Salt and rust

We all know the devastating effects salt can have on metals. We hear about it elsewhere and we go ... yeah well... until you see it for yourself. below is a picture from the seat rail that was mounted in the Endurance Car.

The drivers compartment had quite some salt inside from getting in and out on the salt. Even though this is zinc-plated you can see the corrosion already taking its effect. Needless to say that new ones are orders and will be installed very soon!

Endurance Car homecoming...

Zürich Airport 6.36 AM 10 October 2009. The Endurance Car is home. It felt like welcoming a winning team from the Olympics. When the front cargo door of the Airbus 330 opened the car was on pole position. It was wrapped in some plastic and was tightened very well to the pallet that fits into the hull of the Airplane.

The unloading took place in a way one can only expect from the Swiss : millimeter precision and no scratch guaranteed. It went swift and fast as it would be a piece of luggage to be delivered urgently.

Unfortunately customs only opened some time after. Thanks to my friend and Austin-Healey owner Harry Keller, who knows his way around on the airport, here things went smooth as well. He made it possible to take pictures of the car arriving.

As Saturday is a very busy day for air cargo because of the amount of connections the unloading from the pallet took some time. At the moment the car was loose a brief moment of tension : will it start. Usual procedure...tick...tick...tick... how much fuel did the airport leave in? Start button and off it went with the nice growl I got addicted to.

Needless to say at the moment that driving was possible rain came down. It looks as if the rain clouds like this car a lot. Phillip Island, Bonneville and now Zurich. Needless to say... I got wet... very wet... but with a huge grin on my face all the way home, where it will be taken care off and will be rinsed over and over and waxed and rubbed and all you would expect to do to things you adore...

Pole position in the front Cargo of a Swiss Airlines Airbus A330 coming from Montreal

Outing itself in Zürich (picture by Harry Keller)

Patient waiting in the cargo delivery Hall.

Welcoming weather in Switzerland (picture by Harry Keller)

Endurance Car takes off : New speed record ! 535 MpH

As we write the Endurance Car is taking off! Place of the Event is Montreal - Trudeau Airport. Speed reached is 535 MpH... on board of an Airbus A330 of Swiss Airlines. It is on its way to its final home : Switzerland where it will be washed and pampered for a long period of time after a tough period on the salt where it behaved as one would expect from a Healey. We will post some pictures on the Blog of the Endurance Car arriving at the airport in Zürich on Saturday 10 October 2009.

Bruno

E-mail from Bic Healey

Hi Bruno,
My congratulations to you and your team at Salt Lake. You must have been very proud of what you achieved and I know that DMH would have been the first to applaud what you have all done. The coverage on the internet was very well done and I was reminded of the 50's when the only means of communication was via the telephone - if you were lucky!
From photographs Steve and his boys must have done a wonderful job in recreating the two cars and I know you will look after the endurance car, but do make sure it has a good bath. I recall what happened to the original, but we did not have as much experience of salt in those days! Regards. Bic

John Chatham

Arrival at the Airport

The Rainbow Parking Lot