I know that the Fiesta/Mazda2 share the same suspension and that can swap directly over.

But what I wanted to know, will a Fiesta motor/trans/exhaust manifold fit into the car? This is a race car we're talking here, so swapping in Fiesta wiring/ECU/etc will be in order as well. I'd already be running custom fuel lines as well.

Is there enough of a tie still that this rule for open class (including G2) for Rally America works?

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2. The engine is unrestricted, but must be derived (at least the engine
block) from a product line offered by the manufacturer of the vehicle.

Is it legal to drop in the Fiesta motor? It seems they took out the "family" of vehicles that I thought was in previous rule books.


I'm asking, because I was looking at buying a new Fiesta or a Mazda2 to daily drive for several years, and eventually become a future rally car.


Many thanks!

Would the 2.0/2.3/2.5 from a 3 or 6 fit?

A 2.3 engined 2 sounds like a fun ride.

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Pete
Would the 2.0/2.3/2.5 from a 3 or 6 fit?

A 2.3 engined 2 sounds like a fun ride.

That's another question. I'd like an answer too.

I know that whenver the Mazdaspeed2 comes out, I can just swap that in, which might be a viable solution (and more than enough power). It's just that a lot of the R2 components equals easy off the shelf rally parts. While it's got the power, nobody really runs G5 at regional levels and I'd like to stay where the competition is and not run in a class by myself.

Win the lottery lately?
In a few years the real bits will still be 10s of thousands to get and keep in service...if the stuff is available.

---

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.

Mazda2 would be nice since you would qualify for the Mazda contingency, which rocks my socks.

I can't think of any reason the engine wouldn't fit, but I'm not certain it wouldn't involve a little welding here and there if engine mount points aren't in the same place.

As for the rules, I'm no expert on how those things are interpreted, but I BELIVE the engine had to be in a car with a Mazda badge at some point. That's how Hyundai had a Mitsu 4G63 in their open class cars years ago. Some old Elantra had a 4G63 from the factory. Mazda has never had that 1.6 Ford engine.

The bigger engines do physically fit (there's one built by a dealer with a Mazdaspeed3 engine that will be at SEMA next week) but its tight.

JVL has a point, as usual, about the costs of racing with fancy Yurrupean rally parts. If I were you, i'd keep the Mazda2 as a street car, and take advantage of the fact that there is no age restriction on the Mazda contengency money. There's a certain Miata-powered 1st-gen RX-7 being built that looks like a really good idea to my cheap ass.

-Dave

Thanks Dave!

Yeah, I know the Euro stuff is expensive but it solves a lot of headache on cars that aren't really rally proven like a Subaru. I know John is going to chime in with his Volvos, but I just don't like them and I'll never see myself driving one. I like small and short cars, a Mazda2 is a whole 3 feet shorter and almost 800lbs lighter (in stock trim) than a Volvo.

The other thing that makes me like the idea of a Fiesta as a rally car, I live in the Detroit area. I see SO MANY Fiesta Hatchbacks driving around town, they will be dirt cheep in a few years. So probably get what's cheapest for me RIGHT NOW (zero down, 0% interest for 60 months for a Mazda2) and then buy a used car later on. Fiesta would require a sizeable downpayment and a 48 month loan with a few % interest. I pretty much save $1000 over time + no down payment with the Mazda2.

P.S. Any issues with the 2011 Mazda2 that you care to share? I read some stuff about clutch issues and some suspension stuff but wasn't much detail.

you are planning on spending $30,000 on this car by the time its in to a
rally car? i don't see the benefit at all!!!! Finance a new truck or something
that will benefit you more and start a build of a rwd car and save money
wile still getting close ratios and all the best parts.

This subject is so aggravating some times if you have the money who
cares but your pissing money away in my eyes. your honda could be done
up to kill any fwd fiesta.

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SteelSolutions
you are planning on spending $30,000 on this car by the time its in to a
rally car? i don't see the benefit at all!!!! Finance a new truck or something
that will benefit you more and start a build of a rwd car and save money
wile still getting close ratios and all the best parts.

This subject is so aggravating some times if you have the money who
cares but your pissing money away in my eyes. your honda could be done
up to kill any fwd fiesta.

This is something to build in 5-6 years. I'm not building it now.

Not planning on building a full R2 from the start. Would probably do more of a MS1 build using the OEM gearbox, 4.6 final drive, intake/exhaust/cams/ecu tune that makes 155hp. Then run with revalved Bilsteins, HotBits, Proflex, or Reiger for suspension.

Later on, if I am feeling saucy, valve springs and upgrade rods/pistons like the R2. Rev it to 8500 and I'd put in the sequential if they never make a close ratio kit for it.

Pretty much would be my Honda, but in a newer package.

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BillyElliot
[

Pretty much would be my Honda, but in a newer package.

Pretty much an 1985 8v VW Golf except about 40mm more wheelbase, otherwise nearly identical right down to the microscopic discs and snus box sized rear drum brakes and shitty twist-able rear axle...

Seems like a lot of money for an 85 Golf..
for 1/50 the cost you could build a nice ABA tall block 2,0 16v and have some poop.

---

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

Quote
BillyElliot
[

Pretty much would be my Honda, but in a newer package.

Pretty much an 1985 8v VW Golf except about 40mm more wheelbase, otherwise nearly identical right down to the microscopic discs and snus box sized rear drum brakes and shitty twist-able rear axle...

Seems like a lot of money for an 85 Golf..
for 1/50 the cost you could build a nice ABA tall block 2,0 16v and have some poop.

Doesn't seem like you've ever had the luxury of going to a Detroit junkyard anytime have you? They dedicate sections to Ford/Chrysler/GM which makes up about 90% of the junkyard and 10% is just "Imports" So you'll maybe find some old ass Golf there, but it will have everything rusted to shit (Michigan winters are awesome).

I probably walk by 30 Ford Focus shells on my way to finding, if I'm lucky, 5 honda shells that have parts I'm looking for. And then I snap off frame bolts or other random suspension bolts because they are cars that had 200k miles on them.

Driving around town, I see so many Fiestas and all I can think of is spare parts in the Junkyard in several years.

Quote
BillyElliot

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
BillyElliot
[

Pretty much would be my Honda, but in a newer package.

Pretty much an 1985 8v VW Golf except about 40mm more wheelbase, otherwise nearly identical right down to the microscopic discs and snus box sized rear drum brakes and shitty twist-able rear axle...

Seems like a lot of money for an 85 Golf..
for 1/50 the cost you could build a nice ABA tall block 2,0 16v and have some poop.

Doesn't seem like you've ever had the luxury of going to a Detroit junkyard anytime have you? They dedicate sections to Ford/Chrysler/GM which makes up about 90% of the junkyard and 10% is just "Imports" So you'll maybe find some old ass Golf there, but it will have everything rusted to shit (Michigan winters are awesome).

I probably walk by 30 Ford Focus shells on my way to finding, if I'm lucky, 5 honda shells that have parts I'm looking for. And then I snap off frame bolts or other random suspension bolts because they are cars that had 200k miles on them.

Driving around town, I see so many Fiestas and all I can think of is spare parts in the Junkyard in several years.

There were 1,800,000 people living in Detroit the year I was born.
There are barely 800,000 there now.
There's a reason for that, maybe you should re-think why you're there.

I've poked around under those Fiestas and Fuckusi, there is not 4 oz of undercoating anywhere, just primer.
You think there'll be anything worth a damn on those things in 5-6 years?

It's a ONE POINT Five. Makes 100 bhp and 98 ft/lbs of "torque".
The Ford is ONE POINT SIX, makes 119 bhp and a few more ft/lbs

Weighs 2300 lbs and only insanely expensive options for gearing, diff and oh I wonder what the CVs will tolerate?

Modern cars are not delivered these days with much excess ANYTHING.
258mm" front discs? 10.15" ??? My 2000lb 1969 Saab rally car has bigger discs at 266.7 than that car.

I say looks like a nice fun street car---that's why I was looking at the thing,
but it is beyond my limited understanding why anybody in USA---where there is no 1.6 class---would voluntarily make such trouble and expense for themselves as long as there are roads and no "Berlin Wall" blocking off the nice parts of the country where cars don't rust from the parts where you all chose to pour salt into the environment by the tons/mile.

(Yeah yeah I know that good drivers in well prepared 1.6s can hustle cars down roads as fast as anybody in the Continent, but that doesn't mean you or I or anybody here can---driving a hot 1.6 takes a lot more skill than a mild ol' 2,0 or 2.3)
(And there never WILL be enough entries to justify capacity classes here--hell there's already what? 4 classes just for the various blue Sub-a-rats?)

---

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.

You said it 30 focus's! the 08 to date make 160 hp and the box can be built for the same price as
the others and there are diff's for them. and cams intake and tuning is getting in to the 190's plus
you can do the 2.3 swap easy. by the time you are looking to convert we should be doing plenty
of rwd swaps on mazda 3's and focus's which skys the limit for boxs and diff's. nothing wrong with
the focus not many have really tried with them they think that they are soo entry level they don't
make the right mods to step them up in to the level they have the potential to be on.

This fiesta to me is a fad car they build some super bitchin one for wrc and kenny blocky and a
wicked 2wd r2, and people are like if I buy this its almost a race car! its just as much of a peace of
shit as every other car on the market in the beginning.

too bad your so far away you seem like some one that might be a good candidate for a rwd focus

Will, that's assuming he wants RWD, and that he wants essentially a short run RWD conversion.

As for a Fiesta being a fad car, perhaps in the states, but not everywhere else... The Fiesta has been a rally car for a long time. If anything, it may start catching on soon.

A 1985 car is 26 years old. In 5-6 that would be 31.5 years. They're not a lot of 1979 and prior cars in junkyards anymore... at least ones worth picking from.

I'd be less worried about finding parts for a newer car, than a car that is eligible for collector's plates.
(then again, at the rate I'm going, my car will have collector's plates! lol)

RWD is on my plate eventually. Still not as quick as I can be in a FWD car. RWD focus with a good 4 banger would confused a whole lot of people at events.

But Dazed hit a nail on the head there. After dicking around in a junkyard for several hours trying to find what hasn't already been picked over. I finally found a rear disc trailing arm on a 92-95 civic on the LAST CAR I CAME UP TO! It was a good thing I didn't need the trailing arm bolts, because both of them snapped off in the frame. But the bushings all seized to the bolts as well.

I bring it home, go to take off the rear spindle and the torx head on the bolts all strip. And I pre heated and soaked those bitches in PB Blast too...

Long story short, next replacement spindles, I'm just going to buy the whole trailing arm assembly direct from Honda through my HPD hook up at cost instead of trying to save a few bucks at the junkyard.