Milan RallyX Recap

"MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562)
09/19/2016 at 16:17 • Filed to: RallyX, Rally, MIGHTY RALLY MILAN, NOT SO MIGHTY RALLY MILAN, Mercury, MERCURYMUSCLE

YEP I RALLY’ED A MILAN AGAIN.

I’m every bit as crazy as you all knew me to be by taking the Milan out in the pouring rain to race in the mud and muck. There was no lightning so the event went forward as planned.

They adjusted the run groups and had RWD go first on Saturday, I suspect they were worried that they wouldn’t be able to move AT ALL if anyone else tore up the course any more than it was.

So once I got out there RWD had already made a mess of things. I spent the majority of the time at full lock sliding back and forth on my ill-advised all season tires. Basically the only way to get any traction was to gun it as hard as I could and let the tires dig until they found something to grab. Lots of turning the wheel and lots of foot to the floor! Brakes were basically a “slide” button because they were pretty much useless.

Unfortunately the car was SCREAMING when I started it up to go out for the afternoon runs so I did not run it. Which sucks because the sun came out, dried things up and the course was graded by the farm’s owner on a tractor so the runs went from about 1:04's in the morning down to mid 30's in the afternoon (they changed the course too, as usual). So everyone had full normal runs in the afternoon.

I could tell it was something brake related as it was screaming/squealing at me. anytime the car moved. I decided to pack it in and head home to try and get it fixed, figured it was a dust shield rubbing or something. About half way home I hear a CLINK and the scream went a way. A pebble/small rock finally kicked out of my brakes and it was all better. Sucks I missed the afternoon runs over a non-real issue but I needed the car yesterday and today. Also, I don’t know that they would have even LET me run with how loud the squeak was.

Now for a photo dump (what you all wanted to see anyhow)

Aftermath:

A guy in his 70's approached me at the self wash yesterday and said - “How did this even happen?!?!?!” I told him I took it in a rally race and he said “Oh, that makes sense. It had to be something like that”. He recommended mud flaps.

FINAL NOTE: If someone could buy the Montego already so I can go buy a Rally specific car, that would be great. Thanks.

DISCUSSION (54)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:24

I should do this with my car.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/19/2016 at 16:26

You can pretty much do it in anything. I’m not sure I remember what you drive though.

I’m planning on getting a fox body to enter in modified rear wheel drive. I’d prefer a Mercury Capri, but I’ll probably settle for a Mustang.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:30

A 2003 BMW 530i. It handles nicely when sliding, so I think it’d be a fun experience.

Milky > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:32

I probably missed the explanation at some point, but why not rally the Montego?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:32

I need to do this with the S10, like now.

S65 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:33

Kinja'd!!!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/19/2016 at 16:34

I had no idea you had the RWD version of my car.

Hahaha, 3.0 6 cylinder, and around 3300/3400 pounds, 4 doors. Yep, same cars. They must have gave you a slightly nicer tune though to get you to 225 hp instead of the 221 in mine.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Milky
09/19/2016 at 16:38

No problem, with how much I love that car it’s a fair question:

For 1 it’s huge. It may have been a midsize in 1968 but its sure as hell bigger than a fox body.

2 it’s unibody. The Fox bodies are too, but they are really easy to stiffen up with (off the shelf) sub frame connectors and strut tower braces.

3 The Montego would need so much work to be rally ready. New front suspension to at least get me some disc brakes. It would be nice to upgrade to POWER brakes too haha

4 lots of general other problems that would need to be solved before it would be ready. There’s a lot less work to do on a Fox than the Montego.

5 finally, I’m hoping that I can sell the Montego and buy a cheap Fox and the stiffening parts (and maybe stretch for a set of tires) and break even money wise.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:38

I should do a rally cross.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/19/2016 at 16:39

I’ve seen an F150 do it, so you’d be fine lol

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > S65
09/19/2016 at 16:39

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
09/19/2016 at 16:40

I would say everyone should - so much fun

S65 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:43

It’s Mercury

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:44

I’d be afraid that I’d roll it or something else stupid.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > S65
09/19/2016 at 16:44

Ahh, I see the reflection now, it just looked like water at first glance.

MERCURY IS LIFE

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
09/19/2016 at 16:46

I’ve seen someone go off course, but never have I seen a roll. The first one I went to a guy got up on 2 wheels and the safety steward came out and adjusted the course to make it a more gradual turn to keep those situations from happening, You get a test/non full speed lap first to learn the course too.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:47

How does one find/get involved with a rallycross? Do you have to be a SCCA member?

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:48

It’s crazy how similar they are. And yours has chrome around the windows too.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
09/19/2016 at 16:48

I’ve done a weekend membership. If you decide to become a full member your $15 weekend membership applies to the full membership.

And yeah I just went to the local SCCA site. Some regions don’t support RallyX, some (like mine) have a monthly RallyX event year round.

fourvalleys > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:49

That’s a pretty flat looking course. There’s a course near here that sees rollovers occasionally. It sucks, but it does happen. Of course, that’s a motocross course with the jumps roped off.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/19/2016 at 16:49

hahaha yup! And here you thought you paid for exclusivity.

Mine is a V6 instead of an I and FWD obviously. Mine was available in AWD and a stick was only available on the 4 cylinder models.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > fourvalleys
09/19/2016 at 16:50

Wow, we had 3 mildly banked turns. but nothing serious. This is basically at one guy’s horse farm.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:53

I love how mine handles, and the steering is unmatched by anything else I’ve ever driven.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/19/2016 at 16:56

Oh, well, if you intend to take driving feel into this discussion I’m just gonna numbly drive home.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 16:59

How about fuel mileage? Best tank I ever got was 10.2l/100K or about 28 mpg. I usually average about 11.5 though, about 20 mpg. Pretty bad for a mid size sedan.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
09/19/2016 at 17:00

The EPA highway rating is 26, I get 28 normally while doing about 78 on the highway. But I’ve gotten as high as 33 if I’m on nice super flat, maybe slight decline and no one is around to intervene.

It averages to around 22/23 though.

So I’ve got that going for me. lol

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 17:01

That’s pretty good. I think mine is low because I usually only drive back and forth from work, about 10 minutes, twice a day.

fourvalleys > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 17:04

Not my car or my photo, but it can be a little hairy. They’re smart about how to run the course, though.

Kinja'd!!!

Eberle-Hills-Cop > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 17:09

This makes me happy.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
09/19/2016 at 17:31

As long as you are not being a complete dummy and driving way to fast into heavily rutted corners you should be fine.

To talk about fourvalleys picture, different regions have different ways of making courses. It looks like his region takes an approach which uses natural obstacles to create a semi-permanent course (feel free to correct me if I am wrong fourvalleys, I have not raced in your region but it looks similar to how NY sets up some of their events). In my region (NER SCCA) courses are set up in fields or dirt parking lots using cones and they are changed as soon as any rutting occurs. In my experience the former is far more likely to cause damage and incidents. The courses get rutted and tend to have higher speeds than cone-in-a-field courses. Either way as long as you are careful and don’t overdrive the conditions you won’t roll.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
09/19/2016 at 17:33

I figured it wouldn’t roll but I’m still scared to push it.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Eberle-Hills-Cop
09/19/2016 at 18:49

Me too!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > fourvalleys
09/19/2016 at 18:54

Wow, we’ve got a couple locations that they go over the banked curve on a dirt track. But that looks intense. I have done the oval locations yet so I don’t know if it gets crazy.

C62030 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 19:11

This is the proper way to Milan.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
09/19/2016 at 20:48

Do ittttttt

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > fourvalleys
09/19/2016 at 20:49

The only roll over I’ve seen was back in the TVR region where Leon Drake rolled his MF golf. He designed the course and rolled it on his practice lap

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/19/2016 at 20:51

As long as it’s not lifted, you’re fine to run it

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
09/19/2016 at 23:44

My wife keeps saying she wants to run our Jeep Commander. I keep saying - nope it’s lifted. Would be fun in a big dopey dog kinda way though haha. Just giant and lumbering all over the course.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > C62030
09/19/2016 at 23:44

It’ll go back to boring family sedan as soon as I buy a rally car.

C62030 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2016 at 23:48

Buy a second Milan. Family Milan and Rally Milan. Then go on a Milan road trip...to Milan.

fourvalleys > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/20/2016 at 08:28

I found a few videos of the course, it’s a long course (between 120-180 seconds for most runs) that has essentially two sections. The first is the motocross course with the jumps roped off. The second is a flat section that actually causes more problems when people try to cut the corners.

Fortunately, they take safety very seriously - especially regarding course workers. It’s a well-run program and they do a great job of making sure it’s as safe for drivers as it can be. Obviously any motorsport event carries some risk, but they do as much as they can to make sure it’s mostly a risk of damaging the car - not a risk of serious injury.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > C62030
09/20/2016 at 09:48

Milan is only 40 minutes from my house, and they have a drag strip lol

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > fourvalleys
09/20/2016 at 10:40

That course looks amazingly fun.

My only downside I see is there is no technical challenge of not murdering cones.

Here’s an in car of one of the fastest drivers of the event from this past weekend. Morning session was the slow one then he takes off for the afternoon with the course reset:

fourvalleys > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/20/2016 at 11:44

There aren’t cones, but there are plenty of (metal) course markers. There’s no penalty for hitting them - except the fact that they will mess your car up. I blew a tire when I ran one over, it sucked.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > fourvalleys
09/20/2016 at 11:57

That seems like a terrible, terrible way to rallyX

fourvalleys > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/20/2016 at 12:05

Haha, it’s not bad. Just don’t hit ‘em!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > fourvalleys
09/20/2016 at 14:54

lol, no one TRIES to hit cones either.

fourvalleys > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/20/2016 at 15:01

Well, now you’ve got some real incentive not to hit anything!