I'm starting to repair and build a 1987 GTi I recently picked up cheap off Craiglist.com...









The plan is to build a car that combines the best of two cars I've owned in the past.

My first car, a 1992 VW Golf GTi 8 valve...



And a 1987 Jetta GLi 8 valve that I rebuilt and heavily modified...



The '87 Jetta GLi had very modest begginings... it was female owned and operated



So the build and repair on the this GTi should seem like a cake walk in comparison

I purchased the GTi from the original owner!
He bought the car when he was 20 y/o...

It has only spent a few years here in the Northeast.
The rest of it's life was in California!
So the unibody is in great shape for a twenty year old car.

The plans are to bring all the stock mechanicals up to par and make a few performance modifications here and there.

I will also be mixing and matching different model year body parts to suit my taste.
Much like I did with the Jetta.

I've already aquired a quad round headlamp grille, core support and wiring relays.



I've also grabbed a set of factory Hella foglamps and brackets for the '91-'92 big bumper swap I have planned.



A couple other odds and ends I've grabbed off of eBay as well...




The car is currently down at CentralAuto's shop getting the front wheel bearings replaced and a new set of front pads.

I will be rebuilding the shifter linkage and components next week.

The next step will be to address the handling of the vehicle...
I plan to install an H&R Cup Kit --> http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/susp ... perfCode=S , replace the worn out tierod ends in the manual steering rack and the right front axle shaft that has a torn boot.

Then some minor coolant seeps will be remedied.

In the meantime I will be piling up body parts like bumpers, doors, weatherstriping, trim peices and the such.

Then it's back over to CentralAuto's for body and paint

I THINK THEY'RE HIDING THE VW SECTION IN THE TAR PIT!!

Compared to most Northeast MkII VW's this one looks like it's been preserved in a tar pit, like a fossil

I picked up an upgraded ground wire kit for the car last night!
These are improvement for old ass Dubs...

http://www.vividwonders.com/product_inf ... cts_id=214

CentralAuto did a great job with the wheel bearing job and brake pads. I picked up a set of Mintex Red Boxes to slightly improve front braking while staying on a budget. The car stops pretty well stock with four wheel disc. Although the rear calipers are notorious for collecting road salt, causing issues...

Road salt. I can't believe you live this far north, man.

I have plenty of other vehicles I can drive in that shit...

You haven't forgotten about these, have you?

Winter 2006
1991 Subaru Loyale Wagon $0 investment Sold for $1250
1992 Jeep Cherokee $200 investment Sold for $1500 + Receiver installed
1995 Ford Explorer $0 investment Sold for $500

Winter 2005
1988 Subaru GL Wagon $250 investment Sold for $500

Winter 2004
1998 Kia Sephia $350 investment Sold for $650

Winter 2003
1992 Saturn SL2 $0 investment Sold for $700

Winter 2002
1995 Ford Escort $550 investment Sold for $1500

All ate a lot of road salt while my other rigs stayed squeaky clean...

I will live this far north as long as my sacrificial winter beaters put money in my pocket and rot before my eyes

Over $5,000 in profit and tens of thousands of miles driven, it's beautiful thing...

But no, it's true... the way the caliper is mounted, it collects salt and can seize up as a result...

I like that system...alot more profitable than just washing the damn thing!

We used to have an Import section, But it got Zero use. I would suggest just a general Car forum

Get 10 or more imports in here, I'll reopen the section

Eww... imports...

This is no import, this fine piece of German engineering was built in the good ol' US of A.

VW was producing foreign cars here in the US before it was the cool thing to do... Before the huge tax breaks and incentives the Japanese (as well as other Asian shit producing) motherfuckers get now

My car was built in Westmoreland County, PA, just east of Pittsburg.

It was a Chrysler plant that never got off the ground... never got tooled.
VW jumped all over it.
They produced MkI & MkII Rabbits, Golfs and Jettas there between the years of 1978 and 1991.
They were headed for a huge retooling for the new bodystyle MkIII cars and decided to close the plant instead of footing the bill.

I love ya, and you know that. But when the money goes overseas, it's an Import.

but it is one of the best ones, after all, all great things are German

I just don't wanna get lumped in with that Jap Crap

JUST REFER TO THE JAP CRAP AS.....JAP CRAP, AND EVERY OTHER IMPORT AS AN IMPORT,AND WE ARE ALL CLEAR ON WHATS GOING DOWN!