Rlaarlo XTS-S10 "Subaru WRX-inspired" rally car

[desmobob]

Putting on the decals is as challenging as they say. They actually give you two complete sets of decals, I think in anticipation that your first try will be a failure. It's just too complex of a shape for using decals, although trying to mask and paint it would be a challenge, as well.

The first big yellow swoop has to go over an area with 90˚ angles, compound curves, dead-end contours, etc.; pretty much every situation that makes it impossible to apply it neatly, let alone perfectly. I wetted it down ahead of time and used a hair dryer, but still had poor results. It looks OK from normal distance though, and I really like the car.

It's supposed to get up to 47˚ today, so maybe I'll be able to get a test run in my driveway.

 

[xjtorc]

Man. You just reminded me I wanted one of those.

Definitely passes the 5 foot test!

 

[Burnzone]

That indeed is a GREAT looking car! I'd say it turned out pretty awesome!

 

[desmobob]

Man. You just reminded me I wanted one of those.

Definitely passes the 5 foot test!

That indeed is a GREAT looking car! I'd say it turned out pretty awesome!

Thanks very much. Photos accentuate the blemishes. The car looks OK; even "very good" at normal viewing distance. I would NOT want to go through the decal application process again!

One thing learned: when using the wet application technique, don't use paper towel to rub down the decal and blot water. It leaves residue adhered to the edges of the decals. It can be mostly removed later, but it's tedious work. Next time, I'll use a microfiber cloth.

 

[CertifiedMike]

It looks great from here!!!

 

[desmobob]

I booked a tour of the Vermont Sports Car facility this Friday. They are the partner of Subaru Motorsports USA and design and build the Subaru rally cars.
https://vtcar.com/

 

[desmobob]

That car, #199 in the Limited class, is driven by Travis Pastrana, former motocrosser and motorcycle free style legend who also holds the Mt. Washington "climb to the clouds" record (there's an in-car video on YouTube of the entire run) and was the first person to do a double back flip on a motorcycle.

His co-driver, Rhianon Gelsomino, is a woman. I think it's kind of humorous that a pro rally driver has a woman in the car, giving him directions on how and where to drive.

One of his rally crashes got mainstream media attention and has been noted as greatly increasing the popularity of rally racing. It's at 17:30 in this video...
Pastrana crash vid:

 

[desmobob]

I booked a tour of the Vermont Sports Car facility this Friday. They are the partner of Subaru Motorsports USA and design and build the Subaru rally cars.
https://vtcar.com/

I did the tour today... WOW! I was incredibly impressed and really enjoyed it.

I grew up in a tiny rural town where the only mechanics I knew worked in a small, old, two-bay garage with gas pumps out in front. This facility was at the other end of the spectrum. They design and build the rally cars from the ground up and the facility has a complete carbon fiber shop, paint shop, two engine dynos, a hub dyno that connects to the cars' four hubs, a fleet of big rigs and custom trailers for transportation and on-site support, etc. Everything was state-of-the-art.

Unfortunately, the first thing I was asked to do was to sign a "no photographs" agreement. There were areas where photography was allowed but all the cool stuff was off limits. You can see a lot of the facility on Vermont Sports Car's website: www.vtcar.com

The facility itself was amazing in its design, architecture and layout. The cars were incredible and the tour group was small (only four of us today) and touching was allowed. We opened doors, examined things, asked all the questions we wanted... just a great tour. It was cool to see , in person, the actual cars I've watched in some of the outrageous rally, gymkhana and stunt videos.

A cool surprise: they had what the tour guide described as "the best RC track in Vermont" outside the garage (still covered in snow, unfortunately), and employees had RC cars stashed in their work spaces. I think half the offices and workspaces had RC cars somewhere!

The place has a wonderful, friendly atmosphere and if you have an interest in rally racing or are just a gearhead in general, I heartily recommend taking the tour. They have it on Friday afternoons at 4, and you can book a reservation through a link on their website. It's in Milton, Vermont, a little bit north of Burlington.