Does anybody know this car (Rally Saturn Ion)?

If you are going to purchase it for the suspension, I'd be in for the LSJ with wiring harness and brain to put into my Opel Isuzu.

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"Talk about drugs. Driving a car like that, going that fast, it’s like all the drugs at once." - Tommy Byrne

"Now, Pinky, if by any chance you are captured during this mission, remember you are Gunther Heindriksen from Appenzell. You moved to Grindelwald to drive the cog train to Murren. Can you repeat that?" - The Brain

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gagegregory
I can just see that thing hitting a bank or tree at speed.. It would be a plastic bomb!

Kind of like that Evo at Pikes Peak?

ebay seller responded. There is no log book. I sent a response the his add was a bit misleading and the car is not such a cheap entry to racing given the entire cage will likely need to replaced.

buyer beware.

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SeanP
ebay seller responded. There is no log book. I sent a response the his add was a bit misleading and the car is not such a cheap entry to racing given the entire cage will likely need to replaced.

buyer beware.

I think the ad is pretty much carbon copy of the ad he saw when he bought it.

Cage was inspected by scrutineer in May, it is not RA legal & would have to be redone.

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fliz

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SeanP
ebay seller responded. There is no log book. I sent a response the his add was a bit misleading and the car is not such a cheap entry to racing given the entire cage will likely need to replaced.

buyer beware.

I think the ad is pretty much carbon copy of the ad he saw when he bought it.

Cage was inspected by scrutineer in May, it is not RA legal & would have to be redone.

So he bought it hoping to rally it based on reports of its "winning pedigree", had it inspected to learn it isn't FIA legal cage, and now he has it on ebay hoping to pass it on to another sucker? caveat emptor, indeed.

He has one offer...Wilson???...

The whole bit about its legendary racing history should be removed from the ad as it is total fabrication (better fabrication than the cage). The car is priced right for the goodies it has without misleading anyone. Brents '03 Cavy sold for nearly that with a stage 1 kit and other street mods we did. That stage2 will be around 260 at the wheels and very fun to drive.

It’s pretty funny how assumptions and rumor take hold as truth in the digital world. This is not a solicitation or advertisement so please do not delete the post. I really have no interest in selling the car to anyone here. I have been accused of lying and I’d just appreciate the opportunity to clear up any misinformation regarding how I represented this car.

After following up with my friend and original owner of the Saturn Redline ion Rally car, Kevin Kraack, I have verified the information I have listed to be factual and verifiable.

1. The car did have a log book but it has been lost. I have the name and phone number of the person in California who performed the original inspection for Rally America. I have tried to contact this person but he is out of the country until through mid October. His phone message says he has an email address of “hisname@rally-america.com” so he still works for the organization. I have no idea if this person can provide records, provide a duplicate log book or even verify that there was ever a log book. However, I will provide this contact information to any serious buyer who feels they must have a log book. Since I have not stated that the car comes with a log book, I have not misled anyone.

2. The car did in fact compete in the 2006 X games. Driven by Kevin Kraack and navigated by David Green. It was legitimately entered, passed tech, raced and finished. It was car number 0 sponsored by Rockford Fosgate and was the very first car on the course. Please view the attached photo of the jumbotron with this exact car during the race. SeanP, it was not a Marshals car. My statement is factual and not misleading.

3. Other than X Games the car competed in a handful of SCCA sanctioned events and some Rallycross events in Southern CA.

4. The cage was built to spec with DOM throughout per the technical build guide from Rally America/SCCA circa 2006. It was built by these guys: http://jdfabrication.com/ The photos are deceiving and there is some light surface rust but the fabrication work is very high quality. Nowhere have I stated that this car is currently legal to Race in Rally America or NASA. I have clearly stated that the car has been stored for quite some time. As anyone should know, rules change and any race car will need to conform to whatever rules are current. However, the car AND the rollcage was inspected and approved by Rally America in 2006. At that time the car was legal to race in Rally America races. Just stating facts and not misleading.

5. I personally participated in a rallycross this year in Wisconsin with this car. Even though I hardly consider the event a professional racing event, the car did pass tech and was “looked at” by someone who represented himself as being involved with Rally America and had the ability to provide an official inspection. He was extremely friendly and pointed out a few things on the car. At no time did he mention any potential issue with the cage. Since I did not have any intention of entering the car in a professional race I did not ask for an inspection to certify the car. It was my first time driving the car and it had problems throwing overboost codes and going into limp mode. I have since replaced the ecu reflashed with the stage 2 tune and it runs great. If any of you were there you’ll probably remember the old guy driving the silver Saturn that had problems getting across the finish line. And yes, I was also slow when the car was running right. That’s my fault not the car. Regardless, I did participate in the event with my son and we did have fun. Someone who buys the car can do the same thing. The new owner can enter this exact car in an event like this and race the car. Oh wait....I might have been misleading.....In addition to the helmet gloves were required as well.

I just got off the phone with another friend who is very well-known professional Rally driver who also raced the 2006 X games. He too confirmed that this car is legitimate and raced in X Games 2006. His recollection was that the 2006 race was the only year that 2 wheel drive cars were allowed to run.

If this post is still up, I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight.

a professional rally driver in America?
Ha! ha! hooo hooo pffffffffft! tee heee!

Shirley, you jest.

Look, we're OK guys here except a couple of whiney punks, but we have one rule which makes things real:
We require a REAL name and a REAL location.


There's a link up at the top where it says "Read this first Noob"

and let me give you a hint, OK?

Do be vauge , say people's names not "I talked to soem guy at Rally America" Or "a professional rally driver "

That's lamer than lame. We all know eachother all over the country and vague allusions sound like you're being cagey..

You ought to brace youself cause I think it might be a shock, but you may be severely mistake, or been fibbed too.

example: the numbers "000", "00" and "0" are reserved numbers, reserved for pre-runing, last offical car before competition commences. A final run thru to check if everything is in order, ready to go. Its done that way ALL OVER the whole world from USA to Russia and even in China..
Its called "Zereo Car".
It can be any old car.
It has norequiremets to meet any mandated rules..
Thus a photo of a zero car is no prooof of anything except it was a "Zero Car"..

been that way for more than 40 years..

Aslo aside from one press release there is no record of Kraak or "Craig Turner" actually entering a rally or, as the were cockily saying 'especially when we finish at the top"..

Don't get all butt hurt and dis the folks here just because somebody fed you a load of hooey. That ain't going to help anything.

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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.

john,

Looks like I was following the noob rules just as you were posting. Thanks for breaking me in and I appreciate your candor.

Obviously I am not an expert on Rally racing. But I have seen some supposedly legitimate Rally America certified cars that quite frankly wouldn't pass tech at a Chumpcar race. I know my car is better than most and I stand by my research of the facts. If others disagree I promise not to get all butt hurt.

The first guy I mentioned at Rally America is named JB Niday. I really don't remember the tech guy I met at the rallycross event but he was good friends with Dave Parps. Nice guy driving a golf I think.

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batman

2. The car did in fact compete in the 2006 X games. Driven by Kevin Kraack and navigated by David Green. It was legitimately entered, passed tech, raced and finished. It was car number 0 sponsored by Rockford Fosgate and was the very first car on the course. Please view the attached photo of the jumbotron with this exact car during the race. SeanP, it was not a Marshals car. My statement is factual and not misleading.

It was the 0 car, or in other words the pace car. It did not compete, it was just a course opening car. Look at the results I posted for the 2006 X games, there is no Saturn on there. It was never entered in the event. Saying that the car competed in the 2006 X games is misleading at best. It's like saying the pace car at the Indy 500 competed in the race. You should just change the ad to say it was the course opening car at the 2006 X games.

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batman
john,

Looks like I was following the noob rules just as you were posting. Thanks for breaking me in and I appreciate your candor.

Obviously I am not an expert on Rally racing. But I have seen some supposedly legitimate Rally America certified cars that quite frankly wouldn't pass tech at a Chumpcar race. I know my car is better than most and I stand by my research of the facts. If others disagree I promise not to get all butt hurt.

The first guy I mentioned at Rally America is named JB Niday. I really don't remember the tech guy I met at the rallycross event but he was good friends with Dave Parps. Nice guy driving a golf I think.

I could be wrong but JB doesn't have much to do with the logbooks. Mike Hurst is RA's tech director and issues logbooks, or any other 'RA certified' tech inspector.

Unfortunately, a 'lost logbook' is a big red flag to me for any cars brought to me for a preliminary inspection. If you are being honest with your prospective buyers, then you need to be clear with them on this, and put that info in the ad; the car is NOT ready to go rallying without this. A logbook or duplicate cannot be 'provided' by the prior owner; it has to be re-issued after a full inspection of cage seats and attachment points, and belt attachments, by a designated scrutineer of a rally organization.

Having not seen this car, I can't make any definite statrements, But the assertions of competing in X games look to have been compeltely de-bunked. And the last time I handled a car with a 'lost logbook', that was built by a professional cage builder (and who indeed has a 'big name' in both rally and off-raod) and that did actually compete in Pike's Peak, the cage had to be ripped out and replaced as there were numerous tubing elements that were .065 wall thckiness.

Considering the misleading statements about the car's supposed racing history, and the purportedly lost log book, my advice to anyone looking at this car is to have it inspected by a real rally scrutineer first. And the mention of names that anyone can look up online is not convincing.....

Not to pick nits, but how can this be a one owner car when you bought it from the original (racing-legend) owner?

Im not for sure , but im pretty damn sure J B Niday has absollutely nothing to do with tech in rally america and have been told he is a giant tool bag!!!haha . If you take that car to a actual sqruit like bowers or smith I would say you would be heart broken.. Id say try to tech it before you show up and waste your time at a event for sure!

Gage

Just from pix now that I look at this:
- The main hoop bracing is unacceptable to any organization; the lower end does not appear to extend across the whole car.
- The floor bar is angled across the car a bit; may not be an issue IMO. Gotta see if the main hoop is angled across the car as it appears; THAT could be a terminal problem...i.e., rip out and start over.
- No paint is no issue.
- Side bars look a bit problematic but not enough detail to know.
- No A-pillar supports; may be possibly grandfathered without however.
- Looks like 1-1/2" tubing which may or may not be OK depending on organization, car wieght, and grandfathering rules, but hard to tell for sure without measurements.
- I am starting have my doubts if this ever had a logbook from a national rally organization; the main hoop diagonal bracing appears to be of a design that has never been accepted. And the appearance of the main hoop being angled to the longitudinal axis of the car is a problem.