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Andrew_Frick

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john vanlandingham

I smell an agenda.

John, we have talked about this before. My only agenda is to see more people race in more rallies in the states.

I am sorry you did not like my tone in that post that is now what almost 2 years old, I actually did not realize it was you and thought it was another aspiring ralliest that was linking to here. I did not say it was bad I just said it was un proven, and I clarified my remarks in a later post saying that I meant only the rear suspension and actually recommended your front and shock set up. But please go ahead and apply some super secret nefarious motive or agenda to my statements.

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john vanlandingham

I smell an agenda.

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john vanlandingham

Anyway, I posted a hilarious vid of the stamped junk---wifey shot it and uploaded it, I don't know how! You gotta see it..

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RALLYRS
Yeah-that's me....

I think you mean this thread:


http://forums.focaljet.com/focus-rallying-rallycross/653742-rally-prospect.html

I think you might be talking about Andrew's(who is here too)comments in that thread.

Spose I shouldn't talk for him,but I think he's on board with the inverted Bilsteins,but
not entirely sold on replacing the stamped rear arms(if I remember correctly they are actually made from thin slices of cheese-I believe it's cheddar)with JVAB/TSSFAB tubular stuff....

Apparently..he and some others have had success(and probably a healthy dose of luck!) running stock rear stuff on stage,and not usually bending it.

I don't like the stamped stuff personally,but will let the guys with actual STAGE experience(not me yet!)argue about this....

I'm not going to be on stage any time soon-but that is the plan eventually(a small business plus a second job keeps me pretty busy)..

but I'll be watching youse guys and learning...

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RALLYRS

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Pete

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john vanlandingham
I think all Fucci excpt the lame thing with the ZF box got MTX, except as said manual---cable shift---are quite uncommon..
more than 88% of the cars in 'Merikuh are autotragics.

All SOHC Focus use the Mazda G-whatever box, same as the '91-up Escort.

Sad thing is the Mazda box has tolerable ratios, the MTX is stupid tall gearing, like 1st is maybe good for 50mph and 5th has you idling at sixty...

No...no Mazda gearbox ever used in a Focus.

Spi Sohc cars(if you are unlucky enough to find one-look for a Duratec if you're Foci shopping!) came with the Ford IB5.

Excuse the Wiki links,but the trans listings(except they for get about the Duratec's) are right....and I'm uber lazy....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Focus_%28first_generation%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_BC-Series_transmission

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Pete

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john vanlandingham
I think all Fucci excpt the lame thing with the ZF box got MTX, except as said manual---cable shift---are quite uncommon..
more than 88% of the cars in 'Merikuh are autotragics.

All SOHC Focus use the Mazda G-whatever box, same as the '91-up Escort.

Sad thing is the Mazda box has tolerable ratios, the MTX is stupid tall gearing, like 1st is maybe good for 50mph and 5th has you idling at sixty...

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john vanlandingham
I think all Fucci excpt the lame thing with the ZF box got MTX, except as said manual---cable shift---are quite uncommon..
more than 88% of the cars in 'Merikuh are autotragics.

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john vanlandingham
Yeah when the cars have manual box, and that's only a tiny % here in Fortress America aka Festung Amerika..
I have managed to talk at least 2 people out of Fucci just because there is only limited availability of anything for the MTX75... crying shame cause it looks stout-er-er than the VW junk, but alas it is an MPG box...

I couldn't gfind any info definitive on alternate production ratios..
Seems Ford uses IB5 on smaller engined cars...

MTX75 started appearing on the "Contour" and Mystique" aka Mondeos, and I think all Fucci excpt the lame thing with the ZF box got MTX, except as said manual---cable shift---are quite uncommon..
more than 88% of the cars in 'Merikuh are autotragics.

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danster

And that is the rub, just how much monies or time does one throw at a Rarebit to make it good when there may just be other better platforms to start with these days?
Word on the street is that the Ford Fucos could have rear discs soon!
Did the Focus come with the 5 speed MTX FWD box out there?

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danster
That is a very valid point about using the 4.4 FD. In fact I forgot I had put an 02K geabox with that ratio aside....
Those boxes turn up often over here, because they fall to bits whether they have been driven normally, controvertially or even romantically. But more usefully because the engines they are bolted to fall to bits regardless of how they are driven which means the gearbox is ok to salvage parts from. If one is a cheap bastid and can be bothered to hunt the stuff out that is.

And that is the rub, just how much monies or time does one throw at a Rarebit to make it good when there may just be other better platforms to start with these days?
Word on the street is that the Ford Fucos could have rear discs soon!
Did the Focus come with the 5 speed MTX FWD box out there?

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Robert Culbertson
Slam it, poke it, and stretch it. Also, pick up a flat billed hat while you're at it!

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danster

Anyway the point he was probably making is that the earlier Rabbit GTI boxes had a 3.89 FD (not the 3.94 used on later 3.9s), unlike the later box that got the 3.6 FD. Hmm, mind you this was the case in Europe so not gospel.
The oem "close ratio" GTI 5 speed gear sets basically stayed the same bar a weeny bit of difference on the 5th.....
3.45- 1st
2.12- 2nd
1.44- 3rd
1.12- 4th
0.91- 5th (early)
0.89- 5th (later)

Sourcing a 4.25 FD would help even more. And this also helps with the 1.94 2nd gear issue too.

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Pete
What kinda road racing? It seems most people who road race these are Improved Touring, which means the gearboxes are stock with maybe a diff but lots just weld it and adjust their driving style.

Talking to a more knowledgeable friend of mine, he says that I have THE gearbox to have because it's an '83 and thus the one with the SUPER SHORT gear ratios (sarcasm mine) because 4th and 5th are maybe 5% less of an overdrive than on other transmissions. I've driven enough actual close ratio transmissions to not think anything VW ever made was close ratio.

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Pete
Talking to a more knowledgeable friend of mine, he says that I have THE gearbox to have because it's an '83 and thus the one with the SUPER SHORT gear ratios (sarcasm mine) because 4th and 5th are maybe 5% less of an overdrive than on other transmissions. I've driven enough actual close ratio transmissions to not think anything VW ever made was close ratio.

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your daughter
Daddy, its not a convertible! I only wanted a rabbit if it was a convertible. This is the worst super sweet 16 ever. Why didn't youjust buy an ugly neon if you wanted me to look like trailer park trash!

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Pete

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john vanlandingham
Clean it and sell to somebody jonsein for a Rarebit for a million dollars, since they're rare.
you know rear drive is the right way....

But I already have a fairly badass RWD. Good gearing, tons of power, rear suspension that can put it down. It's waaaaaaaay too fun for me to want to move away from that. (WAAAY too fun)

I'm not discounting that option, mind you. But every time I'd see a video with Ragnotti dancing a Clio around, I'd start to miss my Golf, and now this falls into my lap, you know?

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john vanlandingham
Clean it and sell to somebody jonsein for a Rarebit for a million dollars, since they're rare.
you know rear drive is the right way....