I was chatting with a buddy recently who races in spec Boxster. He and I share a mechanic, who is also a close friend. The 3 of us are talking about doing some WRL racing later this year. I'm the weak link (the 3rd friend races an e30 in SCCA) so we'll see if that happens. While talking, he happens to mention that he recently bought an ex-rally car from the FIRM, the race track nearby in Keystone Heights, FL (aka the GRM test track). When I ask him what he plans to do with it, he mostly shrugs his shoulders and says "For $300, how could I not buy it?"
After recovering from the shock of his answer, I tell him that I'd love to buy it from him since he doesn't really have plans for it, as my 14.5 year old has suddenly expressed an interest in rally cars! He says sure, but adds that it's at the shop (of the aforementioned mechanic/friend) for a power steering and radiator repair. So, after that repair bill, I am now in to the car for $685. Not bad for a running, driving, fully caged, race seated, harnessed rally car!
As you can assume, the first thing we did is take it right to the track and attempted to drive the wheels off it! We headed to the FIRM this past weekend for one of their weekly track days to see how it performed. The guy at the gate couldn't figure out why I was trailering in one of their cars. :D
For a $685 car, it performed shockingly well. All 3 of us took turns driving it, as well as the spec Boxster too. The Lancer held up the entire time, running on crappy tires, unknown brake pads and pretty clean looking oil. Once I got it home and put it away, it did develop a leak (pics below). But, all in all, it was amazing.
Now, the plan is to work on the car together, with the goal of entering it in the $2019 Challenge. That will be interesting, as my son has no automotive or mechanical experience and I'm only slightly better. Nevertheless, he's super excited about the event and entering this car, so it will be a great opportunity for both of us to learn, as well as spend time together doing that. Be prepared for a million questions, as we'll need lots of help!
On to some pictures:
And here is the leak
First question - What's leaking and how do we fix it?
Second question - What can we do to improve the performance of the 4G94 engine?
Lastly, here is video of me looping the car quite nicely: Lancer loop The video was captured by another buddy, driving a turbo Ariel Atom!
Let the fun continue!!
