Hi all. New to the forum, been browsing here and learning here for a while though...

I've had my 1990 Talon AWD for almost two years, and use it as a daily (for winter), a hillclimb car, and some rallycross as well. I've always dreamed of doing stage rally, so the car is at the cage builder right now. All the safety gear has already been purchased and this car is on its way to becoming an actual rally car (hopefully!).

Car is stock with a VRSF front mount and a Walbro 190 fuel pump, and will soon have rally suspension as well. I'll post a build thread once I get to the 30 post limit thing.

Long live the DSM!

Looks like you are letting your spirit carry you
Welcome aboard.

lasershark said:

Looks like you are letting your spirit carry you
Welcome aboard.

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Thanks!

Car looks good man. How long have you been doing rally cross?

PonyKiller420a said:

Car looks good man. How long have you been doing rally cross?

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Thanks, did it for half a year then did just hillclimb. Haven't raced in about 6 months because I'm building the car for rally but should have it ready to race in about a month and a half.

Very cool project, welcome to the forum! Can't wait to see what's in store for it.

totaleclipse_05 said:

Very cool project, welcome to the forum! Can't wait to see what's in store for it.

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I'll post some pictures when I get it back in a few weeks!

That's a great photo.

What does the suspension consist of?

tsi617 said:

That's a great photo.

What does the suspension consist of?

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Thanks, it's being built by Allwheelsdriven, and it'll be using 40mm Bilstein inserts with some heavy duty bodies and 12-14" springs. Should be getting it in about 3 weeks, we'll see.

Welcome aboard, glad to have ya.
How much of a lift will that add?

OGDSM1989 said:

Welcome aboard, glad to have ya.
How much of a lift will that add?

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Supposedly about 1.5" lift!

That will be bad ass .... hope you post some video of you running the car

OGDSM1989 said:

That will be bad ass .... hope you post some video of you running the car

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Will do! It's already been raced a good amount, just not stage rally. Here is a quick video:

Do you run a truck tire like a teragrappler or is there something better for cars? I am into trucks too but never got into the rally world.

I am surprised that the organization you are running the hill climbs with do not require a roll-cage. Our local SCCA region brought back hill climbs after an absence for many years. I will have to wait to compete until I decide which car to cage. It looks like a fun challenge.

tsi617 said:

Do you run a truck tire like a teragrappler or is there something better for cars? I am into trucks too but never got into the rally world.

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For Rallycross, tire choice will vary a bit depending on class,location, and time of year the event takes place. Stock classes typically would run winter tires year round. Winterforce and General Arctics are popular choices. Prepared and Modified classes usually run a combination of winter tires or rally (gravel) tires.



Rally tires can vary as much as as any other type of tire. There are different sizes, compounds, and tread designs to suit different types of surfaces. Most tend to have very thick sidewalls to resist punctures from debris on loose surfaces. Also, many even have rock guards (the rubber grooves that protrude from the sidewalls in the pics above) to further prevent punctures/tears. The blocky tread patterns can vary but many have a simple design. The inside tend to be straight blocks to provide the best grip for acceleration and braking. The middle to outside of the tire will be curved or angled to provide better cornering. The treads are can be grooved to meet the needs of the conditions.

Well I just got an education. The treads you showed remind me of A/T tires.

I also just learned a lot, thanks! I've used winter tires for rallycross but I was competing in stock class.

As for the cages, not required for hillclimb for some reason unless you're under a certain time. Lots of crashes, thought I'd get a cage to be safe.

Other dependents being removed, a properly suited gravel tire could see a drop of nearly two seconds on a Rallycross course. For the budget-minded Rallycrosser, making friends with others who compete in stage-rally events opens up doors to buy used rally tires for Rallycross events. A new set starts at $800+ excluding rims. The other biggest difference I have found between rally tires and winter tires is the number of swear words made by the technician increases as the tire ply increases.

2gmitsueclipse said:

Other dependents being removed, a properly suited gravel tire could see a drop of nearly two seconds on a Rallycross course. For the budget-minded Rallycrosser, making friends with others who compete in stage-rally events opens up doors to buy used rally tires for Rallycross events. A new set starts at $800+ excluding rims. The other biggest difference I have found between rally tires and winter tires is the number of swear words made by the technician increases as the tire ply increases.

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Yeah, new tires are crazy expensive, I've been looking around for used tires but I don't know enough people yet, been really having a hard time finding some. Hoping at New England Forest Rally this year I can attend as a spectator and find a set there if I'm lucky!

nice setup.