Stupid question(s) from a newb

After perusing this forum for 4 hours I've decided to join the mayhem. Here's why:

In two months the first rallycross in close proximity to me is going to be held about 35miles north of my location. I've got a stalled road race project (89 acura integra) that is lacking little to be a first time rallyx missile (I think) and I need some pointers on what to take and what to expect. I'm gonna raise the coilovers and torsion bars, set the Konis to full soft and throw the stock 14s on it. . . and hope for the best. From what I understand its like autocross on grass.

School me people. Any info will be greatly appreciated if you feel like giving it.

Not stupid questions at all. I'm not very familiar with Acuras, but stock or near stock suspension usually works best. On my VW I have removed the swaybars, and that has helped a lot. Aggresive street tires or snow tires seem to work the best depending upon surface. I wouldn't waste the time or money buying used rally tires, not worth the cost (also bumps you up a class). Have fun the first time out, learn how the car handles, and then make some changes as you see fit.
Or, finish the road race project and buy a cheap Volvo 240 (or anything else with RWD). Sideways action and big smiles will ensue
I purchased my wagon for $400 and it was a blast to drive!

Yeah. Dont worry about set up too much. I love rallycross because it doesnt matter if you show up in an old mail truck or an sti, you will have a great time. I got whooped at a rallycross by a guy in an auto LaBaron, his special tuning secret was duct taping down the button on his handbrake Learning to drive on the loose stuff is a whole different deal, and super fun.

I used to duct tape down the button on my handbrake in my Tiburon.

And yeah, show up in what you've got. The surfaces for rallycrosses can vary, so what you'll need might not be what some of us others need. Being in the PNW where it rains most of the year, we have a lot of really muddy events, so having mud tires makes a huge difference, but not having them doesn't make it any less fun (actually, it prolly makes it a little more fun). But where we run now, we don't use the mud tires anymore because of the really rough gravel.

Go, have fun, then figure out after your first few events if you want to or need to change anything.

Yeah it can be good cheap fun. You don't need a rocket, anything will do cause its such slow speeds and everything goes OK in first and snickin into to second..
Much like conesquishing in parking lots the key to happiness is being calm and not charging around like a maniac.---Kinda the whole reason I don't bother cause I wanna go charge around like a maniac...

Down there you have luirking that famous red clay lurking somewhere, it's never far so softish OPEN tread, and you want to do something useful that does help?
Square up the edges of the tread..Shapens steering rsponse , spcially when its slick, and it could be..

Oh and your right: FULL SOFT on the Konis.

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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 have plenty of spare tires to practice squaring the tread on so that should be a fun new skill to learn. I'm sure I'll encounter red clay because it is basically all we have down here. I've done a few autox so I'll just approach it from that mindset. Luckily for me i've got 5 acres not being used on my property so I may get some practice in ahead of time. Thanks for the encouraging replies guys. I'll post some pics of the car soon.

No, approach it with a much looser miindset. It ain't about precision.
It's about being looser in mind and in driving...
No set "line".


Approqach it like when you were a kid and it snowed and you just were being silly.

Judging from the 27-30 classes at the local cone-squish-extravaganzas most people seem to want to buy some cheesoid , tacky trophies or yet another Plaque for Participating..1st in Class (of 1, maybe 2)

Approach with a mind so open it's almost empty....then see what the car does as you do silly things.
First react

Eventually try anticipating
Mostly be silly

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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.

Sounds like this is going to be a lot of fun. Maybe this will take off down here and we can get some sort of stage rally in the future. Then I can pretend to be badass up until I mow a tree down at speed. How many guys do budget rally? Seems like that would be mostly for the rallyx crowd since cages and fire suppression ain't exactly cheap.

I learned a lot of things rallycrossing. Shifting properly and learning to ignore trees, exposures, driving with someone yammering instructions in my ear - those weren't on the list, but I did learn a lot of stuff:

Getting comfortable going sideways.
Trying neat lines with threshhold braking (tarmac stuff) vs locking 'em up and tossing the car (and various permutations of that).
Learning when to lift and when not to when in trouble (and learning to NOT panic and mash the brakes when that happens).
Learning not to overcorrect when bumps toss you around a bit - mostly just hold your line and the car will sort itself out.

Stuff like that. It's fun, but I don't take it seriously - I don't got to rallycrosses much these days, but when I do I mostly just use it as a testing ground to try alternative ways of doing things.

As for low-buck budget rallying, I think our resident expert on that is A-Rad. He started five years ago in a super-basic FWD Impreza 1.8, ran with a stock engine on crappy struts for awhile, camped at events, etc. Then he upgraded his struts to JVABs. Then did a 2.5RS swap. Bought a trailer. Bought a used van. Got faster and faster. Alas, now he's out because of a new baby, but I think he managed to do something like 25 events in 4 years on a rock-bottom budget.

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Self-righteous douche canoe

Thats pretty encouraging. I like this "don't take it seriously" attitude you guys have.

I've got some dirt experience with rwd and fwd so I'm hopin that translates to more fun at the rallyx.

This may seem strange, but my biggest piece of advice for a first-time rallycross is to hit at least one cone. Maybe a bunch.

Many beginners get into a habit of turning in way too late, worried that they'll hit a cone. By the end of their third event, so they are so fricken wide on every turn that they are spending all their time trying to get in for the next turn, when they should be looking ahead and wagging the tail to set up.

If you go in with the attitude of "I'm gunna hit me some cones," you may find that you never actually hit a cone and run a better line that people who have been during this for a while. But you have to have the mindset of nailing some cones for this to work.

I appreciate that bit of advice. I've mowed many a cone in autox so I'm not gonna get my feelings hurt nailing some in the grass. I also don't have the mindset that rallyx is going to make me Colin MCrae. I know some of the SCCA Solo guys think they're Schumacher because they got a regional trophy. That's not me. I just want to tear some shit up and have a good time doing it.

I had many years in a very quick autocross car before my first rallycross and it's rather different. I'm almost of the opinion that autocrossing can cause some pro-active interference with anything super-low grip. I know that it caused me some grief (and I project a lot, so here I am suggesting this to you). In other words, ignore that common features - viz., cones and SCCA silliness - and think more in terms of downhill skiing, if you happen to do that, as well.

Quote
Ashley S. McBride
I appreciate that bit of advice. I've mowed many a cone in autox so I'm not gonna get my feelings hurt nailing some in the grass. I also don't have the mindset that rallyx is going to make me Colin MCrae. I know some of the SCCA Solo guys think they're Schumacher because they got a regional trophy. That's not me. I just want to tear some shit up and have a good time doing it.

Well said.

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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.

If you have 5 acres available, you win already! if you have a big open field, all the better, set up some cones of your own and try a hairpin at the end of a straight, an increasing and decreasing radius turn, or JVL's suggestion and my all time favorite; get up some speed and throw it into a spin, and see if you can straighten it out before you come to a stop