What car? Rallyx daily gas saver.

irish44j wrote:

Knurled wrote: I'd say Miata over RX-7, Nationally. The courses are trending to finesse courses that favor handling over power. I've always supplanted a lack of handling with an excess of power. It's worked for a long time but I don't see it working much longer.

I would suggest looking at the top dogs at the top regional rallycross groups as well as nationals. Look at Ohio Valley and a few other GLDiv regions, look at New England, look at Washington DC. All strong RWD crowds. Also you get full seasons of examples, not just one single weekend where conditions or tires or luck or a mechanical can be the decider. Nationals is one data point - but it's also a matter of "who is willing to tow/drive 12-20 hours for 10 rallycross runs. The answer from our region: No RWD cars have gone in the last 5+ years to my knowledge. And e30s in our region are currently 5-1 in recent years against the last two Miatas that won MR at nationals (Evan and John England and Pete in the RX7), as far as I recall. And any of those guys could beat me/us if we met again, and so forth. We just don't care to go 20 hours to Nebraska....so we'll never know "who would win at nationals." I suspect ALL of us will be together at Eastern Challenge again this year, and they all owe me some payback, so I'll probably finish 5th now that I said that I said that lol. Bottom line: it's all data points. Look at long-term trends and you'll see that e30s/e36s and MR2s are certainly equals to the Miatas and RX7s in PR/MR classes. It's also a matter of what you drive better, what you fit in better, etc. All have their strong and weak points, but it usually comes down to the driver, less mistakes, what the course is like, and the best tire choice. Don't overthink it, this isn't autocross. *note: Pete and Evan are Mazda guys - so Mazda is usually the answer for them. I am a e30 guy, so that's usually gonna be the answer for me. Nonack is the "weird car" guy, so he'll never pick either of those lol... **note2: two more freaking weeks before our next rally, so all I can do it talk about it online :/

Actually, we've been to Nationals the last 2 years, in 2 different Miatas. And Nationals for autox are in Nebraska, rallyx Nationals the last 2 years were in Iowa. Still a hell of a tow... Also, another reason while the National results could look different is that Mazda pays contingency, while BMW does not. And that should not factor in if you are looking to just enjoy rallyx at the local level.

On a totally different tangent, have you considered a Corvette? Madhattr's Rallyx Vette

In reply to Katya4me:

While the idea of blasting around a field in a corvette seems like it would be a hoot, i think it would be tough for me to rallycross. The main reason is that, at least for me at 5'8", the front visibility is really bad. When i drive them i find myself leaning up on the steering wheel to try to see to park. This would be okay on an open road, i would have a hard time trying to dodge cones.

Knurled wrote: Somehow, for one reason or another, we got *strong* in MR.

I'll go ahead and take credit for that

cghstang wrote:

Knurled wrote: Somehow, for one reason or another, we got *strong* in MR.

I'll go ahead and take credit for that

Yet you have never owned a MR rallycross car.

eastsidemav wrote: Most (if not all) 16V 5 speed Neons have a 3.94 final drive. I think all SOHC 1st gen Neons, except for ACR Sedans, have a 3.55 final drive.

All Neons are 16v.

The heads aren't even any better for the DOHC, which is why Ma Mopar just put the better cam grind in the SOHC head for the 2nd generation Neon.

I had a dohc neon way back when. It was the only car i ever had that at highway speed i could feel the engine bog down when the ac compressor cycled on.

gearheadmb wrote: I had a dohc neon way back when. It was the only car i ever had that at highway speed i could feel the engine bog down when the ac compressor cycled on.

1.6L Miatas do that too. Every time the A/C compressor cycles, I think the engine just misfired really badly.

That was common on EVERYTHING. The variable displacement compressor was invented for drivability reasons with small displacement engines.

IIRC, GM invented it.

Yeah the Xb gets a drop in power when the AC cycles on. Thankfully the compressor clutch hasn't allowed that to occur for years.

I know you said you don't like the civic too much, but what about an Integra instead (better interior)? Same basic chassis, so lots and lots of potential. You start out with usually a 1.8L, swap parts are cheap. Little heavier and longer wheelbase I think, but having the hatchback is nice, better seats as well. Lots of suspension options. Cheap, although hunting one that isn't slammed to the ground might be hard, but you would have the same issue with a civic.

I feel like a TDI Golf should've been mentioned before now.

LifeIsStout wrote: I know you said you don't like the civic too much, but what about an Integra instead (better interior)? Same basic chassis, so lots and lots of potential. You start out with usually a 1.8L, swap parts are cheap. Little heavier and longer wheelbase I think, but having the hatchback is nice, better seats as well. Lots of suspension options. Cheap, although hunting one that isn't slammed to the ground might be hard, but you would have the same issue with a civic.

Actually I do like them, what I meant was that I don't hear much about them in rallycross, and I was curious if there was a reason why that is. It sounds like they do just fine, just for whatever reason people aren't using them in this area. I actually like the civic better than the integra because civic prices seem to have gone down quite a bit, while people are still asking premium money for the integras. It also seems easier to find a clean civic that still has some life left in my market, whereas the integras all seem to have a bajillion miles and are all riced out.

Civic is on the possible list, as well as focus, and neon. I would really like a b13 sentra se-r or an escort, but they are getting really hard to find here in salt country. Maybe when I'm ready to make a move I will hunt down south.

captdownshift wrote: I feel like a TDI Golf should've been mentioned before now.

Really? A diesel? I've never driven one but they don't strike me as being a performance car. Plus I know very little about diesels so I wouldn't be very comfortable working on the engine.

In reply to gearheadmb:

Torque in the dirt is awesome, the gearing works well for it as well. If going into modified you can do all sorts of things (injector nozzles, compressor wheel swaps, reflashes) that will cause it to make well north of 300lb/ft. Suspension travel is good and there are approximate aftermarket rally related suspension options available. Same goes for limited slip differentials and skidplates.

captdownshift wrote: Torque in the dirt is awesome,

Not in a two wheel drive, especially not a front driver.

ESPECIALLY not an engine with a response curve like a long distance phone call.

In reply to captdownshift:

The best part is that with the right software settings, your run times will be whatever you want them to be!

Katya4me wrote:

irish44j wrote:

Knurled wrote: I'd say Miata over RX-7, Nationally. The courses are trending to finesse courses that favor handling over power. I've always supplanted a lack of handling with an excess of power. It's worked for a long time but I don't see it working much longer.

I would suggest looking at the top dogs at the top regional rallycross groups as well as nationals. Look at Ohio Valley and a few other GLDiv regions, look at New England, look at Washington DC. All strong RWD crowds. Also you get full seasons of examples, not just one single weekend where conditions or tires or luck or a mechanical can be the decider. Nationals is one data point - but it's also a matter of "who is willing to tow/drive 12-20 hours for 10 rallycross runs. The answer from our region: No RWD cars have gone in the last 5+ years to my knowledge. And e30s in our region are currently 5-1 in recent years against the last two Miatas that won MR at nationals (Evan and John England and Pete in the RX7), as far as I recall. And any of those guys could beat me/us if we met again, and so forth. We just don't care to go 20 hours to Nebraska....so we'll never know "who would win at nationals." I suspect ALL of us will be together at Eastern Challenge again this year, and they all owe me some payback, so I'll probably finish 5th now that I said that I said that lol. Bottom line: it's all data points. Look at long-term trends and you'll see that e30s/e36s and MR2s are certainly equals to the Miatas and RX7s in PR/MR classes. It's also a matter of what you drive better, what you fit in better, etc. All have their strong and weak points, but it usually comes down to the driver, less mistakes, what the course is like, and the best tire choice. Don't overthink it, this isn't autocross. *note: Pete and Evan are Mazda guys - so Mazda is usually the answer for them. I am a e30 guy, so that's usually gonna be the answer for me. Nonack is the "weird car" guy, so he'll never pick either of those lol... **note2: two more freaking weeks before our next rally, so all I can do it talk about it online :/

Actually, we've been to Nationals the last 2 years, in 2 different Miatas. And Nationals for autox are in Nebraska, rallyx Nationals the last 2 years were in Iowa. Still a hell of a tow... Also, another reason while the National results could look different is that Mazda pays contingency, while BMW does not. And that should not factor in if you are looking to just enjoy rallyx at the local level. On a totally different tangent, have you considered a Corvette? Madhattr's Rallyx Vette

Yeah, I meant in MR class. Obviously I know you guys went lol. After all, I gave you tires to take with you!

I think rallyx nats are in Nebraska again this year, aren't they? Or is it Kansas? IDK....the midwest is all the same to me = farther than I'm willing to go lol.

wae wrote: In reply to captdownshift: The best part is that with the right software settings, your run times will be whatever you want them to be!

That took me longer to get than it should have.

In reply to irish44j:

It's in Kansas this year.

Yep... what with the national office being in Topeka and all. IIRC the site they located is gravel.

If Focus, Neon, Protege, etc. are on the list, add S-series Saturn. Its going to be competitive with all of those. Get a 1G coupe and it will be lighter than all of those as well. You can buy diffs for them from M-Factory or Quaife. You can fix the stock diff reliability pretty easily if you have the trans apart. They are silly cheap and pretty reliable. Any junkyard you go to will probably have more of them than Focus, Neon & Protege combined.

I'm kicking myself for not pushing my co-drivers harder to get one. Our SpecV has been nothing but trouble

In reply to Knurled:

When was the last time you drove a modified TDI? Serious question, not being snarky. With a limited slip, injectors, reflash and a healthy dose of left foot braking, they're magical in dirt. I'd take a TDI over any GTI post MKII for rallycross or stage rally without hesitating. The redline is low, but the torque starts at 1100rpm, there's no penalty for upshifting. The biggest issue with the TDI, and really every VW mkIII and later, is they don't like to rotate, even with LFB and a scandy flick, but they track their course very nicely.

ProDarwin wrote: If Focus, Neon, Protege, etc. are on the list, add S-series Saturn. Its going to be competitive with all of those. Get a 1G coupe and it will be lighter than all of those as well. You can buy diffs for them from M-Factory or Quaife. You can fix the stock diff reliability pretty easily if you have the trans apart. They are silly cheap and pretty reliable. Any junkyard you go to will probably have more of them than Focus, Neon & Protege combined.

I replaced too many subframes in the 90s from people hitting curbs in their S-series cars to ever want to rallycross a Saturn. And that was before I was a Saturn dealer tech.

Saturns have the lightest, flimsiest steel wheels put on a modern car, and I've never seen a bent one because the subframe is even weaker than that. Any curbstrike meant a trashed frame, on cars that were only a year or two old and didn't get a chance to rust yet.

That's the other problem with Saturns, they have pretty severe rust problems. The back ends kind of stop wanting to be part of the rest of the chassis.

captdownshift wrote: In reply to Knurled: When was the last time you drove a modified TDI? Serious question, not being snarky. With a limited slip, injectors, reflash and a healthy dose of left foot braking, they're magical in dirt.

Never. I've driven my Volvo, I've driven Evan's Miata, that's enough for me to not be a fan of high torque/low RPM. 2wd means you are modulating wheelspin, and to do that well you need to have fine throttle control.

With my Volvo, I would "modulate" the power by adjusting the manual boost controller.

It's interesting that VWMS tried to campaign a TDI in stage rally in the 90s but gave up because it was too difficult to get a turbodiesel to put power down as effectively as a naturally aspirated 2-liter could. Food for thought.

I guess the subframe thing is a concern, but how rough are your rallycross courses? Hitting a curb is infinitely rougher than any rallyx course I've driven on. I've never had or heard of a bent subframe from rallyx or similar.