B10-Sunday News, November 23, 1980 , : wake And into the record books TORONTO (UPC) - Maritimes Ken Langley and Garry Sowerby crashed their Volvo DE wagon through a red-and-yellow paper finish line Wednesday and into the record books for the fastest- ever drive around the world. With Sowerby at the wheel and Langley navigating, the “Odyssey 77” team drove through 24 e worl countries across North America, Australia, Europe and Asia. They had to drive the equivalent length of the earth's equator — 24,901.55 miles.- - southern Spain, and stood on the Arctic Circle in swirling snow at Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. “It’s tremendous. to be back,” said Langley, 29, of Sydney, NS. “It was all for the adventure and it's been our only thought for three years. Now that it’s over, well, we haven't really given it any thought.” Sowerby, 29, of Moncton, NB, said that “while I feel bad it’s over, it’s great to be home again.” The Volvo had only minor mechanical problems. In the Japanese Auto Specialists 6 ateee cet = - 986-5122 — , “Quality Service Assured’’ — 986-3116 WEST VANCOUVER’S ‘COMPLETE 2 SI4 MECHANICAL AND ne . Ne « Cf her ee R.J. (Bob) Huish Otter expires Nov 30 for RAS SO, COLLISION REPAIR CENTRE 8 - 5:30 Mon. - Fri. | Peter Brand Motor. 1519 Clyde Ave., West Vancouver. 922-3231 brake special rear (drum) 95 $39 $29 includes standard grade pads repack wheel (inner and outer) com hoses front disc and labour. bearings visual inspection of ponents = (calipers seals etc ) most omports domestic and half fon trucks Open Mon. Fri NORTH VAN AUTOBRAKE 1980 Good cors The two Canadians arrived at the CN tower at 2:11 pm EST - 74 days and 51 minutes after their. Sept.6 departure, three days ahead of schedule. They drove 26,893.75 miles (43,030 kilometers) to eclipse the previous mark of 102 days set by American Johnnie Parsons in 1976. They conquered Australia’s desolate outback, India’s tropical jungles and the arid semi-deserts of Pakistan. They drove through five communist nations, bathed on the sunny beaches of Monaco and -—- dust - penetrated the voltage regulator, a flying rock cracked the windshield and a rangy kangaroo dented the fender in a losing, fatal game of chance. A sharp rock pierced a front tire when they slipped off a flooded road in India and a front shock collapsed on a washboard secondary road in Sweden. The two friends from boyhood fared less well on the adventure that cost about $300,000. Wracked by dysentery and passing considerable blood, Langley made a silent pledge in Sweden that if his health didn’t improve in 12 hours he'd abandon Odyssey and seek medical help. In the final stages, Sowerby’s right leg was in almost constant pain from muscular atrophy and at times he could barely walk. But, despite the hardships, it was the “ultimate” road trip, they agreed. They lived like maharajahs one night in India at a magnificent British colonial mansion. A small Australian mining town put them up in a house of the grandest hotels and roadside hotels — a French chateau, a Swiss chalet and a 16th century Spanish castle. Some nights they didn't sleep atall. The pair paid the last of their American currency — a lucky silver dollar given them by Australian jour- nalist Robert C. Miller — for visas at the East German border. It was only after they were refused a hotel room in Dresden that they learned they had only direct transit visas. There could be nv Stops. The bureaucratic foul-up forced them to undertake a 41-hour marathon drive to Sweden that left them almost physically broken and doubting whether they would ever complete Odyssey. It did, however, allow them to catch up on the three days they had lost because of customs delays in clearing their car in Bom- bay. India, and by the time they reached London they were convinced they had the record. “We never really con- sidered quitting the trip, but -we felt at times we would be forced out by mental and physical fatigue,” Sowerby said. Collin Smith, an editor of Guinness Superlatives Ltd., greeted them in London ‘where he examined their log book recording cach country they'd visited and odometer readings. He assured Sowerby and Langley then that barring any unforeseen difficulties in the final North American leg of their journey they would go down in the next edition of the Guinness World Book of Records as. cir- cumnavigating the world by road faster than anyone else. The case of the haunted car SPRINGFIELD, Itt. (UPI) - There’s at least one government-owned car in Springfield that is making people sick - literally - and it’s not because of its ex- travagance. A 1979 Ford LTD, owned by the city of Springfield for use as an on-call vehicle for Sangamon County's Department of Emergency and Disaster Services, is fast becoming a disaster in itself. “We don't know if it's haunted, or what,” said Steve Koskey, a coordinator between the Springfield and Sangamon County Emergency and Drtsaster Services Agency. includes standard grode tin ing and fabour, spection of all components also: plus tax visual in Koskey, who was assigned the vehicle about a year ago, said he first discovered the car was not “normal” last August. “I got into the car one day and drove the car a few blocks, then my eyes sud- denly became heavy. watery and I got really dizzy,” said Koskey. He said he had recently recovered from a bout with pneumonia at that time and couldn't determine whether it was the car - or the pneumonia - causing his illness. “But when I drove the car weeks later, it was the same thing.” Koskey said “It would get so bad that my Dave (The Brake Doctor) Free shock inspection Snow tire mounting Don 1 deloy ment only and — balancing BCAA approved shop — for gvarantee of dependable service ato fow price 1175 W. 15th, N. Van. available phone today by appom your 985-8705 knees would get weak. And it would happen only when | would get in the car. Even my wife, when she'd drive it, would complain. of headaches.” Koskey said his eyes wouldn't water as much when he rolled down the windows but he still felt sick when driving the car. Finally Koskey turned the vehicle over to the chief mechanic of the city’s police department garage for a once-over. Mechanic Gary Woodyard said he, too, became dizzy and ex- perienced nausea’ when dnving the car. “] never saw anything hke this.” he said “We checked for exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide y 280ZX — T-Bars! Engineered pertormance Designed quafity Comprenensive comton Tne 280Z% 18 powered by a 2 8 litre overnesd cam ¢tx cytinge: engine ft eurgee forward quickly and emoothty thanks to (he computerized elec: tronic tuel injection system The 280ZX — n moves to match your style 985-9311 1160 Marine Drive, North Vancouver D6127 | leaks and found nothing. There was nothing wrong with the car when we checked it out’ for malfunction.” The car has even stumped state Environmental Progection Agency chemists and disease specialists with the Illinois Department of Public Health. “When myself and our chemist, Jim Kelty, drove it, we didn't get ill but we noticed something definitely wrong with the car,” said John Renkes, an emergency services speciahst with the IEPA. Mayor Mike Houston said he, too, ts stumped but can't put the car on the block until the mystery is cleared up.