Street Rally Car

I have been thinking about this for a while and was wondering what the fine folks on GRM had to say. I drive a lot and its highway and city streets, commuting and rush hour, errands and "oh shoot im late" and everything in between. Often the streets are a bit rough and chewed up and I always think to myself wouldnt it be cool to have a car that i could drive at normal pace down the roads and have the suspension soak up the bumps. A street car with some rally legs, or, and this is extreme but pre-runner for the street. I dont need to go 60mph over the rough bits, just have a system to soak it up better.

Low budget what are my options to achieve this?

Lets say its a junkyard or penny pinching build. Car must be reliable. No mega buck $5k a corner suspension setup. Is there a car out there with some upgrades that can do this?

Subaru comes to mind but it might max budget quick. Small pick up trucks have come across my mind with some bigger tires to soak it up but mpg tanks. Any thing else i am missing?

Any ideas?

Honestly- luxo barge. You can pick up a ls400 for 500&. 1500$ buys a nice one. I was actually going to rally my ls400 until I ripped the motor out. The suspension is SOFT

I've been driving my 99 Silverado this week instead of the Miata. It is a joy to just hit the bumps instead of darting all around trying to avoid them. I don't enjoy getting half the gas mileage.

http://www.dailyturismo.com/2015/05/5k-rally-strange-1990-lexus-ls400.html

Stock P71 Crown Vic.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: http://www.dailyturismo.com/2015/05/5k-rally-strange-1990-lexus-ls400.html

I am in love with the look!
In the real world, I wonder how he overcomes the No limited slip rear end leaving him with one wheel drive in the mud.

Volvo 240

Mostly stock Ford CVPI is the easy button. If you want a project, build up a GM A/G body (or a S10, same chassis).

When Sandy's tail end whipped through Cleveland, there were a lot of downed trees and branches. My RX-7 LAUGHED at all that crap. cghstang has called it a "prerunner suspension". It has something like 8" of travel in the front and 10" in the rear. The spring rates are STIFFER than stock, significantly so (175lb/in front and rear versus 110f/80r). I do not slow down for bumps or curbs or anything, just whump and through.

(outside suspension not close to bottoming out...)

My Volvo has the same treatment. I took the stock limp-wristed poopoo springs off of the front and went to 200lb-in springs. Actually they are the rear springs for a late 60's GM A-body. Very close to stock ride height but almost double the rate. I don't bottom out over anything. (Didn't tough the rears because in a FWD who cares what the rear does? It just keeps the bumper off the ground) I clip mid-corner road dividers all the time, at speed you don't feel a damned thing, just thumpthump. Laugh at the posers in the mall-crawlers slowing to 10mph for a dip in the road.

On upping spring rates/minimizing bottoming out, just about anything will see some improvement with a set of $6/each spring rubbers available at most parts stores. For max effect jam it in the tight end of the spring with the suspension at full droop.

I don't think you want something too lux, the wheelbase is too long and you loose nimbleness. I also don't think you want a small coupe like the Rx7, too cramped and more limited wheel travel. I think you want something large enough to have a comfortable sit up driving position, a wheel base close to but not over 100", more you loose nimbleness, too much less and it become more twitchy.

I'm thinking XR4ti, Saab 900, Volvo etc. I'll compromise on the coupe thing for an 80's Toyota Supra (Yes, I really did just recommend a Toyota, hell doth have frozen over).

I'd go for stock rate springs for ride comfort over broken pavement, stock height or maybe slightly higher thank stock. Thin or no sway bars, HD spring like Bilstein, but not Koni or anything with excessive rebound damping. You want uprated, but not harsh. For an engine I'd look for low speed torque to come out of junctions and the cut and thrust of traffic over top end.

Depending on the seats in the stock car I'd look for swapping in a reclinable bolstered bucket in cloth not leather or plastic. Plenty of padding not hard, possibly with those Scroth DOT harnesses to keep you in, but with comfort. I like an upright driving position.

I wouldn't worry about FWD or RWD, in fact for tight streets and cut and thrust I think I'd go for FWD.

I admittedly DON'T like the Konis I have in the front of the RX-7. The initial bump damping is too stiff. The solution for this is to drive faster, which smooths things out nicely

The reason for the Konis is kinda "grassroots". I found a pair of Koni Yellow inserts for the rear of a WRX at Summit's returns section for $60. For the pair. I bought them to flip, but nobody wanted them because you have to cut the tops out of stock struts to install them. So I acquired four rear struts and combined them Voltron-style to make two struts for my car.

Top strut is stock RX-7, bottom strut is a mishmash of Koni, stock Subaru, and Allstar.

Midsize GM FWDs. My Malibu laughed at damn near anything. With Winterforce snow tires I would slog through foot deep snow to work, did some mild off roading and bounced through the pothole strewn roads of NYC with no problem.

In reply to Wall-e:

+1

I hit the gators at VIR in my Malibu doing 100+ mph up the climbing esses and just get a little thumpthump.

Pick up a '05 - '07 malibu and throw some kyb struts and your good.

I just got rid of a 06 Malibu... hated that car due to it's "big car" feel in a smaller chassis. great engine, everything else was too mushy for me

Go to your back issues and check out our Subaru Impreza rallycross car. That wound up as my daily, it's pretty much what you seek, down to the skid plates.

If you think you hate that gen Malibu, wait until you drive an older W-body!

I'm pretty sure those Malibus are actually an Americanized Opel of some type. Everything about the chassis screams German descent.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Mostly stock Ford CVPI is the easy button. If you want a project, build up a GM A/G body (or a S10, same chassis).

Dig that Olds.

Yeah the Crown Vic but I always liked swanky Town Cars or Continentals. Beware of the tempermental air ride suspensions though.

Knurled wrote: If you think you hate that gen Malibu, wait until you drive an older W-body! I'm pretty sure those Malibus are actually an Americanized Opel of some type. Everything about the chassis screams German descent.

Epsilon Platform

For what it is worth, you can put fullsize GM springs in a midsize for a nice increase in rate and ride height.

A former co-worker wanted stiffer and taller springs for his G-body Pontiac. Turns out that springs from a contemporary Caprice fit the bill. He was very pleased. I believe his exact words were that he could Baja over curbs and not even feel it.

Not to derail the thread too much but how do you figure out what springs can be substituted on which cars?

Raised WRX - Forester struts and springs will do it. Even better if you put the subframe spacers in from the Forester.

Fr3AkAzOiD wrote: Not to derail the thread too much but how do you figure out what springs can be substituted on which cars?

Look in the book of springs.

http://www.moogproblemsolver.com/moog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/MOOG_Coil_Springs_Spec.pdf

NGTD wrote: Raised WRX - Forester struts and springs will do it. Even better if you put the subframe spacers in from the Forester.

I'm replying just because I want to bookmark this exact moment for Subarust some day. Thanks, I'll show myself out. (Slightly on-topic, Subarust is my street rally car and definitely winter beater. Rust and all.)

JohnRW1621 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: http://www.dailyturismo.com/2015/05/5k-rally-strange-1990-lexus-ls400.html

I am in love with the look! In the real world, I wonder how he overcomes the No limited slip rear end leaving him with one wheel drive in the mud.

http://buildraceparty.com/sale-lexus-off-road-sedan/

Lincoln locker!