Convert Turbo to N/A

[Baldingtires]

Sounds crazy I know;)
I have a 02 wrx w/ JDM wrx 2.0 turbo motor.
I'm wanting to run open light without having to go 2wd.

Is it posible to physically remove the turbo and fab up some pipes to reroute the exhaust and intake?

I'll be at 9to1 compression and the cams will be setup for a turbo, buuut I'm just looking for a way to get through so that I can run open class.

[MConte05]

Yes, it is. I did it for my first rally. I had a 2.2T.

I ghetto fabbed it. Didn't even remove the turbo, just made a janky autozone'd intake, put a cork in the Idle Air Control valve, and jacked the idle. It was incredibly slow, but we got through the rally (until I crashed gunning for 2nd place).

I thought I'd do the same just to get through to OL, but I had SO much fun in OL, I am swapping in a hopped up 2.2L NA engine and going to try and be competitive in that. If I had to do it again from scratch I would have just swapped the engine to begin with.

Check out my members journal to see some of my shenanigans.

[Baldingtires]

Nice. Thank you kindly for the info. Now when you say it was incredibly slow, do you mean compared to a turbo'd car or compared to a standard 2.2l? It sounds like if you were gunning for 2nd place it couldn't have been that bad. ;)

[MConte05]

When I went and picked up my parts car Legacy with a 4.11 FD transmission and an aging 2.2L.... even with two other people in the car it felt incredibly fast compared to the deturboed 2.2L.

It was a fantastic exercise in conserving momentum and keeping speed in the corners. But on any slight uphill, I was losing ground and getting frustrated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaybEbtJVI

Jump to 1:42 to see what I am talking about. I was at peak power, in 2nd gear, trying to go up a hill and still losing speed despite having my foot planted. Incredibly frustrating.

I ended up gunning for second place because I was all over the road, using the ditches, flinging the car deep into the corners. But, it is also why I crashed. I was driving the car as hard as I could to try and keep up with the guys in RS's with 2.5L engines, 4.11 transmissions, and DMS suspension.... That turbo transmission is going to kill you too if you go to the deturboed low-compression route, the lower final drive doesn't help at all.

Honestly, don't worry about Open Class anytime soon if you are rallying for the first time. Open Light is becoming a HUGE class in RA. Look at the entry list for Sno*Drift. 12 cars! Insane! There are even rumors of a MaxAttack kind of series being started for OL. Even though I was in a car that was slow as balls, it was still the most fun I have ever had, and a properly done OL car is going to be plenty fast.

[IzzySTi]

I also suggrest finding a 2.5 to drop in, I did this on my 02 Impreza Rally Car. I used a high mileage Legacy GT 2.5, and a 02 RS wiring harness, did a simple up-pipe to down pipe U in place of the turbo. Hardest part was the wiring swap thou, but if its a rally car most of the panels are gone and the wiring should be easy to get at! Just my 2 cents!