Mongolian Rally: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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July 8, 2009 2:23 p.m. randyvr6 New Reader

A couple friends of mine are competing in a Charity Rally from London to Mongolia and back this month. They are driving a 1980 European Ford Capri.
Norm Murdock from Ohio, and Larry Wells, from New Jersey are partnered with the car owner from the UK named Andrew Emmett to make this tough journey. Let's give them some support from GRM.

The trip will be 12-18K miles over 5 mountain ranges and through 2 deserts in < 1 month using a 1980 Ford Capri with a 2.0 4 cyl. engine.

Norm is the owner of Team Blitz who is THE key supplier in the US for parts to keep the Euro Ford (Mercury) Capri's on the road. I happen to be a proud owner of a restored 1973 Capri and couldn't have done it without him. I have been friends with both Norm and Larry for several years having our love of Euro Capri's in common.

Here is the link to their Mongolian Rally web site and since it is a charity event, donations are always welcome.

http://www.charityrallies.org/en/50north

Rand 1973 Euro Capri V6
July 8, 2009 4:42 p.m. ignorant PowerDork

Damn..

Good luck.
July 10, 2009 12:14 a.m. randyvr6 New Reader

I can't imagine what it takes to go through something like this myself.
July 10, 2009 5:08 a.m. Luke Dork

Helluva trek, alright! Though I imagine it would be incredibly fun for the most part.

Here's a few more pics of the Capri - http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thr...
July 10, 2009 7:19 a.m. RossD Reader

I hope they finish! But tell Norm to keep running his business. They dont have a phone number on their website (that I can find), they havent replied to my email, their ebay store is empty, and their website hasnt been updated since 2007. I need new window seals.
July 10, 2009 8:44 a.m. Winston Reader

They definitely have the coolest car there. I can understand the reasoning behind why you would want to run a newish Ford Transit, but where is the adventure in that?? Quite a few teams are driving them or something similar.
July 10, 2009 9:36 a.m. randyvr6 New Reader

RossD wrote:

I hope they finish! But tell Norm to keep running his business. They dont have a phone number on their website (that I can find), they havent replied to my email, their ebay store is empty, and their website hasnt been updated since 2007. I need new window seals.

He responds to e mails pretty well. That is the only way of contacting him. Obviously he is tied up for the next month, but he does have an employee named Max taking care of business.

His e mail is blitz@teamblitz.com

Another source for seals is Tom Johnston at Rocky Mountain NOS

http://www.rockymtnnos.com/

Are you a member of the capri-list enthusiasts group? it is a great resource.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/capri-list/

If you are a Capri fan check out my car in the Readers Rides under Mercury.
July 10, 2009 10:24 a.m. CivicSiRacer Reader

Oh I should enter I would be able to see my ancestors.

Supposedly I'm related to Ghakis Khan. LOL.

Found this out when our tour guide showed us a family tree that had my mother's maiden name tracing back to that era.
July 10, 2009 10:40 a.m. randyvr6 New Reader

What about Chaka Khan?
July 10, 2009 10:43 a.m. JFX001 Dork

Or just....

KHAN !!!!!!!

*EDIT....just looked at the Team Blitz website....he is about a 1/2 hour away, and I never knew it. Good to know.
July 10, 2009 10:56 a.m. randyvr6 New Reader

The Capri Club of North America has their annual "Capri Swarm" meet every year on Labor Day weekend at National Trails Raceway as part of a big Ford Expo.

National Trails is located just SE of Columbus, Oh.

http://www.capriclub.com/