As I prepare to do another rally in my mk2 Jetta, I'm realizing that I'm ready to move back to RWD and build my next rally car. After this event I will likely put the Jetta for sale and find a new platform for a fresh stage rally build.
My original thought was a volvo 240 or e30, but I'm realizing that 240's are a bit bigger than I'd like and are difficult to make power without adding a turbo - which would bump me out of G2 for Rally America. An E30 would be great but they seem to be skyrocketing in price.
That led me to e36. Even the 4 cylinder makes respectable power (and 6cyl swaps seam straightforward), there's a huge aftermarket, and they seem to be dirt cheap right now. I really liked the idea of a 318Ti as well for the fact that they are smaller than a "normal" e36.
I know their cooling systems seem to have an early expiration date, but beyond that I'm not sure what to look at/for. What does the hive think?
They don't seem like a bad choice- I would personally go for a 318ti for the simpler rear suspension, or plan on a lot of custom stuff/reinforcement on a standard e36. Cooling systems are weak but the aftermarket has you covered there, you'll want to replace all of the bushings, the oil pan is low and aluminum so a well thought out skidplate will be a requirement, and you'll probably bend trailing arms and subframes but they don't look too hard to reinforce. Bring a spare guibo too! I would also suggest reinforcing the strut and shock towers, our 318ti actually has a bit of a crack on one of the shock towers just from rough road use.
You can probably get away with stock suspension and Bilstein HDs for a while, and mix and matching springs from other BMWs can get you taller/stiffer suspension too.
This goes for any car- get something without rust and structural damage if possible. You're already going to be doing extensive cage work and probably reinforcement along with that, the last thing you need is the headache of straightening things and patching floors on top of it.
The rear suspension is quite a bit more complicated than the E30 so finding what works back there might be a challenge. Someone somewhere has answers though.
The convertible springs will drop into one of the other cars and should up the spring rate and height slightly. There’s also a strut mount that will lift the front end a little more.
A limited slip is easy to find and install.
Theyre everywhere and pretty cheap. Should be fun
I’m not a rally guy, but I’ve always been told that RWD isn’t really competitive for rally use. Fun to slide around ... but slow compared to FWD.
I agree with the 318ti making a good rally car. It's lighter, it has a simpler and more robust rear suspension, and it's overall bumper to bumper length is shorter (same wheel base though) and they usually come with really short gearing in the diff. They will keep up with a 325 or 328 of the same vintage till about 50mph when they have to shift to 3rd and the 6 cylinder cars can just keep accelerating in 2nd
LanEvo said:
I’m not a rally guy, but I’ve always been told that RWD isn’t really competitive for rally use. Fun to slide around ... but slow compared to FWD.
Not true, except in the Limited class (which few RWD cars actually run in). Last I checked the Rally America 2WD points leader is a Subaru BRZ (Potts/Barbara)..
At STPR last week (arguably one of the most competitive rallies). 2WD open had RWD cars 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th (with a CRX in 4th). Two Mk2 Escorts, BRZ, e30, and e36 in that group. FWD dominates the 2WD limited class since few modern RWD cars even qualify for that class.......
At WMWR (granted, a smaller winter rally) we beat all the FWD cars and all but one AWD car in an e30.
Now, if you're going with MODERN cars, yeah....way more FWD options with good power and setup for rally compared to RWD.
Not a ton of e36s running compared to TI/e30s right now, but there are a decent amount. Louie Jonas has the most notable one here in the East I think. The main thing with e36s is that they already have M50/M52/S50/S52 in them stock so they don't need power added....whereas the e30 and 318ti's have less power stock so need more upgrading to be fast in the wide-open rallies.
They each have their strong and weak points, but as noted above, 318Ti is the way to go in my book. If I destroy my e30, I'll probably build a Ti.
To those that have owned them, are there any other weak points that I should be aware of?
Is replacing the cooling system with new oem parts sufficient or is it worth upgrading to a larger radiator and other aftermarket parts? Assuming factory power levels.
just the suspension bushings. Front is the same as any E36. Rear is similar to the E30. If you want to get crazy, you can run E36 M3 stuff in the front and Mcoupe' stuff in the back. Definitely replace the rear upper shock mounts, they clunk badly when worn, but it's a super easy job
