Project RS

[ScottyB]

I think this could lead to the perfect trifecta - rally-x beater that is driven in the winter and tows a go-kart

well the whole idea from the get-go was to have a car that was cheap and simple, but i could do anything with. i think its getting to that point now. yeah, its a big compromise, but i'm having fun which was the whole point. and i've said it before...i would LOVE to kart as opposed to taking a full size car on track. i'm so envious of the west coast with all their local kart tracks. if i was out there i would totally tow one around on weekends with this thing.

I'd love to do a rallyx at some point, maybe if I buy an AWD daily I'll find one with a relatively gentle course and squeeze one in. I know some people get away with driving their dailies.

its really a blast...like to the point where its the main motorsports thing i want to pursue now. but, i'll be the first one to tell you i'm not doing the ideal thing by using my DD. what makes it tolerable though is that its a cheap car. i could never take something like, say, a $20k evo or S4 out there unless i didn't have a lot of sympathy for the niceness of the car. if you end up with a cheapish AWD car that stays reliable, i would totally try out the track at Summit...its really pretty smooth, to the point where some guys can run with summer tires on the grippy clay.

What's the reason for going with a rebuild of the struts as opposed to new or Konis or something?

I dunno why I like seeing pictures of cars on jackstands - and I'm jealous of the roomy garage! Underhood my-car-isn't-as-broken-as-you-think-sir head nods to neighbors in apartment parking lots gets real old real fast.

the rebuild is basically cheap, easy, effective, and corrects all the issues with the stock struts. more to the point, the stockers are actually pretty decent units and are very stout (the strut shafts are nearly as thick as those in die-hard rally struts), so they're worth saving. however, they are way overdamped from the factory for some reason, and are packed with ineffective grease - so that after a good number of miles the strut shaft locks up on the seals instead of sliding and the strut action becomes really jerky which causes the clunking sound + poor handling.

because i'm running stock STi spring rates but wanted a durable shock to just plug into the car, i didn't even consider coilovers. koni yellows were out from the start too - they don't handle the big hits well (at least in this application) and i'd have to hack apart my struts to install the inserts, which is more work that i wanted. Tokico D-specs, the next up in the price rung, are plug-n-play and adjustable but not cheap. after that, the next option is basically Ohlins which are $texas. plus, all of those require time to get the rebound valving dialed in. the strut revalve service can accomodate anything from a cadillac ride up to handling 500+ lb./in springs, so i just gave them my rates and i'll get struts back that are matched perfectly. easy button!

jackstands = agreed. i'm always like, shiny new parts!...when i see those shots. looks cool in a means-business kinda way.

thanks about the gay-raj, but don't be fooled. the car's in there half sideways because i couldn't work on it parked normally, not enough room in the front/back! not complaining though, not complaining...