Newb

[DoorDoctor]

see what I mean
have fun with the jetta coupe and maybe try a open track event to get the feel of being on a track

[D_Bat]

Ya. I'm 18 and i am in my last week of High school and will be going to UCF next year. No my mommy and daddy aren't rich. I just trade parts for money and I work during the summers and some during school but that isn't the point. The point is is that I am a new guy to the SCCA and I am trying to get some help by coming here, not interogated. I pay for all my mods and got my car i am now driving as a daily driver as a present from my whole family. They all piched in money. My first car I got for free because one of my adult friends was buying a new 90s jetta and didn't really know what to do with his old one so he gave it to me.

Now if you wanna be a ass a little more then please don't post to me. Sorry if I am over reacting but it sometimes gets me mad when people do this. I know I am new. Everybody has to start some where. I have nobody to help me here locally so I turn to the internet.

I have neem modding my cars for about 3 years now and doing my own engine work on them because I can't afford mechanics all the time.

My plan is to stop modding my daily drivers and just go with the full out race car. I am sorry that I waisted your time to read this post. Have a nice day.

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1998 VW Jetta GLX
Past Away - 1986 VW Jetta GL

[DoorDoctor]

Age has nothing to do with it.I too started a it project got the cage and seats and my wallet gave out.I may get my comp license in the next couple of years Who knows
If people didn't want to help you they wouldn't post here.Try a open track event

[D_Bat]

Your a cool guy Door Doc. I was talking to Rick. Sorry if there was a miss communication. I am gunna start auto crossing my daily driver a little so I can get a better feel for it then once my track car is semi ready I will start it on auto cross, take some schools, then do some open track things. Its good that I live about one hour and 30 mintes away from daytona I guess. hehe.

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1998 VW Jetta GLX
Past Away - 1986 VW Jetta GL

[RSTPerformance]

To everyone that doesn't support D Bat. I hope you enjoy smaler racing fields and Higher entry fees. You guys need the reality check..... It takes all sorts of people on all sorts of incomes to make racing enjoyable. Some people don't care if they win or not. Entry fees in NER for a Double race weekend may reach 300 tops but never more.

My new advice to you D Bat.
Don't listen to negative critisism. and if you do take it as constructive. I think that being 18 and doing exactly what you are doing is perfect. Just imagine how smart, and good you will be when you are my age (25) That's 7 years of hands on experience. I think most people that feed you critisism probably took the same path you are and they just don't realize the benifits of doing things on your own. I am a firm beleiver that you can't pay your way through life. Take every challenge you can!
If this was a cooking forum people would tell you not to bother cooking pizza from scratch because you can take frozen pizza and heat it up that's just as good and easier.

Stephen

PS a reminder on the goals of this site posted on the home page of this site:
Welcome to Improved Touring.com. Our goals are to increase the popularity and provide an information exchange for the most affordable and competitive road racing series in America.

[D_Bat]

Thank you RST. Your a very kind guy. Hopefully I can meet ya in the field or seomthing. Hehe. I know forums always have their sore spots. I am on about 5 or so forums from Airsoft Guns, Audi Forums, VW forums, and a Bio Diesel. I general. When I wanna say something bad, which is close to never, I just keep my mouth shut. Its the best thing to do. Like mommy says. "If you don't have something good to say then don't say anything" Well. Once i get the check pay check this friday and I get the money from the parts I am currently selling I will go check out the car again, get the title switched over, and then have some fun with it. Until then. i prolly won't be here much because I got all my questions answered. Thank you all so much. You have been very helpful.

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1998 VW Jetta GLX
Past Away - 1986 VW Jetta GL

[SamITC85]

Stephen,
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who is thinking like you. Racing on a budget CAN
be done and discouraging anyone from racing is not doing our part as SCCA members to increase membership, especially from the younger generation.

D_Bat I have raced against Stephen and his brother and they have done things the way you want to do it and have been very successful, including a couple of wins in the past two years. Another way to go about it, is do what we did at UMass. Start a student organization, ours was UMass Motorsports, and go racing that way. In two years we had a fairly competitive ITC Rabbit and I spent $0 dollars on the car, all I paid for was entries and drivers equip. The schools activities fund paid for the rest and we got 30 plus new SCCA members and at least 4 liscensed drivers. I f you have any questions about it feel free to email me at [email protected] Good Luck and hopefully you will be on the track soon.

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Sam Rolfe
TBR Motorsports
#85 ITC VW Rabbit
#85 GP Scirocco on the way
#11 GP Scirocco on the way

[RSTPerformance]

Just a quick tip from the older brother...

You mentioned that you might have a freind build your cage... (Great idea, saves a lot of $$$) make sure that you have the correct tubing (they drill a hole and measure the tubing wall thickness to be sure you are to spec) and also they will check to see if all the welds are perfect and go all the way around any joints... 1 little gap could prevent you from going on the track and the gap would probbly be in a place that you could not get a welder to without taking out a window or something...

Also just to back up the Racing doesn't have to cost a lot theory... I bet just about any car (not ITS and ITA might be a streatch) can be built into a mid pack car with less than $2,000 (In New England anyway), and I bet you can make a winning car for around $5,000 tops...

Raymond "spending a lot less than my brother!!!" Blethen
RST Performance Racing
www.rstperformance.com

[D_Bat]

Hey hey. I just went to your site. Nice site. I gotta start on mine and all to get it going. You have a pretty nice Audi Coupe. me likey.

For some spare parts and all I found a guy that will sell me his car for 200 dollars and I think the only thing it is missing is the fuel pump and it has the RD engine so I am gunna buy it, switch it out with mine so I have the high compression 8v, and then I need to look for a close ratio tranny because he said the tranny's first and second gear are pretty bad. So now I guess I will have some nice extra things like P/S Pumps, water pumps, and other such. I can also use my old tranny too as a spare. He said the only thing that is wrong with the engine is that the timing chain skipped a notch or soemthing and there is no valve damage and all.

Thanx for the help again.

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1998 VW Jetta GLX
Past Away - 1986 VW Jetta GL

[hornerdon]

D_Bat, you mentioned Atlantic Auto Works and UCF. I take it from that you're in Melbourne, FL. Go over to Atlantic and introduce yourself to David Boles, the owner. Offer to do anything he wants, sweep floors, clean the race car, anything, if you can hang around and learn about IT Volkswagens. David is currently racing in H Production with a Scirocco, but he may still have some IT cars hanging around, his or customer's.

Your idea of autocrossing first is great. They aren't as tough about rules unless you start winning (in other words, they'll find a place for almost anything to race). Events are held several times a year near the community college in Palm Bay. Ask David for an old copy of The Checker, Central Florida Region's magazine. It will have schedules, and also an application for an SCCA membership. That's the first thing you should get for your birthday or whatever. Then, go to scca.org, get the merchandise order form, and order the Solo II rule book for autocross and the GCR for road racing rules. Read them until they're falling apart.

Good luck.


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Don Horner
Port St. Lucie, FL
[email protected]

[D_Bat]

I have been down there a few times when I had my 86 but I haven't been down there in a while now. I drove by a few times in the past month or two and he hasn't been open and I don't see any more VWs laying around his shop. I thought he was racing a IT Golf or GTI or seomthing wasn't he or did he get rid of it?? Anyways. Thanx again.

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1998 VW Jetta GLX
Past Away - 1986 VW Jetta GL