Well the son ( son of seb) has bought his first "rally" car and will start later this year after sorting the car out , he bought a Ford Focus 18 16v 3 door which he will modify a little as to much is not allowed , racing here only on the island during the night , no turbo or removal of seats so quite standard really and no helmets as it's not really "racing" but timed sections

Has anyone done this type of thing any info great fully received

Not as such, but the first thing he needs to do is join a local car club, and find out what is allowed.

 

Back in the day suspension and brakes were free beyond having to be road legal, engine/exhaust were tightly controlled (to control noise), and you were restricted to 2 auxilliary lights (so for example if you had standard fogs and wanted a pair of spots then the fogs had to go).

Suspension he can play with but overall basic standard car , now need to make a concrete slab and erect a car port

http://www.camconline.co.uk

Maybe I'm being dense, but I can't see any statement of championship rules; Mine were based on the Motoring News Road Rally championship rules that most clubs ran in the 1970s and 80s.

No I've emailed them about rules and regs all I'm aware of is no turbo ,no mods and no helmets as this would be classed as racing ?

I used to do road rallies and even won the championship in my class. Suspension and lights. Get a decent suspension kit with matched springs and shocks. Nothing too low as there may be some farm tracks etc to negotiate. I used Bilstein, but Eibach, Koni or Sachs would all be good. Worth spending money here. Good spotlights, Cibie Super Oscars or big Hellas on proper brackets. They don't look pretty but if you can't see very far you wont go very fast. Think about using relays for dipped and main beams so you can run 'offroad' bulbs with twice the wattage of standard bulbs. Make sure your alternator can cope. Other models may have a higher output and could be easily obtained from a breaker. I ran 160/130w headlamp bulbs and 130w spots on my Mk1 Gti with an Audi alternator. 

If the seats aren't very supportive it may be worth swapping them out for RS versions or similar. Make sure the brakes are in good working order, usually no need to upgrade as modern brakes are really good nowadays. Don't skrimp on tyres, no need to spend a fortune but get something decent with a stiff sidewall like Continental.

Once it's sorted do a track day so he knows how the car handles at and over the limit. 

Give us a shout if you need any focus parts as I've got a load kicking about

I used to do road rallies and even won the championship in my class. Suspension and lights. Get a decent suspension kit with matched springs and shocks. Nothing too low as there may be some farm tracks etc to negotiate. I used Bilstein, but Eibach, Koni or Sachs would all be good. Worth spending money here. Good spotlights, Cibie Super Oscars or big Hellas on proper brackets. They don't look pretty but if you can't see very far you wont go very fast. Think about using relays for dipped and main beams so you can run 'offroad' bulbs with twice the wattage of standard bulbs. Make sure your alternator can cope. Other models may have a higher output and could be easily obtained from a breaker. I ran 160/130w headlamp bulbs and 130w spots on my Mk1 Gti with an Audi alternator. 

If the seats aren't very supportive it may be worth swapping them out for RS versions or similar. Make sure the brakes are in good working order, usually no need to upgrade as modern brakes are really good nowadays. Don't skrimp on tyres, no need to spend a fortune but get something decent with a stiff sidewall like Continental.

Once it's sorted do a track day so he knows how the car handles at and over the limit.

Thanx for that great info

Give us a shout if you need any focus parts as I've got a load kicking about

Thanx a million I will get in touch if he needs anything , pretty sure he may require front brake caliper

I'm amazed £300 and bought this Ford Focus 1.8 16v which has just had its timing belt done also , runs sweet as a nut and everything looks bloody fantastic ! Shame it's going to be rallied really a great little car

I'm amazed £300 and bought this Ford Focus 1.8 16v which has just had its timing belt done also , runs sweet as a nut and everything looks bloody fantastic ! Shame it's going to be rallied really a great little car

Pics?

As I'm not freedom I don't think I can post pics any longer :(

i hate prhotobucket

Edited 18 February, 201511 yr by seboni121

i

Edited 18 February, 201511 yr by seboni121

Well the son ( son of seb) has bought his first "rally" car and will start later this year after sorting the car out , he bought a Ford Focus 18 16v 3 door which he will modify a little as to much is not allowed , racing here only on the island during the night , no turbo or removal of seats so quite standard really and no helmets as it's not really "racing" but timed sections

Has anyone done this type of thing any info great fully received

 

I'm guessing he's already a member of the local Motor Club?

Has he been out marshalling on their road rallies? There was one the other weekend. Doing that will give him a good basis of the timing systems they use, even if he is the driver.

He will need a Competition Licence from the MSA unless he is just doing 12 Cars, when he will need a Club Membership Card.

Talk to the people at the Club about what he is allowed to modify and what he should fit.

Be aware that the noise test is strict so playing with the exhaust is limited.

Fit the best brakes he can and keep them in A1 condition.

Fit some decent headlight bulbs, but HID or LED are banned.

Auxiliary lights can be fitted (except in the West Mercia Police area) but are size restricted and cannot be HID or LED either. Super Oscars and big Hellas are out!!

If rallying in Wales then the tyres have to be E marked.

He will need to fit a light, and or a plug for the navigators Poti.

As a novice be prepared for him to bend it! Very good chance he will, I'm afraid.

Welsh Association run a Road rally Championship as does the Assoc of North West Motor Clubs.

That's the thing graham it's such a lovely car he's had ! , however at least I know it's a safe car and his mates in the garage here where he's an apprentice spanner have offered to help , several lads there are rally saviee and one has offered to help him build a roll cage and other stuff as well, he's been going to rallies and he does "understand" the physics of driving very well, as parents we where not overly keen on this but he's growing up and requires a hobby rather than drinking beer and running after girls

If the road rallies are all on tarmac there's no reason the car will be any worse for wear unless he prangs it. I used my Golf GTi for road rallies, hill climbs, auto tests and tracks days. It was my only car so still had to get me to work on Monday. It had over 100k miles on it when I sold it and was still sweet.

Only on Tarmac and within speed limits apparently hence the " no helmets "

Only on Tarmac and within speed limits apparently hence the " no helmets "

Do they recommend or even mandate a roll cage? If so, then IMO helmets should be allowed if not compulsory.

 

Also this may be a "thing you don't want to hear" but road rallies regularities can be on roads so tight that you're driving flat out to try and make a 30mph average on an NSL lane.

 

 

road rallies regularities can be on roads so tight that you're driving flat out to try and make a 30mph average on an NSL lane.

 

That's the fun bit. 

Do they recommend or even mandate a roll cage? If so, then IMO helmets should be allowed if not compulsory.

 

Also this may be a "thing you don't want to hear" but road rallies regularities can be on roads so tight that you're driving flat out to try and make a 30mph average on an NSL lane.

No don't recommed but his workmate is a driver on another crew and he said for what it costs he'd always have a rollcage and will get one done cheap for him , he's been told better suspension , tyres and brakes , cage and give the engine a good service and upgrade the clutch and he's ready to go !

No don't recommed but his workmate is a driver on another crew and he said for what it costs he'd always have a rollcage and will get one done cheap for him , he's been told better suspension , tyres and brakes , cage and give the engine a good service and upgrade the clutch and he's ready to go !

Well, IMO helmets are essential with a rollcage because your head is closer to an obstruction inside the car, and it's now a small (relatively speaking) tube rather than a flat plate. Also it's similarly essential to pad the main B-post hoop and forward bars above the window line for very much the same reasons.

I've never driven or navigated, but I have marshalled for race and rally.

I agree totally about the helmets but the reason is once it's on the head "you are racing " I really don't understand or I'm getting senile ! And not really listening

That's the thing graham it's such a lovely car he's had ! , however at least I know it's a safe car and his mates in the garage here where he's an apprentice spanner have offered to help , several lads there are rally saviee and one has offered to help him build a roll cage and other stuff as well, he's been going to rallies and he does "understand" the physics of driving very well, as parents we where not overly keen on this but he's growing up and requires a hobby rather than drinking beer and running after girls

 

Be careful of this point!

The construction, design and materials used in rollcages is highly specified by the MSA and if it doesn't conform EXACTLY to their specification he will not be allowed to compete, as it will fail scrutineering. Even though Road Rallies do not require a cage, if one is fitted then it has to conform.

The specifications are all in the Blue Book; it isn't light reading!! 

 

Someone has been telling you porkies over the helmet issue! It is recommended that if a cage is fitted then a helmet is worn, simply because the head will be closer to a very solid hard steel tube, even with the required padding fitted.

 

I suggest you lad gets himself to the local Motor Club and talks to some competitors there, and also finds out who the local scrutineer is and talks to him.

 

Has he also looked into the Insurance requirements? Some of the competition insurers have an age limit. 

Yeah graham its 17 age limit and insurance is £30 for that day, then roll cage is a proper one with all the regs adhered to , he's getting the blue book and I've told him to join up regardless of when he will get on the road , he will be doing the focus up over the summer now and so I've told him to start marshalling or just muck in with another crew for now