So, this is my first actual post outside of the marketplace, and I'm hoping it's not going to be near my last. I'll attempt to regularly update this thread, and if anyone has any similar issues I've run into or general questions, I'm more than willing to help to the best of my ability.

Let's get this started!

When i was originally living in Texas, now living in Florida, I lucked out at the dealership I worked at and purchased a trade in early 1983 MK1 GTI. I liked the car primarily because of my dads opinion of it, as he purchased one new in '83 (white, w/ blue interior), and said it was the most fun car he'd ever owned. Saw this one hit our lot and jumped on the opportunity. 123k miles, silver w/ red interior, looked like a few minor mods (later found out was a lot more) that we gave the owner $500 for. He claimed the reason he disliked it was the lack of power steering and no a/c. I found later that the car had H&R struts and springs, Raceland header, full techtonics exhaust to the muffler, where an HKS Hi-Power muffler was fitted. Front and rear sway bars with upper strut bar, BBS wheels (stock off a BMW I believe?), and rear disc brake setup. The car was awesome, pulled strong, all gears went in smooth. However, the fuse box was an absolute MESS, and that's giving it credit. Every time I shifted, the toe of my shoe tapped a hanging relay among the cluster. But the car was awesome, so I dealt with it's 'issues'. Through a month long fight with sludge in the gas tank slowly destroying everything in the fuel system, I kept working with it only because how fun the car was to drive. Until I drove it home from work and the rain tray was cracked (I had not noticed) and let a little storm in right on top of my fusebox. After attempting to repair it, unsuccessfully, the car was sold to a local GTI MKIV driver that intended to do a 1.8t swap into it. I keep up with him, and his project is slowly progressing, so I'm happy it went to a good home.

When I moved to Florida, I went on a hunt for a MK1, and finally found one on the vortex for 750 in Georgia. I drove up, snagged it up fast, and flew home before anyone could change the sellers mind. He believed the car was on it's way out, with 187k miles on a broken odometer, but all it needed was a new air filter to get smoothly moving.

Immediately, I ordered plugs, wires, rotor, distrib. cap, fluids, etc. Got the car running strong, then moved to the things I'd always wanted to do: Raceland Coilovers, Replaced all bushings with prothane bushings, new control arms w/ ball joints, tie rod ends, and tie rod flip kit, all from BFI. As well, from TechtonicsTuning, I snagged up a Magnaflow exhaust and muffler. A fellow vortex member also happened to put some 13x7 front 13x8 rear widened steelies up for sale, and they got ordered up as well, with delivery of my 175/50/13 Dunlop SP Sport 2000's this upcoming tuesday. All through this time, a local European Car Mechanic, who I'm sure is somewhere on the Vortex, Ken, happened to put up a 1997 Passat VR6 for sale, which I picked up. The car was driven back to my shop, where my friends and I tore the car apart, pulled the motor, harness, tranny, ecu, etc, and prepped for the swap I'd always wanted to do.

Hopefully a Eurowise mount kit will be picked up at SoWo, but I'll have to see what my finances permit me, as I'm a college student slammed w/ ridiculous amounts of HW. But, this thread won't turn, and I swear this, to a part out or for sale thread, as the VR6 WILL be put into my MK1 at some point, and WILL run, and WILL sound beautiful.

But here is my dilemma.

My 1.8 must be running in order for me to transport things around for the time (My daily right now is an '05 GSX-R 600), and I just love driving my GTI. A recent problem has come up as of a week and a half ago. First, the starter went out. I purchased a starter from A1PARTSDEPOT in New Jersey and had it shipped. The starter was a reman one, and **** out on me the very same day I installed it (Yes, I changed the washer). After talking with them, they agreed for a full refund once it was shipped back, where I then purchased a new starter from a reputable VW parts store in Michigan. The starter arrived, installed, and worked great. However, after a few days, the car would only crank and no longer turn over. New coil purchased, no start. New fuel pump purchased, no start. Fuel lines checked and cleaned, no start. Checked the fuel tank, clean as a whistle. Took a multimeter to the car, and here's what I've found: power to ignition switch is good, ignition module is good, to coil is good, 10v from coil to distributor, and that's where it stops. Rotor spins, but no spark. Purchased a 'recurved' distributor from a vortex member, machshnell, who was outstanding at getting me the part in no more than three days! However... the distributor looks very different than my stock one. Pictures are below, any ideas? For clarification, the vortex user that sold me the distributor forwarned me that the distributor had never been installed nor tested, but would help me out if it didn't work out. Outstanding seller.)


Original Texas GTI


Original Texas GTI engine bay


New GTI, when purchased


New GTI when purchased


New GTI when purchased


The toys showing up!


Coils!


Install!


New wheels


Tiny bit of poke


My baby


A liiiiittle low


Headlights for now until I get around to round headlight conversion


More toys!


Old starter, new starter


Old distributor, new distributor (help?)


Plug to the distributor


Plug on the new distributor (square, not oval like the old one)


Wire connection, not sure what it's to, mine didn't have that. As well, the 2nd port for the vaccuum on the back of the dizzy)


Reference pic of old distributor


Been sitting for 2 weeks


The donor


In the passat


In progress


The future


finally out!

Tons of credit to my two friends Matt and Kyle, couldn't have gotten nearly this far without them.

Any ideas on my 1.8 spark issue? Please don't say "just get that VR in there, because I think that every day, but I hate not driving my rabbit.

More to come!