Story: Chayanin Debhakam | Photo: Aoun
If there’s any question about the inspiration behind this project, I would say that “I need an extreme Porsche 911 with a real torsion bar suspension.” Because the majority of custom suspen- sion kits now employ coil springs to empha- size the feel of the modern car, the exact opposite of what I need.
Until I found information about Tuthill Porsche 911 in East African Safari Rally from the clip and saw when the car turn in the curve, and jump It looks very interesting. I therefore study more and more and I think that this is the car I really need because it’s matches the driving mood of a Porsche 911 that I like. Tuthill Safari Rally car only has shocks and torsion bars. From what I have learned, a good shock of a rally car must be soft, and the stroke will be long, once in a lifetime I need to try the real rally suspension, Moreover, it’s the answer about the proper size of good shock absorber and torsion bar, proper height for the drive to anywhere, smoothly and agilely. I have never had a car like this and I think this is the car that I want.
I intend to do it as a trip car, that can travel far to anywhere, don’t have to worry about getting stuck, don’t be afraid that under the car will scratch the road because the car is high. It doesn’t have to be powerful or too fast, only passing potholes on the road comfortably, this is the starting point of this car.
After meetings with Richard Tuthill many times, he must have sympathized with me and noticed that I was committed to learning. Therefore began to convey knowledge that he had for me to do my work, starting with making the car body strong enough to withstand the impact from the Safari Rally’s suspension system first, followed by welding to strengthen the various suspension units, he always ask for pictures of our work at each point whether we can meet his standards or not before continue to convey new knowledge for me to do. I feel like watching a Chinese fighting movie, “It’s like that a disciple must train to pass each level first before crossing to another lesson” That’s so stressful.
So my team and I gathered people with different abilities, and we set up a special line group teamchayanin666 for chatting and discussing about making this car.
We usually use line group teamchayanin already, but for this car, I added 666 because the 666 series reads out in Mandarin as “smooth” and the Chaozhou pronunciation sounds like “diligent”. No matter how difficult it is, we will continue to reach our destination, to tell everybody that Thai people can do it. We will make this car a strong car with the suspension of Tuthill Safari Rally for traveling, and camping with friends who drive Porsche Cayenne, we will keep the original items installed with this car as much as possible, for example, we use the original carpet for the whole car, put the Matters Roll cage that I already have in, the back seat of this car was removed when the car was still owned by P’A_gt@speed so we can make fitting points for the Matters Roll cage, easily.
Every member in teamchayanin666 has the right to vote equally, there are many things that I want put it in this car but I can’t because the team member disagree, such as making a shelf instead of the back seat so that I could put a foldable tent in the back of the car for camping with friends, no one agrees with me, everyone wants their car to be as light as possible, because a light car will drive well, I agree with that by put in a lightweight carpet, and take off anything that is not necessary, to reduce weight as much as possible, from our intention to finish our work for the car to be ready for Lao-Vietnam trip with buddy, but the car was not finished in time, so we set a new goal that we will finish our work in time for Das Treffen 7, and my close friends P’A, a_gt@speed, tennster, and oou vintage also teased me that if I can finish the project on time, they will hold a launch event for this car in Das Treffen 7.
On the morning of the event, we are still sweating as we assemble the car until tennster called me at 1.00 pm that day and asked if will we bring the car to the event, I confidently replied that I would go for sure. I sent pictures to him that I had already loaded the car on the trailer, preparing the Cayenne to haul the trailer to the event. But did not tell him that the team is still assembling the car on the trailer, even some sets of wires will be connected at the event, the car was really finished at the last second.
The reason for the delay was blamed to P’A a_gt@speed. Because two days before going to the event, he came to see the car and said How can I bring the car to unveil like that, it has to have livery, this year’s concept is colorful. I had to call P’Kon immediately to design the sticker for my car, my lovely brother come to see me suddenly, and he ask me “What is the concept? P’A a_gt@speed replied that it must be a Tuthill East African Safari Rally car. P’Kon started designing and putting stickers on that day, late at night P’Kon turned to me and asked who’s your Co-Driver? I answer straightaway, It’s you! he made a dazed face and went to the printer to print his own name to stick to the car. Then P’Kon said, see you tomorrow at the event. That was it. He went home.
There’s one more thing that I wanted to share, tennster, called me at two o’clock in the afternoon to ask will I make it to the event. I said yes, sure. He said ok, he will organize the unveiling event at four o’clock because Dastreffen 7 will start at five o’clock, just for fun with our friends.
At the unveiling event, Duo tennster and ouu vintage came up to me and asked, “Who will be the chairman of the launch? “Both of you” I replied.
Everything happened in a way that I will never forget, thanks to renndrivecrews from the bottom of my heart, All brothers, friends, and everyone gatherd around, Pip pipdini brought a cayenne with a crane and a camera to the event, but there was no driver because Pip pipdini had to control the camera. So Tee fy_tang jumped up to drive, tennster and oou vintage performed as chairman of the event and as an interviewer.
This is a major turning point in my life because oou vintage handed me the microphone and Tennster asked “You’ve made a car like this, do you really go to rally, right? This is the one I’ll remember for the rest of my life. “yes” I replied. I will compete in the Classic Rally in Thailand, at this point I think that the line group’s name that was created was the most appropriate.
Teamchayanin666 had to bring the car back and remove a lot of stuff, such as lightweight carpet, in- terior, and audio system. We had to drill the body, weld the body, such as a hole for a side stand, as well as a base for a spare wheel fitted with a real rally tire, installing a hydraulic jack, electric bolt gun, two more fire extinguishers, intercom, distance meter for the co-driver, and many more. From touring cars to rally cars, there’s a lot to be done. The important thing is that I’ve never raced in a rally car before, so I have to sit and study the rules, train, practice, and prepare for the race with the intention that we will join the activities with Classic Car Rally Club Thailand and the competition organizers by The Royal Automobile Association of Thailand. (R.A.A.T)
I’m glad that P’A a_gt@speed also made a car to compete in the same program as well and I think that soon there will be friends from renndrive crews to join us, but, oou vintage will join this competition together in the third round this year for sure.
Lastly, I would like to thank you the President and all the brothers and sisters in Classic Car Rally Club Thailand and all the race organizers from R.A.A.T for warmly welcoming this new team, and also giving us a lot of knowledge, teamchayanin666 and P’A a_gt@speed. This competition is making me feel warm, fun and it’s a friendly program. I already understand the elders who said that it was difficult to leave after you have joined this Rally Competition. I think it’s true, we compete in this program, the name of the team is “Rare-lly K-45 Team”, please follow our performance, there are still three rounds left for this year.
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เรื่อง: คุณหนู ชญานิน เทพาคำ
ภาพ: อ้วนโฟโต้
