Tom's Garage 1984 VW GTI |
Copyright 2007 Birchwood Design |
1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI Chassis Hor Technologie progressive rate lowering springs, lowers approximately 1.25" compared to stock GTI ride height. Autotech front and rear swaybars, 22mm and 28mm, polyurethane bushings Koni externally adjustable low pressure gas struts and shocks, allowing tuning not only of shock firmness but also of under/oversteer balance. 205/55-14 Pirelli P600s mounted on 14x6 Ronal R8 rims. 205/55-14 Kumho Victoracers mounted on original machined 14x6 GTI alloy rims. Metalmaster brake pads Autotech lower front subframe --Front and rear lateral bars tie front and rear a-arm mounting points together laterally --Triangulated brace ties front and rear bars together Neuspeed upper front stessbar and triangulated rear stressbar with polyurethane upper shock mounts Polyurethane strut bearing mounts, upper shock bushings and steering rack bushings |
Engine 1847cc Wayne Snyder motor Balanced and blueprinted ARP competition head studs and rod bolt hardware Lightened flywheel 82.5 Kolbenschmitt cast pistons, 9.9:1 compression ratio Neuspeed solid lifter cam, .432" lift, 272 degree duration Ported and polished head, 26.3cc combustion chambers, stainless 40mm intake and 34mm exhaust valves, dual valve springs Early 1.7 liter head and block, GTI crankshaft and rods Ported stock GTI intake manifold Audi 5000 throttle body Stock fuel injection has been retained, including oxygen sensor, for reliability and serviceability. Air/fuel ratio is always stoichometric, no fried pistons or fouled plugs. Fully baffled trap-door oil pan VW Motorsport windage tray Melling competition oil pump Remote mounted oil cooler, 4x11", with thermostatically controlled sandwich plate Euro GTI exhaust header (wider stud pattern than US two-outlet manifolds) with Techtonics dual downpipe, 2" intermediate pipe with Walker Super Turbo Dynomax muffler Polyurethane front motor mount Estimated 150 HP |
Other A/C and stereo removed for lightness Gauge pack relocated to radio location for optimal visibility Impact Racing competition safety belts Sound deadening material removed Euro bumpers Short-shift kit Interior is in excellent condition, with original dash, seats, carpet--no tears, rips, sun fading, etc. A/C and stereo removed for lightness Gauge pack has been moved to the radio location for optimal visibility Fire extinguisher Impact Racing competition safety belts Euro bumpers Curb weight is approximately 1800 pounds Included are all parts to return the car to stock condition, except the A/C. Parts include rear seat, front and rear bumpers, original engine parts, shocks/struts, springs, jack, spare tire & wheel. All service records since new Insured by Hagerty Collector Car Insurance |
I purchased this car new, in October 1983, from the VW dealer in Traverse City. At first it was a great dual-purpose car. It was a daily driver for about ten years, and it's also been autocrossed since the summer of 1984. It holds two Cherry Pits Solo II track records. Over the years the car's become more of a single-purpose track car, moving from Stock to Street Prepared classes, then to E Modified. Today it remains in excellent condition. The car is a hoot at track events. On my home track, Grattan, it runs with highly regarded performance cars such as the supercharged BMW Mini Cooper JCW, Lotus Elise and an E36 BMW M3. I really enjoy its uniqueness at these events. People really respond to an original old-school GTI that looks basically stock yet runs with the newer cars. For example, the October 6, 2007 Great Lakes Lotus Club event at Grattan was packed with newer high-performance cars. My run group included all of the above-mentioned cars, plus an Exige and an Exige S, a Chrysler SRT8, a couple of 911s and a Boxster. The car was surprisingly competitive with all but the Exiges. In between run sessions several people would stop by and check out the GTI. But the crowning moment was when I was leaving the track at the end of the day. I had the car on the tow dolly, waiting for the crossing gate to open so I could head home. One of the Lotus Club guys ran over to me and said "I don't care what anybody says, you have the BEST car here!" That really made my day. While the car is set up for the track, it can easily be returned to stock condition if desired. I have nearly every original part (see list below) and all are in good condition. The car had an outstanding wax-based rustproofing applied by the dealer. The only rust is in a few small areas at the very bottom edge of the rocker sill seamsnone on the underside, on the rockers themselves, on the doors, under the hood or elsewhere. When the first little spots showed, after ten years, I converted it to a summer-only track car. I had the car on the market this spring. I also had my 944 for sale. The 944 sold, so the GTI stays. After some conversations with people who had GTIs when they were younger, and regretted selling them, I decided that I enjoy the car far too much to sell it. Enjoy the photos! John DeSpelder |
