Hi all. I went to the Prescott Forest Rally, and now i need to try rallying. I want to do this cheaply at first though, just in case i'm lousy at it. I know i'm a decent driver, and my brother is willing to codrive, so we have that much covered. I don't want to throw a cage into my Impreza though, at least not yet.

Are there any sites other than Ben's Rally Page that might have cars listed? I have a limited budget to try this, and i'm having some trouble finding cars for sale locally (or even a few states away), though i have found a few in FL and MN.

What i'm really looking for is an older Subaru with a cage already installed. Ideally, i'd like an older Impreza (maybe one of the 2.2's?), but those are probably out of my range. =\ I'm also open to just about any other awd car out there.

Btw, my budget for a car with cage is under $10k (the farther under the better).

jeddy -
Check out http://www.bensrallypage.com/

How about a Mazda 323 GTX, or an older legacy? SCC have built up a beater for rallying. Check out sportcompactcarweb.com or get one of the back issues. Their using a Datsun 510.

There was an older Subie rally car for sale in the private classifieds a little while ago, IIRC.

JC

idjit - that was the first place i looked. =] How's your WRX, anything else rattle loose since Prescott?

A mazda 323 GTX sounds like a good starter, and the price is right, but the only ones i've found so far are 3-4 days drive away (Minnesota for example). If there was one in the private classifieds, it's gone now. =\ Thanks though.

How about a 2wd car to start. You will learn more, spend less, and ultimately become a better driver by starting with a 2wd car. 2wd teaches you how to drive the corners and maintain momentum. AWD teaches you to point and shoot out of the corners. You will also spend a lot less money (two less drive shafts and differentials just to start). You can also find decent 2wd cars for under $5k which leaves you money to compete and repair the car.

Interesting points. I'd definitely like to learn to actually drive, and i have seen several 2wd cars within budget closer to me. Keeping repair costs down is definitely good too, hehe.

I know that i dislike driving FWD cars, and i love AWD for autocrossing. I haven't driven a RWD car in a long time, and that was a truck. Is there an advantage to learning in a FWD vs RWD (or vice versa) if i plan to switch to AWD at some point (assuming i can afford it)?

My suggestion would be to start off in a FWD Impreza and then if you really want to go all out a few years down the road, just do a WRX or even an STi transplant and you're AWD again. You can easily find a 93-95 Impreza for around 2000$.

Good Luck,
Stefan

FWD and RWD each have their advantages. I personally prefer FWD. I think it is a little easier to drive. With proper setup you can get the car to rotate and drift very easily. With my car, I use a little left foot braking to rotate the car and keep a comfortable drift. I've beaten several AWD cars with easily twice the horsepower that I have. It all gets back to momentum and speed through the corners. Just like autocrossing, tires and suspension are paramount.

FWD to AWD isn't a bad path. An AWD car will enter corners like a FWD drive car and exit similar to a RWD but with more control.

My advice: Buy a decently prepped Golf. Don't get a beater, you will spend more time at rallies getting and keeping the car running instead of enjoying the event. We have two mantras in our team:
1. Have everything ready before the car goes on the trailer.
2. Just finish.

Good luck and above all, have fun. Your first couple of seasons won't be about winning, but about seat time. So, enjoy it, have fun, and learn as much as you can.

Jason

http://www.specialstage.com

More specifically http://www.specialstage.com/forum/dcboard.cgi?az=list&forum=DCForumID24&conf=DCConfID7

There are a couple of options to be found there...

-Doug

this one is for sale...

Subaru 85 RX Turbo....

http://www.subiegal.com/IMAGES/RALLIES/20000210_DooWops02/01CavettRallyMS/doo%20wop2.jpg

fast and fun car... if i had the $$$ i would have bought it...

http://www.subiegal.com/IMAGES/RALLIES/Wild%20West/CRM/CRM5.jpg


good luck! have fun
j.
www.subiegal.com

I was going to mention FWD too. Although I love my WRX I think I could probably drive faster in FWD car because that's what I grew up driving (mostly on snow!). I've seen many rallies where the FWD cars run faster than the more powerful AWD cars so I don't think you would be disappointed with the speed, or the cost benefits.

Hopefully I will be able to get into rallying soon too!

Good luck!

-anders

Even with a 115hp stock Golf you will go fast enough to scare yourself and your co-driver. :)

Jason

Our rally car is for sale. $8500 for an '88 Toyota Celica Alltrac. This is awd and turbocharged with about 220hp. Its an open class car although the car is not nearly built to the full possibilities of the class. It's only been run one year but has been quite successful on the club level. Best results were 2nd overall in both Cherokee Trails club events, 3rd overall at Rapidan Rally, and 5th overall at Rally New York.

Let me know if you might be interested and I will email you more details on the car and pictures.

--Dave
RalliSpec

jeddy -
The WRX was fine the rest of the way, thanks for the help! I was pretty paranoid, so I went the direct route. Put my P7's back on the car while I had it jacked up.

BTW, after I get settled in North Carolina (moving back in the next month or so), I'm going to start on a project car myself... Either an old, "needs some work" AWD impreza, or maybe even a FWD Golf. I've got some VW friends, so it might work out. I can't stand torque steer, so I may just go the expensive route...

We can trade horror stories once we both get going... ;)

Who knows, maybe we could help you build a car when you find one. Or we could locate one for you?
Justin
www.alternativevehicles.com

I got my 96 L awd for 3500! I plan on throwing in an EJ 20, and getting most of my work done at www.subyspecialties.com. Since I am sponsored by them, most of the work is dirt cheap! I don't know how I got my car so cheap, but when buying a car, make sure you buy it from an old lady who doesn't know how valuable her suby is!
Val

check out

www.coloradorally.org