AUTObiography: Wraith04's 1990 VW Jetta

Next up is VWvortex reader: Wraith04
How long have you owned this car?Well, I just sold it for the second time on Saturday [May] 10th. This time I have owned it for about a year and a half. I had owned it prior but sold it when the collection of cars got out of hand. Luckily it was sold to a good friend with the condition that if it went back up for sale, I had first dibs.Is there anything unique about the history of this car? Nope, just a standard three-owner car that had been faithfully used as daily transportation until I purchased it and tore it up.Why did you choose this car to purchase?At the time I was looking for a GTI to buy but I couldn’t find a clean one anywhere. One day while out driving around I found this coupe sitting beside the road for sale and being that you don’t see coupes everyday, I decided it might be better to be different.What other cars did you consider?At the time I also had a one-owner ‘85 Jetta sedan that was immaculate but I couldn’t bring myself to modify it too much, so that put the search out for another car; also, the wife hated the sedan because it was blue.What was your objective with this car?To build a car that I can drive every day, be reliable, and have as much fun as possible in. It succeeded at all of those tasks.
What tuning style best describes this car?I’d guess I would call it Euro. Who helped you build this car?Lots of help and support came from the group at Blitz Rennsport even though we are spread across four states. Cingular gladly took my money as countless hours were spent on the phone hammering out the details. What makes your car special? To me it’s special because it was built by me/for me in my own garage.What is your favorite part/feature/function? I would have to say the Megasquirt engine management and the crossflow swap. It changed the complete demeanor of the car and made it a lot of fun to drive and much easier to tune. Well, that and the brake and clutch pedals.Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car?Most of my inspiration came from Performance VW magazines over the years and a lot of time spent surfing the web for creative/innovative ideas.What don't you like about this car? I’d have to say the fact that I really wanted a hatch, but I’ve gotten over that now.
What was your biggest obstacle in building this car? Can I say my wife? Just kidding, she was always supportive unless the checkbook got low on funds. I would say trying to keep a budget but still accomplishing my goals for the car.How did you overcome the issue?Lots of creativity, junkyard shopping along with a lot of horse trading on several forums.What would you change if you could?If the money was no object I’d have a 2.0T FSI with DSG in it but until then the 8v will make do.On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project? Where it is now, about an 8… I [was] shooting for a 9.5.What would you do to the car if money were no object?The aforementioned 2.0 FSI, DSG, maybe a rear wheel drive conversion.Who has been your biggest critic of this project?No critics that I can speak of, I don’t have time for them anyway.What do your family and friends say about this car?Most of them think I am nuts for going to a VW but there is more of a challenge to building one than a lot of the other cars available.
What is your most memorable/humorous/embarrassing moment with this car?Driving up an insanely steep hill in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in second gear, demonstrating its hill climbing abilities with three other people in the car.Has this car competed in any events?A few, but I guess it’s not nice enough for the judges. I love getting beat by a stock ‘87 GTI.What is your favorite place to drive this car? I enjoy it so much I just get a kick out of just driving to the gas station for a Red Bull. What is your ideal day with this car? A day spent in Eureka Springs, Arkansas with the windows down enjoying the turns.Who gets to drive this car? No one but me and a few select friends. If your car had a motto, what would it be? Don’t take your car so seriously that you can’t enjoy it anymore.
If you had to name your car, what would you name it? No names here, never believed in them for a car. But I’m not saying I don’t talk to her.What was your previous project?Previous project was a MKIII VR Jetta, not enough character.What is your next project? Next project should be back to where I started with a classic car again. I have a ‘72 Cutlass waiting in the wings for a little attention, but I had another VW in the garage before the coupe even left.What one word best describes your car? Mine.Anything else you’d like to share? At the end of the day, whatever you drive, it’s only a car.Owner InformationName: Jon EberleVWvortex username: Wraith04Occupation: GlazierClub affiliations: Blitz RennsportVehicle InformationYear: 1990Make: VolkswagenModel: Jetta GLMileage: 150,000Original Color: Light Sahara MetallicCurrent Color: Light Sahara MetallicEngine: 2.0 ABA CrossflowEngine modifications: Megasquirt stand alone, Autotech 270 cam, Autotech adjustable cam gear, filter on a stick, G60 injectors, Innovate wide band, urethane rear mount, BFI solid front mount, engine harness relocated to frame railsExhaust modifications: Factory dual downpipe, Magnaflow high flow catalytic convertor, Techtonics cat backTransmission modifications: Eurosport short shift kit, MKIII weighted shift rod, Royal Purple gear lube, Eurospec lightened flywheel, 16v pressure plateSuspension modifications: B&G RS coilovers, VR strut mountsBrake modifications: 11” Corrado calipers and rotors, MKIII spindles, Autotech stainless lines, Mintex padsWheels and tires: 15”x8” BBS RFs, 195/45/15 Toyo T1RsExterior/body modifications: Polished Fox handles, Scirocco single wiper conversion, factory E-codes, color matched core supportInterior modifications: BBS knock-off steering wheel, gauges and switches changed to blue lighting, custom door pocket speaker podsAudio/video/I.C.E.: Pioneer CD player with iPod hook-up, 3.5”s in the dash, 5.25”s in the doorsThanks/props: Adrian, Kevin, William and everyone else at Blitz Rennsport. Also, thanks to Jakeb at www.jakeb.net for the pics.


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