Road to Rotary: Japan to France in an RX7

[randomshenans]

That's not how you use the "touch grass" insult. I've shared the UK Foreign office advise which advised against all travel to Russia and if you are in Russia to evacuate and the answer to sharing that government advice is to "touch grass". Wow.

lol so you're going to tell me how to use "touch grass" as well as how to live my life?

Beautiful.

 

[randomshenans]

Please ignore all this nonsense and drive through Russia. People need to chill out.

I will, don't worry. For those commenting with more stamps in their collection than their passport might considering experiencing the world for what it is instead of how they're told it is.

I certainly will continue to do so.

I'm on track for 17 countries done this year. I will continue to delve into places that I'm sure this place will have a **** fit over, and I'm more than confident it will be beautiful.

 

[randomshenans]

In 9 months?

By November I would have done... I'm not mad.

 

[randomshenans]

Dunno why you're being such a dick about this, you know you're going to a country where you need to be careful, people are just warning you. Do it, but don't dismiss advice from people who are seemingly trying to give you advice.

What advice are they actually giving? Other than saying it's stupid? Or don't do it?

I have clearly stated the things I have to do to actually do this, it's not like I am blind or not looked into this, probably a damn lot more than anyone in this thread, so I'm not being a dick. Chill your boobies. You might want to look up what "advice" is

Everyone needs to chill out a bit really and stop living in a world of fear. I'll be fine.

It's not like I've spent the last 6 months looking into how to actually do this and everything it entails. It's not like I haven't seen the government website. It's not like I haven't spoken to people who have done this exact route. It's not like I've not spoken to Russian friends and been given advice for along the way. It's not like I am taking all the steps to make sure my paperwork is without issue, to reduce any potential jobsworth...

I haven't seen ANY "advice" coming from any person who is simply calling me an idiot. It's opinions and posting the same stories, fear and links, which isn't advice.

I learned long ago that you only take advice from people living a life like your own, or one that you want, because I will never persuade anyone to see my perspective and nor is it worth my time in doing so. You have your views, I have mine. I respect the fact that people in this thread would not do this, or probably most of the things I would do, that's fine. I don't live that life.

You can all have your opinions and what you'd do. It simply is no doubt not the same as mine. I will respect your views, I'm not sure you'll ever be able to respect mine but I don't need you to validate me, I was purely sharing as it's an awesome adventure and some people enjoy that.

 

[randomshenans]

You cannot enter Russia by road as a non-Russian citizen. Immigration is a pain in the ass now at the airport too, they check everything and often take you passport off you for an hour.

The border between Georgia and Russia is open. Long, slow, but open.

Have you even got a visa? or even looked into this properly?

I don't have it yet, but I have looked into this and spoken to them about it.

Why don't you just think of another exciting adventure that doesn't involve Russia, do that first, and then wait to do this one until the security situation improves? It sounds like you're not going to be able to get into Russia anyway.

I'm not going to tell you what to do with your life.

 

[randomshenans]

Wait...you didn't just scribble this whole thing on the back of a fag packet after 3 bottles of wine down the local Vineyard last night?

I can fully understand why it's annoying just getting a "don't do it" from someone who spent 30 seconds on Goggle and ignoring the fact you're not a total idiot and have put a not unsubstantial amount of work into planning it which is obviously going to have included looking at whether you're going to become Big Vlad's next tv puppet (because no ones daft enough to ignore that and big companies aren't going to put money/kit anywhere near it if they think that's the way it's going to go).

I mean, that's how it started...

 

[randomshenans]

Have you not been reading news?

No, he's been in Russia... you know, the actual experience. Doing it. Not lapping up the **** everyone seems to love to.

 

[randomshenans]

But he is a nobody. If you go in there filming, attracting attention, have connections back to the UK government etc, you are taking a big risk

Wait, no one told me about my UK government connections? Am I a secret mole? Well that changes EVERYTHING!

 

[randomshenans]

Weird I have 9 visas in my passport, one issued in august, and entered the country on 31st August with a wait but they let me in...

This post sums you up in motors too, making up absolute crap with no actual evidence. Nor the ability to even read.

First you said people are anti UK, now its switched to government. I didnt hide the fact I was English this trip and no one cared, metro no issues. The people are just getting on with life. They aren't anti-western people, surprisingly Vodafone roaming has started working there too now.

No, no. Your experience isn't valid because the opinion of people with no experience is more valider

 

[randomshenans]

But like I said, you are a nobody, no real connections. If you are filming there, a journalist, attracting attention in some way, you could be seen as leverage. It's already been happening.

Not sure who you think I am

 

[randomshenans]

We're all expecting Top Gear / TGT level production from this you know, presumably you'll be travelling with a 30 strong entourage?

Couple of GoPros and a vlog cam might be a far cry from my full production crew that couldn't make it due to government advice they listen to

 

[randomshenans]

I guess the only real thing is, do you have a backup in the event you're denied a Russian visa? Does it stop the trip as a whole or just try and go an alternative route/ship the car around a bit?

Depends which direction I go... there are always options when you just take it as it comes.

Technically I could drive from here, through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India/ Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Vietnam... and get a boat from there to Japan. That's also possible Roads slightly more painful in that route and would miss south Korea, plus far more visas to work out, but there is always a solution to anything.

 

[randomshenans]

Sigh. This isn't an update that was expected or ever wanted.

My car arrived in Zeebrugge on 28th October. I was just getting back from Arctic Trek at the time. It sat waiting to go to be transported back to me in the Alsace.
Yesterday I get an email, that I really didn't want to get.

Regarding the above shipment, Zeebrugge , FD3S-115791 ,
We have just received a report from the operations side that an accident occurred on board the vessel at the discharge port of Zeebrugge , resulting in damage to a vehicle.
We are currently checking the details, including the damage to the vehicle.
The email I received is as follows:

-Quote Beginning-
Please be advised below cargo has been damaged at Zeebrugge.

Vessel; AE417 Morning Lena
Booking No.: JPTYO2423782
Cargo ID; FD3S115791
Port; Yokohama – Zeebrugge

The car collided with Mafi, and the PIC said that the cause was driver error.
We're currently checking locally to see if there is any problem with the car.
We apologize for this accident.
And the letter regarding this accident, we're now preparing it.

So please give more time for this issue.
Once we get any information of this cargo, we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
-End of quote-

The last email you wanted to get. I had no idea what damage there was at the time, but I put something on tiktok and got a load of people messaging me who work at the port and told me what had happened, and even who it was.

Today I got all the pictures...

Wounded.

I put everything into this car and project. It's been most of this year. My trip to Japan to see it. My work with Mazda and HKS. I just spent 6500EUR replacing every single bush and perishable part on the car.

The car was perfect before. Absolutely mint. Over in Europe, in the condition it was, if I was willing to wait for the right buyer it was a 45-50k car. Now, it'll never reach that, as it's damaged. Even if it was well repaired. It's lost so much value.

I'm now faced with trying to battle the insurance company, who will either just want to give me the repair cost, or leave me completely out of pocket. All because someone decided to drift my car in a car park.

I really want to fight this and have it come to an actual positive outcome, rather than just get shafted, which is likely to happen if I just sit and let other people do **** for me.

If anyone has any experience in fighting utter **** companies, I'm determined to get what's due.

Here's to coming back stronger.

 

[randomshenans]

My first steps would be to talk to the port directly and then find out if it was a contractor or a port employee that caused the damage.

Yea, it was one of their employees. I know his name. I know his history of this as well. I have been messaged by a number of people from their work whatsapp.

Aww man just saw this at the top and got excited.. That totally sucks. I'd speak to the port authority and see if it can go through their insurance. Fix it because it's yours and it's amazing, not because it would or wouldn't be worth 40k plus on sale in Europe.

Currently talking to them. I am also talking to a lawyer on Monday. I would happily take it as a total loss and buy it back, but not just have them repair it / pay for it to be repaired and give it to me. That makes me worse off. I'm not sticking for that. I had a mint car, I will get a mint, undamaged car. And rebuild this one if I can buy it back.

 

[randomshenans]

Yeah there's no explaining that away as "Oh it just accidently drove sideways into a thing" is there?

I had one of their mates (I can assume) message me on tiktok telling me that it didn't slide into a container, it did a random 180 because it was slippery and on semi slick tyres and it wasn't at speed...
Then I received the above pictures this morning. You can see it hit a container sideways. You can see it's on road tyres (I knew this, it's my car) and you can see from the damage, it was a hard hit... on top of that you can see the angle of the front wheel means that person was steering into that, most likely trying to flick it round and overcooked it.

 

[randomshenans]

Man you must be gutted.

Absolutely you would want paid out in full, for full European value for a minted car. Then buy back and repair to high standard. I'd then be tempted to take the fixed car on the journey, as that's going to be some rough miles, rather than possibly trash a mint car. And keep the mint one fresh, ha ha. But then the mint car doesn't get the history I guess.

An extra bump in the road I guess. But absolutely fight that all the way. Looks like someone is still practicing to beat DK...

Yea lol this would be a good shout haha

I have a lawyer now, just working with them to try and get everything needed to put in a huge claim for all my losses and the fact I cannot even replace it, or even attempt to, without this closed, because my money is all tied up in this. So I physically won't be able to do the trip when I said I would. Which puts it off a whole frigging year.
They're probably not prepared for the claim I'm sending their way.

Helps that now well over half a million people have seen this on tiktok and I know they have, too. They told Alex at Top Rank to remove his videos... They asked me to stop posting about it and then tried to recall the email lol

 

[randomshenans]

I was going to say, as big a bummer as it is, surely you'll get more content out of it (people love repair videos don't they?) and be better off over all? Guess you won't get the time back though.

If I can make it a positive, I will. I just don't want to be left out of pocket, so I can't go and buy another one like this.

 

[randomshenans]

Best worst case scenario is that I get my money back (i'm about 35k into it) and get to keep the car to rebuild. That's best worse case. I'm going for what I believe is right though. Will see what we can prove with the lawyers and with my sponsors.

 

[randomshenans]

It it a stationary object, with skid marks sideways to the mud. What was it doing driving on the mud? Driver's error. That boils my blood.

The fact they wrote that in an email is golden.

 

[randomshenans]

You mentioned that you believe it to be a 40-50k car, I'd be working hard to evidence that (I realise that isn't easy with a rare car) because I can't see this being anything other than a total loss claim, maybe with a salvage buy back option.

I'm fortunate, if you can call it that, to have really good relationships with toprank europe, who is an expert in these things, as well connections to places that can attest to this, with reports from inspections and work done to the car by toprank in japan prior to the sending.
This won't be hard to document.
It also won't be hard to prove there is a future loss of not having the car through my sponsors. They will all be willing to write up our deal details. Whilst it might be hard to quantify that loss, it won't be hard to prove there would be one.

This has gone up the company very quickly. It's now got over 750k views on tiktok and the company has asked toprank not to post about it and remove the posts.
I've heard that it's caused a ******* **** storm internally, which is good.

My contact at mazda is contacting his connections in the press, to see if we can get it put in the Sun, Telegraph, autoexpress... Nothing like lighting a fire and pouring a **** ton of petrol on it.

This happens too often and people get ****** for it. If I didn't have the reach and connections I do, I'd just have to take it. Another claim, another victim losing out. Shame this time they happened to do it to me, who has nothing better to do than make this my full time job in taking them done and fighting for everything I have lost.