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The good news is we're not the first car to break down. The poor Mr Whippy entry didn't make it past Gepps Cross, barely 20km from the start line on Adelaide's northern outskirts.
Dunno how serious it is as we raced past at, oh, 60km/h, but there was a wheel off, two mechanics' cars and a lot of worried faces. There was talk on the UHF of a transmission gone outside Spalding (look it up on Google Maps).
It was a great sight this morning as the 91 cars in the 2009 SA Variety Club Bash lined up in the CBD for the start. The work that's gone into the vehicles is extraordinary. All pre-1974 but many completely rebuilt, some with throbbing V8s. Fire engines, ambulances, utes, cars with dunnies on the back, cars with Nemo on the roof. And everyone dressed in costumes. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Shrek, doctors, Scotsmen, suicide bombers, fairies, brides and "the only gay in the village".
And then there's Matilda. Second oldest car in the fleet and, as everyone reminds us, the only "woody". Poor girl hasn't had a proper run for years and, after just two hours on the road, heading north into the South Australian midlands, she's got a beautiful hum.
She sits on a comfortable 60mph (no km on this odo), the cobwebs are being blown out and I reckon (here comes the hex) she'll be fine.
Matilda's done more than one million kms, most of them on dirt. Michael, our intrepid crew leader, has pretty much had the important parts rebuilt - engine, front end, shockers. She's as heavy as a bastard to steer (the triceps really feel it in the cities) and the brakes take some getting used to (she's got the stopping distance of a fully laden fuel tanker) but, after a little bit of time behind the wheel, you're in sync.
Despite the fun and mayhem of the Bash - which, basically, is about cheating and bribing your way to the podium - no one forgets what the event is all about, which is raising money for kids.
Just about every car had freebies for the kids who came out at dawn this morning to see the fleet away. And some of the fundraising efforts by the crews are awe-inspiring.
A bunch of unassuming guys, dressed as Kenny from the movie of the same name (and with an extraordinary V8 under the hood) have raised $163,000 for this bash alone. Pales our little $17,000, which we are still so proud of.
Gotta love the Kenny boys, though; They just slowed down to allow us to overtake them, giving Matilda the distinction of actually passing someone.
It's on to Arkaroola tonight, in the northern Flinders Ranges. Beautiful country. Then into the deeper outback before crossing the NT border and swinging into Alice Springs, hopefully intact, in seven days.
Stay tuned for more updates. And go to adelaidenow to follow the adventures...
