The Pea Project – Part 3: Improvised, Not Perfect

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                     The paint wasn’t even properly dry and we carried straight on. Interior build. For now we skipped insulation completely. Same with a roof vent and side windows — mainly because of time, not because we suddenly decided we don’t need them. Quite the opposite. But for the first trip they weren’t life-or-death items. At that moment, two things were non-negotiable: a bed and a kitchen. Let’s start with the bed. Somewhere, there was a slatted bed base lying around. Naturally not one that fit the van. But it was far too big for its new job — which made it the perfect starting point. Four hours of sawing, drilling and swearing later, everything fit that previously… didn’t. What was still missing was the mattress. And that turned out to be less trivial than expected. Because the bed isn’t a standard size, we had to improvise. A custom mattress will come later — once we’ve given the whole “bed concept” the green li...
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Project Marrakesh – Part 4: What Is This Even Supposed to Become?

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Project Marrakesh

 

  

 

 

The destination, the date and the route are set.

Now comes the real question: what does the Porsche need to become in order to cross Europe, survive the Mediterranean, and then keep going once Africa begins?

🔧 1) Mechanics – the unavoidable “grown-up” part

After 25 years of doing absolutely nothing, the car needs more than “fresh fluids and optimism”.
The list is long, and brutally clear:

  • complete brake system rebuild

  • replace brake lines

  • remove and renew the fuel tank

  • renew fuel lines

  • timing belt, water pump, thermostat

  • all fluids fresh

  • countless small parts and seals

  • welding work

  • partial respray

A full technical resurrection — exactly what you’d expect when a car has taken a quarter-century break.

🧳 2) Space – and why this is bigger than I thought

Beyond the mechanics there’s the actual challenge: storage.

My co-pilot is my partner.
And anyone who’s travelled far with a woman knows that “space” isn’t a theoretical concept — it’s hard physics.

Also: after converting my old van into a camper, we got used to stopping anywhere, pulling out chairs and a table, and making coffee in the middle of nowhere.

We’re not giving that up. You can’t pay for that kind of freedom. Not even with Visa.

So the Porsche needs room for:

  • camping table and chairs

  • a fridge

  • cooking kit (gas stove, pots, pan, dishes)

  • water containers

  • spare fuel canisters

  • tools and spare parts

  • camera gear

The storage doesn’t just need to exist — it needs to be re-invented.

🏜️ 3) Morocco demands more than tarmac

South of the Mediterranean we’re expecting:

  • tracks

  • sand

  • stones

  • missing guardrails

  • minimal road markings

  • darkness without helpful reflections… but with plenty of “things” on the road you would never expect

So the Porsche will get:

  • all-terrain tyres

  • a proper full-size spare

  • additional lighting

  • a homemade skid plate

  • slightly increased ground clearance (thanks to larger tyres)

Four-wheel drive would be ideal — but you can’t exactly bolt that on, or wish it into existence. You can’t knit it with yarn and a pair of needles either.
At best I could stick a 4x4 badge on the car… but I’m not sure that helps much.

So: improvise, adapt, optimise.

Am I missing something important?
Something that absolutely belongs in a Porsche heading 4,600 km towards Africa — whether it’s serious, practical, or completely ridiculous?

If you’ve got ideas, I’m happy for every tip, every experience, every suggestion.
Better to laugh about it now than swear in the Sahara later. 😅

 

                             

                                           

                              

 

 

 

Project Marrakesh – Part 4 of 8

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