# i wanna rally this s12 200sx



## s12rally (Dec 5, 2003)

I live in southern indiana and i am going to try to start racing next year. i will be racing in the scca rallys in ohio and illinois hopefully. anyone know how much it is going to cost me? i know that membership is $55usd, any other fees?
if you have raced in the begining classes in the past i would love to hear about it!

even the thought of racing makes my heart pound.

s12,200sx,blown ca20e,hope to drop in some type of sr20de, vvt s14 would be awsome!


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## Felonious Cat Stalker (May 1, 2002)

s12rally said:


> I live in southern indiana and i am going to try to start racing next year. i will be racing in the scca rallys in ohio and illinois hopefully. anyone know how much it is going to cost me? i know that membership is $55usd, any other fees?
> if you have raced in the begining classes in the past i would love to hear about it!
> 
> even the thought of racing makes my heart pound.
> ...


First thing you should do is invest in a rulebook and find out which class you want to run. The description of engine swap would put you in Group 5, which is basically the 2wd open class, limiting displacment to 5.1 litres and allowing turbo. You would be running against SRT-4s, RX-7s, and even the odd Mustang GT. In this class, you may find it hard to be competitive (but will have a lot of fun).

Also, get in touch with your region and find out what is happening in your area. While you are in the process of prepping your car, you can run Rally-X for practice if it is offered. Rally-X is a good start to get a feel for the car and to get used to the concepts of rally. You may also want to enter a Drivex style TSD rally. These are held on open roads under the speed limit. While it is not as exciting as stage rally, you and any potential co-driver will get a lot of experience in how rally timing and processes work, making you better able to deal with the timing in a stage rally. It's easier to go out, spend $20-30 to do a TSD, a mess up than it is to drop $300 on an entry then mess up the timing. Also, volunteer to work as a stage timer. You'll gain a lot of knowledge of rally timing before ever getting in a rally car, and you may even get to learn some tricks from the pros.

Costs. Where do I start? In addition to the $55 and a street car, there's a crap load of stuff. Just for yourself:

- Helmet. You will need a helmet rated SA2000 or better. SCCA may still allow SA95, but there's no point buying one as it will only be good until the end of 2004. The most inexpensive helmet you will find is the G-Force Racing gear GF750, at about $170. http://www.gforce.com/products/helmets/gf750.html
Even better, and prefered by many stage rallyists, is the Bell Mag 4. It's more expensive, but remember, this is your brain.
- Suit. Suits start at $100 for single layer Proban Cotton & go up from there. It's recommended that you have 2 layers, so either a double layer suit or a single layer with underwear. Also, you should get socks & a Balclava. You'll should allow at least $200 to get started here.
- First Aid. You'll need some type of valid 1st Aid.
- In addition to SCCA membership, you'll need a rally license. $75 for Club Rally
Remeber, that's just for you. Your co-driver will also have to make the same investment.

Then, there's the car. This is where $$$ starts to pile up:
Mandatory:
- Cage. Low end is $2000 if you get it installed. Less, of course, if you do it yourself, but make sure you really follow the rulebook. Nothing is more closely scrutinized than a homebuilt cage.
- Harnesses. Allow $100x2 for a complete set of quality harnesses. Make sure they meet SCCA specs.
- Misc Safety. Fire extinguishers, triangles, 1st Aid kits, Main Circuit Breaker, Mud flaps, tow hooks, tow rope, these all add up

Highly recommended:
- Skidplates. Nothing ruins a rally quicker than tearing off your oilpan on the first rock in the first turn. Get skidplates. Aluminum cost more than steel but doesn't weigh your car down as much
- Intercom. You need an intercom. In a car with loud exhaust, all the insulatio torn out and running on gravel, there is no other way for you to hear the codriver. The most common is the Terraphone, about $80 for the amp, $50 each for headsets.
- Rally computer. Instructions are setup in a distance to turn format. Your co-driver needs to know where you are on the road. A rally computer give him all the info he needs. Terratrips are the most common. The 303 Plus is recommended as it has all the function you need (stopwatch, distance, intervals, etc.) They start at $360. Another good model is the Brantz. You'd also be well advised to enter one of the above mentionaed TSD rallies once you get this unit installed so your co-driver can figure out how it works and how to calibrate it. http://www.susquehanna.com/susq/ttrip.htm
- Racing seats. I'm not sure if Racing seats are required by SCCA, but you should get a pair regardless. Nothing sucks like having you back broken when the back of a stock seat snaps in a collision.
- Lots of spare tires & rims. In a rally you WILL wreck rims & get flats. Have lots of extra on hand for service. Rally Gravel tires are recommended for gravel & dirt, and good Winter tires for winter rally.
- Suspension. A stock suspension is not adequate for stage rally in a powerful car. High spring rates, proper rally shocks and even increased ground clearance are all good.
- Lights. If you run at night, you will need auxillary lighting. Whatever lights you get, make sure they can take at least 75 watt bulbs. Don't be fooled by gimmicky lights though. Stick with proven name brand stuff like Hella, PIAA and KC. Make sure the beam is in the right place. Pencil beams aren't that good for rally. Stick with big driving beam lights, cornering beams and even really good quality Fog Beams (the Hella 500 and 1000 series come to mind here). A basic compliment of lights will run $75 new to start, and work up from there. You may also want to buy a $20 backup light and a map light. Ebay always has good deals on lights, new and used.

Anyways, that's all I can think of for now. Lemme know if you have any questions.


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