RDR: Project Rally

[RallyRDR]

EDIT

we've picked up a new project, a 1995 Dodge Neon ACR DOHC M/T.

couple pictures. more pictures of the beginning of our new project on the other pages.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/10.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/32.jpg



RIP '87 Toyota Corolla FX16 GTS
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/2.jpg

[pigpen]

Great news! I'm glad you guys ended up with that little thing--it should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the build-up. the non-exhaust sounds great!

This is exactly the type of car i would eventually like to pick up for ice racing, but alas my existing cars need some attention before i get a third one.

[409industries]

That car would be fun as hell to rally! Nice choice for a non-subie!

[RallyRDR]

noticed i didnt take pics of the other side so..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/4.jpg

side exit exhaust, hard to see here tho.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/5.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/6.jpg

heres an idea my friend made for paint. if anyone else has any ideas for paint please share.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff310/midnightrun_2007/1.jpg

heres an idea i made real quick on paint..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/paint%20scheme/paintscheme.jpg

were thinking about having the hood saying Special Thanks:.." and signed by everyone who puts work into the car just as a thank you. as much as we'd love to pay for their time, we just cant afford it. figure its the least we could do. i guess keep that in mind with the paint scheme.

so today we decided to tear apart the car. quite rusty to say the least, but we have plans.

u can see the exhaust hanger..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/8.jpg
aaaand the tire...
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/9.jpg
we stripped out most of the sound deadening in the rear. was holding in moisture and dead weight.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/10.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/11.jpg
also stipped the rear interior. we'll probably leave it stripped because we'll be welding in alot of metal and supports.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/12.jpg
front interior, pretty clean.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/13.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/14.jpg

and we already have a sponsor. talked to my decal guy and he said he'll gladly sponsor us. hopefully we can get the body up to shape and painted to get some decals on. were open to more sponsors, we would appreciate any help we can get. if interested just PM me or email us at rubberduckieracing@yahoo.com. were trying to get this thing atleast race ready for the DC RallyX event on March 30th to start gaining points.

[pigpen]

were trying to get this thing atleast race ready for the DC RallyX event on March 30th to start gaining points.

awesome...i can't wait to see it at the next event! is the rear exhaust actually attached to anything, or is it to help the side exhaust be more stealthy?

if you want people to be able to sign your car, a black sharpie on white paint would stick out well. i don't know what you'd use to sign a car that is all black.

[aerioAWD]

Nice choice for rallyx. Btw, if your car stays stripped in the rear, then your class will be Modified instead of Prepared. I remember the TECH guys at the last DC rallyx event told me I should be in M4 class cause they saw I had some plastic removed in the rear hatch. I was like, CMON I still have my rear seats in.

[RallyRDR]

the rear muffler isnt attached, the previous owner put it there as a dummy muffler to keep police off his case lol. we'll probably attach the mid-pipe to that muffler because the straight side exit exhaust is ridiculously loud. i mean it sounds pretty sweet, but for about 45mins drive to a race, hell no haha.

were not sure about the interior yet. we need to do quite a bit of body work so depending on how far we go, will result in the choice of keeping the interior or not. i'd like to keep it to stay in PF but we dunno yet.

were going to order Tokico HP struts tomorrow. Konis are just to expensive and we dont really know if they'll fit this car. i had the Tokico HP's on my civic for my old setup and i know a few ppl who run them, their good struts for the price.

i'm still very interested in seeing how ppl setup their car as far as spring rates and swaybars go. anyone know where i can find suspension tips for rally preping? i imagine it'll be the same basic principle for autox just not as stiff.

[pigpen]

anyone know where i can find suspension tips for rally preping?

well, all our technical info is all subie-related, but reading through some concepts may still be helpful. you could try specialstage.com...they're a general rally forum, so you should be able to find some toyota people over there and look at what they've done. i've also heard of rallyanarchy, but i've never checked it out.

[VermillionX]

I really like that car. It looks fun as hell to drive.

[RallyRDR]

not much of an update but w/e...after hours of researching aftermarket parts(or lack there of:?), i think we've come up with our "to do" list. aftermarket parts are scarce for this car, for anything decent its way out of our price range and probably requires modifications we dont feel like doing.

list:
- KYB GR2 struts
- 185/65R14 Blizzak WS60 tires
- EBC Greenstuff front brake pads
- EBC Ultimax rear brake pads
- Beck Arnley front/rear rotors
- AutoPower 4 point ultimate roll bar
- custom welded rear strut tower supports
- relocate battery to rear
- strip w/e we can
- Hella fog lights
- custom DIY paint
- and of course Rubber Duckie Racing decals

from what i've heard from other FX16 GTS rallyxers, the stock springs work very well for off road. might upgrade the rear swaybar to get the car to rotate a little better, possibly disconnect the front swaybar.

we'll be buying some metal tomorrow and hopefully have it welded in place of the major rust spots.

we've had some ppl photoshop some paint ideas for us and so far were liking this one the best. still open to ideas tho.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/paint%20scheme/5.jpg


sure hope i can be back here end of this weekend with new pics of the welded pieces..

[pigpen]

that looks like a pretty good paint scheme.

[RallyRDR]

aight lil update. took the car to work today and did some work. replaced the steering universal joint, balanced the wheels, cleaned up most of the oily gunk in/under the engine bay, sprayed penetrating oil on just about all the suspension and brake components, and figured out what needs to be worked on. ordered the powersteering belt today, might come in tomorrow, if it does we'll install it and see if the p/s works. one of the techs who showed me how to replaced the steering joint suggested we remove all the emissions b/s and block the EGR valve so we'll prolly do that at some point. need to order a tensioner pulley because the one on there has a bad bearing, no big deal. need to replace the sway bar bushings. we'll probably just replace the front swaybar bushings and upgrade the rear swaybar to something thicker. motor mounts are a bit worn but we'll fill them in with 3M window weld as a substitute for polyurethane inserts(since i dont think they sell em for this car). we may be ordering the new struts tomorrow along with hopefully getting some metal welded in. hopefully can get new brakes soon, these damn things arnt even vented lol.
anyways some pics..
new joint
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/20.jpg
after some cleaning
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/21.jpg
undercarrage is alright. bit dirty but dosnt seem bad.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/23.jpg
driver side front suspension
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/24.jpg
passenger side front suspension
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/25.jpg
passenger side rear suspension. the holes are left from removing rust
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/26.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/27.jpg
driver side rear suspension
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/28.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/29.jpg

[RallyRDR]

got some more work done today. mainly just removing rust and pieces that arnt necessary. also got our first mod today, a Hurst shift knob.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/31.jpg
we got masks! now i need a tetanus shot....
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/33.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/34.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/35.jpg
driver side rear suspension, what the passenger side SHOULD look like..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/38.jpg
aaaand the passenger side after todays work
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/39.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/40.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/41.jpg
stuff that fell outa the car today..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/42.jpg
and our Hurst knob, feels f*ckin great! real comfy
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/43.jpg

[RallyRDR]

brake pads came in the other day. EBC GreenStuff for the fronts and EBC Ultimax for the rear. Also put on some pedal covers for easier heel-toe. co-driver also cut out a pretty large chunk out of the driver side rear fender.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/44.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/45.jpg
didnt get a pic of the chunk my co-driver cut out but its large, pretty large haha.

last week we ordered POR-15 rust preventative paint and coat, KYB GR2 struts, SP Performance slotted front and rear rotors power steering belt, and power steering tensioner pulley. they all have come in except for the struts:-x

dont have pics of the rotors yet since their at my co-drivers house.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/46.jpg
still waiting on the KYB struts...dunno when they'll be here. hopefully before end of next week. i believe my co-driver was going out to pick up some metal tonight aswell, if not tonight atleast sometime in the next couple days..

i have a feeling next week will be very busy trying to get this car in order for the rallyx on the 30th. if we cant meet that date, we'll just run the wrx again..

[pigpen]

looks like it is really coming along. is that rust preventative stuff just a special primer coat? or does it get mixed in with the paint or something? i am starting to see some rust on my Legacy...

[RallyRDR]

its better than primer. u dont really even have to clean up the rust(as long as the metal is still in atleast some-what solid form). just clean, sand or score with their Metal-Ready spray, and paint with the POR-15 then use their top coat. after application, this stuff hardens like a rock, wont chip or crack, and it'll stop the rust from spreading and prevent more rust from forming. little pricey but apparently well worth it.

[rollo]

if you want people to be able to sign your car, a black sharpie on white paint would stick out well. i don't know what you'd use to sign a car that is all black.

This:
http://www.sharpie.com/img/compel/-oOaFLmuQHhr1U1a15MzYzWpyFmLLHpL/pd_metallic.jpg

(the Sharpie not the bat :D )
http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sharpie_Metallic_Fine_Point_Permanent_Marker.html

[pigpen]

those sharpies (and your standard ones) say they are only water resistant. you might want one of the industrial permanent markers so that the signatures to stay intact for a while.

maybe something like this:
http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sharpie_Mean_Streak_reg;_Permanent_Marking_Stick.h tml

or they even have paint markers:
http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/ProductCategory/paint_markers.html


i guess you guys have a big weekend ahead of you in order to get ready for the next WDCR event, eh? here's to hoping we all get to see the new project in person!

[RallyRDR]

co-driver dropped the Rolla at my house so i can take it to work tomorrow. gena put on the rotors, pads, flush the brake fluid, p/s tensioner pulley, p/s belt, flush the p/s system. gena try to fix the oil/coolant leak if i have time.

the rotors....we've been walkin all over the hood:mrgreen:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/47.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/50.jpg
fronts are vented and slotted
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/48.jpg
rears are only slotted
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/49.jpg
and the big chunk cut out of the driver side
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/51.jpg
the passenger side
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/52.jpg

i think were just about done removing w/e metal needed to be removed and now gena try to weld in the new pieces. checked the shipment on the struts and looks like they'll be here on Tuesday, they got reschedualed with UPS, prolly would have been here friday if they hadnt:-x

[aerioAWD]

Great write up.. Gena russian?

[BlackParis]

Id paint it yellow :-D and stencil in the RDR in black or something... and make sure you glue a ducky to the hood :D

[pigpen]

Id paint it yellow :-D and stencil in the RDR in black or something... and make sure you glue a ducky to the hood :D

now that would be representin' the duck. I agree with doing that, except i'd add one thing: paint the duck chrome for a giant hood ornament with classic styling :lol2:

[BlackParis]

paint the duck chrome for a giant hood ornament with classic styling :lol2:

:nono

The chrome paint would crack when you squeeze the ducky though.....

[RallyRDR]

i actually have a rather large duckie that i need to find a place where to put in or on the car lol.

installed the rotors/pads friday night

fronts
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/53.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/54.jpg

rears
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/55.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/56.jpg

they feel fine but i havnt really tested em completely, will do so when the new struts are in. didnt have time to flush the brake fluid, will do that whenever i get time. damn parts dept. gave me the wrong p/s tensioner pulley but i ordered the right one today, will hopefully be here by tuesday and get the p/s working. found out we need new front LCA's because of bad bushings, ordered those last night. gena disconnect the rear sway bar since the endlink bushings are toast. we'll see how things play out this week...

[409industries]

Nice! you guys are moving right along on this project!

[RallyRDR]

forgot to make a couple updates so heres a long one

week of March 23rd:
struts and new lower control arms came in last week.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/67.jpg

we took out the center console to adjust the e-brake to engage sooner for faster drifts OMGz!! well we decided to take out the entire center console and leave it that way. might fab up a lil box to protect the shift assembly, maybe raise the assembly up so its closer to the steering wheel.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/66.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/65.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/64.jpg

took the Rolla to work on thursday to get some stuff done. plan was to install the front lower control arms, front struts, remove sway bars, and some lil odds and ends. got all that done except for the struts, the LCA's took up more time than expected.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/59.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/60.jpg
no rear sway for now. endlinks and bushings were toast.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/61.jpg
since we get asked about the exhaust so much...heres how its set up
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/62.jpg
the junk left over
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/63.jpg

and also last week, we FINALLY found someone who can weld for us. he came over on saturday and got a couple pieces welded in. he'll be coming over again this saturday to finish the passenger side and do some more pieces. real cool guy, only charging us for gas money since he has to travel almost an hour, he's a true live saver for us:headbang:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/68.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/69.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/82.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/83.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/84.jpg


yesterdays work :
took the front suspension off. ran into a problem, the struts sent to us are not the right ones:angryfinger:. the spring perch is just slightly too small. have talked to the website i ordered them from, they responded needing info, hopefully we can get this taken care off quickly.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/71.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/72.jpg
also cut out a large chunk of the passenger side rear to make easier to weld.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/76.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/77.jpg
i got bored after we finished
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/Project%20Rally/80.jpg

[T-Heineken]

Oh this is sooooo cool!!! I hope to have a fun project like this one day.
I'm excited to see the progression...and eventually the mounted duck in the dirty gettin' sideways ;)

[pigpen]

great stuff guys. i can't wait to see this at the next event!

[RallyRDR]

hey everyone! been a while since i was last here. alot has gone on recently so i thought i'd update...

well the Corolla is no longer our project car:? we decided to call it quits on it. just to much work and just was not going to be worth it. BUT, we've moved on to something better. a fellow AutoXer came to me a little over a month ago with an offer for a '95 Neon ACR. didn't think much of it at the time but he was willing to hold on to it for me if i ever decided to take it up. we'll within the past few weeks, my friend and i really put some thought on it and decided to take it. we'll be building this Neon for AutoX, RallyX and circuit/time attack track events. we know that building the suspension to suit all of these is extremely difficult, esp when u throw RallyX in the mix, but we don't plan on being very competitive. this will be a nice challenge to find a middle ground for the suspension that will be both fun and "comfortable" for all sorts of events.

for $1400 we got:

'95 Neon ACR(American Club Racer) coupe
128,xxx miles on original motor
Kumho V710s 225 front and 195 rear, have about 20 runs on them.
Hankook RS2 205/50R15, still decent life in them
set of stock wheels
New clutch and flywheel, not installed.
New motor mount and inserts and bubble strut, already installed.
New belts.
4 point roll bar
front and rear strut bars
Momo start racing seat (in the car) and a Sparco racing seat (not installed)
All the stock interior
Energy Suspension full bushing set brand new
also Koni Sports(ACR's came stock with them:headbang:)

and some more goodies

some pics
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/10.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/11.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/12.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/13.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/14.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/15.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/19.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/5.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/2.jpg

its no Impreza, but its better than the Corolla. i'll tell ya one thing, it sure has a nice suspension even for stock. the Koni's with a slightly agressive suspension from the factory make it great on the road. the ride height will be kept about the same for clearance off road. can't wait to get this thing dirty:muhaha:



right now, i have a question for you guys. what would be some good dirt/mud tires that we can run on this car for rallyx events? we have a couple sets of wheels to put them on. something with a soft compound or w/e is not a big deal. price is tho, something around or under $100 each for a 195/65R14 or 195/55R15 would be best.

Thanks!!!

[pigpen]

woah! this is the ADD build ;-) now you have a car that is actually used in stage rally! what did you do with the corolla? you guys put a lot of work into that. the neon will definitely make a good rallyx car, but it probably can't also be competitive in autox without doing major suspension work between events. it would be the first time attack neon i've seen...

[RallyRDR]

we still have the Corolla in our hands but will be getting rid of it very soon. did put a lot of work into it but after talking to a couple body shops, it just wasnt going to be worth it. with the Neon, we wont be competitive in any class for any sort of racing i imagine, this is mainly to better our driving skill, have fun and learn as much as we can about driving and car setup along with having a car to run at the track without risking our own daily drivers.

i'm hoping to make the next autox and rallyx events in the car as is and get a general idea of how the car reacts in both situations with different tires. once i get a good feel for how it handles, i'll start planning for my mission of a good middle ground suspension setup. gena take a lot of testing and tuning, trial and error but for me thats all part of the fun.

[pigpen]

cool. as far as tires, winterforces would certainly fall into your budget. used rally tires may be better suited for your goals, and also tend to be <$100 per tire.

[RallyRDR]

just one thing after another.....well looks like we'll be set back a little bit and wont be able to make this upcoming rallyx event. someone broke into the Neon the other night, broke the passenger side window. stole the wheels in the back that had R-Compound tires for autox, and also the lightweight Odyssey battery(popped the hood and cut the battery out):unamused:. i absolutely hate thieves...

sooo now were gena have to find a new window and suck up the ~$1000 loss on the wheels/tires/battery..

theft has been happening quite often in my neighborhood lately, i'm keeping a very close eye out around the block now. i know they'll be back, and i'll be ready this time. they messed with the wrong person:twisted:


anyways, was looking at some more tires and the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60's caught my eye. anyone have experience with these off road?

[MConte05]

I have a set of Blizzak LM-25's that I have used for several RallyX's now. Looking at the WS-60 it seems to be almost the same type of tire, slightly different tread pattern though. So far I have loved it on the loose dirt courses I have run. You can feel some sidewall flex in hard cornering, but it grips and grips well.

[pigpen]

that sucks dude. if you're not getting rally tires, i say go winterforce. nice tread and cheap. but used rally tires could be even cheaper.

[RallyRDR]

i've been very busy and have ran into some unfortunate events with both my Civic and the Neon...now finally got around to an update..

well the unfortunate events im talking about has to do with theives. about 2 1/2 weeks ago, someone broke the passenger window in the Neon and stole the wheels with the R-Compound tires and also popped the hood and stole the Odyssey battery which wasnt even mine(previous owner wanted it back). a week and a half ago they came back and tried to get into my civic but failed due to my alarm, which i'm beefing up even more at the moment while its hiding at a friends house. both cars were parked on my driveway...i'm pretty sure its not really a targeted thing, my whole neighborhood has had break-ins once to twice a week this past month:angryfinger:

anyways, here's what i've been doing while the Neon was hiding in the garage..

degreased the engine/trans a little bit. also took out the A/C compressor and condensor. installed the fancy "carbon fiber" strut bar which was given to us with the car. we kinda custom made a new intake to replace the one that's seen in the picture below. the one in the picture has the filter almost literally resting ontop of the header, sucking up all that hot air. the new intake routes right into the big hole next to the throttle body, about as close to a cold air intake we'll get without running the risk of hydrolock.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/20.jpg

if u didnt notice, theres no battery in the above picture. when the theives stole the battery, they cut the wires insted of unbolting the battery...soo we were going to have to buy new wires and this gave us the opportunity to move the battery to the trunk. still need to get a battery box and figure out how to bolt it down securely. also bolted up the other fancy "carbon fiber" strut bar.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/21.jpg

heres what took up most of my time this past week. we were given a brand new clutch/flywheel kit along with the car. nothing special, just OE replacement stuff. as u can see in the pictures, the old clutch def was in need of replacing:shock:
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/24.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/25.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/26.jpg


aaand tomorrow we just might be able to bolt up the 4 point AutoPower roll bar that also came with the car.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/23.jpg


theres an AutoX event next saturday we hope to run the car at. at the event we'll do a little test with the beefy rear swaybar that was given to us with the car. we'll do 3 runs with the stock rear swaybar and then put the larger rear sway for the last 3 runs and see how it handles.

we hope to have the Neon ready for the last WDCR RallyX event on October 12th(3 weeks away). car needs new brakes, tires, passenger seat, and a few other small things then we'll be good to go. were hella excited:headbang:

[RallyRDR]

got some more shiz done today.

we were given some Energy Suspension bushings with the car so i decided to put some stuff on today.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/27.jpg

i just did the front sway bar bushings and endlinks and the rear sway bar bushings and endlink bushings.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/30.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/28.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/29.jpg

stock ones were a bit worn but not horrible. though a couple of the metal collars were seized to the bolts and on a couple of the bushings the outter edge was tearing off.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/31.jpg

my co-driver came over not long ago and we were able to squeeze the roll bar in.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/32.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/33.jpg

this week we'll probably custom fab up some covers for the center console and dash to protect cables/wires and whatnot. also need to go out and get a battery box and bolt that down securely.

[RallyRDR]

well we got the Neon out to its first AutoX with us behind the wheel. last night we were doing some last minute preperations. we got a new Taylor sealed battery box mounted in the trunk along with a new, smaller battery. had to put a new alternator belt on since the old one snapped. my co-driver couldn't stand driving around with no music playing so he picked up a small AM/FM handheld radio and zip-tied it to the roll bar. it works great:guitarist:

todays event was pretty fun. little crazy because of some rain but we managed. was raining on and off allll day. some got lucky with a few "dry" runs while others got poured on when running. my co-driver got 5 runs in on the Neon and i got 1 run on it. this was my co-drivers first time in a loooong time really racing a FWD car. did alright, had to remind him the techniques are opposite of RWD a couple times but no biggie. the car had some understeer but if u could slow it down a bit entering the turn, u can really pull out of the turn quick. i noticed this car really puts down the tq when exiting which is perfect. in dry conditions it should be much better.

anyways here some pics and vids.

we had to wait a while before our runs...co-driver somehow passed out in that horribly uncomfy seat haha
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0001.jpg

waiting in grid
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0013.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0015.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0020.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0025.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0042.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0046.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0050.jpg

my one run in the Neon. listening to that fancy little radio :lol:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2693803975475097804

here my co-drivers runs. got vid of his first 3 runs and his last run of the day. i just about died of laughter when i saw the part at about 1:30 :lol2:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1258151653610035558

we have 2 weeks to get this car ready for the last RallyX of this year. will be the first RallyX on this car and for us in a FWD car. can't freakin wait :eek:

[RallyRDR]

little update, few new parts.

like mentioned in my last post, we got the Taylor sealed battery box.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/38.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/37.jpg

and i think this is my co-drivers favorite mod haha:guitarist:
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/39.jpg

on wednesday afternoon i ordered new tires and front rotors from TireRack. tires arrived thursday afternoon, i was able to mount/balance them that night. rotors came in today. this was with ground shipping. i love TireRack:headbang:

tires are 195/70R14 Firestone Winterforce on the stock neon wheels. tires are just a little wider and taller than stock size.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/34.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/35.jpg

we got ATE front slotted/vented rotors. pretty cheap but should be just fine.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/RDR%20Neon/36.jpg

just one more week untill RallyX:eek:

[pigpen]

i like the crazy design on those slotted rotors...never saw that before.

[Azewaldo]

Q: How do you have a co-driver and no passenger seat!? :lol2:
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/AutoX%209-27-08/IMG_0001.jpg

[RallyRDR]

Q: How do you have a co-driver and no passenger seat!? :lol2:


co-driver= 2nd driver esp in auto-x world. but were working on the passenger seat. we have a brand new Sparco Ultra(came with the car), bracket/slider is on its way.

[Not All There]

haha, love the radio, coming along

[RallyRDR]

well the RallyX event was a success! the Neon did great. it's performance and handling off road was simply amazing. hardly any issues with understeer and the low end tq with those grippy Firestone Winterforce tires really pulled throughout the entire course. the course was pretty fast, i managed to top out 2nd gear and hit the rev limiter for about a couple seconds. i'm not sure but i do believe thats atleast 60mph. we ran a thicker than stock rear swaybar, car was able to rotate just fine, really only needed the e-brake once on the course, if i were a better driver it probably wasnt really even needed. the rear swaybar did make for some nice 3 and 2 wheel action haha.

it survived a very very rough course, just barely lol. we had a little scare on my co-drivers last run, motor was cutting in and out. ended up just being low on gas(had to buy 93octane for $5.25/gallon at the trackhttp://mdstreetscene.com/forum/images/smilies/icon13.gif). took a good look at the entire car today on my lift, secondary o2 sensor wires were ripped from the sensor and endlink-to-strut piece broke off part of the strut but is fixable. also the camber bolts for each side in the front came a little loose. it was fun driving back home from Summit Point...nothing was damaged tho so it's all good.

as for results, I took 3rd and my co-driver took 4th out of 8 in Modified 2WD. we ran a split day format, 5 runs each in the morning and 5 runs each in the afternoon. for the morning runs, overall my co-driver averaged roughly 4 seconds faster than me. for the afternoon runs, overall I averaged roughly 5 seconds faster than him.

here pictures from the event. i'll have in-car video up soon.

here she is all clean before the event.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0001.jpg
hiding in the pack of subies
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0002.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0003.jpg
these pictures are from our afternoon runs(5 runs each in the morning, 5 runs each in the afternoon) so the car was already a bit dirty.
waiting in grid, got pretty hot inside the car..
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0071.jpg
ready to go
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0063.jpg
taking off from start
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0083.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0084.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0087.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0078.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0079.jpg
love this dirt trail pic
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0074.jpg
was a bit hard to see out there lol
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0075.jpg
thru the finish
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0061.jpg
heres John tearing it up
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0027.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0031.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0043.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0048.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0050.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0051.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0052.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0053.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0054.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0055.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/John%20Vilece/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0056.jpg
aaand after the event
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0009.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0010.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0014.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0090.jpg
once we get a skid plate, hopefully the engine bay wont be as dirty..
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0091.jpg
John thinks theres something wrong...
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0093.jpg
his solution: taking a huge crowbar to the engine!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0095.jpg
that failed so he took it out on our team mate
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0096.jpg
some fun
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0097.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0099.jpg
the work of John's girlfriend
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0100.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0101.jpg
our team mates WRX
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb58/rubberduckieracing/Alejandro%20Aviles/RallyX%2010-12-08/IMG_0103.jpg


next season can't come soon enough:guitarist:


EDIT:

here the vids. had to use streetfire since youtube and google would'nt take em..

co-drivers morning runs
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/WDCR-RallyX-101208-Johns_191709.htm

my morning runs
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/WDCR-RallyX-101208-AJs_191521.htm