El Gran Viaje (Open, limited slots, OOC)

by **Stanier** » Mon Nov 29, 2021 12:56 am

One Grand Trip.
Ten People.
Ten Cheap second-hand cars.
Lots of shenanigans.
Zero camaraderie.

That is the promise of "El Gran Viaje". A 2000 mile journey via land that will start in lovely Bucaramanga, Colombia, and will finish in the scenic island of Margarita - in Venezuela. Taking our sweet time and admiring the sights on the way. There is one problem, however... We must make the journey in cars that are worth no more than 3,500 US Dollars, and that will entail some... Situations along the way.

Still, it's not a challenge too big to prove which will be the best car amongst the 10 car convoy which will undertake this journey. Any car goes to El Gran Viaje, my friends, as long as they adhere to the budget.

So make arrangements and come on down to Bucaramanga, to the starting line! The prize for the best car will be bragging rights and a 10,000 USD cash prize to replenish the coffers! Should your car fail on completing the trip, well...

I can think of a fate worse than death. Driving a Ford Sierra for the rest of the trip sounds fitting.

This is basically a Top Gear/Grand Tour-inspired road trip RP.

You will have a character, a car, and a destination to go to with your "mates" in this journey across the Colombian and Venezuelan countryside. Experiencing breakdowns, pranks, language barriers, and plain bad luck along the scenic route to the island of Margarita, on the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, while departing from Bucaramanga, in the North of the Santander department of Colombia.

With a trip this large, wear and tear will inevitably take its toll on the star cars. For that I've planned a nifty dice based mechanic which will allow us to randomly assign breakdown seriousness without compromise:

You might be wondering what happens if you roll a 20 in the very beginning of the journey. Don't worry, I've thought about this. Worse damage tiers will be unlocked the further the convoy progresses into their trip. So don't worry about having your engine seizing just after Bucaramanga.

Let's lay down some rules, shall we?:

This is not a war RP, nor a combat-based RP. The most I'm going to tolerate is verbal banter and insults, a bitch-slap, or threats with a machete that don't go anywhere a-la James May. Violence is not permitted here.
When the dice is rolled and you are assigned a breakdown gravity, you must depict it in your IC post. Nobody here is getting special treatment. Even my character's car will break down much like yours.
If your character's car has an unfixable breakdown, it's over and they must ride in the backup car. Unless you risk to roll a dice three times and attempt to get anything between a 1 and a 3 to make it a six, no penalty and much reward, sound nice?
Fictional cars are okay, as long as they adhere to the price an IRL counterpart in heavily used condition would fetch.
No decommissioned military vehicles, your characters will be crossing borders after all.
And, as the OP: My word is law.

And now, the application form:

Code: Select all: [list][*][b]Name of driver:[/b] [*][b]DOB of driver:[/b] [*][b]Driver nationality:[/b] [*][b]Driver age:[/b] [*][b]Gender of driver:[/b] [*][b]Bio of driver (Insert dispatch link if applicable):[/b] [*][b]Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description)[/b] [spoiler][img][/img][/spoiler] [*][b]Car Make and Model:[/b] [*][b]Price of car:[/b] [*][b]Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD):[/b] [*][b]Car weak points (Things this specific car is reowned to break down from):[/b] [*][b]Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought:[/b] [*][b]Picture of car (Or appearance description):[/b] [spoiler][img][/img][/spoiler] [/list]

When finished, it should look like this:

Confirmed drivers and vehicles:

Aiko Suzuki - 2007 Chevrolet Optra - Stanier
Dallin Rao - 2005 RKF Sagitta Tourer - Brettenwald
Christian Ruch - UAZ-469 - United Islands of Polis
Melody Annette Cho Thinza Htet Tun - 1997 Toyota Corolla - Valentine Z
Vukomir Hajduković - VAZ-2105 - Chernogovsk
Alice Alumni - 1987 Suzuki Super Carry - Archbasilica
Arktop Mokop - 2373 Tuku Pickup - Holy Federation of Stars
Doug McCoy - 2003 Dodge Durango SXT - Ameriganastan
Available slot
Available slot

by **Brettenwald** » Mon Nov 29, 2021 4:05 pm

by **Stanier** » Mon Nov 29, 2021 4:38 pm

Brettenwald wrote:
Name of driver: Dallin Rao

DOB of driver: 08/7/1995

Driver nationality: Brettain

Driver age: 26

Gender of driver: Male

Bio of driver: Staff writer for Overdrive magazine, here basically because the office wanted to do a build series for a battle car and he wanted to see what it could do at the "low-budget shitbox" stage of the project. Assuming you can look past the ink, the earrings and the punk vibe he's a pretty chill dude.

Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description)
(Image)

Car Make and Model: 2005 RKF Sagitta Tourer E 2.8TD

Price of car: 1667 Brettain krone, equal to USD $3000.

Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD): turbodiesel 2.8L I5 (180 hp), four-speed automatic, AWD

Car weak points (Things this specific car is renowned to break down from): Stretched timing chains, cracked coolant hoses, fuel sending units can sometimes die and result in inaccurate fuel gauge readings.

Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: Driver's seat has a substantial rip in the upholstery currently patched with duct tape, CD of The Clash's Sandinista! stuck in the player, 1-2 shift clunks because of a worn solenoid in the transmission, front armrest/console lid doesn't always latch.

Picture of car (Or appearance description): Basically just a base-model Holden Commodore VZ wagon in dark blue over a gray interior, starting to show its age, with a 3" lift kit, homemade skid plates & roof rack, offroad tires and Hella rally lights.

Bienvenido al Gran Viaje. Make your preparations for the IC thread which will come... At some point.

by **Voxija** » Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:22 pm

I would apply with a Russian in a janky Soviet car, but I know almost nothing about cars.

by **Stanier** » Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:28 pm

Meh, you don't need to know much about cars to apply. Just pick your favorite Russian shitbox and google it... Then go crazy with the things that don't work on it.

by **United Islands of Polis** » Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:35 pm

Name of driver: Christian Ruch
DOB of driver: September 25, 1995
Driver nationality: Swiss
Driver age: 26
Gender of driver: Male
Bio of driver: Born and raised in Interlaken, Switzerland, Christian became a lawyer working for a relatively well off law firm in Geneva. Having been transferred to less strenuous work, assigned under a family who only needs a lawyer to clarify contracts and otherwise. While the entirety of joining this event is very out of line for his line of work, this had originated after having lost a bet to his mentor, one of five Partners in the law firm on one alcohol driven night after another case victory. originally the plan was not going to push through, however his mentor has a significant amount of pull and as such got it to work on the basis of being able to fend off car sales and insurance scammers if they get one of their employees to be more knowledgeable with vehicles and how they could break and or be fixed to provide a more stable and credible case for future arguments against or for their defendants or accused customers.
Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description)
Car Make and Model: UAZ-469
Price of car: USD 3,364
Drivetrain: in-line 4-cylinder, water cooled, 112 hp (83.5 kW) at 4,000 rpm, 5 speed manual gear box, AWD
Car weak points: Gear shift tends to be sticky, air filter, radiator hose is old, electricals are vulnerable (sudden loss of lights primarily), fuel gauge tends to stop working every now and then.
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: Canvas cover was flaking, some windows cannot roll down, seats torn (handsewn remedy), sun visors broken, door locks are questionable.
Picture of car (Or appearance description):

by **Stanier** » Fri Dec 10, 2021 11:48 pm

You have been accepted, welcum to the granted treep. May I interest you in some exhoost foom?

by **United Islands of Polis** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:21 am

Stanier wrote:You have been accepted, welcum to the granted treep. May I interest you in some exhoost foom?

I'd like my exoost fyoom in grape flavor pls :lol:

by **Stanier** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:26 am

'ery noic

by **Valentine Z** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 3:05 am

Name of driver: Melody Annette Cho Thinza Htet Tun
DOB of driver: 13th of January, 1992
Driver nationality: Burmese
Driver age: 29 (soon to be 30)
Gender of driver: Female
Bio of driver (Insert dispatch link if applicable): Born to an engineering mother and a mechanic father in the heart of Yangon, Melody had been exposed to the world of engineering as far as she could remember, with her parents slowly and steadily teaching her about the wonders of mechanical tools and the additional safety protocols that she had to follow. One can even say that she was quite good at it, given her intricacies for mathematics and numbers ever since she was born. She got her first mechanical tachometer on her 7th birthday as a present, promising to take good care of it. Still, just like every other kid who suddenly got their hands on a new toy, Melody started using it all around her home and on her other toys that runs on batteries, and also being reminded that "A washing machine is way too dangerous to measure when it's running," by her dad. She then set her sights and interests on the more vehicular side of engineering and mechanics, always being curious and fascinated about the internal workings of a car, especially towards its speedometers, gauges, how it gathers data, among many other things.

Many years would pass with her interest more or less staying the same, with her teachers noting about how she would top every single class, test, and exams in physics, mathematics, and mechanics (a subject she volunteered to take), but has quite a severe lapse and shortcoming when it comes to biology and chemistry, with minor weaknesses towards linguistics and literature. "Does not really like reading about Macbeth, but give her a technical manual on an obsolete car, and she will be occupied for hours," one particular teacher noted. A little quiet and introverted towards those who she considered a stranger, but when it comes to talking to those that shared the same interest or towards her friends and family members, Melody is quite certainly a chatterbox.

Eventually, come her adult life and having been graduated with B.S.M.E. (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering), she decided that she wanted to pursue further learning by herself, opting to self-teach herself to the best of her abilities and to be much more knowledgeable on cars. With their family car nearing being sent out to pasture (it was quite old, after all), Melody decided that having been granted the permission from her parents, she would take ownership of the car and to go for a particular event called El Gran Viaje.

Melody's strengths will come in the form of very extensive knowledge about her car and being able to help others with a mechanical problem, with the obvious downside being that she can get a little absentminded and might feed a wrong type of fuel into the car due to her inexperience with chemistry. Will most very likely leave you to bleed out in case of an injury, because she knows next to nothing about First Aid other than to bandage someone, and maybe do a very incoherent call towards Venezuela's 171.
Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description)
Will add picture later.
Car Make and Model: Toyota Corolla E100, July 1997.
Price of car: 8 Thein MMK (800,000 MMK) / 1332 USD in 1997, 2157 USD as of 2021.
Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD): Front-engine, front-wheel-drive. 5-gears. ~170 HP.
Car weak points (Things this specific car is reowned to break down from): Transmission can get a little wonky, evaporative emission (EVAP) system issues (result of charcoal canister failure or a faulty gas cap).
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: A/C does not work properly, one passenger seat missing at the back (right behind the driver), back trunk does not close properly, headlights may be nearing its EOL (end of life).
Picture of car (Or appearance description):

by **Stanier** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 10:58 am

Welcum Val, welcum aboard. You have been accepted.

Here's a Tesco meal deal.

by **Chernogovsk** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 11:48 am

Name of driver: Vukomir Hajduković
DOB of driver: 23/9/1973
Driver nationality: Montenegrin
Driver age: 48
Gender of driver: Male
Bio of driver (Insert dispatch link if applicable): Born and raised in the town of Petrovac to a poor family, Vukomir was always interested in automobiles, particularly the cheaper ones. Moved to Slovenia in 2009 and wrote for Avtomanija for a short period of time. He participated in several street races throughout that year before being arrested for reckless driving. Released in 2010 and converted to Catholicism. He's still looking for fame.
Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description)
https://i.postimg.cc/QdX1xDGb/Niko-Bellic-GTA4.jpg
Car Make and Model: VAZ-2105
Price of car: €625.36 (707.72 USD)
Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD): 1.2 L I4 (petrol), 4/5-speed manual, RWD
Car weak points (Things this specific car is reowned to break down from): Vulnerable electronics, radiator hose partially broken
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: Right headlight busted, cracked windshield, radio broken
Picture of car (Or appearance description):

by **Holy Federation of Stars** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:37 pm

Name of driver: Arktop Mokop
DOB of driver: 24/9/2365
Driver nationality: Karkimok, Holy Federal
Driver age: 45
Gender of driver: Male
Bio of driver (Insert dispatch link if applicable):

Born in the highlands of Karkpop, Arktop grew up in one of the poorest regions of the Holy Federation. He spent his early years on a farm, but eventually grew tired of that life and became a small store owner at 18. The store did not do too well, but he was eventually able to earn enough to buy his first - and so far only - truck. Arktop lived a lifestyle quite unlike other members of his ethnicity, preferring to live alone in his own small prefabricated house rather than in a central apartment. Despite this, he is not socially awkward and actually likes people - though is quick to anger.
Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description) Upon first glance, you could mistake Arktop for a typical Navajo man. However, he is quite short due to his planet's higher gravity, being around 165 cm tall, although also a bit stocky. He also has a goatee and appears to have aged poorly. Despite the hot climate, he has yet to take off his leather jacket - something which he is mentally regretting but refuses to publicly state.
Car Make and Model: 2373 Tuku-Branded Pickup Truck (Kinda similar to the 2001 GMC Sonoma). 37-years-old, high millage, and ad-hocly modified and repaired by people who really shouldn't be repairing cars.
Price of car: Originally 25,183; has since degraded to about 2,952 by millage alone.
Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD): 2.2 L 4-cylinder, 4-speed automatic, AWD.
Car weak points (Things this specific car is reowned to break down from):
- The Front left Drive Shaft is currently being held together by duct tape and the (metaphorical) goodwill of God. While he wanted to get it repaired, he kind of forgot about the problem.
- One of the engine pistons just doesn't work half the time and the skirt is slightly chipped.
- Radiator is missing a bit more than a quarter of its fins, and as such, it requires a bit more effort to cool the engine.
- The guy who fixed his radio used bad wiring, so it has a chance of randomly short-circuiting.
- The back left tire has 3 Tire Plugs, and they are known to occasionally fall out.
- The timing belt has been replaced multiple times, but this one is ever so slightly too big.
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought:
- Back left door straight up doesn't close or lock. Arktop decided to just superglue it shut instead.
- Cannot play AM, possibly due to that poor wiring.
- Glove Compartment needs to be slammed shut, else it will fall back open.
Picture of car (Or appearance description): While at one point it may have been a good truck, at this point, it looks like something jacked from a dump. It looks fairly similar to a 2001 GMC Sonoma, though its missing the logo and has a more rectangular front grille. The bottom of the vehicle is covered in mud and appears to be at the very least slightly rusty, the paint is scratched in multiple places, and you can see where Arktop glued the car door shut. The interior isn't much better, with the Polyester chairs being stained. The floorboard is rather clean, however.

by **Archbasilica** » Sat Dec 11, 2021 5:39 pm

Name of driver: Alice Alumni
DOB of driver: 1993-30-1 (30th January 1993)
Driver nationality: Archbasilican
Driver age: 32
Gender of driver: Female
Bio of driver:
The youngest daughter of a mechanical engineering family, her childhood was defined not by geometry and tinkering, but traveling and writing. Born and raised in a country dominated by walking, cycling, and monorails, she found herself working in the same design bureau as her father, which was involved in maritime research and development. It was in this bureau, however, that she became fascinated by propulsion, particularly diesel engines.

Meanwhile, the bureau was lingering around the concept of automobile production. In conjunction with several other bureaus, the need to create and produce a cheap and reliable car was motivated not by pride or ambition, but by international curiosity and opportunity. The lack of transportation or automobile ownership in Africa and South America was a chance for Archbasilica to bring influence and business overseas - the perfect platforms for expanding diplomacy and prestige.

Although the concept of automobiles was nothing new in Archbasilica, the idea of civilian implications and ownership was frowned upon; however, its usage by law enforcement, industrial, and agricultural institutions was most desirable. Hoping to break this notion, Alice sought out assistance from her father - including his fellow associates (plus their associates elsewhere) - to create Archbasilica's first 'people's car'. The biggest challenge and concern of all was the engine.

A few years later, the project was secretly unveiled, having passed basic tests and developments. But in order to truly consider the car ready for mass production and exportation, the prototype needed to be driven and tested somewhere overseas. Therefore, Alice suggested to drive and debut the vehicle in the El Gran Viaje...
Picture of driver
Car Make and Model: 1987 Suzuki Super Carry (Appearance and Inspiration)
Price of car: å30,000,000 (~$2,700)
Drivetrain: 2-cylinder opposed-piston diesel engine (including hand crank), air cooling system, mid-engine arrangement, 4-speed manual (plus reverse), FWD, 1,500 max rpm (100 min rpm).
Car weak points: 100km/h maximum speed, weak electrical power, no fuel gauge (dipstick required), mild vibration, moderately noisy driver's compartment, heavy hand crank, no driver/front doors (only two sliding doors and one rear door), no crumple zone, no electronics, and slow windshield wipers.
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: N/A
Picture of car:

by **Stanier** » Sun Dec 12, 2021 5:22 am

Holy shit this blew up mates, I'm running out of fooms.

Nobody past Val has been accepted yet at the moment. Please give me the rest of the day to review the applications because I just got off an all-nighter at work, and I need to rest.

Thank you all so much for your interest in the RP. Here's hoping it won't disappoint.

~~not you tho ham, you can sod it~~

by **Archbasilica** » Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:41 pm

Stanier wrote:Holy shit this blew up mates, I'm running out of fooms.

Nobody past Val has been accepted yet at the moment. Please give me the rest of the day to review the applications because I just got off an all-nighter at work, and I need to rest.

Thank you all so much for your interest in the RP. Here's hoping it won't disappoint.

~~not you tho ham, you can sod it~~

It’s more than a pleasure to be apart of this RP.

I hope you do well in the meantime.

Amen.

by **Stanier** » Thu Dec 16, 2021 10:35 am

Chernogovsk, Holy Federation of Stars, Archbasilica.

Welcum *Slurp* to the Grand Trip, ye.

New contract, new tv show, new shite lads.

By this I mean I shall create the IC thread shortly. See y'all soon in the roleplay side of things.

by **Ameriganastan** » Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:31 am

Name of driver: "Devil" Doug McCoy
DOB of driver: 6/6/66
Driver nationality: American
Driver age: 55
Gender of driver: Male
Bio of driver: Few names were as infamous in the stock car racing scene of the 80 and 90s as Doug McCoy, AKA Devil Doug. With a personality fitting his ominous date of birth, Doug raised six kinds of Hell during his days on the oval. Not afraid to put someone in the wall on the track, and not afraid to give them a knuckle sandwich off of it. Doug talked the talk and walked the walk, a 4 time champion during his racing days. Many a story has been told about his many rivalries, but the one everyone talks about most was his rivalry with Cletus Buckwald. If they weren't bumping and scrapping during a race, they were throwing punches after. Well, the rivalry came to a head one hot summer day in 1993. When Cletus, a lap down and out of contention, brake checked Doug and made him eat the ass end of his car as he tried to pass. Costing Doug the race, and his potential 5th championship. Well, Doug was not having that. As proven when he marched to his hauler after the race, grabbed his gun and shot Cletus twice on national television. Buckwald survived, but he would never race again thanks to bullet #2 paralyzing him. And Doug would never race again, either. 25 to life for attempted murder. Thanks to a good lawyer, Doug avoided the "For life" bit and has been a free man since 2018. A free man with barely any cash, a minimum wage job and a lifetime ban from stock car racing. Well, fate finally smiled on him. Something called the El Gran Viaje. It wasn't the cup, but it was racing. So, withdrawing his meager savings, Doug got himself an old truck, a plane ticket and has made his way to Columbia. He better win. Because now he's quite literally got no money to get home.
Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description): 6'1, noticeably overweight after all those years inside, brown eyes, still sports the mullet and mustache combo from his heyday, only now both are gray.
Car Make and Model: 2003 Dodge Durango Sport/SXT
Price of car: $2900
Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD): 4.7L V8 16V MPFI SOHC, automatic, 4 wheel drive.
Car weak points: The truck didn't get great mileage when it was new. Now it's a small miracle if it doesn't eat through the whole tank during a long drive. Broken air conditioner. Shocks need a tune up.
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: Hole in the floorboard, windows don't roll down, leather seats are old and cracked, tape player has an Alan Jackson cassette stuck in it.
Picture of car (Or appearance description): Here.

by **Stanier** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:37 pm

Ameriganastan, you have been accepted.

Bear in mind we do not have cheese for your character to put on every food under the sun at the moment

I'm still working on the opener post for the IC thread. It's just been a few grueling days at work.

by **Onfande** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:33 pm

Name of driver: Joseph Blackwell
DOB of driver: March 2nd, 1984
Driver nationality: American
Driver age: 37 (or 38 depending on the day)
Gender of driver: Male
Bio of driver (Insert dispatch link if applicable): Joseph was born in Texarkana to a pretty average American family. His dad was an electrician, though worked on cars for fun, often teaching Joseph some things about cars or what he was doing. Joseph chose to play around with electronic and buildable toys, being very creative with what he does. By the time he was 22, Joseph managed to catch a career as a contractor, where he remains to where we are now. In his free time, he messes around with car stuff, occasionally purchasing the closest and cheapest garbage car or trailer to experiment on. Joseph plans on staying as a contractor until he retires, and wants to be able to work on more cars in his later days.
Picture of driver (Or physical appearance description) Joseph stands at 5'11,and is slightly chubby with a rounded face. His hair is dark brown and average in length. He has brown eyes, with little blackness under them. He almost always wears a worn-down black leather jacket decorated with a set of checkered flags and an eagle in a form similar to a skull and bones on the leftside breast area, which he got from his dad as a gift.
Car Make and Model: 1980 Renault 5 "Le Car"
Price of car: $2,299.99 ~~(I bought this at a hardware store)~~
Drivetrain (Engine type and power, transmission, and whether It's RWD, AWD, or FWD): 1397cc Inline-4 producing 51hp, front-wheel-drive, 4-speed manual
Car weak points (Things this specific car is reowned to break down from): Loss of braking over time, "weak wires", steering coupling breakdown, tendency for the engine to stall while idling
Car Parts and comfort features broken when bought: All seats but the driver's are missing their headrests, the glovebox closes using tape, driver-side window doesn't work (it can't rise), there is a hole in the roof above the rear-left seat (covered with duct tape), missing gascap, one of the headlights is dimmer than the other one, windshield wipers are not automatic
Picture of car (Or appearance description): It's not supposed to have a sunroof!

by **Yaak** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:45 pm

Not participating, but I would love to keep track of posts here.

Maybe next time host it in the Middle East?

by **Archbasilica** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 3:59 pm

Stanier wrote:Ameriganastan, you have been accepted.

Bear in mind we do not have cheese for your character to put on every food under the sun at the moment

I'm still working on the opener post for the IC thread. It's just been a few grueling days at work.

It's okay, take your time. 'Tis the most exciting time of the year - let's sort the holidays first.

Good luck in the meantime.

by **Brettenwald** » Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:49 pm

bump

~~yes I know I've been bugging you about this on Discord :troll:~~

El Gran Viaje (Open, limited slots, OOC)

El Gran Viaje (Open, limited slots, OOC)

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