This page will touch on technical matters relevant to the Red Centre to Gold Coast Trial as a general aid to car preparation for the event. The technical regulations are covered separately in the Pre-Regs page and the Supplementary Regulations for the event. Some aspects are also covered in the
Preparation page.
Preparation for a long distance outback event should be based on mechanical reliability, ease of servicing and crew comfort. A highly tuned ‘forest racer’ is unlikely to last the duration of a twelve day event, as the servicing requirements are too demanding. It is generally not feasible to change major mechanical components in these events due to the expense and logistics of having adequate spares distributed through an area half the size of Australia.
Therefore the first requirement is to build the vehicle to last the duration of the Trial. In particular, running gear like hubs, axles, wheel bearings, ball joints, universal joints etc need to be new or in excellent condition.
Fuel in the outback is often poor quality. Premium unleaded fuel is rarely available outside major towns (and there will be plenty of times when you will need to refuel in remote areas). Fuel has often been in storage for some time, so evaporation lowers the effective octane rating of the fuel. It is recommended that engines be tuned to run on 91 RON fuel.
Fuel filters are very important. Many outback refuelling facilities are very basic, so the likelihood of water or dirt being present in the fuel are higher than normal. Changing fuel filters should be part of your routine servicing program during the event.
Expect dusty conditions during the Trial. The event is being run at the end of the dry season, so road surfaces become very powdery through usage and no rain. Make sure you have an efficient air filtering system, and change the air filter(s) on a regular basis. Dust entry into the engine will destroy the engine’s piston rings in a matter of a few kilometres.
Dust proof your car as well as you can. Unfortunately on older cars the rubber door seals have lost their spring, but they can be packed from behind to restore their sealing ability. Check for holes in the floor or the boot and seal them. Having air conditioning is the ideal way to prevent dust entry to the cabin, as the car can be pressurised with the blower fan and the windows kept wound up. However aircon was not common on pre 1986 cars. If a factory designed system can be fitted this is OK, but I would not recommend fitting an after market installation. There are often problems with poorly designed bracketry and pulleys for the belts.
Some quick general hints on car preparation:
• Plenty of ground clearance with the car ready to start the event.
• A mildly tuned engine that can tolerate 91 octane fuel or worse.
• Correct tyre pressures. Never use more than 30 psi in any tyre on outback roads. Rally tyres should be at 25 psi.
• If you have fitted an extra fuel tank make sure all joints are tight and leak free. A constant petrol smell in the car is not tolerable in a long event.
• Efficient air and fuel filters that can be serviced or replaced easily.
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