First Rally car, what to get?

Cool, thanks John. What RWD cars would you suggest?

I'm starting to learn the Focus might not be the best choice. Which is why I'm here on the first place. Lol! Thanks

Quote
Hatman
Cool, thanks John. What RWD cars would you suggest?

I'm starting to learn the Focus might not be the best choice. Which is why I'm here on the first place. Lol! Thanks

Well we didn't get 1968 thru 1980 Ford Escort and they're insanely expensive now--even if brand new bodies are available..So the car that is easiest and with the most easy groth potential I would suggest is this:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g5U6cwX8RcE"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

And here's one nearby
https://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/d/volvo-240/6283908016.html

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Just for fun, this is a "rallysprint", the spiritual equivalent of so called "rally-cross"




Notice how nicely a certain something is going at 4.12

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2017 09:09PM by john vanlandingham.

Ok, not the direction I was thinking but I'll definitely keep it in mind. (the whole point of asking was to point me in new directions.) The one you posted is nice with low miles. Shame I'm not ready just yet. With it being so old, how accessible are parts for the 240? Are they inexpensive?

They made like a billion 240s from like 76-93. They are easy to find parts for.

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Grant Hughes

Clearly, the best answer is S-class Mercedes.

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
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Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

Just to add fuel to the fire... how about a 2JZ swapped 242? That should kick up some rooster tails!

https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/pts/d/1979-volvo-242/6256038366.html

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DanielSL
Just to add fuel to the fire... how about a 2JZ swapped 242? That should kick up some rooster tails!

https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/pts/d/1979-volvo-242/6256038366.html

Having trouble staying on topic? This is not a fap fest... 9k for grass-o-cross is stupid & you're not clever quit trying!

ROFL, while interesting. (LS1 or 2JZ all the things!!!!) definitely not what I want to spend. Now I've been hesitant to say my budget cause I wanted to see what you all have to say. But I'd really like to keep it under $2500 if possible. $1000/$1500 being the ideal. I would be willing to spend a little more if there was a "magic" car and "just get this one" and your set type of thing. Which is why I've asked about it here. Still interested in everyone's opinions. Although Volvo 240's seem to be in short supply.

PS What is thoughts on an early 2000's Civic? They have about the same power and are lighter. Do they hold up well?

LOL. I wouldn't drive it. Hell, you'd never see me in a damned Volvo. I grew up in New England. Volvos are for soccer moms and their snot nosed bitch kids. Must be like John likes them so much. The boys drove Audis and Saabs up there. Just trying to prove a point. Which was proven in just a few minutes. Too many of you faggots want this site to be some sort of a drama laced daytime soap opera, instead of a place where discussions can be had, and ideas can be shared.

Robert, whatever you end up getting; CFR will be glad to have you out, in whatever class you choose. Great group of people who are all about helping each other, even if it means missing runs to help a competitor make it home safely. We pride ourselves on the true grassroots fun factor at the RX events. As much as l I like the Rally Anarchy site, you have to be building a true stage Rally car to have anyone give you serious advice; and you have to believe all of Johns narcissistic self ego-raising bullshit to get anywhere.

Robert;

Happy you saw that listing as a joke, which is how it was meant. No one should spend that on a car for RX, and it would most likely be illegal in most if not all stage rally organizations.

I disagree with John on the BMW's being expensive. Only someone whom cannot work on them themselves finds them expensive. I have owned German cars exclusively since I was 15, and BMW, VW, and Audi are not expensive at all. The tricks are knowing how to work on them yourself, and understanding ordering parts, (specifically BOSCH) by part numbers, not saying you have a German car to the counter guy. My Porsches were expensive. My Mercedes are expensive. Laughing at what Alex said above, as I have had 4 S classes. 2 126 chassis, a 140 chassis, and a 220 chassis S600. Hell, my wife and I have 4 MB's now, and there's only ever two of them running at any one time. And my SL 55 lives in storage, as I am afraid to damage any of its RennTECH bits. I would not even think about rallying any of them. A 123 Coupe however, would be a completely different story. Or an R107 SLC tribute of the factory MB rally cars from the Africa rallies. 450 SLC or 500 SLC tribute.

When it comes to early 2000's Civics, we have two that run in CFR region. Neither has done well, and they seem to consistently break something every event. However, that is nothing against the car. In both cases, I firmly believe it is poor car preparation from owners trying to keep a cheap car running using cheap parts.

The last time I revised my budget for my build, I was sitting right at 7 grand. But that was with 20 something used rally tires, and 21 alloy wheels (13-15", 4-16", and 4-17". It was also with almost 2 grand in a custom built HotBits rally suspension, over $300 in graphics and stickers, and an engine swap out of an Audi TT-Q.

I could have easily bought, built, and ran a stock GTI with a 1.8T engine in stock or prepared class for between 2,000 and 3,000 for the first season.

Since you like Hondas, have you thought of an Integra coupe? Ryan McLaughlin at rally.build drives one pretty competitively, and it looks killer at full tilt boogie.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2017 06:02PM by DanielSL.

Yeah sorry about the Honda love, but I've owned more of those than anything else but I willing to branch out. Integras are just as fine in my eyes. What were the civic's breaking? I owned a 2001 LX and passed it on to my dad. It had 280k miles on it and still run, just starting to have a slight oil leak and still on the original clutch. (rev matched shifts for it's entire life.)

BMW's would be cool. A little more outlay of cash at first. I also have a BMW "guy" in my corner who knows the early 2000's car like the back of his hand. Kinda why they were on the list.

Quote
Hatman
Yeah sorry about the Honda love, but I've owned more of those than anything else but I willing to branch out. Integras are just as fine in my eyes. What were the civic's breaking? I owned a 2001 LX and passed it on to my dad. It had 280k miles on it and still run, just starting to have a slight oil leak and still on the original clutch. (rev matched shifts for it's entire life.)

BMW's would be cool. A little more outlay of cash at first. I also have a BMW "guy" in my corner who knows the early 2000's car like the back of his hand. Kinda why they were on the list.

Again I will be frank..That Daniel guy is, politely put, a total bullshitting moron...
Read his thread and look at all his brilliant ideas and his reasoning...All either deep cover trolling--but he's too stupid for that, or he's certifiably mentally retarded.

There are now in USA a number of guys with E36s and some have had some good results with them HERE..But there i a plethora of problems even at the modest prep and speed of the US guys...
Among others:
*-repeated engine failures---oil pump and dropping valves
*-gearboxes refusing to shift and insanely expensive parts and pointlessly difficult gearbox repair process. (Daniel took 9 months to bolt two junk shocks on to his car, he does not to complicated things like build engines or repair boxes or diffs)
*repeated inner stubshaft failures--cleaning splines off.. The "Big" diff halfshaft splins are about 29mm dia..About the same things as cars weighing 6000-800 lbs less from other Euro brands. NO upgrade available)
*) repeated failures of the cast iron rear knuckle lower shock mount...typical German fucking injur-nears with their love of single shear shock mounting...and cast fucking iron...No solution
*repeated rust and corrosion related loss of captive nuts for mounting suspension links, not know the junk was rusted until failure since so much rust and sound-proofing goo slather around..
*corroded upper shock mounting.

Now in the Finnish video you see some going like stink. Listen to the engines but more important listen to the sounds of the thing revving---that's via VERY short crownwheel and pinion set...and the rev drop on shifts---SWEEET!...thats from a proper close ratio gear set.
http://www.samsonas.com/products/12/

Those 2 parts--and that is a must to eventually "have to have" go well in the car are well over $10,000, possibly closer to $15,000.

The motors don't make gobs or torque an usually that's OK, you just go shorter axle ratio and let the gears make the torque.. But alternate short gears like worthwhile cost $4000-5000 for BMW

And under $200 for Toyota axle and under $150 for Volvo with Dana 30..

With shorter gears the car---any car--accelerates quicker..With the ways BMWsa are geared for very high speed autobahn/Autoroute/autostrada cruising you need shorter axle..
So without they're a dog compared to a lowly any other car with them.
and you still need a good diff...

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

I'm all for the volvo, but I have a slight bias. E36 isn't terrible, but they do have their issues (as do most cars).
Buy a POS for rally-x that you hate. Drive I like you stole it and invest minimal amounts of money. Than immediately realize that stage rally would be a better option, and then go do something fun with a RWD car and hang out with the cool kids
Seriosuly though, stage rally is to heroin as rallycross is to some crappy shake. It's way better, and it will ruin you.