Im a newbee and need advice

the ice cream truck posting, cant get it out of my head no
I cant wait to get to a good auction and see whats there - Im starting to accept that maybe the world is broader than the tacoma - it just handles so well in all the circs Ive been in thus far. volvos are cute they kind of look like lowrider pickups

any audi fans the like 4000Q?

Audis sound awesome at full tilt boogie (5 cylinder Audi noise is just great), but a regular 4000q is sllllllooooowwww, and turns in only slightly better than a garbage truck. That said, they are billy goats that will go anywhere when the diffs are locked, and you can make them turn once you figure out how to drive them.


Any time I get the urge to get another Audi, I remember the words of a mechanic I know when I asked him the merits of keeping my 1990 Audi 80 Quattro or my 88 XR4Ti:

"Audi? Fuck that shit! Those cars are for rich people who can afford to pay Hans $1,000 every time the piece of shit needs a goddamned oil change!"

I ended up selling the Audi to a friend who drove it into the ground, drove the XR4 for a few years, then got the Audi back with the idea of rallycrossing it. Until my dad got sick of it sitting in his driveway (which didn't take long since there were two XR4 shells and JV's Saab 96 also parked there at the time), and took it to Hans, who said it needed $2,200 in work to make it right, so Hans gladly took it off his hands to part out (and probably made $4,000, of which I saw $0).

Don't get me wrong. I do like Audis, but they just are not fun to work on with that sloped over engine that has every ancillary device UNDER it in one corner. I like the simplicity of my XR4 street car more, heck I prefer my silly Subaru to working on an Audi.

Lina,
Most anything can be rallied, and in the right hands go fast. Most Korean street cars now have more power stock than our Open class cars had 20 years ago. So the big factors need to be suspension availability and reliability. Some designs just like to fold up under rally use. Anything can be fixed but the costs can be quite high. Most engines are basically sound but there are some transmissions that can be pretty weak. Available brakes can be an issue. Most of this stuff doesn't show for a novice the first few outings as speeds are usually somewhat slower. Its when you start getting mid-pack that the weakness will show up and cost you money and heartache. Some of the older stuff doesn't have wglass or body parts readily available. There are lots of little stuff to consider. Can you borrow parts or tips from the guy next to you in service is one to think about.

VW, Volvo, most Asian cars, some trucks and even Mustangs can be decent rally vehicles. I like Sube or Mitsu because that is what I work on. Others like Euro trash. Subaru has the advantage of being FWD or AWD with very little effort. They can also be made RWD with slight effort. You can go all over in engine/power options and they even make a couple trucks....

Your fixed costs of construction will be pretty much the same, cage, seats, belts will be $3-4K upwards in most cases. This is why we try to steer people in a direction that justifies the costs and may have some rewards later on.

So you could do a Toy truck or a Ranger, S-10, Nissan, even F-150s will work. Pick the right truck first (not an old 4x4) and work around the short comings.

If you're not an Audi mechanic I would never recommend an Audi! We ran one in hill climb for a few years and you get to work on them alot! Brooks Frehill built an A4 for rallying and found it to not be a good platform for the most part so he sold it. Brian Moody and Steve Bis own an Audi repair shop here in Denver yet their two shop rally cars have both been Subarus.
Trucks belong in desert racing. Which is why they're okay for SW events that are rallying in the desert basically. Volvo, VW, Merkur, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, or a Mazda Protege are the best way to go. I'd say Mazda Protege as they can be had cheap, and Eric Burmeister has already found any weaknesses and solutions around any weakness and he's more than open to share build info! Not to mention that Mazda pays money out to people! That Mazda truck won like $800 in contingency funds racing at Prescott this year.

uh oh, audi got brought up, now Todd might have to post again



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2010 11:36AM by 12xalt.

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Tim Taylor
And I raise you a SMOG exempt 1975 244!!!!!! I would already have this thing if I wasn't storing Dave's car right now.
http://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/2006324699.html $900

Ding Ding Ding!!!!

Timmy, I lurv yew.

Smog exempt, brou ha ha!!!

1975 still has the B20 and will most likely be carbed. I don't know if the subframe changed.

Quote
hudson

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Tim Taylor
And I raise you a SMOG exempt 1975 244!!!!!! I would already have this thing if I wasn't storing Dave's car right now.
http://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/2006324699.html $900

Ding Ding Ding!!!!

Timmy, I lurv yew.

Smog exempt, brou ha ha!!!

1975 still has the B20 and will most likely be carbed. I don't know if the subframe changed.

Nääääääääääääääää, just heave that out and shove in whatcher want.
Or whatever, just 4 bolts and throw in what ya need.

Quote
john vanlandingham
Nääääääääääääääää, just heave that out and shove in whatcher want.
Or whatever, just 4 bolts and throw in what ya need.

Mazda MZR 2.5L backed up with a Miata 6-speed would be almost effortless to install and make a monster G2 car.

Quote
Tim Taylor

Quote
john vanlandingham
Nääääääääääääääää, just heave that out and shove in whatcher want.
Or whatever, just 4 bolts and throw in what ya need.

Mazda MZR 2.5L backed up with a Miata 6-speed would be almost effortless to install and make a monster G2 car.

Which, ironically would smog just fine...

MIGHTY MAX! ATTACK! WIN, With a motor from one of the coupe Galants rappers love. G5.

Quote
alkun

Quote
Tim Taylor

Quote
john vanlandingham
Nääääääääääääääää, just heave that out and shove in whatcher want.
Or whatever, just 4 bolts and throw in what ya need.

Mazda MZR 2.5L backed up with a Miata 6-speed would be almost effortless to install and make a monster G2 car.

Which, ironically would smog just fine...

You confuse the spec. of MZR I would install...this will not pass SMOG: http://www.cosworthusa.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=20

ahh-so. (bow down and grovel to cossie)

okay - what about 1988 audi 90 looks like an audi and someone is selling it sounds like they tried, started and failed? should i learn from them? and move on to a sube already dang it so much to consider

Quote
Littlelina
okay - what about 1988 audi 90 looks like an audi and someone is selling it sounds like they tried, started and failed? should i learn from them? and move on to a sube already dang it so much to consider

Think one major thing: what ADVANTAGE does ________________ have over whatever else?

If you decide you want to really make a try, rather than just putter through the stages and not really compete, then you have to ask: what paths to upgrading to stronger than road car pieces is there?

And: Can I possibly do anything on the rally car myself?

Audi: spare spares, no upgrade parts , NO ADVANTAGE.

Subie: lots of alternate STREET parts, and now, some affordable designed for rally stuff, plenty of spare junk in the "spare parts storage depots" aka junk yards.
DIS advantage, sub par performance potential in all but turbo models, then major expenses keeping drive train together--expensive for what it is.

Have you noticed how many people that are here have stumbled onto the idea of simpler 2wd cars?

2wd is the way of the future for any sustainable rally effort and if you choose wisely, and get a nice RWD car, upgrades to stronger parts is EASY, FWD upgrades are VERY EXPENSIVE..

So really nobody can reccomend anything realistically without knowing more of:
who you are
hat have you done
what realistic budget you have
what mechanical skills you have
Are you willing to learn.

Please, this is just flapping our lips without knowing these things..
So, tell us,
when did it all begin?
[cue shimmering lights and up buddd d'dew, budda d'dew budda d'dew and ---fade out]

The car itself doesn't actually matter that much. Yeah, it's valuable to spend time trying to figure them out, but I think it's more important just to get a good, easily buildable base and get started. I spent way too long trying to decide on the perfect car, ended up getting an XR4Ti. Sure, I'm happy about it, but in retrospect, I probably would have been just has happy with one of the Volvos or with a MkII Golf.

There are a number of good options (I think most have actually been listed up here). Choose the one that best fits what you want to do. I stuck with the Merkur because it's RWD, is a damn good base for a car, and it was closer than the smaller of the Volvos. It'll be fun no matter what.

And yes, stick with 2wd.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2010 09:22PM by Matt Brady.