Just wanted to introduce myself. I am Josh, I live in Kuna Idaho. I have an 04 Ralliart, Lightning yellow. Ive done small cosmetic work, not much, blacked out head and taillights (with a rectangle gap on headlights down low, cops dont like the black here). Stock wheels are painted Black (VHT Wheel paint ftw), calipers and emblems all blacked out. I have had her for 2.5 years, done a custom short ram CAI, some engine paint and tidying.

I was planning on trading her in, but I like being the underdog, so after perusing the forums and getting a feel for the potential she has, I am going all out on her. She is my commuter, but has been a fun car to drive, very reliable. I am just under 90K, getting ready to do a timing belt and waterpump, and I might consider doing some suspension work. My plan is to build a turbo, I have another motor for her. I picked up a second 2.4 mivec at an auction that has less than 10K miles on it from a rolled RA. So over the course of the next 2 years, I am going to slowly buy and build. I have 5 kids, 4 of them boys and I think it would be a good experience for them.

Anyway, expect more posts from me, probably noob questions not covered in the noob thread, but this is going to be a long build (5 kids, you have little money left for projects).

 

Welcome pics?

 

Sure Thing!!!!

Keep in mind, this is a nearly bone stock RA. I have only put in a CAI, after market stereo. But the cosmetics I have done myself. Wheels are stock, (Enkie made them to begin with), I used VHT Wheel paint, took three cans. Yes I am missing a lug nut and stud. I had new tires put on in the spring, (205-55-R16 as 50's were hard to find where I lived at the time), and they crossthreaded one on the rear, when I went to break it, it spun out a ways then froze on the stud and the stud backed out on the back of the hub. I couldn't go anywhere as it collided with the parking brake assembly in the rear, so I had to wedge and drill it out. Took two hours with the drill and bits I had on hand. Now I cannot find an original lugnut. The headlights, sidemarkers and tail lights are done with 7 coats of VHT nightshades. My headlights didn't come out as clean due to severe oxidation that didn't show itself until I had put a few layers of tint on them. But all in all they came out clean. Currently system wise I am running a simple Pioneer with bluetooth (soon going back to kenwood for HU), Stock components for the moment, two Rockford Fosgate P2 10 DVCs in a PL2 box and a Planet Audio VX1400D 1250W Monoblock (more power than the subs are rated for, I have already blown the top off the box twice, its full of drywall screws and a crapton of plain Lowes white sealer. I am building a custom box in the rear, I have my plans drawn up but Work is preventing time to spend on it.

To be honest, all the RA haters out there can bite me. This has been the most reliable car I have owned in years. I have just shy of 90K miles, and have only had to do general maintenance, bulbs oil (synthetic all the way) and an alternator. It sucks in the wintertime going up hills as its light as hell, but other than that, she has been a blast to drive on windy roads, shes quick enough to eat most stock neons and lancers, even a stock OZ got chewed up by it. A friend of mine with little racing experince tried to take it on in a 03 GTP and up to 110mph he was behind me, but he had a much higher top end and passed me. I have had her clocked at 144, redlined in 5th, and it took 4 tries to get her there. all in all, I love this car, and plan on building her

 

Nice yellow on black always looks good

 

Our cars top speed is 135? Not sure how you managed 144.

 

Hit 135 put it in nuetral and coasted the rest of the way. Achieved at the bottom of the mountain. Took for tries as the top half of the run has a lot of banked switchbacks but it opens and is straight minus one slight turn all the way down. It's a steep grade with a lot of truck runoffs and its nice and wide. Once i redlined i just put her in nuet and let her coast. I have pics somewhere on my NAS of the radar. I will say this. 100 is smooth. 120 is....floaty. 135 to 144 was straight up white knuckles freaky. No control with throttle out. One mistake and you are not walkin away.

 

Wow that's crazy to shift into neutral at 135. Congrats on probably going the fastest anyone has gone in a Ralliart.

Welcome to the club. You should bring your car down to Millers some time and we could meet up.

 

I moved up to Idaho after 10 years in Utah, got laid off from the Biodiesel plant over in Plymouth in December, and there wasn't work for crap up there unless I wanted to live in SLC, and I hate SLC. Prefer the country.(getting old I guess). Ive been down to Millers a few times, but not to race. I wasn't sure I was going to keep this RA until recently so I never took her out there. Tremonton's country roads, and Logan;'s canyons were enough for me.

Yes I have a crazy streak in me, and I achieved this 144 going down the backside of Sweetzer pass, if you know where that is as you drop into Sublett. It was a decent couple runs but yes, no throttle on a coast was just freaky as ****. Loud too, car doesn't have much for insulation from road noise.

My plan is to take this second block and built it up from the inside out, turbo and when I hit the paid off date, drop it in(about a year or so left). In the mean time I am going to do exhaust, headers and a few other things.

 

I redlined mine at 7500 in 5th...the speedo needle bottomed out and stopped moving...no idea how fast...

if you get tighter, lower suspension and stickier tires rated for the speed with stiff sidewalls it doesn't feel as scary. I only did it once, and it will never happen again, unless it's on a track...

nice car btw, let us know when you start building your turbo kit, there's a few of us active members who have ventured there

 

Turbo is still a ways off, I gotta get settled into my new place and job up here before I can take to the garage and rip into this extra engine. I considered just buying outright the RRM kit with everything, but I want to start with what I have in the car at the moment. I will do my header exhaust and TB swap as I can just put that in with the rest when I swap the engines out. And maybe go for the smaller pulleys (haven't looked into this yet), I did a smaller pulley setup in an A4 a while back and got quite the boost, but it took a lot more work with a turbo involved.

I need to get a RA or generic club goin on up here in Ideeeho, some people to meet up once a month. I miss the old days when you would go and meet somewhere and show of progress on your ride every month.

 

I wouldn't waste time, effort or money on novelty bolt on mods...if you're going to do anything, make it handle, drive and shift better... when the time comes, boost will produce far more power than any bolt mod you can think of...and for the price of a lightweight pulley you could buy a used turbo...that's all I have to say...

oh wait, yeah don't get the RRM kit...

 

Looks good man! Keep us posted on the updates. Turbo Build would be sweet!

 

Hi Idaho, nice car, welcome to the forum.