The Rabbid Crabbit

[flowmastergfunk]

Now that I finally finished my chick's Diesel Jetta, I am now free to work on my own project. I have had an 84 Mercedes 190d that I have been building a 3.0 inline 6 gas motor for and working on for quite some time but I stumbled on a deal to get this cab and couldn't pass it up. Now I am abandoning my RWD rocket car!

I had an 86 cabby a while back with 32,000 original miles but cosmetically, it needed a lot of work. I ended up trading it to a friend for her 190d that she could never get keep running as a favor. It sounded like a fun project anyways. Unfortunately, that car is still around (with some really good parts,migh I add) but it is in miserably depressing condition. Her old hacker ex boyfriend THOUGHT that he could work on cars and took it out whenever he wanted, abusing the heck out of it. So it goes. I won't go in depth with my lengthy mercedes story, but let's just say for the most part I wish I never got rid of the VW.

My new car is a late 88 tripple white crabbit. It has 82,00 miles and is in decent shape. The passenger fender is a little mangled and there is some slight cancer that had been poorly bondo'ed around the base of the top...but all in all, it was worth every bit of $700. I bought it from a young lady asking $800 because her transmission "went out". When I came to look at it, I saw that it had all BRAND new tires on it, and she told me that she just had a new clutch put in before it broke. I was completely honest with her and told her that these cars have a tricky shift linkage. I even tried to talk her into keeping it because it is a good car and it was probably an easy fix. I even showed her where the shift linkage was and how it had popped off. Being the nice guy paid off because she still insisted on getting rid of it AND she even took another $100 dollars off of her asking price on her own accord It also wouldn't start at the time. She didn't know why because she just bought a new starter....but looking at it, the battery was from 06 and the + cable was hanging on by a few threads. I bought it without even hearing it run.

I had it towed home, charged the battery, put 10 dollars worth of shift bushings into it and a rear motor mount that cost $15 bucks and it started right up and drove like a champ!! I also noticed when it started that it sounded like it had an exhaust leak. It turned out to be one of two "C" clamps was missing from the toilet bowl flange on the exhaust manifold. Luckily I had an extra laying around and the actual Hazet tool to put them on!






I just got a new battery and replaced the battery cable today. There is an erratic voltage hinting that the voltage regulator is bad but the alternator itself is looking a little shady. I am wondering if it is even the correct one for the car. I just got it smogged the other day and passed by a miracle but I still haven't been able to get the high idle down. I have been spraying carb cleaner but cant find a distinct vacuum leak. I think there are actually several haha. The idle will also surge from time to time with the amperage so I am treating that as my first culprit. I also want to simplify the mess of lines and breather hoses. I grabbed a couple of treats from the junkyard yesterday to help me with my simplification process. I grabbed the larger boot off of an early rabbit and the throttle body boot off of a digi car. There is only one hole in the digi boot for the aux air pump. I need to study the evap diagrams more before I finalize my decision but I would really like to take off all that junk and throw it on once a year for smog.



I will write up later on some of my ideas for the car but as a teaser, some of my plans include throwing in an early FF diesel transmission that I have laying around instead of the close ratio 9A, and putting on my koni adjustable shocks with neuspeed springs. I am just waiting for some bushings and other toys to show up and I will get started on it. I am wayyy to excited about this car.

[Romeo Chi]

Subscribed! Nice looking start. Some folks, like your previous owner just get it in their heads that they want to sell and there is no stopping them.

Make sure to replace all the grounds, before assuming voltage regulator problems. Or any other electronic problems for that matter.

[flowmastergfunk]

Thanks for the compliment and advice! I am pretty confident now that it was just a ground problem. I replaced the positive cable the other day but the ground was replaced by the PO. The strap went straight to the transmission case and did not tie into the chassis. There is a small ground strap from the valve cover to the firewall but there was a goofy little extra bracket attached that ended up being loose. Makes sense why it charged well at a stand still.

I did end up putting on my new boots and cleaning most of those little idle boost valves and assorted hoses out of the way. I found that my air filter was saturated with oil as well. I would like to setup some sort of oil catch can to keep my intake clean. I may hook the evap canister back up once I confirm that everything else is hooked up properly.

Just a little simple progress on the cab today. I wanted to have a peek at the timing belt and under the valve cover to get an idea of where the engine stands. Decide to paint the covers while I had them off. They looked pretty bad. I used some good primer and a VSOP bottle of vintage Rustoleum gold private stock from 1973. This is that good stuff!



Looks like the belt will be good until I have all the parts to get my ABA block built for this car. I plan to keep the CIS head and keep it N/A. I had Audi 5 throttle body and K&N for my old cab and it really woke the car up, even before exhaust. I can't wait to see what it can do with the 2.0 block. I am particularly excited about the FF transmission because these cars feel like they are BEGGING for longer legs. It is certainly quick to get up to speed, but top speed is miserable. I swear the only reason my cabby got such poor millage is because I can't keep it at 65. These close ratio trannies wind up to 3500 or 4000 when I am trying to cruise

The first 4 gears of the early ff are fairly close to the gears in the 020's that came with the 2.0 ABA in most many mk3's that I have seen (CHE,DFQ, etc.). The first 3 gears are virtually the same and 4th gear is just a crows hair longer. My FF has a .91 forth and a .71 fifth while the CHE has .97 and .80 for fifth. The 9A has a 1.13 fourth and a .89 fifth. Unlike the CHE and 9A, the ff only has a 3.89 final drive instead of the 3.67. I think it should give me a little more quickness though the first 2 gears but third through fifth would just slay. I would be able to run out the gears more and accomplish a higher topspeed. Maybe after the 2.0 is thrown in the ff might even like having the 3.67 ring and pinion. I will have to wait and find out!

Suspension is my first project and I will be throwing everything in this week. I also plan to actually wash it and detail it this week. I had some sweet recarros in my gf's car but they are a little too big for the jetta and her backseat became worthless. I am more than happy to put them in my car instead

I also want to work on relocating the battery to the back. After my diesel project, I have grown fond of opening up as much space as possible under the hood. This particular engine seems to have a lot of clutter. I plan to leave this car as a 2 seater so the back region will be all custom. I already got busy today starting to take out the rest of the existing A/C nonsense that has been left under the hood. I also look forward to looping the P/S and deleting the pump hoses and reservoir. The jetta handles better without it IMO but I am interested to get the non P/S feel with the different ratio. It sounds fun to me!

I am also one of the dreamers that wants to make a hardtop. It is going to take me a while to get started I am sure, but I would like to have a good stereo and I would rather not have my top sliced open. I would at least like to hear a broken window so I have a chance to run outside and whoop some a$$. Performance and handling come first but this is the main reason I am back in a crabbit.

My biggest debate is whether or not to keep the clipper kit. I love these cars without bumpers and I always wanted to weld up the bumper holes and shave the door handles on one of these. The clipper kit looks much better to me than the old school bumpers so I am not convinced that I want to go that route yet. Maybe someone will offer me money for my clipper kit and make my mind up for me. I just stumbled upon a new cabby picture this mornin that made my jaw drop. I feel like this person has tapped into my dreams. I want to meet whomever is responsible for this and hug them.



The last of my suspension bits should be here tomorrow or tuesday so I will update as soon as this beast gets setup nice and sturdy.

[flowmastergfunk]

Got my valve cover gasket and put things back together today. The whole bay still needs a good degreasing and pressure washing but its amazing how a lil'ol' rattle can has the ability to dress things up. Got the breather hoses under control too and it idles amazing now. Still have a bit of an erratic voltage though
I also got the last of my suspension bushings today along with an extra surprise that came in a little early. I guess I get to throw this lower frame brace in while I am at it tomorrow

And as if there wasn't enough awesomeness that popped into my life today, I also found a '91 california digi Fox while I was wandering the junkyard today. I snagged the intake/throttle body with the quickness. It is pretty much the same as my old audi 5 TB but I don't think I have to modify it at all to fit. My K&N should also be here within the week but I think I might wait to put on the intake until my TT downpipe shows up at the front door. I guess I can make use of the extra waiting time by giving the new intake a good cleaning and porting it out a bit.

[flowmastergfunk]

I finished putting my suspension in but I need to mess with the rears still. The koni's have a circlip so that the height of the lower spring perch can be adjusted. The rear is MUCH higher than the front so I need to compress the springs and move that clip down a few notches. I also started the adjustment turned all the way up to firm. It corners GREAT but God help you if you hit a pothole or speedbump. That is the beauty of being able to adjust it instead of being stuck with a specific ride quality. All and all I am very pleased with the setup.

I hope my downpipe gets here this weekend because I would very much like to put my intake on.

[flowmastergfunk]

Still no downpipe but a few more toys came in the mail. The Autotech plug wires might be overkill at this point but the price was right and the money went to helping a good man get his diesel disaster straightened away. Cheers and thanks to jpskate8 for all of the killer deals. Good luck on your deez homie!
I also can't wait to put in the weighted ABD P-Shift rod and short shift kit. I have a Neuspeed shift shift rod and short shifter in the Jetta and it made a world of difference. I believe this is the TT short shifter because it is notched for the downpipe. I find it strange that the neuspeed shifter is completely different by design. They modified the shifter bracket that actually bolts onto the transmission itself. In theory, it seems like you could use both short shifters at the same time. I am not so sure that trying that is a good idea though....the shifter might start singing dirty rap songs because it would be "Too Short"

Sorry if I am getting carried away with this build! I warned you that I was excited!

[rabbitnothopper]

cool upgrades

just replace the voltage regulator
your brushes or diode is probally wearing out

worst case the diodes inside the alt are worn out...

[flowmastergfunk]

just replace the voltage regulator
your brushes or diode is probally wearing out

worst case the diodes inside the alt are worn out...

They were some sort of crappy aftermarket brushes in a crappy alternator to begin with. I swapped out some brushes from my benz alternator and it is doing fine. It isn't charging as strong as I would like but it is charging steady. I am trying not to get another alternator until I can put in my ABA bottom end. I can pull the whole motor for $250 at the junkyard. The best part is if I feel like putting in extra work, I can go around between all the different cars and "assemble" a motor out of all the best parts. Find the best looking block, bolt on the best looking ABA style alternator, I believe there is hearsay about needing some sort of vr6 pulley for the water pump when deleting the A/C, make sure I have an exhaust manifold that isn't cracked, ETC. I can even put another CIS head on it before I take it to the register just so that I can have an extra and then I won't pay to have a worthless ABA head laying around. I hope I can go pick it up next month but I have to budget some of my spending to my other cars too. I can't have ALL of my funding going to this car right off the bat ...even though I have been dropping cash on this thing like water on a wildfire

I had MORE parts come in today! This should just about be the last of it. My TT downpipe and TT high flow cat came in today! They have pretty low miles on them and I am pretty sure the cat is only 49 state legal. Take THAT Cali smog laws I took a picture next to the stock MK3 downpipe and MK3 manifold for good measure. I am using the stock manifold on my chica's Jetta because the euro sport headers couldn't survive on the diesel. I cracked them coming over the grapevine on our last roadtrip. Damn 113 degree weather and f***ed up roads! They are luckily going to be easy to repair, but I am not going to fix them and put them back on so the same thing can happen again!

But still, I can't put the downpipe on until I can afford to do the catback at my friends mufflershop Sad panda. I am still working on getting my new intake all polished up though so I certainly have some time to kill.

I also got my 5th gear swap kits from Brian at brokevw.com That man is a gentleman and a scholar! He is an 020 master and he has always been beyond generous when it comes to sharing his wisdom. Cheers, Broke!

Thanks for throwing in the candy too!

I know I have gone on a gearing rant before (and I am sure a lot of people get lost/DGAF) but I have been planning for some time to put an 0.71, the tallest stock 5th gear you can get, into the CHE transmission in my GF's jetta. The CHE has an 0.80 fifth currently. Even though have intentions to put the FF in my car, I probably wont do it until my 2.0 is ready to go in. For the mean time, I have the option of replacing my 9A 0.89 fifth with the 0.80 from the CHE or a 0.76.

The smaller the number, the higher your top speed and the lower your RPM's get at freeway speed. I am tempted to put the .8 in so that it the ratio is still somewhat close going from 4th to fifth but the millage would be soooo nice with the 0.76! I drew up a chart showing what RPMs would be at what speed for each gear so that I can compare and contrast before making the decision. I have had it posted over my Non-Op speedo so I can use my imagination when looking at my tach and playing with the throttle response at various RPM's per gear.

I will try to post a spreadsheet a little later, but until then, imagine doing 75 in your cabby and still not hitting 3100 RPM

The only part I am waiting on now is my teflon shift shaft bushing from Missing Linkz. The last mechanic that worked on this just but of zipties around the bracket to try and center it hahaha. I can't wait to fly into first gear every time without having to press down *sigh*

...and I promise I am not ricing out on you, but I scored a WINK rear view mirror out of an old man golf at the junkyard this weekend. I have wanted one of these forever but refused to pay $50 bucks. I got it for $6 and $3 dollars worth of stainless hardware over at ACE. Looking behind me with the top down is AWESOME!

[flowmastergfunk]

Finally got my passenger seat put in today and I managed to get the inside cleaned up well enough to take a picture.

Well....at least the front looks good

The back is a whole different story haha. It will have to do for now but eventually it will start coming together. This car is to remain a two seater because I always have to move a bunch of tools, parts and music equipment. Maybe I need a Caddy? The front seats are some recarros that have fairly fresh upholstery. I got them at the junk yard a while back for $25 dollars/ buy one get one free. They are comfy as hell but the bolsters on the side are way to puffy. Thankfully it isn't hard to get into second or fourth but it is certainly difficult to get to the E brake with both of these puppies in there. Don't make fun of me for my Mercedes AMG SLK mats. They were free from my old mercedes shop so I made them fit.

Main project for the day: I finally put in my manifold and throttle body. It took longer to get it clean than it did to port match it and install it. I ended up capping off all the extra vaccuum ports and it idles like a dream. Better than before. The only things I need to figure out is what vaccum lines and wires can be removed due to their association with the AC or the Idle boost circuit. I know removing/ tampering with all of this crap is opening a can of worms but I just want it to be clean and simple. Maybe I have been working on old diesels for too long.



Also, Is the switch that was on the old throttle body an idle switch or full throttle switch? I haven't rigged it up to the new throttle body yet and I am not sure if I need to. If it is used for fuel enrichment at WOT, I suppose it would be a good thing to include

It certainly breathes a good deal better but that toilet bowl manifold needs to go. I need to do some more fund raising!

[ohnomaybe]

Looks a lot like my Cabby haha. I'm about to take the back seat out of mine. I have to carry amps, guitars, and all that all the time.

[ohnomaybe]

Btw, the engine bay looks awesome

[flowmastergfunk]

one of my favorite things about the cabby is that you can put the top down, huck some giant speaker cabs in the back, and put the top up. Magical

Tahnk you for the compliment. I want it to look as open and simple as possible. There is still a bunch of stuff that needs to go and I still need to pressure wash this beast.

Is any one familiar with the vacuum switch and other vacuum line that connect to the booster hose near the intake mani? I want those GONE but I am not exactly sure of their purpose.

[rabbitnothopper]

yeah i dont feel too bad, i had supposedly a .97 fourth on my 77 GC
LOUDDDDDDDDD

-> to a GP with a .71 and makes all the difference

[rabbitnothopper]

the vac ports on the throttle body and intake:

the second port on the intake next to the brake booster hose is for a secondary vac line to the breather hose on the valve cover
if your valve cover doesnt have the secondary port (it doesnt) then just cap it

the one you refer to on the TB which faces the VC is an accessory port
it connects to one of several things:
2 way valve (cis-basic)
vacuum amplifier
decel valve
EGR
or
AC

id have to dig through my 78 photos but you can look yourself at the "Before" shot to see (see signature links)
and my 81 has the secondary vac port on the valve cover & intake

on my 78 with CIS-basic i removed a bunch of vacuum lines and other things
only 3 vac total now and they are all on the distributor vacuum advance
car runs and drives fine


...looking more closely
i know VW/audi decided to change SOOO many things through the CIS years
but damn
i noticed you dont have a CSV (5th injector)
how hard is that car to start?

[flowmastergfunk]

the vac ports on the throttle body and intake:

the second port on the intake next to the brake booster hose is for a secondary vac line to the breather hose on the valve cover
if your valve cover doesnt have the secondary port (it doesnt) then just cap it

the one you refer to on the TB which faces the VC is an accessory port
it connects to one of several things:
2 way valve (cis-basic)
vacuum amplifier
decel valve
EGR
or
AC

id have to dig through my 78 photos but you can look yourself at the "Before" shot to see (see signature links)
and my 81 has the secondary vac port on the valve cover & intake

on my 78 with CIS-basic i removed a bunch of vacuum lines and other things
only 3 vac total now and they are all on the distributor vacuum advance
car runs and drives fine


...looking more closely
i know VW/audi decided to change SOOO many things through the CIS years
but damn
i noticed you dont have a CSV (5th injector)
how hard is that car to start?

I have a valve cover breather off of an early rabbit convertible now so it just does straight from the cover to the airbox. I have the secondary port capped off on the manifold. The vacuum lines I was questioning were the two small vacuum lines. One looks like it goes straight to the interior so I have a feeling it has something to do with AC or climate control. The other comes straight off to a vacuum switch of some sort, which is ultimately capped off on the other side of the switch anyways. I have no intentions of re installing the AC but if the one line is used for the actual blower motor or vent servos, I assume I will be leaving it be. I have never had the dash out on one of these so I have no idea what lurks behind it. It will have to happen one day! Curiosity always gets the best of me

I managed to take the TB off yesterday and I drilled and tapped the front side to accept my WOT switch bracket. No wonder it seemed a little bland when I stomped it after first installing the new intake. Lesson learned!

Also, I DO have the cold start valve still. There is a site somewhere that shows the installer drilling and tapping the passenger side of the fox intake to accept the CSV in the original rabbit location. I vouched to cut away a portion the rain tray so that I could install the valve in the stock fox location (who needs that VIN number anyways?). It makes sense that it would distribute the extra fuel more evenly if it was spraying close to the TB. The port is also placed right next to the inlet for the Fox's aux air regulator. Since the two are right next to each other on the stock rabbit intake, it seemed like they should still be next to one another for the new application. I think the CSV shooting fuel at the other side would be like a baby salmon trying to swim upstream. I don't see how it can efficiently fight the incoming airflow to make it into all of the cylinders :/

[spyke1019]

Subscribed!!! Awesome job... Getting ideas myself now.

[flowmastergfunk]

haha thanks spyke. I LOVE your sig! One of my mentors always used to say " A crossed thread is better than no thread". I almost died of laughter at my old shop when a Cornwell tool guy came to my shop as I threatened to "crossthread this bolt into submission" and he replied that "A crossed thread is a tight thread"

But my BEST mentor, my grandfather, taught me to always start nuts and bolts by hand before putting a tool to it

I can't wait for the next few days to pass! I dropped into my friends muffler shop and had him pencil me in for thursday! I am going to bolt on my TT downpipe and they are going to run 2.25 with a resonator and a manaflow. I have always agreed with him that the resonator keeps these from sounding ricey but I think I am going to avoid the super turbo muffler this time around. When my friend had her cabby done (even though she didn't have the dual downpipe and I THINK it was only 2 inch) It just didn't sound as mean as I had expected. Does anybody here have experience running the Dynomax Ultra Flo? I don't mind it being loud when I have it at WOT I just don't want it to sound like a kazoo.

[flowmastergfunk]

Put the pedal to the metal at one point today...the pedal stayed and the throttle closed. I said what the....oh look. There is a piece of foam down here instead of a rubber throttle bushing. How delightful

I wadded the foam back in there but now I feel like I have to baby it until I go to the junkyard. At least that is one of those "complementary with admission" parts.

[rabbitnothopper]

the diesel resonator is supposed to cut out the high end tones which sound like babies screaming so that it leaves you with the deep lion roar

idk much about the big exhausts and name brands
i have stock sized exhaust with diesel resonator and a cherry bomb muffler
shiz sounds like a bear raping a giraffe

??? yeah how do you explain sound?


some people say the borla mufflers sound best

[flowmastergfunk]

shiz sounds like a bear raping a giraffe

??? yeah how do you explain sound?

hahaha that sounds about right. I can almost hear it now


Well it looks like I am going to be staying home this lovely Friday night. I got brave and decided to swap out my WUR with an extra Volvo 240t one. I read a thread where a gentleman was saying that it helped his mid range power after he upgraded his TB and ported his intake. I hooked the one vacuum nipple to the manifold with a oneway valve and it certainly feels like it boosted power, but the idle would surge a bit because of the vacuum connection. Last time I filled the tank I went cheap and put regular fuel in it. I feel that a noticeable boost without having 91 in it might be promising. I am going to leave it in for the mean time and give it a sniff test at my friends smog shop just to see how my mixture is. I certainly plan on doing more reading in my bentley on the fueling system how to properly adjust the various pressures. I am putting a good fuel pressure gauge kit, an A/F gauge and wideband sensor on my wishlist.

Then, I decided to finally swap my pulleys over for my PS delete. Didn't want to d**k around with the PS tensioner so I just cut the belt off. The damn water pump pulley that I grabbed had a different shaft size in the center and now I can't revert back to the old one.

"I drink alone. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! With nobody else. And you know when I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself"

On an earlier note. How many of you run a stock o2 sensor for the system and a wideband for personal reference? I am greatly considering adding an extra bung in my DP so that I have a built in smog shop wherever I go

[flowmastergfunk]

My old lady and I separated last night. More time and money for the car

[rabbitnothopper]

My old lady and I separated last night. More time and money for the car

lol thanks for the update.....whatever works for you


about your water pump
there are 30mm hubs with a 30mm hole in the center of the pulley
these are the newer ones

then there are 40mm hubs which are the old style with a 40mm hole in the center of the pulley

or are you going to an ABA serp?


currently i run a splice off the o2 (my stock o2 connector broke ages ago) into a DIY $25 kit using a 10bar led
.1v to 1v











it works fairly well but pulses when the ecu pulls a signal from the o2

[flowmastergfunk]

lol thanks for the update.....whatever works for you


about your water pump
there are 30mm hubs with a 30mm hole in the center of the pulley
these are the newer ones

then there are 40mm hubs which are the old style with a 40mm hole in the center of the pulley

or are you going to an ABA serp?


currently i run a splice off the o2 (my stock o2 connector broke ages ago) into a DIY $25 kit using a 10bar led
.1v to 1v

The first pulley that I got did come off of an 81 rabbit. Now I know!

I do plan on going to the serp setup once I pick up my ABA engine from the junker. I read something about needing a VR6 pulley also so I will swap that on too. I am going to try to find a solid lifter JH to throw on the block too before I go to the cashier. I have been under the impression that the solid lifter heads are much better to have if you are trying to get serious power out of it. That will also give me a chance to do headwork and still be able to drive the crabbit while I build the engine. I will spend a small fortune in seals and going to the machine shop but I want to pretty much throw in a 0 mile motor. My wallet would like to leave the bottom end alone but my better judgement is telling me to do everything while it's on a stand.

Your air/fuel kit is pretty trick! Did you just replace the stock o2 with a wideband sensor or do you get those results somehow from a regular o2? That seems pretty straight forward and it would be a nice way to replace that clock in my cluster that doesn't work lol.

Been doing a lot of driving lately, not so much tinkering. I do have more ideas brewing and a couple of goodies. I took my front bumper off and left the rest of the kit on. It looks slightly less awkward than I expected haha. Just getting rid of a little front weight has helped when it comes to hitting potholes. I also tried to roll the fender lips a little bit without cutting or removing the wheel arches. Not perfect, but it helped.


Also got a mk1 upper brace from my friend! It needs to be stripped and painted but it's in fair shape. It looks like a few of the holes were drilled out too so I may get them welded closed a bit and re drill so that it is a tighter fit. I will be getting my exhaust done this week so it will be nice to finally have this thing flowing freely and all braced up! My buddy also has an extra set of koni's and the neuspeed race springs. I have the sport ones on it right now.



I also have a bit of a brainstorm going on. I have really been wanting to relocate the battery to the back for some time. I was debating whether to center it or put it in the right rear to compensate for my own weight. I looked at an old piece hanging in my garage that got me thinking though....

This is a combo battery tray and rear strut brace for my brother's old BMW 2002. I have pretty much felt like the cabbies are braced well from the factory and that rear strut braces are redundant. This design was pretty cool though! It made me consider building one just for welding practice and good measure! Does anybody here have pictures of their own battery relocation projects? Anybody here that actually does run a rear strut brace in their cabby and noticed a difference? I still think right rear might be the best place to go proportionally but I like the symmetrical appearance of having it centered. I am sure I will be ready to get that battery moved long before I will have the means to build some sort of brace like that BMW one!

[rabbitnothopper]

its the stock o2 setup, just spliced at the wire.
it works, not perfect but it does tell me some info


i have a working clock if you wanted to dismantle yours
it has been tested on a 12vdc adjustable voltage generator
all the buttons work and the display is readable
no actually i have my own idea for that gem.

the upper brace just barely fits as it is
i dont think they holes were actually drilled out larger, they seem to be made that way to allow the brace to slide over the studs on the strut mounts
it is an extremely tight fit to tolerance


i like that rear bmw battery brace
looks legit

i dont see why you cant add something similar to the cabriolet

more importantly if you add a top strut brace you should add the lower

[deadman16vrocco]

if you build a brace like that make sure you have the battery tie down offset to the drivers side. if you put it in the middle it will be over your spare tire.

car is looking great by the way!

[flowmastergfunk]

Good thinking with the spare tire! I will take some measurements and start sketching some ideas for the battery.

My friend that gave me the upper brace ahs been a mk1 guy for a long time. He explained to me that to get those braces on you pretty much have to jack up one corner of the car and get the body to flex for you. He thinks the person that had this specific brace before drilled it out because it fits easier than normal. I think one of the most exciting parts that I got for this car was my lower brace!! I had a picture of it on my third post but I still haven't put it on yet because I want to be able to access my exhaust first! Once I get my exhaust put on I am going to bolt it all up.

[flowmastergfunk]

I made another silly purchase yesterday. I have been debating whether or not to fabricate some sort of cold air intake using the extra CIS Volvo intake bowl that I have. I got bored and had a peek at craigslist, only to find an Injen CAI that a local guy had taken off of his new TDI coupe. He was basically asking for enough to buy some beer and a dinner so I went and took it off of his hands. It looks to me like if I were to act out on my battery relocation idea, I should be able to trim the larger silicon boot so that it wraps around right where the stock battery location is. I could then make a little divider of some nature to keep the filter a little more isolated from the heat of the engine. The aluminum runner also looks like it should fit well but it would require a little modification.



A.) I would have to shave off the support bracket on the intake runner as well as plugging the extra hose inlets.
B.) I would have to flip it upside down so that you wouldn't see the Injen sticker and know that it is a fancy part (hahaha just kidding)
C.) It appears that it would hit the coolant bottle (which I want to delete anyways) and the awkward little electronic vacuum element that sticks off of the firewall (pictured to the immediate left of the intake runner's support bracket)

I know this is opening a can of worms as far as all the other small things I want to do, but first off, what the hell is that silly vacuum deal? haha I feel like I should know this by now. I have been planning on trimming out my rain tray eventually anyways so it has to go or be relocated regardless. I believe I would rather have it gone for good unless it is truly needed. It looks expendable lol

I am not sure what gains I will truly net from changing over to this system. I have had very pleasant gains from the drop in K&N and a healthy sound from opening up the stock airbox a bit. With the stock exhaust still, it sounds tame under normal throttle but if you stomp on it and actuate the secondary butterfly on the big throttle body, it starts screaming!!! The new parts do seem like they would be a very nice addition to a turbo setup though! Speaking of, I took some pictures of the parts attached to the Volvo intake bowl, Volvo 240t air meter and fuel distributor along with a big Porshe intake boot. Rainy day parts incase I ever decide to live the boost life! I might just sell the Injen runner separately to someone that doesn't plan to molest it and check out the cheaper options at the local parts store. I would hate to hack up a perfectly good part if someone can use it as is!

[mileycyrus]

that intake looks pretty rad......

[flowmastergfunk]

Got my exhaust done!!!!!!! From the rooter to the tooter, it's all fresh. My idle instantly dropped to about 500 the first time I started it so I guess it is flowing pretty good. 2 1/4 all the way back. That Techtonics down pipe was a bastard to get in though! I had to loosen up the sway bar and install it from the bottom. My muffler guy ended up going with an 18 inch magnaflow so that it wouldn't be overly loud. Thus far, I dig it and it is breathing GREAT! I was looking forward to the dynomax ultraflow but I am still happy with my setup. My adjustable cam gear should be here Wednesday so then I should really be able to have some fun with it.

I also hit my tail lights with the red VHT nightshades. They look a lot less award color wise and it hid any of the light stress cracks. I also plan to hit the sidemarkers and 3rd brake light with the same stuff, just so that it looks more uniform. I wish I could find clear sidemarkers!

Don't mind the black scuff on my bumper where my ex ran into me today



Now I can finally but on my lower frame brace and get my alignment done! Hallelujah!

[deadman16vrocco]

Keep it up! This thing is coming along great!

[flowmastergfunk]

I noticed yesterday that some of my axle bolts were starting to loosen up from the flange on the tranny but I was running late for my appointment at the muffler shop. I tightened them up by hand so I could get there ASAP and figured I would stay in for the night and work on the ol' crabbit again in the morning. Today, I tightened them up, Re-attatched my sway bar (haha I was REALLY in a hurry), finally threw on my lower frame brace and figured I would change my gear oil while I was in there. I have kinda been waiting to do it when I swapped my 5th gear but the 2nd gear grinding from time to time was starting to bother me.

Here is a quick view of the frame brace, downpipe, missing linkz bushing and another peek at some of my piping. Yes, I know I still need to steam clean it really bad lol. I still have the stock cat in there as it still has a lot of life left to it. I am just going to keep the TT one on the shelf for now and might use it as a template to get a test pipe made. The TT cat is a direct bolt in replacement for the stock cat and FYI, the downpipe would have bolted right up to the existing system as well.

You can also see a little evidence dripping from the transmission too in that first pic. This is what I ended up with...

EW! I am pretty sure this service was looooong past due. Should make a pleasant difference

[flowmastergfunk]

Got my upper strut brace stripped, sanded, painted and installed......



time to order another F@#$%&* strut mount.

[flowmastergfunk]

Still waiting on some Febi strut mounts. I am not going to waste my time with no name brand ones. It seems like it is still safe enough to drive for the time being.

I shaved off the extra bracket on the Injen intake runner that I got. It fits well with the stock boots but I am not sure that it will create any gains. I almost think I like the old one more :/ for being part of a "cold air intake" system, the aluminum sure seams to soak up the heat a lot more than the plastic does. I was more so interested in the hose section and cone filter that came with it. I am not sure it I will keep this runner on there or revert to stock. I will wait until I relocate the battery and install my volvo toilet bowl intake with the cone before I decide for sure which I prefer. It certainly is shiny though!

[scirocco75]

Looking good. What are the seats from?

[flowmastergfunk]

Thanks! The seats were out of a mk2 GTI I found in a junkyard. I don't think the fabric is really going to hold up against the sands of time but they were almost in brand new condition when I pulled them! They made the bolsters a little too puffy but they sure are comfy. They have the electric motors in them too but I have still never tried to hook them up. Dog hair sticks to this fabric like a mother! I would love to have leather ones but I have a feeling these will still treat me well for quite some time.

On a bothersome note, all three gauges in my center console went out today.

I also think I may need too change the o2. I have had an interesting experience with the mixture since I put in my dual downpipe. I went to recheck the mixture since there are only two cylinders running through the bank that has the o2 and it was a little bit lean, around 35 + . I turned it up a tick after the fan had cycled and got it just about right at 45 +. After it kept idling for a minute I watched the dwell slowly drop all the way down to 20! I was a little confused so I turned it up again and it went up to 70 something! I don't know exactly what the problem is but it is wierd. I have been having a little problem with my cold starts this last week and a half. I have been thinking about taking out the turbo WUR for the mean time since that was the only real fuel variable I have changed. If I take it out, I will wait until I have a air/fuel gauge and some proper fuel pressure gauges before I put it back in. Even though it felt like I got a little more power out of after opening the intake, I know I am flying blind and I really have no idea what it has done to my mixture or fuel pressures. I am going to keep it in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" category for now. I had ZERO cold start problems pre-WUR. I don't want to be like the guy that dropped all kinds of parts into his JH/ABA and hardly got 100hp because it wasn't tuned.

CIS doesn't suck, you just have to understand it
Tools tools tools. Story of my life. I hope to find a good deal on a accurate fuel pressure kit and a good digital timing light.

Also, I did a little bit of addition....If I pick up my ABA engine with all the extra bolt ons I have been planning for on OCT 5th or 6th, it will run me $150 dollars since they are having a 50% off day! As long as I don't rebuild the bottom end, I should be able to buy all the parts and seals to have my JH/ABA running for less that $500 total! The only otherthings that wouldn't be included in that price would be any machine shop head work and a knock sensor setup. I am getting the ARP headstuds so I think I would just bolt on my running, current head while I take my time to build the other one.

These knock sensor rigs are almost impossible to find in the yards and almost just as hard to find for sale in the classifieds! Tough luck!