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updates...

Okay since I put the springs in...

Rear shocks are blown, still need to arrange sending those back to Tokico for warranty replacements...

Bought some new tune up parts:

Spark plugs

Oil pressure sensors (high/low)

Distributor cap/Rotor

Air Filter

Coolant fan switch

Headlight switch

Rear hatch struts

Passenger side door handle

Heater controls (burnt light)

Oil cooler gasket

Valve cover gasket

Changed oil & filter (twice)

New/Used distributor (glued on rotor?? Really?)

Springs are on!

Springs arrived today, got them put on tonight. I love it!

Went out and took some pictures this weekend with friends...

Springs are on their way finally!

yay, can't wait, they were shipped out this afternoon, should be here Monday. Lift time is already aranged at Meister's... begin the countdown!

Crossing them off the fix list!

This weekend I installed the motor mounts. Wow, what a difference!! Not to mention I was missing a starter bolt that also secured the bracket for the front mount, and the other bolt was missing. Gee, almost lost my engine right out the bottom, that would have been sweet.

So with the Turn2 trans mount and the solid front mount, you can feel every vibration from the motor at idle, but man, what a difference. Soooo much easier to shift now, and no more exhaust hitting the rear axle and you can feel it go right away when you step on the gas.

Also, I figured out the oil leak. After messing with the oil pressure switches, and putting a clamp on the breather hose and still had a leak it came down to a bad filter... damn fram. (thanks Deb and Bob for the heads up about that!) That is why it started up right after the oil change, also explains the oil light/buzzer after a quick run on the freeway... it was losing oil pressure out of a bad seal.

I also took advantage of being inside at Meister's Garage to remove the seat, pull the carpet back and re-installed the sound deadening pads. (They were pulled out after the heater core went out, just never put back in) So now it's a lot quieter on the freeway now. All good stuff.

So filled her back up and gave her a wash and wouldn't you know it... half-way home it started raining. Can't win them all I guess.

Lowering the GTI

So I decided I am going to lower it after all... finally broke down.

I went with a used set of Spax 70/60mm lowering springs. (Equivelent to 2.75" in the front and 2.36" in the rear.) The car sits with a reverse rake as-is, that is why there is a 10mm difference front to rear.

Measuring the current wheel wells, this should close up any gap between the fender lip and the tires quite nicely. :)

the front springs:


The rear:


my photochop of what I think it will look like when it's done.


and what it looks like today:

Fix List

Things I've fixed/replaced so far:

• Cut the shift level down by 2.5 inches (may drop in another inch still)
  
• Fixed the passenger door handle/lock
• Re-hung the exhaust (two new hangers - still hits rear beam, see Motor Mounts)
• Replaced the Fog lights glass and bulbs (Cracked again within a week)
• Re-wired the fog lights to 12v signal instead of Ground. (Turns off with headlight switch now)
• Changed oil/filter
• Replaced hood rod clip
• Tightened alternator belt
• Hardwired radar detector
• Swapped my personal plate back on
• Removed front plate and bracket
• Detailed the car (dirty again) but door jambs and under the hood were filthy after 208k miles!
• Shimmed headlight bolt to stop the wiggly light.
  
• Installed baby seat (Recaro too big, had to go with a hand me down Graco)
• Installed LED HVAC light (burned out) and installed Meister Gauge Faces on the heater control faces. (May need to go back to stock, not feeling the look, sorry Dave)
  

Still To do/replace:

• Replace rear hatch shocks
• Replace rear 6x9 speakers with 4x6 (to the stock locations) and re-carpet the rear hatch
  
• Replace all 3 motor mounts (turn2 HD trans mount, Solid Rubber Right Mount and solid new style front mount) 2/13?
  
• Re-replace fog lights (this time get laminex/3M)
• Install 70/60mm (2.75/2.5inch) Spax lowering springs. (Already have great Tokico shocks/struts) 2/27?
  
• New Passenger side door handle (it works for now, but needs to be replaced)
  
• Find and fix new oil leak (just started after oil change) (Possible oil pump?)
• Re-install carpet padding (removed to dry after heater core blowout, P.O.)
• Find new stereo with aux-in to run Droid thru' stereo. (Pandora, turn by turn and hands free)
• Buff the paint to finish the detail
• See about paintless dent removal for the hood, doors and fenders. (22 years of door dings)
• Replace the Fuba
  

swapped out the wheels... swapped them back.

So I took the wheels I had from my GLI I owned just before the GTI and tried them out for a couple of days... liked the grip of the lower profile tires and stickier rummer... but that is about where the "I liked" ended. These things worked on the Jetta, being lowered and black... but were awful on the GTI.





okay so I saw the error of my ways pretty quickly... they came off immediately and got sold on Craigslist to some guy that wanted them for his daughter's Cabrio... perfect.

Back to how she should look.

No, I didn't forget the pictures... Here you go.

Picked up the GTI from the 1st Owner

So here's a bit of a back story on this GTI.

My Friends Debbie and Bob bought this car new in May of 1988 as a Graduation gift for Bob graduating from WSU. (Bachelors of Agriculture) That is what determined the color, as WSU's colors are Crimson and Grey. So they bought a Red Mica Pearl 16v GTI in CA (where they lived at the time).

So Bob bought a MK3 TDI Jetta some time ago (<1998?) and handed the car down to Debbie to drive. and just recently, they bought a 2010 MKV TDI Jetta for Bob, and the MK3 moved down the chain to Debbie and I got the GTI. Lucky me!

I have been promised this car ever since I started working with Debbie in Feb 2006, and finally brought the car home Dec 16th. Along with the car, I received two notebooks with every gas fillup, every oil change, every service... Everything and anything that has been done to this car since they bought it with 10 miles on the odometer almost 22 years ago. The car Currently has 209,xxx miles on the clock and seriously drives like a car that has 30k miles - no joke.

I wish I can truly describe this car, but I will have to just do my best... and the picture do it NO justice. But follow along as I maintain, improve and beautify this gem of a MK2.

Oh, so the build date is 4/88 and the Westmoreland plant, the one and only US VW plant closed down in 7/88. So it was one of the last few American built GTIs. The color, Red Mica Pearl was ONLY used on 3 years of the GTI 16v, (No Golfs, Jettas or GLI got this color).

Well, let's get to it.