"Tachyon Racing" (tachyonracing)
12/09/2015 at 22:03 • Filed to: None
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"Tachyon Racing" (tachyonracing)
12/09/2015 at 22:03 • Filed to: None | 6
| 16 |
This is the third post in our Rally 101 Series.
Is there anything better than getting a new car? Especially when you know it will become a race car? The excitement and opportunities presented by such a blank canvas can be overwhelming, so it’s important to keep a cool head and define the criteria you’re looking for.
While there are many different variables that could go into the selection process, we will limit the discussion to the things that are good to keep in mind when building a car on an amateur level budget, with reliability and competitiveness as our priorities. This is the first step in our !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and the ultimate goal is to keep our driving-to-wrenching ratio as high as possible.
Can I use a car I already own? The cheapest car is one you don’t have to buy at all, and there is something to be said for driving something you are familiar with. I usually rule out anything that is particularly nice, since selling a daily driver that’s a couple years old is probably enough to finance your whole build and first season of competition. A good rule of thumb is that if it’s not worth more as parts (or scrap) than it is whole, it’s probably too nice.
Do I have parts/experience with a specific make/model?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably going to be the one doing all of the wrenching on your car like we do. Considering the wear and tear that goes along with racing, it’s great to have the familiarity to quickly diagnose and fix issues. Of course, a garage full of parts, and knowing people in the community helps as well.
Can I get parts from a local junkyard?
Sure you can probably Amazon Prime a new door these days, but it definitely helps when you can just drive down the street. I once crushed the front passenger side of my Impreza by doing a slight roll, so being able to walk into a junkyard and sawzall off a quarter of a car is an important factor for us.
Getting a wrecked, or salvaged car
can be an awesome way to go since you can usually get a newer car for not a lot of money if you’re able to do a bit of bodywork,. Considering that body panels are a “wear” item on rally cars, having it pre-smashed is really not a huge deal. Copart.com and iaai.com are great places for insurance auctions, if you’re interested in persuing this route.
Should I buy a rusty car?
No way. Unless it’s basically free and limited to things like doors, I stay away from rusty cars. Sure, you can fix pretty much anything with a welder and a grinder, but having a rusty car makes every single thing approximately 247% more difficult until all of the hardware is replaced.
Does someone make a proper rally shock for this car?
This was a huge consideration for me, since suspension is critical in rally and not easy to get right. Having proven off-the-shelf solutions saves you money and keeps you from being a beta-tester on the stages.
Interior space
is an important factor for us. Doing a stage rally means you’re spending 12 hours in the car, so it’s almost like going on a road trip in terms of how much stuff you end up bringing in the car with you - tools, spares, clothes, snacks, drinks, and usually a frisbee to throw around. Having a sedan or a hatchback is extremely convenient.
With these things in mind Molly and I scoured the internet for a few months. Since I had pretty much an entire Subaru Impreza 2.5RS rally car in parts, we were looking for a bare chassis or something pretty close to that.
Many close calls later, Facebook came through with an awesome 2002 WRX shell for sale in our area. It’s probably the most rust-free Subaru I have ever seen in Michigan, and mostly complete except for the engine and transmission.
Deal made, and the car on the trailer, the build has now officially begun!
Next up we’ll be covering the steps we took to get our car cage-ready. So keep checking back for updates.
Tachyon Racing is comprised of a Michigan- based driver Dmitriy Martynov and co-driver Molly Disend blasting their way through the motorsports scene. Dmitriy is a veteran driver who enjoys rallyX, autoX, and ice racing in addition to dirt biking and motorcycling. His passion and competitive drive lured Molly to join him in both TSD and stage rallies. Stay tuned for updates as we develop our team, build a rally car, and post occasional pictures of our lovable rally dog, Gogi.
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/10/2015 at 12:07 |
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Option B, buy a beater with a funny craigslist post of a brand you’ve never worked on before and try turning it into a rally car.
It’s been painful and kind of expensive so far
Sam
> Tachyon Racing
12/10/2015 at 15:59 |
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I want your wheels.
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/10/2015 at 19:20 |
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But you’re probably learning a lot, which is rewarding in it’s own way.
Like I mention in the post, there are all sorts of variables involved here. For example, we own an awesome 1986 Saab 900 Turbo, which was owned by John Oates (of Hall and Oates fame) - it would have been a kick ass rally car build, if the priorities were more on the kick ass build side and less on the competitive/low-maintenance race car side. Maybe some day they will be... I’m getting kind of excited about a Saab rally project now, damnit!
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/10/2015 at 20:36 |
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Yeah, e36s are prolific enough that parts aren’t impossible to find. Plus RWD is fun, I’m not looking to win for a while
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/11/2015 at 12:54 |
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Honestly, I’m surprised more people aren’t rallying them. Once you fix a couple of the known weak spots in the chassis (i.e suspension mounting points), they would make an awesome car. The power/weight ratio would make it a very competitive in NASA 2WD / Group 2. Not to mention it’s very well balanced and parts are cheaper than for a Subaru.
I had an E36 M3 a couple years ago, so I definitely have a sweet spot for them.
Out of curiosity - what are you planning on doing for suspension?
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/11/2015 at 13:01 |
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I did strut tower reinforcements, AKG rear mounts, and bilstein HDs all around. Figured it should get me through 2 or 3 rallies.
Also cooling. I blew up the cooling system at an autocross and ended up replacing a bunch of stuff.
Apparently they’re pretty popular in Europe. I got some good advice from Brakim before I started my build
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Tachyon Racing
> Sam
12/12/2015 at 13:02 |
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We got our wheels from http://teamilluminata.com/ along with the seats for our car. Awesome guys!
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/16/2015 at 13:16 |
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Bilstein HD’s are pretty awesome, and it upsets me to no end that they are not available for Subarus, as they would be by far the most popular shock, considering what many people use them for.
Cooling is a notorious weak spot of the E36, so it’s not surprising that you had some issues there. I had to replace pretty much everything on my E36 as well, but it was pretty solid once that was done. I think all BMWs have that problem in general, I joke that I can smell a BMW/Mini Cooper across a parking lot, and I’m pretty sure it’s just the smell of burning coolant :D
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/16/2015 at 13:21 |
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I’m really surprised they’re not available for Subarus. What do they use when starting out? The cheapest thing I can think of are Hot Bits, and I think those are still $2k. I got my HDs from Turner for $600.
The cooling system got destroyed because I ran on some Hoosiers and what I imagine were the original motor mounts. The fan made contact with the radiator...
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/16/2015 at 14:52 |
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You hit the nail on the head, there isn’t really an alternative to Bilstein HDs in the Subaru world, as far as off-pavement struts are concerned anyway.
If you can’t afford HotBits, AllWheelsDriven, or JVAB ($2k-$3k), you are basically running on KYB AGX’s, or stock struts of some sort. Which works alright, as long as you don’t jump too high, go off, hit rocks, or mind replacing them every couple of rallies. There are some options from KSport, Tien, and the like, but people seem to have limited success with those.
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/16/2015 at 15:17 |
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That is a definite Subaru advantage. The e36 needs 5x120 with a ~78mm center bore. I’ll be using stock wheels for a while
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/17/2015 at 22:34 |
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I think Matt is running BRAIDs on his E36. Or is he doing something weird with the hubs?
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/18/2015 at 10:24 |
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He is, but I don’t want to pay for new ones. It’s way easier to find used rally Subaru wheels
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/18/2015 at 12:58 |
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Think of it as an investment, a bent wheel/cracked wheel in a stage rally typically means a ruined $200 tire :)
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Tachyon Racing
12/18/2015 at 13:32 |
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Who uses $200 tires? Haha. I’ve got six used pirelli gravels from TRF that were $75 each, and four used yokohama snows that I got from TIM for $340
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Tachyon Racing
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/20/2015 at 13:36 |
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Ahh yes, I generate my own used tires and run those :) Even on cheap tires, it adds up pretty quick. I’ve seen people running OEM wheels go through 3-4 of them per event at rockier events with loose gravel - like LSPR, STPR, or BRS.
At first I kind of thought that they were more of a style item, but then after *knock on wood* not having any flats in the 15+ rallies I’ve done on BRAIDs, I’m a convert. And I’ve hit some comically large rocks.
My priorities typically go like so - safety, maintenance, wheels, tires, suspension, everything else.