My possible rally future

[Duffurban36]

What I have been thinking of these last few days, I was riding in my cousin's car and it is I believe a 1986 Volkswagen GTI and is in great shape. I remember watching Rally-America and local Hill Climb events and I saw similar GTIs and was thinking of buying my cousin's car and building it into a low budget beginner rally car. Who here on DI think this would be a good rally beginning for me?

[tsidreams]

I have little experiance with VW's. But I have seen the 80's GTI's in action at rally's and Auto X, they are very ridged cars. I always thought of them as a smaller FWD Impreza type of car.

I think it would be a great car, if you can get a great deal on one my vote is go for it.

[albascoob]

It's the perfect first rally car...go for it.

[thewizard]

I have an 87 gti rally car and it is definetely a good platform to begin with.
If you need info pm or email me
Oscar

[Not All There]

i think its a great starter car, but before you buy it just a big heads up, you can get one thats already logbooked and ready to race for as low as 4 grand. Might be something to look into. I wont start the built vs bought argument here, but just saying.

[Draco-REX]

i think its a great starter car, but before you buy it just a big heads up, you can get one thats already logbooked and ready to race for as low as 4 grand. Might be something to look into. I wont start the built vs bought argument here, but just saying.
BUY the logged GTI stage car, then when you feel you want to commit, BUILD a Subaru stage car. :D

[WRXCMM]

+1 for logged gti...specially if it's your first build, i think.


good luck

[Rallycat66]

Just to emphasize the buy rather than build argument...

At a get together last night we were talking about buying cheap cars and preparing them. One MKII GTI that we were discussing, the owner bought the car for <$1000. He has spent OVER $22,000 preparing it (granted he is meticulous and the car is flipping gorgeous, but he also has done almost all the work himself which saved a considerable amount of money...)

Buy your first car. You can buy a car for WAY, WAY, WAY, less than you can build it for.

And the MK II Golfs are excellent cars to start out with. Tough little cars, plenty of good rally bits for them and lots of experience out there preparing and running them.


Tim

[Azewaldo]

Everything I've seen/heard about the MkII shows it to be a top-notch budget platform. I've been wanting to get one, it would be way more economical than my WRX wagon, whether I rally-x it or stage rally it.

[thewizard]

The problem lately is that mk2s are sought after by punks that either drop vr6s in em or that lower the **** out of em. Mk2s are no longer available at junkyards (particularly gti -16v the ones you should be looking more into) I have seen mk3s for 500+ but its hard to find a non rust bucket mk2 for less than 1500. Yes, the mk3 is heavier but who cares if you are a beginner. There have been top spec mk3 cars(like an ex-alistar McRae) that easily finished top 10 in every event it entered (Its all about the driver, stupid!) :)

[UP2MTNS]

''low budget'' = buy

'nuff said......wait long enough and watch ss.com's classidieds and one will pop up eventually for under $10K all-in, and probably a lot of spares.

have fun :)

[A1337STI]

BUILD BUILD BUILD!!!!

:)

Hi, I'm Alex. i bought a $800 FWD Impreza, and with a lot of help from my friends i built it up to spec. and I recently just completed the North Nevada Rally. :)

The cage is the biggest expense. Once you have your car running well, and you get your cage installed. You are about $1200 away from being legal. Then you need your own personal safety gear, but you need to buy that even if you buy a used car. often if you buy a used car they will want to keep their seats.

When i started my car, all i could do is change oil and tires. but very very slowly and painfully i learned how to change the power steering & water pumps , timing belt, cam seals, front main seal, radiator. Had to pull the tranny change out the clutch kit, do a rear main seal. Gutted the entire interior (very very easy and fun) took out most of the sound deadening. (very very easy but lame and slow, dry ice helps a **** ton) steering rack & bushing. 4 pick n pull Legacy rims for street tires, 2 used tire Subaru rims so i have 6 "rally" rims.

OH i did the fuel pump, and did a horrible job wiring it. and my car was just about stalling out on Stage 4. Hahahaha, but my crew fixed it and ragged on me for my crappy job. lol. (hint gasoline messes up shrink wrap)

I ended up having to dump like $1500 into my car in various parts just to get it running good. then i bought a different tranny for $500 , which i couldn't use becuase the half shafts and clutch are splined differently (93 to 94 FWD imp, thanks subaru! although now i have a spare)
and i got the deal of a life time on my roll cage (helps a lot if you let a welder Race your cars) :lol2:

You will end up knowing your car really really well. But you will also end up with no spare parts. :shocked: which does suck. I ran the NNR with nothing but 2 spare A Arms, and some fluids.

but that's what pick and pulls are for ( i didn't have time / money before the rally i wanted to attend) . Oh i also couldn't budget in Suspension so i ran on the stock stuff. 15 year old springs and rims, i'm pretty sure the struts have been replaced once. 148K miles on my car. it works. You're first few rallies you want to take it easy , and having stock suspension will help you to have an excuse to drive a lil slow.

All that being said. I think personally i would have been about $1k better off buying a used one, but i'de have spare parts, But that assume the used car needs no work at all, that its just ready to race.

The biggest thing is that if you build a Car it will probably take you a year . it took me 9 months from purchase to logbook. and for a lot of that i had no life, i'de wake up go to work. go home change clothes, drive to my car, work on it till 11 or midnight, go home , and repeat the next day.

Which ever route is going to let you end up with a rally car, with no debt is the best route. I finished the NNR not owing anything on my rally car, which is the way to go. so if you want to just save up 5K and spend it once. then spend $500 ish on personal saftey, then event costs. do that. if its easier to buy the car and work on it slowly then do that.

I got to Rally cross my car, as it slowly got prepared to Nasa Specs, I also drove it to work a few days a week (80 mile daily commute) this not only gets you familar with your car, but helps get the bugs out.

but research things well before you buy them. I ended up buying 2 seats for $300 i couldn't use, and had to get seat brackets made twice. and i have a 94 imp tranny i couldn't use. Although now i know i can get 95 awd half shafts and the 94 tranny will work .

I felt i probably had the slowest car at the rally, and had no spares, but DAMN was it fun. :) i just felt an extra sense to drive carefully cause there was no spare parts waiting for me at service (aside from A arms and a tire)

before the rally i think i was at about 6,500 total

[UP2MTNS]

here you go.......if youre the only one bidding....this is a steal. Although, I think you'll need to get the cage updated.

http://www.specialstage.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1012&cat=13

[sebhockey]

I say buy a prebuilt golf like everyone else is saying. This is a great starter platform to use to get into stage rally. They normally get sold with a lot of spares and parts are cheap (comparably to other cars). The money you save on buying one of these can be put into a car you want to build after you're more experienced and have enough points to not be a novice anymore if you're racing Rally America.

I myself will buy a prebuilt golf eventually to break into stage rally. This is exactly my plan for after I leave the guard: pay off my WRX, buy another car for daily use, buy a prebuilt car, convert the WRX into a PGT class car.

[409industries]

If you're starting out, it think it would probably be a good idea to buy an already completed car just to get going.

I like learning about subarus so i chose to build mine, it will take lots longer and cost more but in the end, ill know everything about the car.

[Allwheelsdriven.net]

The VW Golf GTi is one of the best fwd rally cars you can get for the money, hands down. Don't worry if it's a 16v or not, they are more $ to own, race, and maintain. Go for an 1.8 8v or a 2.0 8v. We've built a couple of them, and they are great on stage, easy to drive, parts are cheap, and plentiful. The ABA (2.0L) blocks can be had for a few hundred bucks, and have way more torque than the 1.8. With a VW, you don't need to reinvent the wheel to stage prep it. Many of them have already been prepped.

You can usually find a rust free, solid runner for $1500 or less. If you plan on caging the car, rust free is important. That Jetta looks ok, with the exception of the cage which would need to be yarded out and replaced with something better.

If you go with Mk3, the 2.0L is the standard powerplant in that car. If you have any questions about how to best prep your car, please feel free to post, pm or email me. Glad to help you get it sorted..:)

Good luck on your hunt for a shell.

Barrett-
www.allwheelsdriven.net (http://www.allwheelsdriven.net)

[scootfd3s]

I dont remember seeing any VW at gorman but as long as it aint RWD.. go for it.

[rollo]

There were two Jettas and a GTI at Gorman. Plus a bunch of RWD cars and trucks.

[twohlix]

Team Oneil loves VWs, they have so many of em. They're cheap, easy to maintain and parts are plentiful like many others have said. Good luck, I cant wait to see what happens.

[Duffurban36]

Well within the next 2 years I will buy an already built VW rally car and start my rally pursuit.

[UP2MTNS]

here you go.......if youre the only one bidding....this is a steal. Although, I think you'll need to get the cage updated.

http://www.specialstage.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1012&cat=13



sold....went for $2,024....worth that alone in parts!

[rollo]

Holy crap. That's an insane steal!

[Duffurban36]

See now this is why I need a good job right now. Save up money and get a killer deal on a FWD rally car.

[Kevinhahn]

What I have been thinking of these last few days, I was riding in my cousin's car and it is I believe a 1986 Volkswagen GTI and is in great shape. I remember watching Rally-America and local Hill Climb events and I saw similar GTIs and was thinking of buying my cousin's car and building it into a low budget beginner rally car. Who here on DI think this would be a good rally beginning for me?


We really need to talk.

Stop by the Salta Motorsports cars during the Parc Expose or Service area during Rally Colorado.

Those guys are my partners in the Colorado Rally Cup, who happen to specialize in building rally cars (and are the builders of the 777 GTI you've seen). Plus, they can really talk to you about what goes into a car, figure out where your at, and find a way to get you involved in the local scene.

And don't be scared by Sterling. He is like massively ADHD but he is a great rally mechanic and a big VW guy. He would be an other great person for you to have a face to face conversation with.

[Duffurban36]

We really need to talk.

Stop by the Salta Motorsports cars during the Parc Expose or Service area during Rally Colorado.

Those guys are my partners in the Colorado Rally Cup, who happen to specialize in building rally cars (and are the builders of the 777 GTI you've seen). Plus, they can really talk to you about what goes into a car, figure out where your at, and find a way to get you involved in the local scene.

And don't be scared by Sterling. He is like massively ADHD but he is a great rally mechanic and a big VW guy. He would be an other great person for you to have a face to face conversation with.

Kevin,
If I could make it up to Rally Colorado I so would
I just can't due to school.
But I will so try and email them if they have an email I could possibly get
I remember the 777 GTI. Thing is pretty damn dope
If Salta Motorsports built that...
I'm so down for having them build me one