just bought one

[damian]

hi all

Damian here, some of you may know me from Brindabella, some of you may know me from the SA scene. Only really got into it at the start of last year, and with more luck than skill have managed to pick up a couple (7 to be precise!) trophies here and there (gotta thank Smee for most of em).
Looking to add to that collection with the latest addition to the fleet.

just bought an Excel for $200. Go to pick it up tonight after I go put some rego on it.
I know it's EFI, but didn't even look to see if it's the twin cam or single cam (idiot!)

Just joined up these forums to get some tips and tricks.

First event is in 2 weeks, dirt motorkhana.
Then after that will be Rnd 2 State Khanacross Championships.

PCD is 4 x 114.3 I believe, I have a set of 15's with 195's off the last car (a TN magna wagon), so the PCD will fit, but will see if the tyres will fit under the guards (a bit of massaging maybe?)

gearbox is a bit sloppy, or at least the linkages are. Car seems to run fine, plenty of power (for a small car) and doesn't blow any smoke (well, minimal anyway). 300,000+ K's on the clock

will have to dig out the excel series regs and have a peruse...

now, and probably most importantly, stripes or flames?

[Brian]

Congratulations Damian
Looks like you have bought an X2 - not eligible for the series but at least you will finish all the events you enter with it! Have seen you in the forest or the service park not going very far on a number of occasions. You better have flames as I've got the stripes.
Good Luck. See you at Kuipto next week end.
Cheers Brian

[damian]

Hi Brian, ah so not eligible for the series - oh well, it was mainly bought as a khana special anyway ;)

Yeah will see you at Kuitpo, but only from the officials side of the fence. Will see what I can do to help the Excels stage times... :lmao: (it's a joke!!)

Flames it is then.

Any idea if I'll be able to squezze 15's under the car, or will I have to find 14's, or maybe even 13's?

[Catie]

Did the Magna Carta die a slow and painful death? Our road car has just done that after the road-trip to Coffs, what fun. Engine transplant time!!

15" low profiles fit (is the circuit series control tyre), but I highly doubt rally tyres would - unless you like them slick in parts :) The excel series regs state that you have to run 13", but seeing as the beast is an x2, I'd imagine 14s would be ok - they fit Tim's Bazooki anyway!

And yes, definitely flames! Purple ones with blue edging...

[damian]

yes the MC did die a slow and painful death. Made it back from the Khanacross state round (after winning a trophy at the hands of Smee), then died the next day. Lost all compression in all 4 cyclinders.
Made an executive decision to scrap her and start again :lmao:
(i sorta smashed the underneath at Henry Lawson, so it's a gas axe job to remove the front cross member. I knew I took that jump into the quarry too fast, but hey, it was fun!)
She served us well, and all good things must come to an end.

Cheers for the tip on the 15's, will see how I go finding some 13's, or if need be, 14's

purple with blue edging on the maroon background? hmmm, interesting...

EDIT - found some 2nd hand 13's thankyou all

[damian]

tried some 15's with (worn but good) rally rubber on for a laugh.
they fit surprisingly well.
and even drive well - on the street at least.

http://www.classiccelicasa.com/forum/download/file.php?id=600

thinking big lightning bolts down the sides...
http://www.classiccelicasa.com/forum/download/file.php,qid=601.pagespeed.ce.bw1jVsdNhB.jpg

[damian]

silly question - are the X3's PCD 4x114.3 ?

my X2 is. Just got the Rally rubber fitted, and 2 of the rims have a small bore, and they don't quite fit properly :wtf:

so on the look out for some 2nd hand rims, was going to try the tarmac boys here in SA.

Searching online seems to indicate all Excels are 4x114.3, but thought it'd be worth double checking.

Cheers :)

[Mooa42]

Yep, 114.3, big bored (58 or 60mm I think) plus the hubs (on an X3 anyway) have bolts holding the disc on which always foul on any wheels you buy, unless they are for an Excel. You can get around this by having someone machine them but for that price you could buy new wheels, or I have used a wood router to machine clearance for the bolts, rough I know, but a lot cheaper.

If you use Datsun or Toyota wheels the offset is usually too much and the wheels will stick out. if you want 14" or 15" you can use early Lantra wheels. Later wheels were on 100mm centres.

[damian]

cheers for confirming that Mooa42, and the extra info is very helpful too.
+rep?

Makes perfect sense too - when i test fitted the 15's when i first picked her up the mags rubbed on those hub bolts.
Couldn't work out what I'd done wrong!

Gunna see if I can pick up a (cheap) set of 2nd hand rims / mags from the circuit excel boys at Mallala this weekend

She did her first event last weekend - a dirt motorkhana.
She came third outright (I was 5th)

Next event this Sat - round 2 State Khanacross Championship.

total cost so far:

$200 car
$200 3 months rego and stamp duty
$50 mudflap material
$80 4 x 2nd hand 13's (fitted, with loads of tread - cheers Mark @ SAMotorsport Tyres)

fun factor - priceless :grouphug:
http://www.classiccelicasa.com/forum/download/file.php?id=631

[damian]

update for anyone interested:

19/11 State Round (Rnd 2) Khanacross Championships - 38 drivers, I finished 9th outright. Was as high as 6th at one stage. Surprised a few drivers with the speed of the Lucky Dip (named after the gearbox selectors). Even beat the winner on one test, and he didn't make a mistake on it! :banana:

27/11 Officlals Khanacross (invite only) - won outright.
How? By being the only one who actually read the Sup Regs...

33. RESULTS: The winner will be the competitor that accumulates the least amount of time penalties, including time penalties for cone or garage infringements or offers the most influential bribe to the Clerks of Course.
Interesting to have the winner announced at the Drivers briefing ;)
haha, so it was just a day of fun with no "real" results, but I will forever lay claim to that being my first event with an Outright win :lmao:

Gave the handbrake a real good workout (what with it being a day of fun an' all), so much of a workout in fact, that we ripped the bolts out holding it into the tunnel

[damian]

update time - just had the first event for the season - a motorkhana.

the Lucky Dip was just bought as a temporary replacement for the Magna Carta which was a temporary replacement for the Stigma while the Stigma was off the road.
Spent the last 4 weeks rebuilding the Stigma, including building a monster engine, mush $ spent.
Spent not a cent on the Lucky Dip, although did remount the handbrake lever, and gave the car a wash.

Took both cars to the MK, let 4 mates ride in the Lucky Dip, and 4 of us in the Stigma.
Killed the Stigma with one test left, one mate decided to leave early to drive home (had to drive back to Sydney!), so us 3 jumped in the Lucky Dip - which now had 7 drivers!

Had a ball, and set some pretty competitive times again in the good ole LD.

Drove it there and drove it home.

Will be taking it out again to the first KX in 2 weeks, and once again will have 4 drivers in it.

http://www.classiccelicasa.com/forum/download/file.php?id=920

[shake]

No rest for the wicked!!

[damian]

so first khanacross for the year.
4 drivers, one being Guy Tyler, who finished 4th outright out of 39 drivers, just misssing out on 3rd by less than 5 seconds and thus would have beat a 4WD Turbo Mazda Familia!

running 100 octane fuel, bald (steel showing) 2nd hand rally tyres of varying random pressures, and no other mods (other than rear seat removed).

Guy (or more correctly now that he has driven this car - Guyo) was so impressed with this car, that the very next day (being yesterday), he picked up one off gumtree!!

This car has now had 10 different driver in it in the last 2 weeks

Listen for the spectator comments at the end... gold
He was talking about coming down the straight and slipping between the water barriers.

Khanacross1 Lucky Dip Damo 2012 - YouTube

and this vid below, after i messed up and spun, i just went for style, handbrake everywhere, and a deliberate sideways finish into the garage.
standing ovation driving back through the pits hehe
Khanax sideways into finish, couple spins roof cam - YouTube

[damian]

Yet another Khanacross, yet again 4 drivers in her, yet again had an absolute ball.

As the front tyres were seriously bald (one had worn thru 2 layers of steel), I bit the bullet and bought 2 brand spankers for the front.
$400 worth of tyres on a $200 car...

She oversteered like a *****, and I was trying to drive for times this event, instead of sheer fun. In hindsight, maybe I shoulda just drove for fun, but I was trying to prove a point (that Damo can actually keep it on the track).
Looks like I may have to get 2 more for the rear end!

First run
2012 Khana 2 Damo run 1 hit a tyre - whoops - YouTube

50 drivers entered.
The Lucky Dip got a top ten finish again in Guyo's hands, just missed out on winning her class by 0.5 of a second.

Bring on the next event

[Mooa42]

I'm guessing at $400 for two, you got all serious and brought rally tyres then, not Bob Jane all rounders?

Maybe try them on one side, that should make it even more interesting!

[fro]

Tony,

Everyone knows from Monte Carlo WRC this year, the gun set up is diagonally opposed tyres! Just ask Loeb.

[damian]

I'm guessing at $400 for two, you got all serious and brought rally tyres then, not Bob Jane all rounders?

Maybe try them on one side, that should make it even more interesting!
ha! I like it!
And yes, Rally tyres - Grippers. A couple people have told me they're great as a steer tyre, not so good as a drive tyre. I'm trying to do both with em.

Tony,

Everyone knows from Monte Carlo WRC this year, the gun set up is diagonally opposed tyres! Just ask Loeb.
funny you should say that, at the previous event with the bald tyres of random pressures, we were running something along the lines of -
FL 12 PSI FR 28PSI
RL 32 PSI RR 17PSI
It handled like a dream
When Guyo changed pressures to around 24-26 all round, handled like a dog.