TWO old school friends suffered a setback on the first day of an 8,000-mile trip to Outer Mongolia in a rusty old banger.

Despite breaking down before leaving the UK, James Hammond and Mark Swindells hope the 1992 Fiat Panda will make it across 13 countries, five mountain ranges and two deserts.

The 25-year-old former pupils of Ripon Grammar School are competing in the London to Mongolia Rally.

They set off from London on Saturday, only to suffer a broken water pump before reaching the ferry.

After hasty repairs, they were back on the road within hours and yesterday, they were the first team to reach the checkpoint in Prague, in the Czech Republic, after driving for 12 hours.

The friends bought the 999cc green Panda car off Internet auction site eBay.

It was chosen to comply with rally rules, which state vehicles must have an engine no bigger than one litre and must be in a poor state of repair.

Mr Swindells, a businessman from Harrogate, said: "At least two of the countries are politically unstable and once we get to Uzbekistan there are no roads.

"But we are determined we'll make it. It should take us about three weeks, travelling 600 miles a day, but we will keep going, even if it takes us six months."

They hope to raise thousands of pounds for the Save the Children and Send a Cow charities by competing.

On arrival in Outer Mongolia, the car will be donated to charity before the drivers take the luxury of a flight home.

For progress reports or to sponsor the trip, visit www.team-mongolian-job.com.