The challenge is huge.....to buy a 'rusty wreck' for less than £500, to make it safe, legal and roadworthy and then to drive it from Reims to Nice, via Italy, over 4 days in July. The journey includes all sorts of surprise challenges and tasks to complete along the way and we will be competing with 25 other teams from around the UK. Find out more here: https://banger-rally.co.uk/rex-to-nice-banger-rally-road-trip/

Our car of choice is a 23 year old Toyota MR2, bought on the phone from a bloke somewhere up the M6 who was about to break it for spares. It started....but wouldn't drive ........and had stood in the open for several years. It arrived in a rather sorry state with no MOT or service history........what have we done!

We are both engineers so understand mechanical stuff, but haven't had the joy of oil under our fingernails for many decades. However we have now spent most Saturdays for the last few months underneath the car scrubbing off rust and changing broken or worn out parts. The list of things to fix has grown and grown and at times it has all felt a rather overwhelming.

You can check out a few videos documenting the highs and lows of our journey so far on Richards YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6LboeVXLKXO7hiYJCW6_PQ

We now have just a few days to go and our 'Rusty Banger' finally has an MOT, some sticker bling, and a luggage rack. All that remains is to sort out our tool kit and clobber and hit the open road....cant wait.

We're sure there will be many more challenges in the 3000 miles ahead so do look out for updates on our YouTube channel and Facebook.

We are raising money for JERICHO (where Richard works). JERICHO is an award winning Birmingham charity and family of seven social enterprises. They provide supported work opportunities for people facing extreme challenges in getting a job. They primarily support marginalised young people and survivors of modern slavery.

There is more to JERICHO than just work. What makes them different is their combination of vital support and activities. These reduce isolation, support recovery and promote inclusion to transform lives and help people become more employable.

www.jericho.org.uk

Please sponsor us and share this with friends and family. All of the money raised fund the vital work that Jericho does to support the recovery of people who have been rescued from slavery.

Our team name is 'The Mister Meisters'

Thanks for your support

Richard and Simon