2005 East Coast Targa

matt306 said:
I have much to learn before I'd be classified as a good driver. I'm trying though!

The car has a Magnex exhaust from the cat back, polyurethane lower control arm bushes on the front and continental conticompetition C1 tyres. Other than that it's exactly as it left the factory!

Must say the tyres make a massive difference, the other 2 mods wouldn't have changed things too much.
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Thanks Matt. I can imagine sticky tyres like those would make a big difference. Also, did you find much of a power increase from the magnex exhaust? A few months back I did some dyno runs with some different rear mufflers only and there wasn't much difference between the oem muffler and a well made straight thru.

My lower wishbone bushes are pretty cracked. My mechanic down here has said he's been having problems with the latest oem replacements he's put on other cars with them wearing out within 12 months. This has been verified by another independant mechanic here as well as the local dealership, 3 mechanics in all! I rang up a mechanic in Sydney and he said he hasn't had any problems, so I'm not qure sure what's going on. A lot of local roads around here have speedhumps, so not sure if that's got something to do with it!? I posted a thread about this a while back, and my mechanic has been trying to source other bushes but without much luck yet.

I was wondering if you could tell me where I could get those polyurethane bushes? Also, does it make the ride much worse? Thanks.
 
U Turn said:
Thanks Matt. I can imagine sticky tyres like those would make a big difference. Also, did you find much of a power increase from the magnex exhaust? A few months back I did some dyno runs with some different rear mufflers only and there wasn't much difference between the oem muffler and a well made straight thru.

I was wondering if you could tell me where I could get those polyurethane bushes? Also, does it make the ride much worse? Thanks.
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Unfortunately, due work/time constraints, I was unable to get any dyno testing done to compare the exhausts (although the old oem one had rusted through, so it may not have been a fair comparison - not sure if that makes a difference to performance). It does feel like there's a bit more go up high in the rev range, possibly a bit more through the mid too. But without any proper numbers to look at it's hard to say with any certainty. The only thing I can say for sure is it makes much more of a racket than the oem one!

I bought the bushes (and the exhaust) from demon tweeks in the uk. I honestly can't say I've not noticed much of a deterioration in ride from the bushes (although I may not be as 'in tune' with my car as some round this forum). They certainly don't hurt the handling and I gather they last heaps longer too.
 
Thanks very much for the info Matt. I'll try and get the same bushes. :cheers:
 
GRAHAM WALLIS said:
Yes, I find the prices for bitumen rallies to be over the top. Another thing is that the risk factor is much greater for this type of event and the deaths and injuries that have occurred have led to ever greater restrictions placed on all rallies right down to club level. I and many others would have been a lot happier if Targa Tas had never been thought of.
The reason they exist is that there are plenty of well heeled car collectors who don't want to risk their investments on the dirt but are happy to spend a fortune to enter these events.
Graham
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I can't say I agree with that at all. Tarmac rallying has been it's own sport for as long as the motor car has been around. In fact road racing in Europe began a long time before forest events were thought of. A GT3 or a Gallardo is not a forest rally car. It was never designed to be such nor could they be competitive in that environment. Yes Targa Tasmania for the most part remains the reserve of weathly business men, but that is not to say they compete because they are affraid to run their cars on the dirt. If they wanted to do that, they would build a $100K+ BDA Escort and go historic rallying.

Cal.
 
Cal said:
I can't say I agree with that at all. Tarmac rallying has been it's own sport for as long as the motor car has been around. In fact road racing in Europe began a long time before forest events were thought of. A GT3 or a Gallardo is not a forest rally car. It was never designed to be such nor could they be competitive in that environment. Yes Targa Tasmania for the most part remains the reserve of weathly business men, but that is not to say they compete because they are affraid to run their cars on the dirt. If they wanted to do that, they would build a $100K+ BDA Escort and go historic rallying.

Cal.
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I'm not sayig take the Porsche on the dirt, the GT3s etc are seen as an investment, dirt rally cars are not.
Steve Coad is a rare exception spending an absolute fortune on a Torana to take to Africa but money iseems to be of no concern in his case.
Road racing was banned in Europe after the 1950s and for good reason. Now we are bringing it back under the guise of rallying.
Graham
 
GRAHAM WALLIS said:
Road racing was banned in Europe after the 1950s and for good reason. Now we are bringing it back under the guise of rallying.
Graham
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Fair enough, but I think it's a good thing, not a bad thing. The reason road racing was banned in Europe was mainly due to the roads being open and the resulting mayhem. When was the last time a non competitor was hurt in Targa?

Cal.
 
Unfortunate to see this happen. Thanks to the lack of support for motorsport we have here in NSW compared to other states.

I received this email today from the Organiser of the event:

I first competed in this event in 2000 (when it was the ECC - East Coast Classic) and done every subsequent year. I have also done Targa Tassie, Adelaide Classic and Dutton... and this event was comparable to them.

Dear All,

It is with regret that I advise that the 2006 East Coast Targa will not be held, and that the ECT office will be closed from 30 September 2005. Official results books will be posted to all competitors during this week.

Having assessed the likely entry levels for 2006, the amount of additional financial support offered and the financial history of the event I have reached the conclusion that the event is not sustainable, and unlikely to become so, and I am not prepared to continue to support it from my own resources. This unfortunately means that the East Coast Targa will become yet another NSW motor sport event consigned to history.

In an ideal world, State and Local Government would see that, as per the Tasmanian, South Australian and Western Australian events, substantial initial support would set a foundation for gaining commercial support and building entry numbers, thereby leading to sustainability. Unfortunately, government, most notably Bathurst Regional Council and the NSW DTSR Major Events Board has performed extremely poorly in this respect. The attitude of Bathurst Regional Council in particular has bordered on the contemptuous given their region has had most to gain, and the reasons given by the Major Events Board for refusing assistance I regard as spurious. I cannot see this changing any time soon.

On top of this we have poor entry numbers compared to the events in other states. One of the reasons given is a “value for money” equation when compared to other events. Unfortunately, we are constrained by the roads we have to offer and short stages would always be a characteristic of a NSW event, as would relatively poor road conditions. The argument that the ECT should not be compared directly to other events, at least not without also taking into account the lower overall costs for NSW and Qld competitors has not washed, or at least not sufficiently. Additionally, the red-tape and regulatory burden faced by events such as the ECT grows ever more onerous, as does the opposition of residents who suffer “their roads” being closed for 4 hours once a year.

However, enough of brick-bats. Bouquets to all those competitors, sponsors and wonderful officials who have supported the event while it has been under my care, and also while it was the East Coast Classic. Thanks also to the NSW Police who have routinely been of great assistance. Finally, many thanks to Alison, Lou and Tony, the ECT team for 2005. A fantastic job was done.

Sincerely,


Phil Griffin


East Coast Targa Pty Limited
PO Box 783
Crows Nest NSW 1585
p 02 9436 4566
f 02 9436 4786
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Sorry to see East Coast Targa especially after the success of Targa West last weekend.
Business people in Toodyay were very enthusiastic and i understand other Shires were as well.
 
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