is a mk2 16v competitive?

[evofool]

What's up guys, I have never raced befor ebut after spending all of last weekend at the track watching qualifiying and the what not i'm hooked. I have a old '87 bumping around that i was thinking of converting but wanted to know if it would really be worth it or shoud i look for a better option. thanks guys

[Knestis]

The later 2.0 16v was made eligible for ITA a few years ago but I don't know if anyone's built one. I don't think they are perfect on paper but they should be in the ballpark, assuming build quality, budget, and driving skill are comparable.

The 1.8 is listed 275 pounds lighter than the Rat motor. I've seen a couple of examples of that car and they seem to struggle. I don't know if it can actually get down to its race weight.

Under current rules, it's legal to turn an 8v or early 16v into a 2.0 if the car you end up with is exactly the same as it would have been if you'd started with a "real" 90-92 GTI (e.g., big bumpers).

Where are you located? There might be people near you who can help...

K

[shwah]

Way back at ARRC 1 it was good enough to win, though a wet race IIRC.

The US intake cam is awfully weak on those, and the exhaust side ports are pretty crappy without a good work over (which can't be done in IT). Those factors may make it tough to keep up on the straights. The chassis is a known quantity. I would go with the lower weight 1.8 myself. Actually considered doing it sometime just to see what it does.

If you do go 2.0, you may not be limited to big bumpers as many early 90 cars came with smalls.

Also note the Jettas have 10.1 front brakes (so do the Sciroccos), the GTI has 9.4. But that has no bearing on how the ITAC classified them, so I am told.

[Beran]

Switch it over to a 1.8L 8V..... Then compete in ITB.
It is very competitive there.
Currently, It is not competitive in ITA with the 16 valve.


Beran

[JLawton]

What's up guys, I have never raced befor ebut after spending all of last weekend at the track watching qualifiying and the what not i'm hooked. I have a old '87 bumping around that i was thinking of converting but wanted to know if it would really be worth it or shoud i look for a better option. thanks guys

I know a lot of guys like the build as much as the racing, but if you want to save a ton of money and save on frustration you should probably buy your first car. You can get some decent cars for dirt cheap these days. There are two Saturns in the For Sale section (for example) that would be very inexpensive to get on the track and they are both good cars

[Knestis]

What Jeff says should NOT be neglected.

It might *seem* like it would be cheaper to "do it a little bit at a time" but it almost never works out that way. If you can't afford the $$ to buy a car outright, you're better off opening a savings account and putting the dough in it rather than into a project. When you have saved enough, go shopping. If you DON'T save enough, at least you have the money rather than a half-finished stack of parts that are worth pennies on the dollar.

K

[CRallo]

What Jeff says should NOT be neglected.

It might *seem* like it would be cheaper to "do it a little bit at a time" but it almost never works out that way. If you can't afford the $$ to buy a car outright, you're better off opening a savings account and putting the dough in it rather than into a project. When you have saved enough, go shopping. If you DON'T save enough, at least you have the money rather than a half-finished stack of parts that are worth pennies on the dollar.

K

the words of a very wise man...

[Scooter]

I built my car and while I like my car a lot, it's taken forever to get it right and it costs way more than you could imagine. Used race cars can be really cheap....

[jmracer17]

I run one now. Its a 1.8. I haven't touched the motor yet because I am still learning (17yrs old only 5 races). As far as I can see when someone else was in the car, there is nothing for the miatas or integras. Yes they have motors in them other than stock but still, Daytona they all walk away. Sebring is the same. I know most of it is me because I don't know the tricks of speed good enough yet but still, not very competitive. Great learner car though. Hey and I couldn't beat the price.... FREE!