Rally Cars

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Just did about 50 miles of driving on snow covered twisting roads in the Canadian Rocky Mountains between Banff and Radium. Was thinking about what cars would make a good amateur rally car, say from 2000 to 2010 vintage. Your opinions?
 
A hopped up bug, low power Porsche, any BMW 3 series. a 2wd Ranger, Colorado, a Miata. Small cheap RWDs. No links, but I saw video of an '87 535i running in the Newfoundland Targa. Newbs and they finished 2nd. In the video was a Porsche catching air and breaking in 2 upon landing. The clip of another rally was a pair of P cars running on snow covered pine needles in the Ardenne forest. You go for it. I had a '51 Ford that I drove on forest roads. I'm prejudiced toward RWDs. I'm sure that there are some cheap fun FWDs too.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Just did about 50 miles of driving on snow covered twisting roads in the Canadian Rocky Mountains between Banff and Radium. Was thinking about what cars would make a good amateur rally car, say from 2000 to 2010 vintage. Your opinions?


What's cheap to buy, and easy to pull out of a ditch.

Someone had to say it...

IMO for playing on snow covered roads, and not on a course, I'd err towards lower power. AWD and snows, sure, but something that would make 30mph feel like 9/10ths. Just to keep it semi-legal and far from actual danger.
 
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS

This!!

...and my 2003 Evolution VIII (sold
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I once ran an X5 in the ALCAN Winter Rally, but I prefer something more along the lines of an STi or S4...
 
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS



I think this ^ with a 2.0 turbo swap from a new WRX would be the cat's booty, along with bolt-ons and a tune. This body style is great. Other inexpensives would be Impreza Sports or the Saab 9-2x; they get you 75% of the WRX experience for about 25% of the cost.

I have no problems with Audis but the 98-2008ish Subarus are literally like Legos- find a part you like, and it fits nearly everything Subaru made during any of those years. Sure, there are differences like hubs and wheel bearings, but engine parts, suspension parts, brakes, etc literally are one-size-fits-all
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Plus they're relatively cheap compared to German parts (and cars!)
 
Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Was thinking about what cars would make a good amateur rally car, say from 2000 to 2010 vintage. Your opinions?


A car that's already been built!

https://jalopnik.com/maybe-what-that-you-need-in-your-life-is-this-rally-car-1793898618

2011 Fiesta B-Spec... fully prepped and ready to race. Sold for $12,200.


I wonder if Tim O'Neil built that.
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Those Racetech halo seats and mounts are about $2500.00 all by themselves!

I would love to bring in a tarmac rally prepped and modded Escort Cossie RS/WRC as there are so few of those here in the states.
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Originally Posted By: IndyIan
The answer always is?

For running an actual performance stage rally, then probably not, due to adding a full cage and permanent roof etc..


Not enough wheel travel possible either, at least not for rough gravel special stages.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Would a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX make a decent rally car?


Many people in THIS country (and Canada) did campaign those (as well as their Mopar badged twin, the Eagle Talon TSI) in the SCCA Pro Rally series, sometimes even with success, especially in the Production GT class where they had few equally equipped rivals.

They TOTALLY fell out of favor with those same competitors once the Nippon 'rally twins', the Lancer Evo 8 and 9, and Imprezza WRX/STI became available here (and once the older 2.2L 20V 5 cylinder turbo Audi 'Ur' Quattros became scarce in both parts and actual cars, and their newer Quattros became way too massive, and over the multiplication factor displacement limits for even the open class AWD rules).
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Just did about 50 miles of driving on snow covered twisting roads in the Canadian Rocky Mountains between Banff and Radium. Was thinking about what cars would make a good amateur rally car, say from 2000 to 2010 vintage. Your opinions?


Audi A4 Quattro or Subaru Impreza.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo of that vintage hasn't been available here.
 
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