What car would you drive to the Arctic?

If you were going to enter the 2012 Alcan 5000 Winter Rally, what car would you take?

I will most likely end up driving my Golf but I'm open to other ideas. This vehicle would need to be cheap, reliable and comfortable. Please don't say Subaru unless you have one that you want to give me!

http://www.alcan5000.com/

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

seems pretty reasonable.

Wot da fock?
How can you even ask?
Take the good car.
what did you buy it for?


Get a diff and do that.
It is a far superior car, especially for long distance stuff like that.

If --I--were going I would either use the wifes Outback ( has posi) or my Silverado (has everything). Since you are going I would agree with JV, take the SAAB. If it all goes wrong turn the sumbitch upside and get a sled team to pull it...

Jack,

Now that's funny!

John,

There is no question that the 96 is an excellent design but the reality is that it is utterly impractical!
I have the short final drive ratio and the car is still howling at 65mph. The average transit speeds on the Alcan are in the 70's. And no John, it's not the exhaust, it's rpm.
Both of the windshields that I have are marginal. There is no new glass available. If I get a crack in the drivers field of view (10,000 miles of snow plows on the Alcan) the car becomes unusable!
I have tried to get you to sell me a diff several times and you always avoid the request.
75% of the spare parts that I got off of the green parts car are junk. I have a bad c/v joint right now and my only way to fix it is to combine two used parts. That is like mixing two used bearings! Shady!
Don't misunderstand, I like the 96's I just hate owning one! They were practical 20 years ago, now they are a nightmare!
The FACT is that despite being an "inferior" design, the Golf is much better than the 96. For no other reason than I can keep it running longer. I want to use my cars, not think about them.

Back on topic...........Does anyone have a suggestion for a long range, endurance rally car?

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

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Rallymech
Jack,

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Now that's funny!

John,

There is no question that the 96 is an excellent design but the reality is that it is utterly impractical!
I have the short final drive ratio and the car is still howling at 65mph.

You have the STOCK ratio: 4.88

It's howling because you won't listen and have that disgusting lame POS noisy howly MSS POS burned out cheap ass glass pack exhaust on the car.

The Green Turd cruised 7500 miles mostly about 75---and about 30 mpg
no problems....but it had a good exhaust.

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The average transit speeds on the Alcan are in the 70's. And no John, it's not the exhaust, it's rpm.

17.5 mph per 1000 rpm in 4th---- what's the problem?

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Both of the windshields that I have are marginal. There is no new glass available. If I get a crack in the drivers field of view (10,000 miles of snow plows on the Alcan) the car becomes unusable!

You think you can find a Golf windscreen somewhere on the Cassiar?

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I have tried to get you to sell me a diff several times and you always avoid the request.
75% of the spare parts that I got off of the green parts car are junk.

I gotta have a spare!!

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I have a bad c/v joint right now and my only way to fix it is to combine two used parts. That is like mixing two used bearings! Shady!

You didn't get ANY that are any good?
Gee, I think i have a new one or 2 on the shelf....

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Don't misunderstand, I like the 96's I just hate owning one! They were practical 20 years ago, now they are a nightmare!

Nightmares only if you think you a) MUST and b) will, build it better than new without effort..

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The FACT is that despite being an "inferior" design, the Golf is much better than the 96.

Ha!

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For no other reason than I can keep it running longer. I want to use my cars, not think about them.

Ignition box PN 010 1662 05555Z-8629 goes puke at 0645 at -45 and you can hear the howling getting closer as they circle in, and you KNOW they're hungry---I can make those points work and i can jump in and zooooooooom but come Spring when the snow pulls back, they by the otherwise OK Golf, they fnd the bones of Robert, ignition module PN 010 1662 05555Z-8629 clurched in the bones of one hand, but clear all over there's marks of clawing and chewing from the pack of rabid Wolverines that got him

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Back on topic...........Does anyone have a suggestion for a long range, endurance rally car?

Yeah!

The Saab.

You a mechanic or a ........or a...............

I mean whaddya need man---why you acting like this?

John,

The Saab is for sale, cheap.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

One day, I'd like to run the Alcan in my Galant.

Of course, coming from Phoenix, it would be more like the AzAlCan 8000, but I'm confident the old Mitsubishi would handle it.

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

Quote
Rallymech
Jack,

Now that's funny!

John,

There is no question that the 96 is an excellent design but the reality is that it is utterly impractical!
I have the short final drive ratio and the car is still howling at 65mph. The average transit speeds on the Alcan are in the 70's. And no John, it's not the exhaust, it's rpm.
Both of the windshields that I have are marginal. There is no new glass available. If I get a crack in the drivers field of view (10,000 miles of snow plows on the Alcan) the car becomes unusable!
I have tried to get you to sell me a diff several times and you always avoid the request.
75% of the spare parts that I got off of the green parts car are junk. I have a bad c/v joint right now and my only way to fix it is to combine two used parts. That is like mixing two used bearings! Shady!
Don't misunderstand, I like the 96's I just hate owning one! They were practical 20 years ago, now they are a nightmare!
The FACT is that despite being an "inferior" design, the Golf is much better than the 96. For no other reason than I can keep it running longer. I want to use my cars, not think about them.

Back on topic...........Does anyone have a suggestion for a long range, endurance rally car?

What stage did the Saab die on at the Big White Winter Rally? 1 or 2?

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12xalt
What stage did the Saab die on at the Big White Winter Rally? 1 or 2?

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

Merrilee,

Exactly the point! It's a cool car but I need something that can be made reliable.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

Didn't Graham drive that rusty green 96 you'd stored @ Diane's in Stoneham, then at my parents' place cross country to Sleazattle?

That thing still goes down as one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. I loved smoking that VW GTI in it when I took it out for a quick parts run one day when you were up in Keene.

Well, since the title says, what car would you drive, I'd have to say I would drive a 90-94 Legacy wagon. I would also install a small wood burning stove in the hatch to provide heat overnight and in an emergency. Decent running cars can be had for cheap, they kick ass in snow, they are easy to maintain, and with a wood burning stove in the back, you could come out each morning to a warmish car and you could keep warm if something horrible happened like you got stuck in the middle of nowhere. A little ingenuity and you could even plumb water lines through it to preheat the block each morning/overnight.

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fiasco
Didn't Graham drive that rusty green 96 you'd stored @ Diane's in Stoneham, then at my parents' place cross country to Sleazattle?

That thing still goes down as one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. I loved smoking that VW GTI in it when I took it out for a quick parts run one day when you were up in Keene.

Yeah that is the motor and suspension that is in Robert's car now.
Aside from a Beetle, the easiest car in the world to keep going.
I have no idea why it's suddenly no good.
Coastt to coast and an extra 4000mile and Graham and his Dad said it was always driven about 75.....29. something mpg.
When I drove it out it got 30 mpg at 70 cruise.

Oh well, the best snow car short of a good Quattro with lots of diffs, but more fun and easier to keep going....(sigh)

Grant,

I am not a big Subaru fan but the Legacy is hard to beat!

Does anyone else have a suggestion?

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.