Rallycross Advice From The Hive - What Car?

So the 944 sold today and I'm on to my next journey. Essentially I'm looking for a car I would be more likely to drive to events and I could use as a back up car in the event I want to park my Focus ST for winter so I don't have to worry about the salt blah blah.

So here is what I'm looking at:

1st Gen Neons: I'm thinking cheap, parts are a plentiful, a negative is FWD.

E36 3 series: Rwd, more power, Inline six noises.

Early 90s escorts: same as neon.

Volvo 240: RWD and love the styling.

Any advice or experiencing running any of the mentioned is appreciate it. Also, other options are welcome too.

I drove a 240 for a little bit, 90 miles a day. It wasn't a bad car and it was so old and simple. The worst thing was the back tail lights had a stupid set up using a flimsy circuit board. I hated those things. I didnt drive it long enough to have any other problems.

Edit: Also it had NO power.

Focus.
Sentra SE-R.
Subaru 2.5 RS (02-07 version).

Add BG chassis Mazdas to the escorts, stick with dohc 1.8L engines. Zx2 and Mazda mx3 should also be considered.

Volvo 240s, E30s and focuses are also excellent choices.

Don't forget "The Answer".

In reply to DeadSkunk:

I long for a Miata but sadly being 6 foot 6 I don't think I'll fit :(

I would go with an E36, they are very competitive in RWD.

You might be able to fit in a Miata, I'm not sure exactly how tall Knurled is but he fits in my Miata well enough to drive it.

All solid choices, but FWD is actually a big advantage on the dirt so don't let that deter you from picking one.

I was going to say "Porsche 944" but...

Being up in the rust belt, find the least rusty thing you can find and go crazy. As it has been said, FWD isn't a disadvantage on the dirt. It may not be as fun as getting the tail out, but that isn't a fast way to drive, anyhow.

E36 is a solid choice.

In a FWD, a Protege5 or Focus ZX3 or ZX5 adds utility into the mix, too.

Oh, and then this pops up in the 2016: https://nwct.craigslist.org/cto/5407005854.html

I'm going to be selling my 99 2.5rs soon. It isn't as fun as RWD though.

My 1st gen neon rocks for rallycross. Won the 2007 National Championship with 390,000 miles on the car. In a local event I missed top time of day by 0.1 seconds to a modified Evo. That's cumulative time in rallycross. I have one I'll sell you for $1800

In reply to parker:

That's awesome. I may be going to look at this one tomorrow. http://lansing.craigslist.org/cto/5394834224.html

Personally I think FWD is just as fun to slide around as RWD.

I liked the old Escort wagon I drove for a couple years. It was pretty good to toss around so I'd think a ZX2 would be a fun choice. As downshift said lots of Mazdas share with the same platform. I hear DOHC Neons are more powerful though.

I also liked the BMW E36 I had last summer. That might be my choice for RWD. Lots of aftermarket for the Bimmers means it's way too easy to spend lots of $$ . There's a 325is for sale with a few sets of extra wheels in my neighborhood that looks like it wants to rallycross.

It was still there the last time I looked but only because I remembered that I didn't like the driving position in mine.

Maybe the sport seats would be different though... Hmm.

Do the 2nd gen Neons have a huge disadvantage compared to 1st gen?

Did't you just get that?

Nick (LUCAS) Comstock wrote: Do the 2nd gen Neons have a huge disadvantage compared to 1st gen?

Maybe not a HUGE disadvantage, but they weigh more and sit higher. I'm not sure about gear ratios. They were just never as quick.

1G are very very thin on the ground out here. The only one I found locally was a automatic. But the 2nd gens are falling off trees.

There's this one in Howell too:

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/5394519887.html

MrLittle wrote: In reply to parker: That's awesome. I may be going to look at this one tomorrow. http://lansing.craigslist.org/cto/5394834224.html

What everyone has said already, basically. I obviously am partial to the e30, but e36, Miata, RX7, MR2, and Volvo 240 are all good choices in the higher classes (particularly MR). In stock class Miata (and BRZ these days) are going to have the edge, IMO. We have a mod class Volvo 240 with a 740 turbo drivetrain swap running in our region...it's basically a stock 240 with more power and even with no real suspension and a welded diff, it does well. I drove it a few runs myself and while it feels like a tank, it's deceptively quick.

Also consider things like what car can carry all your rally-x gear to events (unless you plan to trailer it or tow a tire trailer), and what car you can find parts for at a pick-and-pull if need be. Also I would not buy a car that nobody else really runs, even if it seems like a good choice. It's good to have a car that other peopel run, so if something breaks you may have spares available, or people with knowledge. Of the half-dozen e30s that run in our region, almost all of them have borrowed spare parts from each other at one point or another.

Neon is a good budget choice for FWD and can obviously be competitive. Jim Kelly used to do well in our stock class locally in his Escort GT before he turned it into a stage car (and then wrecked it).

AWD classes Subaru or Evo are really the only valid choices. Nobody locally runs an Evo due to operating costs (or so I've heard). But if you get a Subaru, please don't get a blue one ;)

BTW, there are at least 4 or 5 of us with current rally-x build threads going on in the Build Threads forum here, most of which talk about our cars and other cars we compete with. Worth reading any/all of them....

Last event I took the Jeep to, I got my ass handed to me by a Volvo 240 sedan with a turbo Chevy 4.3 in it and basically stock suspension... Even with me being 4wd vs him as rwd, he was putting a couple seconds on me every run

2nd Gen Neons were SOHC unless you find an R/T.

DOHC 1st Gen Neons were a lot more common. They were also lighter.

I vote for ZX2, ZX3, or ZX5.

Turbo neons are very fun...and fast.

I miss the RWD of my old Mk1 Toyota MR2 sometimes. Not crazy fast, but it handled nicely. I've seen a few Mk2 models throwing dirt, usually more HP that I had.

I think a rwd V8 car would be a riot. My choice is Foxbody Mustang.