I'm considering converting my FB into a rally car. I'd like to get good off road tires and a set of Hella lamps, such as the rally car in the 1985 brochure. Is there any need to lift the car to enhance rallying? TIA.

 

I would! FBs and SAs have a ton of suspension down-travel, you could probably lift them 1-2" with no ill effects as far as topping-out goes.

 

Cool!

check out www.specialstage.com and www.bensrallypage.com

for more info

 

I would lift it. It's too bad this country isn't more into rally racing.

Anyways, FBs do pretty well in US rallies.

I chose to build a FWD car, because it's a lot easier to make the transition from FWD to AWD than it is to go from RWD to AWD (handling characteristics are more similar between FWD and AWD, and techniques like left foot braking are very useful).

There is more to building a car than some off road tires, suspension, and lamps. In fact, lamps are unecessary on most rally cars, because it's very rare you will drive at night. Look at the WRC on Speed channel, they don't drive in the dark very often, and they don't very often have thier lamps on thier cars.

You'll also need a burly skidplate in the front. A full cage with strut tower reinforcements. Seam weld the chassis if you want to build the car right. Route all your brake/fuel lines inside the car, and add steel braided brake lines so a rock doesn't rip open the rubber ones. Add a shield for the gastank, and delectors to keep the flying rocks from pounding your LCAs and other suspension components). Race seats and harness.

Then there's the stuff you have to add to make your car competition legal...like the fire extinguisher, and DOT reflective triangles, tow hooks, etc, etc.

remember, you have to keep the car street legal as well.

 

If your serious, try and get a hold of some people that run FB's in SCCA Pro Rally, I think there's a few, as 1st gens seem well suited to the 2wd classes. I'm sure they'll have no problem trying to help a newcomer get pointed in the right direction. Go to scca.org, there are actually contacts for existing drivers. There's a lot to know, and considerable time and money could be saved if you don't make mistakes the first time around.

 

the only person you need to talk to is andrew havas, search for havspeed on google, i lost his e mail. i dont know if you would really want a rear drive car for rally, at cherokee trails we caught an rx-7(that pokemon thing) it had been raining and it was all over the place. i bet they were having a lot of fun though