What an insane couple of months it’s been! Rallies have been coming thick and fast with just three to four weeks between events. We have no sooner un-packed everything from the last event, we’re turning the cars round and packing for the next event. We’ve been so flat out, since the last post on the build, the Excel has already competed in two rallies!

For many owners, it’s not the engine, the brakes or the safety that is the number one thought when building a car. It’s the colour.

This build was no exception. For many weeks both before and during the build, the colour scheme presented the largest discussion with the owners. In the end we were requested to paint the car “GT Falcon Orange”.

With some research we found that GT Falcon Orange is actually Ford Blood Orange, a non metallic colour that adorned some of the BA/BF series GT Falcons.

Typical of many cars on the roads, the original paint work had suffered under the sun. Previous neglect to wash and polish coupled with a dark colour had ruined the clear coat and underlying paint on most of the flat surfaces of the car. The tops of the front and rear bumpers had also got to the point that the plastic had melted and bubbled from UV exposure.

With the purpose of the car in mind and the budget, the damaged paint areas were all sanded back to give a flat surface. The bumpers were taken back as flat as we could get them and the whole car was blocked back ready for a coat of paint. We either  Read more on Excel Build part 8- Exterior, suspension and brakes…

With the start of our Rally Experiences, a Club Motorkhana car to complete and compete in and replacing an engine in our customer’s 180SX rally car, the X3 had taken a back seat for a couple of weeks.

With a coat of paint scheduled ASAP, exterior fittings were the first to be tackled. Bonnet pins are a necessary item and so the bonnet was drilled and the pins mounted. There’s a couple of tricks to fitting bonnet pins. We used factory holes already drilled in the top radiator support panel to bolt the pins into. With the pins in place, the bonnet was then closed slowly to mark the inside position of the holes. A small pilot hole was then drilled through from the underside of the bonnet. The final drill is done from the top of the bonnet (use progressively larger drill bits or a step drill) and the pins are adjusted to make sure the clearances are correct. The clips will be drilled and fixed once the car is painted.

Whilst working on the exterior, the roof vent was fitted. The roof was measured and marked for the best position. Every car is different so the Read more on Excel Build part 7- Roof vent, bonnet pins & interior…

Swiftly after the cage was installed, the interior items followed. First up the seats. The customer had sourced two second hand OMP race seats in

good condition for a good price. The bonus was the seats also came with alloy rails and mounting plates.

The job of actually fitting the driver’s seat to the factory rail was fairly straight forward. A new set of of high tensile bolts and nylock nuts (where required) finished off the driver side install.With two different drivers of different heights using the car, a fixed position seat was not going to cut it. The early decision was made to use the factory seat rail adjusters to allow for change of drivers. The rails were easily unbolted from the standard seats and stripped down to make two flat and level surfaces.

Read more on Excel build part 6- Seats, harnesses and sump guard…

It’s been a few weeks since I last had time to sit down and write an update.

With roll cages, we give customers the option to either fit a weld in or bolt in roll cage. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, however both will keep occupants safe in an accident. We build weld in cages in house, and source bolt in roll cages from different suppliers, depending on the car.

At the start of this post, I’d like to say that we’re not dealers or agents for the manufacturer of this brand of roll cage. This is an honest review of the supply and install of the cage only.

For some reason, we tend to have a 50/50 split on the service we receive from some suppliers we deal with. Considering the Aussie motorsport market is small, you’d think that suppliers and manufacturers would bend over backwards to keep their customers happy, especially for minor enquiries. Sadly some suppliers treat their customers very badly.

In this case, our dealing with AGI Roll Cages has been a very positive experience. From the time we placed the order for the cage, the guys at AGI helped out with pricing and options. They provided us with a date the cage would be delivered and it arrived on schedule, well packed with all the parts included. Read more on Roll cage fit…

Soon enough the front end welding was completed, quickly followed with good beads of sikaflex to seal the seams (especially where mud and water may get in and cause rust) and a coat of rust protection mat black paint.

We dropped the engine and gearbox back in as a complete unit with two new engine mounts and reconnected everything. During the installation, we discovered that the fuel inlet hose from the filter to the injection rail was perished so we replaced it. New coolant, power steering fluid and synthetic gearbox oil were added before the battery was connected. The engine fired up as soon as the fuel pressure came up and ran smoothly.

As the X3 engine has a MAP sensor fitted from factory, we were planning to remove the factor air box and filter and fit a pod style filter straight to the throttle body. After reading some forum posts on the subject, we decided we’d keep the factory filter set up. It appears that running a longer inlet plenum will help with torque which is what is needed in on a rally car, especially running standard internals in the engine. Read more on Excel Build 4- Engine bay and interior…

As soon as the floor had been cleaned and prepped, the internal seams of the car were cleaned of sealant to bare metal to allow seam welding to begin.

The suspension towers and other crucial areas were all seam welded on the inside of the shell. The seams are stitch welded to provide rigidity to the shell and stop splitting and cracking, especially in areas of high stress.

Under the bonnet, the engine and transmission were removed as a complete unit from the car. We chose this option as the engine & transmission both needed work and we also needed to gain access to the engine bay for further seam welding. Read more on Excel Rally car build Part 3…

With the interior mostly gutted, the next step is to get all the floor sound deadening out to prepare for welding and roll cage fit. The job is not complicated, however it can be time consuming. Read More.

For several years now, the Eastern States of Australia have had a popular Excel rally series. Using the cheap and readily available Hyundai Excel, the rally series has proved very competitive and popular,  a great way to start rallying.

Whilst WA is yet to adopt a one make series for the Excels, the cars may certainly compete in rallies in the West. We have just started our first Excel rally car build for some customers and we’re detailing the work as we progress to be ready for the start of the 2014 season. Read More.

How to change engine oil. Changing your engine oil and filter is a relatively straight forward job that can be performed with a few basic tools. For us, the question usually comes down to how often to change the oil in a rally car engine.
We’ve created a page dedicated to the discussion of frequency of changing rally car engine oil and also a step by step how to video for anyone wanting to change the oil on their own car. Read More

After winning the 2012 Darling 200 rally, this 1980 Mk 2 Escort spent most of 2013 living the easy life on tarmc, competing in historic events.

That all changed a week before the 2013 Darling 200, when the Escort was converted from tarmac back to gravel to contest the hottest and dustiest rally of the year. Read More

Taking a closer look at the new rally documentary, Easier Said Than Done.

Produced in the US and focussing on US rally competitors, the film is designed to show the trials and tribulations of rallying and the challenges facing those that aspire to compete at national and international levels.

Containing some great action, aerial and slow motion rally footage as well as interviews with Ken Block and Petter Solberg, the trailer promised a great deal.

Is the documentary worth a look for non US rally fans? Read More

“Just a quick note to thank yourself and Karen for the pre-event rundown with Tim and Sarah and all your support crew, the scrutineers, the marshals, the timing crews  and even the awesome CAMS officials for the excellent event, and the friendly but also professional atmosphere you provided to make it easy for car 46 to compete on their first rally, even though they still got lost a couple of times. Both now have the bug well and truly.

Please accept Sue’s and my thanks for helping to make our little holiday trip one to remember for a lifetime.

Mike and Sue “

We found this email in our inbox just a few days after the running of the 2013 Carringtons Safari Rally, an event we’d helped organise. This is why we are so passionate about rallying and love our sport. To find out more about Car 46 and how Tim and Sarah went in their very first rally, click here to read more.

To run a rally is a major undertaking. Long gone are the days of marking out a route on a map 2 days prior, turning up on the day with some stop watches and sending rally cars hurtling into the forest.

These days there’s months of planning, tonnes of paperwork and hundreds of officials to organise before anyone can even drive a rally car over the starting ramp.  Safety is the number one priority and to ensure the rally runs smoothly, much is done in the lead up to the event. Here’s an inside look at just one day in the life of the chief  of a rally, known as the Clerk of Course. Read More

In this “Rally Cast” Episode we talk about how a rally works. 

Time controls, stages, service, pace notes, road book and much much more is all covered. We dissect a rally and all it’s components and have a look. This is must have information if you want to get into rallying. Read More

Had a taste of rallying and want to get your own rally car?

Not sure where to start? This free MP3 podcast is exactly what the doctor ordered.

We cover finding the right rally car for you, researching the competition history and what questions to ask when looking the car over. The whole idea is to get out and compete, not have an expensive headache in the garage.

Click Here to get the free MP3.

Infamously, the 93′ Telecom Rally Australia will be remembered as an event where New Zealand co-driver Rodger Freeth lost his life. Sitting beside Subaru Legend Possum Bourne, the pair had an accident on a special stage in the Mundaring area.

The 18th of September 2013 was the 20 year anniversary of Rodger’s passing. Click here to read more on this remarkable man’s life and that of his late driver Possum Bourne.

You’re looking for a driving Experience as a gift or for yourself. You find a 6 lap rally driving package where you can drive turbo rally cars sideways on the dirt.

6 laps sounds like a lot, especially when you think of a racing circuit and how many laps the V8 Super Cars complete in a race. It all sounds very exciting, you’re thinking about buying. Hold that thought. Before you buy any 6 lap Rally Driving Experience, click here to find out more information.

Rally driving during a half day rally experience with perthrallydriving.com

Winner of the 1995 World Rally Championship, the name most synonymous with Subaru and the man that spawned an incredibly successful series of computer driving games, Colin McRae is remembered 6 years on.

A man with a flamboyant and spectacular rally driving style, Colin McRae’s raw talent showed through from an early age. Click here to read more about Colin from an Australian perspective.

Rally Action, the Green Experience

Rally Driving is not something normally associated with being environmentally conscious. Rally cars, shooting flames and throwing dirt out sideways seems somewhat at odds with reducing the carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Some environmentalists even accuse rallying of environmental vandalism (totally untrue, however that story is for another day).

Our strategy however, is to have our cake and eat it too or rather to have our trees and race around them.

Don’t worry, we haven’t sold the rally cars, removed the engines and fitted electric motors or bought a Kombi van. Race fuel still courses through our veins and the sound of anti-lag is our alarm clock. We have however, taken on an environmentally responsible approach.

For the last 3 years, we have been going in the opposite direction to many in regards to the environment. What started as a plan and experimentation in 2011 has bloomed into a yearly undertaking. Read more on Rally Action, the Green Experience…