vr calais to tarmac rally car

[stormsearcher]

have a vr calais v6.thinking of converting it to a tarmac rally car for targa tasmania 2010.
its a v6 auto.
this is what i think i need
v6 is fine
manual gearbox needed.
brakes upgrade
exhaust system
strip car off all excess weight trim etc
roll cage
race seats,steering
suspension
mild tweeks to engine-airbox,injectors.
fuel cell maybe?
any ideas suggestions and knowledge as to where i can source the parts,expertise needed.tx

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[davway]

why start with a Calais?
why not just buy an Executive for stuff all?

you should also look at the requirements for the Targa itself - i dont think you can just rock up in any old car and expect to race.

[daniel ohan]

yer u gonna need some semi slick tires $$$
how much are u willing to spend???

[stormsearcher]

why start with a Calais?
why not just buy an Executive for stuff all?

you should also look at the requirements for the Targa itself - i dont think you can just rock up in any old car and expect to race.

because i have one that otherwise i cant use.i just have relocated to live on the oldgunbarrel highway in the central australian desert.the car is in storage and i thought instead of selling it i will do it up as a rally car.just for the heck of it.
watched 'love the beast' and thought thats what i want to do.dont need to sell it.
will strip it and sell all the stuf i dont need like strereo,calais seats,whatever else, steering wheel etc.

and have a lok at the entry list for this year-thers a ford xr6-1996 and other passenger cars.i have sent an enquiry for a info pack for next year.dont want to get a evo6 tommi makkinen edition and wreck it.commodore parts are easily available and cheap as chips.
lets see how it goes.

[Cursed CX8]

im pretty sure for targa the suspension needs to be relatively stock or contained to the same mount points as OEM, You will need to meet all safety regs for the division, fuel cells, etc, everything. Have a look on the CAMS website and on the targa website. The VR calais has a drivers air bag, im pretty sure you need to leave that in there. But i may be wrong.
Go for racing seats, they hold the body better and allow racing harnesses to be used.

Replace the glass with a something thats going to withstand the harsh track of targa but something thats going to give way if its needed to.

You will NEED either a locked diff or a very good LSD such as the KAAZ LSD's. The stock LSD will break. While your at it throw in the Diff gears, 3.7 or 3.9's should do.

The Engine will need tweaking, the torque of the buick just wont be enough. Headers, Twin exhaust, Throttle body upgrade (for response not power) possibly even look at charging it. If you can afford. Get a good Dyno tune for the best petrol you can run, be it RON100 or 98.

Rip out as much weight as possible, the carpet, the seats, the sound deadener, the boot liner, the bonnet liner any plastic you can get away with. Replace the door inserts with something lighter.

The gear box. Get a strong Manual, the T5 is a good box. Which is what came standard on the VR. But get it reinforced and worked on as well. Its going to get a work out. Opt for a short shifter. The small gains in shift time add up and will help out. Get a good clutch, something designed for high power applications. That way your guaranteed it wont slip.

Tyres. Go for a 15" or 16" wheel to get the most out of you $$$ tyre wise. Slicks are expensive and the availability for 15" stockies makes it easy to have a spare in the back, as well as have a few sets with tyres on back at the "pits".

Going back over to suspension - spend the money and get an adjustable coil over if the regs allow. That way you can tune the car for whats best on the stage. Get strut braces and the entire car rebushed.

Thats about all i can thing about at the moment.

Cheers
CC

[SweetWagon]

Don't skimp out on the brakes, You need something pretty decent to cope with racing conditions + brake cooling ducts from the front bar.
I don't see the standard v6 lasting too long either.
And as already pointed out, read CAMS regulations before you do anything, there is a lot of strict guidelines to be followed, things like roll cages, suspension must be approved.
Cheers.

[Cursed CX8]

a few more

Brakes, Dont just upgrade to a slightly larger, vented, slotted brake. Go all out. Get a current spec brake upgrade, dual channel master cylinder and larger booster.

fly wheels/flex plate - get a race rated flex plate, they are stronger and lighter

tail shaft - get a balanced tail shaft made up, they are light and allow great transfer of power.

[stormsearcher]

tx guys. waiting for the info pack.then have to do a budget appraisal to see if the calais is worth transforming.if not it stays a nice streeter.and look at other options.
basically
engine including exhaust
transmission
diff,
brakes,
roll cage
suspension
seats
lexan replacing glass
have 16" wheels including spares
tyres need that with any car
what kind of $ am i looking at approx?

[Cursed CX8]

its hard to work out a package cost. It depends on what you get.

I looked, out of interest to turn my ve into a targa style car - my price i factored in a ls2 conversion so that added about 10k lol.

The brakes i wanted were about 7k and the suspension was 2.5k.
Its almost impossible to work out a price unless we know what you want. Id factor $20,000+ You would be better off to get a Lancer EVO 6, tune the shit outta it and wack some slicks on it.

[stormsearcher]

seems an evo6 is a financially sensible option.i just want to drive in the rookie class .for fun.

[gslrallysport]

tx guys. waiting for the info pack.then have to do a budget appraisal to see if the calais is worth transforming.if not it stays a nice streeter.and look at other options.
basically
engine including exhaust
transmission
diff,
brakes,
roll cage
suspension
seats
lexan replacing glass
have 16" wheels including spares
tyres need that with any car
what kind of $ am i looking at approx?

You wont' get any change from $20k in car and apparel prep. Also entry fee for Targa is near on $6k. Go gravel rallying, you'll get 10 time bang for your buck...

lexan replacing glass

You're not talking about a ute though are you?????? The only glass you can replace with lexen is the rear window in a ute to allow installation of rear roll cage legs.