Newbs asking about cars. WTF?

But it's got a six speed yo! And its shiney and almost new! Lots of room for spares and a cage though! Haha!

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Owner, Driver, Head Mechanic, and Janitor at Tower City Race Team, headquartered near L'Anse. Michigan.
Driver / CoDriver in Rally America, NASARallySport, ARA, AMS, UPMDA, Champ Off Road

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The 04 hemi durango should be AWD right? use that..

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This isn't floor mat anarchy

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MikeColangelo
Hmmm....How about a Mazda2 rally car? Has anyone done that yet?

....paging Dave Coleman...

Sure, it's called a Ford Fiesta.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

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john vanlandingham
I peek in over on the other place every couple of weeks and i see of course innocent newbs asking about what cars to start with more there than here. (seems people have made up their mind mostly by time they arrive here)

I see a lotta guys here saying sensible, reasoned, good ideas but I just saw a guy who is here post this:

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Dante
Tower City Race Team
Join Date
Dec 2003
Location
Herman, Michigan, United States.
Posts
161


The repetition with the same 5 cars kills me.

I just keep thinking some of the cars made in the last decade have to have potential~! Note how everyone discounted the Fiesta package before they hit the stages, and now they've been unstoppable.

Let's see some new models out there!

Hey Dante, you ever think that not everybody is a Trustafarian or otherwise rich?

Nobody discounted the Fiesta, EVERYBODY just said "What the fuck? $64,000 to go beat off with your buddies"

Ever think that some don't fucking care about NEW cars that MIGHT have some potential ----------after you first waste a HUGE pile of money to buy them, then waste tens of thousands "developing" parts?

Dante not everybody works on cars these days, this is not the same population demographic as 1985 when MOST people were trades background.

It kills you, huh. You think it's funny...

Well I think the herd mentality implying that a 2wd car is merely a stepping stone before you get a Blue Subaru of some years isn't funny at all, I think its bullshit and a shame---judging from how many people drop out of the sport AFTER they spend all the money, do some events and realise nobody cares.

And gotta be honest, I also find the "sage" advice directing for more than 20 years, people into VWs with their known chronic problems again, not funny, it kills me, but sad---when guys I know DNF again and again and again for things i have never even had to think about EVER..

Seems pretty gawddam cynical, Dante.

(But, I'm sure, you don't give a shit one way or the other)

New New Shiney New!!!!

yeah, right.

OK, now that I've been called out on the carpet, finished my work day, picked up all 5 of my daughters (yup, insert endless comedy pyramid of jokes here), driven to Marquette and back, and smoked a few ciggies; I'll give a proper rebuttal.


I AGREE! I don't think we have any fawking argument here. I wasn't BASHING any of the grassroots, extremely low budget racers, I IS ONE!. I don't know if someone pooped in your cheerios or what. All I said was (in less words) THE SAME FUCKING 5 MODELS over and over! As annoyed as you are by the parade of Subarus, so are us "keyboard rallyist's" with the same drone of 2wd "reccomendations". Yes, I understand big difference between advice you give to a newb starting out and the advice you would give to someone looking to build their 5th car.

The MAIN point I was trying to get across, or more that I was befuddled by was "Seriously, we haven't made a better car to start out with in 30 years?" If we were talking and smoking out on the curb I would just shake my head and repeat "Seriously?"

And no, I didn't say (which you may have read in to) WE NEED BRAND NEW SHINY CARS out there. I said "Let's see some new models out there". I love to see new cars. Kern's Bimmer (wanna see it), Sanfords' (yup), etc. NEW scenery and sounds. Just like Mr. Seppanen's 240 pulling up at LSPR last year, we (control workers) were digging it. Mr. Topping's 240 same thing. The Scion, the Fiestas. The Tiburon w/ 6 carburetors, Huebbe's Beetle. Keep 'em coming.

I've always enjoyed a good rant once and a while, and have always liked the term "let a sleeping dog lie", but shit dude, I think you must have been in the wrong mood at the wrong time and read in to my comments a little too far.

In closing, I'll share a quote I put in an email to Mr. Merbach the other day (as I'm still searching for a stage car) "I've come to realize I would even race a Chevette, if ....I was on stage for Magnum Opus this year."


Signed

Dumb Fucking Finlander Yooper Newb

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Owner, Driver, Head Mechanic, and Janitor at Tower City Race Team, headquartered near L'Anse. Michigan.
Driver / CoDriver in Rally America, NASARallySport, ARA, AMS, UPMDA, Champ Off Road

https://www.facebook.com/TowerCityRaceTeam/
https://www.instagram.com/towercityraceteam/

Did someone say my name?

<looks around.......

Seriously though. Im not sure how I feel about this. While I may have built some goofy contraption that is a nearly one of a kind out on the stages, if someone getting into the sport asked me what to buy/build, the answer would be simple. EK Civic, Sentra SE-R, or old VW. They are cheap and have been done. You can pick them used for nothing and get your feet wet.

I love seeing oddball rally cars as much as the next guy, but when the chips are down, the other people out on the stages, or at Parc, are only a small part of my weekend. I rally for 2 main reasons. 1 because I love to build/engineer stuff, especially cars, and Rally lets me really go to town. And 2 for those few minutes out on stage. That time when I can finally open up and focus everything I have on one goal.

Building a car from scratch, especially one that hasn't been done much before is a huge PITA. The 240 wasn't so bad because they have been used so prolifically in other forms of racing. The only car I can think of that hasn't been done is a Miata. I think they would be fantastic rally cars with a hard top welded on. Too bad RA doesn't allow it. There are scores of spec Miata's around that could be repurposed easily enough.

Having gotten a taste of the dark side at Sno*Drift, I can see what people like the Subaru's. Its a lot of fun, but the extra costs just dont seem worth it to me. I cant wait to get my car back together, so I can bring the pain to some of the OL crowd.

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I Seppanen, Car #240

I'm not sure I really have any measure of authority to speak to this, but I totally get both sides of this. Good points have been made already, but I thought I'd share just one more...

As an enthusiast/hobbyist (i.e. not an actual competitor), I totally understand people's attraction to things like awd (blue) Subarus. And to be honest, for a guy like me, who might never get the chance to do a proper stage rally, but who does and can go rallycrossing, then something newer makes a ton of sense. Drive it all week, change the tires, go get dirty on the weekend, spray it off, drive it to work on Monday. No muss, no fuss, very little compromise, very affordable, totally practical, and makes complete sense. Even better, some of those dead stock awd (blue) Subarus can run well enough to best even the best prepared real-deal pro-built rally cars, earning the overall win, all while enjoying their a/c and 200+ watt stereo systems.

I know we're not really talking about this kinda thing exactly, but I think some of the folks that inquire about new cars and such come from exactly this same mentality. Get a new car as a daily driver, do a bit of stuff to it, go rally, no muss, no fuss. Perhaps (more than) a bit unrealistic, but awfully attractive, and potentially very practical (if it works). After all, that'd be one of the cheapest ways to go beat off with your buds while rallying, right? Perhaps they're just being naive, but maybe they just don't have the same kinda aspiration as the super competitive types. Maybe they just fancy the idea of the experience versus becoming one of the hardened few. IDK.

Now I'll go back out in the garage and stare at the XR with dreams of seam welding the entire chassis.

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fliz
Toybaru BRZ/GT-86.

200HP, RWD, under 2800 lbs stock.

If it's a success, it would probably make a good platform in 5 years.

Agreed. Probably not the most competitive. But way WAY cooler.

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alosix

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Dante
Edited my signature.

Traded the Subie in after having my schnozz slapped by JVL.

No lie.

It could be worse...

http://www.specialstage.com/forums/showthread.php?45416-Recognize-this-02-WRX-with-RRE-Cage

"maybe I'm a bit cynical but is this thread really "does anyone recognize this blue subaru rally car?" "

*snerk*

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

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

Well, edited my signature again.

I bought one of the "5".

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Owner, Driver, Head Mechanic, and Janitor at Tower City Race Team, headquartered near L'Anse. Michigan.
Driver / CoDriver in Rally America, NASARallySport, ARA, AMS, UPMDA, Champ Off Road

https://www.facebook.com/TowerCityRaceTeam/
https://www.instagram.com/towercityraceteam/

Ive been lookin to do something with this 84 suburban i have. Rally truck. perfect!

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Ian S
Did someone say my name?

<looks around.......

Seriously though. Im not sure how I feel about this. While I may have built some goofy contraption that is a nearly one of a kind out on the stages, if someone getting into the sport asked me what to buy/build, the answer would be simple. EK Civic, Sentra SE-R, or old VW. They are cheap and have been done. You can pick them used for nothing and get your feet wet.

by sentra, do you mean the B13? Cause while I like the fact that the volvo is rwd and lots of people on here know a lot about em, I dont. I feel kind of uncomfortable getting a car ive never lifted the skirt of. I dont think ive even sat in a volvo.

Ive had lots of dealings with the B13 with the ga16de. So ive been lookin to see whats out there for them and what builds are on the intraweb just to see.

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Racinkid13


Ive had lots of dealings with the B13 with the ga16de. So ive been lookin to see whats out there for them and what builds are on the intraweb just to see.

Since there is no, and never will be, a 1.6 class......why the hell would you voluntarily give up 700-800cc to some other car in your class?

Simple facts:
for a given fuel--let's be normal humans and say PUMP PREMIUM
the fuel sets the limit of compression.
The compression and the engine volume determines to a huge degree the ft/lbs a motor will make.
The torque a motor can make determines the need for the ratios in a box
And final usage decides the final drive needed or desired.

You could make a nice 1,6. I have made some, even made a real nice 1,5 for the ol Jackalope, but with the same effort and costs, I can make a nice 2,4 motor making a shit-ton more ft/lbs

And more ft/lbs lessens the need for costly gearsets cause the big torquey motor can "pull" the gaps.

You cannot do that with a car there's nothing available for, or which costs 6000+ bucks for a gearbox..

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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.

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john vanlandingham

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Racinkid13


Ive had lots of dealings with the B13 with the ga16de. So ive been lookin to see whats out there for them and what builds are on the intraweb just to see.

Since there is no, and never will be, a 1.6 class......why the hell would you voluntarily give up 700-800cc to some other car in your class?..

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2012 01:54PM by Racinkid13.

doesnt the SE-R have the 2.0L SR20?

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

yes. i was also lookin to see if anyone had dropped a qr25de in a b13 too.

like i said, i was just lookin to see if its been done, how it was done, costs, availability, and if they liked it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2012 02:10PM by Racinkid13.