Yeah, certainly for Road Rallying I wouldn't want to take a mint car out. While the likelyhood of writing it off is fairly slim, you are fairly likely to get the odd scrape/dent, and the paintwork invariably suffers on the narrowest lanes. The biggest reason is that if you took your mint pride and joy mk1 out, you'd almost certainly go far too slowly as you sat there worrying about the paintwork on every narrow section! The logical thing is, as you suggest, to get a reasonable mk3 to use as a rally car - psychologically you wouldn't be so worried so would be able to drive it better & quicker.

There are a few rules governing the car you use, mainly for PR reasons (i.e. to stop us looking like hooligans!). They come in a big, and very hard to read book (I have copies, and I think it's now online), but the salient points are (certainly for navigation rallies, which are most popular round here):

• Only one colour, or manufacturer's original colour scheme

• Maximum of 4 forward facing headlamps

• Maximum 4 cylinders, and 2 chokes

• All major interior trim must be present

The best thing for anyone to do would be to join their local motor club, which will have loads of experts to help out (just like this place...)

HTH

Nick

The biggest reason is that if you took your mint pride and joy mk1 out, you'd almost certainly go far too slowly as you sat there worrying about the paintwork on every narrow section!

Just what I was thinking. I'm exactly the same, and that's driving at normal speed, not rally speeds

With another lower condition car, you could drive it like ya stole it

Time to get a 'nessy' then MJ

Thanks Nick...I think that's hit the nail on the head. Are engine swaps allowed?

SteveP wrote:Time to get a 'nessy' and put a T5 motor in it then MJ

Fixed!

cheers

James

Hmm, a T5 or a 2.3 Redblock, decisions decisions

I can't justify getting one at the minute, but hopefully I'll be on a placement year next year, and will need one

*crosses fingers*

MJ wrote:Hmm, a T5 or a 2.3 Redblock, decisions decisions

It's easy... under 400bhp - T5 owns

Engine swaps are allowed, but I think I'm correct in assuming it's got to be <5 cylinders, not forced induction and should retain the manufacturers original induction system. At least that's what it was, Nick will know for definate as he's king of the blue book

So T5s are a definate no-no. A 2.3 Redblock is therefore your best bet, although the use of Megasquirt is probably not technically allowed, so you should use the standard ECU from a 940 (or whatever). Whether scruts would actually notice this or not is a different matter!

Ideal option would be a B234 (although there might now be new rules on 16vs I cant remember), which is the route I'd like to go down when I have some money. Current plan is a plain old B230 though.

Pride and joys are a definate no go for rallying. I wrote off a 205 on 12 car a few years ago, which I loved to bits, and I was totally gutted, and it wasn't really anything special. Although writing off the car is an extreme and unlikely situation it's easy to pick up a few scrapes, scratches and the odd dent! There's no way I'd take out a mint/rare car on an event.

Nick C wrote:I did a 12-car last night in a Mk1 Escort - proper end drive rally cars are so much more fun

Tis indeed true

foggyjames wrote:How come they're outlawing sidedrafts? Seems odd.


cheers

James

Technically they're not-just find yourself a set of split DCOE's and bolt them on-thereby running with two chokes.

There is a snag last set I saw fetched £700+ mind you it did include a pinto manifold

"have a maximum of one camshaft per bank of cylinders . Engines with more than one camshaft per bank of cylinder may be used providing they were originaly fitted with fuel injection and that the fuel injection system complete with plenum chamber and throttle body is retained unmodified..."

2.3DOHCi is fine

It has to have a maximum of 4 cylinders, so a T5 isn't allowed. I believe the requirement for the original injection system doesn't actually specify the ECU, so megasquirt might be acceptable, I'd have to check. It does specify that you have to have the original throttle bodies though, as Bilbo says

I think we were just talking about a T5 transplant out of context to actually entering it into rallying. There are some rather strict regulations!

Yeah, just to add to the above. No James, No Look how gutted I was just to put a dent in Kar, and Nick will tell you how much I baby it down lanes as I'm worried about paintwork. Fake I'm getting just as bad with, which is even worse

Basically, Kar's never ever seeing another rally, but will be let onto tracks (Maybe, unless I get even more worried about it...)

Ive been trying to get into racing recently. I got my national B racing in July but havent to find or rather afford anything to race!! Gives me a good idea to race me 360, but how much would all the mods cost? Would like to get it up to bearly legal/track day standard but wouldnt know where to start!!. Would like to get some sponsourship for my racing but so far no lucky, no surprises there!!

Interesting stuff chaps. What about if the car was originally equipped with sidedrafts - do you have to take them off?! Am I reading right that if it wasn't turbo from the factory, you can't +t? How about enlarging displacement? There's the 2.5 stroker option for the B230... In fact, car-ising a Volvo Penta AQ171C or D would be spot on - 2.5 16v redblock ready-built.

The smart money appears to be on dropping in a B230FB (late 2.3 with the 'adaptive' EMS, 531 head, and relatively hot cam....131bhp, but with easy upgradability on stock EMS), then +16v-ing it when funds allow. Start stockpiling those 16v heads!

cheers

James