Build Or Buy My First Rally Car?

[Mason.]

Ok. so I'm 18and for as long as i can remember i have always been interested in driving fast on an unpredictable road eg: rallying. I'm just trying to get into the sport something like the Queensland Holden Gemini series. is it hard to get into? and would i be better to build my own car or just buy on pre built?

[xmoht]

http://digiads.com.au/carsales/used-cars/U...71711195546.htm

 

You can always add to a car, but it's a good base car and they are reasonably priced.

[twisted2]

all depend on budget if look for car that already to go check out website ( MY105 )

[altezzaclub]

xmoht was that link meant to be a Celica? I was expecting a Gemini rally car!

 

Mason, check out Brindabella Motorsport Club, they sell quite a few rally cars and someone from rollaclub down here can always take an initial look and lots of photos for you.

 

http://www.bmsc.com.au/forums/

 

I've always built my rally cars, but I suppose it would have been cheaper to have bought the first one rather than pay new price for cages, belts and seats and all the gear.

 

Buy something cheap and simple- Gemini or KE55 or similar because, sad to say, you are sure to roll it into a little ball! When you've done that a couple of times you can buy a car that will outlast your driving! :yes:

 

Good luck! I love it, best times I ever had in my life.. 8years in South Africa and three or four in NZ... Datsun 1600s all the way!

[altezzaclub]

Well well....

 

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Datsun-1600-Rally-c...=item1e5bbd952d

 

The motor/gearbox/diff/brakes all come off some old 2L 200B or similar in a wrecker's yard and start from there! (I do have a spare 1600 motor/gearbox under the house, but I might need that!)

[Mason.]

yeah i was thinking something on the lines of a gem or sigma, cheap enough and if i crash it i wont care.... to much. its either do this or a stock sedan at archerfield speed way in qld. but driving around in circles would get kinda boring

[Redwarf]

Wait for it: Excels.

 

It's taken over from the Gemini series in Qld.

 

Cheap as chips to build and run. Great way to gert into the sport, and can do it on a real budget.

 

As a hint, I can run my Excel for half the running costs of one of my RWD Corollas.

 

Google Excel rally and you'll find their forum.

 

Built cars, turn key ready to run can be bought for beteen $5000 and $10000 depending upon set-up. Mine will be for sale at the end of the year for $7000.

 

If you think they're boring and slow, then you've never rallied in one. I've won motorkhanas with 60 entrants in one.

 

If you're interested NDSCC are running a club rallysprint at Yarraman this weekend. If you're free, pop up and see what it's all about.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Redwarf

[Mason.]

haha yeah i had a pretty good laugh when i saw excels on forums for sale around 10,000. so i YouTubed them and got a shock haha. I'm working if i can slip work ill make it for sure.

[Redwarf]

You'll find the $10000 ones are the ones with the fancy DMS or Proflex suspension. $4000 worth of shocks alone. Then there's the rest of the car.

 

The problem with most 2nd hand RWD cars is they need a partial or full rebuild if you want to be sure they'l get through the next event.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Redwarf

[Redwarf]

I'm on the nth side, but you're welcome to come over to peruse some of the fleet. I've got the Excel and one of the Corollas here ATM. It'll give you an idea of what to look for, and I can tell you what you MUST look for in a second hand car.

[sam k]

Yep excel series is a pretty good way of getting into it.

Buying a built car can save alot of $$ and usually there all sorted ie set ups and suspension.

Also some people might think FWD cars are not quick but they can be on gravel with a good WA and driving.

Also FWD style can carry on to 4WD style as you use some of the same princibles.

 

But RWD is always good fun.

[snot35]

Don't start with 4wd as suggested. Expensive to run and fix. It's crucial you choose something you enjoy driving, that you can afford to fix, and that you're not too attached to when you start. You will roll it into a ball, so make sure panels are available and cheap. Excel's do fit the bill if you can handle the Hyundai thing.

 

Also read most of this: www.camsmanual.com.au

[altezzaclub]

yep! A real money-saver!

 

Reading www.camsmanual.com.au usually kills any desire to participate in motorsport at all!

 

Join a giant bureaucracy, spend your time bending over for typical bureaucrats and then get shafted for talkng to their opposition...

[snot35]

I guess you have to work with what you've got. There does seem to be alternatives coming up, but I'm not sure if they've made it to Queensland yet.

[rob323]

One of the alternatives has been in Qld for a long time. QR and Lakeside run under them. So far, 3 rallysprints have been run under them with another rally sprint and a proper rally to run under them this year alone (and maybe a motorkhana or two as well). :)

 

To the OP, if you have the funds and the ability to build your own, then do it. But buying a prebuilt one will be cheaper though. The down side is you are also buying whatever stuff ups/ short cuts/ last minute fixes that the previous owner has made :) .

 

I'd avoid Geminis or 1600's cause good panels are getting nigh impossible to get. If you want rwd, then might I suggest an NA Silvia, then turbo it once you have gotten everything out of the car that you possible can.

As far as ffwd's go, there is a Proton for sale on the Brindabella forums which is priced very competitively against the excels, or be different and build something original like an Echo if you want to stay faithful to Toyota. :)