Team MechSpesh

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

at the finish line. We have done it ladies and gents...the first ever Reliant Robin to drive to Mongolia. With the up's and the down's, breakdowns and pure 'what the heck is going on' moments, it's been the most incredible epic adventure we have both taken part in. Shear determination and a huge amount of help from our friends and family has pushed us to the end. Reliant Robin. Mongolia. 2011. Done.

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Darkhan-Uul, Mongolia

we are about 2 hours outside UB, have spent a couple of nights chilling out by the rivers. Went swimming, made big fires and drank copious amounts of vodka and cheap beer. Had to do a few quick repairs to Sheila as the front steering arm was only held in with 1 dodgy bolt (instead of 2!) we also ran into a couple of other teams so have been chilling out with them and seeing the sights...including taking a visit to a bow makers workshop...one of only 5 masters in Mongoia so was pretty special! Packing up camp now and heading of the finish line. Last hurdle guys, lets do this!!

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Nizhneudinsk, Russia

So it was a fairly leisurely drive. Heading to Ulan Ude, about 1am, casual chat, pete's night mix cd, steady 50 mph......and the road disappeared. As if someone had moved it for a joke. We flew of the end of the road to thrash down into a 9 inch deep dip that spat us back up, across the track sideways where we slid along the edge of the bank and came to rest at a 45 degree angle teetering over the edge, not daring to breathe, incase the whole thing went rolling down a hill. No sign anywhere warning us of the apparent lack of road. Having been pulled off the edge, we had to change the swing arm due to it being bent. This as well caused yet more stress it was not a strait swap. There was a moment as I lay under the car in the wet and mud with no apparent solution, where I thought I'd rather be in england, sat watching a movie eating fish an chips with my beautiful girl friend before snuggling up in bed. But then my resolved kicked in. So we now have a 10 inch front wheel with no brakes and a pedal that's harder than putting your foot through concrete. Apparently russia saved the worst till last. But this car IS going to Mongolia. And there's shit all your poor excuse for roads can do about it. Onward!

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia

woke again this morning feeling like we were sleeping inside an oven...it's freezing at night and so hot in the day, mad! Had a slight issue with the left hand rear leaf spring breaking at about 50mph today but Andy handled the sudden loss of control well! Also, forgot to mention that yesterday we had a brown trouser moment involving a rather savage 'S' bend in the Siberian mountains...two particular 90 degree corners managed to have Sheila up on two wheels one side, then again up on the other side...which doesn't add up very well when you only have three wheels to start with. The stunt was controlled with both Andy and me grabbing the steering wheel and screaming...it's all about counter-weights with team MechSpesh. En-route to lake baikal now, in need of a shower (a wash in the worlds deepest and largest lake will do though)

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Novosibirsk, Russia

an interesting night in the city last night...started with a shop stop to stock up on essentials... baby wipes and beer. Returned to the car to find that our rubber chicken mascot strapped to the front grill had been ripped off leaving the wire mesh hanging off...thieving bastards!! 2 minutes later and some kindly local chap started fixing it for us without even asking! He then proceeded to ask us in Russian and a series of hand gestures if we wanted any heroin...you get the picture. On that note, we decided it may have been a rough part of the city so, after getting lost for an hour, found our way onto the open road again. We also randomly ran into the Irish lads in the transit ambulance...haven't seen another team since Volgograd and was a nice surprise!

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Tyumen, Russia

so we are back on the road!! And its all down to the help of our Russian friends. If it wasn't for them we would still be beside the road and shit out of luck. They truly taught us the meaning of Russian hospitality. A special thank you to Serg for stopping in the first place. A massive thanks to Anya for putting us up and putting up with us. And a huge thanks to Marsha and Pasha for there logistical genius who crushed customs with brilliance. And to everyone else thank you for showing us an amazing time in Ekaterinsburg, you will be missed and we hope to see you again someday. Well on our way to Omsk after a somewhat intense check point experience that cost me the best part of 400 dollars. But I'll tell you about that one when I return home. It's good to be back on the road ladies and gents :D

Sean Tubby
Of MechSpesh
On the The Mongol Rally 2011

Sverdlovskaya oblast, Russia

what a day!!! Have been running about filling in forms for customs, TNT delivery, banks, more customs, storage security and yet more customs! Finally have the parts in the car and are on the way to the Robin...BOOM!! thank you so so much to everyone who helped organise the chaos here in Russia and back in England, you have saved our asses!

Sean Tubby

Sean Tubby is 22 years old and has worked as a HGV technician for the last 5 years. He has an unhealthy obsession with old air-cooled VW's (owning a 1965 beetle and 1970 camper van) and maintains the attitude that life is for living, not just working.

read more... Load Sean

Andrew Gove

Andy Gove has been a mechanic for 5 years but recently chucked it in because it was crap. He is tall, lanky would probably be more accurate, fun loving and out going.

read more... Load Andrew

<p><span><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">This year on 23<sup>rd</sup> July, Sean Tubby and Andy Gove will be taking part in the epic motoring adventure known as The Mongol Rally. </font></font></span></p><p><span></span><span><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The rally entails driving around 9,000 miles from Goodwood Racecourse here in the UK to the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbataar, without the aid of support crew or outside help. The rules are short and simple - purchase a vehicle with an engine size of less than 1 litre, prepare it for the long and tough road ahead and complete the rally in one piece. </font></font></span></p><p><span></span><span><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The rally commends itself to having a certain amount of comedic value as far as the teams and vehicles go. Following this trend, our team, &lsquo;MechSpesh&rsquo; (derived from &lsquo;Mechanic Special&rsquo;) have chosen to complete the rally in a 1994 Reliant Robin with an engine size of just 850cc. These vehicles are obviously not suited for any sort of rough terrain or long journeys and, having only three wheels, have a reputation for being incredibly unstable to drive!</font></font></span><span><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Sean has worked as a HGV technician for nearly 6 years at Hendy Van and Truck in Chandlers Ford and Andy has 4 years experience as a Volvo technician, working at Snow&rsquo;s Volvo in Southampton. This experience has given the pair the mechanical knowledge and skills to be able to take part in such a rally. The pair will be temporarily leaving their everyday lives and jobs to give them this opportunity of a lifetime, encountering different people, cultures and climates are just a few of the draws to such an adventure. The challenge and sheer distance of the rally will take its toll on the car so the pair have made certain changes to the Reliant&rsquo;s original design including suspension and driveline modifications to help it complete the 9,000 mile journey. Spare parts are hard to come by on these relatively rare vehicles so a donor car (a 1976 Reliant Robin) was purchased to give a good supply of spare parts and components.<span>&nbsp; </span></font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span>The idea behind the rally, although seemingly light-hearted at first, has a serious side when the underlying intensions and charity commitments can be seen. The Mongol Rally, organised by a group called the Adventurists, helps raise money for the Christina Noble Children&rsquo;s Foundation. </span>They have a variety of projects in Mongolia that change the lives of the orphaned and street children who have been given a tough start to life. </font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><font face="Calibri" size="3">The funds from the Mongol Rally support the running costs of the incredible Blue Skies Ger Village in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.<span> </span>The Ger Village houses abandoned or homeless children and gives them a new chance in life with a safe place to live, education, and all the support of a family with their innovative techniques.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Team &lsquo;MechSpesh&rsquo; are supporting two charities on the rally. Setting out to raise a minimum &pound;500 for the Christina Noble Children&rsquo;s Foundation and &pound;500 for the Mercy Corps, who are a global </font><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aid"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">aid</font></a><font face="Calibri" size="3"> agency helping countries and people that have experienced<font color="#000000"> </font></font><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">natural disaster</font></a><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">s, </font><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_collapse"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">economic collapse</font></a><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> and </font><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War" title="War"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">conflict</font></a><font face="Calibri" size="3"><font color="#000000">. Members of the Corps move in and provide support as quickly as possible, bringing</font> in food and supplies to enable people to rebuild their economy with community-driven and market-led programs. </font></p><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span>The rally will be a tough challenge for both Sean and Andy, and also for the car.</span> Estimating it will take approximately 4 weeks to complete the rally travelling<span> through France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia and finally into Mongolia to complete the journey. </span></font></font><font face="Calibri" size="3">&nbsp;</font> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Anyone interested in kindly sponsoring the team on this tough challenge can do so via the team charity and sponsorship page via this web address: </font></p><a href="http://www.justgiving.com/teams/andyandsean2011/"><strong><span><font color="#0000ff" face="Calibri" size="3">www.justgiving.com/teams/andyandsean2011/</font></span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><font face="Calibri" size="3">The team&rsquo;s facebook page can be accessed to see up to date photos and information regarding the progress and preparation for the rally, search for:</font></p><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><strong><u><span><font color="#0000ff">The Mongol Rally 2011</font></span></u></strong><span> - Sean and Andy&rsquo;s Great Escape (join the group and follow our progress)</span></font></font>