Giving up . . . WTB MKII ITB VW

[S2_ITBVW]

OK, I am climbing back over the rail. I am not jumping off the bridge. Here is the scoop . . .

I have a MKII VW Jetta that once held the track record at Nelson Ledges (it ran in the low 1:19s there).

The car was in a wreck the last time is was out. To be fair, the guy that sold it to me probably does not have any idea that it was such a basket case. He thought all it needed was strut, but it needs all kinds of stuff. So, I have spent a bunch of money that I did not expect to spend.

After all of the surprises I came to the conclusion that I was just throwing my money away. I'm going to take a deep breath and think things through.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks!

Dave

[jimbbski]

How far out of wack is the front end? I once bought a car that was bent in the front and took it to a frame & body shop. They were able to put it straight in less then a day.

[dj10]

Sorry to hear this Dave but this seems almost common place in the racing community. I have friends that have been lied to and ripped off even by people that participate on this site. I've been had by a a so called professional race team in Florida. It used to be that you hadx to worry about 10% of the people now it's like 40%. Trust no one and let a profession go over the car you plan to buy.
Best of luck to you.

[Sandro]

Dave,

Sorry to hear that, I have actually found the opposite of what Dan says, most racers seem to be really honest when selling stuff.

If SoCal is not out of the question I believe their is a MKII for sale here. In October, the owner told me he was selling the car. I don't have his contact info but if you call Raffi at Eurosport, he will, I think the car might even be at his shop.

[shwah]

Isn't there a 16v ITA car for sale on these forums now?

If you already have a complete, but bent car, you can swap all the 8v bits over. There are no chassis or brake differences, only motor.

[jay05]

Will the Scirocco bits work the MKII Jetta's? There is one for $2800 in WI.

[Flyinglizard]

The Mk 1 and the Mk 2 share very little.
A good frame shop can straighten out the car pretty easy. If both doors open, it is fixable. The wheels cant tell what the rest looks like, (good for me).

I have a pefect Mk 2 Jetta shell. They are getting really rare, due to scrap prices and the collectabilty of these to Dub heads.
MM

[S2_ITBVW]

I found the guy who originally built the Jetta I currently own and there is hope. I need to deal with several issues, the biggest issue being making it straight. But the bottom line is I think there is reason to continue working on the car I have now. I'll have to spend some more money to get it "right" but I don't feel like I am throwing money down a hole anymore.

This is not what I expected, but at least I will know exactly what I have when I am done.

Thanks for the help!

Dave

[Bill Miller]

Will the Scirocco bits work the MKII Jetta's? There is one for $2800 in WI.

All Sciroccos (Mk 1, Mk2, 8v, 16v) are A1 chassis cars. Things like the motor and trans from an A2 chassis (what the Mk 2 Jetta is) would fit, but only the 16v would be legal. The rear shocks might work, but I'm not sure. Control arms, hubs, etc. aren't the same.

[LiveDrive9900]

Dave,

Sorry to hear that, I have actually found the opposite of what Dan says, most racers seem to be really honest when selling stuff.

If SoCal is not out of the question I believe their is a MKII for sale here. In October, the owner aftermarket parts (http://motorfiend.com/) told me he was selling the car. I don't have his contact info but if you call Raffi at Eurosport, he will, I think the car might even be at his shop.

Yea I agree with you. I feel like there is sort of a racers code to not sell someone else trash, kind of like not stealing a bikers helmet if he leaves it on his bike. =)

[S2_ITBVW]

It's all good! I have spent quite a bit more money than I thought I would have to spend, but I have made good progress. I am having the car painted and will be wrapping-up a few safety odds and ends before the school at Nelson Ledges in a few weeks. There are a couple things that I will still have to do to make the car perfect, but I think it will be fine for the school.

The fellow who built the car originally is actually going to be at the school to crew for his son and has agreed to provide "technical support" to me during the event. That gives me a bunch of confidence.

I'll post some pictures when the car is done. I appreciate all of the advice.

Is anybody else going to the school at Nelson-Ledges?

Dave

[Flyinglizard]

Paint it after the school..
MM

[S2_ITBVW]

I had to get body panels from a couple cars (different colors), so the car won't pass tech without a paint job.

Yes, I am hoping that I don't ball-up the car my very first time out with it.

Dave

[Ralf]

Call it a Harlequin.
http://www.rossvw.com/vw/pics/harlequin/Thumbs1.htm

[S2_ITBVW]

Oh, wow. That's horrible, and it was apparently on purpose!

I guess I'm getting old because I'm painting the car GRAY.

DE

[angel653922]

After all of the surprises I came to the conclusion that I was just throwing my money away. I'm going to take a deep breath and think things through

[S2_ITBVW]

Thanks for the help everyone! Made it through the school. Nicely done by Great Lakes & the NEOhio Region! The car ran wonderfully and performed well. We still have some tweaks to make but I think it will be competitive. The Hankooks were great for about 10 sessions, then I flat spotted one avoiding another car, then I corded that tire when I locked it up when someone spun in front of me. So, that was the end of really being competitive. The old, old Hoosiers I put on the back were like racing on banana peels.

Thanks again. I hope to see some of you at the IT Spectacular in several weeks.

[ribbie78]

Glad to hear it all worked out at the school! You guys had PERFECT weather after friday's showers.

[S2_ITBVW]

Thought I would wrap-up this thread by showing everyone how the car turned out. A local circle track graphics guy (orangefatkat.com) did the graphics and I think they look great. I still have lots to learn, and the car still has a way to go, but I feel great about the progress.

Thanks again for all the help!