Subscribe to this blog's feed03.07.2008
Ok, everyone asks me-"What happened to T-3?" Well, T-3 never existed in full scale form! My oldest son John bought a remote control Subaru WRX and painted it to look just like our rally car, light pod and all! When I asked him what he had named it, he told me it was Steel Tulip 3! Duh, I should've known. Kids are so quick, and usually right.
So, We had T-1, T-2, a tiny T-3, and now a fullsize T-4!
She's a 2003 USDM Subaru WRX. We bought it from CT. A young fellow had damaged the transmission and didn't have the resources to fix it.
I'll share build/kit details below, but the car was built and fielded in 2006 with Co-Driver Erik Lee in the right seat. First event was Rallye Perce Neige in Quebec. Nearly 36 hours awake to get her to the start line. Low on power and not nearly developed, we finished in the teens. The car then got shipped to Calgary, Alberta Canada for the Rocky Mountain Rally.
CanJam ace tech Rich Wong knew something was wrong with the car from the outset. Erik and I ran the first two stages and decided to park it rather than risk damage. A very difficult decision after all that travel.
Car was to be transported back to CanJam's shop in Toronto, but was inexplicably mis-placed by the shipping company and ended up shipping a week late and to Montreal instead of Toronto. The car was trucked back to Toronto by the shipper, but by then it was too late to make the next round of the Canadian Rally Championship, the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs.
Rich found the problem. The tumbler valves in the intake manifold were stuck partially open, restricting the engine substantially. These were deleted.
The car has been continually developed and campaigned since. Receiving a new 2007 style nose after a very hard impact with a birch tree at the Team O'Neil Rally in the fall of 2006.
What's under the skin?!
2003 Subaru WRX
Version 7 STi engine with TD05 turbo(34mm restrictor)
Cheap exhaust headers from ebay
3" exhaust with catalytic convertor
Hydra EMS engine management system
USDM 6 speed STi transmission with DCCD and front LSD
RS+SP rally suspension from Rallispec, Inc
Q-Rack quick ratio steering rack
Ferodo DS3000 brake pads
Brakes converted to manual operation(no vacuum assist)
Hydraulic handbrake
Subaru 4 pot calipers in the front and 2 pot in the rear(gravel spec)
DBA rotors
Schroth HANS specific 6 point harnesses from HMS Motorsport
Cobeau side head restraint seats
Custom Cages T-45 FIA homologated multi-point rollcage
Peltor FMT-200 and 110 intercoms
Kenwood 2M ham radio
Various wheels: Enkei, Compomotive, Team Dynamics
Michelin/Yokohama rally tires
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