Full Disclosure, GTI Story ends

Fall 2013 I moved across town, another rental house. This one has a nice attached garage, but it is smaller, and I'm not allowed to keep ANYTHING outside.

Oh, also, I'd bought a beautiful 1995 Miata that summer for...fun.  (Actually, for a few years now, ever time I saw a Miata I thought 'funnnnn!')  It can also be for track days, it's nice to have a convertible and reasonable fuel economy in my commute, and should be great for E-stock (Street!) autocross on some of our bumpier lots and allow different co-drivers than the kart. This led to some required downsizing.


So of course, I chose to sell the one really good car which we've put so much work into---the '88 GTI rallycar which 'started' this blog.

Selling the car was very bittersweet, and I dragged my feet for a while. Finally, I did actually list it for sale, instead of just saying it was for sale... and sold it in Fall 2013 (1 year ago!) to a person who I think will use it well, and is also in the region.

It was really great reading some of the responses to the listing in some of the forums. A few people had stories to share of watching the car compete, and the car got complements all around. But of course it would - because it looked absolutely badass in track-day(!) trim (which is wheels + muffler extension)

Car looking awesome at 2013 Waterford Hills Track Day, thanks John for the picture!

"For Sale" contents: (Red = work Kenneth and I did):

For sale is a 1988 MKII Golf, started as a GTI. Fairly straight, never rolled.  Biggest repair was a replaced front-left frame horn ahead of the strut top after sno-drift 2012. (still finished the day though)

Log book dates 5/7/99, 'Identity No. 97-206' original owner ran 7 rallies in New England 1999-2001

Billy Elliot owned and ran 4 rallies from 2008-2010, and I have run 4 from 2010-2012

Most recent entry 2012 Sno*Drift

I have also run many rallycross, and even an autocross and track day with the car.  It has proven to be reliable through all, except for once where I broke some wheel studs (see new pressed-in ARP studs below).  Car is capable of running at the top of G2 (2nd at 2011 Sno regional, fastest stage time on last stage).  One of its strongest points is the handling - it is a very driveable car.

Additional pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/104911009751628720585/albums/5928713671092192641?authkey=CKqdx4i397WKOA (will make more sense after reading summary)

Good handling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3tc-GCBboA

Rally stage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T189IkqIR0 (exhaust now includes hushpower muffler for less harshness)

Check out http://www.icengin.com/ from 2011-2012 to get a good idea of the story!

Safety/comfort

8 point cage, 1.5"x0.098, updated door bars + dash bar 2011 http://www.icengin.com/2011/04/doin-stuff.html

Sparco Pro ADV (2x, new 2010) spectacular condition still (of course) INCLUDED!

6061 3/8" front skid plate, extremely strong

steel center skids for fuel lines

Plastic under-car skids

6061 rear skid plate for fuel system

All wheel mudflaps durable and in good condition

Terratrip

Roof vent

Belts dated Nov. '08

Quick release steering wheel

2002 china-market Chery mechanical HVAC heater core and flapper unit! awesome.  

Required spill kit and orange triangle kit

Brakes (http://www.icengin.com/2011/03/gti-rallycar-brake-system-post-1.html)

MKIII front knuckles with greater diameter rotors, larger calipers.  New rotors and pads 2011, still look great

Rear disc (GTI...)

Brake system converted to AN standard (easy repair, multiple-use fittings), hard line run in-car, stainless line to wheels.  No hardware on rear beam.

Rear brake bias driver adjustable

Hydraulic handbrake

Suspension

MKIII rear beam (stronger than MKII)

Front control arms plated, adapted for spherical bearings (COM12) to eliminate durability concern common to OEM rubber http://www.icengin.com/2011/01/front-suspension-upgrades.html

Converted to studs, ARP permanently pressed in from rear (required hub disassembly)

Bilstein "Group B" struts: 

Front: 85-92 Strut Conventional Body 300/120 VE3-4141

Rear: 85-92 Rear Conventional Body 300/100 AK30140

Front top hats replaced with Subaru 'Group N' to eliminate durability concern http://www.icengin.com/2011/06/fundamental-gti-progress.html

Drivetrain

Engine swap to 2.0L 9A (no modifications) 2011

New fuel injectors, injector seals, coolant lines, accessory belts, etc, all at that time

Stainless steel supersprint 4-2-1 long tube header, race cat, flowmaster hushpower.  Also includes external bolt-on muffler for meeting sound requirements for that track day, which is pretty sweet.  Seen in the fancy track day pictures.

Stock 020 GTI close ratio transmission

Electrical

AGM battery, relocated behind driver seat

Engine harness separated from body harness

WOLO air horn (pretty fun)

Body harness relay and fuses relocated to dash center, some rally functionality enhancements for lighting, extra navigator wiper, washer, horn controls, etc

seen briefly here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QI070EkMvE (exhaust is since changed though)

4x giant Hella driving lights with nice weatherpack connectors and wiring

Kill switch

Spares:

Yes.  Many many.  And you must take them with the car!

About 16 wheels and tires (VW alloys, snow, rally, and street tires)

Many beams, bumpers, suspension arms, belts, brakes...everything

Spare 020 trans

Let me justify further: I sold it because I found plenty of fun stuff to do in my unofficial rally sabbatical (posts to come), and I am not making any short or even medium-term stage rally plans.
Fact #1.  The car was all set and running
This made selling it seem like a particularly strange idea, but it also means it had value...
Fact #2.  Is that the GTI was a really good STAGE rally car. And just a 'good for a local region' rallycross car. And a 'silly' track day car.

So the future of this blog from my garage (which is already here in a lot of ways, to update soon-ish!) is
1) Occasional track days with the better Miata (complete with Miata prep!),
2) To build a nationally competitive car for rallycross (the snowmobile civic...) 
   2b) Hm, and maybe some rallycross nationals.
3) Plus autocross nationals with the Shifter Kart (constant fabrication involved for and around that one),
4) and motorcycle track days (maybe a motorcycle front end swap on this blog next year).
5) In all honesty, maybe other RC and some electronic stuff.  Yea yea.  But it's pretty fun.
6) Friend's cars that we get to drive, like Jon's supercharged Miata which I got to drive all through 2014 rallycross (Jon's car, my supercharger!)

Not to mention Kenneth's garage!  hehe, which makes my list above look easy (and my fabrication look woeful)

The future, which is now, is busy and awesome.  There are many more builds, repairs, and races to come and to be documented here!