Car Classification misprint?

[Commy]

I was looking threw the GCR Car classifications, and they have the Jetta III in ITB, but it states it is a Dual Overhead Cam. I thought the only DOHC was the VR6 ITS Jetta. Is there a DOHC 2.0 Jetta, or is this a misprint? I just sent in my money for my SCCA membership, and I do not receive the magazine yet, so if it is in there, I apologize. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[JamesB]

You are correct, the ABA crossflow is a SOHC, the only MK3 VW in the us with DOHC was the VR6 engine which is classed in ITS.

[Commy]

Thank you very much sir.

Now if only I could convince my friend to buy a race car, instead of building one.

[JamesB]

It took some of the guys here quite some time to convince me. But tell him to write down everything it would take to build a car equal to something in his budget. When all is said and done, it would have cost me nearly 12k to build the car I have. I bought the car for 2500, 500 for a good motor, about 1100 in adding things I wanted (better gauges, oil cooler, and some cage work on the door bars.)

In the end, I still spent less.

[Commy]

Preaching to the choir my good man. The thing about this guy is that he is stuborn to say the least. Not to say I'm not at times, but he is to the extreme. The other thing is that to him it is a way to get out of the house, work on a car, and some other 3rd world ideas that I can not graspe. The real kicker is that he has no intentions on racing the car himself. He is going to leave that to me. Guess I can't complain tomuch. Owe yes I can, it is my time aswell to get this thing done. Well, looks like I need to get a bigger bat to drive this idea out of his head.

[JamesB]

Yeah, I would remind him how much it takes to sort the car. And if you have never built one before its even more work without some good help. I am running an ITB 87 golf, and even with all the work the previous owner did, I am still trying to tune the car in for me. I hope to have it sorted enough by my second race thanks to lots of people I can turn to for help.

I understand the need to get out there and build it yourself. But even without doing that, I have spent countless hours on my car.

[msogren]

There is a Mk 2 golf for sale up there in Rochester for about 3k.
MM

[Eric Parham]

You are correct, the ABA crossflow is a SOHC, the only MK3 VW in the us with DOHC was the VR6 engine which is classed in ITS.
[/b]

Please allow me to correct a false myth that was started by VW advertising when they incorrectly put "DOHC" on the valve cover of the 95 12V VR6. It was NOT a DOHC! VW corrected their error by removing the designation from the 96-99 models. Actually, there were no DOHC Jetta IIIs sold in the US.

The only DOHC NA Jettas prior to 2003 are the 87-92 (1.8 & 2.0) 16V Jetta IIs. The 95-99 Jetta III's with 12V VR6 were technically 2xSOHC since each cam operated all valves for 3 cylinders, and none for the other 3. Not to confuse the matter, but I understand that the 2003-up 24V VR6 in the Jetta IV is truly a DOHC since one cam operates all intake valves and the other cam operates all exhausts. Also, there were DOHC 16V and 20V NA variants available in some foreign markets.

[JamesB]

Technically your correct about the VR6, however, ask 80% of the population that know nothing about this motor and they will refer to it as DOHC. Either way the correction was made in the last fast track for the ABA motor.

I always wondered how some of the late model skoda 16v's performed. But then that engine base was used for the new direct injection 2.0 turbos out in the new body style.