Jim Likes to Trash Cars

SCCA ProRally is a stupid sport. It is, in fact, a classic Jim-Sport™. A Jim-Sport™ must satisfy the following three criteria:

1. There must be mindless tedium interspersed with moments of abject terror.
2. It must have fatal consequences, sometimes for no reason.
3. It must involve the accumulation of expensive and specialized stuff.

Mountaineering is THE Jim-Sport™ of choice. Both road biking and mountain biking are Jim-Sports™. A friend has described "Women" as being a Jim-Sport™ but that was after he got married and was forced to purchase a $2000 couch.

Anyway, Rallying is a Jim-Sport™. Go out and drop a minimum of $5K on a car, poke at it in the garage for a few months then go out and smash it up out in the woods, possibly getting hurt in the process. Haul your carcass back home and do it again once you and your car are back in shape.

This set of pages documents my involvement in dirt-bag level rallying. A quick web search will locate people and teams that are much more serious about all this stuff. Check the links at the bottom of the page and Go for it.

You might want to read my essay on consequences and rallying first.

It's also one of those things that piss off neighbors. That lovely VW Golf in the darkness was supposed to be a rally car, but I'm cutting it apart in my driveway with an oxy-acetlyene torch. The dude with the beer in hand is part owner of said sad vehicle. What do I care? It's not MY car and the neighbors were too scared to call the cops.

See more of this stupidity.

Datsun 510 Rally Car

I occasionally help a very bogus SCCA ProRally team, Hoen Racing I don't actually drive, I just scream and yell, do the hard mechanical stuff, welding and body work. Logistics too.

Here are some pictures of the car after the Rumford Maine ProRally July 2000. Oliver rolled the Datsun 510, bending it up pretty bad. This gallery shows the reconstruction into an ugly rally monster.

Here are some pictures from the last work session when we completely disabled the car by pulling the engine. Oliver wanted more power so he got none.

Here are some pictures of the car in motion, at rallies and general reckless driving.

Here are some pictures of a Datsun Violet rally car that Nick bought because he had more money than common sense. A Violet is like a Datsun 510 but with a solid rear axle. This car was hot in the 1970's, now it's in boxes.

Here are some pictures of a Datsun Violet race car that Oliver bought because he had more money than common sense. This car is similar to Nick's Violet except that it was being prepared for SCCA IT level racing, not ProRally.

Here are some pictures of fabrication of seat mounting frames for the Datsun 510 after the seats were stolen after the Rumford Maine ProRally in July of 2000.

Here is my story about doing service for the team at Rally Perce-Neige, Maniwaki in February 2001. Note the Datsun 510 on the cover of the really cool rally service book. Naturally we were the only 510 to compete in this hard core winter rally and we were last. Then again, over half the field dropped out.