R50/53 Schmutzi in Mexico update
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1st Gear
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From: Austin, TX
I'll be posting all of Terry and Debbie's reports from the road on this thread, so keep checking back to see their progress!
-Bryan
...and now over to Terry:
Day One---
8:30 AM- South of San Antonio picked up a coolant reservoir, ours was leaky.
12:00 PM- lunch at Kingsville, TX- Saw cowboys with boots and spurs- 29 MPG
It's good to be heading south again after a brief trip to San Antonio we headed on past miles and miles of Texas. Border crossing was a breeze.
The MINI is a perfect car for Mexico, fast, nimble, fun to drive. 30+ MPG when Debbie drives, and 25 MPG when cruising 90-100. Passing cars like they were standing still. We ate supper in Cuidad Victoria.
Day Two---
Cuidad Valles, SLP (770 miles from home in Austin)
We'll let schmutzi tell her own story today:
"Yesterday they drove me like they stole me- what fun! Today they start later & drive slower, but the roads are curvey & I get to pass lots more cars...I LOVE THAT! Then they turned off onto a dirt road & I discovered mud! YUCK! What do they think I am? They bottomed me out and spun my wheels. Finally I convinced them to turn around, I hope they won't try that again. I didn't go far today, but I did stop in some beautiful places...."
-Schmutzi
2003 MINI Cooper S
Central Texas ALTA spokes-model
and now, world traveler
http://www.terrysaytherauto.com
-Bryan
...and now over to Terry:
Day One---
8:30 AM- South of San Antonio picked up a coolant reservoir, ours was leaky.
12:00 PM- lunch at Kingsville, TX- Saw cowboys with boots and spurs- 29 MPG
It's good to be heading south again after a brief trip to San Antonio we headed on past miles and miles of Texas. Border crossing was a breeze.
The MINI is a perfect car for Mexico, fast, nimble, fun to drive. 30+ MPG when Debbie drives, and 25 MPG when cruising 90-100. Passing cars like they were standing still. We ate supper in Cuidad Victoria.
Day Two---
Cuidad Valles, SLP (770 miles from home in Austin)
We'll let schmutzi tell her own story today:
"Yesterday they drove me like they stole me- what fun! Today they start later & drive slower, but the roads are curvey & I get to pass lots more cars...I LOVE THAT! Then they turned off onto a dirt road & I discovered mud! YUCK! What do they think I am? They bottomed me out and spun my wheels. Finally I convinced them to turn around, I hope they won't try that again. I didn't go far today, but I did stop in some beautiful places...."
-Schmutzi
2003 MINI Cooper S
Central Texas ALTA spokes-model
and now, world traveler
http://www.terrysaytherauto.com
Sand Dollar Collector
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,249
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From: Moved from Leesburg, VA to Oceanside, CA Nov. 2003
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Austin, TX
Here's some more updates from Terry and Debbie in Mexico...
-Bryan
Day Three ---
10-17, Valles to Tulancingo, Hidalgo, 1050 miles.
Yesterday was a day of rest--we tried to go see Cueva Quintera but had to turn back due to MUD. We tried to go swimming at Cascada Micos, and found that the river was in FLOOD. Oh, well. Today we made a brief stop at Xilitla to see the Edward James house of Phantasms, and the waterfalls there--then we drove south as fast as the curvy roads would allow. Ten hours of driving and just under 300 miles. This thing is a sports car exclamation point. Out of the cloud forest, up into the pines, into the deep forested mountains of northern Hidalgo, south into the mountainous deserts---some of the most beautiful driving in Mexico. At lunch I ordered orange juice and my waiter went out and shook the tree to get oranges...that´s fresh.
Day Four---
10-18, Tulancingo Hidalgo to Minatitlan, Veracruz, 1500 miles
Finally found a toll road so we could make some time, but Debbie didn´t like it and we got back off so we could experience the real Mexico. I took the wrong turn, dammit, sezs Deb. Lunch and a walk in the surf along the beach north of Veracruz at Costa Esmeralda. VERY NICE. Piles of shrimp, yum, sez Terry. The MINI continues to perform flawlessly, although we hope the next generation has better seats----and bigger washer reservoirs---and taller ground clearance---and 4-wheel drive. Well, that would be good here at least--but we are having a motoring blast nonetheless. The Topes or sleeping policeman---big concrete HUMPY LUMPS across the road are pains in the BUTT literally and make Schmutzi squeek sometimes. They sneak up on you, so you must watch every minute. And brake ALL THE WAY. Schmutzi can do 90 to 0 faster than you can imagine. And then you must creep across the topes, even still sometimes grinding away Schmutzi's little under-parts. And Terry is still asleep!
Day Five---
10-19, Minatitlan, Veracuz to Villahermosa, Tabasco to Palenque, Chiapas to Cascadas Agua Azul, 1706 miles
Stopped to see Agua Blanca Falls and Cave Ixta-Ha just before Palenque. Palenque is our favorite of all of the Mexican Mayan ruins, and it is better cared for now then we have ever seen it. The Howler monkeys have returned, Nestle of Switzerland has undertaken huge new restoration projects and the park is altogether more beautiful than ever. We found a guide to take us on some jungle trails and we had a great afternoon. We ended the day at the HUGE falls of Agua Azul in a rustic cottage. That sounds romantic...it really means no lights or running water !
Day Six---
10-20, Cascadas Agua Azul, Chiapas, to Huehuetenango, Guatemala, 2050 miles
We awoke today to a beautiful sunny morning and we found that we had NOT been captured by the rebels. The local roads all have signs on them saying that we have entered Zapatista rebel territory and we had teased ourselves into being genuinely fearful. For example, we would tell ourselves if we come to a roadblock, this is what we are going to do........and we hid our money in various personal places.....silly behavior, you get the idea. By the time we had talked about the signs and these thoughts, for 100 kms, we were primed for disaster. And the MINI clearly marks us as turistas, ripe for the plucking ! We found out that the road to Bonampak, another fantastic Mayan ruin, is only undertaken from here in a convoy every morning with Mexican military at the front and the Green Angel mechanic truck at the rear to tow any stragglers. We decided to skip that, another time, we hope. We got to Agua Azul in the dark, and had a bit of a restless night-----every truck, every light, every noise, every bug-----all woke Debbie who promptly woke Terry. Not true, he snored all night long. Big help against the rebels he is.
But this morning, all is beautiful again, the sun is shining, the locals are friendly, the falls are ROARING past our delicious breakfast place. Unfortunately no swimming as the river is in flood. We hiked for a couple of hours, then headed on past San Cristobal through the border---after they sprayed INSECTICIDE all over Lil Schmutzi! Into Guatemala we go. The roads are better here, for the most part,and there is much less traffic and best of all, there are none of the dreaded TOPES. The MINI has 17 inch wheels with run flat tires, giving a rough ride anyway, but the concrete topes are a nightmare. Guatemala is immediately beautiful, driving thru deep mountain gorges and into a country that seems a bit less spoiled than Mexico. Villages are smaller, cities are less planned and have narrower streets. People are very friendly, but the Spanish is a bit harder to understand. The local language is actually not Spanish, but Mam. We don´t know no Mam. Terry says, I want my Mammy. We are now spending Quetzales and the dollar goes a little further than the peso in Mexico.
The MINI continues to shine, particularly after a helpful local washed all the mud off of her with a dry rag in the night. OUCH. She is a total rarity here, no big surprise, but EVERYONE else drives 4 wheel drive little pick ups. Mountain roads are where Schmutzi is most at home, we can seemingly accelerate out of any situation, outhandle anything on the road, and pass most of the gas stations. The seats are actually better than we expected, and it is still great fun to drive. I´m sure a stock MINI would be just fine, but our 200 hp is a delight. It´s a good thing we love her so much as we are going to be good friends for another many more thousands of kms.
Bryan Eagle
Terry Sayther Automotive
Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
-Bryan
Day Three ---
10-17, Valles to Tulancingo, Hidalgo, 1050 miles.
Yesterday was a day of rest--we tried to go see Cueva Quintera but had to turn back due to MUD. We tried to go swimming at Cascada Micos, and found that the river was in FLOOD. Oh, well. Today we made a brief stop at Xilitla to see the Edward James house of Phantasms, and the waterfalls there--then we drove south as fast as the curvy roads would allow. Ten hours of driving and just under 300 miles. This thing is a sports car exclamation point. Out of the cloud forest, up into the pines, into the deep forested mountains of northern Hidalgo, south into the mountainous deserts---some of the most beautiful driving in Mexico. At lunch I ordered orange juice and my waiter went out and shook the tree to get oranges...that´s fresh.
Day Four---
10-18, Tulancingo Hidalgo to Minatitlan, Veracruz, 1500 miles
Finally found a toll road so we could make some time, but Debbie didn´t like it and we got back off so we could experience the real Mexico. I took the wrong turn, dammit, sezs Deb. Lunch and a walk in the surf along the beach north of Veracruz at Costa Esmeralda. VERY NICE. Piles of shrimp, yum, sez Terry. The MINI continues to perform flawlessly, although we hope the next generation has better seats----and bigger washer reservoirs---and taller ground clearance---and 4-wheel drive. Well, that would be good here at least--but we are having a motoring blast nonetheless. The Topes or sleeping policeman---big concrete HUMPY LUMPS across the road are pains in the BUTT literally and make Schmutzi squeek sometimes. They sneak up on you, so you must watch every minute. And brake ALL THE WAY. Schmutzi can do 90 to 0 faster than you can imagine. And then you must creep across the topes, even still sometimes grinding away Schmutzi's little under-parts. And Terry is still asleep!
Day Five---
10-19, Minatitlan, Veracuz to Villahermosa, Tabasco to Palenque, Chiapas to Cascadas Agua Azul, 1706 miles
Stopped to see Agua Blanca Falls and Cave Ixta-Ha just before Palenque. Palenque is our favorite of all of the Mexican Mayan ruins, and it is better cared for now then we have ever seen it. The Howler monkeys have returned, Nestle of Switzerland has undertaken huge new restoration projects and the park is altogether more beautiful than ever. We found a guide to take us on some jungle trails and we had a great afternoon. We ended the day at the HUGE falls of Agua Azul in a rustic cottage. That sounds romantic...it really means no lights or running water !
Day Six---
10-20, Cascadas Agua Azul, Chiapas, to Huehuetenango, Guatemala, 2050 miles
We awoke today to a beautiful sunny morning and we found that we had NOT been captured by the rebels. The local roads all have signs on them saying that we have entered Zapatista rebel territory and we had teased ourselves into being genuinely fearful. For example, we would tell ourselves if we come to a roadblock, this is what we are going to do........and we hid our money in various personal places.....silly behavior, you get the idea. By the time we had talked about the signs and these thoughts, for 100 kms, we were primed for disaster. And the MINI clearly marks us as turistas, ripe for the plucking ! We found out that the road to Bonampak, another fantastic Mayan ruin, is only undertaken from here in a convoy every morning with Mexican military at the front and the Green Angel mechanic truck at the rear to tow any stragglers. We decided to skip that, another time, we hope. We got to Agua Azul in the dark, and had a bit of a restless night-----every truck, every light, every noise, every bug-----all woke Debbie who promptly woke Terry. Not true, he snored all night long. Big help against the rebels he is.
But this morning, all is beautiful again, the sun is shining, the locals are friendly, the falls are ROARING past our delicious breakfast place. Unfortunately no swimming as the river is in flood. We hiked for a couple of hours, then headed on past San Cristobal through the border---after they sprayed INSECTICIDE all over Lil Schmutzi! Into Guatemala we go. The roads are better here, for the most part,and there is much less traffic and best of all, there are none of the dreaded TOPES. The MINI has 17 inch wheels with run flat tires, giving a rough ride anyway, but the concrete topes are a nightmare. Guatemala is immediately beautiful, driving thru deep mountain gorges and into a country that seems a bit less spoiled than Mexico. Villages are smaller, cities are less planned and have narrower streets. People are very friendly, but the Spanish is a bit harder to understand. The local language is actually not Spanish, but Mam. We don´t know no Mam. Terry says, I want my Mammy. We are now spending Quetzales and the dollar goes a little further than the peso in Mexico.
The MINI continues to shine, particularly after a helpful local washed all the mud off of her with a dry rag in the night. OUCH. She is a total rarity here, no big surprise, but EVERYONE else drives 4 wheel drive little pick ups. Mountain roads are where Schmutzi is most at home, we can seemingly accelerate out of any situation, outhandle anything on the road, and pass most of the gas stations. The seats are actually better than we expected, and it is still great fun to drive. I´m sure a stock MINI would be just fine, but our 200 hp is a delight. It´s a good thing we love her so much as we are going to be good friends for another many more thousands of kms.
Bryan Eagle
Terry Sayther Automotive
Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
7th Gear Gal
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36,087
Likes: 3
From: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
Bryan,
Thanks so much for posting this great thread! What fun Terry & Debbie are having! Any pix to post? And, dare I ask, where is their ultimate destination?
Cheers!
Clover
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1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Austin, TX
Day 7---
10-21, Huehuetenango, Guatemala to San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, 2175 miles
We are so happy to be here in Guatemala. It seems like it should be just the same as Mexico, but it is not. The cities are different, the traffic, the people, the clothes,the markets are all different from what we are used to seeing. We took a 40 quetzal taxi ride to a local ruin the first thing this morning and wandered around for awhile. A one quetzal bus ride got us back into town--a much more interesting way to travel, at least short distances.....and we think the taxi guy might of seen us coming. Guatemala is famous for it´s handmade cloth, and Debbie had a great time in the native market examining and buying beautiful woven samples. Guatemalan women weave cloth on a backstrap loom, and then embroider on the top of the weaving. The colors and patterns they use are characteristic of their home villages throughout their country, so if you know the language of the threads you can tell where they are from. Guatemala is much more rugged and mountainous than Mexico and the villages are more isolated ( and individualistic) as a result. What a great country!
Only with great reluctance and a vow to return did we turn north. The border crossing was record easy--but did warrant another insecticide spray for little Schmutzi.
So back to the land of topes! Just about 170km north of the border lies San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, an old mountain town that attracts world wide tourists all year long. Less well known is that it is the center for study of the Lacondon Indians who inhabit the isolated jungles and mountains to the east. The center of this study in San Cristobol is Na Balom--a library, museum, and shelter for these endangered Indians. Occasionally, when one of it´s resident scientists is not in town, they rent out rooms. We were fortunate enough in 1992 to get a room in Na Balom, and we got the same room this time. Wandering the gardens, visiting with the residents, and even sharing a meal with several Lancandon families made our visit very memorable.
Day 8---
10-22, 2250 miles, San Cristobol to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
After a restful morning wandering the streets and gardens of San Cristobol, we headed down off the Chiapan highlands to the capitol of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez.
Here in Tuxtla, we join the preparations for La Carrera Panamericana--an annual vintage car race that takes 7 days, covers 3000 km, and is the only event of it´s kind in the world. Last year we participated in the race with our 1958 502 BMW (the report on the race is on this website--you´ll like it!) This year we have volunteered to help others in their efforts. We spent the afternoon renewing old friendships and making new ones.
Like all events human, I guess, participants in the race are here for different reasons. Some racers have their racecar built and shipped to Tuxtla, and amazingly enough are then ¨meeting¨ their car for the first time, Others have built their cars, tested it, bonded with it--so, in essence, the cars, pilots, and co-pilots all have their own stories. Today we met old friends, ready to run their cars again--and new ones, hoping just to finish. Two guys from Great Britain spent the afternoon pounding a shock bolt back in place. Our friend, Elke from Germany, is back driving on the only all-woman team. The Carrera is about personal goals, and that strange, wonderfully exotic, sometimes erotic bond between humans and the road. We have to admit regrets about not being able to race this year--but also gratitude that we can be part of the story. The truth be told, Lil Schmutzi would give them ALL a run for their pesos, I'll bet!! But, alas, she is too young.....
More soon!
Bryan Eagle
Terry Sayther Automotive
Independent MINI Service & Performance
Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
10-21, Huehuetenango, Guatemala to San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, 2175 miles
We are so happy to be here in Guatemala. It seems like it should be just the same as Mexico, but it is not. The cities are different, the traffic, the people, the clothes,the markets are all different from what we are used to seeing. We took a 40 quetzal taxi ride to a local ruin the first thing this morning and wandered around for awhile. A one quetzal bus ride got us back into town--a much more interesting way to travel, at least short distances.....and we think the taxi guy might of seen us coming. Guatemala is famous for it´s handmade cloth, and Debbie had a great time in the native market examining and buying beautiful woven samples. Guatemalan women weave cloth on a backstrap loom, and then embroider on the top of the weaving. The colors and patterns they use are characteristic of their home villages throughout their country, so if you know the language of the threads you can tell where they are from. Guatemala is much more rugged and mountainous than Mexico and the villages are more isolated ( and individualistic) as a result. What a great country!
Only with great reluctance and a vow to return did we turn north. The border crossing was record easy--but did warrant another insecticide spray for little Schmutzi.
So back to the land of topes! Just about 170km north of the border lies San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, an old mountain town that attracts world wide tourists all year long. Less well known is that it is the center for study of the Lacondon Indians who inhabit the isolated jungles and mountains to the east. The center of this study in San Cristobol is Na Balom--a library, museum, and shelter for these endangered Indians. Occasionally, when one of it´s resident scientists is not in town, they rent out rooms. We were fortunate enough in 1992 to get a room in Na Balom, and we got the same room this time. Wandering the gardens, visiting with the residents, and even sharing a meal with several Lancandon families made our visit very memorable.
Day 8---
10-22, 2250 miles, San Cristobol to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
After a restful morning wandering the streets and gardens of San Cristobol, we headed down off the Chiapan highlands to the capitol of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez.
Here in Tuxtla, we join the preparations for La Carrera Panamericana--an annual vintage car race that takes 7 days, covers 3000 km, and is the only event of it´s kind in the world. Last year we participated in the race with our 1958 502 BMW (the report on the race is on this website--you´ll like it!) This year we have volunteered to help others in their efforts. We spent the afternoon renewing old friendships and making new ones.
Like all events human, I guess, participants in the race are here for different reasons. Some racers have their racecar built and shipped to Tuxtla, and amazingly enough are then ¨meeting¨ their car for the first time, Others have built their cars, tested it, bonded with it--so, in essence, the cars, pilots, and co-pilots all have their own stories. Today we met old friends, ready to run their cars again--and new ones, hoping just to finish. Two guys from Great Britain spent the afternoon pounding a shock bolt back in place. Our friend, Elke from Germany, is back driving on the only all-woman team. The Carrera is about personal goals, and that strange, wonderfully exotic, sometimes erotic bond between humans and the road. We have to admit regrets about not being able to race this year--but also gratitude that we can be part of the story. The truth be told, Lil Schmutzi would give them ALL a run for their pesos, I'll bet!! But, alas, she is too young.....
More soon!
Bryan Eagle
Terry Sayther Automotive
Independent MINI Service & Performance
Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Clover,
I'll put up a photo page on TerrySaytherauto.com when they come back home next week.
Stay tuned for more...
-Bryan
PS They are following La Carrera Panamericana Road race back through Mexico to Laredo and then back to austin...
>>
>>
>>Bryan,
>>
>>Thanks so much for posting this great thread! What fun Terry & Debbie are having! Any pix to post? And, dare I ask, where is their ultimate destination?
>>
>>Cheers!
>>Clover
I'll put up a photo page on TerrySaytherauto.com when they come back home next week.
Stay tuned for more...
-Bryan
PS They are following La Carrera Panamericana Road race back through Mexico to Laredo and then back to austin...
>>
>>
>>Bryan,
>>
>>Thanks so much for posting this great thread! What fun Terry & Debbie are having! Any pix to post? And, dare I ask, where is their ultimate destination?
>>
>>Cheers!
>>Clover
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,293
Likes: 2
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
Sounds like a great trip. Schmutzi avoided the car eating potholes, YEA!! Happy Motoring. Les deseo lo mejor en su viaje de regreso.
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1st Gear
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From: Austin, TX
Day 9---
10-23-03--Thursday, Tuxtla Gutierrez ChiapasToday we spent all day working with the Carrera racers and getting ourselves set up as an official Servicio crew. This is the day before the race starts and it is spent with final car and driver preparation. A surprising number of cars arrive unfinished and untested--some are even shipped from Europe, the US, or Mexico not completely assembled. One British team finished assembling their car in Veracruz and then drove it down to Chiapas. Another Finnish team car was detained for 5 days in Customs before it was released. I got to work briefly on a British Ginetta, on a helmet intercom wiring problem, on a 54 Chevy with a loose connection at the starter, and on a state of the art 57 Chevy with an inadequate alternator. Don't tell anybody that I can work on that stuff--let people think I only know BMWs!Late in the afternoon there was a brief practice session for drivers, navigators, timers, and scorekeepers--an exciting start to the race week. After that, of course, there´s a whole new round of problems and challenges to confront.The day went very fast.
Day 10---
10-24, Friday, , Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas to Oaxaca, Oaxaca, 2550 miles
Let Lil Schmutzi tell the days story....
"Hi! Its me again. They've got me all decked out in racing stickers and I look like a thoroughbred. I ran out early, ahead of the racers and waited 175km down the road at the La Ventose Service stop. I watched the race cars come in--first the 200 mph Studebakers and a few 160 mph 53 Fords and last years winning 54 Olds. Stragglers kept coming for hours, their drivers fueling cars and bodies. I headed out late, following the racers, while Terry stopped to help anybody in need. These curvy mountain roads are made for MINIs, but I must say, I was surprised that the racers all kept ahead of me on the long mountainous transit stages up to Oaxaca. I heard there were a couple of wrecks when a Studie coughed its cookies and oiled down the road. First an ambulance spun off the road and then Frank and Evelyn Currie crashed their Mustang into the ambulance. They are OK, but the ambulance driver was hurt, we do not know how badly.This was a long day of driving, even for a MINI like me. I am going to enjoy my nice quiet garage tonite."
Schmutzi S. Cooper
Day 11---
10-25, Sat, Oaxaca, Oaxaca to Puebla, Puebla, 2860 mi
Another day, another day of driving. Today we started by following the race cars out of town to the north. Schmutzi forgot to tell something yesterday--because there are no new MINIs here yet, and because we have all the racing stickers on the car, spectators think that we are a race car! More importantly, the police all think that we are a race car!! So the cops give us escorts through towns, they stop traffic and wave us through red lights, and they honk and wave as we pass them at 90+ mph. We spent some time this morning on one of the new toll roads--autopistas--and were able to cruise at 110-115mph for an hour or so. The MINI is a tremendous car--it does whatever it is asked without complaint.One of the people we stopped to help today was an early 50s Buick with a broken suspension. They hit a tope at speed without seeing it and bottomed out a shock, tearing out the steel bracket welded to the differential and also the steel mounts for the Panhard rod that holds the body and axle in their proper place. Now they are driving at 10mph with the body swishing back and forth at the back. Looks funny, and it is scary for them. Another car, a beautiful 54 Merc kept dying at stops whenever driven hard--that turned out to be due to the fuel pumps being mounted too high and losing their prime. To get it running again, one of them would have toget under the back of the car and blow into the fuel cell vent hard enough to pressurize the tank and force fuel into the pump--then it would start again. Not a nice job. There are so many ways a machine can malfunction!Our hotel in Puebla is the Meson de los Angels, a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired work of art. All aspects, every angle, every detail of this place is spectacular. Debbie is going crazy looking for details. The race has been pretty accident free so far. We have heard that someone, possibly a Mercedes, left the road and rolled yesterday, but we have no details. At least 10 cars had to be towed in today, so lots of people are up late tonite working...a typical evening at the races.10-26. Day 12, 3150 mi, Puebla, Puebla to Mexico, Mexico to Morelia, Michoacan
Sunday means Mexico City. ARRGH. Mexico City is very difficult. There is no direct way through a city of 6 million, and no easy way around. So we get up at 5:30 am (actually, it was really 4:30am because we were unaware that the time changed today...) and followed our friend Jose Antonio Calderon through the city to his house for breakfast and then on west. Jose Antonio kind of adopted us last year--and we needed all the help we could get! After breakfast we went west almost to Morelia and turned off to Mil Cumbres. Mil Cumbres is (choose one, or two) a 1)really beautiful drive through the pine forest; 2) a really twisty road; 3) terribly frightening and dangerous; d) hell; e) all of the above. I personally have had a lot of fun on Mil Cumbres, but the people who drive really fast cars have a difficult time. Doug Mockett, last years winner and in first place this year, slid off the road and rolled this afternoon damaging the Olds badly, breaking his hand, several ribs, and getting a concussion. He had left skid marks but was not visible from the road. Several cars passed the scene, but fortunately Doug´s navigator got out and climbed back up to the road. A Swedish Volvo team, Mats Hammarlund and Eva Helstrom, saw him, over reacted, slid off the road, and smacked into a bank, bending their RF suspension. They immediately found that Doug was unconscious but alive, and Mats ran 2km back in his helmet and race suit to the checkpoint to get an ambulance. Our kind of fellow racer.The Mercedes coupe also rolled today and another car, a 356 Porsche, was hit by a taxi as it entered Morelia. Totaled. Quite a number of cars are out today for mechanical difficulties and several crews were up all night putting cars back on the road.Feelings are mixed tonite--reminders of mortality mixed with the hard grind of the event--some spirits still very high, others somber. And it is only half over.
Day 13---
10-27, Monday, 3470 miles, Morelia, Michoacan to Aguascalientes, AguascalientesToday's Highlights:1) We came around a corner and there were parked 5 old MINIs! Including a woody wagon, a panel truck, a pick-up bed truck, and a racer. The owner of them all is a MINI maniac named De Roberto Davalos Valenzuela, a local fanatic who had brought his entire family up the mountain for a Carrera party. He loved our brief visit--so did we!2) When we arrived at the Autodromo de Aguascalientes (the race track outside of town) we saw a man running towards us waving his arms. He is Alex Jimenez Landa, president of the MINI Club of Mexico and other MINI collector and fanatic. Everywhere we go, so many MINI lovers!3) The MINI team from Dallas has been running great, but they have run into a few mechanical problems--alternator and drive shaft particularly. Today, a problem ran into them. Their service vehicle and trailer was driving slowly on the Mil Cumbres road in the rain and a spectator car came around the corner at huge speed and plowed into the trailer, which had the Ginetta on it at the time. This was a large enclosed trailer--the trailer was totally destroyed, and the Ginetta inside was not hurt at all! They spent the entire night ferrying up and down the mountain getting their equipment back together.4) Peter and Duncan with the Ginetta had an alternator failure and Peter spent the night with a taxi waking people up trying to find a replacement (with no luck). Finally, about 4:30 am another MINI team gave him an alternator and he was able to adapt it (with Terry´s help) to his engine 5 minutes before the 8am start. No sleep, no food, at all.5) We have heard that Frank Curries was actually arrested and jailed after his accident on the first day, and that he had to leave Mexico, abandoning his car in Chiapas. We had been talking to Evelyn only moments before the start of that stage, and lives are really changed--sobering.6) We are in Aguascalientes tonight, amid massive confusion. We were lost for at least an hour trying to find our hotel--this town has no street signs, very confusing, frustrating.7) Tito Gallegos and Arturo Ibarra with their 356 Porsche have been struggling with a fuel delivery problem for days--replacing pumps, adding extra electrical pumps, checking hoses--everything they could think of except their fuel filter, which they had "just changed". You guessed it--changed the filter, and the car runs beautifully!!!
-Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
10-23-03--Thursday, Tuxtla Gutierrez ChiapasToday we spent all day working with the Carrera racers and getting ourselves set up as an official Servicio crew. This is the day before the race starts and it is spent with final car and driver preparation. A surprising number of cars arrive unfinished and untested--some are even shipped from Europe, the US, or Mexico not completely assembled. One British team finished assembling their car in Veracruz and then drove it down to Chiapas. Another Finnish team car was detained for 5 days in Customs before it was released. I got to work briefly on a British Ginetta, on a helmet intercom wiring problem, on a 54 Chevy with a loose connection at the starter, and on a state of the art 57 Chevy with an inadequate alternator. Don't tell anybody that I can work on that stuff--let people think I only know BMWs!Late in the afternoon there was a brief practice session for drivers, navigators, timers, and scorekeepers--an exciting start to the race week. After that, of course, there´s a whole new round of problems and challenges to confront.The day went very fast.
Day 10---
10-24, Friday, , Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas to Oaxaca, Oaxaca, 2550 miles
Let Lil Schmutzi tell the days story....
"Hi! Its me again. They've got me all decked out in racing stickers and I look like a thoroughbred. I ran out early, ahead of the racers and waited 175km down the road at the La Ventose Service stop. I watched the race cars come in--first the 200 mph Studebakers and a few 160 mph 53 Fords and last years winning 54 Olds. Stragglers kept coming for hours, their drivers fueling cars and bodies. I headed out late, following the racers, while Terry stopped to help anybody in need. These curvy mountain roads are made for MINIs, but I must say, I was surprised that the racers all kept ahead of me on the long mountainous transit stages up to Oaxaca. I heard there were a couple of wrecks when a Studie coughed its cookies and oiled down the road. First an ambulance spun off the road and then Frank and Evelyn Currie crashed their Mustang into the ambulance. They are OK, but the ambulance driver was hurt, we do not know how badly.This was a long day of driving, even for a MINI like me. I am going to enjoy my nice quiet garage tonite."
Schmutzi S. Cooper
Day 11---
10-25, Sat, Oaxaca, Oaxaca to Puebla, Puebla, 2860 mi
Another day, another day of driving. Today we started by following the race cars out of town to the north. Schmutzi forgot to tell something yesterday--because there are no new MINIs here yet, and because we have all the racing stickers on the car, spectators think that we are a race car! More importantly, the police all think that we are a race car!! So the cops give us escorts through towns, they stop traffic and wave us through red lights, and they honk and wave as we pass them at 90+ mph. We spent some time this morning on one of the new toll roads--autopistas--and were able to cruise at 110-115mph for an hour or so. The MINI is a tremendous car--it does whatever it is asked without complaint.One of the people we stopped to help today was an early 50s Buick with a broken suspension. They hit a tope at speed without seeing it and bottomed out a shock, tearing out the steel bracket welded to the differential and also the steel mounts for the Panhard rod that holds the body and axle in their proper place. Now they are driving at 10mph with the body swishing back and forth at the back. Looks funny, and it is scary for them. Another car, a beautiful 54 Merc kept dying at stops whenever driven hard--that turned out to be due to the fuel pumps being mounted too high and losing their prime. To get it running again, one of them would have toget under the back of the car and blow into the fuel cell vent hard enough to pressurize the tank and force fuel into the pump--then it would start again. Not a nice job. There are so many ways a machine can malfunction!Our hotel in Puebla is the Meson de los Angels, a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired work of art. All aspects, every angle, every detail of this place is spectacular. Debbie is going crazy looking for details. The race has been pretty accident free so far. We have heard that someone, possibly a Mercedes, left the road and rolled yesterday, but we have no details. At least 10 cars had to be towed in today, so lots of people are up late tonite working...a typical evening at the races.10-26. Day 12, 3150 mi, Puebla, Puebla to Mexico, Mexico to Morelia, Michoacan
Sunday means Mexico City. ARRGH. Mexico City is very difficult. There is no direct way through a city of 6 million, and no easy way around. So we get up at 5:30 am (actually, it was really 4:30am because we were unaware that the time changed today...) and followed our friend Jose Antonio Calderon through the city to his house for breakfast and then on west. Jose Antonio kind of adopted us last year--and we needed all the help we could get! After breakfast we went west almost to Morelia and turned off to Mil Cumbres. Mil Cumbres is (choose one, or two) a 1)really beautiful drive through the pine forest; 2) a really twisty road; 3) terribly frightening and dangerous; d) hell; e) all of the above. I personally have had a lot of fun on Mil Cumbres, but the people who drive really fast cars have a difficult time. Doug Mockett, last years winner and in first place this year, slid off the road and rolled this afternoon damaging the Olds badly, breaking his hand, several ribs, and getting a concussion. He had left skid marks but was not visible from the road. Several cars passed the scene, but fortunately Doug´s navigator got out and climbed back up to the road. A Swedish Volvo team, Mats Hammarlund and Eva Helstrom, saw him, over reacted, slid off the road, and smacked into a bank, bending their RF suspension. They immediately found that Doug was unconscious but alive, and Mats ran 2km back in his helmet and race suit to the checkpoint to get an ambulance. Our kind of fellow racer.The Mercedes coupe also rolled today and another car, a 356 Porsche, was hit by a taxi as it entered Morelia. Totaled. Quite a number of cars are out today for mechanical difficulties and several crews were up all night putting cars back on the road.Feelings are mixed tonite--reminders of mortality mixed with the hard grind of the event--some spirits still very high, others somber. And it is only half over.
Day 13---
10-27, Monday, 3470 miles, Morelia, Michoacan to Aguascalientes, AguascalientesToday's Highlights:1) We came around a corner and there were parked 5 old MINIs! Including a woody wagon, a panel truck, a pick-up bed truck, and a racer. The owner of them all is a MINI maniac named De Roberto Davalos Valenzuela, a local fanatic who had brought his entire family up the mountain for a Carrera party. He loved our brief visit--so did we!2) When we arrived at the Autodromo de Aguascalientes (the race track outside of town) we saw a man running towards us waving his arms. He is Alex Jimenez Landa, president of the MINI Club of Mexico and other MINI collector and fanatic. Everywhere we go, so many MINI lovers!3) The MINI team from Dallas has been running great, but they have run into a few mechanical problems--alternator and drive shaft particularly. Today, a problem ran into them. Their service vehicle and trailer was driving slowly on the Mil Cumbres road in the rain and a spectator car came around the corner at huge speed and plowed into the trailer, which had the Ginetta on it at the time. This was a large enclosed trailer--the trailer was totally destroyed, and the Ginetta inside was not hurt at all! They spent the entire night ferrying up and down the mountain getting their equipment back together.4) Peter and Duncan with the Ginetta had an alternator failure and Peter spent the night with a taxi waking people up trying to find a replacement (with no luck). Finally, about 4:30 am another MINI team gave him an alternator and he was able to adapt it (with Terry´s help) to his engine 5 minutes before the 8am start. No sleep, no food, at all.5) We have heard that Frank Curries was actually arrested and jailed after his accident on the first day, and that he had to leave Mexico, abandoning his car in Chiapas. We had been talking to Evelyn only moments before the start of that stage, and lives are really changed--sobering.6) We are in Aguascalientes tonight, amid massive confusion. We were lost for at least an hour trying to find our hotel--this town has no street signs, very confusing, frustrating.7) Tito Gallegos and Arturo Ibarra with their 356 Porsche have been struggling with a fuel delivery problem for days--replacing pumps, adding extra electrical pumps, checking hoses--everything they could think of except their fuel filter, which they had "just changed". You guessed it--changed the filter, and the car runs beautifully!!!
-Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 726
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Great report!
But as a Mexican MINI enthusiast I feel compelled to point out a few rather big mistakes:
>>Quote: "--because there are no new MINIs here yet, and because we have all the racing stickers on the car, spectators think that we are a race car!"
No new MINIs here yet? New MINIs are EVERYWHERE in Mexico, especially Mexico City. There are like 5 or 6 MINI dealerships in Mexico City alone, and they´ve been selling them here since they came out in 2002. You can visit the Mexican MINI community at our website, http://www.mundomini.com.
>>Quote: "Sunday means Mexico City. ARRGH. Mexico City is very difficult. There is no direct way through a city of 6 million, and no easy way around."
Mexico City is actually a city of over 22 million people, not 6 million! We only WISH it was 6 million!
Sounds like it´s been a fun trip!
Greetings from Mexico city!
But as a Mexican MINI enthusiast I feel compelled to point out a few rather big mistakes:
>>Quote: "--because there are no new MINIs here yet, and because we have all the racing stickers on the car, spectators think that we are a race car!"
No new MINIs here yet? New MINIs are EVERYWHERE in Mexico, especially Mexico City. There are like 5 or 6 MINI dealerships in Mexico City alone, and they´ve been selling them here since they came out in 2002. You can visit the Mexican MINI community at our website, http://www.mundomini.com.
>>Quote: "Sunday means Mexico City. ARRGH. Mexico City is very difficult. There is no direct way through a city of 6 million, and no easy way around."
Mexico City is actually a city of over 22 million people, not 6 million! We only WISH it was 6 million!
Sounds like it´s been a fun trip!
Greetings from Mexico city!
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
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Posts: 39
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From: Austin, TX
Calvin,
I think Terry meant that there aren't as many MINIs as in Texas. Also, being on the road, they must have made a wild guess about the population number of Mexico City.
Thanks for the corrections...
ops:
Bryan Eagle
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
I think Terry meant that there aren't as many MINIs as in Texas. Also, being on the road, they must have made a wild guess about the population number of Mexico City.
Thanks for the corrections...
ops:Bryan Eagle
Terry Sayther Automotive
MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Austin, TX
Here's the final update...over to Terry
Day 14---
10-28, Tuesday, 3550 mi, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes to Zacatecas, Zacatecas
Late start and short drive for us today; the racers have several speed sections, starting with the Autodromo racetrack again. As a Service Crew, we have been directed straight to Zacatecas, so we don't get to see any of the action. But, we do get to be tourists! We rode the Teleferico 180 meters over the top of Zacatecas up to the La Bufa Revolutionary battlefield monuments and museum.
About 4:30, the cars started arriving at the Cathedral in downtown Zacatecas for one of the biggest celebrations of the event. Zacatecas is the unofficial finish of the race, since the drive up to Nuevo Laredo is basically just a long desert dash. Lots of partying, a great FIESTA goes on here--Zacatecans are wonderful.
Doug Mockett has rejoined us after his horrible wreck--he's in a neck brace and bruised, but he is happy to be here. We were so happy to see him.
Day 15---
10-29, Wednesday, Zacatecas, Zacatecas
An easy day in Zacatecas. The racecars run up the La Bufa mountain once, and then back down again. We found the place to watch the racers in the middle of the time section, and saw one old Ford go too fast, spin around, and leave the road just enough so that his front tires were hanging down a hill and his rears were in the air. What screeches. Lucky guys!
We heard that one of the Volvo 544 racers hit a cow on a transit section and lost the fender and light on one side. The cow did not do so well....poor Bossy.
It's also been a Fickle Finger of Fate day--our friends Luis Unikel and Alfonso Oneto were running their Ford in 3rd place overall (they have, in fact, finished in 3rd a total of five times) when a roller rocker stud broke and they missed two stages. That dropped them back about 15 places. A heartbreak.
Another of our friends, the WINDIGO team of Matt Hamilton and Jimmy Gubelmann, were in 3rd place in their class, 10 minutes behind second and 6 minutes ahead of 4th. They had no chance of advancing, so they were cruising comfortably when suddenly the clutch disc exploded. Missing two stages put them securely out of contention. I got to help them some with the clutch change, but once their reinforcements arrived beside the road I wasn't needed--they have a crew of nine or ten!
Day 16---
10-30, 4040 mi, Zacatecas, Zacatecas to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
The final speed sections and the final long transit stages of the Carrera are today. While people would like to think that the most challenging parts of the race are over, there are, in fact, still a few teams who will fall out today. A major letdown for them. We passed the Metroplex MINI team dejectedly sitting on the side of the road with a blown clutch. Several other cars were also having problems, bad enough to keep them from finishing. A few cars we've noticed have simply disappeared, as the race has left them behind somewhere. We hope they are OK. The Carrera is a tremendous thrill for the participants, but it is truly a grind.
But it does come to an end. We stopped to eat in a small town about 75 miles in from the border, so we got into Nuevo Laredo late. As we approached the city, we noticed that all the traffic was being diverted from the 6-lane highway onto the access road, and we thought "Oh, oh, must be an accident..." But as we waited patiently in line, we saws cops literally RUNNING our way, clearing the cars from in front of us and directing us back onto the now empty freeway---and so it went, all the way downtown, traffic emptied forcibly out ahead of us, all the way to where the Reception Party was still going on! We even drove through the Finish Arch! WHAT A BLAST!!
Debbie wants to write a book about the Carrera, with one chapter for each of the teams. It would mention the cars that bring us all together, but it would really be about the people. When they got their idea, when they decided they could really do it, how they chose their vehicle, what they had to do to get everything together, what they went through to get to Mexico, and finally, almost anti-climatically, what happened during the race. The cars are the catalyst for an unbelievable story about PEOPLE. We think it would make fascinating reading.
Day 17---
10-31, 4275 mi--7,000 km, Nuevo Laredo to Austin, TX
Home again, home again, ready for work. So...what did we learn?
THE RACE
La Carrera Panamericana is a once a year, 3,000 km race from the bottom of Mexico to the top. There is literally no other event like it in the world. It is the only place in the world where you get to drive as fast as you want for 7 days, with police blessing and escorts, and with thousands of people lining the streets cheering you on---all the while staying in 4 star hotels, eating in fine restaurants, and spending time with an international collection of interesting people. Certainly it is not for everyone, and it has grueling and wearing aspects, not to mention life-threatening danger--but for the right people, there is nothing like it.
MEXICO
If you have read through all of this, then you already know that we LOVE Mexico and Mexicans. We've spent alot of time in Latin America and we plan to spend alot more. Nowhere else are we so universally received with such warmth and enthusiasm. The beautiful country is only part of the story. It is one of the most generous, warm, people places we know.
THE MINI
WHAT A CAR! This car is made for twisty mountain roads. It is made to pass slower traffic. It is comfortable, economical, and easily cruises at 115 mph for hours at a time. The performance modifications we have made have increased our enjoyment of the car's acceleration and handling in every way. And, this car speaks a universal language...people love to smile and wave to us! Thumbs up! Peace signs! Blown kisses! "PRECIOSO", Mexicans say, "QUE BONITA!" This car evokes emotion from folks everywhere, and EVERY time that emotion includes a smile. A smile, adults and kids alike. Lil Schmutzie is a delight to drive, for body and soul.
We love this incredible car.
-Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
Independent MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
Day 14---
10-28, Tuesday, 3550 mi, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes to Zacatecas, Zacatecas
Late start and short drive for us today; the racers have several speed sections, starting with the Autodromo racetrack again. As a Service Crew, we have been directed straight to Zacatecas, so we don't get to see any of the action. But, we do get to be tourists! We rode the Teleferico 180 meters over the top of Zacatecas up to the La Bufa Revolutionary battlefield monuments and museum.
About 4:30, the cars started arriving at the Cathedral in downtown Zacatecas for one of the biggest celebrations of the event. Zacatecas is the unofficial finish of the race, since the drive up to Nuevo Laredo is basically just a long desert dash. Lots of partying, a great FIESTA goes on here--Zacatecans are wonderful.
Doug Mockett has rejoined us after his horrible wreck--he's in a neck brace and bruised, but he is happy to be here. We were so happy to see him.
Day 15---
10-29, Wednesday, Zacatecas, Zacatecas
An easy day in Zacatecas. The racecars run up the La Bufa mountain once, and then back down again. We found the place to watch the racers in the middle of the time section, and saw one old Ford go too fast, spin around, and leave the road just enough so that his front tires were hanging down a hill and his rears were in the air. What screeches. Lucky guys!
We heard that one of the Volvo 544 racers hit a cow on a transit section and lost the fender and light on one side. The cow did not do so well....poor Bossy.
It's also been a Fickle Finger of Fate day--our friends Luis Unikel and Alfonso Oneto were running their Ford in 3rd place overall (they have, in fact, finished in 3rd a total of five times) when a roller rocker stud broke and they missed two stages. That dropped them back about 15 places. A heartbreak.
Another of our friends, the WINDIGO team of Matt Hamilton and Jimmy Gubelmann, were in 3rd place in their class, 10 minutes behind second and 6 minutes ahead of 4th. They had no chance of advancing, so they were cruising comfortably when suddenly the clutch disc exploded. Missing two stages put them securely out of contention. I got to help them some with the clutch change, but once their reinforcements arrived beside the road I wasn't needed--they have a crew of nine or ten!
Day 16---
10-30, 4040 mi, Zacatecas, Zacatecas to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
The final speed sections and the final long transit stages of the Carrera are today. While people would like to think that the most challenging parts of the race are over, there are, in fact, still a few teams who will fall out today. A major letdown for them. We passed the Metroplex MINI team dejectedly sitting on the side of the road with a blown clutch. Several other cars were also having problems, bad enough to keep them from finishing. A few cars we've noticed have simply disappeared, as the race has left them behind somewhere. We hope they are OK. The Carrera is a tremendous thrill for the participants, but it is truly a grind.
But it does come to an end. We stopped to eat in a small town about 75 miles in from the border, so we got into Nuevo Laredo late. As we approached the city, we noticed that all the traffic was being diverted from the 6-lane highway onto the access road, and we thought "Oh, oh, must be an accident..." But as we waited patiently in line, we saws cops literally RUNNING our way, clearing the cars from in front of us and directing us back onto the now empty freeway---and so it went, all the way downtown, traffic emptied forcibly out ahead of us, all the way to where the Reception Party was still going on! We even drove through the Finish Arch! WHAT A BLAST!!
Debbie wants to write a book about the Carrera, with one chapter for each of the teams. It would mention the cars that bring us all together, but it would really be about the people. When they got their idea, when they decided they could really do it, how they chose their vehicle, what they had to do to get everything together, what they went through to get to Mexico, and finally, almost anti-climatically, what happened during the race. The cars are the catalyst for an unbelievable story about PEOPLE. We think it would make fascinating reading.
Day 17---
10-31, 4275 mi--7,000 km, Nuevo Laredo to Austin, TX
Home again, home again, ready for work. So...what did we learn?
THE RACE
La Carrera Panamericana is a once a year, 3,000 km race from the bottom of Mexico to the top. There is literally no other event like it in the world. It is the only place in the world where you get to drive as fast as you want for 7 days, with police blessing and escorts, and with thousands of people lining the streets cheering you on---all the while staying in 4 star hotels, eating in fine restaurants, and spending time with an international collection of interesting people. Certainly it is not for everyone, and it has grueling and wearing aspects, not to mention life-threatening danger--but for the right people, there is nothing like it.
MEXICO
If you have read through all of this, then you already know that we LOVE Mexico and Mexicans. We've spent alot of time in Latin America and we plan to spend alot more. Nowhere else are we so universally received with such warmth and enthusiasm. The beautiful country is only part of the story. It is one of the most generous, warm, people places we know.
THE MINI
WHAT A CAR! This car is made for twisty mountain roads. It is made to pass slower traffic. It is comfortable, economical, and easily cruises at 115 mph for hours at a time. The performance modifications we have made have increased our enjoyment of the car's acceleration and handling in every way. And, this car speaks a universal language...people love to smile and wave to us! Thumbs up! Peace signs! Blown kisses! "PRECIOSO", Mexicans say, "QUE BONITA!" This car evokes emotion from folks everywhere, and EVERY time that emotion includes a smile. A smile, adults and kids alike. Lil Schmutzie is a delight to drive, for body and soul.
We love this incredible car.
-Terry Sayther
Terry Sayther Automotive
Independent MINI Performance in Austin, TX
www.terrysaytherauto.com
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