Pothole 1, GTI 0 but a comeback might be possible

So I have this little GTI that I bought new in '02. First new car I ever owned.

Nowadays it's for spirited driving and track days so it's pretty low and pretty stiffly sprung. Obviously too stiff for the pothole I hit on the highway at 70+ mph. 

Two bent wheels, cracked windshield, side airbag deployed, seat belt locked. So the pothole scored big. I don't need it as a daily so let's maybe put it back together over time and see what happens. Start with wheels. These are discontinued so simply replacing the 2 bent ones not an option. Between track wheels, winter wheels, daily wheels, etc., it has worn many types and sizes over the years. These are just a few:

16x6.5

17x7

17x8

17x9

Let's go mesh this time:

18x9

Shined up ok but lots more work to go

Nice GTI. Love the older ones a lot.

That must have been one giant pothole!

Ouch

New windshields are like new eye glasses. You never realize how crusty the old was until you see through the new.

Since the side curtain airbag damages the headliner I regretfully decided to turn the upper interior pieces black instead of the grey VW uses even if the rest of the interior is black. This requires sourcing handles and switches and a million other pieces from some limited edition VWs which came with black upper interior pieces. I'm in this car 99% of the time by myself so why on earth did I think this was a good idea? It has, however, shown me that this Duplicolor fabric paint/dye is some really good stuff.

You may get a kick out this. My buddy was pricing out getting his Harley seat covered in gator or ostrich for about $2k. I dared him to get vinyl and see if anyone could tell. As a gag I bought a sheet of gator print vinyl for $20 off Amazon and had my upholstery guy do my door cards and shift boot. I'm not sure anyone mistakes them for real gator but they certainly come across better than what you'd expect when you hear "gator printed vinyl from Amazon." I expected to never put them on or to remove them after I took a few pics. They've been on for years.

Gator.

Now that is different!

I like it! Lol 

dyintorace said:

That must have been one giant pothole!

Also doesn't help that ASA wheels were junk. My Miata had a set of 17" ASAs on it when I got it. They were also all bent, in additiion to be heavy and hideous. 

Bad wheel bearing...but on the side that missed the pothole - go figure. Modern day parts ordering is such a crapshoot. Ordered a Timken (American). Got a Timken box with a FAG (German) bearing made in Brazil.

I quit getting my panties in a bunch. I use my best judgment when ordering and use what they send unless it's blatantly a problem. I do not have a good enough memory nor do I keep good enough records to know what I ordered versus what showed up or how long it lasted and under what conditions versus what it replaced. So I can't even use my own history as a guide.

Stub axle and speed sensor looked a little crusty and the bearing came off the stub axle without a puller. And the new bearing slid on without persuasion and didn't sit tightly. Never the case before so I ordered replacements.

Speed sensor price range? $6.27 - $93.73!

I've been slowly gathering parts for a Porsche Boxster front brake upgrade. The calipers are way expensive new or used. Found good deals on Co-Part, $90 each shipped.

One came with a crimped crossover pipe.

At $50 for replacement pipe, this route still beats new, Rockauto, Ebay, etc by a mile.

I think I'm obligated to paint them red.

The Boxster brakes are primarily so I can switch from track to street pads without removing the caliper. But I do anticipate a notable improvement in braking. Admittedly my skill level is not high enough that I've ever felt I'm losing time under braking.

 Beautiful GTI! It's always nice to see a well loved and clean survivor. I have a 2010, but style wise I think the MkIV is my favorite.

If it's not too much of a bother could I ask you to take a couple of measurements of those brake calipers? I'd really like a set for my MkVI but I'm not sure if they'll clear the spokes of my aftermarket wheels without spacers.  

MrFancypants said:

 Beautiful GTI! It's always nice to see a well loved and clean survivor. I have a 2010, but style wise I think the MkIV is my favorite.

If it's not too much of a bother could I ask you to take a couple of measurements of those brake calipers? I'd really like a set for my MkVI but I'm not sure if they'll clear the spokes of my aftermarket wheels without spacers.  

Preciate the kind words.

My pleasue on the measuements: 

Length/top to bottom = 9 5/16

Width = 5 3/8

Width of Outboard Side: 1 7/16 (33mm)

Width of Inboard Side: 1 9/16 (43mm)

Oh wow, thank you!

It looks like they should clear with plenty of room to spare. I'll see about grabbing a pair from a salvage yard and get them rebuilt and cleaned up before my current set of track pads wears out. 

Where does one begin 3 years later? A quick summation? Nah, that would make me look utterly insane without some background.  Soooooo...I bought this car on in 2002. It my first "new" car. It was the first car I ever had much say in picking. It remains the only new car ever purchased for me. I have done everything imaginable in, to and with this car. I have had and do have many other cars, all of which would be considered "better" than this old German economy car. But I love this car. I can't explain it to myself let alone to anyone else. I have the opposite of vehicular ADHD. My son is 14 and super into cars. It is a major bonding point for us. But when asked if I'm saving this car for when her turns 16, the answer is: Bishop Bullwinkle Hayl-to-the-naw-naw-naw! He can have "a" car. He can't have "this" car. No one can...but me. Glad we got the "I'm not insane" part out of the way.

On to the update! YEESSS we rebuilt her! When I first started tracking this car it was ill-equipped to catch the inherently better Minis, 944s, Miatas and Civic Sis it was chasing back then.

Now these guys have shown up. And they brought their Z06, ZL1, Cayman GT4 buddies. There is no "trying to catch". There is only trying to get caught less quickly. Trying to get enough time between point bys to string a couple laps together while staying out their way.

There is a fatal flaw in my execution you may catch early. I didn't know at the time but have heard about of it often since.

Pothole damage fixed but we have a lingering overheating issue. It overheats on track. It only overheats on track. Every head gasket test known to man came up good. But it's frustrating and dangerous putting coolant on track so I go after the head gasket anyway. I'm at about 190k miles so might as well grab a fresher head while I'm at it. Come across a guy who's an Audi/VW maniac and he's got torn down cars everywhere. I go to buy a younger heard and he throws in a valve cover (mine is somewhat cracked, not all the way through, but  working fine) and some other stuff. Plan was to take whichever head looks the best and get it gone through. I pull my head and that puppy is pristine. Not only does it put the supposed 50k head to shame it looks like a machine shop "after" photo. New gaskets and bolts and send it! Throughout the process I'm cleaning things here and there. Can't put either of these crusty valve covers back on. Sandblasting shop up the street cleans it up. A little paint and we're driving good and looling good. 

Except...I come across this:

Although some of these cars came with a 6sp, to put one of those in a 5sp car is far from plug and play. Here they've taken a brand new 5sp trans, added a 6th speed and most importantly added the Quaife lsd I've been lusting for for years. Now while this tranny, its shipping and installation cost several times the KBB value of this car it is still close to or less than shipping my 190k mile trans to and from a reputable builder to go through it and install an lsd. And I get a brand spanking new everything else to boot. Let's throw on a fresh South Bend Stage III clutch and flywheel and some meaty bois and see if them Porsche's will catch me more slowly.

To be cont'd!!! Spoiler alert...if you ever hear me talk bad about a pothole ever again slap me. They are harmless, relatively speaking. Cast a vote for my fatal faux pas.

In reply to V2U_03 :

Wow your experience sounds so similar to my recent encounter in my Civic Si....  I hit a curb at 45-50 thanks to someone following me way too close in the dark in a lifted truck....  got the wheels and side airbags too.  

Great thread that I dont understand how I missed the first time. 

And I totally get that he gets "a" car not "this" car, I am in the same boat with my crappy e30. 

This thread almost makes me miss my mk4. 

In reply to orthoxstice :

Same here. I had a 1999 Tropical Orange VR6 GTI and I miss it until I remember how much work I had to do to it to keep it running. 

in for the rest of the story.....

Sick of partial sessions and going home early due to problems I wanted a little insurance that I had sorted the car's ills prior to the highly anticipated track day. So I go see my dyno guy.

He has good news: 202hp/254tq. Pedestrian I know, but consider it came from the factory 19yrs earlier with 180/173 to the crank. So these are good numbers to the wheels. Also keep in mind that this is street trim. I have a 100+ octane file in the tune that bumps those numbers a bit further when I feel like dragging jugs of $7-9/gallon hi test fuel to the track. That was expensive back then. 

I then hit the track with 50/50 confidence/trepidation. I now know that I talk to myself incessantly on track. Audio from the Track Addict video confirms me getting more and more stoked as I cross the number of laps that usually spells a pinned temp gauge and coolant overflow to the rf tire. Just loafing around I'm doing 1:29s when my somewhat repeatable PB is 1:26. Les GOOOO!!!

Session 2 "starts" like Session 1. However a few laps in car feels like it's straining. Power is low and there's a strange light on and it's beeping. Like a lot. I'd never seen "this" light and I'm pretty sure I've seen every light. I try to cut my losses and head in. It doesn't want to stay running at low speeds but it keeps restarting and some RPMs seem to keep it going. I pack up and try to make the hour drive home. I make it a couple miles but ultimately a very familiar chariot will have to come to my rescue:

The pic is not from this specific event but I have many to choose from. So it's representative.

The wife wants to have a word with me when I get home. It was more of an intervention. I'm grabbing tools, a multimeter and a scan tool like a crackhead when she stops me and calmly informs me: "IT'S OVER BABE...IT'S OVER!! How much for something better suited for the type of abuse you continue to force this little car to endure?" She has never interfered with my relationship with what is effectively "the other woman." So I know she's serious. And I know I can't win. And the amount of time and money I've thrown at this thing for the same result (insanity again) confirms she's right. So I give her a price range and she immediately says find it...buy it.

Even though she's right, I'm still mumbling under my breadth "she must be crazy if she thinks Kars-4-Kids is getting a new VW." Remember..."it's mine." She knows me well though. So before she closes the garage door behind her she says, I know you won't rest until you figure out what's wrong and you will probably find a way to fix it, but promise me you will get a better car for the track first.  

We're going to take a, non-VW offramp now but Don't Cry for the VW Argentina. He's been crucified, he's in the cave and the stone is covering the entrance. But stay with me.

I feel like GRM has done a dozen stories on the C5 Z06 being the go-to track day tool. Well maybe one story that they've run a dozen times but they made their point. So I go see this:

Black on black and an aftermarket exhaust that sounds incredible. I grab the key and go nuts through the countryside. Power and sound are intoxicating. But I can't turn right...well not with both hands on the wheel. The giant center console/armrest has my right elbow unable to get much below horizontal. I try everything and it is clear that ergonomically this is not going to work unless I learn to take all right handers one handed. Then there's the dash and radio. Especially the radio. I feel like I'm back in my buddy's '96 Pontiac Sunfire. I'm firmly in the function over form camp but jeezus.

I've already had another dealer ship in a lower mileage Z06 from one of their Chicago locations. Since they went through the trouble I feel obligated to go see it. Turns out they forgot to load it on the truck. AWESOME...I'm off the hook. Then he says, your looking to track the car right? Yes. Well I have this Mustang Track Pack car with a bunch of goodies. Do you want to see it? No! Dont like Mustangs! Dont like Fords! Well you at least have to hear it. Fine, let's get it over with because I need to go strategize what to look for next.

The Mustang was clearly set up for drag racing. Long tubes, no cats, no mufflers, two 4" pipes straight out the back. Boss 302 intake, CAI and full suspension, albeit set up more for straight line than carving corners. To cut this part short and get back to the VW next time, suffice it to say I bought (for an incredible price since it was waaay too intense for anyone other than one of us here) this 2014 Mustang GT Track Pack loaded with go fast parts:

I changed its focus from time-slips to apexes:

So on track days, in full-kill mode, it looks like this:

ARE YA HAPPY NOW LADY??? No more dangerous 4 cylinder VW breakdowns. I'm now safe and sound with 500hp driving the wrong wheels, a stick axle and traction control that must have been an inside sabotage job from a Chevy engineer.

Hanging.....

2 DOOR GTIs LOOK BETTER THAN 4 DOORS! 

There, I said it. With that out of the way, congrats on the new Mustang, it looks like a nice step up.  

2 DOOR GTIs LOOK BETTER THAN 4 DOORS! 

Agreed with by everyone who has ever lived except maybe Stevie Wonder.

congrats on the new Mustang  

That Mustang is like owning a pet lion. It knows it has to depend on me for its existence. But it secretly want to kill me.

V2U_03 said:

congrats on the new Mustang  

That Mustang is like owning a pet lion. It knows it has to depend on me for its existence. But it secretly want to kill me.

Tim or Tom, this belongs in the magazine!  QOTD...

In for the rest of the story!