What makes a good rally car?

NoCoast Wrote:
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> >
>
>
> First in Group F at a National event in Finland on
> the car's premiere event.
>
> Used V6 models are going for around $3500 here.
>

$3500 for an M3? WHERE?

The "M3" part is very important. Also note that Euro-spec M3 models had vastly better engines than US-spec. US-spec were little more than hotted up 325i engines, in order to get the price down since they didn't think Americans would pay $50k for a Dreier.

Euro-spec were 300+hp independent throttle beasties, basically the engine that we got with the E46 when BMW realized that for all the money they were spending making two different M3 models, they could just give us the good stuff at close to the same price.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Not an M3. As you said, the M3 was just a built 325 engine so why bother. Plus, regardless of what shell you get, your going to want to swap to the Euro spec M3 engine aforementioned so why not get the cheap 318 or 325 shell? One would definitely need the 5th gear though for US events.

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Grant Hughes

Right a good point for the thread, if you are going to take a car and change the motor, the brakes, the seats, the gearbox, the dif, the struts, the rims, the lights etc there is no reason to pay for the fancy model. I rallyed a Golf GL since there was no reason to pay more for the GTI body since the only thing I kept was the bumpers, sheet metal and glass, basically everything else was messed with.

So add $3000 for a stock M3 motor from over there where they get more grunt.

Though I think more brakes is always better I found that the fairly modest brakes I but on the Golf worked just fine with very good pads and BMW's have much better brakes then that even on the budget models.

If I build one I would cage it, change the diff and susspend it with real good struts then go rally. After a few events I would decided if I need more power, more gearing or more brakes.

Derek

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In the long run reality always wins.

Damn near always need more brakes. good plan, waiting to see if you need more power. Brakes, then gearing...

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Jay Woodward
Snohomish, WA
'90 Mazdog Frankenprotege
Chronologically, 46...

I'd guess more than 15,000 the sellholm box is probably half that or more.

I have not idea what a selholm box cost for a BMW but for my golf with Limited slip the dog box was about 4500 Euros in 2002. I think that came with a nice final drive too. Given that it is a RWD thing I would expect there are gear kits in that price range for some gear box that will fit.

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In the long run reality always wins.

My guess was that it is completly designed sequential gearbox not just a dog gearkit.

That seems cheap to me, actually. The last quote I got from Selholm was over $7K (US) for a complete gearbox for a MkII Golf. That was in 2005.

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Self-righteous douche canoe

hoche Wrote:
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> That seems cheap to me, actually. The last quote I
> got from Selholm was over $7K (US) for a complete
> gearbox for a MkII Golf. That was in 2005.


US Dollar to Swedish Kr exchange has sunk by approximately 45% since Dereks prices in favor of the SvKr.
Add normal Swedish inflation at 4-5% per year and you sheet the bed at the price increase.

But don't worry, US Exports such as Boeing and Archer-Daniels-Midlands are just happy as pigs in a quagmire, record sales.
You're either for Profits or with the terr'ists.

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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 07/24/2007 09:55AM by john vanlandingham.

Do not forget that oil and airplans are also sold in US $'s thus keeping the $ week hurts Airbus and Evil Middle East Regemes who both now need to sell their product for $ even as their cost of inputs are sold in Euros...

But remember a major factor in the weak $ is most of us buying TV's, Gameboxes, etc and not saving.

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In the long run reality always wins.