Strangers in the Night
Copyright© 2015 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 29
Although we were on time the for the third stage, the drive to the start was fraught with impending disaster. A certain 'hesitation and jerkiness' had us under the car and I ... transmission in hand ... made a quick visit to the Audi Works lorry. The answer dashed our hopes for a decent finish.
"No."
"No?"
"They stopped making that particular five speed transmission nine years ago ... the bell housing fitment is different so you can't use the new six speed. The new engine is transverse front wheel drive with a jackshaft to the rear axle."
"Heck."
"Sorry. There's a used Audi case in Paris. Collecting it and organizing the machine works would take you past tomorrow's start."
I wandered past all the Audi privateers and got No for an answer.
"Rebuild the one you have. We did." was the general consensus.
I knew Wendy would be disappointed.
"Do you want to run anyway?" I asked Wendy.
"Is it safe?"
"I doubt it ... still Valmaat's can pick us up wherever."
"Wherever?"
"Where it breaks."
"So ... it WILL break?"
"Yes," I said. "We can't keep fluids in the case ... there's used case in France but it IS used and will need to be machined. There's no time."
"Pack it in, David." I knew she was disappointed.
I made a call home. "Is Dal's old 544 still running?" I asked Rikki. I could hear the baby in the background.
"Send it to France," I said. "Arras ... we'll run the Classic."
"Wendy? Would racing through the Pas de Calais and the Somme Valley work?"
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