Help me shop for a rallycross car...

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Say I have about $2000-2500 to spend on a beater / SO4 rallycross car. What should I get?

Cars needing work, etc are welcome to apply

PS - For Sale, 1986 BMW 325es w/ Conforti chip, Bilsteins, sport springs, 3.25 (short) LSD, Supersprint exhaust, lots of new parts, ALL maint work recent. $1200. Minor body damage, minor driveline vibration. Everything else works great. To quote Dave Spratte, "It's not nearly as much of a piece of shite as I was expecting."

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:34 pm

Mike we all knew you couldn't stand losing but so long. :wink:

You should contact Ryan's brother (Rob Keehner) about selling him the BMW. He has one now that only runs on occasion. Maybe he needs one that runs fine, but oversteers like a mofo in the dirt. :wink:

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Vincent Keene wrote:

Mike we all knew you couldn't stand losing but so long. :wink:

No offense, but I'm sick of being accused of that.

I went from *winning* in the SU2 car to the SO2 car to find a different "rush". Well, it turns out it's slow and slow is boring to me. I want to go *fast*!

Being competitive is second to making sure I'm driving something that gives me a thrill. Having taken fun runs in a few SO4 cars, oh yeah, gimme some more of that. I could just go back to the FWD Corolla, but I want more than that.

The BMW is just frustrating. Lots of oversteer is fun, sure, but the speed thrill just isn't there. Winning is just a side-effect of really, really, wanting to go as fast as I can!

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:50 pm

Like I said at the rallycross it's hard to beat an old Legacy Turbo like I used to have. They are sort of hard to find with manual but worth the search. Mine was unusually nice so was above your budget but they can be found for $2500. Cars in that price range just won't look so great.

Add an open exhaust and the car is _every_ bit as fast as a WRX with less lag. I bet you could blackmail Kevin A. into selling those sweet Tien rally coil-overs he's got sitting in the garage too.

Other than a 4000 Quattro or Quantum Synchro I can't think of any other decent 4wd cars in that price range. The 323 GTX is an obvious choice but they are even more rare than the Legacy. It seems that the DSM's break all the time but a 1G DSM could fill the bill too. Jim F. sure did well in his. (until Kent broke it! :oops:

)

--Kevin H.

JamesFeinberg · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:59 pm

As you probably know, I have 2 SO4 cars sitting in my driveway highly capable of providing more than enough of a speed rush on dirt. As an added bonus, both are also more than capable of banishing those pesky Subarus to the bottom of the results page. :twisted:

Each of them happen to be right in your price range and are ready to hit the dirt with no maintenance needed. But wait, there's more! Each of them have nearly brand new (<1000 miles) all-season tires which are nearly ideal (if not perfect) with regard to our current tire rules. Can't beat that with a stick, I tell ya! :lol:

Jim

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2005 5:07 pm

Seriously Mike, if Jim will part with his Lazer in your price range, that is your hot ticket.

Parts are plentiful and so is tech help. Obviously you dont mind working on stuff. I know every weak link/problem that car has, and I have fixed most all of them. I especially know how to fix the steering cut out that you will read that the 1g DSM's have, costs less than $5. I would be happy to help as much as I can.

In other words, GET JIM'S CAR!!!

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

I've actually seen some pretty decent-looking 2.5RS rally cars for sale pretty cheap on ebay & other places. If the course isn't too straight, that will be just as fast as anything else that shows up - ok, except for a Forester XT.

Check out www.rallyclassified.com & you might find something useful there.

Alternatively, you can rent my 2.5RS until it sells (IF it ever sells :roll:

). Only rule is that I get it back in the EXACT same condition it was in before the rallyx.

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

ooooo...

http://www.rallyclassified.com/detail.php?cat=7&de=1977

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2005 6:48 pm

Kevin Allen wrote:

Alternatively, you can rent my 2.5RS until it sells (IF it ever sells :roll:

). Only rule is that I get it back in the EXACT same condition it was in before the rallyx.

OK I feel lower than dirt now... After the last rallyx I returned Kevin's car dirty and (didn't know it until later in the day) with a flat tire. :oops:

I'm just worried about exactly how far off course he might (mistakenly? :lol:

) end up at the t-n-t in the Miata... :shock:

--Kevin H.

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

I'll just say that I might "accidentally" find out how good the Miata is for rallycross. :twisted:

I'd like to add that a 2.2L Impreza should be FASTER than a 2.5RS, if the 2.2L is gutted like the Dirtmaster & the 2.5RS is totally stock. 2.2L has pretty good powah, at 140 for both hp & torque. If you could find one in good mechanical condition that looks like crap, you might be able to get close to $2500.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Hmmm. Lots of interesting options

As I mentioned I want something for a beater too, so it's not going to be stripped. Actually, given my past few beaters, I will religiously fix every interior thing broken. I have a problem, I know.

Kevin, I might be interested in taking you up on your offer!

Jim - I have been meaning to come by to look at at least one of the 2 options in your driveway. For some reason I just can't get excited about the Lazuhr. Something in me doesn't want a turbo car, which rules out the Legacy GT as well.

I'm finding some good deals on high-mile Outbacks. Now that would be cool - a big AWD shaggin wagon. What motor comes in those things?

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Same one that's in my 2.5RS

David Spratte · **Posted:** Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:37 pm

Yes. The Rallybeamer was much nicer than I thought it would be. Granted I think I had crossed references and assumed that any RallyXer would be of similar condition as the Dirtmaster or General Lei.

It's remarkably. . . solid. If that makes sense.

Mike, I kind of get the boring thing. But it was entertaining as hell. Sort of like seeing a fat guy on a snowboard for the first time: Not sure where it's going to go, but the potential for ugly is huge.

But, to stay on topic, you should at least drive the Lahayser. Or both. You're getting everything you're looking for (price, drivetrain and streetable) but have to take a turbo with it? I know next to nothing about DSMs, so what's the story on the OEM turbo? Are they known to cook themselves?

Besides, it sounds like Ryan has learned how to build a DSM from scratch.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Kevin Allen wrote:

Same one that's in my 2.5RS

Just the Legacy outback, right? All the Impreza Outbacks look like they have the 2.2l

Any hop-ups for the 2.2?

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

2.2 in the Outback Sport, which is the Impreza wagon with higher suspension. You also get the sweet 2.5RS-style hood with scoop after a certain year - maybe 99?

Most of the stuff that's available for 2.5 is available for 2.2 - headers, exhaust, intakes, not sure about cams (but they're not worth the trouble, anyway from what I've heard). Intakes with MAF have issues with blowing the MAF if you drive it hard (rallyx) or modify the intake. Go with a MAP sensored sohc 2.5 if you can.

You could swap a 2.5RS suspension onto a Forester... it would look like a hooptie, but it would be a sweet rallyx car.

(it also has the 2.5 engine)

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