Special Stage Forums banner

The 1977 VanDamme Rally Rabbit "Official Thread"

26K views 64 replies 22 participants last post by  DanielSL 
#1 · (Edited)
i figured i might as well make the official thread for my 1977 Vandamme Rally car (Ret.)

Well, i finnaly pulled it out of the junkyard and brought it back to my camp.
it was sitting in the yard for about 5 years...






Now we begin the planning/tear down stage...

These pics are after we towed it to my camp, and my "team" and i were fast at work tearing into it, and cleaning.




The main problem with the car is in the fuel system, we had the car running by spraying starting fluid in the intake.

our plans for this car are to thrash all summer and have it done by the LSPR POR rally in october.

heres my questions...
What class is this gonna run in?
What are the updates that i need to do?
What are the requirments for this car to run in october?

What do i need to do to myself, personally to be able to drive this car in the rally?

alright, so theres the intro, we will be towing the car home soon to really start on it.

Now, we need help and guidance!
Keep in mind that we're a group of 16yr old gear heads with mechanical and some fabricating abbilities, and little money.
so, any and all help with be greatly appreciated!
We're located in Marquette Mi, so if there are any rally guys that could help us up here, please give me a shout!

Thank You!:)
 
See less See more
9
#2 ·
First item will be to check the cage. It will already need updates such as door bar and likely the overhead "X". This car, under SCCA rules" might have been built with 1 1/2 diameter tubing in the main structure and this would no longer be legal. An entire new cage might have to be constructed.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Not entirely true.

As an existing rally car from before 2006, it would only need to conform to Rally America appendix 1, which are the same as the SCCA rally cage rules from 2004.

It might need an additional diagonal or "V" in the plane of the main hoop, but otherwise appears to be legal. Of greater concern would be rust on the floor area.

As has been noted elsewhere, contact the sanctioning body you wish to compete with for accurate information regarding cage legality.

for Rally America, contact myself at tech@rally-america.com
 
#3 ·
You'll also need some one-piece seats and new 5-point harnesses.
If you need a cage, or any other serious fab work, talk to Silas Himes.
Another marquette guy to talk to is Bryan Pepp at Pepp Motors, hes been rallying a long time.
Is Kyle Sarasin still in mqt, or off on adventures? Kyle sure knows how to drive them fast. His dad has done this rally thing for a while, too.
Getting any of those guys to give the car a look-see in person will be way more informative than guesses online.
There are a number of us rally fellers in the Houghton area too, if the car were to find its way over here.
 
#4 ·
i belive kyle is still off on his adventures, but will contact him as soon as he gets back.

and i will deff. talk to pepp motors.

gosh, i hope i dont have to build a different cage, if thats the case, the car is getting sold.
 
#6 ·
If this is Tom and Chucks car I pulled them to the finish on the Herman Nestoria stage . They had hit the large water hole near the end and filled the engine full of water.... But the family had a whole host of rabbits.... Fun time when you ran against them to see a gaggle of wabbits running down stages... Kevin D who is on here sometimes co drove for them once in awhile....
 
#8 ·
thanks for the comments guys, if anyone can offer me help, could you send me your email adress or number in a PM, so i could contact you.

mike, ill email you asap.

thanks!
 
#12 ·
anyone have any info on this car, as in history wise?

i think once i get it home and start to work, ill be able to figure out the FI.
thanks for the input guys...
 
#14 ·


Its hiding.
someone please give me some enthusiasm to get this thing going!
 
#21 ·
Is that really a 77, cause everything except for the front fenders and grill says it is an 83 or 84 rabbit GTI. May be worth double checking cause the motor in the GTI is bigger.

It's a '79. I don't think there is anything different between the early and late cars externally besides the front grille, light and fenders. The drivetrain certainly isn't stock though.
 
#22 ·
i dont know, but the insurance says its a '77, and so does the log book.
 
#23 ·
The shell has Westmoreland-style side markers and taillights. Westmoreland built Mk. 1 cars from MY 1979 - 1984. The front end is from either an earlier (-78) or German-built shell. German built MK. 1 shells used round headlamps and horizontal side markers until the end of production. The swap to 7" round lamps was popular at the time. Think of it as an early version of " Euro-look". They were preffered for looks and perceived better light patterns.
Given the shear number of VWs that the Van Dammes had to play with (and the parts interchangability) a visual id would be very tough. VIN would be the way to go. Given that the government mandated VIN numbers start in MY 81, a 77 VIN should start 177XXXXX. 79 VIN should start 179XXX. The third digit indicated the MY though MY 1980. After model MY 1981, the tenth digit is the MY.
I'd also check in more than one spot. Look for a stamped VIN (firewall?). The dash VIN is either screwed or pop-rivited in and would easy to change. Or so I've heard but changing one would be a felony.
 
#26 ·
gonna be getting this back into the shop hopefully pretty soon...
within the next week hopefully.

someone from gaylord is coming to look at the car for a looser sum of $650.

but that historic rally car series, why dont they run the POR?
 
#27 · (Edited)
but that historic rally car series, why dont they run the POR?
POR has a Vintage class already. It hasn't been very well subsribed since the late 90s and early 2000s though.

Since we lost Eric Jones a couple of years ago - there has been little to no competition in the class at all.

Is there a chance you really don't mean POR when you say; "POR"?
 
#32 ·
Not quite.

Press On Regardless will be run out of Indian River this year. It is no longer a stage rally, but it is still a very challenging event and well worth running.

The stage rally run out of Houghton is called Lake Superior Pro Rally (LSPR).

There still seems to be some animosity among the non-Detroit region rallyists who feel the name POR should have stayed with the stage rally. While the argument has validity - it didn't work out that way. It's a long story and one that I am not interested in rehasing.

For more information on the real POR - you can visit the Detroit Region SCCA website (www.detroit-scca.org)
 
#33 ·
oh, everyone up here still calls it the POR..

okay, does the Vintage rally series run the LSPR?
 
#35 ·
its sitting in the weeds because of a few things..

Not alot of cash
Other projects

and
No help!
 
#37 ·
Updates!

We towed the car back, right into our auto's shop!

this is kind of the class project, and the teacher, Mr. King loves it, so we'll have some updates hopefully everyday.

Today:
Up on the lift and the tires off for inspection.


The car is real solid, will require the usual sitting work, but we are still unclear on the future plans for the rabbit.
We'll start by doing the basics, running, driving, and stopping.

ANYONE who is in the Marquette area that knows anything about rallying, the VanDamne rabbits, building rally cars, the VW rabbit itself, LSPR or anything realated, it would be GREATLY appreciated if you would stop in during the autos class to take a look, and maybe help us with the car.
Reply oon the thread or PM me if your intrested, the MSHS autos class would be very thankful
Thanks!
 
#39 · (Edited)
You have the perfect person for this right in Marquette , Well Actually 2 people....

Kevin D on here ( Look in the LSPR Official Rumors Thread ) Use to to co drive in those cars and is a good family friend. Also Craig Sobzak from Soapy's Auto Body 906-228-7680 ( Owner ) Also co drove in those cars and built / raced rabbits for a few years...

EDIT: Oh and Deano ( Sorry Dean )

Tim
 
#42 ·
Thats awesome.
Dean, could you message me and ill hook you up with a time and my number.
Same with those other guys, thanks!

I'll give soapy a call tmrw, i never knew he raced these, although i did see an old datsun or bmw(couldnt tell what it was at 55) outside his shop, looked like an old rally car...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top