lol2: and up the car went .Knocking under braking was the sympton, loos caliper , discs not located pads not right , struts loose , we checked everything and found nothing until . . . . . rear wisbone from the touringcar suspension on the one side bolt was loose and as the suspension can be adjusted forwards and back on the wisbones under braking this was moving casing a knock. Job done tightened and all sorted . 8)

Steve the phptp man was itching after his passenger laps at the ring yesterday to get in the passengewr seat for a "hot" lap at Spa so like the good mates we are we let the wee fella jump in and grab some laps , well my go we did not see them again for ages . . . must have been out for 30-40 mins just lapping spa was brilliant , we managed to consume all Bo's sweets and drinks from the van and take a few videos before he got back to so not all bad :oops: sorry mate . :lol:

Took a short video of one of the laps they did under testing for the first part so not a "hot" lap but still sounds mega 8) take a look .

Recorded in HD turn the HD up 720p 8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxfiza1tAlU

and a random one ;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG4ZpoVmxDs

Car came in for a check over again checking wheels tyres pressures etc etc all seemed fine and as Bo reports in his thread the Pirelli's were holding up fine despite a stint in the near dry conditions .

so car all checked over and adjusted and more importantly cooled down driver refuled too with lucazade and some fishermans friends :lol2:

Its time to go again . . . . This time with some more ballast . . .ME 8) :lol:

Pulling out of the pits through garage 10 and into the pit lane was such a cool feeling the car is just amazing now everything from the cage the seats the harnesses , the little red light to indicated the fuel pump is on just makes it feel like a thoroughbred race car i was litterall so excited to feel it let loose this time . Passenger rides on the ring were fun but i had a feeling these would be better and my god . . . . . .

The car was just amazing .I urge everysingle persaon who reads this thread to try to get a ride in this car at some point best way would be to follow Bo in the 2011 time attack season but that aside the car is just unreal given this was a new set up only put together hours before we left the uk the car was unreal it handled like i can not describe , no amount of analergies or puns could make you understand better . the grip was just unreal.The speed in which we could enter corners was mind bening and throttle being applied mid corner and just wooosh out she comes from the corner at full wack, not sure if it was the Forge flat floot the Forge diffuser the new suspension the spoiler god knows but it was all working so well. . . .

Did it continue to work like a dream . . . .




If you have read part one and part two what do you think . . . .







Yep your right next think we get a horrid noise and the car starts to shake like mad seems to be coming from the front wheel area but having seen the car almost burn to the ground the day before me an already paranoid passenger was having non of this i did not like it one bit.pulled over on the long sweeping corner of Spa beside a mountain cliff face and realised it was the gearbox had disintergrated , nothing we could do .

We had done all we could in the trip to make sure both cars got the whole way to spa the ring eds but even we could not fix this one in the time we had so after making more new friends who drove a nice blue pick up truck we were towed back to the pits cut free from the tow rope and lets to console ourselfs that the trip was for us over . . . . . .

We left the car in the pits and had been given a flyer earlier for a all you could eat buffet at Spa that day so when the track closed headed up to get some food . . . but although im one for details ill just bullet point this for you as it was just rubbish and involved

- rubbish food
- argument about the coke
- argument about the flyers
- argument and near fight about the way in whch to best use a two sided buffet
- they ran out of bread
- argument about lack of bread :lol:
- leaving a huge plate of food in discust and wishing we had gone to the bakery
- on the way out buying some tshirts for the kids at ni on

Not an issue to boys in the boot with DSLR's and the boot open top gear style



Off we go now i have to say the thought of touring round the outside of Spa four up in a to seater car did not appeal to me but i have to say it was amazing the gradient of the track can only be appreciated until you walk up the slopes and feel for yourself how hard it is to walk up . Along the way we stopped of regually and got some great shots of the car in some great locations .

But even better than that we got stopped by a marshall half way round , she spoke not one word of english but kept saying something which sounded like media ???

anyway a flash of a press card later and all four of us are the track side with the marshalls on the corner after the long uphill straight we were so close to the track you could almost touch the cars . some amazing sounds and pics inc the Carrera GT suspercar that was there my god when that downchanges ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

woops back in the room . anyway yeh amazing check out the pics .









An interesting bin hey Bo ????














Just a small selection of pictures . But i wont bore you with them all

Anyways so after the tour we packed up and headed home for a somber drive back to the tunnel then home .

Drive home was fun stopped off in a services and our back luck obviouslly rubbed of on some poor lady as on our return to the car bellys full of service station steak we found a damzel in destress .

Enter captin fix it





Sadly there is n0o cure for a engine ran without oil till it got so hot it basically melted itself together so we had to leave the fair maden behind to await rescue from her boyfriend

Drive from there on in was ok if not a little quiet :roll: thanks to someones love of sleep

Sad to be bording the eurostar home on a cold windy evening the sunlight faiding that had blessed our day now all but a distent memory.

It's a strange feeling really im not sure why but everyone seemed very happy emotions were high as i think for four days no one had slept barley eaten and now to be on the train home was a great feeling but at the same time we would all do it again tomorow if we could .

To summarise what has probally been the longest blog in the history of this forum mostly bull 5hit im sure waffle and pointless phots if nothing else it give us and you a way to look back and think yeh dispite all the problems we had despite all the time we thought were not all going to make it we stuck together worked super hard pulled on our reserves and managed to make sure the whole team got to the destinations .

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddd relax!
Sounds like an action packed trip and it was nice to read about your will power to ensure everyone got back in one piece; incredible service by the German garage too.

Look forward to seeing you on track soon (Awards added)

sounds like a trip of highs and lows
i cant wait to go euro again

Nice report Aaron. There's nothing quite like a road trip with a bunch of mates. Has Bo now fitted a hand held extinguisher in his car as a back up to the plumbed in system.

What a way to come back from that with a 2nd place at knockhill:thumbs: