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I’ve had my 1987 Subaru RX rally car for approximately two months, and this week marks my first participation in a stage rally event with it…
…that is, if I pass the technical inspection.
My plan is to compete in the challenging New England Forest Rally, commonly referred to as NEFR, taking place in Maine this Friday and Saturday with the RX. The reconnaissance phase, also known as “recce,” to familiarize myself with the stages is set for Thursday, meaning I’ll travel from New York to the rally site with the RX in tow on Wednesday. As I write this, I have roughly 24 hours left to ensure the car is in top condition to participate. Once I factor in work and sleep, that time diminishes significantly. [Having read this, we’re assigning him extra work, as well. —Ed.]
If you’re acquainted with the vehicle I plan to rally—presumably because you’ve read my previous post—you’d know my Subaru is nearly ready for competition…or at least, it should be. It’s a purpose-built race car equipped with a full cage, racing seats, toggle switches, and more. However, just because it appears ready for a rally stage doesn’t guarantee it actually is. To my eyes, and likely to the American Rally Association’s (ARA) technical inspector at NEFR, there are still a few adjustments required to ensure it’s a safe, rally-legal vehicle for both my co-driver and me.
What Might Be Missing?
Well, a few things. The RX is an older model. According to the logbook, the roll cage was initially installed following the regulations of the now-defunct SCCA ClubRally series. Although it has been updated since then, this raises questions about whether it fully complies with the ARA’s current rules, given that much of the safety equipment was set up prior to the introduction of today’s standards. Ultimately, it’s up to the tech inspector to determine how strictly they want to apply the current regulations to my car.
A conversation with a doubtful friend momentarily raised my concerns about the rally legality of the roll cage. However, after reaching out to the event’s technical inspector and sending several pictures of the cage, my worries have been at least temporarily alleviated.
Yet, the cage is just one of my concerns. Additionally, when I purchased the car, both racing seats were past their expiration dates, the fire extinguishers seemed to be improperly mounted, the rally intercom was non-functional, the harness belts had expired, and there was no electronic kill switch present. I wish I could say I’ve addressed these issues, but, for the most part… I haven’t. And now, I genuinely regret that. (Procrastination is not advisable, folks.)
What Needs to Be Done:
Fortunately, I have most of the spare parts necessary to get my car ready. However, there’s a significant amount of work to be completed—and not enough time to accomplish it. I need to install new harnesses, remount the seats (though I might need at least one new mount), an electric kill switch is en route (side note: I lack wiring skills), and I’m hoping to find fire extinguishers that fit the car’s mounts somewhere en route to Maine.
I won’t be tackling this alone. I’ve recruited my co-driver to assist me in getting the RX ready, and I’ll be utilizing a friend’s workshop to work on the car.
But, as I mentioned, I only have around 24 hours to do everything. So consider this a warning: Don’t follow my example and leave your project car until the last minute to prepare.
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