My Echo rally car - pics just for Garm!

[rob323]

Well seeing as it is 98% finished now, here's a condensed timeline of pics so that Garm will stopping harassing me for them .

Bought it December 2005. 120 000 kms on the clock, totally stock.

1 week later, it looked like this.



Then it got seam welded (Feb 2006)


Then we got severley stuffed around by a roll cage guy but finally got it back Feb 2007.



Check out ma strut brace!



Extra bars had to be added in.


Rust sanded off and cage primed.



Now for some colour.




Underside of car prepped and sealed (Dec 2008).







The reassembly begins (Jan 2009), back to stock standard.






Finally got it registered again March 2009 and helped out at one of local rallies as a course car.


The conversion to proper rally car then begins.







I took it for a fang at a local autocross track, unfortunately, "Sparky" decided to short out and melt the engine loom.



Melted wires replaced.


New long travel custom rally suspension arrives.

Got some new rubber and put it on some Miata wheels.


Sump guard goes on.


It's first real rally in anger is this Saturday, it passed Scrutineering last night no problems. Here's how it currently looks, all clean before Scrutineering.





And this last photo is especially for Garm. Notice the little red button behind and underneath the steering wheel, that's my horn while I wait for a suitable boss kit to turn up which will let me retain the horn on the steering wheel .



If everything goes well this Saturday, there will be lot os afterwards.

[TheRealEnth]

horn on a rally car???????? why do u need a horn

[rob323]

Because rally cars drive on public road between stages, they have to be road registered, and are supposed to comply with all the requirements of a road registered car, horn included .

[tomato]

[slothman86]

I do want! Nice, Very Nice!

[Tamago]

awesome!

weight?

[rob323]

Originally Posted by Tamago

weight?

Corner weighted prior to rally suspension and sump guard going on at 935kg (61%/39% weight distribution), wet, with half a tank of fuel including spare tyre. Truthfully, it's probably just under 1000kg in "Ready to rally" mode including the rally suspension (which was substantially heavier than the stock stuff), fire extinguishers, sump guard, fuel tank guard, brake line shields, mudflaps, tools etc.

I could easily strip 10kg out of it if I put the manual steering rack back in and removed the power steering pump. Could probably also save another 10 kg if I remove the air con and heater core. The race seats including mounts are 5kg each heavier than the stock seats due to keeping the sliding rails and the steel I welded to them to adapt them to the race seats. And I have made no effort what so ever to lighten anything in the car. We are still running with carpet and roof lining and some of the internal trims (not that that stuff weighs very much at all anyway). I could easilylose 5kg and My 6 foot tall navvie could be traded in for a 5' skinny 50kg female one if I could find one that would put up with me.

[Tamago]

Originally Posted by rob323

Corner weighted prior to rally suspension and sump guard going on at 935kg (61%/39% weight distribution), wet, with half a tank of fuel including spare tyre. Truthfully, it's probably just under 1000kg in "Ready to rally" mode including the rally suspension (which was substantially heavier than the stock stuff), fire extinguishers, sump guard, fuel tank guard, brake line shields, mudflaps, tools etc.

I could easily strip 10kg out of it if I put the manual steering rack back in and removed the power steering pump. Could probably also save another 10 kg if I remove the air con and heater core. The race seats including mounts are 5kg each heavier than the stock seats due to keeping the sliding rails and the steel I welded to them to adapt them to the race seats. And I have made no effort what so ever to lighten anything in the car. We are still running with carpet and roof lining and some of the internal trims (not that that stuff weighs very much at all anyway). I could easilylose 5kg and My 6 foot tall navvie could be traded in for a 5' skinny 50kg female one if I could find one that would put up with me.

i like that you didn't throw away creature comforts for "bleeding edge" performance! especially considering that Rally racing requires so much more skill than "power"

[lilredrocket]

Looks like it is a blast!!! You will def have to post vids of the race!!!

[ern-diz]

too cool

[2006fronty]

Bad-a$$, can't wait to see the race vids

[rob323]

Originally Posted by Tamago

i like that you didn't throw away creature comforts for "bleeding edge" performance! especially considering that Rally racing requires so much more skill than "power"

Certain decisions and compromises were made on this build. My previous rally car was built solely for rallying at the pointy end of the field. It had no creature comforts at all and sacrificed everything including drivability to do so. It was perfectly suited for one purpose and one purpose only, going fast in the forest. It was an absolute prick for anything else though.

This car on the other hand was built to be a reliable, understressed, fun, jack of all trades type car. Whether it be on dirt, at a circuit, doing hill climbs, autocross or simply driving on the street. The seats are on rails to allow different drivers to use the car at motorkhanas. The air con was kept because there is nothing better than finishing a 20km long stage in 40 degree (C) heat with 90% humidity and then rolling down the top half of your race suit and turning the air con on max to help lower your body temp. There are also full day long combined navigation/ speed events over here where you drive for about 10 hours, cover around 500kms while deciphering maps, answering questions and doing little speed tests (closed road, race tracks, motorkhanas etc). Some comfort is required if you don't want to spend the next three days with a sore body and ringing ears.

I didn't start competing til I was in my 30's, far too late to be really good at it as I'm not as young and dumb as I used to be. I care far too much for the car to throw it at the trees which is what you have to be prepared to do to be really quick. And I don't have the huge budget needed to run at the front of the field.
Besides all that, I simply don't have the talent to be super quick, those that are, are just freaks of nature .

And I agree whole heartedly that it's the driver, not the car, that makes the difference. Put a quick driver in anything and he will be quick. Put a slow driver in a quick car and they just have bigger and more spectacular crashes.

My favourite emoticon -

[TEHxFALLEN V1.2]

Nice build man! That is one awesome Echo you have there!

And this last photo is especially for Garm. Notice the little red button behind and underneath the steering wheel, that's my horn while I wait for a suitable boss kit to turn up which will let me retain the horn on the steering wheel .

We have some Works Bell hubs here at work

[cali yaris]

Rob, Thanks for the awesome post. It's nice to see the progression of the car, and how you've purposed it exactly the way you want to. Anyone who does that, whether for show, race, drag, or urban comfort, deserves the proper respect.

Can't wait to see it in action. I love the cage. I'll be doing one fairly soon, and I have noted your design.

One question, what is the purpose of seam sealing/welding?

[CTScott]

That is awesome! What are those tires?

[rob323]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

Anyone who does that, whether for show, race, drag, or urban comfort, deserves the proper respect.

Agreed. Different strokes for different folks. I like Echo's, You like Yaris's, I don't hold your bad taste against you .

I love the cage. I'll be doing one fairly soon, and I have noted your design.

Before you get it done, let me know. There are certain things I would change if I had to do it over again, just little things like foot plate design etc.

One question, what is the purpose of seam sealing/welding?

In theory, the spot welded connections between seams allow the panels to flex. It is quite common on older rally cars for them to crack around the spot welds near suspension components etc.
Seam welding allegedly reduces this and adds stiffness to the body. But, with modern cars where alot of seams are also bonded together as well as spot welded, I doubt that there is little improvement gained by doing so.
In hind sight, I would strongly recommend AGAINST doing it on a Yaris (or any other reasonable modern car).
1. The seam sealant used in the Echo (and I can't see it being much different in a Yaris) was a major pain in the butt as it would expel gases while we were trying to weld and blow the weld metal out. We tried digging it out and burning it out but nothing really made much of a difference. There are some very ugly welds in the car
2. The other thing is that when you seam weld a car, you theoretically change the way it will crumple in a crash and any change from the manufacturers design and the crash test data based on that design may be frowned upon by the authorities.
The 3rd reason why I would not do it is due to rust. It took along time to wire brush all the welds back to get rid of any flux and to prime and seal them so they don't rust in 5 years time. Any welds in hollow members (chassis rails etc) are almost impossible to rust proof on the inside.

[rob323]

Originally Posted by CTScott

That is awesome! What are those tires?

They are Kumho R700 medium compound.
http://www.fsport.com.au/fsport_site...umho/r700.html

I wanted to get some R800's for the faster, harder packed typed roads as well but the supplier didn't have them in the size I wanted.

I haven't used them before so I have no idea what they are like apart from what other competitors have told me. My only other experience with rally tyres is with Silverstones as they were the series sponsor when I had my old car.

[frownonfun]

sure wish i had all the equipment, the knowledge, and more importantly the balls for an undertaking like that.