In January this year we started preparing a 1965 289 Mustang convertible for the Classic Safari endurance rally. The car was shipped to South Africa in March and started the gruelling 26 day rally on the second of May. Starting in Cape Town and heading to the Kruger National Park, then into Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls, then Botswana and the Okavango Delta, on to Namibia and back to Cape Town 9000km later! 3500km of ‘special stages’ and many road miles on a loose surface. The car ran well and has picked up a few gold medals along the way, to finish an outstanding 2nd overall. Described by the organisers as ‘the best drive by a Mustang Crew in the history of the rally’. The car took a pounding, shaking a few things loose along the way and requiring a suspension arm replacement and a steering rack repair, but stayed the test, unlike a few other ‘enduro prepared cars’.
The next event is ‘The road to Mandalay’, starting next February at Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Preparation has started for this event; complete mechanical overhaul, upgrade and improvement. A new roll cage has been made to try and ‘stiffen’ the car, we had severe shell flex, especially when jumping!
You may follow this event at www.endurorally.com