Ok, shoot me straight Oppo, how bad of an idea is this?

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
11/25/2018 at 15:40 • Filed to: Rally all the things!

My initial searching for a replacement for the RallyMetro has led me to some all over the map choices. I’ve decided to focus on ‘94 and earlier vehicles. These will be eligible for AV plates at the start of the year, which are $6/year instead of $101/year. Additionally, my state only tests OBD1 vehicles for emissions, so I wouldn’t need to worry about that.

My search has yielded some decent 80's to early 90's hardware, but has also led me to a couple of properly vintage vehicles. Which leads me to the question, how bad of an idea is this:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Or this:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I think a rally MGB GT or a rally Corvair would be really bad ass! Although I'd hate to ruin them, and I wonder how fragile they'd be.

DISCUSSION (55)

VW Max > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 15:47

Those do seem too nice to ruin. What about a rally Ford Aspire or Festiva?

RallyWrench > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 15:56

They did rally MGBs back in the day, but it’d need some serious suspension work. Be a shame to bang up a good GT shell though, not sure how good that one is underneath, but they’re pretty cheap. Safari Corvair would be totally bitchin’. For rallycross though, maybe something a little more replaceable?

MM54 > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 15:56

I would feel bad beating those up (unless you were doing like a proper rally build, which would be sweet). Not sure how well either would hold up stock , though.

way2blu does a rev update > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 15:58

Kinja'd!!!

shop-teacher > way2blu does a rev update
11/25/2018 at 16:01

Oh my!

shop-teacher > RallyWrench
11/25/2018 at 16:01

Yeah, I think you're right on all counts. Fun to fantasize about though.

shop-teacher > MM54
11/25/2018 at 16:02

I would too. And I'm guessing not well.

shop-teacher > VW Max
11/25/2018 at 16:03

Found a Festiva actually, for $295. Sold in a few hours, before I could get to it.

I would love keep something with more than 100 hp this time.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:04

Corvair, the 65 and up is really a great handling car. And maddening Lord Lucus pitfalls

Censored > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:06

My 2 favorite vehicles. If you rally either, I may haunt your dreams. Those are both far too nice for dirt racing.

shop-teacher > My X-type is too a real Jaguar
11/25/2018 at 16:07

I’ve heard that. The Corvair would probably make a great autocross car. It’d be a shame to beat it to death rallycrossing it.

way2blu does a rev update > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:08

Just Send It

shop-teacher > Censored
11/25/2018 at 16:08

Hahaha! Duly noted :)

They're two of my favorites as well. I don't think I could go through with it.

shop-teacher > way2blu does a rev update
11/25/2018 at 16:10

Fantastic :)

way2blu does a rev update > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:11

Soooooo you’re gonna build a rally MGB?

VW Max > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:26

Motorcycle engine swap?

Grindintosecond > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:30

Depending on what “rules” you’re looking to stay within, I’m tempted to pimp the Fox Mustang for a reason. Search Mayhem83 and Mark Utecht. It indeed can be a fab rally car. His actually beat open class Subarus in more open straighter stages....a stroker 383 Windsor would do that . I wanted to do that myself but with a SN95 3.8 drivetrain swapped in with bolt ons. Would have excellent balance and a little ole cage would remove the flexible flyer status.

shop-teacher > way2blu does a rev update
11/25/2018 at 16:31

We'll see.

MM54 > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:32

ebay turbo?

shop-teacher > VW Max
11/25/2018 at 16:39

I don't want a project. I don't mind doing a bit of wrenching/repairing, but that's about all I'm interested in.

shop-teacher > MM54
11/25/2018 at 16:41

Nope. I don’t want a project. Its hard enough to get enough free time to do the actual rallycrossing.

VW Max > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 16:43

How cheap is a beat up but running crown vic?

shop-teacher > Grindintosecond
11/25/2018 at 16:43

That would be cool. Too pricey for me though. Plus, I really don’t want a project. I want something I can have some fun with as-is, a nd do a bit of wrenching on when I break something.

shop-teacher > VW Max
11/25/2018 at 16:44

Pretty cheap. And I may do that. I'd like to get something with a manual trans though.

Grindintosecond > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:04

Ah so no swaps. Wait, you teach shop?

glemon > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:06

I had a 67 BGT in college, they are reasonbly stout cars. MGs first unibody, they were s pu posedly overengineered in in the chassis department, plus was built to be a convertible with enough chassis stiffness to handle the hole in the structure where the roof would normally go, then they add the missing roof, so more solid.

Parts are plentiful and cheap, new or used. This one looks like it was repainted, I would make sure it is not a bondomobile. Where do they rust? Pretty much anywhere on the bottom half of the car, with a slight Hall of protection front and center from oil and grease off the motor.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:24

I bet that Corvair would be an insanely fun RallyX. Budget Safari 911!

And I neeeeeeed that MGB GT

shop-teacher > Grindintosecond
11/25/2018 at 17:40

Yeah, but not auto shop.

Time is the biggest reason I don't want a project. I don't get a ton of free time. I want to spend the time I do get racing/driving.

shop-teacher > glemon
11/25/2018 at 17:42

Good to know, thanks! How stout is the suspension?

shop-teacher > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
11/25/2018 at 17:43

I think it would too!

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:46

The Corvair is too nice to RallyX - but I think you could have a lot of fun AutoXing it instead. Besides, I’m not sure I’d want to RallyX a 50+ year old unibody.

The MGB is at least a little rougher/cheaper - still maybe a little too nice for RallyX, but some definite possibilities there!

JeepJeremy > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:49

Oh man....I want that Corvair!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:54

oooo... mgb v corvair

tbh.. i dont think theres much in it between them... the mgb will be slightly less tail happy

the corvair will likely be less fragile... unless you back into stuff on a stage

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 17:54

Oh my gawd, that MGB seems like a crazy price. Also, nice corvair. Not sure about rally crossing them but maybe better they die doing what they love? Both look to be good cars for the price.

ranwhenparked > glemon
11/25/2018 at 18:04

It was a much more innovative car than they get credit for, the MGB also had impact absorbing crumple zones. I don’t think Volvo was even doing that in 1962.

MM54 > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 18:53

I’ve got a mostly-rust 200k+ mile 02 p71 that I’ll be letting go of in the spring

shop-teacher > MM54
11/25/2018 at 19:16

Well, I don't need a car until April. Assuming it will be really cheap, if I haven't bought anything else yet, we could do business.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
11/25/2018 at 19:17

I suspect the MGB GT isn't all that nice in person.

shop-teacher > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/25/2018 at 19:34

I don't do stage rallies. Just Rallycross.

shop-teacher > JeepJeremy
11/25/2018 at 19:34

Me too!

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 19:44

Yeah, it looks to me like it’s got that rattle can over bondo patina.

Which means it’s overpriced. But I like the idea of it.

Kiltedpadre > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 20:31

I have no useful input, but I like to encourage fun, potentially bad ideas. I’ll just leave this here.

Kinja'd!!!

shop-teacher > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
11/25/2018 at 20:54

They do, although I'm curious to see in person how much Bondo each of them has in them.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
11/25/2018 at 20:56

Agreed. In which case, if the price can come down, I could rally guilt free.

shop-teacher > Kiltedpadre
11/25/2018 at 20:58

Boioioioioiiiiiiiiinnnnggggg!

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 21:18

Maybe at 1500 or so if it runs okay?

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
11/25/2018 at 22:17

Maybe.

Berang > shop-teacher
11/25/2018 at 23:48

The thing that gives me pause about the MGB as a rally/rough road car is its use of lever shocks, which tend to get overworked on constant bumps, and just stop working. There are (were?) conversion kits available for telescopic shocks though.

As for the Corvair, you know of the Darien Gap Corvair, right?

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
11/26/2018 at 00:52

I don’t know how either would do for rally use, but at Triumph GT6 is a significantly better car the an MGB GT in every way.

pip bip - choose Corrour > shop-teacher
11/26/2018 at 05:14

remove the MG motor and install a 2JZ

shop-teacher > Berang
11/26/2018 at 08:55

Good to know about the shocks, thanks.

I did not know about the Darien Gap Corvair, so I looiit up. Daaaaaaaaaaang!

shop-teacher > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
11/26/2018 at 08:56

Those are cool, but I've only ever seen two, and they were both clapped out to do buckets.

shop-teacher > pip bip - choose Corrour
11/26/2018 at 08:57

Not interested in a project. I just wanna race/drive in my little but of free time.

glemon > shop-teacher
11/26/2018 at 09:19

I am not aware of any particular issues or failure points, and mine held up pretty well to college kid abuse, don’t know how that compares to rallycross. Best online forum/resource MGBs is The MG Experience.

P.S. Overdrive is a very desirable option for a street car, makes highway cruising much more relaxed, probably not much use in rallycross.

shop-teacher > glemon
11/26/2018 at 12:49

Good to know, thanks.