What car? Rally on a budget.

So I'm moving from Orlando to Washington state in two weeks partially to try and get a real job, but mainly to pursue my life-long dream of driving a rally car.

There are 5 stage rallies that I know of in the area and I would like to take part in them in the next few years, but I know I've got to start small, so SCCA Rally-X for a year to learn the car and get a feel for gravel and dirt.

As we're both amateurs, we'd like a car that's cheap enough to wreck and not cry about. Think Challenge budget. Or less.

We've already decided that were not running a Subaru or EVO. We like to stand out a bit. We've also ruled out Hondas, because I hate working on Hondas. berkeley honda.

My preference is always GM, the Co-driver likes Audi and euro cars. We both like oddities.

My previous driving experience is Mainly drag in Large FWD GMs.

The car has to be cheap to run and cheap to maintain, at least a little bit interesting but slightly competitive. It'd be nice if we could cage it and take it on to stage competition if I manage to make it through the first season without destroying it.

Also, my co-driver is 6'-7"

Our current brainstorms are:

Volvo 240

Pontiac Vibe (alltrac)

Let's see what you guys can come up with.

All depends on what class- AWD, FWD, or RWD? You seem to hint at AWD. Nothing GM made will be competitive with the Subarus. I've seen a competitive Audi or two, but $$$$ and more $$$$

we actually have much of a preference. I'd prefer FWD to start as it's what I'm most comfortable with, but we accept that AWD is really the only way to be competitive later on down the line.

1st gen neon. I have a former Rallycross National Champion on Ebay right now. Currently at $102.

AClockworkGarage wrote: Also, my co-driver is 6'-7"

I honestly don't know if what you want to do is possible with a co-driver that tall. You'll probably at the very least have to build a car yourself rather than buy, with special attention paid to how far forward the tubing directly behind the seats is.

My co-driver is 6' 1" and he basically doesn't fit in a Subaru, not due to height but due to length. The new cage padding requirements take a good chunk of space away from around the occupants.

A Volvo honestly does seem like a valid choice in your case. In reality though, build whatever you want. As long as it is cheap and parts are readily available (Volvo fits the bill), go for it. Put as little money into the build as possible though. You're going to ball it up anyways (high likely hood) or statistically you'll never do more than 3 rallies, so investing gross amounts of money and hours into a rally car that you'll sell after 3 events is foolish, and if you stick around longer, you can always sell it and do a better build learning from your prior build mistakes.

Edit- As another bonus, a complete, ready to go rallying rally car is worth anywhere from $6k to $10k, even if its nothing more than a car that meets the bare minimum to rally. There is a ROI case to be made that you SHOULD be able to break-even on a bare-bones budget build when it comes time to sell. Cars priced below $10k sell extremely quickly as that price range has the highest demand and the lowest amount of cars available!

FWD: Focus or Golf
RWD: Volvo 240, I have seen some nice Merkur's come out of the NW believe it or not!

2wd will be cheaper than AWD.

AWD: Either Subaru or Mitsu Evo. If you are a glutton for punishment Audi 90 Quattro with a swapped Turbo motor.

I totally get wanting to stand out with something unique, but that comes with a tax- it'll be harder and more expensive to support than the common stuff. I'm contemplating switching to AWD. I'm not a Subaru fan, but I'll likely go with a Subaru because that's the easiest and cheapest AWD to support

When I was actively rallycrossing all the VW's looked they were about to roll. A few of them did roll. Meanwhile the neons were whole seconds per run faster and never went on two wheels. Granted, that was Rallycross and not stage rally but I never understood the love for VW's with their bouncy, jouncy suspensions.

We've had an extremely well prepped and fast VW golf run with us here in the CFR region

BTW if you're still in Orlando, we're having a rallycross this Saturday and Sunday at the Kissimmee rodeo arena. We'll have a few fully prepped stage cars running with us.

I would love to. I really would. I'm trying to have a garage sale on saturday. I still need to sell everything I own before Friday next.

Anyone need a drill press? Tool box? floor jack? Towels? anything...

I can dig it. I'm hoping to move soon myself

What old rally cars can you find used?

Much cheaper than building your own.

Maybe a Focus?

Check HiTempGuy's post - it's not necessarily any cheaper to buy used.

Seems to me that VW Golfs were the standard starter rally car for a long time.

Aeromoto wrote: Nothing GM made will be competitive with the Subarus.

Actually...

In reply to AClockworkGarage:

Not made by GM

Virtually everything on it will have Subaru part #'s

Keith Tanner wrote: Check HiTempGuy's post - it's not necessarily any cheaper to buy used. Seems to me that VW Golfs were the standard starter rally car for a long time.

Well, it was for a while. Probably from around 2005-2012, there was a glut of older SCCA era cars for dirt cheap that could be updated for cheap.

They are all gone now though, rallycars (as you know) are such a consumable type of race car. They get destroyed :( I've bought both my rallycars as the cost:benefit was way on the benefit side. It would take me a year of every weekend in the garage to build cars like I race to the standard I require.

"Budget off-road Ford Focus project gets prepped for low-buck rally racing with an engine tuneup, intake, and brakes."

http://www.powernationtv.com/episode/XO2014-11/project-hocus-focus

Mk2 vw could fit the bill. Can accommodate a tall co driver. Well supported, and likely several examples for sale ready to run for reasonable cash.

I know no one wants to hear Miata, but here in CFR we have some Miatas that do really well. One of them runs in modified and it's a friggin rocket. But yeah, 6'7" ain't happening in a Miata

ebonyandivory wrote: "Budget off-road Ford Focus project gets prepped for low-buck rally racing with an engine tuneup, intake, and brakes." I competed against that car with my Versa at a rallycross event at The FIRM rally school. They also sent a crew to our last event at Kissimmee and shot a bunch of footage. I'm guessing they're gonna piece together a few more episodes on rallycross http://www.powernationtv.com/episode/XO2014-11/project-hocus-focus

Are ZX2's popular in rally?

They seem like a low dough show. I have no idea if 6'7" will fit (if it will fit in anything with a helmet added.)

Aeromoto wrote: I know no one wants to hear Miata, but here in CFR we have some Miatas that do really well. One of them runs in modified and it's a friggin rocket. But yeah, 6'7" ain't happening in a Miata

Can't run a Miata with Rally America.

Aren't there classes in stage rally? Yeah you won't be in the fastest class without awd, but you can still be competitive in your class

EvanB wrote:

Aeromoto wrote: I know no one wants to hear Miata, but here in CFR we have some Miatas that do really well. One of them runs in modified and it's a friggin rocket. But yeah, 6'7" ain't happening in a Miata

Can't run a Miata with Rally America.

Why? What's the logic there?