AWD Turbo Protege Recce Rallycar

[SgtRauksauff]

The JDM box also has a viscous LSCD, while the USDM (with the electric locking motor) is essentially an open diff. So you still just get 1 wheel drive, depending on which wheel has the least traction...

Jay, if you think you're pathetic, at least you have yours turbo'd. I'm still running the stock naturally-aspirated SOHC in my blue car! I see all this work you guys are doing, and REALLY wish someone would anonymously grant me a billion dollars....

--sarge

[me109]

Ha! I could do with as little as 30 grand.

Seriously though, Awesome build. Can't wait to see it finished.

[JPmotorsports]

I crewed for a GTX that made between 200 and 250 hp at various stages of it's life, 2 - 3 years in SW rallies, only one tranny. I think it has a lot to due with driving techniques and the surface you beat on them. SW rallies are usually a bit more forgiving due to the very loose nature of the dirt and rocks, as long as you ease off a bit on jumps. Two years of over powering my Festiva never had an issue, sell the car and the guy breaks trannies and axles left and right...

-Jon

You forgot to mention him rolling it in the first turn and blaming the codriver/alignment shop/ and tire guy because they put 40lbs of air in the tires...What's the word you used...Jacka$$!

Yeah, the gearbox on my car is the only part I haven't broken yet.
So that's why I'm doing the swap, cuz I know it's just waiting to screw me over.
Yours should last a good while on dirt.
But meanwhile, I'm feeling pathetic as all getout, trying to be competitive in the same car you're building as a recce....

It's Chuck's and trust me I'm jealous, would love to have it for myself. At least your racing/developing your ride, mine has a 1/4" of dust sitting on it---and I walk by it 100 times a day because it's 15ft from my office!

[JPmotorsports]

Actually my car is good for something---we steal parts off it when needed and I use it as a jig to build suspension goodies...

[jrally]

Damn man, dust that thing, looks almost worse then the dust build-up in my garage this summer...
Jay, Chuck is just a bit nutty when it comes to cars, in a good way. If he liked Subi's, it probably would have been an STi. I think the Protege can still be competitive, it just takes a lot of money to keep up with the big dogs in rallying. The Escorts some of us run are fun and can be fast, but they aren't the top of the chain by any means. Depending on who's at a given race, I'm still slower then well driven VWs and Sentras (and a certain Volvo). I guess that brings up the question, am I slower than them, or is it just my car that's slower??

-Jon R.

[JPmotorsports]

Damn man, dust that thing, looks almost worse then the dust build-up in my garage this summer...
Jay, Chuck is just a bit nutty when it comes to cars, in a good way. If he liked Subi's, it probably would have been an STi. I think the Protege can still be competitive, it just takes a lot of money to keep up with the big dogs in rallying. The Escorts some of us run are fun and can be fast, but they aren't the top of the chain by any means. Depending on who's at a given race, I'm still slower then well driven VWs and Sentras (and a certain Volvo). I guess that brings up the question, am I slower than them, or is it just my car that's slower??

-Jon R.

As far as I remember, the Sentra and especially the Volvo have about 30-50 more HP than the escort and are similar in weight---the sentra maybe more, the volvo was lighter and had a sequential---the escort could be the fastest in the country (Group 2) with 180HP and commitment---Malik's out of practice...I think a 2500lb protege with a couple hundred pounds of strategically placed ballast (to make minimum), 280HP with a good gearbox will beat a 2925lb sube (the sube's do have the diff's though)---the wheel base/track width favor the protege on most of the rally's...or maybe an AWD Escort with same...My car is sub 2000lbs---ad 100lbs for AWD and another 100lbs for a pass. seat/harnesses door glass---maybe another 100lbs for underbody protection, spare tire/rally gear. I'd be lighter than your escort with AWD and 100 more HP---sounds fun!!!

[jrally]

We would still need the $10K worth of struts to handle the rough stuff, at least out in the SW. On a smoother race, the HotBits should work just as well. Who said we couldn't drop a Subi diff in the back end, that's what the Hyundai Tiburons had in them back in the day. It's all about money... I think the Volvo engine had triple or better the budget of my whole car.

-Jon R.

[Mazda_Powered]

i don't see you having many issues with the trans as long as your driver realises what you're dealing with and he has a crash course in mazdas, he'll be fine.

i've driven the crap out of n/a cars on dry roads doing 3rd-2nd downshifts/burnouts with no issues lol. i think the g series trans is pretty solid, just have to understand how it works i guess. keep the fluids fresh and the driver updated and there shouldn't be any issues.

also what sarge said is 100% true about the difference in the gear boxes from JDM is USDM/CDM so you're actually getting the better trans out of the deal. if you had a GTR or a GTae? it would rock hard!!! but honestly, i'd rather have the JDM AWD trans than a FWD g-series lol.

[JPmotorsports]

We would still need the $10K worth of struts to handle the rough stuff, at least out in the SW. On a smoother race, the HotBits should work just as well. Who said we couldn't drop a Subi diff in the back end, that's what the Hyundai Tiburons had in them back in the day. It's all about money... I think the Volvo engine had triple or better the budget of my whole car.

-Jon R.

I think the Volvo had 10 times the budget as your car---I couldn't build that car for a $100k---not that clean---the drivetrain was $30k plus...

[JPmotorsports]

i don't see you having many issues with the trans as long as your driver realises what you're dealing with and he has a crash course in mazdas, he'll be fine.

i've driven the crap out of n/a cars on dry roads doing 3rd-2nd downshifts/burnouts with no issues lol. i think the g series trans is pretty solid, just have to understand how it works i guess. keep the fluids fresh and the driver updated and there shouldn't be any issues.

also what sarge said is 100% true about the difference in the gear boxes from JDM is USDM/CDM so you're actually getting the better trans out of the deal. if you had a GTR or a GTae? it would rock hard!!! but honestly, i'd rather have the JDM AWD trans than a FWD g-series lol.

Yeah I think Chuck will be fine too...This is a daily driver/fun recce/track car for him---I'd be suprised if he broke anything---crashing is another story. He'll take it to the track and beat on it though---he's "learning" to be smooth...

[SgtRauksauff]

From comments somewhere here and there, I thought I read that the EVO8/9 rear diff was the same gear ratio. Might be mistaken, though.

--sarge

[JPmotorsports]

Had the turbo rebuilt---and Chuck cleaned up painted the manifolds---wonder how long the paint will last!!?? Hope he used high temp paint...

[JPmotorsports]

Got almost everything buttoned up up top, starting on IC piping/exhaust and probably first the driveshaft custom mounts/adapter deal. Turns out the 2 point tiebars we build for the escorts are about the same spacing as the protege---they already have a brace and don't need them, but very similar...

[JPmotorsports]

Here's what we came up with for the driveshaft mounts---simple extentions, threaded on both ends to meet the new mounts on the carrier bearings. We'll tack them to the body as well in case they need to be removed/he goes back to the stock bearings. The only trick bracket will be the front drivers side bolt---probably use a 1" square tube with a couple of holes in it. We'll drive it and see how the vibration is---should be OK...Probably have to protect the front mount from rocks...

[jrally]

Do you know what bearings your drive-shaft shop guy ended up using? The back one looks great, the fron one looks like it will need protection. Of course, I've seen people finish out a rally with then being held up with 1" ratchet straps...

-Jon R.