Project Cheap-as-S***

[89Coupe]

I figured since I started to actually do some work to the car that I'd start a build thread of sorts to chronicle what I've done and ask stupid questions (still a VW noob).

What I started with:

1989 Wolfsburg coupe, T-pink
8v, 192-something, broken speedo cable at 126k
blown struts, shift linkage was toast
no flares or skirts, no front bumper
major mouse house under the rear seat, chewed through the RR seatbelt
some rot on the left rear quarter

The day I got it home, bought a t-red big bumper front for it the same day (sorry for blurry pics, cell phone)...



Sitting with my other toys...


The plan was to build a low-budget autocross toy with it and use it as a DD, because the Jeeps use around three times the gas.

Started right up when I picked it up (just needed a battery), but died a few days later. It was cranking but had no fuel. I thought it might have been a bad relay but I checked all of them and all were good. I traced it to the in-tank fuel pump, so I dropped the tank and replaced it (the cap was jammed on hard enough that I couldn't get it out through the access in the trunk).

I did all this in July/August, and it sat until recently when I acquired a set of Bilstein struts and H&R 1.6" drop springs from a mkIII with knuckles, hubs, brakes and EBC pads (in front). Currently waiting on tax returns to come so I can order a shifter rebuild kit, motor/tranny mounts, flares/skirts, speedo cable, mkIII sway bars, control arm bushings, lights and some mkIII seats.

I'll load some more pictures soon. Any ideas/suggestions are fully welcome, I'm still learning VW's from Jeeps

[copperlite]

With a little elbow grease you can bring tornado pink back to life. I used some 3M polishing compound and a bunch of terry towels and cleaned the paint by hand. The difference is amazing. There are finer compounds that are probably better suited for this...do a search, plenty of guys have done it around here.

[89Coupe]

With a little elbow grease you can bring tornado pink back to life. I used some 3M polishing compound and a bunch of terry towels and cleaned the paint by hand. The difference is amazing. There are finer compounds that are probably better suited for this...do a search, plenty of guys have done it around here.

I definitely want to at some point. I have quite a few battle scars to fix first- the hood looks like some people sat on it in multiple places, the passenger door is kinked out at the front, there's no RF fender (long story, tracking down a new one atm), and the driver's side door and rear quarter are banged in a little bit where a (I **** you not, I swear) horse ran into the side of it at night.

I'm looking into trying to pull them out as gently as possible before I start going crazy with the paint, but I'll definitely keep that in mind!

[89Coupe]

Just ordered a Prothane full bushing kit for it, should be here by Friday or Monday... hopefully Friday because I have the weekend off!

Still working on tracking down a RF fender, one guy hasn't called me back yet about one he has...

[89Coupe]

Got some new stuff today... first of a long list of presents from Brown Santa...



Stock non-hydro front motor mount, G60 trans mount, rubber rear mount. Should be able to get them in this weekend.

[8V Fury]

Good choice on motor mounts. Nice to see another coupe being kept on the road.

[jettaracer1989]

was this on craigslist a while back? I swear I remember seeing a red coupe for sale, anyway good luck im in the same boat with my mk2

[89Coupe]

was this on craigslist a while back? I swear I remember seeing a red coupe for sale, anyway good luck im in the same boat with my mk2

Haha it was, I acquired it from someone else though. Probably the same car if you're from the CT area.

Seats are toast... and from a Mk1... I'm getting a set of Mk3 front and rears to swap into it. I have to remember to cut the rear mounts off the donor car, that way I don't have the rears just kind of laying there.

[89Coupe]

Payday = Throwing money at the MkII...

Bought a set of fogs for the big bumper, shift boot to replace the shredded one, air filter adapter for the MAF, Bosal resonator and muffler, and front strut bar (because it was there, and because it was dirt fawking cheap). Kind of pissed I can't get the motor mounts in tomorrow because of snow... I might say "Eff It", set up a pop-up lawn tent over the entrance of my garage, and do them anyways.

Still need bumper turn signals, flares, side skirts and a new RF fender, but she's coming along! I changed the oil after Seafoaming it, which seems to have fixed the oil light (for now).

I really should just buy a Bentley, but I've been lurking the Mk2 forum and poking at the car with a multimeter to try and solve some of my random electrical problems. Dash cluster lights still don't work and the bulbs appear to be okay, tach drops to zero when high beams are on, turn signals work, but erratically... rear speakers don't work but fronts do. I have a few days off coming up, so I might just sit in it and go through all the wiring.

[89Coupe]

So I scored Racelands at the local pick and pull for 50 apiece...

Threw them in tonight. Preview pics, I'll get some daylight ones in the AM when I have more light.

[Colbskee]

could have almost bought them new for that price haha. Good work so far man. Plans for the engine?

[89Coupe]

could have almost bought them new for that price haha. Good work so far man. Plans for the engine?

Yeah I could have haha, but it was the "right here, right now" factor...

For now I plan on keeping the 8v, I've been thinking about an ABA swap but I'm not sure yet. I'm keeping it NA whatever it is.

[89lx302]

Bro ditch them racelands they ride like ****... u want good cheap coilovers for $329+ shipping check out rokkor.. i got them on my 91golf gl 4 door..... plus they drop u low as hell

[Run_That]

bro bro bro they're basically the same coliovers so it doesn't matter. Plus he said they were "right here, right now." That makes it better than waiting for shipping and paying the shipping cost.

[89Coupe]

Bro ditch them racelands they ride like ****... u want good cheap coilovers for $329+ shipping check out rokkor.. i got them on my 91golf gl 4 door..... plus they drop u low as hell

They were available at the time for not a lot of money, I was looking at Rokkors originally.

I'm not going stupid low because this is going to be my DD/autocross toy when I feel like it, so poke/stretch/stance etc. are kind of null. I'm sticking with the stock tire size of 185/60/14 and getting some decent tires for autocross, maybe going to 13's and running the semi-legit R-comps one of the guys I autocross with had on his RX-7 last year. We'll see how it pans out

[89lx302]

Im tunning a 195/60/14 on flyers.. (i mke jetta gt rims) dropped about 2it inches w the rokkors rolled the fenders and 8u mm spacers all around... dding the car.. its worth it when u have the spare $.. idk i just have a problem with used struts... but to each his own .. badass looking car btw.. loving the jeeps.. (i i rock a jacked ranger as a dd till my duce is back on the road)..

[89Coupe]

Thanks!

Yeah, my Cherokee was my DD until I got this thing. 3" and 33x12.50s with one-ton steering.

[EastCoastVeeDub]

+1 for JY scores.

Car looks good dude. I've always been a sucker for T red, or in you're case "T pink".

[89Coupe]

+1 for JY scores.

Car looks good dude. I've always been a sucker for T red, or in you're case "T pink".

Thanks! It's a learning experience. :thumbsup:

[89Coupe]

So I autocrossed it for the first time today.

I was expecting utter failure, simply because my power steering reservoir is (barely) held together with JB weld, I have some obnoxious lifter tick, my exhaust rattles on my rear beam, and I have NO idea what I'm doing with a FWD car. I'm used to autocrossing my Miata, but I felt like a change.

Ended up getting first in the Street Touring C class, time of 43.3 secs. FTD was something like 35.01-something, most people were in the 40-50 range.

I'll post some pictures as soon as my friend loads them onto his computer.

[89lx302]

Sweet im running 31x10.5 on my ranger ... p/s problems... u need a resivor lines or pump... i got parts if ur looking...

[89Coupe]

Sweet im running 31x10.5 on my ranger ... p/s problems... u need a resivor lines or pump... i got parts if ur looking...

Orly...

Pics as promised of the autocross:

In the paddock


Start line


Action shots






Lifting tire


A couple shots of my buddy's Mk4 R32




My other friend's E36 M3


And because it was cool... a 1970 AMC Javelin. I wanted to do inappropriate things to this car



(pics credited to Phil Larocca)

[89lx302]

Bro to help save the coupe ill send u pump all the lines and the resivor dirp cheap. Pm me if u want it or text me.. 847 361-1151

[crap_carat]

Did you ever get the dash figured out? I had nearly the exact same problems and got em all fixed by relocating some grounds on the block.

I also daily'd a Ranger with 31's before I got my Jetta. Weird. Lol

[89Coupe]

I did end up getting the dash fixed. The odometer is still broken, but it's something inside the cluster itself. I bought another cluster a thousand miles off from mine to swap in.

[89Coupe]

Got some decent looking wheels for it... I'll keep them a surprise until I get them mounted. Nothing fancy, no BBS, no steelies, just a decent set of wheels I won't care terribly much if I scratch them autocrossing.

Got a cluster from the JY to swap in so my odometer works, I'll pull the dash clock out of my current one because that one works and the JY one is cracked.

On a side note, anyone have some input into lighting the cluster? I know it's got the three bulbs behind the cluster, but I didn't know if there was an inexpensive LED alternative or some method someone's used for additional illumination. While I have the cluster out I figured I'd look into any modifications I can do to it. Any input is appreciated

[jettaracer1989]

Got some decent looking wheels for it... I'll keep them a surprise until I get them mounted. Nothing fancy, no BBS, no steelies, just a decent set of wheels I won't care terribly much if I scratch them autocrossing.

Got a cluster from the JY to swap in so my odometer works, I'll pull the dash clock out of my current one because that one works and the JY one is cracked.

On a side note, anyone have some input into lighting the cluster? I know it's got the three bulbs behind the cluster, but I didn't know if there was an inexpensive LED alternative or some method someone's used for additional illumination. While I have the cluster out I figured I'd look into any modifications I can do to it. Any input is appreciated

Coming along nicely the autocross must have been fun. What part of CT are you in?

[89Coupe]

Coming along nicely the autocross must have been fun. What part of CT are you in?

Thanks! The autocross was a blast, I'd never raced a FWD car before so it was a little different. Lots of left-foot braking instead of steering with the throttle.

I'm from Bethany, I'm about ten minutes from New Haven and Cheshire. The autocross is in Stratford.

[89Coupe]

Buffed out the t-Pink for a few hours Saturday in preparation for going to Staggered '12, tried to swap in my new cluster too but the junkyard broke the Jesus clip Time to bitch and moan and try to get my money back.

Staggered was a blast- first show I felt brave enough to bring my car to, and talking to some of the Mk2 guys and looking at other peoples' rides gave me ideas and motivation. I'll get some pics up as soon as they get loaded, I didn't take any of my own car but some of the guys I rode up with did.

On a maintenance/repair note... I started getting coolant pooling under my gas pedal randomly. I thought it was just water coming up from a rust spot, but it's slippery as fawk and blue. Heater core? A) how much of a bitch is it to replace, B) where can I even find blue coolant, C) are other coolants okay to run, if so, which ones?, and D) can I just get by with bypassing the heater core until I can replace/fix it?

[89Coupe]

Attached a few pictures of what I found in the jy, thoughts?

[89Coupe]

Hmmmmm...




Picked up a set of snowflakes, thanks to SurferD and LittleYan on here . Just finished sanding them down, priming/filler priming, sanding again (ugh), and painting them a metallic graphite. Gonna try and get them mounted/balanced/on the car ASAPstatus. Lemme know whatcha think! Just need to get center caps for them.

[89Coupe]

Thanks to Will from HeavyMetalConcepts for this edited rolling shot... Taken somewhere on 81 in Pennsylvania this weekend. Roadtripped the Coupe to Pine Grove to watch the Ultra 4 offroad qualifier at Rausch Creek. Survived with only minor carnage: lost almost all brake pedal coming off the exit for the hotel after the race, turned out my left front brake hose off the caliper came off the retainer and rubbed through on my tire. Got it fixed within an hour and a half