After well over a year of speculation, Volkswagen has finally announced that it will build a new production facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The location of the new facility is northwest of the Chattanooga city center on a 1350-acre site called Enterprise South Industrial Park. The new facility will directly create more than 1,200 new jobs and additional suppliers that move into the area to support the factory will increase that number substantially. Volkswagen expects the facility to invest more than $1 billion into the local economy.Volkswagen plans to produce a new mid-sized platform at this factory. Essentially this will be a U.S. market-specific Passat model, although it may not be called "Passat" when it arrives in 2011. The current Passat is the number one selling mid-size sedan in Germany and is therefore important to Volkswagen AG. This means the development of the Passat primarily focuses on the needs of the German market first and all other markets second. The current model is also produced in Emden, Germany and is expensive to export to the U.S. market due to the poor value of the dollar. As a result the U.S. Passat costs more than similar competitors, isn't competitive in dimensions and size and struggles to find its market niche. Volkswagen of America will now be able to specifically build a car better suited to this market, realize significant cost savings (since it won't have to be imported from Germany) and, most importantly, have a new mid-size car platform strategy that *could* result in a minivan and other mid-size vehicle entries that share components similar to the Toyota Camry/Sienna/Highlander.One other interesting note in the press release below is Dr. Winterkorn's prediction that Volkswagen will be selling 800,000 plus vehicles in the U.S. market by 2018. If this were true (despite our enthusiasm for the company we're very skeptical VW can pull it off) the company and brand would no doubt change significantly with that number of products on the road. VW would go from a unique quirky European brand with a young following to another mass-market brand likely to lose some of its youthfulness, particularly if we start seeing VWs on every street corner. VW *has* to be profitable in this country and we can't blame any manufacturer for wanting to increase sales. However if VW spends too much time chasing the 500 pound gorilla that is Toyota they may lose focus on what makes their vehicles unique and ultimately end up with compromised products, too many models and a customer base that starts climbing in age. The average age of a Camry owner is 54 now. Is that the demographic VW wants in their Passat? So long as VW continues to a build a product that is uniquely VW, european in character and isn't watered down chasing U.S. consumer tastes and Toyota blandness, we'll remain excited about the future. Anyway, we'll get off our soapbox and wish VW luck with their new facility. We're excited to see what products they produce and look forward to some new products we can sink our teeth into.VW's press release follows below:VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES IT WILL PRODUCE CARS IN CHATTANOOGA; DECISION MARKS COMPANY’S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO NORTH AMERICAN MARKETHERNDON, Va. (July 15, 2008) — Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. announced today that it will build a U.S. automotive production facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., where it will produce a car designed specifically for the North American consumer and invest $1 billion in the economy. The announcement is an important element of the company’s overall U.S. strategy of connecting with its customers, increasing its competitiveness and tripling its U.S. customer base in the next decade.“The U.S. market is an important part of our volume strategy and we are now very resolutely accessing that market,” said Prof. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG. “Volkswagen will be extremely active there. This plant represents a milestone in Volkswagen’s growth strategy. We will be selling 800,000 Volkswagens in the U.S. by 2018, and this new site will play a key role. This, along with our growth strategy, is a prerequisite for the economic success of the company in the dollar region. We look forward to establishing an important mainstay for ourselves when we become the biggest European carmaker there.”“This is a significant step forward in achieving our goals in the U.S. market and a clear sign of the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the North American consumer. Today’s decision is a fundamental part of our new strategic direction in the U.S. and our five-pillar strategy,” said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “Chattanooga is an excellent fit for the Volkswagen culture, having an exceptional quality of life and a long manufacturing tradition.”The company will build the facility in the Enterprise South Industrial Park, located 12 miles northeast of downtown Chattanooga. The 1,350-acre site is 100 percent owned by the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County and is certified as an industrial megasite by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Enterprise South is adjacent to Interstate 75. Initial production capacity for the facility is anticipated to be 150,000 vehicles, including a new midsize sedan designed specifically for the North American market. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2011.“I’m enormously pleased by the announcement from Volkswagen Group of America and grateful for the company’s investment in Chattanooga and in the people of Tennessee,” said Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. “I believe Volkswagen chose Tennessee because of our shared values, our commitment to innovation and our strong respect for the environment. This project will have a significant impact on the economy of Tennessee and the region for decades to come.”“I couldn’t be more pleased that the spirit of partnership between the state of Tennessee, Volkswagen and the government and business leadership of Chattanooga and Hamilton County has resulted in this significant investment in Enterprise South,” said Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “Volkswagen’s investment in this community means the hard work and dedication demonstrated by people at the state and local level to create one of the best business climates in the country is paying off.”“We started with a vision of transforming an idle Army facility into the source of thousands of family-wage jobs,” said Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey. “Over the last 14 years, I’ve worked with four different city mayors as well as county commissioners, city councilmen and countless others in overcoming barriers and objections to that plan. Today, we stand with our new friends from Volkswagen to make a historic announcement that will create new opportunities for our community for years to come.”“Volkswagen and Chattanooga have a lot in common,” said Chattanooga City Mayor Ron Littlefield. “Both are serious about environmental sustainability and 21st Century manufacturing.” Environmental responsibility is a core value of the Volkswagen Group. The company’s focus on sustainable mobility and environmentally responsible manufacturing are right in line with Chattanooga’s strong environmental commitment. As an expression of this shared commitment, the state of Tennessee, Volkswagen and Chattanooga-area organizations are partnering to distribute two saplings for every tree displaced by the project. The new trees will be planted by local school children.According to United States Sen. Bob Corker, who was mayor of Chattanooga when the city and Hamilton County acquired the land and established Enterprise South as an industrial park, the Volkswagen announcement represents a new chapter in Chattanooga’s success story. “Through twists and turns, our community has maintained focus, invested wisely and exercised tremendous effort and energy in recruiting a major employer to Enterprise South. The breaking of this final barrier and the realization of the vision to which we have held true will take us to levels we can only begin to imagine,” said Corker.He continued, “Volkswagen is the very best manufacturer and partner we could possibly have in terms of our shared values, and as a result of their enormous investment, not only will Chattanooga be forever changed, but our entire state will reap great benefits from the new suppliers that this facility will attract to the region. I am proud to have been part of a dedicated team that has worked seamlessly on this effort and celebrate this outstanding achievement for our city and our state.”United States Sen. Lamar Alexander praised Volkswagen’s decision to locate at Enterprise South, saying, “Volkswagen and Chattanooga, the ideal marriage: one of the world's most admired companies and one of America’s most livable cities. This decision keeps Tennessee on the road to becoming the No. 1 state in auto jobs. Congratulations especially to Gov. Bredesen, Sen. Corker and Mayors Ramsey and Littlefield for their leadership,” Alexander concluded.“Over the past seven months, more than 100 Tennesseans at the local, state and federal level have worked odd hours on short deadlines to help us reach this day,” said Trevor Hamilton, vice president of economic development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. “From this day forward, we dedicate ourselves to partnering with Volkswagen to move from construction to production as quickly as possible. We will unify our team with Volkwagen’s to ensure long-term success for the company, our community and the state of Tennessee.”With the new plant, Volkswagen will bring about 2,000 direct jobs to the area, and will add a significant number of jobs in related sectors. It is expected that these jobs will come from the tri-state area, pulling from the labor force of Tennessee as well as Georgia and Alabama. Volkswagen of America received an attractive, comprehensive package of incentives for the new facility from Gov. Bredesen’s office and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The statutory incentives are tied to job creation and capital investment. Additional support includes assistance for public infrastructure and job training, each designed to ensure the local economy best leverages Volkswagen’s investment to benefit the local work force and ensure the facility’s success.“This area has a deep base of well-trained labor, with excellent engineering and manufacturing programs at the universities and technical colleges,” added Jacoby. “Thanks to the visionary leaders and people of Chattanooga, we’re confident that the values of this area are compatible with our own, and we envision a long and productive partnership.”Last year, Volkswagen outlined a new strategic direction in the U.S. based on five pillars: product, brand positioning, dealer network, organization and local production. As it moved forward to assess the potential for local production, the company considered many other site options and earlier this year had narrowed its search to Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee.“We reviewed three excellent sites, all of which had the specific qualities necessary to build a plant in the United States,” said Jacoby. “Both Gov. Granholm and Gov. Riley were strong advocates on behalf of their states and the citizens they represent. This was a difficult decision, but we look forward to continuing our relationships with both states. I thank both governors and their staffs.”
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Project Turbunnium Part II: Body Modifications
I first met the Thunder BunnyTM in a dimly lit corner of a display hall at Chicago's McCormick Place in 2007. Designed and built at Volkswagen's Design Center California in Santa Monica, the Thunder Bunny paid homage to the Neuspeed-modified 1981 Rabbit of the same name that foreshadowed the arrival of the 1983 GTI. The Thunder Bunny, with its Candy White paint and pearlescent-swirl accents, was also the driving force behind purchasing our Candy White 2007 Rabbit. When we bought the car, rumors had come to us via Auburn Hills that the Thunder Bunny's body kit was going to see production, and the thought of building a car patterned after VW's show beauty was irresistible. Two months ago, the first prototype body kits began filtering out of VW, and we were able to snap one up.The Con-Way delivery truck hadn't even pulled away from the Vortex offices before we were elbows-deep in three large cardboard boxes. The body kit features three components — a front bumper, a rear bumper, and side skirts — which are available pre-installed on new GTIs and Rabbits, or a la carte in either primered or prepainted form for non-foglight (Rabbit and Jetta) or foglight (GTI and GLI) applications. We opted to have the bumpers and skirts prepainted in Candy White for our Rabbit to make installation easier. Like the Thunder Bunny, we chose to go with a black grille, although Rabbit owners can retain their original body-colored piece if the monochromatic look is preferred.Installing the pieces doesn't take more than a day's worth of work, a few friends, and some hand tools. We've worked up a broad overview of the process to give you an idea what you're in for if you want to try your hand at upgrading your VW by yourself.Front bumper:
• Remove the two screws holding the grille to the body. Release the two locktabs holding the grille in place and it will tilt forward and pull off in your hands.• With the grille removed, take out the screws holding the bumper to the radiator support, the screws holding the bumper to the fender and the wheel well liner, and the screws holding the bumper to the underside of the body. You may want to turn the wheels hard to each side to give yourself extra access to them.
• Enlist the help of a friend to pull the bumper straight forward and off of the car. There are two locking tabs that need to be released on the inside of the lower grille before the bumper can be removed. There will be wiring looms for the front marker lights that you'll want to remove, so unplug the connectors from the side marker lamps and gently tug on the plastic Christmas-tree clips attaching the wiring harness to the front bumper. Set these aside, as you'll need to reuse them. Remove the side markers by pressing down on their locking tabs and pressing them through the sides of the bumper.
• With the bumper removed and set aside, you'll need to remove the old reinforcing foam pad from the steel bumper bar. There is a new pad included with the Thunder Bunny bumper.• The shape of the Thunder Bunny bumper necessitates removing some of the support bracket under the headlights. We used an angle grinder to make short work of it, but you can easily use a pliers to snap off the pieces that need to go — here's a "before and after" to give you an idea of what needs to be lopped off.
• Now you'll need to assemble the Thunder Bunny front bumper. There are three lower grilles that need to be installed, two blackout covers that go behind them, a mounting bracket that the grille attaches to, two guides that direct air through the radiator that need to be attached on either side of the lower valence, and two filler plates that extend out to attach the sides of the bumper to the wheel well liners, because the Thunder Bunny bumper is almost 2" wider at its base than the stocker. Installing the center grille is a simple matter of lining up the mounting tabs, making sure the piece is seated fully, and pressing down supplied one-time use clips over the tabs to lock it in place. The side grilles require inserting gray plastic expansion plugs into holes in the bumper. Be sure to insert them so the slot in the plug is parallel to the slot in the bumper as pictured. With the plugs in place, install the mesh grilles and fasten them down using the supplied Phillips screws. After the grilles are in, you can install the rear covers by locating them over the mounting tabs on the rear of the bumper and securing them in place with one-time use clips. The upper bracket and lower air guides are held in place by four Torx scews and four pop rivets, which are supplied, and are tightened down by using a pop-rivet gun, which isn't. New ones are under $12 at Autozone, however. The filler plates for the bumper sides are held in place by Torx screws, which are also included in the bag of hardware.
• The bumper is almost ready to install at this point — there's just one more step to assemble the front bumper before putting it on the Rabbit. The lower spoiler is made out of an extremely firm rubber and snaps into slots alongside the bottom of the front bumper. Start at one end of the bumper and you'll be able to easily snap the strip into place.• Remove the backing from the tape strips on the new bumper foam and install it.• You'll need to snap in your old turn signals or (as you should!) new smoked turn signals. Carefully route the wiring loom from the front of the car so that it won't get pinched or hung up on any of the brackets.• With someone on each side of the car, carefully guide the mounting tabs into the slots on each side of the fender. Make sure that the wiring for the turn signals doesn't got caught on the bumper bar as you slide the bumper into place. Install the screws into the grille bracket and wheel well liners.
• The Thunder Bunny bumper sits nearly an inch lower than the stock bumper, so there are spacers and longer screws supplied to hold the new bumper to the original mounting locations. Make sure that you use the correct spacers and screws in the correct locations — the included instructions show exactly where they should go.• Snap in the towing eyelet cover and install the new grille. The VW emblem snaps into place with a clockwise turn.
Rear bumper:• Open the hatch and, using your fingers, locate the two slits in the trunk carpet that allow access to the nuts holding in the taillights. If you haven't yet removed your taillights, there will be small perforations holding the carpet together that you'll need to tear.
• Using a small flatblade screwdriver, release the tabs that hold the wiring harness to the taillights by turning the blade until the catch releases.• Remove the two 10mm nuts that are holding the taillights against the body and gently remove them. It's very easy to accidentally scratch the paint when pushing the threaded studs out, so be careful.
• With the taillights removed, you'll have access to the four screws holding the bumper to the car's body. Those need to be removed, as well as the screws holding the bumper to the wheel well liner (there is one vertical screw on each side that is difficult to get to — removing the wheel allows much better access to them) and the screws on the underside of the bumper that hold it to the underbody.
• With the screws removed, the bumper simply slides off the car. Be sure to unplug the two license plate lights and carefully remove the clips that hold their wiring loom to the bumper.• Unlike the front bumper, there isn't much assembly work that needs to be done before installing the rear bumper. There are spacers on each side that need to be attached using Torx screws, but other than that the bumper is ready to install as it's shipped.• If you ordered the bumper prepainted, the lower valence will be body color. We decided that we wanted ours to be semi-flat black to match the rub strips on the Rabbit, so we scuffed it down with 3M pads, washed the area with Eastwood pre-paint prep solvent to remove any oils and dust, primed the area, and sprayed it with flexible bumper-and-trim paint. If you're doing this yourself, it's vitally important to make sure that the paint you use is designed for use on bumpers and plastic parts. Most paint does not have a flex agent mixed in with it and will chip, crack, craze, and flake off after a short while. Even if nobody bumps your car, the expansion and contraction of plastic bumpers sitting in the sun can cause the wrong paint to crack!• While the paint is drying, take this opportunity to remove the old reinforcing foam bar and install the new one that came with the Thunder Bunny rear bumper. The different shape of the bumper cover necessitates the new foam bar to keep it from being loose.• Remove the license plate lights from the old rear bumper, noting the direction that they were mounted. The lights have reflectors in them to shine light on the rear plate, and if they're installed backwards they won't light up much of anything. The two lights pop out easily by pressing in their locktab and pushing them out, much like the front sidemarkers.• Install the lights into the new rear bumper in the reverse of how you removed them from the old bumper.• Installing the new bumper is a simple matter of sliding the side mounting tabs into place and reinstalling the screws that were originally removed. Before sliding the bumper fully into place, reconnect the rear license plate lamps and clip the wiring loom to the new bumper using the original push-on mounting clips.
• The lower valence of the Thunder Bunny bumper is slightly longer than that of the stock bumper, which gives the stock exhaust tips a slight (half-inch) recess. We plan on upgrading the exhaust system of our Rabbit in a future installment, but if you're staying stock, you may want to invest in a set of longer tips.• There are no holes drilled for the license plate frame, so — heartbreak! — you'll need to take a drill to the freshly-painted surface of your new rear bumper. We held the plate up to the surface, made sure it was centered, traced the holes with a pencil, and drilled four 1/8" pilot holes. The screws for the license plate are self-tapping, and we let them cut threads into the cover.
Side skirts:Note: Installing the side skirts requires permanently bonding them to the sides of your car using windshield adhesive. Following the procedure to the letter is required, so if you're not confident in your ability to run an even bead of urethane along the sides of the skirts or don't feel comfortable with irreversibly modifying your car, you may want to have a body shop install them for you.• On the underside of your Rabbit's rocker panels, there will be several rubber body plugs. These will be removed and the holes in the body will be used to attach the side skirts' mounting brackets. Hold the skirt up to the car to determine which plugs need to be removed and yank them out with a gentle tug.
• Insert the mounting brackets for the side skirts by pushing them into the holes — there will a soft "snap" as they go into place — and then push the plastic box in the middle of the mounting bracket flush with the body of the bracket. This is a locking tab that prevents the bracket from ever falling off of the car.
• Remove the Torx screws at the bottom of the front and rear wheel well liner, and the lone screws at the rear side that holds the liner to the bottom of the rocker panel. You'll need to reuse these later on to attach the side skirts.
• Using sandpaper or a 3M scuff pad, rough up the flat area of the side skirt where you'll run the bead of urethane adhesive. Use a good prep solvent, like the Eastwood pre-paint prep we used on the rear bumper, to make sure that the area is free from dust, dirt, and skin oils.• Wipe down the lower half of the car's body and rocker panel using prep solvent to remove any wax or contaminants. We went over the body with a clay bar beforehand to remove any impurities in the paint, then wiped it down with prep solvent for good measure. The urethane will be bonding directly to the paint itself, so this step is critical.• Attach the side skirts to the car using the two mounting blocks you inserted into the rocker panels earlier. The skirts have some lateral adjustment built into these holes, so you can slide them forward and back to line them up on the body.• To help make cleanup easier, we first held the skirt to the body and laid down blue masking tape along the side of the body. We then traced the outline of the skirt on the tape with a pencil, and carefully scored the surface of the tape with a razor blade, removing any tape that would land under the area of the side skirt. This way, if any urethane were to ooze out during installation, it would stick to the tape and could be easily removed later, instead of having to deal with the urethane smeared on the body.• Securing the proper urethane in important! The included instructions call for Dow BETASEAL urethane, which is used to adhere glass directly to the body, such as the rear hatch window and side windows of the MKV. The only places that carried Dow BETASEAL were glass-repair shops, which sold it in 50-gallon drums. An equivalent product is 3M 08693, which is available at most NAPA auto parts stores. A note of caution — the windshield urethane that's sold at most chain parts stores is 3M 08609, which is a different adhesive and doesn't meet the standards laid down for the skirt adhesion.• Using a household caulk gun, apply a ¼ to 3/8" bead of urethane along the flat surface on the edge of the side skirt, making sure not to squeeze excess onto the surface of the side skirts.• Take a deep breath and position the skirt on the side of the car, taking care not to move it up or down too much so that the urethane doesn't poke out above the surface of the skirt. We installed the front screw to retain the skirt while leaving the bottom two screws loose and the rear screws uninstalled so that they weren't trying to pull the skirt away from the body.
• Using gaffer tape (duct tape will work here as well, but will leave more adhesive behind), run long stretches of tape to affix the skirt to the car body while the urethane cures. Use three stretches along the door sills and one long stretch to hold the skirt below the front fender. We used masking tape instead of gaffer tape (available from your local A/V store or Guitar Center) and encountered problems with the pieces sagging during the curing process, necessitating ripping them off the body, scraping the old urethane with razor blades, and trying again. To keep the long, upright section in front of the wheel attached, we used two ratcheting tie-down straps looped together to encircle the car, with rolled-up bunches of cardboard underneath the strap to keep the skirt pressed firmly against the Rabbit's body surface. Small C-clamps, designed for woodworking, held the skirt against the wheel well firmly.• After waiting the longest 24 hours of our lives, we removed the tape, cleaned up any adhesive residue, and tightened the two screws on the mounting blocks and the front screws holding the skirt to the fender well. The remaining screws on the rear of the skirt were then installed and snugged down. In our case, the skirt required a bit of coaxing to make it fit properly, as the stone-chip coating that's sprayed inside the rocker panel prevented the skirt from sitting tight against the body.All told, we were able to do the entire job without the need for power tools or even much in the way of hand tools. The kit from Volkswagen comes with everything you'll need to do the installation — every screw, bracket, zip tie, and piece of tape has been included — so there were none of those awful job-stopper moments that required waiting a week for the dealer to order a part of overnighting some obscure fastener bit from Germany.The fit and finish of the Thunder Bunny bumper is just as good as original equipment, which is exactly what we'd wanted — when removing factory parts, we wanted to replace them with things that would also look and feel like something that could have come down the assembly line. It's worth noting that the Thunder Bunny parts are durable enough to see use on every one of the TDI Cup racers that Volkswagen is currently campaigning.We love the look of the Thunder Bunny kit — the prominent black grilles complement the black rub strips along the car's flanks and the blacked-out rear diffuser adds some much-needed aggression to the Rabbit's formerly homey heinie. There's a problem, though: With the body kit in place, we need to do something to cure our Rabbit's family-friendly ride height and thick sidewalls. Stay tuned for the next installment of Project Turbunnium, where we'll give our VW's suspension and rolling stock some much needed love. Until then, be sure to drop by the VWvortex booth at Waterfest this coming weekend and see Project Turbunnium, sporting its full body kit, for yourself.
MORE INFORMATION:
Thunder Bunny Body Kit - Primered:JNV807101D Front bumper, Rabbit 2.5 without fog lightsJNV807301D Rear bumper, Rabbit 2.5JNV807101E Front bumper, GTI/GLI 2.0T with fog lights (includes prepainted in black magic grille and VW emblem)JNV807301E Rear bumper, GTIJNV853751 Side skirt set, 2 doorJNV853751A Side skirt set, 4 doorLinks:Volkswagen DriverGear
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• Remove the two screws holding the grille to the body. Release the two locktabs holding the grille in place and it will tilt forward and pull off in your hands.• With the grille removed, take out the screws holding the bumper to the radiator support, the screws holding the bumper to the fender and the wheel well liner, and the screws holding the bumper to the underside of the body. You may want to turn the wheels hard to each side to give yourself extra access to them.
• Enlist the help of a friend to pull the bumper straight forward and off of the car. There are two locking tabs that need to be released on the inside of the lower grille before the bumper can be removed. There will be wiring looms for the front marker lights that you'll want to remove, so unplug the connectors from the side marker lamps and gently tug on the plastic Christmas-tree clips attaching the wiring harness to the front bumper. Set these aside, as you'll need to reuse them. Remove the side markers by pressing down on their locking tabs and pressing them through the sides of the bumper.
• With the bumper removed and set aside, you'll need to remove the old reinforcing foam pad from the steel bumper bar. There is a new pad included with the Thunder Bunny bumper.• The shape of the Thunder Bunny bumper necessitates removing some of the support bracket under the headlights. We used an angle grinder to make short work of it, but you can easily use a pliers to snap off the pieces that need to go — here's a "before and after" to give you an idea of what needs to be lopped off.
• Now you'll need to assemble the Thunder Bunny front bumper. There are three lower grilles that need to be installed, two blackout covers that go behind them, a mounting bracket that the grille attaches to, two guides that direct air through the radiator that need to be attached on either side of the lower valence, and two filler plates that extend out to attach the sides of the bumper to the wheel well liners, because the Thunder Bunny bumper is almost 2" wider at its base than the stocker. Installing the center grille is a simple matter of lining up the mounting tabs, making sure the piece is seated fully, and pressing down supplied one-time use clips over the tabs to lock it in place. The side grilles require inserting gray plastic expansion plugs into holes in the bumper. Be sure to insert them so the slot in the plug is parallel to the slot in the bumper as pictured. With the plugs in place, install the mesh grilles and fasten them down using the supplied Phillips screws. After the grilles are in, you can install the rear covers by locating them over the mounting tabs on the rear of the bumper and securing them in place with one-time use clips. The upper bracket and lower air guides are held in place by four Torx scews and four pop rivets, which are supplied, and are tightened down by using a pop-rivet gun, which isn't. New ones are under $12 at Autozone, however. The filler plates for the bumper sides are held in place by Torx screws, which are also included in the bag of hardware.
• The bumper is almost ready to install at this point — there's just one more step to assemble the front bumper before putting it on the Rabbit. The lower spoiler is made out of an extremely firm rubber and snaps into slots alongside the bottom of the front bumper. Start at one end of the bumper and you'll be able to easily snap the strip into place.• Remove the backing from the tape strips on the new bumper foam and install it.• You'll need to snap in your old turn signals or (as you should!) new smoked turn signals. Carefully route the wiring loom from the front of the car so that it won't get pinched or hung up on any of the brackets.• With someone on each side of the car, carefully guide the mounting tabs into the slots on each side of the fender. Make sure that the wiring for the turn signals doesn't got caught on the bumper bar as you slide the bumper into place. Install the screws into the grille bracket and wheel well liners.
• The Thunder Bunny bumper sits nearly an inch lower than the stock bumper, so there are spacers and longer screws supplied to hold the new bumper to the original mounting locations. Make sure that you use the correct spacers and screws in the correct locations — the included instructions show exactly where they should go.• Snap in the towing eyelet cover and install the new grille. The VW emblem snaps into place with a clockwise turn.
Rear bumper:• Open the hatch and, using your fingers, locate the two slits in the trunk carpet that allow access to the nuts holding in the taillights. If you haven't yet removed your taillights, there will be small perforations holding the carpet together that you'll need to tear.
• Using a small flatblade screwdriver, release the tabs that hold the wiring harness to the taillights by turning the blade until the catch releases.• Remove the two 10mm nuts that are holding the taillights against the body and gently remove them. It's very easy to accidentally scratch the paint when pushing the threaded studs out, so be careful.
• With the taillights removed, you'll have access to the four screws holding the bumper to the car's body. Those need to be removed, as well as the screws holding the bumper to the wheel well liner (there is one vertical screw on each side that is difficult to get to — removing the wheel allows much better access to them) and the screws on the underside of the bumper that hold it to the underbody.
• With the screws removed, the bumper simply slides off the car. Be sure to unplug the two license plate lights and carefully remove the clips that hold their wiring loom to the bumper.• Unlike the front bumper, there isn't much assembly work that needs to be done before installing the rear bumper. There are spacers on each side that need to be attached using Torx screws, but other than that the bumper is ready to install as it's shipped.• If you ordered the bumper prepainted, the lower valence will be body color. We decided that we wanted ours to be semi-flat black to match the rub strips on the Rabbit, so we scuffed it down with 3M pads, washed the area with Eastwood pre-paint prep solvent to remove any oils and dust, primed the area, and sprayed it with flexible bumper-and-trim paint. If you're doing this yourself, it's vitally important to make sure that the paint you use is designed for use on bumpers and plastic parts. Most paint does not have a flex agent mixed in with it and will chip, crack, craze, and flake off after a short while. Even if nobody bumps your car, the expansion and contraction of plastic bumpers sitting in the sun can cause the wrong paint to crack!• While the paint is drying, take this opportunity to remove the old reinforcing foam bar and install the new one that came with the Thunder Bunny rear bumper. The different shape of the bumper cover necessitates the new foam bar to keep it from being loose.• Remove the license plate lights from the old rear bumper, noting the direction that they were mounted. The lights have reflectors in them to shine light on the rear plate, and if they're installed backwards they won't light up much of anything. The two lights pop out easily by pressing in their locktab and pushing them out, much like the front sidemarkers.• Install the lights into the new rear bumper in the reverse of how you removed them from the old bumper.• Installing the new bumper is a simple matter of sliding the side mounting tabs into place and reinstalling the screws that were originally removed. Before sliding the bumper fully into place, reconnect the rear license plate lamps and clip the wiring loom to the new bumper using the original push-on mounting clips.
• The lower valence of the Thunder Bunny bumper is slightly longer than that of the stock bumper, which gives the stock exhaust tips a slight (half-inch) recess. We plan on upgrading the exhaust system of our Rabbit in a future installment, but if you're staying stock, you may want to invest in a set of longer tips.• There are no holes drilled for the license plate frame, so — heartbreak! — you'll need to take a drill to the freshly-painted surface of your new rear bumper. We held the plate up to the surface, made sure it was centered, traced the holes with a pencil, and drilled four 1/8" pilot holes. The screws for the license plate are self-tapping, and we let them cut threads into the cover.
Side skirts:Note: Installing the side skirts requires permanently bonding them to the sides of your car using windshield adhesive. Following the procedure to the letter is required, so if you're not confident in your ability to run an even bead of urethane along the sides of the skirts or don't feel comfortable with irreversibly modifying your car, you may want to have a body shop install them for you.• On the underside of your Rabbit's rocker panels, there will be several rubber body plugs. These will be removed and the holes in the body will be used to attach the side skirts' mounting brackets. Hold the skirt up to the car to determine which plugs need to be removed and yank them out with a gentle tug.
• Insert the mounting brackets for the side skirts by pushing them into the holes — there will a soft "snap" as they go into place — and then push the plastic box in the middle of the mounting bracket flush with the body of the bracket. This is a locking tab that prevents the bracket from ever falling off of the car.
• Remove the Torx screws at the bottom of the front and rear wheel well liner, and the lone screws at the rear side that holds the liner to the bottom of the rocker panel. You'll need to reuse these later on to attach the side skirts.
• Using sandpaper or a 3M scuff pad, rough up the flat area of the side skirt where you'll run the bead of urethane adhesive. Use a good prep solvent, like the Eastwood pre-paint prep we used on the rear bumper, to make sure that the area is free from dust, dirt, and skin oils.• Wipe down the lower half of the car's body and rocker panel using prep solvent to remove any wax or contaminants. We went over the body with a clay bar beforehand to remove any impurities in the paint, then wiped it down with prep solvent for good measure. The urethane will be bonding directly to the paint itself, so this step is critical.• Attach the side skirts to the car using the two mounting blocks you inserted into the rocker panels earlier. The skirts have some lateral adjustment built into these holes, so you can slide them forward and back to line them up on the body.• To help make cleanup easier, we first held the skirt to the body and laid down blue masking tape along the side of the body. We then traced the outline of the skirt on the tape with a pencil, and carefully scored the surface of the tape with a razor blade, removing any tape that would land under the area of the side skirt. This way, if any urethane were to ooze out during installation, it would stick to the tape and could be easily removed later, instead of having to deal with the urethane smeared on the body.• Securing the proper urethane in important! The included instructions call for Dow BETASEAL urethane, which is used to adhere glass directly to the body, such as the rear hatch window and side windows of the MKV. The only places that carried Dow BETASEAL were glass-repair shops, which sold it in 50-gallon drums. An equivalent product is 3M 08693, which is available at most NAPA auto parts stores. A note of caution — the windshield urethane that's sold at most chain parts stores is 3M 08609, which is a different adhesive and doesn't meet the standards laid down for the skirt adhesion.• Using a household caulk gun, apply a ¼ to 3/8" bead of urethane along the flat surface on the edge of the side skirt, making sure not to squeeze excess onto the surface of the side skirts.• Take a deep breath and position the skirt on the side of the car, taking care not to move it up or down too much so that the urethane doesn't poke out above the surface of the skirt. We installed the front screw to retain the skirt while leaving the bottom two screws loose and the rear screws uninstalled so that they weren't trying to pull the skirt away from the body.
• Using gaffer tape (duct tape will work here as well, but will leave more adhesive behind), run long stretches of tape to affix the skirt to the car body while the urethane cures. Use three stretches along the door sills and one long stretch to hold the skirt below the front fender. We used masking tape instead of gaffer tape (available from your local A/V store or Guitar Center) and encountered problems with the pieces sagging during the curing process, necessitating ripping them off the body, scraping the old urethane with razor blades, and trying again. To keep the long, upright section in front of the wheel attached, we used two ratcheting tie-down straps looped together to encircle the car, with rolled-up bunches of cardboard underneath the strap to keep the skirt pressed firmly against the Rabbit's body surface. Small C-clamps, designed for woodworking, held the skirt against the wheel well firmly.• After waiting the longest 24 hours of our lives, we removed the tape, cleaned up any adhesive residue, and tightened the two screws on the mounting blocks and the front screws holding the skirt to the fender well. The remaining screws on the rear of the skirt were then installed and snugged down. In our case, the skirt required a bit of coaxing to make it fit properly, as the stone-chip coating that's sprayed inside the rocker panel prevented the skirt from sitting tight against the body.All told, we were able to do the entire job without the need for power tools or even much in the way of hand tools. The kit from Volkswagen comes with everything you'll need to do the installation — every screw, bracket, zip tie, and piece of tape has been included — so there were none of those awful job-stopper moments that required waiting a week for the dealer to order a part of overnighting some obscure fastener bit from Germany.The fit and finish of the Thunder Bunny bumper is just as good as original equipment, which is exactly what we'd wanted — when removing factory parts, we wanted to replace them with things that would also look and feel like something that could have come down the assembly line. It's worth noting that the Thunder Bunny parts are durable enough to see use on every one of the TDI Cup racers that Volkswagen is currently campaigning.We love the look of the Thunder Bunny kit — the prominent black grilles complement the black rub strips along the car's flanks and the blacked-out rear diffuser adds some much-needed aggression to the Rabbit's formerly homey heinie. There's a problem, though: With the body kit in place, we need to do something to cure our Rabbit's family-friendly ride height and thick sidewalls. Stay tuned for the next installment of Project Turbunnium, where we'll give our VW's suspension and rolling stock some much needed love. Until then, be sure to drop by the VWvortex booth at Waterfest this coming weekend and see Project Turbunnium, sporting its full body kit, for yourself.
MORE INFORMATION:
Thunder Bunny Body Kit - Primered:JNV807101D Front bumper, Rabbit 2.5 without fog lightsJNV807301D Rear bumper, Rabbit 2.5JNV807101E Front bumper, GTI/GLI 2.0T with fog lights (includes prepainted in black magic grille and VW emblem)JNV807301E Rear bumper, GTIJNV853751 Side skirt set, 2 doorJNV853751A Side skirt set, 4 doorLinks:Volkswagen DriverGear
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GTI W12 Spotting in Virginia: A Waterfest Preview
Poll anyone in the enthusiast scene and they’ll tell you that Waterfest is the event of the summer. Fourteen years running, you’d think the mammoth show, drag-races and all-out vendor extravaganza would stumble here or there. It hasn’t, and continues to flex its dominance in the American scene. This point made crystal clear to us recently on a visit to Volkswagen’s new headquarters in Herndon, VA.
We had it on good word that the 650-horsepower GTI W12 built for last year’s Woerthersee show had just arrived via air transport from Germany and that we might get a quick peek. The car’s been shipped to the States for the summer so that Volkswagen can utilize it at several of our own key enthusiast events. The first of these is Waterfest.As we snapped photos of the car, VW representatives explained some of the plan…
One of the many cruises funneling owners to Waterfest this year is the Eurotuner Kreuzerfest that stages from VW’s new headquarters outside of Washington, D.C. Though the GTI W12 won’t be cruising as it’s worth bajillions and isn’t street legal, Volkswagen’s Virginia staff will be rolling the car out for the cruisers and any other enthusiasts who happen by in order to get a peek before the group heads out. Eurotuner lists the time of the event in VA at 9:30AM. Past SEMA cars like the GTI-R and Jetta SportWagen will also be there to ogle before hitting the pavement for New Jersey.
Volkswagen would love to see as many enthusiasts who can show up – cruising or not, because it helps convince executives that investment and involvement in the enthusiast scene and shows like Waterfest is money well spent. Looking out their office windows and seeing a sea of rabid owners makes this even more obvious.
In addition to Kreuzerfest, there are any number of convoys and cruises that will make their way to the big event. Whether it be organized runs like the Orange Ball that originates in Montreal or word-of-mouth affairs as we’ve also seen forming, you can get the skinny on virtually all of them in our Waterfest discussion forum.
From Herndon, the W12 will be shipped to Englishtown wheremit will be on display throughout the weekend at the Volkswagen stand alongside the past SEMA cars, a Jetta TDI Cup racer and more. Make sure to stop by the stand and ask the Volkswagen staff what their plans are for Saturday night. No doubt some of these cars will make a showing after the sun falls and wherever they are may be the cool place to hang for the evening.
VWvortex and its sister website Fourtitude will have a display adjoining that of Volkswagen. In addition to our own Project Turbunnium Rabbit, the Vortex Media Group display will include Fourtitude’s 4 Season Audi S6, an Audi R8, Swedespeed.com’s Project Volvo C30, Mwerks.com’s Project BMW 135i and several other vehicles.
If you don’t have plans for Waterfest, perhaps you should reconsider. The event goes down in less than two weeks, from July 19-20 and Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. In the meantime, check out more photos of the GTI W12 650 via the gallery link below.
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We had it on good word that the 650-horsepower GTI W12 built for last year’s Woerthersee show had just arrived via air transport from Germany and that we might get a quick peek. The car’s been shipped to the States for the summer so that Volkswagen can utilize it at several of our own key enthusiast events. The first of these is Waterfest.As we snapped photos of the car, VW representatives explained some of the plan…
One of the many cruises funneling owners to Waterfest this year is the Eurotuner Kreuzerfest that stages from VW’s new headquarters outside of Washington, D.C. Though the GTI W12 won’t be cruising as it’s worth bajillions and isn’t street legal, Volkswagen’s Virginia staff will be rolling the car out for the cruisers and any other enthusiasts who happen by in order to get a peek before the group heads out. Eurotuner lists the time of the event in VA at 9:30AM. Past SEMA cars like the GTI-R and Jetta SportWagen will also be there to ogle before hitting the pavement for New Jersey.
Volkswagen would love to see as many enthusiasts who can show up – cruising or not, because it helps convince executives that investment and involvement in the enthusiast scene and shows like Waterfest is money well spent. Looking out their office windows and seeing a sea of rabid owners makes this even more obvious.
In addition to Kreuzerfest, there are any number of convoys and cruises that will make their way to the big event. Whether it be organized runs like the Orange Ball that originates in Montreal or word-of-mouth affairs as we’ve also seen forming, you can get the skinny on virtually all of them in our Waterfest discussion forum.
From Herndon, the W12 will be shipped to Englishtown wheremit will be on display throughout the weekend at the Volkswagen stand alongside the past SEMA cars, a Jetta TDI Cup racer and more. Make sure to stop by the stand and ask the Volkswagen staff what their plans are for Saturday night. No doubt some of these cars will make a showing after the sun falls and wherever they are may be the cool place to hang for the evening.
VWvortex and its sister website Fourtitude will have a display adjoining that of Volkswagen. In addition to our own Project Turbunnium Rabbit, the Vortex Media Group display will include Fourtitude’s 4 Season Audi S6, an Audi R8, Swedespeed.com’s Project Volvo C30, Mwerks.com’s Project BMW 135i and several other vehicles.
If you don’t have plans for Waterfest, perhaps you should reconsider. The event goes down in less than two weeks, from July 19-20 and Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. In the meantime, check out more photos of the GTI W12 650 via the gallery link below.
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Three Volkswagen Concepts Reflect the Past, Present and Future at Goodwood
A trio of Volkswagen concept vehicles are set to make their UK debut at The Goodwood Festival of Speed between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th July.The Scirocco GT24 concept is a sister vehicle to the race cars which not only won their class at the recent Nürburgring 24 hour race but also finished 11th overall out of over 200 starters among far more exotic machinery. Sharing the same drivetrain, carbon panels and 325 PS 2.0-litre TSI engine the Scirocco GT24 adds a series of detail changes to the interior including leather bucket seats and a rear-facing camera to record the expression on the passenger’s face as the car races up the notorious Goodwood Hill.
Making a total of six runs up the hill over the three days, The Festival of Speed marks the first time the Scirocco GT24 has been driven in the UK.From the recent past the innovative W12 Coupé concept first seen in 1997 will make an appearance in the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ area. Serving as a research vehicle designed to prove the strength and durability of the W12 engine, an example of the W12 Coupé lapped the Nardo test track in October 2001 for 24 hours, covering a total of 4,402 miles at an average speed of 183 mph to set a world speed record.
Looking forward, the up! concept vehicle will feature in the Goodwood Technology Pavilion – dedicated to innovative vehicles. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year the up! acts as inspiration for a new range of highly efficient small cars from Volkswagen currently in development.Now in its 16th year The Goodwood Festival of Speed is expected to host 150,000 spectators over three days from July 11th – 13th. More information on The Festival can be found at www.goodwood.co.uk/fos
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Making a total of six runs up the hill over the three days, The Festival of Speed marks the first time the Scirocco GT24 has been driven in the UK.From the recent past the innovative W12 Coupé concept first seen in 1997 will make an appearance in the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ area. Serving as a research vehicle designed to prove the strength and durability of the W12 engine, an example of the W12 Coupé lapped the Nardo test track in October 2001 for 24 hours, covering a total of 4,402 miles at an average speed of 183 mph to set a world speed record.
Looking forward, the up! concept vehicle will feature in the Goodwood Technology Pavilion – dedicated to innovative vehicles. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year the up! acts as inspiration for a new range of highly efficient small cars from Volkswagen currently in development.Now in its 16th year The Goodwood Festival of Speed is expected to host 150,000 spectators over three days from July 11th – 13th. More information on The Festival can be found at www.goodwood.co.uk/fos
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Ferdinand Porsche Biography Debut at 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Author Karl Ludvigsen and Ferdinand Porsche’s eldest grandchild Ernst Piëch will both be on-hand as the book will be premiered at the annual motorsport event. Mr. Piëch's 1910 Prince Heinrich car, originally designed by Ferdinand Porsche, will be on display as well as participating in the traditional hillclimb. The story of the original conception and construction of the Prince Heinrich is a key feature of Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of Genius. Karl Ludvigsen and Ernst Piëch will appear at the Goodwood Press Centre on Saturday July 12 at 10:30 AM to introduce the 1910 Prince Heinrich and answer questions about “Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of Genius”. Karl Ludvigsen will be signing copies of his book from 2 to 3:30 PM at the Bentley Publishers stand.“Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of Genius” is written by Karl Ludvigsen, award-winning author of “Porsche: Excellence Was Expected”. Produced with the generous support of Ferdinand Porsche’s eldest grandchild Ernst Piëch and the Porsche Historic Archive in Stuttgart, this book includes hundreds of never-before-published photos and documents that catalogue Porsche’s prolific early output, as well as first-hand accounts by Ferdinand Porsche himself. “Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of Genius” is being published in an individually numbered limited edition of 500 English language copies and 300 German language copies by Bentley Publishers.Additional material on “Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of Genius”, including high-resolution images of the dust jacket, selected images from the book, pre-publication photos of the book itself, and other press materials, can be found at www.BentleyPublishers.com/porsche/genesis-of-genius.Karl Ludvigsen’s epic Porsche history “Porsche: Excellence Was Expected” will be available in a newly revised edition late 2008 from Bentley Publishers. Much more information on this new edition can be found at www.BentleyPublishers.com/porsche/excellence-was-expected.
MORE INFORMATION:
“Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of GeniusRoad, Racing and Aviation Innovation 1900 to 1933”by Karl LudvigsenForeword by Ernst PiëchDeluxe large format (9.5 in. x 12 in.) hardcover book presented in Savannah cloth-covered, emobossed slipcase486 pages570 duotone and color photos & illustrationsBentley Stock Number: GPGE (English) / GPGD (German)ISBN: 978-0-8376-1344-5 (English)ISBN: 978-0-837
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MORE INFORMATION:
“Ferdinand Porsche—Genesis of GeniusRoad, Racing and Aviation Innovation 1900 to 1933”by Karl LudvigsenForeword by Ernst PiëchDeluxe large format (9.5 in. x 12 in.) hardcover book presented in Savannah cloth-covered, emobossed slipcase486 pages570 duotone and color photos & illustrationsBentley Stock Number: GPGE (English) / GPGD (German)ISBN: 978-0-8376-1344-5 (English)ISBN: 978-0-837
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
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AUTObiography: J-tec's 2001 VW Jetta
Next up is VWvortex reader: J-tecHow long have you owned this car? For 2 years and 10 days, but who’s counting?Is there anything unique about the history of this car? The previous owner of it was the owner of some bio-chemical company. I found his card when installing an iPod connector to the back of my head unit. I called him and asked if he beat on it, and he replied no, it was a daily, his Ferrari was for that. Ha!Why did you choose this car to purchase? I always liked the modified styling of the Jetta, but I mainly bought it (at the time) because of the engine and the wheels (stock RXIIs). It just stuck out to me when I was looking through ads online. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was mine.What other cars did you consider?MKIV GTI 1.8T and VR6, dare I say Mustang GT, WRX, and last resort, RSX Type S.What was your objective with this car?At first it was to modify it slightly, to just enjoy the car, eventually chip it and call it a day. The first day I drove it and heard the turbo, that instantly changed. I never thought it would change the way I look at cars and how much money I would put into it, but I love that factor.
What tuning style best describes this car (ex. Euro, bling, OEMplus, street racer, auto crosser)? Style? It’s my own style. Except for the Euro plate. That’s strictly Euro. Who helped you build this car?My dad bought me the car for getting great grades in school. Big props to pops on that. Then completely myself for mods until I went to college. I had two jobs my entire senior year to pay for all the parts. Wrench time goes out to my five best friends and I, Emil, Andreas, Richy, Jason and Todd. My boss Murat at Common Street Auto helped me out big time too, can’t forget him. What makes your car special? I did everything (besides the K04 and Wavetrack limited slip differential) on a high school budget. It’s a daily driver, which I love, and on the weekends it’s a track monster.What is your favorite part/feature/function? My favorite parts are the K04-20 setup and the Wavetrack LSD I have on the car. The K04-20 kit is insane and completely transformed the car, while still maintaining that reliability factor I wanted. The Autotech (Wavetrack) LSD really helped getting the power to the ground. It’s an unbelievable upgrade that I would recommend to anyone, as well as the K04-20 kit. Both of those matched together make a very worthy track car, while still maintaining that daily driver mentality. It was dyno’d at 254 whp/270 wtq. The Wavetrack LSD was not on then, but it will have another dyno run soon with a new tune. Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car?Vortex and an old, old Waterfest video I saw before I bought the car. I was instantly hooked. As well as many of my friends that had turbo’d cars, I always wanted to have to boost, and a lot of it. What don't you like about this car?That I don’t have a sunroof. It’s the only thing I hate about the car, and I swear it’s the only 1.8T Wolfsburg Edition without one.What was your biggest obstacle in building this car? Money.How did you overcome the issue? Worked my bum off at two jobs for my entire senior year.What would you change if you could?The miles on the car, I just hit 98K, I wish I bought it at 35K. And the fact that I don’t have a sunroof.On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project?9.999999 (the other .000001 will be added when I get a sunroof).What would you do to the car if money were no object? Sunroof, R32 interior, 3.2 6-cyl swap with an HPA Stage 5 kit and 4Motion kit, just make it insane, something no one’s ever seen before.
Who has been your biggest critic of this project? My dad always wanted me to be safe and not make it go faster. He told me once when I said I was going to chip it, “I bought you a Jetta so you wouldn’t go as fast as that Mustang you wanted, now you’re gonna go faster.” Thanks for the compliment, pops. He’d always tell me to save my money and stop putting it into the car, it’s just going to depreciate. I don’t believe in saving money so it doesn’t depreciate, I enjoy it. Hahaha.What do your family and friends say about this car? They love it, love the boost, how nice it is inside and out, how clean it is, how they love the front mount, the wheels, etc. They always ask me, “What’s up with the Euro plate?” My mom thinks it’s way too loud, my dad just wants me to be safe with it and my friends absolutely love it. Best quote after my buddy got a ride in it: “Dude, your car’s tahded.” What is your most memorable/humorous/embarrassing moment with this car? Memorable? Probably when my friends and I installed the FMIC and then the K04-20. Humorous? Definitely the time when I was coming back from “Staggered” in Connecticut with Darkstar Dubs. I was on the highway and saw a brand new Audi TT convertible and immediately decided move up next to it. A middle aged couple in the car, I come up next to the passenger window, wave and give the thumbs up. I get a smile in return, but I really wanted to see the TT move, hear that new K04 spool up. I encourage this, hitting full boost for a little and then letting off. As I come back next to the window, I glance over to see that they’re smiling and laughing a little, the wife has a huge smile on her face. The husband leans over, gives me the thumbs up with a big smile on, and reaches down for something. He shows us a black, foldable, leather carrier, with something shiny in it. My thought process of about two seconds goes like this: “What is that? Why the hell would this guy show me his wallet… OMFG, it’s a police badge!” Needless to say, I slammed on my brakes, waved, gave another thumbs up, and went on my way. Most embarrassing would be when I didn’t see a little oil cover sticking up in the road, hit it, bent two wheels and popped two tires. That was a great night.Has this car competed in any events? Results? Track events, quarter mile mostly, best I ran was 15.2@92 (on the K03s). Recently I ran a 13.3@104 mph with the K04-20 installed. I can’t wait until I can get it to the track now since the Wavetrack LSD is installed.What is your favorite place to drive this car?On this newly paved windy road by my house and on any road in my girlfriend’s town in CT, they have the craziest bends and turns I’ve ever seen. Pretty much any road with new pavement, S turns, switch backs, etc. that let me have fun with the car.What is your ideal day with this car? In the summer, fresh wash and wax in the morning with the crew, some Dub/Audi meet in the afternoon, a nice cruise with all my friends to the beach, pictures of all the cars at the beach, go for a nice swim and go for a nice run on the sand, have a nice dinner at a nice burger place where I can see the car from where I sit, cruise home with everyone, blasting Incubus and Chili Peppers the whole way home. Who gets to drive this car? Me, my girlfriend has sometimes, and my best friends.What was your previous project? This was my first car.
What is your next project? I had my next project, but had to sell it to get the K04-20 because my K03s was dying; it was a MKII Golf and it was sweet. I sold it to my brother though, so it’s still in the family. But yeah, when I get more money I want to get a nice MKII Jetta, red, and do a VR6T swap, and it will have a sunroof! What one word best describes your car? Thick.Anything else you’d like to share? Doing the K04-20 swap was unreal. After getting the turbo in, it was like night and day. The only problem I had with it is getting the power to the ground, and after putting in the Wavetrack LSD, it made a hell of a difference. Without it, the car wouldn’t be the monster that it is, with power at both wheels, the K04 can hurl the car across the track. I would recommend the setup I’m running to anyone. The K04-20 and the Wavetrack LSD is a perfect match. Something else I’d like to share is that I’m so glad I got into VWs. It’s the place for me. There’s no other car company out there that has the same type of hospitality and friendliness as VW/Audi does. It goes from getting waves from other Dubbers when driving, to having someone come over to your house 10 minutes after you put up a post on the forums saying your car’s acting up and need VAG-COM. The VW community is the best car community out there, and I absolutely love being a part of it.
Owner Information:Name: JonnyVWvortex username: J-tecOccupation: StudentClub affiliations: Dark Star Dubs, Boston Euro UnitVehicle Information:Year: 2001 Make: VWModel: Jetta 1.8T Wolfsburg EditionMileage: 98,XXXOriginal color: Uni BlackCurrent color: Uni BlackEngine: 1.8TEngine modifications: K04-20 kit (manifold, injectors, 3” MAF, etc.), GIAC K04-20 93 and Race file, Wavetrack LSD, FMIC, N75 J valve, Intake, Forge 007 DVExhaust modifications: Full 2.5” cat-less turbo-backTransmission modifications: Stage 2 VR6 power clutch with 14-lb flywheelSuspension modifications: H&R cup kitBrake modifications: GLI front brakesWheels and tires: 337 BBS RCs with Eagle F1 GS-D3sExterior/body modifications: 4Motion front lip, cut rear valence, Joey modded headlights, smoked side corners, badgeless grille, FMIC, tint, red calipers, S2000 antenna, GLI tailsInterior modifications: Black GTI sport cloth seats, black door handles, HKS turbo timer, boost gauge and center gauge podAudio/video/I.C.E.: Kenwood headunit, Infinity tweeters, Audiobahn A8000T amp, 2 12” Infinity reference series subwoofers, iPod hookupThanks/Props: Definitely BIG THANKS to my Dad for buying the car and really supporting me throughout owning it, really couldn’t have done it without him. To my Mom and Stewy for always helping with me with anything they can and dealing with tons of car parts being in the garage at all times. BIG BIG BIG thanks to The Crew and Co., Andreas, Emil, Todd, Jason, and Richy. These guys have always been there for me since before we could drive. Putting blood, sweat and tears into the Jetta, they’ve done some serious wrench time on the car. Countless good times fellas (baaacahk!), couldn’t have done it without you. BIG props go out to DSD/Fridays clique: Jon, Blake, Jim, Troy, Adam, from getting staggered for staggered to pushing Adam’s GTI out of the road to hangin’ out at the dome, these guys have really been there for me over this past year and the car, helping me with anything they can. Thanks to Rob and Denny at Autotech and Angel at Forge Motorsports. Shout outs to Zych, Tek, Bee, Andrew, Matt, Jay, Jon, Rob and everyone else at BEU! And last, but certainly not least, thanks to my amazing girlfriend who thank God loves VWs as well, for being the incredible girl that she is and always supporting me with what I love to do.
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What tuning style best describes this car (ex. Euro, bling, OEMplus, street racer, auto crosser)? Style? It’s my own style. Except for the Euro plate. That’s strictly Euro. Who helped you build this car?My dad bought me the car for getting great grades in school. Big props to pops on that. Then completely myself for mods until I went to college. I had two jobs my entire senior year to pay for all the parts. Wrench time goes out to my five best friends and I, Emil, Andreas, Richy, Jason and Todd. My boss Murat at Common Street Auto helped me out big time too, can’t forget him. What makes your car special? I did everything (besides the K04 and Wavetrack limited slip differential) on a high school budget. It’s a daily driver, which I love, and on the weekends it’s a track monster.What is your favorite part/feature/function? My favorite parts are the K04-20 setup and the Wavetrack LSD I have on the car. The K04-20 kit is insane and completely transformed the car, while still maintaining that reliability factor I wanted. The Autotech (Wavetrack) LSD really helped getting the power to the ground. It’s an unbelievable upgrade that I would recommend to anyone, as well as the K04-20 kit. Both of those matched together make a very worthy track car, while still maintaining that daily driver mentality. It was dyno’d at 254 whp/270 wtq. The Wavetrack LSD was not on then, but it will have another dyno run soon with a new tune. Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car?Vortex and an old, old Waterfest video I saw before I bought the car. I was instantly hooked. As well as many of my friends that had turbo’d cars, I always wanted to have to boost, and a lot of it. What don't you like about this car?That I don’t have a sunroof. It’s the only thing I hate about the car, and I swear it’s the only 1.8T Wolfsburg Edition without one.What was your biggest obstacle in building this car? Money.How did you overcome the issue? Worked my bum off at two jobs for my entire senior year.What would you change if you could?The miles on the car, I just hit 98K, I wish I bought it at 35K. And the fact that I don’t have a sunroof.On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project?9.999999 (the other .000001 will be added when I get a sunroof).What would you do to the car if money were no object? Sunroof, R32 interior, 3.2 6-cyl swap with an HPA Stage 5 kit and 4Motion kit, just make it insane, something no one’s ever seen before.
Who has been your biggest critic of this project? My dad always wanted me to be safe and not make it go faster. He told me once when I said I was going to chip it, “I bought you a Jetta so you wouldn’t go as fast as that Mustang you wanted, now you’re gonna go faster.” Thanks for the compliment, pops. He’d always tell me to save my money and stop putting it into the car, it’s just going to depreciate. I don’t believe in saving money so it doesn’t depreciate, I enjoy it. Hahaha.What do your family and friends say about this car? They love it, love the boost, how nice it is inside and out, how clean it is, how they love the front mount, the wheels, etc. They always ask me, “What’s up with the Euro plate?” My mom thinks it’s way too loud, my dad just wants me to be safe with it and my friends absolutely love it. Best quote after my buddy got a ride in it: “Dude, your car’s tahded.” What is your most memorable/humorous/embarrassing moment with this car? Memorable? Probably when my friends and I installed the FMIC and then the K04-20. Humorous? Definitely the time when I was coming back from “Staggered” in Connecticut with Darkstar Dubs. I was on the highway and saw a brand new Audi TT convertible and immediately decided move up next to it. A middle aged couple in the car, I come up next to the passenger window, wave and give the thumbs up. I get a smile in return, but I really wanted to see the TT move, hear that new K04 spool up. I encourage this, hitting full boost for a little and then letting off. As I come back next to the window, I glance over to see that they’re smiling and laughing a little, the wife has a huge smile on her face. The husband leans over, gives me the thumbs up with a big smile on, and reaches down for something. He shows us a black, foldable, leather carrier, with something shiny in it. My thought process of about two seconds goes like this: “What is that? Why the hell would this guy show me his wallet… OMFG, it’s a police badge!” Needless to say, I slammed on my brakes, waved, gave another thumbs up, and went on my way. Most embarrassing would be when I didn’t see a little oil cover sticking up in the road, hit it, bent two wheels and popped two tires. That was a great night.Has this car competed in any events? Results? Track events, quarter mile mostly, best I ran was 15.2@92 (on the K03s). Recently I ran a 13.3@104 mph with the K04-20 installed. I can’t wait until I can get it to the track now since the Wavetrack LSD is installed.What is your favorite place to drive this car?On this newly paved windy road by my house and on any road in my girlfriend’s town in CT, they have the craziest bends and turns I’ve ever seen. Pretty much any road with new pavement, S turns, switch backs, etc. that let me have fun with the car.What is your ideal day with this car? In the summer, fresh wash and wax in the morning with the crew, some Dub/Audi meet in the afternoon, a nice cruise with all my friends to the beach, pictures of all the cars at the beach, go for a nice swim and go for a nice run on the sand, have a nice dinner at a nice burger place where I can see the car from where I sit, cruise home with everyone, blasting Incubus and Chili Peppers the whole way home. Who gets to drive this car? Me, my girlfriend has sometimes, and my best friends.What was your previous project? This was my first car.
What is your next project? I had my next project, but had to sell it to get the K04-20 because my K03s was dying; it was a MKII Golf and it was sweet. I sold it to my brother though, so it’s still in the family. But yeah, when I get more money I want to get a nice MKII Jetta, red, and do a VR6T swap, and it will have a sunroof! What one word best describes your car? Thick.Anything else you’d like to share? Doing the K04-20 swap was unreal. After getting the turbo in, it was like night and day. The only problem I had with it is getting the power to the ground, and after putting in the Wavetrack LSD, it made a hell of a difference. Without it, the car wouldn’t be the monster that it is, with power at both wheels, the K04 can hurl the car across the track. I would recommend the setup I’m running to anyone. The K04-20 and the Wavetrack LSD is a perfect match. Something else I’d like to share is that I’m so glad I got into VWs. It’s the place for me. There’s no other car company out there that has the same type of hospitality and friendliness as VW/Audi does. It goes from getting waves from other Dubbers when driving, to having someone come over to your house 10 minutes after you put up a post on the forums saying your car’s acting up and need VAG-COM. The VW community is the best car community out there, and I absolutely love being a part of it.
Owner Information:Name: JonnyVWvortex username: J-tecOccupation: StudentClub affiliations: Dark Star Dubs, Boston Euro UnitVehicle Information:Year: 2001 Make: VWModel: Jetta 1.8T Wolfsburg EditionMileage: 98,XXXOriginal color: Uni BlackCurrent color: Uni BlackEngine: 1.8TEngine modifications: K04-20 kit (manifold, injectors, 3” MAF, etc.), GIAC K04-20 93 and Race file, Wavetrack LSD, FMIC, N75 J valve, Intake, Forge 007 DVExhaust modifications: Full 2.5” cat-less turbo-backTransmission modifications: Stage 2 VR6 power clutch with 14-lb flywheelSuspension modifications: H&R cup kitBrake modifications: GLI front brakesWheels and tires: 337 BBS RCs with Eagle F1 GS-D3sExterior/body modifications: 4Motion front lip, cut rear valence, Joey modded headlights, smoked side corners, badgeless grille, FMIC, tint, red calipers, S2000 antenna, GLI tailsInterior modifications: Black GTI sport cloth seats, black door handles, HKS turbo timer, boost gauge and center gauge podAudio/video/I.C.E.: Kenwood headunit, Infinity tweeters, Audiobahn A8000T amp, 2 12” Infinity reference series subwoofers, iPod hookupThanks/Props: Definitely BIG THANKS to my Dad for buying the car and really supporting me throughout owning it, really couldn’t have done it without him. To my Mom and Stewy for always helping with me with anything they can and dealing with tons of car parts being in the garage at all times. BIG BIG BIG thanks to The Crew and Co., Andreas, Emil, Todd, Jason, and Richy. These guys have always been there for me since before we could drive. Putting blood, sweat and tears into the Jetta, they’ve done some serious wrench time on the car. Countless good times fellas (baaacahk!), couldn’t have done it without you. BIG props go out to DSD/Fridays clique: Jon, Blake, Jim, Troy, Adam, from getting staggered for staggered to pushing Adam’s GTI out of the road to hangin’ out at the dome, these guys have really been there for me over this past year and the car, helping me with anything they can. Thanks to Rob and Denny at Autotech and Angel at Forge Motorsports. Shout outs to Zych, Tek, Bee, Andrew, Matt, Jay, Jon, Rob and everyone else at BEU! And last, but certainly not least, thanks to my amazing girlfriend who thank God loves VWs as well, for being the incredible girl that she is and always supporting me with what I love to do.
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Next Generation of Most Successful South American Automobile
Saõ Paulo, 01 July 2008 - Now that more than 5.7 million cars have been made here, the Next Generation of the most successful automobile in South America for the last 21 years is being launched: the Gol by Volkswagen. This compact car, which is manufactured in Brazil, is precisely geared toward the local demands of customers in South America. Hence the Gol can be driven on any mixture ratio of gasoline and ethanol without the slightest loss of horsepower thanks to its Totalflex technology, like all the Volkswagen models made in Brazil. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was invited by Viktor Klima, VW’s South America head. He was the first person to take a seat behind the steering wheel of the new Gol, as Garcia Sanz, member of the board of management, elucidated the main features and significance of this economical compact car: "It’s simply a captivating automobile, which is going to write a new chapter in the success story of the Gol," Sanz said.
Lula da Silva recollected the beginnings of the bivalent Volkswagens, which are primarily operated in South America with ethanol made from sugarcane: "A couple years ago I was inaugurating the production of TotalFlex vehicles here. It all began with a few cars for a test phase, and nowadays nearly every single car in Brazil is running with renewable fuel."Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the board of management for the Volkswagen brand, in charge of Technical Development, underscored Brazil’s importance as a development location: "The New Gol’s design and technology were conceived here; this Volkswagen, like every other model we make, stands for topmost quality as well as technological innovation." Thomas Schmall, President of Volkswagen do Brazil, particularly extolled the commitment of all the employees at the two plants at Anchietá and Taubaté. "The Gol is a goal that’s shot for Brazil," said Schmall, in a reference to the soccer world.Europe’s largest car manufacturer has been active in Brazil since 1953. It produces automobiles, buses and heavy trucks as well as engines and gear boxes at five locations, employing about 21,000 people. 18 million vehicles have rolled off their conveyor belts since then. In the 1970s Volkswagen was the first automobile manufacturer that, in conjunction with Brazilian engineers, locally developed vehicles for the regional South American markets. Volkswagen provides the greatest variety of all car manufacturers in Brazil, offering 17 models, and maintains a network of about 600 dealers.
Brazil is the second largest foreign market for the Volkswagen Group after China. Last year the corporation sold 581,300 vehicles here, 32 percent more than in 2006. VW do Brasil is not merely one of the largest privately held companies in Brazil but operates as automobile supplier for all of South America as well. Twelve percent (744,200 vehicles) of all deliveries of the Volkswagen Group were accounted for in this region in 2007.
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Lula da Silva recollected the beginnings of the bivalent Volkswagens, which are primarily operated in South America with ethanol made from sugarcane: "A couple years ago I was inaugurating the production of TotalFlex vehicles here. It all began with a few cars for a test phase, and nowadays nearly every single car in Brazil is running with renewable fuel."Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the board of management for the Volkswagen brand, in charge of Technical Development, underscored Brazil’s importance as a development location: "The New Gol’s design and technology were conceived here; this Volkswagen, like every other model we make, stands for topmost quality as well as technological innovation." Thomas Schmall, President of Volkswagen do Brazil, particularly extolled the commitment of all the employees at the two plants at Anchietá and Taubaté. "The Gol is a goal that’s shot for Brazil," said Schmall, in a reference to the soccer world.Europe’s largest car manufacturer has been active in Brazil since 1953. It produces automobiles, buses and heavy trucks as well as engines and gear boxes at five locations, employing about 21,000 people. 18 million vehicles have rolled off their conveyor belts since then. In the 1970s Volkswagen was the first automobile manufacturer that, in conjunction with Brazilian engineers, locally developed vehicles for the regional South American markets. Volkswagen provides the greatest variety of all car manufacturers in Brazil, offering 17 models, and maintains a network of about 600 dealers.
Brazil is the second largest foreign market for the Volkswagen Group after China. Last year the corporation sold 581,300 vehicles here, 32 percent more than in 2006. VW do Brasil is not merely one of the largest privately held companies in Brazil but operates as automobile supplier for all of South America as well. Twelve percent (744,200 vehicles) of all deliveries of the Volkswagen Group were accounted for in this region in 2007.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
To the Point: Scirocco
16 June 2008 - The countdown is running for the new era Scirocco: the third generation of the sports car will already be arriving on the market in August. Volkswagen is staging the comeback of a legend with the debut of the two-door car – Scirocco generations I and II wrote history as the most successful Volkswagen coupé of all time with about 800,000 units sold.Cult status. In particular, it is the original Scirocco presented in 1974 that has long held cult status. Because, in contrast to many of its competitors of that time, the Scirocco – designed by Giorgio Giugiaro – was an affordable car with everyday utility, and front-wheel drive also made it a safe sports car for use every day of the year.
Scirocco unites passion and logicFascination. The new Scirocco is extending this tradition. It offers pure driving pleasure, a new powerful design, high-end technologies such as DCC adaptive chassis control and the new 7-speed DSG dual clutch transmission. Plus: exclusive use of efficient turbo engines with up to 147 kW / 200 PS power, space for four adults despite its sporty lines, an extremely high level of safety and the everyday utility that is typical of every Volkswagen. This mix of passion and logic costs far less than one might guess based on the car’s key data. New paths. Although the third generation of the Scirocco follows exactly the same positioning as the first one, Volks wagen very intentionally avoided retro elements. In this regard too, the Scirocco of the year 2008 is a conceptually counterpart to the original version: because in the mid-1970s the successor to the Karmann Ghia also set out on new paths, both technically and visually.
Front end design of a new eraHigh-sheen black headlamp housing. The third Scirocco is the first Volks wagen to sport the front end design of a new era. Especially characteristic here are the chrome lamp bodies and high-sheen black interior surfaces of the headlamp housings that are joined by the radiator grille cross bar that is also painted in high-sheen black. Flawless sports car fundamentals. The Volkswagen design team created a wagon-coupé based on flawless sports car fundamentals. This resulted in a side profile that had the potential to imbue this new Volkswagen too with a status that goes beyond class distinctions. Thanks to its long sweeping roofline and near-vertical rear window, it also frees up space for variability and up to 755 liters of cargo capacity. Crisp dimensions. Other benchmark figures of the new sports car also speak a clear language. With its short overhangs, the Scirocco efficiently utilizes its 2,578 millimeter wheelbase to offer ample space. The Volkswagen is 1,404 millimeters tall, exactly 4,256 millimeters long and its width measures 1,810 millimeters.
Four turbo engines at market introductionA lot of power for just a little fuel. One challenge in creating an affordable sports car involves the engines. On the one hand, they must absolutely be agile, yet it is also essential that they be economical and widely affordable. There are two approaches to resolving this apparent conflict Both of them have three letters: TDI and TSI – turbocharged diesel and gasoline direct injection engines. One TDI and three TSIs. At the market introduction Volkswagen will offer the Scirocco with two TSI engines (118 kW / 160 PS and 147 kW / 200 PS). Shortly thereafter, a TDI (common rail turbo-diesel, 103 kW / 140 PS) and another TSI (90 kW / 122 PS) will be added to the engine lineup. Decisive here is the fact that even the 122-PS base engine offers a maximum of torque at extremely low engine speeds (200 Newton-meter starting at 1,500 rpm). Its average fuel consumption of 6.1 liters per 100 kilometers shows considerable restraint. 5.4 to 7.7 liters fuel consumption. The combination of maximum torque and minimum consumption is a common theme running through the entire engine lineup. In the case of the latest TSI with 160 PS, 240 Newton-meter torque contrasts with just 6.5 liters super unleaded per 100 kilometers. And even on the 200-PS TSI with its considerable 280 Newton-meter of torque, fuel consumption is just 7.7 liters. As would be expected, the TDI also makes a brilliant showing here: 320 Newton-meter of powerful torque while being satisfied with just 5.4 liters of fuel. Incidentally, all engines up to 160 PS already satisfy the future Euro-5 emissions standard*.
Two crisply shifting dual clutch transmissions6-speed and 7-speed DSG. Standard equipment on the Scirocco is the smoothly and precisely shifting 6-speed transmission. The DSG dual clutch transmission is offered as an option on the three engines starting at 140 PS. A 6-speed DSG is used with the TDI and the powerful 200 PS TSI. The 160-PS TSI distributes its power over an even broader range of gears with the 7-speed DSG.Optional sport chassis with three level settingsClever Chassis. Ideally tailored to the Scirocco is the new DCC adaptive chassis control system. Not only is the damper characteristic controlled here, but also tuning of the electro-mechanical power steering. Adaptive chassis control offers the three programs “Normal”, “Sport” and “Comfort”. Significant here is the fact that adaptive chassis control improves the driving characteristics of the Scirocco full-time. That is, the suspension is continually adapted to the roadway and driving situation. The system also reacts to accelerator, brake and steering inputs. It is able to resolve the conflict in goals between a tight sport suspension and a comfortable one.
Standard featuresFull program. The new Scirocco is one of the most attractive sports cars in terms of price. And yet its standard features place it on the same level as far more expensive coupés. Always on board are 17-inch alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, leather steering wheel, parking brake handle and shifting lever grip, sport seats, split folding rear seatbacks, power windows, air conditioning, ESP, braking assistant, six airbags, power steering and of course a sport chassis. On the top 200 PS model, standard equipment also includes chrome tailpipes, a “Titanium black” roof liner and a sound generator.
Panorama vent sunroofTransparent roof. Supplying vast amounts of light to the interior is an optional large panorama vent sunroof that extends from the A-pillars to the B-pillars. At the press of the button the transparent roof opens up to 39 millimeters. When the sun is intense, a sunshade can be driven into place. But that is not likely to be necessary very often, since the glass of the panorama vent sunroof only transmits 8.2 percent of the UV radiation, 2.8 percent of the infrared radiation (heat) and 6.9 percent of the visible light.
SCIROCCO - FACT SHEET
Key aspects in alphabetical orderAutomatic transmission: 6-speed and 7-speed DSGBody: With panorama vent sunroof upon requestCargo capacity: 292 liters to 755 litersCharacter: Genuine, affordable sports car with space for four adults, status beyond class distinctionsChassis: McPherson front suspension, four-link rear suspension, ESP is standardColors: “Candy white”, “Rising blue metallic”, “Deep black pearl effect”, “Reflex silver metallic”, “Shadow blue metallic”, “Beryllium gray metallic”, “Dark maroon metallic”, “Opal silver metallic”, “Salsa red”, “Viper green metallic” (the latter in homage to the first generation of Sciroccos)Debut of generation I: 1974; 504,153 units builtDebut of generation II: 1981; 291,497 units builtDesign: Visual look of flawless sports car fundamentals, first Volkswagen with new front end design, wagon-coupé with extremely long roof (1.8 meters). Design responsibility: Walter de Silva (Group), Klaus Bischoff (Brand)Dimensions: 4,256 mm long, 1,810 mm wide, 1,404 mm tall, extremely wide tread width (front 1,569 mm, rear 1,575 mm)Drive: Front-wheelEngine power range: 90 kW / 122 PS to 147 kW / 200 PS, all engines are charged, all engines up to 160 PS satisfy Euro-5 emissions standard*Engines – diesel (TDI): 103 kW / 140 PS, 125 kW / 170 PSEngines – gasoline (TSI): 90 kW / 122 PS, 118 kW / 160 PS, 147 kW / 200 PSFuel consumption range: 5.4 to 7.7 liters fuel per 100 kilometersHigh-tech driving systems: DCC adaptive chassis control, ACC automatic distance control (starting early 2009)Infotainment: Two radio systems, two radio-navigation systems, 300 Watt Dynaudio sound system, MEDIA-IN port (USB)Market introduction: August 29, 2008 in Germany and Great Britain, by November across Europe, in May 2009 in JapanProduction site: “Volkswagen Autoeuropa – Automóveis Ltda.” in Palmela, PortugalRacing use: At the start of the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in May 2008 with powerful 238 kW / 325 PS racing version; results: double victory in its class.Safety: Six airbags, exceptionally rigid body, ESP, Isofix child seat mounting brackets, special pedestrian protection features, front passenger airbag can be deactivated (for rear-facing child seat), in case of crash: automatic activation of hazard flasher and interior lights, automatic door opening, automatic deactivation of fuel pumpStandard features: Include 17-inch alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, leather steering wheel and parking brake handle, newly designed sport seat system, split folding rear seatbacks, power windows, air conditioning, ESP, braking assistant, six airbags, power steering with countersteer feature, sport chassisStandard transmission: 6-speed manual* Due to current vehicle registration laws, the vehicles can only be registered for the current Euro-4 emission standard initially. It will then be possible for the car owner to re-classify or re-register the vehicle at additional charge.Note:All data and equipment contained in this press release apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries. All information is subject to change or correction
TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies of the Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.
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Scirocco unites passion and logicFascination. The new Scirocco is extending this tradition. It offers pure driving pleasure, a new powerful design, high-end technologies such as DCC adaptive chassis control and the new 7-speed DSG dual clutch transmission. Plus: exclusive use of efficient turbo engines with up to 147 kW / 200 PS power, space for four adults despite its sporty lines, an extremely high level of safety and the everyday utility that is typical of every Volkswagen. This mix of passion and logic costs far less than one might guess based on the car’s key data. New paths. Although the third generation of the Scirocco follows exactly the same positioning as the first one, Volks wagen very intentionally avoided retro elements. In this regard too, the Scirocco of the year 2008 is a conceptually counterpart to the original version: because in the mid-1970s the successor to the Karmann Ghia also set out on new paths, both technically and visually.
Front end design of a new eraHigh-sheen black headlamp housing. The third Scirocco is the first Volks wagen to sport the front end design of a new era. Especially characteristic here are the chrome lamp bodies and high-sheen black interior surfaces of the headlamp housings that are joined by the radiator grille cross bar that is also painted in high-sheen black. Flawless sports car fundamentals. The Volkswagen design team created a wagon-coupé based on flawless sports car fundamentals. This resulted in a side profile that had the potential to imbue this new Volkswagen too with a status that goes beyond class distinctions. Thanks to its long sweeping roofline and near-vertical rear window, it also frees up space for variability and up to 755 liters of cargo capacity. Crisp dimensions. Other benchmark figures of the new sports car also speak a clear language. With its short overhangs, the Scirocco efficiently utilizes its 2,578 millimeter wheelbase to offer ample space. The Volkswagen is 1,404 millimeters tall, exactly 4,256 millimeters long and its width measures 1,810 millimeters.
Four turbo engines at market introductionA lot of power for just a little fuel. One challenge in creating an affordable sports car involves the engines. On the one hand, they must absolutely be agile, yet it is also essential that they be economical and widely affordable. There are two approaches to resolving this apparent conflict Both of them have three letters: TDI and TSI – turbocharged diesel and gasoline direct injection engines. One TDI and three TSIs. At the market introduction Volkswagen will offer the Scirocco with two TSI engines (118 kW / 160 PS and 147 kW / 200 PS). Shortly thereafter, a TDI (common rail turbo-diesel, 103 kW / 140 PS) and another TSI (90 kW / 122 PS) will be added to the engine lineup. Decisive here is the fact that even the 122-PS base engine offers a maximum of torque at extremely low engine speeds (200 Newton-meter starting at 1,500 rpm). Its average fuel consumption of 6.1 liters per 100 kilometers shows considerable restraint. 5.4 to 7.7 liters fuel consumption. The combination of maximum torque and minimum consumption is a common theme running through the entire engine lineup. In the case of the latest TSI with 160 PS, 240 Newton-meter torque contrasts with just 6.5 liters super unleaded per 100 kilometers. And even on the 200-PS TSI with its considerable 280 Newton-meter of torque, fuel consumption is just 7.7 liters. As would be expected, the TDI also makes a brilliant showing here: 320 Newton-meter of powerful torque while being satisfied with just 5.4 liters of fuel. Incidentally, all engines up to 160 PS already satisfy the future Euro-5 emissions standard*.
Two crisply shifting dual clutch transmissions6-speed and 7-speed DSG. Standard equipment on the Scirocco is the smoothly and precisely shifting 6-speed transmission. The DSG dual clutch transmission is offered as an option on the three engines starting at 140 PS. A 6-speed DSG is used with the TDI and the powerful 200 PS TSI. The 160-PS TSI distributes its power over an even broader range of gears with the 7-speed DSG.Optional sport chassis with three level settingsClever Chassis. Ideally tailored to the Scirocco is the new DCC adaptive chassis control system. Not only is the damper characteristic controlled here, but also tuning of the electro-mechanical power steering. Adaptive chassis control offers the three programs “Normal”, “Sport” and “Comfort”. Significant here is the fact that adaptive chassis control improves the driving characteristics of the Scirocco full-time. That is, the suspension is continually adapted to the roadway and driving situation. The system also reacts to accelerator, brake and steering inputs. It is able to resolve the conflict in goals between a tight sport suspension and a comfortable one.
Standard featuresFull program. The new Scirocco is one of the most attractive sports cars in terms of price. And yet its standard features place it on the same level as far more expensive coupés. Always on board are 17-inch alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, leather steering wheel, parking brake handle and shifting lever grip, sport seats, split folding rear seatbacks, power windows, air conditioning, ESP, braking assistant, six airbags, power steering and of course a sport chassis. On the top 200 PS model, standard equipment also includes chrome tailpipes, a “Titanium black” roof liner and a sound generator.
Panorama vent sunroofTransparent roof. Supplying vast amounts of light to the interior is an optional large panorama vent sunroof that extends from the A-pillars to the B-pillars. At the press of the button the transparent roof opens up to 39 millimeters. When the sun is intense, a sunshade can be driven into place. But that is not likely to be necessary very often, since the glass of the panorama vent sunroof only transmits 8.2 percent of the UV radiation, 2.8 percent of the infrared radiation (heat) and 6.9 percent of the visible light.
SCIROCCO - FACT SHEET
Key aspects in alphabetical orderAutomatic transmission: 6-speed and 7-speed DSGBody: With panorama vent sunroof upon requestCargo capacity: 292 liters to 755 litersCharacter: Genuine, affordable sports car with space for four adults, status beyond class distinctionsChassis: McPherson front suspension, four-link rear suspension, ESP is standardColors: “Candy white”, “Rising blue metallic”, “Deep black pearl effect”, “Reflex silver metallic”, “Shadow blue metallic”, “Beryllium gray metallic”, “Dark maroon metallic”, “Opal silver metallic”, “Salsa red”, “Viper green metallic” (the latter in homage to the first generation of Sciroccos)Debut of generation I: 1974; 504,153 units builtDebut of generation II: 1981; 291,497 units builtDesign: Visual look of flawless sports car fundamentals, first Volkswagen with new front end design, wagon-coupé with extremely long roof (1.8 meters). Design responsibility: Walter de Silva (Group), Klaus Bischoff (Brand)Dimensions: 4,256 mm long, 1,810 mm wide, 1,404 mm tall, extremely wide tread width (front 1,569 mm, rear 1,575 mm)Drive: Front-wheelEngine power range: 90 kW / 122 PS to 147 kW / 200 PS, all engines are charged, all engines up to 160 PS satisfy Euro-5 emissions standard*Engines – diesel (TDI): 103 kW / 140 PS, 125 kW / 170 PSEngines – gasoline (TSI): 90 kW / 122 PS, 118 kW / 160 PS, 147 kW / 200 PSFuel consumption range: 5.4 to 7.7 liters fuel per 100 kilometersHigh-tech driving systems: DCC adaptive chassis control, ACC automatic distance control (starting early 2009)Infotainment: Two radio systems, two radio-navigation systems, 300 Watt Dynaudio sound system, MEDIA-IN port (USB)Market introduction: August 29, 2008 in Germany and Great Britain, by November across Europe, in May 2009 in JapanProduction site: “Volkswagen Autoeuropa – Automóveis Ltda.” in Palmela, PortugalRacing use: At the start of the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in May 2008 with powerful 238 kW / 325 PS racing version; results: double victory in its class.Safety: Six airbags, exceptionally rigid body, ESP, Isofix child seat mounting brackets, special pedestrian protection features, front passenger airbag can be deactivated (for rear-facing child seat), in case of crash: automatic activation of hazard flasher and interior lights, automatic door opening, automatic deactivation of fuel pumpStandard features: Include 17-inch alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, leather steering wheel and parking brake handle, newly designed sport seat system, split folding rear seatbacks, power windows, air conditioning, ESP, braking assistant, six airbags, power steering with countersteer feature, sport chassisStandard transmission: 6-speed manual* Due to current vehicle registration laws, the vehicles can only be registered for the current Euro-4 emission standard initially. It will then be possible for the car owner to re-classify or re-register the vehicle at additional charge.Note:All data and equipment contained in this press release apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries. All information is subject to change or correction
TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies of the Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.
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Cabriolet Feeling in Eos “Edition 2009”
Wolfsburg, 19 June 2008 - Now that blue skies are beckoning, Volkswagen has launched its attractive Eos “Edition 2009” offering. This new special model scores points on the merit of its sporty and elegant fittings and a saving of up to 1,340.00 against the standard model with comparable extras. The attractive fittings package for the Eos “Edition 2009” includes exterior features such as chrome radiator grille slats and “Cherry Red” LED taillights. The interior too is characterised by high-quality and high-comfort features. The main attractions here are heated leather-fitted sports seats in “Nappa Date Brown”, a three-spoke leather steering wheel with aluminium elements and leather-look door trims. This fittings package also features a “Climatronic” air-conditioning system, cruise control, an “RCD 510” radio system with an integrated 6-stack CD player and a ParkPilot system that alerts drivers to the distance of obstacles at the rear of the vehicle.
The available engine options for the Eos “Edition 2009” include four petrol engines ranging from 90 kW / 122 PS to 184 kW / 250 PS and a 103-kW / 140-PS diesel engine with a diesel particulate filter as a standard feature. The price tag on the Eos “Edition 2009” starts at 31,325.00 euro for the 90-kW / 122-PS petrol-engine, which means a saving of up to 1,340.00 euro against the standard model with comparable extras.The Volkswagen Bank offers attractive leasing and financing terms for the Eos “Edition 2009” – e.g. financing at an effective interest rate of 3.9 per cent p.a. Customers can also benefit from a range of optional mobility products such as third-party liability insurance, comprehensive vehicle insurance, partial-comprehensive (reduced-premium) insurance or new-vehicle warranty extension.
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The available engine options for the Eos “Edition 2009” include four petrol engines ranging from 90 kW / 122 PS to 184 kW / 250 PS and a 103-kW / 140-PS diesel engine with a diesel particulate filter as a standard feature. The price tag on the Eos “Edition 2009” starts at 31,325.00 euro for the 90-kW / 122-PS petrol-engine, which means a saving of up to 1,340.00 euro against the standard model with comparable extras.The Volkswagen Bank offers attractive leasing and financing terms for the Eos “Edition 2009” – e.g. financing at an effective interest rate of 3.9 per cent p.a. Customers can also benefit from a range of optional mobility products such as third-party liability insurance, comprehensive vehicle insurance, partial-comprehensive (reduced-premium) insurance or new-vehicle warranty extension.
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Project Turbunnium: Introduction
The “Rabbit Test” was the kind of hideous procedure that makes grown men cross their legs just a little bit tighter when they hear about it. Popular during the early 20th century, doctors would inject womens’ urine into the bloodstream of female rabbits. After a few days, the rabbit would get sliced open, and if its ovaries had swollen then the woman was pregnant. She would then go home and excitedly call relatives to tell them that “the rabbit died,” which passed for happy news at a time when the word “pregnant” couldn’t even be said on broadcast radio. That this procedure exists in the first place raises a lot of thoughts, most of them prefaced with “eew” and many of them involving attempts to get my head around someone actually discovering the Rabbit Test in the first place.I first learned about the Rabbit Test during the summer of 2006, at the press launch for the then-new 2006 Rabbit. A journalist sitting by thought that referring to how the rabbit had died, but was now reborn, would make a great line for her review of the VW. Seeing the look on my face, she went into excruciating detail about how the procedure was carried out, curing me not only of any lingering doubts, but also my desire to eat lunch. Yet even that wasn’t the most shocking thing I’d hear during the trip. The Rabbit’s starting price of $14,990 would take that honor. After hearing that bit of news, I thumbed my cell phone open, called my girlfriend, and told her she was now on the hook.
Cherise LaPine-GrueningerAssociate Editor, VWvortex.com
I rarely venture outside of VWvortex and into The Car Lounge; that’s Wes’ domain. But I’ve been known to make an appearance, usually to defend Volkswagen of America. And, more than once, I’ve stated publically that if I could ever purchase a new VW at the magical $15,000 price point, I would. Leave it to VW to come through when it was least expected.In my happiest of daydreams, that hypothetical VW happened to be Polo-shaped, but I was fairly sure it wouldn’t happen. Before the MKV’s name was announced, the only way I could see myself spending 15 large on a “Rabbit” was if I figured out how to import and federalize a South African Citi Golf. I wasn’t expecting my soon-to-be fiancé to call from the Rabbit press launch, specifically to tell me about the Rabbit’s $14,990 cost of entry. As I heard the news, I knew my bluff would be called. Almost exactly a year later, we sat side-by-side in a 2007 Candy White, 2-door, manual, blissfully option-free save the alloy wheels and iPod adapter. For the first year, we plotted, planned, hypothesized… and although we readily agreed on a specific car to purchase, we realized joint car ownership is even more complicated than sharing a bed and a bathroom. Up until now, all of my cars have been subject to a strict no-eating policy, yet he’s immune to the smell of old McD’s coming out of the vents. He wants more power; I (as primary driver) loved being able to buy regular gas. And so it goes. Fortunately, none of which was a factor in day-to-day ownership of the car. The Rabbit packs a lot of punch into a practical package; ours has been an absolute blast. It transported us 2000 miles round trip for our wedding, and had ample room for our luggage and gifts (my dress didn’t even get crushed). When we decided we were too relaxed to rent a limo, the Rabbit made a fine matrimonial chariot. And in everyday driving, it moves through traffic swiftly and pulls hard. Indeed, a dyno session even revealed that our particular car puts out 146 whp in stock form, a pleasant surprise considering VW’s official figure of 150 crank hp.
So why mess with a good thing? Given my addiction to modifying and Wes’ tendency to flip cars, it’s a testament to the Rabbit’s character that we’ve both been satisfied as long as we have. However, we were able to spend some time with VW’s R GTI and Thunder Bunny last summer, and both cars have really influenced our direction. They were conceived and executed as a whole; everything from the stance and the sound of their custom exhaust systems, to the color of the brake calipers and the hand-laid carbon-fiber interior trim, was done specifically to evoke a certain atmosphere and attitude. We were finally able to decide on a tentative course of action, and trucks began to arrive at the VWvortex loading dock. Upcoming installments will describe the work that we’ve done since these photos were taken, and we’re still working on complementing our exterior and suspension modifications with a power boost, interior upgrade, and some custom Thunder Bunny-inspired elements. Stop by the VWvortex booth at Waterfest to say hi and see Project Turbunnium up close and personal.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Cherise LaPine-GrueningerAssociate Editor, VWvortex.com
I rarely venture outside of VWvortex and into The Car Lounge; that’s Wes’ domain. But I’ve been known to make an appearance, usually to defend Volkswagen of America. And, more than once, I’ve stated publically that if I could ever purchase a new VW at the magical $15,000 price point, I would. Leave it to VW to come through when it was least expected.In my happiest of daydreams, that hypothetical VW happened to be Polo-shaped, but I was fairly sure it wouldn’t happen. Before the MKV’s name was announced, the only way I could see myself spending 15 large on a “Rabbit” was if I figured out how to import and federalize a South African Citi Golf. I wasn’t expecting my soon-to-be fiancé to call from the Rabbit press launch, specifically to tell me about the Rabbit’s $14,990 cost of entry. As I heard the news, I knew my bluff would be called. Almost exactly a year later, we sat side-by-side in a 2007 Candy White, 2-door, manual, blissfully option-free save the alloy wheels and iPod adapter. For the first year, we plotted, planned, hypothesized… and although we readily agreed on a specific car to purchase, we realized joint car ownership is even more complicated than sharing a bed and a bathroom. Up until now, all of my cars have been subject to a strict no-eating policy, yet he’s immune to the smell of old McD’s coming out of the vents. He wants more power; I (as primary driver) loved being able to buy regular gas. And so it goes. Fortunately, none of which was a factor in day-to-day ownership of the car. The Rabbit packs a lot of punch into a practical package; ours has been an absolute blast. It transported us 2000 miles round trip for our wedding, and had ample room for our luggage and gifts (my dress didn’t even get crushed). When we decided we were too relaxed to rent a limo, the Rabbit made a fine matrimonial chariot. And in everyday driving, it moves through traffic swiftly and pulls hard. Indeed, a dyno session even revealed that our particular car puts out 146 whp in stock form, a pleasant surprise considering VW’s official figure of 150 crank hp.
So why mess with a good thing? Given my addiction to modifying and Wes’ tendency to flip cars, it’s a testament to the Rabbit’s character that we’ve both been satisfied as long as we have. However, we were able to spend some time with VW’s R GTI and Thunder Bunny last summer, and both cars have really influenced our direction. They were conceived and executed as a whole; everything from the stance and the sound of their custom exhaust systems, to the color of the brake calipers and the hand-laid carbon-fiber interior trim, was done specifically to evoke a certain atmosphere and attitude. We were finally able to decide on a tentative course of action, and trucks began to arrive at the VWvortex loading dock. Upcoming installments will describe the work that we’ve done since these photos were taken, and we’re still working on complementing our exterior and suspension modifications with a power boost, interior upgrade, and some custom Thunder Bunny-inspired elements. Stop by the VWvortex booth at Waterfest to say hi and see Project Turbunnium up close and personal.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Project 24V GLI: Part IV
So it is finally time we get off our collective rears and got back to giving you updates on our project 24V Jetta GLI. Upcoming installments will cover our decisions for wheels and tires, a suspension update, and a few exterior changes. For now, it’s about time we improved the performance of our 24V, and we were able to source some bolt-ons that fit the bill perfectly.First, we chose to improve the air flow for our VR6, and along with it, the sporty sound of the car. While there isn't much room for improvement here for performance over the factory exhaust and intake, there is still potential for increased throttle response and a bit of horsepower. There is one area where there is a lot of room for improvement, the sound that comes from these parts. While our car does spend some time on local tracks, it’s still a daily driver and we didn't want the exhaust note to be screaming banshee loud. This left us with a few choices, but when we first heard what Milltek had to offer, we fell in love. To us, it is the perfect Euro tuned sound for the Jetta GLI, and we didn't waste any time in picking up the phone and calling the guys at Stratmosphere to get our hands on the cat back kit. Milltek maintains a stock look with their exhaust systems, which is another plus in our book.
Along with improving the flow of exhaust gases out of our 24V, we also wanted to improve the clean air flow into it. With the rather straw-sized opening of that factory air box, we naturally started looking for a cold air intake that would best suit what we have planned for our project. We found what we were looking for and contacted the folks at Carbonio. We like the look of the Carbonio carbon fiber intake and we like to believe that every little bit of weight we can take off the front to offset the extra weight from the VR6 is a good thing. No matter how insignificant it seems, it all adds up eventually. The added growl at wide open throttle provided by the CAI brings a huge grin to our faces every single time we hear it.
So now onto something that plugs in rather than bolts on. With the improved air flow and sound now covered, we needed to change the software of our 24V to take better advantage of our modifications. When it comes to the VR6, we knew right away what we wanted, so our next call was to Jeff Moss at Torque Factory to talk about GIAC's performance software. Jeff set us up with GIAC's flashloader, including their performance program for 91 to 93 octane fuel and their program for 100 octane race fuel.Thanks to Eurosport Accessories for the use of their dyno, we can show you before and after power plots of exactly what we gained from our modifications. We know how some people are all about the numbers, so here you go.
Though the gains are not huge, they definitely make a difference. Throttle response is noticeably improved and with the rev limiter moved out 7300 rpm we can take better advantage of the power our 24V offers us at the top end. We are thrilled with the results, both the feel of the car and oh, how we love the new sound. Where is Tim Allen to give us a grunt or two when we need him?Be on the lookout more updates coming very soon, we swear!
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Along with improving the flow of exhaust gases out of our 24V, we also wanted to improve the clean air flow into it. With the rather straw-sized opening of that factory air box, we naturally started looking for a cold air intake that would best suit what we have planned for our project. We found what we were looking for and contacted the folks at Carbonio. We like the look of the Carbonio carbon fiber intake and we like to believe that every little bit of weight we can take off the front to offset the extra weight from the VR6 is a good thing. No matter how insignificant it seems, it all adds up eventually. The added growl at wide open throttle provided by the CAI brings a huge grin to our faces every single time we hear it.
So now onto something that plugs in rather than bolts on. With the improved air flow and sound now covered, we needed to change the software of our 24V to take better advantage of our modifications. When it comes to the VR6, we knew right away what we wanted, so our next call was to Jeff Moss at Torque Factory to talk about GIAC's performance software. Jeff set us up with GIAC's flashloader, including their performance program for 91 to 93 octane fuel and their program for 100 octane race fuel.Thanks to Eurosport Accessories for the use of their dyno, we can show you before and after power plots of exactly what we gained from our modifications. We know how some people are all about the numbers, so here you go.
Though the gains are not huge, they definitely make a difference. Throttle response is noticeably improved and with the rev limiter moved out 7300 rpm we can take better advantage of the power our 24V offers us at the top end. We are thrilled with the results, both the feel of the car and oh, how we love the new sound. Where is Tim Allen to give us a grunt or two when we need him?Be on the lookout more updates coming very soon, we swear!
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Project Tortured Affair GTI: Introduction
Almost every time I interview someone for a VWvortex feature story, it surfaces again: the oft-repeated assertion that a true project car is never really completed. VW ownership has always been about more than the cars, but as I’ve worked harder on finding fresh content for Vortex, the importance of my own car has diminished. I spend my nights and weekends not in the shop, but seeking out other VWs and owners. It’s a labor of love, and although I find a thrill in selecting the perfect words to describe the relationship between man and machine, the completion of each story leaves me with a sense of melancholy. As I told of others’ successes, my own entry ticket to this world had been reduced to little more than a parking lot decoration. I give my car a fond pat and a greeting whenever I see it (yes, out loud) but motivation to get my hands dirty is at an all-time low; I prefer a keyboard and office chair to a ratchet set and a creeper.My 1991 GTI wasn’t supposed to be a project car at all; it was a cute daily driver for a college girl of modest means. Shortly after its purchase in November of 2002, I tacked on a set of Kamei grille spoilers, upgraded the lights from the dull, sandblasted factory units, and traded the teardrop alloys for a set of refinished Ronal R8s. Knowing little about modifying and even less about cars in general, I was happy to splash about in the shallow end of the pool. In time, though, my little VW saw me through my first attempts to drive a manual, my final two years of college, and first years of the 9-to-5. It carried me and my belongings from Vermont to Massachusetts to Atlanta, then back north to Milwaukee, finally settling in Chicago to begin married life. In quite an indirect way, this car even found me my husband. (It’s a shame that love.vwvortex.com never quite took off.)
Statistics: 1991 Volkswagen GTI 2.0 8V
Mechanical:8V2.0 ABA bottom end conversionABD intakeSchrick aluminum oil panTechtonics exhaustMild port and polish job on headMKIII weighted shifter108 whpSuspension, Wheels and Tires:Bilstein strutsEurosport springsWilwood slotted front brake rotors15x6.5" Imola alloy wheelsSumitomo tiresH&R TRAK+ wheel spacersInterior:Canadian Corrado heated Recaro front seatsCanadian Corrado steering wheelDigifiz European digital dash conversionLupo GTI shift knob and bootKamei flower vaseOriginal VW tape deck in factory locationMKIII carpeted floor matsMKIII center console under constructionCustom headliner under constructionExterior:Montana Green Metallic, LB6ZKamei upper and lower grille spoilersin.pro crystal clear crosshair headlightsGreen city lightsHella smoked front turn signalsShaved front "banana" sidemarkersSmoked Euro sidemarkersMKIII-style door handlesShaved rear wiperGerman Votex double-deep hatch spoiler with LED third brake light 1985 GTI hatch glass without brake light mountOEM Hella North American-spec half-smoked taillightsAlong the way, many more modifications were performed, and I was fortunate to have received a lot of help. Although most changes were born of necessity (replacing worn-out suspension, body alterations performed during repair for a hit-and-run) others were driven by folly, inspired by the wonderful cohesion possible by following the OEM+ method. It may be a losing battle to strictly define OEM+, as demonstrated by many such threads on our discussion forums. In the context of my GTI, however, it’s a focused way to solve a car’s problems by borrowing and reinterpreting solutions found on other cars in the VW family.I’m the first to admit: I like to have stuff that no one else has. Until I fell head over heels in the modifying addiction, this was a relatively tame pursuit, most often manifesting itself through finding, say, a limited edition LEGO mini-figure or a particularly rare style of Doc Martens worn by Gwen Stefani in a No Doubt promotional poster circa 1997. This personality quirk has essentially defined my car so far, resulting in a few of my favorite modifications. The wheels are one such example, a set of 15” Canadian-spec Imola alloys. I spotted them on a red MKIII Golf in a photo gallery and was instantly obsessed. It took a few years (seriously) but the VWvortex classifieds finally yielded a lead. Over time, they’ve acquired plenty of damage and the stance could certainly use some work. However, they are a testament to the GTI’s cohesion, especially the way the factory powdercoated centers complement the car’s textured trim and other dark cosmetic elements. One of only 500 sets, they deserve to be restored to their former glory.Another Canadian import, the Corrado Recaro seats, have vastly improved quality of life behind the wheel. I was tickled pink when I first spotted these, made of the same fabric as the Montana Green 8V GTI’s original interior and adorned with the esteemed Recaro name. This discovery kicked off another two-year quest to locate a set. These fine specimens, exchanged for a thick stack of then-valuable greenbacks on a breezy afternoon in Montreal, are the focus of my interior and as a result, the rest of the cabin is held to a high standard. Unfortunately, the GTI has reached a point where many of the problems cannot be solved with simple bolt-ons, and in part due to my new daily driver, a 2007 Rabbit, my tastes have grown more sophisticated. Since it’s been a while since I’ve worked on the car at all, I’ve had plenty of time to contemplate past failures and possible new solutions. Here’s a peek at some of the installments we have planned over the course of this series.
Headliner — In retrospect, removing my original headliner board is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made with this car, and as a result, I’ve been headliner-less for several years. I’ve made a few half-assed attempts to rectify the problem, but VW’s flimsy OEM foam board has made a fool of me too many times, and I need a different approach. I’m taking a cue from the hot rod industry and constructing something a little different, inspired by—believe it or not—one of my favorite handbags. Headlights — This is an area in which my 2007 Rabbit has completely spoiled me; compared to the MKV’s bright headlamps, the GTI may as well be equipped with two mini MagLites. My old aftermarket lights are pockmarked and worn past the point of plausible deniability. Rather than live with a curfew enforced by my car, this problem’s got to be fixed. All I’ve decided is that I’m sticking with the quad round setup. Everything else is up in the air. Powdercoating — Eastwood was kind enough to set me up with a HotCoat powdercoating system, and my mind’s been swimming with the possibilities for cleaning up my engine bay. This installment will show the ins and outs of DIY coating, including detailed photos of all my inevitable screw-ups. Digifiz how-to/clean up — The European digital cluster conversion is one of my favorite modifications, but between its frequent flickering and km/h speed readout, it’s more of a pain in the ass than I ever anticipated. Since my husband wants to remove the cluster and clean up the wiring, we’ll take the opportunity to show how the install is done, and we may even rectify the pesky miles/kilometer conversion issue. No German language skills necessary.Thanks to my role at VWvortex, my colleagues have helped me realize that my tortured affair with my GTI is an opportunity, not a burden. MWerks managing editor Bryan Joslin has an eye for detail like none other; I’ve been fortunate to see a few of his projects up close and personal, such as MWerks Project E30. My fellow Project Car Week authors, David Herlihy, Paul Grimes, and Stephen Miller, have shamed my butt into high gear, since their long-term projects Rabbit GTI, Scirocco, and Jetta GLI, respectively, are picking back up after a long hiatus. Stay tuned for updates on Project Tortured Affair GTI and the other cars in the VWvortex stable.
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Statistics: 1991 Volkswagen GTI 2.0 8V
Mechanical:8V2.0 ABA bottom end conversionABD intakeSchrick aluminum oil panTechtonics exhaustMild port and polish job on headMKIII weighted shifter108 whpSuspension, Wheels and Tires:Bilstein strutsEurosport springsWilwood slotted front brake rotors15x6.5" Imola alloy wheelsSumitomo tiresH&R TRAK+ wheel spacersInterior:Canadian Corrado heated Recaro front seatsCanadian Corrado steering wheelDigifiz European digital dash conversionLupo GTI shift knob and bootKamei flower vaseOriginal VW tape deck in factory locationMKIII carpeted floor matsMKIII center console under constructionCustom headliner under constructionExterior:Montana Green Metallic, LB6ZKamei upper and lower grille spoilersin.pro crystal clear crosshair headlightsGreen city lightsHella smoked front turn signalsShaved front "banana" sidemarkersSmoked Euro sidemarkersMKIII-style door handlesShaved rear wiperGerman Votex double-deep hatch spoiler with LED third brake light 1985 GTI hatch glass without brake light mountOEM Hella North American-spec half-smoked taillightsAlong the way, many more modifications were performed, and I was fortunate to have received a lot of help. Although most changes were born of necessity (replacing worn-out suspension, body alterations performed during repair for a hit-and-run) others were driven by folly, inspired by the wonderful cohesion possible by following the OEM+ method. It may be a losing battle to strictly define OEM+, as demonstrated by many such threads on our discussion forums. In the context of my GTI, however, it’s a focused way to solve a car’s problems by borrowing and reinterpreting solutions found on other cars in the VW family.I’m the first to admit: I like to have stuff that no one else has. Until I fell head over heels in the modifying addiction, this was a relatively tame pursuit, most often manifesting itself through finding, say, a limited edition LEGO mini-figure or a particularly rare style of Doc Martens worn by Gwen Stefani in a No Doubt promotional poster circa 1997. This personality quirk has essentially defined my car so far, resulting in a few of my favorite modifications. The wheels are one such example, a set of 15” Canadian-spec Imola alloys. I spotted them on a red MKIII Golf in a photo gallery and was instantly obsessed. It took a few years (seriously) but the VWvortex classifieds finally yielded a lead. Over time, they’ve acquired plenty of damage and the stance could certainly use some work. However, they are a testament to the GTI’s cohesion, especially the way the factory powdercoated centers complement the car’s textured trim and other dark cosmetic elements. One of only 500 sets, they deserve to be restored to their former glory.Another Canadian import, the Corrado Recaro seats, have vastly improved quality of life behind the wheel. I was tickled pink when I first spotted these, made of the same fabric as the Montana Green 8V GTI’s original interior and adorned with the esteemed Recaro name. This discovery kicked off another two-year quest to locate a set. These fine specimens, exchanged for a thick stack of then-valuable greenbacks on a breezy afternoon in Montreal, are the focus of my interior and as a result, the rest of the cabin is held to a high standard. Unfortunately, the GTI has reached a point where many of the problems cannot be solved with simple bolt-ons, and in part due to my new daily driver, a 2007 Rabbit, my tastes have grown more sophisticated. Since it’s been a while since I’ve worked on the car at all, I’ve had plenty of time to contemplate past failures and possible new solutions. Here’s a peek at some of the installments we have planned over the course of this series.
Headliner — In retrospect, removing my original headliner board is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made with this car, and as a result, I’ve been headliner-less for several years. I’ve made a few half-assed attempts to rectify the problem, but VW’s flimsy OEM foam board has made a fool of me too many times, and I need a different approach. I’m taking a cue from the hot rod industry and constructing something a little different, inspired by—believe it or not—one of my favorite handbags. Headlights — This is an area in which my 2007 Rabbit has completely spoiled me; compared to the MKV’s bright headlamps, the GTI may as well be equipped with two mini MagLites. My old aftermarket lights are pockmarked and worn past the point of plausible deniability. Rather than live with a curfew enforced by my car, this problem’s got to be fixed. All I’ve decided is that I’m sticking with the quad round setup. Everything else is up in the air. Powdercoating — Eastwood was kind enough to set me up with a HotCoat powdercoating system, and my mind’s been swimming with the possibilities for cleaning up my engine bay. This installment will show the ins and outs of DIY coating, including detailed photos of all my inevitable screw-ups. Digifiz how-to/clean up — The European digital cluster conversion is one of my favorite modifications, but between its frequent flickering and km/h speed readout, it’s more of a pain in the ass than I ever anticipated. Since my husband wants to remove the cluster and clean up the wiring, we’ll take the opportunity to show how the install is done, and we may even rectify the pesky miles/kilometer conversion issue. No German language skills necessary.Thanks to my role at VWvortex, my colleagues have helped me realize that my tortured affair with my GTI is an opportunity, not a burden. MWerks managing editor Bryan Joslin has an eye for detail like none other; I’ve been fortunate to see a few of his projects up close and personal, such as MWerks Project E30. My fellow Project Car Week authors, David Herlihy, Paul Grimes, and Stephen Miller, have shamed my butt into high gear, since their long-term projects Rabbit GTI, Scirocco, and Jetta GLI, respectively, are picking back up after a long hiatus. Stay tuned for updates on Project Tortured Affair GTI and the other cars in the VWvortex stable.
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Volkswagen of America Sales up .3% for June
We've been watching sales figures for the domestic automakers tank this morning, but it's good to see that Volkswagen is staying relatively flat despite double-digit decreases from the Big Three. Even subtracting the new sales that came from Tiguan, VW managed to outpace its sales year-to-date from 2007, if even by a few hundred units. - WesHERNDON, Va.— Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced June 2008 sales of 23,208 units, a 0.3 percent increase over the June 2007 sales of 23,137 vehicles. On a year-to-date basis, 2008 Volkswagen sales remain 0.6 percent ahead of 2007 sales through June.June reflects Volkswagen’s best sales month since August 2006. The Passat wagon had its best sales month since January 2007 with sales up 25.9 percent over June 2007. Volkswagen’s innovative coupe-convertible-sunroof Eos continues to be a summertime top-seller with sales of 1,632 unites, up 14 percent over last June.
Project Scirocco: Part IV
The three words that I would offer any person interested in the complete restoration and modification of a vintage vehicle like this one are patience, finance, and, of course, persistence. While the relative low cost of entry of the first generation of VW watercooled cars is very enticing, the real costs will emerge when you consider the time that you have to dedicate to a project like this to see it to fruition. A task like this is not like bolting on suspension and brakes to a relatively new car; if you want to build a car that performs reliably and will function for years to come, you will want to invest the time to do it right the first time. The financial part is obvious; when consulting with people interested in undertaking such a project, I tell them to make a list of their goals, build out a cost structure, and once they arrive at a figure, to consider that to be about 50 to 60 percent of what they will ultimately spend on the project if their best laid plans pan out.My original goal for this car was to accomplish the following: restore and modify a worthy MKI Scirocco to a level that would provide me the ability to turn the key and drive the car every day while still having a better-than-average power-to-weight ratio than most modern cars, while all the while getting better-than-average fuel economy.
The MotorWhen I originally embarked upon this project in 2001, I had several routes to consider when it came to the powerplant. My history with MKI Sciroccos and GTIs was dotted with a variety of 8V and 16V motors, and each of them had enticing qualities that required some thought.When the car came out of Annapolis Collision, I had all but set my thoughts on building a high-compression Audi 3A bubble block and solid lifter 8V JH head on CIS, which I had sourced from an enthusiast in Baltimore. It was then I had the opportunity to take a spin in Dave Graf’s 1983 GTI with a 2.0 16V powerplant swap, and from there, the decision was easy; the free-revving feel of a 16V was what I was after.Fortunately for me, the motor of choice was available in a convenient place — NGP, which was going to be my Scirocco’s home for the next year. This particular unit was a project that was abandoned by a friend of Dave’s, and since it was already on an engine stand in the garage, I didn’t even have to bother with shipping. I purchased a 9A 2.0 16V short-block motor that was originally part of a B3 1992 Passat 16V that had been freshly rebuilt and upgraded in a variety of ways. Comprehensive work, from a fresh cylinder hone to a simple displacement boost (courtesy of Autotech’s 2092 kit, which features a JE 83.5mm x 92.8mm forged piston set), left me with a 10.8-1 compression ratio. The bottom end was fitted with an Autotech forged 95.5mm factory stroker crank and all of the engine’s internals were balanced and blueprinted by a shop that NGP uses regularly for such work.For the top end, we sent out a 1.8 16V motor and received a stage II port and polish from NGP’s preferred machine shop, and we installed a set of Techtonics Tuning ABF grind camshafts and new valve springs. We also installed a TT timing gear and all new gaskets, water pump, belts and hoses on a freshly painted block. To top it off, I found a later style European 50mm intake manifold that was designated as a “Passat-side” entrance rather than a “Scirocco side” (driver’s side) manifold. These were all port matched and cleaned up to optimize the intake of air.One major decision that we collectively made on this car was to ditch the old-school CIS injection system that came with the car to upgrade it to a later-model Motronic unit found on the same Passat 16V. The computer was mounted in the rain tray in a very inconspicuous place and updated with a tuning EPROM from Techtonics to deliver better timing and better fuel control for performance. The engine was then dropped in the car using heavy duty diesel engine mounts that were stiffened by inserting fuel line in the opening holes to reduce the amount of movement of the engine while maintaining a relatively low amount of pulsing at idle. Once the motor was safely in the car, Ronnie Weaver (head fabrication technician at NGP) installed a Techtonics Tuning Tri-Y street header, high flow catalytic converter, and Techtonics Borla 2.5” exhaust system to the vehicle. All of the major visual parts in the engine bay, such as the intake manifold and valve cover, were powdercoated and all parts were painted so that they were better than factory. Ronnie wired the car with later-model VW wiring loop and protectant covers, relocated the fuel system lines from the driver’s side to the passenger side, and mounted the Motronic controller and airbox to the passenger side fender well. On the cooling and oiling side of the installation, we utilized a factory-fresh Scirocco 16V radiator with a new fan motor, lower temperature thermostat, and fan switch, along with brand new 16V hoses and heavy-duty clamps. The factory oil cooling system was upgraded with an aftermarket Motul external cooler.
TransmissionGearing is critical in a car like this that features relatively low horsepower and develops power in a relatively narrow power band. That being said, this particular 2.1-liter motor was built to deliver a solid belt of torque off the line and solid linear power up to roughly 6500 rpm, so for those purposes, I experimented with quite a few gearboxes in the Scirocco.The first gearbox I tried was a standard AGB unit that is normally found in the 16V Sciroccos from 1986 to 1989. This transmission is a typical 020 close-ratio transmission with a 3.67 final drive and gives decent performance out of the box. To help make this transmission more reliable, we used a bolt kit and differential shim kit from Peloquin to help control the dreaded 020 “self-machining transmission” scenario and also give the car better control in the corners. We initially considered the AGB because there was a point at which Dave Graf and I gave some thought to building a turbo kit for the car, but in the end, I found the normally aspirated route to be more suited to the car’s character. This transmission, combined with a lightened Eurosport flywheel and Luc clutch, worked well and allowed the car to rev freely with just a hint of driveline shudder when idling, which is a relatively common byproduct of a lightened flywheel. It worked well in nearly all driving conditions and the differential shim kit performed as advertised without any adverse effects.Some time passed and after driving the car for several months, I started to realize that there was probably a better compromise in regards to getting better acceleration off the line. If you look at the 020 transmissions that were produced that are suited to the car, you will find that the later-model 16V cars came with a 3.67 final drive, which is relatively tall. These transmissions retain a close gear stack and use their higher-end power to perform comfortably at higher speeds, while the older 8V cars have a shorter ratio and taller fifth gears to cruise smoothly. With the increase in power of my 2.1, along with the cams, crank, headwork and fuel modifications, I could use a shorter final drive and a taller top gear and still reap the benefits of both worlds.The second transmission in this car was one that I sourced out of the Vortex classifieds, an AWY transmission out of a second-generation Jetta diesel. It featured a 3.94 final drive, close-ratio gear stack, and a .71 fifth gear conversion for relatively relaxed rpms at highway speeds. It also had a Quaife differential, which was a very nice upgrade for the price. I contracted with NGP to take the transmission to their vendor to have it checked, and aside from one weak syncro, it was given a clean bill of health. While it was apart we painted the cases and filled it with Redline MTL upon reassembly. In this case, since the pressure plate and clutch that I had from my previous transmission were from a 16V car, I replaced them with identical pieces with the correct 8V splines just because the previous setup had such great feel, overall.This transmission was a remarkable transformation to the car; not only did it have better acceleration off the line, it had stronger acceleration in third and fourth gears due to the shorter final drive. While some would argue that the fifth gear might be a bit tall for a stock car, it did allow the car to cruise along at 65 to 90 mph without feeling strained and yielded fuel economy in the mid- to high-30s over repeated long drives.
So the real question is, why mess with success if you have already achieved it? Well, the answer is that there is really no reason to do anything different with the drivetrain on the car at this point since it had reached the goals that I had outlined, but sometimes the urge to change and modify a vehicle can be too hard to resist.In late 2005 I was perusing the Scirocco classifieds on VWvortex and came across a listing for a VL option 6-speed transmission, which was a conversion of an 020 to add a tail shaft to accommodate an additional gear to a 5-speed transmission. These transmissions were built by Vince Longo and carried the reputation of featuring difficult-to-obtain parts and having issues mating to 200+-horsepower motors. Throwing caution to the wind and personally knowing the person who was selling it convinced me to crack open my wallet and pay for the box sight unseen.I had the previous owner carry the gearbox to NGP, and since I was now safely in Phoenix where I currently reside, I asked Dave Graf to oversee the opening of the box to make sure that it was in good operating condition. This particular transmission was built on a 9A transmission, but rather than having a 3.67 final drive it carried a 4.25 final drive with a .71 sixth gear and a Quaife differential. The disassembly of the box was a bit daunting because sixth gear was essentially welded onto the pinion shaft, so removing that gear to inspect the stack was a time consuming task.Before reassembling the transmission, I had NGP powdercoat the casing and after it was reassembled, they shipped it to me in Phoenix along with a new Spec stage II clutch setup. One of the challenges that I now faced was that the tailshaft of the VL 6-speed box was a good six inches longer than a standard 5-speed 020 transmission and I would need to do some clearancing of the inner fender well of the Scirocco to accommodate the new transmission. I turned to John Streeter of Eurojet Racing in Phoenix, since he has a solid reputation for working on odd tasks like this one. Johnny very carefully sized up the job, carefully trimmed out the space needed for the endcap to clear, and took his saw to my precious 25-year-old car. We installed the clutch and pressure plate, torqued it all together, readjusted the shifter, and it worked perfectly.Three weekends later, I was off to California with a group of Scirocco enthusiasts for the maiden voyage, figuring if it was going to break on me, I might as well get towed back at considerable expense. Fortunately, it ran and shifted perfectly. The transmission shifted smoothly and the 4.25 final drive made the acceleration blistering and the .71 sixth gear left me at about 3200 rpm at 75 mph, which was just about perfect.
AcknowledgementsAs this project draws itself to a close, I thought I would thank some people who made this project happen through their hard work, inspiration and perseverance.Dave Graf and Ed Sheets of NGP — Both of you put in a ton of time helping me to wade through they myriad of options available to me and gave me good, sound advice. I would encourage anyone who is looking to build a car that will perform solidly and reliably to seek out NGP as a tuning partner.Mike and Kristen Potter of Virtual World Auto Parts — Mike is a plethora of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t work in the braking and handling side for VWs, and there is nobody who knows his stuff like Mike. Kristen has helped me track down critical parts for the car many times, and her help was invaluable as well.Derek Scott of Exklusiv Motorsports — Derek lent a helping hand on a couple of occasions to help me to fix some of the problems with the car that occurred when moving it via transport truck from Maryland to Phoenix, and provided me with painting services when I banged up my front spoiler. Thanks for your help, Derek!The Scirocco forum and Scirocco.org mailing list — All of you have been an invaluable resource for unobtainable used parts, as well as providing inspiration for all stages of this car’s creation. Thanks for being my friends as well as a tremendous resource.My wife Lara — I will always cherish your support and enthusiasm for my hobby and I appreciate you always making time for me to fool around with any and all of the old cars that I seem to accumulate.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
The MotorWhen I originally embarked upon this project in 2001, I had several routes to consider when it came to the powerplant. My history with MKI Sciroccos and GTIs was dotted with a variety of 8V and 16V motors, and each of them had enticing qualities that required some thought.When the car came out of Annapolis Collision, I had all but set my thoughts on building a high-compression Audi 3A bubble block and solid lifter 8V JH head on CIS, which I had sourced from an enthusiast in Baltimore. It was then I had the opportunity to take a spin in Dave Graf’s 1983 GTI with a 2.0 16V powerplant swap, and from there, the decision was easy; the free-revving feel of a 16V was what I was after.Fortunately for me, the motor of choice was available in a convenient place — NGP, which was going to be my Scirocco’s home for the next year. This particular unit was a project that was abandoned by a friend of Dave’s, and since it was already on an engine stand in the garage, I didn’t even have to bother with shipping. I purchased a 9A 2.0 16V short-block motor that was originally part of a B3 1992 Passat 16V that had been freshly rebuilt and upgraded in a variety of ways. Comprehensive work, from a fresh cylinder hone to a simple displacement boost (courtesy of Autotech’s 2092 kit, which features a JE 83.5mm x 92.8mm forged piston set), left me with a 10.8-1 compression ratio. The bottom end was fitted with an Autotech forged 95.5mm factory stroker crank and all of the engine’s internals were balanced and blueprinted by a shop that NGP uses regularly for such work.For the top end, we sent out a 1.8 16V motor and received a stage II port and polish from NGP’s preferred machine shop, and we installed a set of Techtonics Tuning ABF grind camshafts and new valve springs. We also installed a TT timing gear and all new gaskets, water pump, belts and hoses on a freshly painted block. To top it off, I found a later style European 50mm intake manifold that was designated as a “Passat-side” entrance rather than a “Scirocco side” (driver’s side) manifold. These were all port matched and cleaned up to optimize the intake of air.One major decision that we collectively made on this car was to ditch the old-school CIS injection system that came with the car to upgrade it to a later-model Motronic unit found on the same Passat 16V. The computer was mounted in the rain tray in a very inconspicuous place and updated with a tuning EPROM from Techtonics to deliver better timing and better fuel control for performance. The engine was then dropped in the car using heavy duty diesel engine mounts that were stiffened by inserting fuel line in the opening holes to reduce the amount of movement of the engine while maintaining a relatively low amount of pulsing at idle. Once the motor was safely in the car, Ronnie Weaver (head fabrication technician at NGP) installed a Techtonics Tuning Tri-Y street header, high flow catalytic converter, and Techtonics Borla 2.5” exhaust system to the vehicle. All of the major visual parts in the engine bay, such as the intake manifold and valve cover, were powdercoated and all parts were painted so that they were better than factory. Ronnie wired the car with later-model VW wiring loop and protectant covers, relocated the fuel system lines from the driver’s side to the passenger side, and mounted the Motronic controller and airbox to the passenger side fender well. On the cooling and oiling side of the installation, we utilized a factory-fresh Scirocco 16V radiator with a new fan motor, lower temperature thermostat, and fan switch, along with brand new 16V hoses and heavy-duty clamps. The factory oil cooling system was upgraded with an aftermarket Motul external cooler.
TransmissionGearing is critical in a car like this that features relatively low horsepower and develops power in a relatively narrow power band. That being said, this particular 2.1-liter motor was built to deliver a solid belt of torque off the line and solid linear power up to roughly 6500 rpm, so for those purposes, I experimented with quite a few gearboxes in the Scirocco.The first gearbox I tried was a standard AGB unit that is normally found in the 16V Sciroccos from 1986 to 1989. This transmission is a typical 020 close-ratio transmission with a 3.67 final drive and gives decent performance out of the box. To help make this transmission more reliable, we used a bolt kit and differential shim kit from Peloquin to help control the dreaded 020 “self-machining transmission” scenario and also give the car better control in the corners. We initially considered the AGB because there was a point at which Dave Graf and I gave some thought to building a turbo kit for the car, but in the end, I found the normally aspirated route to be more suited to the car’s character. This transmission, combined with a lightened Eurosport flywheel and Luc clutch, worked well and allowed the car to rev freely with just a hint of driveline shudder when idling, which is a relatively common byproduct of a lightened flywheel. It worked well in nearly all driving conditions and the differential shim kit performed as advertised without any adverse effects.Some time passed and after driving the car for several months, I started to realize that there was probably a better compromise in regards to getting better acceleration off the line. If you look at the 020 transmissions that were produced that are suited to the car, you will find that the later-model 16V cars came with a 3.67 final drive, which is relatively tall. These transmissions retain a close gear stack and use their higher-end power to perform comfortably at higher speeds, while the older 8V cars have a shorter ratio and taller fifth gears to cruise smoothly. With the increase in power of my 2.1, along with the cams, crank, headwork and fuel modifications, I could use a shorter final drive and a taller top gear and still reap the benefits of both worlds.The second transmission in this car was one that I sourced out of the Vortex classifieds, an AWY transmission out of a second-generation Jetta diesel. It featured a 3.94 final drive, close-ratio gear stack, and a .71 fifth gear conversion for relatively relaxed rpms at highway speeds. It also had a Quaife differential, which was a very nice upgrade for the price. I contracted with NGP to take the transmission to their vendor to have it checked, and aside from one weak syncro, it was given a clean bill of health. While it was apart we painted the cases and filled it with Redline MTL upon reassembly. In this case, since the pressure plate and clutch that I had from my previous transmission were from a 16V car, I replaced them with identical pieces with the correct 8V splines just because the previous setup had such great feel, overall.This transmission was a remarkable transformation to the car; not only did it have better acceleration off the line, it had stronger acceleration in third and fourth gears due to the shorter final drive. While some would argue that the fifth gear might be a bit tall for a stock car, it did allow the car to cruise along at 65 to 90 mph without feeling strained and yielded fuel economy in the mid- to high-30s over repeated long drives.
So the real question is, why mess with success if you have already achieved it? Well, the answer is that there is really no reason to do anything different with the drivetrain on the car at this point since it had reached the goals that I had outlined, but sometimes the urge to change and modify a vehicle can be too hard to resist.In late 2005 I was perusing the Scirocco classifieds on VWvortex and came across a listing for a VL option 6-speed transmission, which was a conversion of an 020 to add a tail shaft to accommodate an additional gear to a 5-speed transmission. These transmissions were built by Vince Longo and carried the reputation of featuring difficult-to-obtain parts and having issues mating to 200+-horsepower motors. Throwing caution to the wind and personally knowing the person who was selling it convinced me to crack open my wallet and pay for the box sight unseen.I had the previous owner carry the gearbox to NGP, and since I was now safely in Phoenix where I currently reside, I asked Dave Graf to oversee the opening of the box to make sure that it was in good operating condition. This particular transmission was built on a 9A transmission, but rather than having a 3.67 final drive it carried a 4.25 final drive with a .71 sixth gear and a Quaife differential. The disassembly of the box was a bit daunting because sixth gear was essentially welded onto the pinion shaft, so removing that gear to inspect the stack was a time consuming task.Before reassembling the transmission, I had NGP powdercoat the casing and after it was reassembled, they shipped it to me in Phoenix along with a new Spec stage II clutch setup. One of the challenges that I now faced was that the tailshaft of the VL 6-speed box was a good six inches longer than a standard 5-speed 020 transmission and I would need to do some clearancing of the inner fender well of the Scirocco to accommodate the new transmission. I turned to John Streeter of Eurojet Racing in Phoenix, since he has a solid reputation for working on odd tasks like this one. Johnny very carefully sized up the job, carefully trimmed out the space needed for the endcap to clear, and took his saw to my precious 25-year-old car. We installed the clutch and pressure plate, torqued it all together, readjusted the shifter, and it worked perfectly.Three weekends later, I was off to California with a group of Scirocco enthusiasts for the maiden voyage, figuring if it was going to break on me, I might as well get towed back at considerable expense. Fortunately, it ran and shifted perfectly. The transmission shifted smoothly and the 4.25 final drive made the acceleration blistering and the .71 sixth gear left me at about 3200 rpm at 75 mph, which was just about perfect.
AcknowledgementsAs this project draws itself to a close, I thought I would thank some people who made this project happen through their hard work, inspiration and perseverance.Dave Graf and Ed Sheets of NGP — Both of you put in a ton of time helping me to wade through they myriad of options available to me and gave me good, sound advice. I would encourage anyone who is looking to build a car that will perform solidly and reliably to seek out NGP as a tuning partner.Mike and Kristen Potter of Virtual World Auto Parts — Mike is a plethora of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t work in the braking and handling side for VWs, and there is nobody who knows his stuff like Mike. Kristen has helped me track down critical parts for the car many times, and her help was invaluable as well.Derek Scott of Exklusiv Motorsports — Derek lent a helping hand on a couple of occasions to help me to fix some of the problems with the car that occurred when moving it via transport truck from Maryland to Phoenix, and provided me with painting services when I banged up my front spoiler. Thanks for your help, Derek!The Scirocco forum and Scirocco.org mailing list — All of you have been an invaluable resource for unobtainable used parts, as well as providing inspiration for all stages of this car’s creation. Thanks for being my friends as well as a tremendous resource.My wife Lara — I will always cherish your support and enthusiasm for my hobby and I appreciate you always making time for me to fool around with any and all of the old cars that I seem to accumulate.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Christian Klingler Appointed to Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand
Wolfsburg, 30 June 2008 - Christian Klingler (39) will be appointed Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand as of 1st August. He will be responsible for Sales, Marketing und After Sales.The economics graduate Christian Klingler is part of the management leadership at Porsche Holding GmbH (Salzburg) since 2004 and is there responsible for the international automobile retail activities at the PGA Group (Paris). This group is the sales partner for numerous automobile brands in different European countries. Klingler manages the PGA Group since 1998 as a Member of the Board of Management and since 2002 as Chairman of the Board of Management. Under his guidance, the group was extended as a multi-brand automobile sales group which has the highest turnover in Europe.From 1992 to 1998, Christian Klingler had held management positions at Porsche Holding GmbH and at the automobile retailer Porsche Inter Auto (Salzburg). For example he was responsible for setting up VW and Audi imports in Slovakia as well as other projects in the USA.At Volkswagen he is the successor of Dr Michael Kern who left the company of his own accord at the beginning of the year as already announced.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Back to the Roots: The Volkswagen Touareg Stanley on Display in Silicon Valley
WOLFSBURG, Germany - The penultimate stop in the Touareg Stanley’s international exhibition tour is The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. The prototype will be on display there from 20 June to 18 July 2008. It was here in the Silicon Valley region near San Francisco that the Stanley project was originally born.Stanley was the first automobile to master the “Grand Challenge” for robot cars, gaining itself the reputation of a pioneering development project for autonomous vehicles.The Touareg set out on the 212-kilometre race through the Mojave Desert amidst a field of 22 other competitors on 8 October 2005. Stanley travelled through the desert all on its own – no driver, no external intervention. It was the first to cross the finishing line after six hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds. Never before had a motor vehicle managed anything close to such a distance completely autonomously.This prototype is equipped with an array of driver-assistance systems which are now featured in standard-production vehicles. Those systems include, among others, the Electric Stabilisation Program and Navigation Assistance, Automatic Distance Control plus Front Assist for a reduced braking distance, as well as the Lane Assist lane-keeping system. Special high-tech fittings in the Stanley also include laser detectors, stereo optical devices, radar sensors, exceptionally precise GPS systems and control software specifically developed for the vehicle.Like its successor project, “Junior”, Stanley is the product of collaboration between the Stanford University (which gave the car its name) and the Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory – both based in California’s Silicon Valley. The third participant in the project was the Volkswagen Research and Development division in Wolfsburg.The Tech Museum of Innovation opened in 1990. Its mission is to promote understanding, through interactive displays, for the different fields of technology which determine our everyday lives. The museum attracts some 650,000 visitors to its various exhibitions every year. These exhibitions focus on a variety of aspects in an attempt to capture the pioneering spirit of Silicon Valley and the inventive spirit of engineers.Peter Friess, the Munich-born president of The Tech Museum, feels Stanley is right where it belongs in San Jose: “Our museum is a window to the most innovative achievements produced in Silicon Valley. And Stanley represents a milestone in recent technology history. Indeed, Stanley caused quite a stir here in the region. We are delighted that this exhibition brings about the perfect match of Stanley and The Tech.”Stanley’s exhibition tour began in 2006 at the biggest museum of technology in the world. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., devoted a special exhibition to the Touareg. The tour then travelled on to Singapore, Johannesburg, Munich, Copenhagen and now to San Jose. In autumn 2008, the Stanley will be handed over to the Smithsonian Museum, where it will be put on permanent display.
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
www.BestPriceCarParts.com - Your best stop for auto parts
www.MarksBugBarn.com - For all your vintage VW needs
Project Rabbit GTI: Introdution and Part I
Project Installments: Introduction Light, nimble and cheap to build, the Rabbit GTI is an excellent basis for a thorough rebuild. The fact that this one looks like it came from a barnyard just makes things that much more interesting. Full Story...Part I: Paint & Body After a long hiatus, Project Rabbit finally returns. No project goes exactly to plan, but our Golf I is back on track and has returned with in a beautiful new hue. Full Story...Part II: Restart Long after it began, Project Rabbit GTI returns from the paint shop and gets back on track.Full Story...Click here for our complete photo gallery of Project Rabbit GTI.
Base Car:
1983 Rabbit GTI
Engine:
1.8-liter 4-cylinder
Transmission:
5-speed Manual
Color:
Indigo Blue
Modifications
Engine:
Stock (not running)
Transmission:
Stock
Exhaust:
Stock
Wheels:
Three Stock, 1 Spare
Tires:
Dunlop D60 A2 (3)
Suspension:
Stock
Brakes:
Stock
Exterior:
Cabriolet Front Fenders, Cabriolet Radiator Core Support, Replacement Hood
Lighting:
Stock
Interior:
Fully Removed
Stereo:
None
For many hardcore VW enthusiasts the Rabbit (a.k.a. Golf 1) GTI is what started the "hot hatch" craze that brought affordable performance to thousands of owners on a budget. The combination of low cost, bullet proof mechanicals and cheap parts kept many a teenager up at night figuring out just how many appendages they had to sell to get one. As a teen, my first introduction to VW's came from behind the wheel of a 1984 Rabbit GTI set up for Autocrossing. Once I experienced a couple drives in this car I knew that one day I had to own one.Selecting the "Right" RabbitAs these cars have gotten older the number of decent, sound (read no rust) A1 GTI's has become somewhat difficult. This is hard to believe for some considering so many were built between 1983 and 1984. Rust, accidents and old age has led to the demise of many a Rabbit to the extent that the actual search for a car to base this car upon was becoming rather difficult. Originally I had low expectations of what I was going to find. Thinking the best I could do was a car with extreme rust and semi-straight bodywork, I set out on my search for "The" GTI. My search did not last long as it turns out. Putting the word out to a few key contacts, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call out of the blue telling me of a black '83 GTI that was for sale through New German Performance (www.ngpracing.com) of Aberdeen, MD. The price was too good to be true, at only $250. After making some phone calls to Dave Graf at NGP it turned out that he knew of someone selling one for $250 with 115,000 miles on it. The car wasn't running, but it was fairly rust free. After some discussion, and on the advice of Dave, I took the plunge and bought the car. As it turns out, this was a wise decision. While the car didn't run, the bodywork was straight. The paint, typical of early VW's, was faded, but there were no major dings or dents.
The interior on the other hand was a complete and total loss. Water leakage from the rear hatch had gathered in the spare tire area in the hatch, forming a nice hot tub for anyone willing to take a dip. Nothing inside this car was able to be salvaged bar some gauges and trim pieces. Most of the components, oozing a pungent odor, will be promptly dumped in the garbage bin behind New German Performance. This doesn't present a problem based on the fact there are plans in the works to retrofit a black Cabriolet dash and "racing" type bucket seats sometime down the road.Project DirectionThe original intent of this car revolved around a harebrained idea that arose over beers the night before Waterfest this past summer. Sitting in a hotel room, listening to the burnouts going on outside, my friends and I began talking about TDI's, diesels, and engine swaps. Previously I had undertaken a turbo diesel swap into my 1975 Peugeot 504 GLD; not exactly a car that you see on the road everyday. The concept of a Rabbit TDI came up, and the potential for VR6 performance and possibly 60mpg plus made it very intriguing. After coming back to reality and doing some research on what it would take both financially and mechanically, it was decided to take another direction with the engine. This will be covered in later articles as the project progresses. To reach my performance goal something supercharged or turbocharged may be in the cards. Though diesel has not been ruled out, the expected cost of entry seems just too high to justify.The beauty of basing a project on a car of this age is the extremely low cost of entry and the relative affordability of parts and accessories. The drawback is that virtually everything save the chassis and body shell will have to be replaced. This will require a strong stomach, but thankfully not an overly liberal bill fold.Staying true to form, this car is not going to be equipped with ground effects, wings, and other bodywork add-ons. What I have found so endearing about the Rabbit through the years was the "one-box" look of the car. This theme will be continued around the body in terms of trim, wheels, tires, etc. so that they will all highlight the simplicity of the car in various ways. These cars were meant to be simple looking and this one is going to stay that way with few exceptions. The main overall goal for the car was to be able to beat a stock VR6 and definitely stay with or beat chipped newer 1.8T's. While not the highest expectation, this car is also going to be a daily driver so I also don't want it to buck and ride like a go-kart and maintain real world drivability. Handling is a big concern of mine so we are investigating various options to optimize the handling and ride of the Rabbit.
SummaryProject Rabbit GTI should have the performance, looks and handling that will bring it more in line with current trends. The "old" Rabbit setup will definitely provide a solid platform to work from so that I can achieve my overall goals for the car and have a decent everyday driver.The car will next be headed for the paint shop for the removal of the old oxidized black paint and its replacement with a more modern color. Some body changes will be incorporated into the car at that time, so stay tuned.
When VWVortex started Project Rabbit, the plan seemed simple enough. Take one waterlogged A1 chassis car, strip it down to the bare essentials and build it back up to what might be viewed as the "ideal", A1 restoration. At the same time, maintaining a low cost was a major goal of this project and in keeping with what original item was all about; a pocket-rocket for budget- minded buyers.As many may have noticed, in the span of 18 months, there hasn't been a single update to this project. For that we apologize. Without going in to too much detail, let's just say we hit a snag, but Project Rabbit is back on track and ready to begin again.As can be seen in the photos, a different color was chosent for our Rabbit. A modern color from the Volkswagen palette known as Indigo Blue, this color is currently offered on current 2003 GTIs, Golfs and Jetta stationwagons. But, what only the biggest Mark I aficionados may be aware of is that this color is also offered in South Africa on a model called the Citigolf. Volkswagen of South Africa has long produced some unique models for its home market, and today's Citigolf is none other than a modern day version of the Mark I Golf. More information on that car can be found at the Volkswagen of South Africa Citigolf website.When originally planning out Project Rabbit what seems like an eternity ago, we got to considering what color would look good on the car. At the same time, we wanted to bring the whole concept up to date with something that could be pulled from the current lineup of GTI's. At that time we knew Indigo Blue was going to come out on the GTI, but had yet to make an appearance. As you can see from the results our bodyshop, Annapolis Collision did an exceptional job of incorporating the new color and transforming what used to be an oxidized black GTI into a much more attractive package.While at the bodyshop a Cabriolet radiator core support and accompanying fenders were installed on the car so that we could eventually install single round headlights. Additionally we wanted to shave the rear side markers, the rear hatch lock and fill the holes left behind when we elected to have the side mouldings removed. The groove for the mouldings, as you can see in the pictures, is still there and was sanded and filled where needed to create a weight line down the side of the car.
A difficult item to find, but one that we needed nonetheless was a straight Mark I hood. One would think that something as common as a the front lid for a Rabbit would be readily available. However, this was not to be the case. Finding a clean, dent-free used example proved to be difficult these days with most examples found in boneyards riddled with dents or pocketed with rust. We brought down no less than 3 hoods to the shop and were rejected 3 times by our perfectionist body guy. All of the hoods we managed to find had too many issues that would require numerous hours of sanding and filling to be worth the added cost. While fitting the hood and fenders it was pointed out that these early cars came from the factory with their fair share of ripples in the metal. This was something that might not be noticed to the untrained eye, but again, our shop in its dedication to perfection showed all these areas to us. More sanding and filling became necessary before being ready for paint. In the end, what initially looked like a relatively inexpensive and clean Rabbit shell to start with required a prodigious amount of prep work before it even reached the paint process.During the car's long stay at the paint shop, we've had a chance to finally decide on a motor choice and begin building that up. We considered trying to retrofit a modern TDI into this car. While originally the direction we were headed in, after pricing out the engine, installation costs, and dealing with the issue of having to convert a gas powered car to a diesel one, the plan was unfortunately shelved. To give you an idea, a drive-by-wire TDI engine costs roughly $2,600 and that did not even include the ECU. Also take into consideration that the car would have to be effectively rewired to operate properly, and our project would then begin to deviate from the original set of goals, namely the one emphasizing an affordable budget.Our next step for this car is to attack the interior while the engine/transmission work is completed. If you recall, the interior was a complete disaster area when we purchased it. Many of the side and back hatch window seals had disintegrated, with their remains coming to rest in pools of water found in nooks and crannys - such as the spare wheel well. Of course , I found this out the hard way when pulling out the carpet and fell backside first into the waiting "bong water" pool. Another important lesson learned in our trials and travails is that when restoring an older car and the need to pull the engine becomes apparent, taking the easier route and simply slicing the wiring harness is not a smart move. Obviously now, one of the next steps in our Rabbit restoration is to install an entirely new wiring harness. We sourced a unit from our VWvortex Classifieds (Ed. Thanks Bill for the harness!!). While probably not the brightest thing I could have done, the original wiring harness in the car had seen better days. The previous owner spliced the harness in numerous places to install what seemed to be various types of alarm systems and an aftermarket horn. Needless to say it was going to require a good deal of attention to restore the original harness to some form of factory condition. The new wiring harness will be going in next as soon as we have pulled the dash and fully prepped the interior.
http://www.bestpricecarparts.com/ - Your best stop for auto parts
http://www.marksbugbarn.com/ - For all your vintage VW needs
Base Car:
1983 Rabbit GTI
Engine:
1.8-liter 4-cylinder
Transmission:
5-speed Manual
Color:
Indigo Blue
Modifications
Engine:
Stock (not running)
Transmission:
Stock
Exhaust:
Stock
Wheels:
Three Stock, 1 Spare
Tires:
Dunlop D60 A2 (3)
Suspension:
Stock
Brakes:
Stock
Exterior:
Cabriolet Front Fenders, Cabriolet Radiator Core Support, Replacement Hood
Lighting:
Stock
Interior:
Fully Removed
Stereo:
None
For many hardcore VW enthusiasts the Rabbit (a.k.a. Golf 1) GTI is what started the "hot hatch" craze that brought affordable performance to thousands of owners on a budget. The combination of low cost, bullet proof mechanicals and cheap parts kept many a teenager up at night figuring out just how many appendages they had to sell to get one. As a teen, my first introduction to VW's came from behind the wheel of a 1984 Rabbit GTI set up for Autocrossing. Once I experienced a couple drives in this car I knew that one day I had to own one.Selecting the "Right" RabbitAs these cars have gotten older the number of decent, sound (read no rust) A1 GTI's has become somewhat difficult. This is hard to believe for some considering so many were built between 1983 and 1984. Rust, accidents and old age has led to the demise of many a Rabbit to the extent that the actual search for a car to base this car upon was becoming rather difficult. Originally I had low expectations of what I was going to find. Thinking the best I could do was a car with extreme rust and semi-straight bodywork, I set out on my search for "The" GTI. My search did not last long as it turns out. Putting the word out to a few key contacts, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call out of the blue telling me of a black '83 GTI that was for sale through New German Performance (www.ngpracing.com) of Aberdeen, MD. The price was too good to be true, at only $250. After making some phone calls to Dave Graf at NGP it turned out that he knew of someone selling one for $250 with 115,000 miles on it. The car wasn't running, but it was fairly rust free. After some discussion, and on the advice of Dave, I took the plunge and bought the car. As it turns out, this was a wise decision. While the car didn't run, the bodywork was straight. The paint, typical of early VW's, was faded, but there were no major dings or dents.
The interior on the other hand was a complete and total loss. Water leakage from the rear hatch had gathered in the spare tire area in the hatch, forming a nice hot tub for anyone willing to take a dip. Nothing inside this car was able to be salvaged bar some gauges and trim pieces. Most of the components, oozing a pungent odor, will be promptly dumped in the garbage bin behind New German Performance. This doesn't present a problem based on the fact there are plans in the works to retrofit a black Cabriolet dash and "racing" type bucket seats sometime down the road.Project DirectionThe original intent of this car revolved around a harebrained idea that arose over beers the night before Waterfest this past summer. Sitting in a hotel room, listening to the burnouts going on outside, my friends and I began talking about TDI's, diesels, and engine swaps. Previously I had undertaken a turbo diesel swap into my 1975 Peugeot 504 GLD; not exactly a car that you see on the road everyday. The concept of a Rabbit TDI came up, and the potential for VR6 performance and possibly 60mpg plus made it very intriguing. After coming back to reality and doing some research on what it would take both financially and mechanically, it was decided to take another direction with the engine. This will be covered in later articles as the project progresses. To reach my performance goal something supercharged or turbocharged may be in the cards. Though diesel has not been ruled out, the expected cost of entry seems just too high to justify.The beauty of basing a project on a car of this age is the extremely low cost of entry and the relative affordability of parts and accessories. The drawback is that virtually everything save the chassis and body shell will have to be replaced. This will require a strong stomach, but thankfully not an overly liberal bill fold.Staying true to form, this car is not going to be equipped with ground effects, wings, and other bodywork add-ons. What I have found so endearing about the Rabbit through the years was the "one-box" look of the car. This theme will be continued around the body in terms of trim, wheels, tires, etc. so that they will all highlight the simplicity of the car in various ways. These cars were meant to be simple looking and this one is going to stay that way with few exceptions. The main overall goal for the car was to be able to beat a stock VR6 and definitely stay with or beat chipped newer 1.8T's. While not the highest expectation, this car is also going to be a daily driver so I also don't want it to buck and ride like a go-kart and maintain real world drivability. Handling is a big concern of mine so we are investigating various options to optimize the handling and ride of the Rabbit.
SummaryProject Rabbit GTI should have the performance, looks and handling that will bring it more in line with current trends. The "old" Rabbit setup will definitely provide a solid platform to work from so that I can achieve my overall goals for the car and have a decent everyday driver.The car will next be headed for the paint shop for the removal of the old oxidized black paint and its replacement with a more modern color. Some body changes will be incorporated into the car at that time, so stay tuned.
When VWVortex started Project Rabbit, the plan seemed simple enough. Take one waterlogged A1 chassis car, strip it down to the bare essentials and build it back up to what might be viewed as the "ideal", A1 restoration. At the same time, maintaining a low cost was a major goal of this project and in keeping with what original item was all about; a pocket-rocket for budget- minded buyers.As many may have noticed, in the span of 18 months, there hasn't been a single update to this project. For that we apologize. Without going in to too much detail, let's just say we hit a snag, but Project Rabbit is back on track and ready to begin again.As can be seen in the photos, a different color was chosent for our Rabbit. A modern color from the Volkswagen palette known as Indigo Blue, this color is currently offered on current 2003 GTIs, Golfs and Jetta stationwagons. But, what only the biggest Mark I aficionados may be aware of is that this color is also offered in South Africa on a model called the Citigolf. Volkswagen of South Africa has long produced some unique models for its home market, and today's Citigolf is none other than a modern day version of the Mark I Golf. More information on that car can be found at the Volkswagen of South Africa Citigolf website.When originally planning out Project Rabbit what seems like an eternity ago, we got to considering what color would look good on the car. At the same time, we wanted to bring the whole concept up to date with something that could be pulled from the current lineup of GTI's. At that time we knew Indigo Blue was going to come out on the GTI, but had yet to make an appearance. As you can see from the results our bodyshop, Annapolis Collision did an exceptional job of incorporating the new color and transforming what used to be an oxidized black GTI into a much more attractive package.While at the bodyshop a Cabriolet radiator core support and accompanying fenders were installed on the car so that we could eventually install single round headlights. Additionally we wanted to shave the rear side markers, the rear hatch lock and fill the holes left behind when we elected to have the side mouldings removed. The groove for the mouldings, as you can see in the pictures, is still there and was sanded and filled where needed to create a weight line down the side of the car.
A difficult item to find, but one that we needed nonetheless was a straight Mark I hood. One would think that something as common as a the front lid for a Rabbit would be readily available. However, this was not to be the case. Finding a clean, dent-free used example proved to be difficult these days with most examples found in boneyards riddled with dents or pocketed with rust. We brought down no less than 3 hoods to the shop and were rejected 3 times by our perfectionist body guy. All of the hoods we managed to find had too many issues that would require numerous hours of sanding and filling to be worth the added cost. While fitting the hood and fenders it was pointed out that these early cars came from the factory with their fair share of ripples in the metal. This was something that might not be noticed to the untrained eye, but again, our shop in its dedication to perfection showed all these areas to us. More sanding and filling became necessary before being ready for paint. In the end, what initially looked like a relatively inexpensive and clean Rabbit shell to start with required a prodigious amount of prep work before it even reached the paint process.During the car's long stay at the paint shop, we've had a chance to finally decide on a motor choice and begin building that up. We considered trying to retrofit a modern TDI into this car. While originally the direction we were headed in, after pricing out the engine, installation costs, and dealing with the issue of having to convert a gas powered car to a diesel one, the plan was unfortunately shelved. To give you an idea, a drive-by-wire TDI engine costs roughly $2,600 and that did not even include the ECU. Also take into consideration that the car would have to be effectively rewired to operate properly, and our project would then begin to deviate from the original set of goals, namely the one emphasizing an affordable budget.Our next step for this car is to attack the interior while the engine/transmission work is completed. If you recall, the interior was a complete disaster area when we purchased it. Many of the side and back hatch window seals had disintegrated, with their remains coming to rest in pools of water found in nooks and crannys - such as the spare wheel well. Of course , I found this out the hard way when pulling out the carpet and fell backside first into the waiting "bong water" pool. Another important lesson learned in our trials and travails is that when restoring an older car and the need to pull the engine becomes apparent, taking the easier route and simply slicing the wiring harness is not a smart move. Obviously now, one of the next steps in our Rabbit restoration is to install an entirely new wiring harness. We sourced a unit from our VWvortex Classifieds (Ed. Thanks Bill for the harness!!). While probably not the brightest thing I could have done, the original wiring harness in the car had seen better days. The previous owner spliced the harness in numerous places to install what seemed to be various types of alarm systems and an aftermarket horn. Needless to say it was going to require a good deal of attention to restore the original harness to some form of factory condition. The new wiring harness will be going in next as soon as we have pulled the dash and fully prepped the interior.
http://www.bestpricecarparts.com/ - Your best stop for auto parts
http://www.marksbugbarn.com/ - For all your vintage VW needs
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