Team TrashWagon: 88 XT6 proposed ice racer

[MilesFox]

Tom(the Loyale) and I just went to chicago to go after this 88 xt6http://subaruxt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12178&p=136296#p136296

 

We got there and it had sat since 2002 with a rusted brake line. We swapped some tires around, hooked it to a tow bar, and towed it back to milwaukee with a 95 legacy TrashWagon10 2.2 e4at, 16" wheels, u-haul hitch.

 

The drive back was interesting, as the air suspension was flat, and the car was teetering on its bumpstops, undulating and jarring the tow vehicle, as we drove down uneven concrete roads that are buckled like a wash board, at 45mph, until we hit the main highway with smooth asphalt blacktop.

 

We got this car back to the shop. I found that fuel pump was not working, so i swapped in a spare. After a minute or 2 of cranking, she fired up on old 10 year old gas. I replaced the rusty brake line, and now she is a running driver!

 

The body is rusted to hell and back, much worse thsn the rusty xt6 i just chopped down with a sawzall.

 

This car is fully functional, even the air struts work. The only thin janked up is the power antenna.

 

This car is too far past restoring it, but it would make a good ice racer. This is what i wanted to do with the last xt6, but it had too much going on with a bad clutch and wheel bearing, after doing head gaskets.

 

this one i plan to remove the interior and trim, sell off what is desired and not broken(a piller window trim, instrument bezel, etc) and drive it like it is. and make some structural improvements in the rusty areas from the inside, and cut out anything that is not structural. I may even ditch the gas tank and go for a fuel cell type device.

 

I figure the xt6 will have an aerodynamic advantage in ice racing, and tall gears, as long as it can keep pace with turbos on the straights.

 

I am debating going high or low with the suspension. And on ice, is a lot of travel good or bad?. Body lean good or bad?

 

Keep watching, tom took all the pictures and will post them here as soon as he logs in!

 

This will be the build/progress/life and death story thread for this car.

[Tycho]

Depends on how rough or smooth the ice is. Generally it will be pretty smooth, but you might get some overflow spots or wind whipped spots where you'd need the extra compliance at speed to prevent bottoming.

 

Compliant suspension makes breakaway a lot more gradual (especially on rough ice), but stiffer suspension means the car will be faster when driven at the limit. Stiffer suspension will have less brake dive which helps tremendously. Seems that braking precisely (i.e. late late late) is worth a huge amount of time ice racing relative to any other single aspect.

 

Cornering speeds in my Saturn SL2 w/ 17.5 mm rear 4-way adjustable bar on next to stiffest setting (vs 15.0 mm bar stock) were substantially higher than in my Loyale wagon with no rear bar (both running Blizzak WS50s).

 

My '85 Turbo Traction with the 19 mm front bar and 16 mm rear bar is a lot closer to the Saturn's speed in the corners with a tremendous traction advantage under acceleration obviously.

 

I would go "low" and rig up some sort of adjustment on the rear swaybar to dial in your oversteer/understeer characteristics to your liking. Can be a little tricky with the 4wd setup, but doable. My Saturn was cake to dial in as the rear wheels are just "along for the ride." Was able to get it to be neutral when coasting through a corner, understeer when accelerating, and oversteer when engine braking through a corner, thus allowing use of the throttle to "steer" the car. Under braking it would do whatever I wanted based on how hard I punched the brakes initially. Ease on them and it was neutral or would understeer a tad. Punch them initially and it would oversteer.

[MilesFox]

This is great info as i have no experience in ice racing, other than winter driving on the streets and the occasional run of parking lots and industrial complexes!

 

This car has the air suspension, and it seems so far, that it works, at leas when running after sitting for 10 years.

 

The car is rather low as it is. The air ride is a little weird versus springs, as the car is somewhat bouncy like it rides on bumpstops. I tell you that towing it on flat suspensions was quite tricky!

 

I would be doing the WAG circuit in wisconsin. This car is rater rusty, enough that you could say it's structural. So that makes me wonder if it would be a tech inspection issue, or if trying to chop and weld and reinforce would make it illegal in such an event.

 

If worst comes to worst, and the car does not qualify, it would make a good winter driver, or it's worth it's weight in 5 lug parts to swap on the next project.

 

I plan to pull the interior to inspect the floor pans and other vital areas for rust-through.

 

I really lore for a working and drivable xt6. If i could only find a better example. But 200 bucks is awesome for a car that could be made to run with virtually no effort.

[TheLoyale]

I should get some pics up. Fox, you have the photobucket link, feel free to post up the pics if I don't get to it right away.

[MilesFox]

Yeah, i was going to do so, but my woman stole me away from the computer.....

 

[MilesFox]

Jack emailed me his maintenance records:

 

Date

Description Memo Category Amount 2/3/1994

Meineke Brake repair T:S:REP 77.75 4/28/1994

Schaumburg Audi/Subaru Subaru wheel bearing T:S:REP 355.83 5/4/1994

Schaumburg Audi/Subaru Subaru fusable link T:S:REP 7.32 3/22/1995

Meineke Muffler Rear brakes/weld tailpipe T:S:REP 379.53 4/21/1995

Schaumburg Audi/Subaru Suspension compresor wire T:S:REP 97.50 8/4/1995

Town & Country Timing belt/water pump T:S:REP 456.12 10/18/1996

Gabriel Parts Subaru front bearing/seals T:S:REP 61.82 10/19/1996

R&H Auto Supply Press front wheel bearing T:S:REP 20.00 11/12/1996

Madison 76 Subaru brake lines T:S:REP 209.85 8/21/1997

Gabriel Parts Subaru starter T:S:REP 181.47 8/25/1997

Euro Coach Replace starter T:S:REP 50.00 9/5/1997

Gabriel Parts Subaru starter/core return T:S:REP (49.57) 2/11/1998

Euro Coach Fuel pump T:S:REP 205.00 2/11/1998

Euro Coach Fuel filter T:S:REP 25.00 6/26/1998

Town & Country Auto Adjust clutch T:S:REP 30.00 8/10/1998

Euro Coach Clutch/front brakes/CV boots T:S:REP 1,394.56 9/8/1998

Toy Town Auto Salvadge Subaru window motor T:S:REP 65.00 12/8/2000

Oak Park Service/Auto Experts brake lines T:S:REP 395.00 5/25/2002

AutoZone dist cap/brake fluid T:S:REP 26.94 8/16/2002

AutoZone Subaru master cylinder/with core deposit T:S:REP 99.44 8/18/2002

AutoZone master cylinder core return T:S:REP (48.49) 9/23/2002

R&H Auto Parts gas line hose T:S:REP 21.55 9/24/2002

Murray's Auto Parts headliner adhesive T:S:REP 4.34 9/28/2002

Fred Kalkirtz machine plug/Subaru oil pump T:S:REP 25.00 11/2/2002

Skel Parts Plus Subaru brake line T:S:REP 9.76

[TheLoyale]

Thats pretty cool! Its also cool you have the Original Bill of Sale.

 

It also came with the Owners Manual

[MilesFox]

Holy rusty metal batman! Don't let this pic fool you, the 2nd one is the truth.

 

Seat belts just pulled off the frame

shifter linkage is much different than ea82

Mystery dealer add-on switch/ This car has all kinds of weird electrical wires, wiring bypasses, and had been wired for a 'car phone'

[1982gl4]

Glad it's being put to good use! Being as rust as it is, you wont feel bad beating the **** out of it Can't wait to see what you guys do with it!!!

[MilesFox]

Well, since the car is complete and drives, might as well do what i can, If the car is a bust, the parts are at least worht the purchase price. If it can do one season, it's worth it. Couldnt pass it up for 200 though

[TheLoyale]

After tonight, maybe we should have...?