rally future

I have been working on a hillclimb car prepping for some entry level racing in the spring. "http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankthewelder/sets/72157604533267653/";

I have been to a couple of rally events in my 40 years of dirt racing (moto,desert buggies, bicycles) and I see involvement in rally at some level in the future, likely as a constructor or some type of technical support. I know the climber isn't a rally car and have read all the construction details and viewed several cars in construction.

We are considering purchasing a used rally car and constructing a suitable replacement as we learn and go. We are considering Audi 4000 for a platform for an AWD car or a GTI for FWD for 2010 and beyond. up for consideration is involvement with an existing VAG brand program.

I have a large shop with tons of machinery and room to construct or service a vehicle. Talk to me fellas! I am located in southern VT and wake early in the morning.

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www.frankthewelder.com
www.sinisterbikes.com
learning the ropes by wrapping them around my neck

Hey Frank,

Its good to see you here. I am sure others will chime in as well but the 4000 is not the best of platforms. It will be underpowered and outclassed. The quattro system is oldschool! JVL would be happy if you turn that Saab into a rally car

Oscar

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!

4000 at least has better suspension than the later Audi stuff for rally cars. I'd build one of those anyday personally.
The Golf is also an easy one. You can win your class if your a good driver. With the 4000 you'll always be outclassed by the 75-100K Subaru and Evos unless you put one of their drivetrains in your Audi.

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Grant Hughes

Hi, the good doctor wants to baby that ashcraft motor till spring so that project is on hold for now, the owner has some rally history so we are doing some upgrades. I found a barn full of 96 parts recently but have no desire. seems senseless with piles of VW parts in the shop.

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www.frankthewelder.com
www.sinisterbikes.com
learning the ropes by wrapping them around my neck

I would suggest that regardless of the piles of stock "stuff" you have laying around for whatever, I would strongly advise you to think this way: What ADVANTAGE would I get using this car vs the other?

And reagarding parts and modifications apply the same What ADVANTAGE would I get? philosophy.

Then go and watch TONS of Finnish F-cup videos and see if you can figure out which sort of cars, what drive configuration, FILLS maybe 85% or more of the fields, and mull over why that drive configuration is so popular there and nearly as popular, maybe 75%, next door in Sweden.
Search "Ralli f-cup" and enjoy
Here's one:

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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.

I like this one better.





But you get the point. Front engine. Rear wheel drive.

Nothing looks sicker than a MK1 Escort rippin' it up!

If I could start from scratch now. I'd prolly get a BMW e36 4 door for Grp 2 and grow to Grp 5.

I've seen those big audi sleds at the rallycross so people do use them. But if you had your choice why?

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Michael LeCompte



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2009 11:48PM by pikespeakgtx.

ha, no one who builds a GTX would build another one...

Someone was trying to give me a E21 BMW. It's still available. And already gutted

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www.frankthewelder.com
www.sinisterbikes.com
learning the ropes by wrapping them around my neck

Hey! Nice build up! What events are you planning on going to? I'm hoping to hit up Ascutney or Okemo to take a break from rallyxing.

You don't happen to have a big burly sheet metal brake do you?

Well now - if you want to score points, then these boys are right - go 2wd. If you want to run 4wd, and you don't care about scoring points then I'd go Audi with either a Turbo conversion, or a very well sorted NA motor.

I wouldn't go the 4000 route as those shells are getting pretty rare and $$. However, the early Audi 90's can bolt the 4k drive train right into it - and all those bits are pretty cheap.

Your money will be in suspension and motor - the rest of the car is very solid (oh yeah - you'll need to rewire it - you don't want any of the Audi wiring - bleh).

As for the rest of these Audi nay sayers - whatevah - we'll see in 2009 what the Audster can do - I may find out that its the nut behind the wheel that's slow, not the car...:p

i hope to make several of the events if the build keeps going. Ascutney is really close to the shop. thanks, I still have quite a bit of work to do but the pile of stuff to bolt on keeps on getting bigger. I am going to keep after the sale ads and whatnot and see what shakes out in the next couple of months.

Thanks a lot for all your replies. I don't know if I mentioned it before, you can reach me at frankthewelder@comcast.net.

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www.frankthewelder.com
www.sinisterbikes.com
learning the ropes by wrapping them around my neck

> I wouldn't go the 4000 route as those shells are
> getting pretty rare and $$. However, the early
> Audi 90's can bolt the 4k drive train right into
> it - and all those bits are pretty cheap.

The 4kq used to be the winter beater of choice for many New Englanders, but from what I saw last weekend, Tim O'Neil owns every one left, except for Vittorio's and Dave Siesicki's.

We do know that a turbo'ed 4kq certainly can fly (arguably more impressively than Monster caffeinated Subarus)!!!!! Must be those Kawasaki struts...

Hey, Frank, fill out the required information in your Profile so we know who you are, that's just about the only rule around here. Just makes connecting names, faces, locations a little easier. Thanks!

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

fiasco Wrote:

> struts...
>
> Hey, Frank, fill out the required information in
> your Profile so we know who you are, that's just
> about the only rule around here. Just makes
> connecting names, faces, locations a little
> easier. Thanks!
>
> Andrew Steere, 1973
> Lyndeborough, NH
> KB1PJY


here is a hint;
http://www.sinisterbikes.com/about.php

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!

People who love Audis love Audis.
But from what I've seen, you HAVE to come up with a different alternator arrangement.
90% of the Audi DNFs I've seen are from thrown belts and broken bolts.
Don't know why and don't care, that's just what I've seen.

turoc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fiasco Wrote:
>
> > struts...
> >
> > Hey, Frank, fill out the required information
> in
> > your Profile so we know who you are, that's
> just
> > about the only rule around here. Just makes
> > connecting names, faces, locations a little
> > easier. Thanks!
> >
> > Andrew Steere, 1973
> > Lyndeborough, NH
> > KB1PJY
>
>
> here is a hint;
>
http://www.sinisterbikes.com/about.php

Cool. Why do I get the feeling if I was more current with bikes than my 1992 Barney purple Rock Hopper I'd need no introduction?

edit to fix mangled sentence

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2009 04:46PM by fiasco.