Beechworth Bakery founder Tom O'Toole and mate Keith McIntosh have cancelled their upcoming adventure from Beechworth to Nhulubuy in the A Model Ford, which they have planned to start in April.

The move is as a result and a precautious measure in light of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

They have deemed it is no longer wise or practical, to continue to plan this trip, travelling between remote communities across the country raising money for Ballarat's Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.

Planned business speaking events on this trip have also been cancelled.

EARLIER

THIS kinda trip almost killed Tom O'Toole and his mate Keith McIntosh last time, they say - not to mention the life-threatening, flesh-eating bacteria that initially kept O'Toole from regaling Ballarat with the tale.

Two years later the duo is preparing to take their A-model Ford back to the outback in the name of promoting Ballarat's world-class cancer research.

"Two fools in a Ford" is what O'Toole, the Beechworth Bakery founder, reckons the trip should be called. Officially they are calling it North to South, as they plan to drive from Beechworth to Nhulunbuy Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and back within 30 days. Along the way they are scheduling in community talks about Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute once more.

The pair are not new to a slow road trip on such roads, having taken the vintage car to the tip of Cape York and to Birdsville in past trips. This time will be on more bitumen.

"It should be a lot easier than East to West (Byron Bay to Shark Bay)," O'Toole said. "But it will still test us. We've got no doors, no seat belts and you're looking the whole time in the rear-vision to make sure no-one comes up behind and hits us."

The car has a maximum speed about 40km/h.

At one point last time, the starter motor blew up and the duo had to call for a push start about 500-kilometres from Alice Springs.

O'Toole assures the car body has been rebuilt, there should be new wheels and a new engine - they should be fine.

"Keith is 77 this year and he has fixed his lawnmower once before. I'm 68 and have no idea about mechanics," O'Toole said.

"We try and do everything we can to raise every dollar we can for Fiona Elsey. It's the only regional cancer research institute in Australia and is independent, which means any research they do gets out to the people who matter."

FECRI is launching a new breast cancer research program, aiming to dramatically change treatment for the disease, after reaching a $300,000 fundraising target in last month's Ballarat Cycle Classic.

The institute's globally-recognised research is also helping to establish new treatment targets in bowel cancer, new immunotherapy targets for ovarian cancer and methods to isolate new viruses.

O'Toole and McIntosh hope to hit the road early next month.

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