Dirt

[Taz_Rx]

Well guys, being thinking of what to do with my old '55, the dented up old bitch that used to have the 4ktc in it.....

this car....

 

For a few months now I have been toying with the idea of converting it to 4x4 with suzuki sierra running gear! Because the sierras have a seperate gear box and 4wd transfer case, the plan was to put both sieraa diffs, the transfer case, front leaves and a mix match of steering racks. Sierras and corolla are pretty close in chassis rails spacing.

Now due to me not being able to find a written off sierra or running gear at a price I'm happy with, I've come up with another plan for the car in the mean time - an entry class Tas rally car. :sob:

 

I really like getting the arse out on some gravel (as does everybody) and have always been interested in starting competitive rallying. My uncle also rallies a ae82 in Qld, so could have some support there too.

 

This car will also be road registered. :hmm:

 

Ok, so the rough plans for now are:

 

Exterior: replace dented drivers door and passenger front guard (have both of these) maybe try making 1 good stone tray out of 2 dented one (each is dented on oposite sides). Maybe some more MMS bolt ons to fix the rust in the rear arches.

 

Interior: Stripped as much as possible. Maybe some alloy door trims. Simple new dash face with a few essential guages - This will just be a sheet of checker plate most likely with guages, not making it prtty like the other one I made. Maybe some fixed back seats if I find them at the right price. I am led to believe that roll cages are not essential for the entry class, but will most likely end up having one. A mate has one that came out of a capella I can get cheap, width of the car is right, will just need to lower the main hoop by 100mm the make it fit the rolla.

 

Wheels & tyres: what ever I'm not using on the other car, with some second hand rally tyres - no were I can get these cheap as chips.

 

Engine: Plan is to use the 4k which is currently in the other car with the turbo set up with a blow HG. Looks like I might re-build it as I might get some pistons, rings and gudgeons for $20 + freight!!! Just bought a new water pump for it.

The 4k also has the camtech 609 lumpstick which I think would be perfectly suited for rally as it has good top end (to about 7000rpm) but still very acceptable torque. I bought some extractors of Flat_out that were going to be modded into a turbo exhasut manifold, but I will now be making a steam pipe custom item, so these extractors will now go on the rally car. Carby will be a mazda 626 nikki, which works really well on a k.

thanks to Leigh I will be getting a 3k shortly. I'm thinking I will use the 3k head on the 4k after a bit of reconditioning and maybe some porting. I've got a 3k bigport inlet manifold, so I'd port the head to the size of these runners.

Everything else engine wise will be pretty stock except for possibly an electric fuel pump and reg.

 

Drive train: Stock K40, with possible K50 upgrade at later stage. But as this car's duties will mostly be rallying, the k40 will do fine I think. Will also use the CIG locker that still occupies the housing of this car.

 

 

I am starting to now except that the good car will probably be off the road for a month or 2 while the EFI, new turbo, manifold, exhaust etc etc is done, so once the turbo kit is removed and sold, priorty will go to the old car for a week to get it on the road to drive while the good car is being "re-built".

 

 

And in the event of me finding a written off or very cheap sierra at a later stage the 4x4 '55 might still go ahead. :dance:

Edited September 28, 2008 by Taz_Rx

[Clapped out]

I really REALLY like the idea of converting it to a 4x4!

[Taz_Rx]

That idea was hatched when we were camping about 2 months ago at a beach with heaps of sand dunes.

 

Had a v8 rangey, and a couple of 4 wheelers and were sitting round the camp fire thinking :sob: how cool would it be to have the rolla out here.

[7shades]

Oh this is tooo co-incedental. I smurfed around today measuring up a sierra chassis to put a suzuki 550 hatch body on top of...

 

Difference in wheelbase? 50mm.

 

:sob::D:D

[Taz_Rx]

Yeah I was looking at doing it other way, to just keep the rolla body on the rolla chassis and just change everything below that!!

[Taz_Rx]

Did some work on the motor for this car on the week end.

 

Have made a decision on the 4x4 idea: If I get the sierra running gear at a price I'm happy with, it won't be going in this car, I will buy a ke38 wagon for it. The reason, it's all well and good to have the 4x4 stuff under a sedan, but when it comes to practicallity, The van will hold 4 or 5 people + 4 peoples worth of stuff for camping in the back of the wagon!! The wagon also has a lot more roof area if I also want to put roof racks on it.

 

Anyway, got the 3k off leigh on Saturday, stripped it back to a bare block. Took the 3k head in for machining this morning, won't bother porting it yet.

Painted crank pulley, water pump pulley, oil cap and lower half of thermostat housing matt black.

Painted tappet cover, timing cover, top half of thermo housing, fuel pump and oil filter mount "aluminium" - same colour as the dash in the good car.

Got all the gaskets to put it back together, so will probably have this motor built later in the week. Just gotta wait for the head to come back.

 

Will get some pics up soon. :P

[robj]

Well, that's an idea I haven't thought of yet. It would be a fun thing to have!

[Taz_Rx]

indeed! :P

 

And imagine the looks you get when the old rolla comes screaming over the top of a sand dune with roosts off all 4!!!

 

Ever been to east sandy cape?

[Redwarf]

Be very careful with the cage. Alloy cages are now illegal for competition unless you have one in the car already, and it's logged. Do yourself a favour, and get a simple steel welded in cage. Should be about $1000 installed. (Cheap when you look at the cage I'm looking at for the new car: $2700)

 

Another handy hint is to get a CAMS manual, or I thik it may even be on line now on the CAMS site.

 

Apart from that, go for it!

[Taz_Rx]

I've already decided against the alloy cage. Its bolt in for a capella, or requires modding for the rolla, so it can just go into another capella I think. :wink:

 

Entry class tas rally does not require a cage, but car will most likely end up with one. Reckon it would make a subliminarly give me so confidence, as well as chassis regidity.

I also want to buy a MIG soon, so I might even end up making it myself! :D

 

As for the planned ke38 4x4, what are peoples thoughts on an external roll cage!?

 

.....Hang on I'll do a quick paint drawing to show exactly what I mean. :P

[Taz_Rx]

pretty rough, but you get the idea......

 

 

would basically be a 6 point cage with vertical supports on the A, B, and C pillars. At least a horizontal support across the top of the front and rear winscreens. Maybe across the bottom of the front WS too as pictured. Do know if I'd go around the rear wheel arch or not.

 

Oh and I'd probably put a little bull bar on it too, with maybe a winch. Wouldn't be anything big enough to pull a cruiser out of a mud hole, but enough to be able to pull the rolla out of what ever it gets stuck in. :P

[Taz_Rx]

painted bits....

 

Got most of the bottom end done last night.....

 

Head should hopefully be ready today, so might put that on tonight.

 

 

Also just on the external roll cage again, this was down stairs today. Basically what I'[m thinking, but have the bars go all the way to the sill.

[lappy]

Why would you use an external roll cage? wouldn't an internal look better and be more practical?

[CD_rollaman]

Well if its going to be used for camping, the external cage can be used to hang gear from.

Very useful when 4WDing, especially with limited internal space.

 

Sounds like a mad little project. Good luck with it

[Taz_Rx]

Yeah thats half of it really, if I have a rack on it like that above pic of the navara, then its heaps of roof space with a good weight load potential, hell you could have a couple of people sitting on it roo shooting if you wanted!!

 

The other reason for the external cage is not so much practicality, but protection and piece of mind. Once this car has hauled all the camping gear into the camp site, its then there just for fun like the 4 wheelers! :P so with the external roll cage I can roll it down the side of a sand dune 15 times and probably still drive away with every pain of glass still in it!! :wink: