stripethree

It’s bolted in!

It’s a week late because I botched the install on the wastegate and ended up snapping a bolt off in the exhaust manifold last weekend, but none the less, it’s in.

Getting the engine into the car proved to be a piece of cake, especially with the hoist. It certainly didn’t hurt that it is the same block as the old lump, and thus, sits on the same mounts and in the same position. The transmission was reused, so the axles bolted right up, as they should. The down pipe sits perfectly; it clears the shift linkage and lines up to the cat, although it will have to be wrapped in order to stile heat transfer to the rubber bushings in and around the shift linkage. We did not even have to ‘modify’ the firewall with a sledgehammer as we thought we might in order for the turbo to clear.

A good portion of the wiring is done also, thanks to the knowledge of Jesse and John. There are a few things to figure out and a few things to splice in, but nothing too bad. I’ve been studying wiring diagrams today and I think at least some of the questions we came across have clear answers. I was so pumped to see the engine actually bolted into the car, it’s one big, big step closer to being roadworthy.

This will be the last entry for Project Daily Driver GTI. It’s under the knife, and will hopefully emerge a mean green turbocharged machine. It took a while, but I had to figure out something new to call this project, and I think the name’s a good one. It fits my car habit in general, especially given what has progressed with this GTI. Hence forth, it will be known as Project Skewed Priorities.

Why? Well, among my car friends, what I’m doing isn’t all that insane. The folks helping me do this work have done many engine swaps in the past. Non-car friends and family however, wonder why I’d bother to tear apart an 18 year old car just to put an entirely different engine, equally old in the car. Especially when the current engine that is, I mean ‘was’, in it was working pretty well. They probably think I’ve lost my mind (newsflash: ah, it’s been MIA for a while) Madness? No, this, is Volkswagens. Why then, do you ask, did I decide to do this?

Let’s just say that speed was definitely a factor.

I bought this motor back in May, and it sat at my friend’s house while the R32 threw shitfits and prevented the transformation of my little green monster. Last night the engine was finally hoisted onto a truck and moved across town, where it now sits next to a strikingly similar motor that just yesterday was powering a 1991 GTI. As you may have guessed the engine in the GTI was pulled this evening and now sits, waiting to be picked apart and otherwise used for the few things bolted to it that are of real value. Pulling the motor was not as complicated as I would have thought, but, as is always the case, putting something back together always proves more challenging than tearing it down. It also, again, doesn’t hurt to have the help of experienced friends – with the knowledge of Hayes (who sold me the motor) and John, the motor was out in less than 3 hours. Without an engine swapping newbie (me) setting much of the pace and asking questions at every wrench turn, it probably could have been out in about 90 minutes. It is a little sad to see the car sit in the carport with it’s heart ripped out and sitting off to the side.

If it could only know that it’s new heart will be about twice a powerful..

…already in progress.

It’s been quite some time since the GTI has gotten any attention, nearly three months to be precise, especially since there are many parts stashed away waiting to be bolted on. It was much too busy serving as the reliable daily driver while the R32 threw temper tantrums.

Today, finally, the rear disc brakes from a Corrado G60 were installed to match the fronts, which went into service about two weeks before the R spit out its transmission in June. The rears were pretty straightforward, unbolt drums and remove emergency brake cables, then run new brake cables and bolt on discs, carriers, and calipers. The only remotely hair raising part was bending the hard line of the brake fluid to mate up to the flexible line, which then goes into the carrier. For that, I had some help and even though its easy, it pays to have knowledgeable friends who have done things before and who have the right $7 tool. Once everything was bolted up, we bled the brakes and that was that. Everything appears to be working well, the only remaining thing to sort out is that the e-brake lines are a bit longer than they need to be, so I have to find something at Home Depot Racing to make up the slack and I am betting some 3/8″ copper tube will do the trick.

Now, the rotors and pads on this setup are well used and could use replacement, but will suffice for right now (meaning they work just fine and the car stops very, very well). Once I’ve put some miles on the setup and there aren’t any issues, I’ll look at upgrading the rotors and pads.

Next, however, comes the planning for when the motor swap will take place, which I am hoping can be sometime next month. We shall see.

It has not been a kind month. My ankle is still sketchy at best, and I swear it bothers me more when I walk around with this brace that the doctor gave me. I go back in another two weeks, and I don’t know what to expect since even though there’s less pain, the range of motion isn’t there and it flat out doesn’t feel right. Also, another lesson learned, even with really good insurance and health benefits, emergency room visits are not cheap.

Work has been no picnic either. Next week I fly back to DC Monday through Friday for another software delivery and the work leading up to this delivery, and the official testing that is taking place this week, has been hellish. There have been a lot of 16 hour days, a lot of frustration, and a lot of, well, bullshit to deal with. I guess I feel like a lot of this hellish rush to the finish could have been avoided, but that’s for another time and place. I am hoping this will come to a graceful and positive end with the delivery next week, after which things will return to some kind of normalcy.

Last night was the culmination of the proverbial shit storm, as I left work at 5:30 to have dinner with Summer and friends only to get a phone call asking to come back and fix some absolutely necessary things. I got back there at 8 and was there until 12. Finally sniffing freedom and anxious to get home and try to get some sleep, the R32 crapped out on me about a mile away from work. It crapped out in a big way; something internal to the transmission, possibly the differential, failed and locked up the transmission. A few AAA calls, another to Summer to pick me up, and a trip across town to drop off the car at Stuttgart Autohaus later and we didn’t get home until 2am. Sleep, ha! I was simply way too stressed now having to deal with facing a car repair bill that will, without a doubt, be well into four figure territory. Turns out the R32’s return to the road was short lived and it’s next return, well, who knows. Luckily the GTI is in good shape only needing tie rod ends and an alignment to be tip top. Hopefully I can hopefully get to that stuff this week, provided I get home from work in time. All I want is for the GTI to keep on keepin’ on. The first parts off the donor Corrado, the front brakes, were installed last weekend and are working great so far. Looks like the rest is going to have to continue to wait.

I realize things could be much, much worse and all this crap will pass with no real lasting damage (other than to my bank account, so much for looking at houses… ) but man is it frustrating.mu

Iiiiiiiiit’s baaaaaack.

Finally, the R32 was back in one piece, including the third motor mount, and ready to be thrown around the SIR gravel pit again. I drove the car to work all week and took time on Saturday to make sure everything that was unbolted and replaced or reattached was still securely fastened to the car. It all was. The third motor mount finally arrived on Thursday (after two months! never ordering from that company again…), and I installed it on Saturday as well.

The car felt fantastic. Maybe it was because I’d be driving the much older, slower, and more worn GTI exclusively for two months, or maybe it was just that the whole front end of the car was very fresh and well buttoned together, but it was pretty sweet. There’s no slop in the motor and transmission anymore thanks to the new motor mounts, the steering feel is improved thanks to the new control arm bushings, and transitions were much, much better handled thanks to the new, larger front sway bar. The best part was almost the drive to the event, which was the first highway experience since the repairs. Given that highway speeds and loads were where all the ill effects were previously experience, I was slightly nervous, but no bad vibes were to be found. So it appears that the drive shaft coupling that was replaced was the big problem, and that has now been solved, thankfully. All the other things that got done as a result were just added bonuses. Hey, if I’m was going to go through the hassle and expense ($40 for one time use bolts. Bolts!) to drop the subframe, might as well fix or replace other things. Break one thing, upgrade 3, right?

The autocross results were good; 67.830 (+1), 67.858, 70.896 (+4); minus the cones I wiped out from a nasty miscue at the end of my last run. The clean run was good for 5th of of 44th overall in both raw and PAX times, and 5th out of 11 in the PAX class with a score of 982/1000. Not bad for the first event back in the car after two months. Time only runs were excellent; they can’t be compared directly to the competition runs since the course was altered, making it faster, but my times got better with each run – 66.759, 65.276, 64.676 – were all clean, and my best of those 3 was the 3rd fastest PAX times of 39 time only entrants.

The car felt great from the first launch of the first run. No excess engine movement on takeoff, the 1-2 shift, or when getting off the gas. The car felt especially planted which made me more confident in the results of my driving inputs. Turn in is sharper and the car has a good deal less body roll in transitional elements. I didn’t notice much, if any, additional understeer, which can sometimes occur with a larger from sway bar, but the course layout might not have exposed those effects, and the bar was set at the softer of two settings. The only down side of the day was finding out what the next weak link is, as the front sway bar end links are making plenty of noise to indicate they have had enough. At least the nasty clunking they are making was easy to identify and was not any part of the car trying to dislodge itself from the mother ship to completely ruin my day.

Now that the R32 is running again and all appears well (knock every piece of wood in sight), I have found out that I am not allowed to have 2 simultaneously running Volkswagens. The GTI would not crank when I went to drive it to work Monday morning and since it will start with a jump from it’s younger sibling, it is hopefully the battery and not the alternator. I’ve yet to investigate it further. I got it back on concrete and will just keep driving the R32; perhaps having the GTI sitting will add even more fuel to the motivational fire of getting parts that are awaiting install actually bolted to the car. The brakes are ready to go, I have new stainless lines, new wheel bearings are pressed into the front spindles, the rear calipers have been rebuilt with new boots, and all I need to do is put the brakes together and bolt them on the car. Soon, very soon…

The motor is still at my friends house, and I have not yet gotten injectors and a fueling setup yet. Part of that is researching what will pass emissions and get me the performance I’d like and the other part is tuners not being all that great at responding to messages. Hey, guys, ah, I’m trying to buy stuff from you, answer your messages!

I spent most of my weekend stuffed under one Volkswagen or another; I still haven’t gotten all the dirt out of my fingernails yet. First, the big things for the GTI in the coming months are a different motor and brakes off another Volkswagen, a Corrado G60. There’s a couple friends here, one of whom I’m buying the motor and brakes from, who know what they are doing when it comes to motor swaps, so everything should go smoothly when the time comes. Saturday I went up to the house where the Corrado sits to help pull some things apart and off the car, partly to lend a hand to a friend who is giving me a ridiculous deal on these parts, and partly to get more familiar with things so I’m not lost and useless when we are doing the swap. We got the transmission off the motor, since someone else is buying that, pulled the front brakes off, pulled the ECU, and starting pulling the electrical harness that would be needed also. I’ve never been this deep into any car, so it was one hell of a learning experience.

This morning I got some help replacing the drive shaft joint on the R32 as well as installed a larger, adjustable front sway bar. The joint was pretty beat up.

The car is almost back on the road again, the control arms are out and I need to get the new bushings pressed in, then bolt those up. I am still waiting on the third motor mount from VF Engineering, everytime I call they “think” it will ship on X day. False. They said this Wednesday, I’m not getting my hopes up until I have a tracking number or it’s at my door. This afternoon I went back to help with more disassembly on the Corrado. We pulled the rear brakes, emergency brake cables, and the rest of the electrical harness. Here’s the motor as it sat yesterday, and the extracted harness.

It was a lot of work but it’s was pretty cool, and there’s more to come… I’m going to have to think of a new ‘project’ name for the GTI, the current one just won’t fit as well anymore.

I do not know where April went but it’s gone, passed me right by.

The R32 still isn’t running mainly because upon going to replace the two motor mounts I have, something more fun was discovered, a drive shaft joint that was coming apart. Oh joy. Hopefully this will all be fixed tomorrow and even without the motor mount that I have been waiting on for 4 weeks now, the car can drive again. That’s a good thing, because the GTI is going to be getting some big things in the coming month(s).

I ran my friend Jana’s Mini in Tucson at the end of April again and couldn’t keep off the cones.

Comps: 53.778 (+1), 54.699 (+2), 55.032 (+1, CD), 53.802 (+1)
TOs: 54.270, 54.957, 54.405, 54.392 (+1)

At the Sierra Vista airport the weekend after (last weekend) I drove a CSP Miata on huge race tires. I finished at the bottom of the PAX class, but I beat the car owner, so we’ll see if I’m ever invited drive the car again. It was fun, completely different than the R32 or the Mini; I’d never driven a Miata and never driven on race rubber which made for a fun experience. I can see why people like Miatas (no power, but they certainly can handle!) and why race tires can be an expensive addiction.

I also went house hunting on Monday with a real estate agent, though this trip was more to figure out what I really want in a house than to find the house to buy. The whole process still seems complicated and daunting and I don’t know yet if I’m fully ready for it. It was good to look around at various houses and I figured out that there are many, many more things to think about than I had on my list. We saw about a dozen houses, most of which were vacant, some foreclosures or bank repos. Granted, there could have been things we couldn’t see, but I was surprised at the condition of these houses, I figured they’d be wreck. Probably the worst house needed carpet everywhere and drywall patched in one area of one bedroom. One other house had all the appliances missing, and by all I mean someone made off with the garage door opener and the water heater.

Softball is still going on and we are still looking for win number 1. Most of us are still having a good time even though we’ve only managed to not lose via the mercy rule twice. The season goes through the end of the month, so we don’t have many more chances to get into the win column.

Eleven months after purchase the GTI successfully passed emissions again today. I must be doing something right because looking at the records it barely passed last year while this year, I shouldn’t have even been worrying about it. While the car was on the rollers during the test I noticed a wobble in the front wheels. I couldn’t help but crack a smile, thinking that of course it’s running better than it even has in my hands, there must be something that needs attention. The other part of cracking the smile was the thought of doing something fun with the car.

The truth is, I’ve been plotting suspension work for some time. The wobbling could be worn out ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, or a combination of all three. Or wheel bearings, but ah, hopefully not. All these things were on my list to replace, along with other wear and tear parts of the suspension, because they are inexpensive and straightforward (save for the bearings…) to replace and would provide some great improvements for the car. The question becomes, as it always is, ‘if I’m going to take all that stuff apart I might as well replace or upgrade [insert parts here]‘.

I would love the car to be lower. How low? Who knows. Drop springs or coil overs? Hmmm… the saga continues…

The off-season is over. It didn’t feel short, it was short. No rest for the weary (or the wallet, for that matter).

Luck of the draw had be in the 6th heat, which is when it decided to rain. As far as me vs. my class, it didn’t matter since we were all in the same heat. As far as me vs. the course, it presented a challenge.

Competition runs: 45.817, 44.604, 44.518, 43.493
Time only runs: 44.072, 44.057, 43.383, 43.342
45th out of 127 in fast times, 32nd in PAX times.

The kicker being that I let another driver take the R for a spin in his time only runs and he threw down a mid-42 second run on his last shot. So again, I’m not pushing the car hard enough. I did get some good advice during my TO runs, with the current DSP national champ riding shotgun (and frequently speaking up to the tune of ‘more throttle!’).

As for the ‘no rest for the wallet’, well, January is turning out somewhat costly on the car front. The R32 got 4 new tires on the regular wheels and will need 2 sticky tires on the autox rims after next weekend. Then there’s the GTI and the handful of things it will be getting fixed…

Note that I’m not complaining, just making an observation. Such is life: I picked this hobby and occasionally it takes my bank account in the yard and smacks it around. Whoops.

So Thursday night someone decided it would be a good idea to pull a U-turn in the front yard of the house, hit the GTI on the rear bumper, and taking off down the street. Yeah, seriously, a hit in run, in my front yard. Here’s a mix of pics the night it happened and the next morning.

Here’s the path the car took through the yard.

Then there’s where the GTI was parked and how much it was moved when it got hit.

Now, we were home when this happened and heard something odd, but it certainly didn’t sound like a car accident. I happened to look out the kitchen window and caught a glimpse of a white car driving off the side of the lawn and taking off down the street. This seemed a bit odd, so I went out side, realized the GTI was not in the same spot I parked it in, and that there was a explosion of cactus right at the end of the carport. Then the astonishment of what actually happened began.

It’s really eye opening to realize how close this car came to the house. Now, seeing the GTI moved about 6 feet, I was expecting to see some serious damage. Lucky for me, it seems it was hit on the edge of the bumper; really, another 6 inches, and it would not have been hit at all. The rear bumper is a bit tweaked, but the car drives fine. I’m amazed at the lack of damage to be honest.

Since we didn’t see anything, the police can’t and aren’t going to do much. I got a report number, that’s about it. The car only has liability coverage on it and in Arizona that means covering only bodily injury, not property damage, on uninsured motorist claims. So basically, I’m on the hook for repairs, which sucks. At least it’s not much, and since the bumper on the car is still firmly attached I probably won’t bother messing with it. I promptly called Progressive back and found out how cheap it was to get collision on the GTI, so it’s now got full coverage. It may not be worth much, but I’d prefer to get something in return if someone comes along and totals it, especially since it is certainly worth more than the $8 a month it costs to have it covered.

One the bright side, the huge pot of chili we were cooking that night came out awesome. We have a good five pounds of it left and it is sooooo delicious. Thanks for the recipe Mom!