The rally’s golden rules? Vehicles used in the event must cost or be worth no more than $1000 and participants are expected to raise at least $4000 for the Cancer Council.

Carlton North residents Sally McLeay, 31, and Sam Barrett, 36, will take their 1985 Mitsubishi Nimbus on the farewell trip up the east coast before it is retired, permanently.

‘‘It was my parents’ car,’’ McLeay says.

‘‘It’s only done 188,000km. It’s been on a lot of family camping trips, so I think the family were pretty pleased to see it go on one last adventure instead of seeing it get scrapped.’’

The car, also known as the Brown Thunder due to its colour scheme, will join about 180 other ‘‘shitboxes’’ for the charity rally, an alternative to the more polished rally events held regularly across the country.

Organisers warn the participants not to expect any creature comforts over the rally’s seven days. It will be ‘‘dirty, dusty and tough’’.

That’s something the two are preparing for. ‘‘We got it serviced in Adelaide [where the car was located] and the mechanic actually said there’s nothing wrong with it but the radiator’s a little bit dodgy,’’ Barrett says.

‘‘He warned us not to drive it to Melbourne because it would probably break down, but we did anyway, so hopefully it will make it.’’

The teams will set off from Melbourne on April 14, travelling to remote towns such as Wentworth, Tibooburra, Innamincka, Windorah, Winton and Undara before finishing in Cairns a week later. The clunkers will be auctioned at the end of the rally.

The terrain will not be easy for vehicles on their last legs. The drivers will have to contend with sand dunes, river crossings and lots of dirt roads. McLeay and Barrett plan to pack an Esky and cross their fingers that the family car survives the journey.