Excel Series Rally Car Discussions - Brindabella Motor Sport Club

robo · 26-07-2006, 06:09 PM

Seeing as we always seem to keep hijacking other threads, I thought I would start one hear where we can discuss all things excel. Things like what we have tried and how it worked or didn't work etc, so that new people coming in and building cars can get some ideas. Might end up providing some usefule info to other front wheel drivers or rally people as well.

Firstly for those interested in looking for cars there is damaged auctions and normal auctions where sometimes the roughies go for not much more than a damged one. Try Pickles or Fowles. But these are only 2 examples of many. It sound slike damged cars can go from about $700- to a couple of grand and undamaged ones from $1000- and up but it just seems to depend on how many people are at the auction each week.

The best reference is www.excelrally.com.au for lots of bits and pieces.

I will also post up what wheel alignment settings I am using if only to give some people a starting point. I will look them up tonight.

It now seems like there will be at least 2 canberra excels running next year, so a couple more and we can have a full three way state battle at bega next year. As a skdacian we tend to align ourselves with the canberra clubs a bit more than the sydney clubs, so maybe I can even up the numbers there.

It would also be good to get a list of all those building one at the moment and all those thinking as if we ever find anything of interest to help them out it makes it easier to do so.

Gcorner · 27-07-2006, 11:41 AM

I will be building one over the next few years as funds allow (owner building at the moment$$$

) to use in tassie rally championship, excel series or not.I will most likely go the bolt in cage route, can anyone see this being a problem in the future, should i do it soon and get a logbook or wait until i have a different daily driver.Can you cage the car, logbook it

, then pull the offending bars out and keep it on the road???.My partner is using it 4 days a week to travel to hobart and the other two registered cars on my place aren't up to the trip at the moment.The car is an Aug.97 sprint, is it ok to fit a twincam to this bodyyear? Has anyone got a plan they could post for the sumpguard, not just "it bolts here, here and there".Any idea on straight swap front struts?
Where do the harnesses bolt to if you dont have a belt bar in the cage.Is the standard battery holder ok or does something else need to be included? (not planning on moving battery, unless my rubber arm is twisted).What are the lightest subwoofers around and where should they go to get the best polar moment of inertia.Good one Robo, great idea.

robo · 27-07-2006, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gcorner

, excel series or not.I will most likely go the bolt in cage route, can anyone see this being a problem in the future, should i do it soon and get a logbook or wait until i have a different daily driver.Can you cage the car, logbook it

, then pull the offending bars out and keep it on the road???.
is it ok to fit a twincam to this bodyyear?
Has anyone got a plan they could post for the sumpguard, not just "it bolts here, here and there".
Any idea on straight swap front struts?
Where do the harnesses bolt to if you dont have a belt bar in the cage.Is the standard battery holder ok or does something else need to be included? (not planning on moving battery, unless my rubber arm is twisted).What are the lightest subwoofers around and where should they go to get the best polar moment of inertia.

Hopefully with a bit of encouragement from people like yourself down there, they will start up an excel series in tassie and eventually we will have one in every state. I will answer what I think and hopefully others will give you some other views.
Roll Cage - If I built an excel again I would go a bolt in as shells are so abundant and cheap that it is easy to swap a damaged one. And then I would put the extra money into suspension. Its up to you when you do it. Wait and hope regs don't change or do it now. I would do it now and remove it and install it as necessary. I used to do this about 10 years ago with a previous car for rego or when I needed the back seats in.
Twin Cam - Yes you can fit a twin cam. Mine is a 95 with a twin cam fitted. Micks was upgraded as well. The upgrade is pretty easy.
Sump Guard - My one is from Automotive Gadgets but I realise that is a lot of shipping for something that big. It weighs a fair bit (I think 8mm alloy) but after the last event proved its worth.
Struts - I use the noltec but previously had konis in the front. I think they were in lancer struts and they seemed alright. Had KYB in the back that drop straight in. There is a forum on this and the options on bmsc.
Harness can bolt to the floor with brackets and plating. See the CAMS manual for the specs. If you haven't got one just borrow one from your local club to get all the requirments for cages, harnesses, etc and read through the appropriate sections to familiarise yourself with the requirements.
Battery - Standard battery holder is fine. I have moved mine behind the nav but that is not appropriate for you at this stage.
Sub - Mount between the wheels so in front of the back wheels or on the back seat position. Good to see another fully sic excel. I thought about a sub to match my fully sic tacho with multiple colours and my fully sic wing.

Mitch · 27-07-2006, 06:37 PM

I don't think Tassie will have an Excel Series for a few years yet. Having problems with entries from what I can see. Less than 20 cars per event isn't exactly what you'd call a full entry list especially when there's about 50 guys on the current 2006 list of entrants. I think we had 14 entrants for the first round for the series (Mountain Stages)

.

But I love the concept of the Excel series as Tasmania is literally full of Excels. I've seen 7 different ones on my trip to and from school today including two "modified*" Excels. Once I'm able to drive I'll have to get one as they would be a very handy khana/moto cross car as they would be pretty nimble I suspect.

*The chaps with the big spoilers and big stereos

*

Trendact · 27-07-2006, 07:58 PM

I agree with robo on the bolt in cage for the Excel unless you can weld good and just get a weld in kit from Bond as it is cheaper then the bolt in kit. But then the bolt in can be moved to a new shell very easy as robo has said.

A fully sik Sub is a must as well as a fully sik wing and don't forget the dice

Think the series needs sickers that say "Excel Rally, fully sik mate"

robo · 28-07-2006, 09:56 AM

Excels might be what Tassie needs then to boost numbers. I know it brought me out after a 9 year break as it looked like a good thing.

And yes they are very good at khanas and motorkhanas. Even though they are a bit heavy for there horsepower they seem to move very well. My one is now proving one of the quicker cars currently playing in our club, admittedly a small field at the moment. But even when first timers hop in it at Motorkhanas they get very respectable times as they are easy to drive.

Rally Angel · 28-07-2006, 12:39 PM

Hi Everyone - Ethan and I are working on getting the series commenced in SA next year. Currently we are working on regs and things like that which will be along the same guidlines as NSW and VIC so we can compete everywhere. We have had discussions and emails with participants and key players from NSW and VIC and everyone has been most helpful.

We are hoping to have our Excel in possession by the end of this year (I did want to debut it at Rallye Des Femmes but we will see). There are a possible 2 other cars which are likely to be built in SA as well.

We are hoping this will boost our numbers at events and provide another opportunity to expand on our competition in SA (and doing so cheaply).

Kind regards

Lisi

Mitch · 28-07-2006, 01:19 PM

Maybe next year I could get one! I was offered to do a khanacross this weekend. Can't drive though

Stuart Walker · 28-07-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitch

Maybe next year I could get one! I was offered to do a khanacross this weekend. Can't drive though

14 is the minimum age for Khana's...

Mitch · 28-07-2006, 06:57 PM

But I'm not as comfortable as I would like to be. I'd rather get a few k's clicked over on my L's first

Stuart Walker · 29-07-2006, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitch

But I'm not as comfortable as I would like to be. I'd rather get a few k's clicked over on my L's first

What better way to learn for your L's?

Our son is itching for his 12th birthday so he can enter a motorkhana! He'd rather drive a V8 supercar, but he'll take whatever he can get!

Stuart

robo · 31-07-2006, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart Walker

What better way to learn for your L's?

Our son is itching for his 12th birthday so he can enter a motorkhana! He'd rather drive a V8 supercar, but he'll take whatever he can get!

Stuart

I agree with you Stuart. Most of the juniors start running motorkhanas and khanas so they learn how to drive a car before they get on the public roads where they also then have to learn road rules, how to drive in traffic etc etc.

You should take the opportunity to jump in a car and have some fun, while learning to drive, especially considering the amount of knowledge and experience that is often available at cub motorsport days. You don't have to go out to win on your first run, and in fact even years and years of driving onn the road will not get you there as well. Best to just get out there and learn.

mrbob · 31-07-2006, 09:56 AM

Add me to the list of people wanting to get into the series (as you know Dave!). I've now got an excel as a daily driver, and will either slowly do the odd preparation to that, or ideally buy a roughy and start fixing one up soon.

I'm one of the people that always bagged out excels, and only got interested in them because of this series. For what they are, and for what people can pick them up for, they're actually not a bad thing. It's surprisingly quick (I've got a twin cam one), and a few mechanics I've spoken to reckon very little mechanically goes wrong with them.

I may take my road one in the Bay Stages Introductory Rally Bog Stock Standard as I probably won't have the money to do anything to it by then!!

robo · 31-07-2006, 10:27 AM

Mr Bob

If you decide to run the starters rally in the excel, the best thing I could recomend is that you get a decent wheel alignment before yo do so, and try to get some toe in and camber on the back as the back likes to overtake the front in the stock configuration. Remove as much weight from the rear and bring it forward so that you reduce the momentum down when it does swing, which you still want it to do for the tight stuff and then hang on. It will go quite well.

Gcorner · 31-07-2006, 04:03 PM

Are the OBX seats on ebay ok for rally use, they are ADR approved but no info on standards and i'm not yet an ebay verified user so cant ask Q's.And will they fit the excel rails,I'm 6"4" so need the seat back as far as it will go which doesnt suit my partner as she likes to be 3-4" closer.Has anyone bought those "personal brand" boss kits from ebay ($28) and if so what sort of depth will they add to the steering column,they look deeper than the momo and cheaper.I drive with my knees around my ears and want to get my hands into some clean air.A quick watchout on front disc pads, I recently had an intermittent hissy squeal from the front which came and went and (obviously in retrospect) stopped when i did, traced it to the pads when i got the wheels off and found that the pads had been installed upside down and the wear indicator was only just connecting but the leading edge of the pads was pretty much worn to a few applications away from metal.Not sure if this has happened to anyone else but a quick look might save rotors.