PurpleMystique
Hard-core CEG'er
it means that you're inadequate.
First I hear that in bed, and now here too?
it means that you're inadequate.
Anyway: screw the zetec. Focus SVT 2.3 Duratec FTW.
I'll have a 3l ready to go in the car once I have three rallies done. I'm not going to do more than ten events in the contour so I'm not going to put a million dollars into it. After I decide to pull the plug on my contours pro rally days, I'll probabley get rid of it.
Also, I have to dish out a $500 deductable to get my street car fixed so I'm now strapped for cash the rest of this month.
I'll order them now along with some miracle gas additive.
Answers
1.My car has my dirt settings listed as rally settings. Suspension setup is different every day I race. It is constantly evolving, and very course dependent. For a low budget enthusiast, I recommend Koni dampers with ground control coilovers. In addition to the springs that come with the ground controls, you will need a pair of ten inch long 225lb springs. The svt swaybars are a bit stiff for rallycross. I recommend swaybars from an se or even 4 cylinder model. I mostly don't even run swaybars off road though.
2.No sump guard is needed. I will develop a full front skidplate in the future however.
3.I recommend that you don't do anything to your car and learn how to drive first. Just find an event and give it a whirl. Then you'll see exactly what I mean. Most people consider themselves good drivers until they are amongst them. I was no different. Street tires will allow you car to loose control at slower speeds. From this you will learn car control. Think baby steps. It's better to learn how to get a car to slide and control it at 30mph instead of 50 mph. That when when you get it wrong, which you will do more than not at first, you'll mess up at a slower speed. When you are ready to upgrade your tires, go with rally tires. Tires are the number one upgrade for any car. SVTF brakes won't fit inside 15" wheels. You won't be put into m2 unless you strip your interior. Most mods will only put you in prepared front wheel drive/pf.
4.Replace svt bodywork with se bodywork if your ever going to see terrain that is more than 4 inches of bumps and ruts. I've seen some smooth rallycross sites, but most are rough and rut bad. This will be bad for low hanging svt body panels. And lsd is not very necessary, but will make the car faster and more controllable.
AWD answers
1.I am using the jag gearbox, transfer case, and rear diff. The only control that I have over front and rear bias is left foot braking with throttle, and handbrake with throttle. These are both driving techniques for an advanced to expert driving level.
2.I know it's a 42:58 torque split because automotive journalists asked jag of the split. Jag replied with 40:60 because they wanted to still "seem like" a rwd vehicle. So 40:60 or 42:58. Whatever. I've seen both on the internet. The center diff/ transfer case is a viscous coupling.
3.I know the front diff is open. The center diff is a viscous lsd. I don't know what the rear is.
4.Absolutely not! The jag rear subframe doesn't even come close to fitting in the contour. The front suspension of the jag is essentially the same and offers no added benefit.
5. I'm using the jag awd fuel tank.
In rally america i'll be running a light class. But I won't be running rally america. I'll be in NASA for a little while. Ther's some that I left out, but then there will be too much to be reading. Really. I could go on all day.
If you just want to buy one set of tires for both, your going to have to make one bad compromise or another. Snow tires aren't half bad in rallycross, but would be horrible at an autocross. Street touring tires won't work well off road with their big tread blocks and shallow tread depth. When your ready to make a decision, just pm me for assistance.I hear you about just going out on what I have, but I need some kind of tires though. The car is sitting in a barn (has been for 6 months) with bald grocery getters on there. I don't even want to drive it on the street right now so I need something, anything for either autocross or rally cross. I just need to decide what I want to do.
I know how to fabricate more than just stories. I have a crappy push bender and metal supply place up the road that sells nothing but seam welded stuff, but I would never use that stuff for a project like this. I also have a great metal fabricator to help me out with what I don't know and all the welding. His tig welding is second to none. He used to weld for several custom bike shops at once before the economy hit it hard.Looks good! Glad you went with DOM and Moly for tubing instead of the big "no no" Home Depot tubing bender with seamed pipe. :laugh:
If you just want to buy one set of tires for both, your going to have to make one bad compromise or another. Snow tires aren't half bad in rallycross, but would be horrible at an autocross. Street touring tires won't work well off road with their big tread blocks and shallow tread depth. When your ready to make a decision, just pm me for assistance.