Rally Sweden 2015

[BIRDIEMANGO]

FEELING A LITTLE INVIGORATED NOW,WITH HEATED SEATS,AND A GENTLE BLAST OF WARM AIR,WE FOLLOWED THE SAT-NAV (GPS) DIRECTIONS.....

THE SUN CAME OUT ONCE AGAIN,AND THE SNOW ON THE ROADS DEEPENED.....IN FACT QUITE A JOY,TO DRIVE ALONG WITH CAR'S RATHER A SCARCITY...?

ONCE AGAIN,I WAS COMPELLED TO STOP,AND ENJOY THE NATURE....

WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 30 MINUTES NOW,AND SOME 15 MINUTES LATER,THE SAT-NAV PROUDLY ANNOUNCED 'YOU ARE HERE'

ONLY THE PROBLEM WAS,YES.....WE WERE THERE.....BUT NOBODY ELSE WAS...

IT WOULD SEEM THERE ARE 2 WAYS,OF ENTERING CO-ORDINATES......MY(YOUNG) CO-DRIVER,DOING IT THE WRONG WAY...

IN FACT WE HAD GONE DUE NORTH 45 KM,THROUGH A SMALL VILLAGE 'GUSTAVFORS'


NEVER MIND,WE WERE ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE.....

DULY RE-PROGRAMMED,WE TURNED AROUND....(THATS WHAT HANDBRAKES ARE REALLY FOR?)HEADING FOR 'HAGFORS AIRPORT' THE REAL SERVICE AREA........THIS TIME !!

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MEANDERING THROUGH 'VARMLAND' WAS SUCH A CHORE....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

ON EVENTUALLY GETTING TO THE SERVICE HALT,AN HOUR AND HALF LATE

IT SEEM'S WE HAD MISSED BOTH THE 99'S.....

THIS LOCATION ON THE AIRFIELD,WAS THE FINISH FOR THE 'HISTORICS EVENT' AT MIDDAY,IT WAS NOW AROUND 15.00....

IT WAS SO SLIPPERY ON THE CARPARK,YOU COULD BARELY STAND,WITH POLISHED ICE.....BUT AT LEAST IT WAS JUST 50 SEK,TO GET IN....

INDEED THE QUATTRO WAS ALSO JUST LEAVING,UNDER IT'S OWN POWER....

HOWEVER,WE DID GET THE OPPORTUNITY HERE,TO SEE QUITE A FEW OF THE 96'S AND OLDER RALLY CARS......AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,TALK TO THE CREWS.....

SOME OF THE CARS WERE STILL IN 'PARC FERME'......

ALL THE WHILE,WE COULD ALSO WATCH THE 'BIG SCREEN' WHICH HAD TELEVISED 'HAGFORS SPRINT',IN THE ARENA.....THE 'WRC' WAS STILL IN IT'S SECOND DAY,AND SOON THE 'WRC' CARS WOULD BE HEADING TO THE AIRPORT SERVICE AREA.....

I HAD DEBATED ABOUT GOING TO WATCH,BUT THE HUMAN TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION IN 'HAGFORS' ITSELF,IT TRYING TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO PARK.......MEANT WE HAD CARRIED ON THE SERVICE AREA

[BIRDIEMANGO]

BRITISH MOTORING HISTORY....AND IT FINISHED ? DRIVEN BY 'SWEDES' OBVIOUSLY

LOVELY OLD VOLVO...

[BIRDIEMANGO]

WE GOT TALKING TO THESE GUYS WITH THE WHITE V4,CO-ERCING THEM INTO REMOVING THE BONNET,FOR A LOOKSEE...?

THEY LIVE IN 'MALMO',COMING THIS FAR NORTH TO DO THE 'HISTORIC RALLY SWEDEN' EVERY YEAR,IF POSSIBLE.....

PROBLEMS WITH A BROKEN DRIVESHAFT,EARLIER IN THE EVENT HADN'T STOPPED THEM GETTING TO THE FINISH THOUGH....?

THEY SEEMED QUITE INTERESTED IN WHERE WE HAD COME FROM,AND WHY WE HAD COME SO FAR....

THE CREW WERE NOT AROUND FOR THE BLUE V4,BUT THEY SEEM PRETTY KEEN ON THE IS RALLYING LARK....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

LET US NOT FORGET,'SAAB' TESTED EXTENSIVLEY THE 'LANCIA V4'.....BEFORE OPTING INSTEAD FOR THE FORD UNIT

I LOVE THESE FULVIA,ONE DAY.......ONE DAY ?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

THE 'OFFICE'....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

EVEN A HUMBLE FIAT PANDA MADE IT TO THE FINISH,PILOTED BY THE 'FINNS'

TOOK THE TIME,TO STICK MY HEAD UNDER THIS V4,TO MAYBE PINCH SOME IDEAS FOR MINE.....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MY YOUNG CO-DRIVER,HAD NOTICED SOME SORT OF MOTORSPORT PARTICIPATION FOR SPECTATORS.....?,AS WE HAD WALKED AROUND THE SERVICE HALT......

APPARENTLY, WE MUST INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER....?

PERSONALLY I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY,FOR A 'YOUNG' SOMEBODY TO HAVE A GO AT CONTROLLING A CAR ON SNOW&ICE IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT .........THEN MAYBE HE WOULD APPRECIATE A LITTLE,HOW 'DAD' HAD MANAGED OVER THE WEEKEND...?

IT WAS SITUATED,ADJACENT TO THE HELIPAD......THE CONSTANT BACK AND FORTH OF HELICOPTERS,BLEW THE ICY COLD AIR ACROSS THE SNOWY LANDSCAPE.....

AS THE SUN DROPPED INTO THE TREES,WE HAD TO BE QUICK......SO 400 SEK WAS HANDED OVER....AND A CHANGE OF FOOTWEAR...?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

THESE 'LEGEND' BIKE ENGINED 1250CC ,REAR-WHEEL DRIVE TYPE HOT ROD'S PACKED QUITE A PUNCH....


AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE ORANGE ONE,LEFT RUNNING,BY THIS TIME OF THE DAY,WHICH HAD A PRETTY SMALL SEAT POSITION,FOR A GROWING LAD....WHOM HAD NEVER DRIVEN REAR WHEEL DRIVE BEFORE,NOR ANY SNOW OR ICE....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99V4IAD ... Kn2CkQL2ig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQIajG7 ... Kn2CkQL2ig


MORE INFO. AT


HAPPY-DAYS.SE

[BIRDIEMANGO]

BY NOW IT WAS AROUND 17.30 HRS,SO TIME TO HEAD BACK TO THE CAR.....

CO-DRIVER HAD SUCCESSFULLY HAD A FEW 'OFFS',IN HIS 'NEW' DRIVING EXPERIENCE....BUT HAD A SUITABLE GRIN TO MATCH !!!

AS WE DROVE WEST,UNKOWINGLY WE HAD TURNED OFF ONTO A SNOWY ROAD,WHICH HAPPENED TO BE THE ROUTE TO 'VARGASEN' SS14/18.....

THIS HAD BEEN THE LAST STAGE ON THE SATURDAY STAGES,INCLUDING 'COLINS CREST' YUMP....

WE WERE THE ONLY CAR HEADING WEST,TEMPERATURES HAD NOW DROPPED TO -3 DEG C,SO I HAD TO DEAL WITH AN ENDLESS ONSLAUGHT, OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC HEADING BACK TO THE SERVICE AREA.....

WHILST FIGHTING WITH THE PEUGEOT,WHICH PRETTY INTENT ON EITHER DIVING INTO A SNOWBANK,OR INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC....?

22KM OF THIS TO DEAL WITH AT 50 KM/H MAX... ....YET,THAT VERY MORNING,WE HAD WATCHED THE COMPETITIORS ATTACK 'RAMMEN 1' AT FULL CHAT OVER THE COMPARABLE DISTANCE.....

THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRIP,WAS NOT ONLY TO ENJOY THE RALLY......?

ANY OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SWEDEN,HAS THE DUAL PURPOSE OF ABSORBING AS MUCH CULTURE AND INFORMATION,SUCH THAT....WHEN I MAKE THE PROJECTED MOVE THERE,I CAN HOPEFULLY BENEFIT FROM ALL THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED...?

I HAD ALSO SPENT CONSIDERABLE HOURS TO FIND A SMALL 'RUM&FRUKOST'........WHEREUPON THE HOST,A RETIRED LADY,HAD MADE THE VERY MOVE TO SWEDEN,SOME TEN YEARS PREVIOUS...?

AND SHE NEVER LOOKED BACK....


BUT, AND THERE IS ALWAY'S A BUT....? SHE LIVED IN A TINY VILLAGE,PRETTY ISOLATED......

HOWEVER,THE GOOD LADY HAD ALSO OFFERED TO COOK US A'FULL ON 'SWEDISH' EVENING MEAL......THIS WAS RATHER IMPORTANT,AS WE HAD ENJOYED A VERY LONG DAY....

THIS FAR INTO SVERIGE,THERE ARE NOT MANY RESTARAUNTS,UNLESS YOU VISIT A LARGE TOWN.......EVEN THEN,IT IS (WE HAVE FOUND) RATHER UNUSUAL FOR THEM TO BE OPEN IN THE EVENING......
INSTEAD,YOU MAY FIND A 'KORV BAR' IN THE 'GAS' STATION,OR THE ODD KEBAB/PIZZERIA TAKEAWAY...

WE ARRIVED IN GOOD TIME,INTRODUCED TO OUR ROOM FOR THE NIGHT,AND INFORMED 'DINNER WILL BE SERVED AT 19.45'......

FOR WHICH,WE ENJOYED THE COMPANY OF OUR HOST.......AND ABSORBED SEVERAL HOURS OF CONVERSATION,REGARDING THE EMMIGARTION TO 'SVERIGE'.......


A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP,AND FURTHER ADVICE WAS GIVEN IN THE MORNING,OVER 'FRUKOST'....

INDEED,THE GOOD LADY EVEN LET ME BORROW SOME BOOKS,TO TAKE HOME.....ON BASIC SWEDISH LANGUAGE....

WHICH,MAY I ADD,I WILL BE RETURNING ,ON OUR TRIP IN JUNI.....BACK FOR THE 'SAAB FESTIVAL'

http://www.saabsunited.com/2014/12/saab ... -2015.html

[Geoff]

Birdie, I've enjoyed reading about your adventures. It looks like you had a good time!
It also seems like Sweden is a lot warmer and has less snow than we do here in the north east of the United States. We've had 6-7 feet of snow in the past 3 or so weeks and it hasn't been above freezing for a month or two. The other morning I woke up and it was -26F (-32C)! Inte vatten for (insert universal windshield washer motion with hands) at those temperatures

When we were in Sweden for the 60th anniversary we did a drive up from Stockholm to Mora and then down to Karlstad before going to Trollhattan. We took E26 or E62 south from Mora and stayed somewhere around where you were. I enjoyed it a lot but you're right, you have to be prepared with extra food in case you don't find any open restaurants. This was especially important in the summer when the sun stays up nearly all night and those of us who live further south suddenly find that it's 11:00 at night, the sun is still out, and you haven't yet had anything to eat nor check into your vandrerhjem...

So are you planning a SAAB rallyist retirement community in Sweden?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

Birdie, I've enjoyed reading about your adventures. It looks like you had a good time!



So are you planning a SAAB rallyist retirement community in Sweden?

HEJ GEOFF,GOOD TO SEE YOU ENJOY THE THREAD.....

I AM VERY FORTUNATE,DUE TO MY LIFELONG OBSESSION WITH SAAB'S&MOTORSPORT, AND BEING AN EVERYDAY MECHANIAC....THAT IT OPEN'S UP THESE AVENUE'S.......TO TRAVEL& PARTICIPATE




FROM THE OUTSIDE ,LOOKING IN....MAYBE, IT ALL LOOK'S A BIT MADCAP...?

IT'S A LONG WAY TO GO,TO WATCH CARS'S ZOOMING PAST,IN FREEZING CONDITIONS......?

BUT FOR ME,IT'S A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED THAN THAT......

AS A YOUNG LAD,I COULD ONLY STARE AT THE MOTORSPORT MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHS,OF BLOMQVIST,EKLUND AND ERIK CARLSSON.......ALONG WITH WATCHING THE 'SUBLIMINAL' RALLY REPORTS ON TV.....THINKING,ONE DAY,JUST ONE DAY....?

18 YEARS AGO,STOOD IN THE OFFICE AT FORD M-SPORT,WHERE I HAD JUST DONE A 3 DAY WORK TRIAL,FOR A JOB AS A 'MOTORSPORT MECHANIC',WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME WORLDWIDE, WITH FORD MOTORSPORT.....THE VERDICT WAS DELIVERED.

THE SELECTIVE PROCESS HAD ALREADY WHITTLED DOWN,THE YOUNGER CANDIDATES...I WAS ONE OF THE ELDEST THERE....

LOOKING ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYES

'' JULIAN.......I AM AFRAID,WE ARE LOOKING FOR 'INDIANS'.......NOT CHIEFTANS''


I WAS ABSOLUTLEY DEVASTATED......

YET HERE WE WERE,THOSE EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER.....

IN A COLD, FORBADING DUSK......AMIDST THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNDOWN...NESTLING INTO THE SWEDISH NATURE......

STOOD RIGHT NEXT, TO MALCOLM WILSON'S M-SPORT......


MAYBE, JUST MAYBE ......SOMEBODY MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE THAT, VERY DAY.....?




A 'SAAB RALLYIST RETIREMENT COMMUNITY'.....?

THAT WOULD BE IDEAL

'BIRDIE'S RUM&FRUKOST' ?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

THE NEXT MORNING,BEFORE WE HEADED BACK TOWARDS NORWAY......WE HAD PLANNED TO HEAD TOWARDS 'ARVIKA' TO GO AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND THE AUTO 'FORDONS MUSUEM'......

FUNNY HOW THE ODD' HISTORIKA BIL' CROP UP.....ALONG THE JOURNEY

[BIRDIEMANGO]

ON ARRIVING AT THE MUSUEM,I DID WONDER IF THERE WOULD BE ANY 'SAAB' IN THERE......

3 MINUTES INTO THE MUSUEM.....

MY LAD,SHOUTS OVER.....

''HEY DAD,THERE IS A METRO 6R4......OVER HERE''

WELL,DEAR ME.....

ALONG WITH THE 'PIKES PEAK SAAB 9-3' OF 'PER EKLUND' HIS 'CLARION METRO RALLYCROSS 6R4' SITS NEXT TO IT......

TROPHY CABINETS,A PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAIC OF HIS CAREER IN V4,99 EMS AND 99 TURBO.......

WOW.......!!!!!!