sheppie62 Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 I am making an 85 RX sedan into a budget rally car. What engine modification do you guys suggest.The car will have no smog equipment, and I am a capable fabricator. So making exhaust flanges, tube bending are no problem. I have been looking at td04 turbos from wrx's and there intercoolers, stock and sti's. I understand cams, porting, 2wd distributor are good mod's. What about wrx injectors and blow off valve. And are better head gaskets important. I am looking to have a semi dependable car with good drivablity (midrange power). Would like 200+ hp if that's possible without making a handgrenade. Thanks in advance!! P.S. I have an extra engine already, and the japanese import engines are fairly cheap here in ca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 The WRX Intercooler has the bypass valve attached to it.. A blow off valve is strictly for rice. looks like you have a pretty good handle on what you want to do. Although I think that to get in the 200+hp range, you are going to need some engine management. One thing I didn't see on your list is exhaust. If you get a TD04, this will be a requirement. Even if you don't get a TD04, you will be kinda wasting your time if you don't put a better exhaust system on there. Cams - meh.. I'm not convinced. In my experience with turbo cars, often times the best balance between torque and top end is very near what the stock profile offers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myxalplyx Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Cams - meh.. I'm not convinced. In my experience with turbo cars, often times the best balance between torque and top end is very near what the stock profile offers. This is something I've been concerned about myself. Usually cams are known to move the powerband around instead of providing a gain throughout the powerband. I know some folks here stated they've noticed their topend improve but I'd be concerned about the bottom end as well, maybe even more so. Since we have such low compression and low displacement, a loss of bottom end on top of this could make for a scary onramp experience. Good point Calebz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheppie62 Posted January 12, 2005 Author Share Posted January 12, 2005 I was planning on making the exhaust as short as possible with little or no muffling, I don't know what size pipe to use. I like what you said about the stock cam. Will the wrx injectors work? What kind of engine management is affordable? I have heard of Link, haltek, and motec. But those are all expensive, and I would use an ej20t instead if I were to buy one of those systems. So I am limited to bargain parts, used etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 What kind of engine management is affordable? Check out the megasquirt website, http://www.bgsoflex.com/megasquirt.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 for the exhaust, do 2 or 2 1/2 inch straight pipe from the Catback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myxalplyx Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 So I am limited to bargain parts, used etc. No, you are not! You can purchase a Techworks header/uppipe combo, downpipe and an upgraded turbo. It doesn't have to be a used turbo. You could purchase a new Legacy turbo or another one that fit their uppipe/downpipe combination. I'm assuming your 'etc' would also include custom parts. I was going to say you could purchase a new intercooler but you'd still have to customize your piping. So as far as 'new' parts, I'll just state what I have above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheppie62 Posted January 13, 2005 Author Share Posted January 13, 2005 I was trying to say I'm really cheap ! So will wrx injectors work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallyruss Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 nope. not with out some really custom parts. and if you change injectors you WILL need programable fuel control. I assume you are just going to play with this and not actually rally? the reason why I say that is the stuff you are talking about will put you in a class with some real high dollar competitors. and if you were to really rally it you need to have it street legal. just trying to get an idea of what you really want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheppie62 Posted January 13, 2005 Author Share Posted January 13, 2005 Yes, the RX would be in the same class as wrx's and evo's etc. And I would probably get last place. As far as being street legal, I will have to smog and register before mod's. I don't know if they will allow this. I will probably just do rallycross, solo2, and practice in my back yard ( there is more than 1000 acres behind my house with dirt fireroads through out). This car is just for fun, and if I really want to compete seriously, I will get a more competitive car in a 2wd class. I don't know much about rally racing, I am trying to learn. Do you compete in rally's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EA82Turbo Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I race my Leone in rally around New Zealand. WRXs and EVOs are quicker if driven right but I'm only about 30 seconds behind rally leaders over 10 kms (6 mile). Close enough to have a lot of fun. I have put a LSD rear diff in my car this year, I haven't raced yet but from the couple of little plays I have had i think it will make more improvements to my stages time than more power would. Good tyres make alot of difference too, save your money on crappy engine mods and buy good tyres.Rally is cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 I race my Leone in rally around New Zealand. WRXs and EVOs are quicker if driven right but I'm only about 30 seconds behind rally leaders over 10 kms (6 mile). Close enough to have a lot of fun. I have put a LSD rear diff in my car this year, I haven't raced yet but from the couple of little plays I have had i think it will make more improvements to my stages time than more power would. Good tyres make alot of difference too, save your money on crappy engine mods and buy good tyres.Rally is cool! True Dat! I haven't even run in a rallycross as there isn't any of that cool stuff up here, but I can definitively say from my misadventures that tires are the best way to spend your money. Think of it this way: Take a WRX making 200-some-odd horsepower and put street tires on it. On gravel and mud, you'll be lucky to put down 80 of those horsepower. Then take an RX making 100-some-odd horsepower but put some awesome rally tires on it, and you'll put down close to that 100-some-odd horsepower. In that situation, the RX is likely to be as fast if not faster than the WRX due to much better control and traction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheppie62 Posted January 14, 2005 Author Share Posted January 14, 2005 I recently bought a set of Michelin ZA(L)® 81's, intermediate compound, size 17/65/15 (look like 205's). I mounted them on pug. rims. I got them from a pro rally guy, who used them in one rally. So basically the sharp edges are gone. They were on a Mitsubishi Evo. I got lucky and got them for $100, $25 each! He said he will have more soon, but they will be Pirelli's. If I get extras I will post them on the site. As far as the engine, I mostly want drivability (torque & midrange) but, it's got to pull hard all the way to redline too. Am I realistic thinking a td04 turbo can be torquey and drivable? Maybe I should use a supercharger instead? Mercedes has a blower that goes on their 2.3 liter cars. I've seen these cheap on Ebay. Looks like it might fit where the ac compressor goes with alot of mod's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanislru Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 If you are going for a low lag high output turbo setup then a tdo4 isn't the way to go. Get a turbo with BB's it'll spool alot quicker, the main reason guys go with a tdo4 is they're cheap and plentiful and if you have a wrx intercooler they're fairly easy to mod to our ea82t's. I will be installing my td04 on my rally racer twagon this spring but I want a ballbearing turbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheppie62 Posted January 14, 2005 Author Share Posted January 14, 2005 Who makes a compatible ball bearing turbo eqivalent approx. to a td04. What kind of cars if any do they come on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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